#it's a really nice skin tone in isolation! it's just not... the one she's supposed to have kjgfhfd

[blujaydoodles]

I knew when I was coloring those ref sheets that her skin tone was a lot warmer than I usually do, but I've just been updating my reference board for her with newer art and stuff, and seeing it directly side by side with other art and how different they actually are is lowkey stressing me out fdkjhgkdfhg

[raineydays411]

Trauma really does bond

The umbrella academy x teen!reader

Summary: It’s time for you to meet your siblings. But what happen when your introductions don’t exactly go as planned?

You were trembling as you walked behind Pogo and Grace. Its ironic, you’ve waited your whole life for this moment. To finally meet your siblings and expand your family. A childish hope of your siblings one day returning to the mansion and accepting you with open arms. 

But now that you actually have a chance to meet them, you’re terrified. You realized that you have no idea how to talk to people. It’s different than when you talk to Pogo or your mother. These are complete strangers. No matter how many stories you’ve been told, how many times you read Vanyas book, you truly didn’t know these people. How were you meant to be a family? How are you supposed to-

“Y/n? Dear?” 

You’re snapped from your thoughts by your mother calling you.

“Yes, momma?”

“Momma? Pogo, who’s that?”

You turn, again surprised by an unfamiliar voice. There she was. Alison Hargreeves. She’s beautiful. 

Her hair is curly and blonde, with beautiful high cheekbones and glowing brown skin. Her as were kind even as she squinted at you skeptically in confusion.

“Alison, this is Y/n Hargreeves, or Number Eight. She’s your sister.”

Grace again gives you a light nudge, and you move in front of her. It was then that you realized that you are shorter than Alison, having to glance up to meet her eyes. 

“My sister?” She looks at you in disbelief, “How come we didn’t know? This wasn’t mentioned by the press or anything...” 

“Your father decided to keep our dear Y/n a secret.” Grace said wrapping her arm around you, “ She’s been our little secret for 17 years and 4 months.” 

“A secret? But why? I mean, what was the reason?”

“Your father, believed that the world wasn’t ready for a new superhero. Nor was Y/n ready to face the world.” Pogo said with a grim face, “ He had hoped though, that one day he would be able to take her out...but it seems that for now, Y/n shall remain inside.”

You frowned, holding back tears at the thought. You didn’t know that your father had wanted to let you out, nor that he wanted to be there when you were. But, what truly upset you, was that you had to stay in the mansion. Freedom was at the tip of your fingers and you didn’t even know it.

“Stay inside? You mean she’s never been outside?” Alison said horrified.

“Well she has been out in the courtyard and such, but Mr. Hargreeves prohibited her to leave the premises. Nor was she allowed to be in contact with the citizens”

“She’s been here all alone?” Alison asks sadly, “ With no one to talk to? No one her age?” 

“I’m afraid not” Pogo says sadly, looking at you.

You didn’t understand the big deal. Of course you were lonely, and wanted to explore the world, but you knew why you had to stay. You can just hear your fathers words.

“You have a duty Number Eight. A duty to your people and to me. It may not be ideal but sacrifices are hardly ideal.”

And everytime you thought about leaving, you’d remember his words and stay put. Besides you wouldn’t dare disobey your father.

Not after the last time.

“Well,” Alison says gently, leaning down to your eye level, “ Hello Y/n, I’m Alison Hargreeves, your big sister.”

Your eyes widened at her words as your heart filled with joy. For so many years  you imagined those words. You wondered how this whole thing would play out, how meeting your siblings might be. And to hear Alison so readily accept you, it brought tears to your eyes.

“Hello, Alison” You say beaming as you carefully step forward, “ I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you, Momma says you live in California, what is it like?” 

Alison smiles at your question, your demeanor like a small child. It reminded her of Claire...

“It’s very nice, maybe when we have time I’ll be able to tell you all about it.” 

Your smile widens as you turn to your mother excitedly, she smiles back and says, “ That sounds wonderful dear, but you should go and change. You know the rules. You don’t want your father finding you in your night clothes, now would you?”

You furrow your brows,” Momma...”

“No buts now march” She says with a grin. You smile at Alison but see the worried look on her face. 

“So she did notice how weird momma acting” You think to yourself. You stay in a daze as you walk towards your room. Worrying about your mother, grieving your father, and thinking about how you’re finally meeting all your siblings. Then as you turn a corner into the hallway that leads to your room, you’re knocked to the ground as you bump into a wall of a body.

“Ow!” you squeal as you hit the ground, rubbing the back of your head and peering up at the person you bumped into.

“Uh..sorry Y/n” 

“Luther!” You shout, your pain overridden by the happiness you felt at seeing your brother, one that actually knows you exist.

He helps you up, which to him is like picking up a feather, and  before he knew it, your arms are wrapped around his midsection. Luther awkwardly pats your back, not really expecting to be hugged.

“It's great to see you Luther! I read all your mission reports, or rather the ones that Father let me read. I always wished you good night though! Pogo always caught me looking at the moon with that telescope, I hope you don’t mind that I used it. It's just that I missed you so-” Your happy ramblings cut off by a Luther clearing his throat.

“Ahem...right, um hey Y/n, I gotta go...check on something.” He says gently pushing you away, “It was nice seeing you though.”

And with that he walks away, leaving you in the hallway as you stare at his retreating form.

“oh...okay then! I’ll see...see you later.” You say, disheartened by his brief acknowledgement. You sigh, walking into your room. 

“I don’t know why I try...” You mumble to yourself. “ It’s not like he was ever happy to see me before.”

You go into your closet, trying to figure out what to wear. Usually, Grace picked out your outfits, ordered by your father, but she didn’t leave anything out for you today. So, you settled for a black turtleneck sweater, a black and white plaid skirt, black knee high socks with some mary janes. It wasn’t really your go to look, but you felt like it was appropriate given the circumstance. You let your hair loose, curls falling into your face as you let it out of the bun you quickly put it in. 

You go to walk out of the room when you’re stopped by a gleam. You see the necklace your father gave to you after the incident. You stare at it, debating on whether you should put it on or not. You sigh, deciding to wear it, it was his funeral after all. You put it on, the cold metal never truly seem to heat up, the pendant heavy on your chest. You never grew attached to it. It just served as a reminder that you’re stuck in the mansion. You can never leave. Not until he let you and now...

You shake your head. Trying not to get into your thoughts, that's when you heard it. Little scratching at your window. You turn to see Despereaux, the little mouse  you saved when you were younger. Ever since that day it was like you and him formed a bond.

You open the window excited to see your little friend.

“Hello Despereaux, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you.” You whisper as you let him climb on to your shoulder. “ you’ve missed quite a bit since I’ve last seen you. How about some cheese?”

You walk out of your room, Despereaux nestled on your shoulder. As you walk through the long hallways, you bump into another body.

“Ouch, again?” You whisper to yourself, rubbing your forehead.

“Hey watch it...teenage girl?” A male voice said in a perplexed tone. 

You look up to see a man in some rather tight clothes and kohl ringed eyes.

“Hello” You quietly mutter with a soft smile. “I’m Y/n”

“You are adorable.” The man says, “ Where has the old man been hiding you?” 

You blush looking down at your feet, you were never really complimented. Only by Grace.

“ Aww” The man squeals, squishing you to his body. He smelled like booze and sweat but the hug was nice, “ I have no idea who you are but I’m your uncle Klaus from now on.”

“You’re Klaus?” You say excitedly, “ I’m so glad to meet you!” 

You wrap your arms around him, feeling the outline of something hard and metal in the back of his pants. You ignored it though, happy to meet another one of your siblings.

“Ugh it’s so nice to be around someone who isn’t a total stick in the mud.” Klaus says letting go of you, “ Like Luther, all that rage in that big body” 

You giggle at his words and eccentric behavior. It was a stark contrast to the ridgid stoic behavior that you’re used to. Klaus’ grand gestures and silly nature was new to you.

“I’ve heard alot about you.” You say happily, “ Mama always tells me stories about how you used to steal  her shoes and skirts and Father said--”

“Father?” Klaus asked, “ You mean ol’ Reggie bought you too? Or are you like..his offspring? Eww! I don’t want to think about that, shut up Ben.”

Ben?

“Father adopted me, I was born with powers like you.” You clarify for him. 

“Huh, so he managed to create another trauma case before he croaked.” Klaus said in a light voice, “Well. I always wanted a little sister.”

You smile, glad that at least two of your siblings liked you. But what did he mean by trauma case.

“Anywho, I have some... inheritance I need to collect. I, will see you at the funeral, das Kind” 

And with a wiggle of his fingers he was off, gone as quick as when you met him. Leaving you yet again, alone. You shrug off his odd behavior when you heard two voices speaking. 

“ah no, not to my knowledge.”

“But..the spine is broken and there's notes in the margins.”

“ Yes, that would be the work of.. ah Y/n, there you are.”

You jump in surprise, although you should’ve know. You can never eavesdrop with Pogo around.

You walk down the stairs, slowly towards Pogo and.. Vanya!

Out of all the siblings, she’s the one you wanted to meet the most. She, like you was isolated in this mansion. You felt a connection to her as soon as you were able to pick up that book. Your heart raced as you made it to the final step, reaching the first flower and into the living room where Vanya and Pogo were talking. You can see that she is shocked, as all your other siblings were.

“Pogo, who is this?” 

“Go ahead dear, introduce yourself. Just like you practiced.”

You smile widely, “Hi I’m Y/n Hargreeves, I love your book. I’ve read it almost five times now.  You’re Vanya! I’ve been waiting to meet you! You look exactly like the picture on the back of the book! It really is a good book, I-”

“Y/n, take a breath. Let her get a word in.” Pogo chuckled, glad to see that you’re comfortable around Vanya. 

“Oh, right. I’m sorry, father did always say I..tend to talk to much” You say looking down at your shoes. You didn’t notice the frown on both Pogo and Vanyas face.

“You...you read my book?” Vanya asked, still trying to figure out who you are.

“Yes, multiple times. It...well, besides the stories Mama and Pogo told me, this was the only way I got to know all of you.”

“Why didn’t you just come find us?” 

“Oh well..I wasn’t really allowed outside”, you say glancing at Pogo, “ Father said the world and I weren’t ready for each other.”

“You mean, you’ve been alone...all these year?”

“No, not totally alone! I had Pogo, and Mama, and and father too. Plus there were the robots he built, although I did destroy them...and the books and and..”

“Y/n...that’s..that’s not..” Vanya stopped herself. She knew that this must be a sensitive subject for you. The way you listed everyone in your life was practiced. Like you’ve said it to yourself over and over again. And by the grim look on Pogos face, she can tell it wasn’t only you who was sensitive about this subject.

“Well, Y/n..perhaps you should go on in the kitchen and help your mother. Your siblings will be meeting here shortly, it would be nice if they had some snacks, don’t you agree?” Pogo says, forcing a smile at you.

“Oh! Okay” You beam, “ It was nice meeting you Vanya!” 

And with that you scurry off into the kitchen, leaving Vanya and Pogo behind in silence.

“She’s been alone for...” 

“For seventeen years. Yes”

“Pogo...”

“You know your father...once he made up his mind...there was little I can do.”

Vanya sighs and pats Pogo on the shoulder, “It’s good to see you Pogo.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You skip into the kitchen, seeing your mother humming at the sink. You walk up to her and notice that she’s cleaning the same plate over and over again.

“Hi momma!” you say suddenly

“Oh, hello dear. What are you doing in here?” Grace asks putting the plate in the drying rack.

Pogo said it would be nice to make snacks for my siblings” You ask, then feeling movement around your neck, “Oh and some cheese please.”

You forgot Despereaux was on your shoulder, its a wonder that no one has seen him yet.

“hmm snacks we can do.” Grace says with a smile. She goes to the fridge and pulls out some cheese.

“How about some cheese and crackers? Its simple.” she says, “ ans Despereaux here can have his fill as well”

You freeze, caught again by your mother, “ Thanks momma.” 

You both giggle, and side by side you work on cutting the cheese and presenting the crackers. You feel a sense of calm wash over you. You usually do when you’re around your mother. She makes you feel safe. 

“Ahem.” 

You both turn to see Diego in the kitchen doorway.

“Diego dear, you startled us.” Grace said with a smile, “ Come help, we’re making you kids some snacks.”

He barely spares a glance at you.

“Pogo wanted me to come tell you that the meetings starting.”

“Oh, well go on darling, run along and I’ll bring out the snacks later.”

And with that she kisses your forehead and waves you away. She turns back to the  sink and starts humming again. 

You glance back at Diego. He’s glaring at the wall and to be honest you’re surprised he even waited for you. You pick up Despereaux and put him on your shoulder again, and grab some grapes and cheese then stuff it in your skirt pocket. Then you walk up to Diego with a small smile. 

He glances at you and scoffs, then walks away. You have to jog to catch up to him.

“You uh, you walk pretty fast” You say huffing a bit. 

He doesn’t answer you, he just keeps walking in the same pace. You stay silent as well, the trip to the living room longer than you remember.

You finally make it, and you see all your siblings in the room, spread out. You take a seat next to Vanya. You smile at her and take a glance around the room. Luther is sat at the couch across from you and Vanya. Allison and Diego are sat on some chairs, and Klaus is at the bar. 

The six of you sit in an awkward silence until Luther clears his throat.

“ So I guess we should get this started.” He says standing up, “ So I figured we can have sort of a memorial service. At the courtyard at sundown, say a few words. At dad’s favorite spot.”

You nod along and hear Alison speak up, “ Dad had a favorite spot?”

“Yeh at the oak tree, we used to sit out there all the time. None of you did that?” Luther asks.

“Oh yeah, after training” you chime in, causing the adults to look at you. You heard Diego scoff again and saw Luther quickly furrow his brow then smooth out his face again.

“Will there be refreshments?” Klaus asks walking out from behind the bar, “ Tea? Scones? Cucumber sandwiches are always a winner.” 

He goes to take a seat next to you when Luther speaks up

“What? No, and put that out. You know dad didn’t allow smoking in here.”

You roll your eyes. If you had to choose one thing to hate about Luther, you’d choose his insistent need to always be on your Father's good side. He can be such a downer sometimes.

“Is that my skirt?”

You hadn’t even noticed Klaus in the skirt. If you had to be honest, it did really suit him. You let out a small laugh, hearing Klaus mention his “bits”.

“Listen up.”

Oh boy, you’ve heard this tone before. You really forgot how stern Luther could be.

“There’s still some important things that we need to discuss alright ?”

“Um Luther” you squeak out, “ what more is there to talk about? Its not like Father had many friends we can invite. And his only family is us...”

“Yeah. The kids right, what else is there to discuss?” Diego asks.

You turn to him in surprise, this is basically the first time he acknowledged you unprompted. You send him a smile that, as expected, he ignores.

Oh well, small steps.

“ The way he died.”

“ And here we go”

You scrunch your eyebrows, “the way he died?”

Klaus sits next to you, throwing an arm around your shoulder as Vanya speaks up,

“I don’t understand, I thought they said it was a heart attack...”

“A heart attack?” You ask, realizing that no one’s really did tell you how your father died..

You’re question gained a suspicious look from Luther and confusion from the rest.

“ Y/n...you didn’t know?” Alison asked gently.

“ no one told me...” You say quietly, feeling nervous from the sudden attention.

“Well, According or to the coroner it was.” Luther continues.

“Well wouldn’t they know?”

“Theoretically..”

“Theoretically??”

You don’t understand. You don’t understand why nobody told you how your father died. You don’t understand why everyone was acting weird. And you don’t understand why Luther was bringing this up.

You feel a hand on your forearm, breaking you from your thoughts. You turn your head to see Klaus.

“ you lost in space?” He whispers playfully, “ I would be too, having to listen to Detective Daddy issues over here.”

You let out a small chuckle and whisper back, “ well technically we all have daddy issues.”

This earned you a quiet laugh and a pat on the arm. Then Klaus went to drink whatever was in his cup. And you tuned in again.

“ i’m just saying at the very least something happened. ” Luther says looking around the room, “ The last time I talk to dad he sounded strange.”

“Oh quelle surprise!” Klaus gurgles through his drink.

The rest of the adult ignored him, only sparing him a quick glance.

“Strange how?” Alison asked, continuing the conversation.

“ he sounded on edge”, Luther said, “ told me to be careful who to trust.”

He then gave you pointed look. You looked back at him perplexed, not knowing why he looked at you that way.

“Luther,” Diego chimed in, “ he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles. ”

You frown at that statement. Sure your father was old and sort of eccentric, but his mind was sharp.

But come to think of it he was acting really weird the week before he died. He started telling you more about your siblings, about your place in the world and how you were meant to help it. He spent more time with you more than he ever has your whole life. He was, in his own way, nicer to you. Nicer in training, nicer on your free time, nicer in general. He took you out to the old oak tree more often, and just sat there with you, no lectures, no tirades, he just sat in silence.

It was almost like... like he knew he was going to die. 



“I can’t just call dad in the afterlife and be like, “ hey dad can you stop playing tennis with Hitler really quick and take a quick call?’” Klaus says exasperatedly.

Oh right you forgot, he can talk to ghosts.

“ since when? that’s your thing.” Luther asks

“ i’m not in the right... Frame of mind!!” 

“ You’re high?” Alison asks

“Yeah!” Klaus laughs, “ Who wouldn’t be listening to this nonsense. Right kiddo?”

He nudged you gently look at you for confirmation.

Your eyes widen and before you can even answer Diego cut you off,

“ Don’t bring her in this, she probably isn’t even know what being high is.”

You most certainly do. You’re not a child.

“ Look, just sober up this is important!” Luther demands , then continues on, “ and then there’s the missing monocle.”

“Who gives a shit about the missing monocle?” Diego mutters.

“ Father is missing his monocle?” You ask, getting ignored again.

“Exactly, it’s worthless.” Luther states, “ so whoever took it it must’ve been personal.”

The group starts to actually pay attention to him

“ Someone close to him, someone with a grudge.” He determines.

Wait...he’s not implying..

“Where are you going with this?” Klaus asks

“Oh, isn’t obvious Klaus?” Diego taunts, “ He thinks one of us killed dad.”

Luther grunts, but doesn’t deny his accusation.

The room goes silent as everyone tries to come to terms with what was revealed.

“ Luther...” you start sadly, feeling hurt and betrayed.

“You do?” Klaus asks in disbelief

“How could you think that?” Vanya chimes in

“ is it really that far-fetched?” Luther defends himself, “ I mean, it’s not secret how much you all hate him.”

“Luther.” Alison says sternly

“ That’s not fair accusation, there’s no evidence or anything...” you say defending your siblings, “ Besides, no one came home until today. Trust me, I’d know.”

But that just turned him on you 

“ And where were you when he died?”

Your breath hitched, “ what?”

“ You’re the one who can heal people right? So where were you? Why didn’t you heal him?” He demands, “ Or did you let him die?”

“ Luther!” Alison shouts at him

You stay silent as you can’t think of anything to say. You already felt horrible about not being able to save your father. But yo hear it from Luther...

“I..” you start to say but get choked up. You feel the walls close up around you and the heavy gaze of these adults. You quickly stand up and run out of the room sniffing.

It was then that Luther realized what he just accused you of.

“Y/n wait..” he starts but you’re already gone by the time he spoke up. He turns to the rest of his siblings, facing their glares and betrayed looks.

“ Great job Luther.” Diego says sarcastically, “ Way to lead.”

And with that he walks out the room.

“That’s..that’s not what I’m saying”

“You’re crazy man. You’re crazy.” Klaus said getting up from his spot and grabbing his things. “Crazy”

“I..I wasn’t finished”

“ Okay, sorry I’m just gonna go get Y/n and have her help me murder mom.” Klaus sneers, “ You know, after I get her to stop crying, be right back.”

“That’s not what I was saying!” Luther says, “ I didn’t—“ he cuts himself off, seeing as everyone but Alison left.

Then she gets up to leave, but says this

“ That little girl has had it rough enough growing up here, she doesn’t need anymore from you.”

Then she walks out ignoring what Luther tries to say.

Leaving him all alone.

“That went well.”



[zeroideaman]

so I watched the newest episodes of Scott’s for empires right and although I‘ve not been actively watching empires, I have lotsa thoughts bout it, mainly the newest, newest episode.

so yea :p

Gonna give some explanation to the plot (even tho I’m 90% sure anyone who’s reading this prolly already knows a good portion of this stuff lol)

Scott's really trying to keep people safe, that’s his main goal right now. So he then tries to isolate from everyone in rivendale (solid plan for the most part) but it ultimately fails and leading more people to worry for him and ask questions.

so he gets rid of the crown, the main reason people are coming to him, gives it to fwhip but it gets yoinked by joel

ok, ok, not too much of a problem and Scott doesn’t really care, he’s without that responsibility having already put onto his shoulders the responsibility of keeping his friends and people safe. which I feel like isn’t only rooted in his powers spiking and acting up, I feel like he’s still slightly coping from xornoth, feeling as if he somehow failed his friends by allowing his brother to cause a lot of damage on the server and now he’s doing the same thing

hes spiraling, unable to figure out how to stop his powers so who does he turn to? one of the only wizards on the server, who’s also conveniently going to be opening up a magic school soon. she should be able to help the, right?

she understands her own magic and since shes planning to teach magic she should thusly be good choice. especially since she’s quite laid back and seems like a good person to just chat about your problems with yk

so scott shows up with his dilemma, he wants his powers to stop, to be gone forever and out of sight. whilst gem wanting to teach and help Scott in a better way then just bottling up everything inside, wants to see if he can just reverse the effects, easy enough ask and she does it in the nicest way. their two motivations war with each other a couple of times during these few minutes he shares with gem.

gem brings up her little hypothesis that maybe he can reverse it and Scott immediately knocks her down, being so caught up in his want for normality to not see that she genuinely does want to help (although in a different way) so he’s already a bit frustrated. gem seems to understand his side but has this tone of voice that reminds me of when a teacher tries to explain something but in a “You haven’t tried hard enough to do it” sort of way, honestly don’t knw how to explain it (btw I haven’t watched gems pov of this so I have no idea if she has a different tone of voice during any of this)

so they try it, because scott is honestly out of options and just wants all this to be over, his anxiety already through the roof (due to mainly feeling inadequate when it comes to protecting his friends). they do it and gem is just urging Scott on, and in a pretty nice way but again this isn’t the answer scott wanted to seek so he‘s already frustrated and so when she urges him on he doesn’t it hear it as a sincere “you got this“ but more as a “your doing so bad that I have to say this”. he knows he’s supposed to do something but he knows that it won’t happen because he’s tried, he’s tried so many times to stop this, why does she think telling him to do better will help in any way?

so, because of the bottled up anger, both at the situation during the present and every other thing that’s happened that has stabbed into his self-esteem and heart just comes out in an avalanche of ice.

and guess what? the worst has happened, he’s hurt someone. someone who was trying to help and who’s a friend. he’s become what he’s feared.

so he leaves. all his worries of not being a good ruler, a good friend, a good person are now true. he’s a monster, just like his brother

its evident in the ice that now covers his skin, making the once touchable skin jagged and cold

its evident in his wings, once like an animal with warmth and soft feathers and now a dead thing, spiked and dangerous

he can’t feel the cold

the bottle holding all his unwanted emotions now deep within ice

***

tldr; Scott’s mental breakdown all stems from his anxieties over his brother and friends, and now he’s Elsa reincarnated

sorry fo the 1 am thoughts but I couldn’t get the interaction between gem and Scott outta my head

also if someone already thought this up, my last remain brain cell apologises

[cozy-the-overlord]

Happiness

Summary: A daughter of Thanos, Eija had grown accustomed to the isolated nature of life on the Sanctuary. Only when her father orders her to keep watch over an injured prisoner does she begin to realize how lonely it is.

Written for @lucywrites02′s Lucywrites19 Writing Challenge on prompt #6

Word Count: 4,078

Pairing: Loki (Marvel) x OFC

A/N: Lucy: *puts together a list of really nice, sweet, loving prompts that would make for some wonderful, fluffy fics* 

Me: And I took that personally

Honestly, this turned into more of a separate challenge for me to see if I could take a fluffy prompt and write an angst bomb. I can say I’m both pleased and thoroughly ashamed of myself.

Happy Birthday, Lucy! I hope you don’t hate me too much after this one ...

Warnings: Implied/referenced torture (it’s not super graphic, but it’s definitely there), blood/injury, character death

Tags: @lucywrites02 @gaitwae @whatafuckingdumbass @the-emo-asgardian @imnotrevealingmyname

If you want to be tagged, feel free to send an ask/message :)

Read it on Ao3!

“Are you happy, child?”

It wasn’t the type of thing Eija had expected the hulking warrior to ask a street urchin like her, especially not after catching her wrist in his pocket. Really, she should have known better than to try to steal from someone so clearly capable of crushing her skull within his fist, but his golden armor had glistened so temptingly in the sunlight and besides, she had never been caught before …

When he caught her wrist and yanked her in front of him, Eija was sure that this was the end. The penalty for stealing was steep to begin with, but stealing from a noble (and certainly this man must have been a noble) could lose you your head. But he said nothing of punishment. Instead, he curled his purple lips into a smile and asked her that question.

“Are you happy, child?”

No one had ever asked her that before. No one ever really asked her anything—the most Eija ever got were the curses spat at her on the street, on the luckless days when pickpocketing had brought her nothing and she was forced to beg for sustenance. No one cared enough to ask after her.

No, she told the warrior-noble, no, she wasn’t happy. She was hungry and tired and cold, and she didn’t have money to buy food.

The towering creature laughed, caressing the brilliant hilt that hung at his waist. “I thought not. Come,” he said, stepping forward and motioning her to follow. “I have something for you to eat on my ship.”

…

Eija tugged at the laces on her boot. She had tied and untied them three times already, but she could think of nothing else to do in this tiny room, so she went in for the fourth. Besides her, the Jotun sagged against his braces in the metal chair, his labored breathing the only sound to break the stillness. He didn’t look very Jotun. Lord Thanos had explained that it was some kind of enchantment—the AllFather had magicked away his blue skin when he was a baby to make him look more Asgardian. Eija didn’t really understand the reasoning behind such an action, but she didn’t need to. Her job was simply to make sure he survived the night.

It was a frustrating assignment. Eija wasn’t a healer—she had no idea what she was supposed to do if death came knocking for the prisoner. Unfortunately, she wasn’t exactly an assassin either, and so unlike the rest of her adoptive siblings her role on the Sanctuary wasn’t considered to be of critical importance.

So here she was. Babysitting.

The Jotun groaned. It was a soft noise, but it was enough to rip Eija’s attention away from her shoes. He shifted against his restraints, but there was no force behind the movements.

“Hey,” she called. “Are you awake?” She shouldn’t have been talking to the prisoner. Somehow, she knew Lord Thanos wouldn’t like it if he were to find out. Still, the metallic room housed a lonely existence, and Eija was desperate for any kind of distraction.

Although the prisoner didn’t exactly seem to be the ideal conversation partner. He flinched at the sound of her voice, his feeble movement falling still as abruptly as it began. Perhaps she should have gone back to her laces, but Eija was intrigued. She left her stool to stand before the Jotun, peering down at him through his shackles.

“Are you awake?” she asked again. He didn’t respond. His eyes were closed, his head hanging limply against his shoulders, as if he hadn’t just been rustling about. The thought of some grand Jotun (Asgardian?) prince trying to trick her by playing dead was so comical that Eija had to bite back her laugh.

“Hey,” she said instead, trying to add some of that Black Order sharpness to her voice as she tapped his arm. “Knock it off. I know you’re awake.”

He looked up at her then, his movement slow and labored. It almost made her wince, just looking at the way he struggled to open his bloodshot eyes. Lord Thanos had allowed Proxima charge of the Jotun today, and she had clearly made the most of it—his face was so swollen that she never would have recognized the man Corvus had pulled out of the depths of space only a week ago.

“What do you want?” he whispered, voice low and hoarse. He was making a valiant effort to control his breathing, but Eija knew the look of fear when she saw it. She had seen it in the faces of almost everyone who found themselves in the presence of Lord Thanos and his children, although those faces were never focused on her. This must have been the first time she was the cause of such terror.

It was an odd feeling. Eija wasn’t sure she liked it.

She shrugged, dropping the serious tone. “I just wanted to talk to someone. It gets very dull in here.”

The prisoner only stared at her.

No, not the ideal conversation partner at all.

Eija sighed. It seemed she’d be returning to her shoelaces in short time after all.

“Can you tell me your name at least?” she asked. No one had mentioned it yet, and Eija had been afraid to inquire. Lord Thanos hadn’t been particularly happy when he gave her this assignment—his anger had been more directed at Proxima, for nearly killing the prisoner, but Eija didn’t want to give him a reason to turn on her. She wasn’t often the target of the Mad Titan’s fury, but the few times she was were enough of a lesson for a lifetime.

But the Jotun made no response. “Is this a trick?” he asked finally.

“No. I’m just curious.” A strand of black hair had fallen into his eye. Eija was tempted to brush it away, but she held herself back. “I’ll tell you my name, if it makes you feel better,” she offered.

She waited a moment for him to give some kind of answer. He didn’t.

“Eija,” she said. “My name’s Eija.”

He inhaled. “Did he send you to kill me?”

The question caught her off guard, although perhaps it was fair. “What? No, no I’m just— no,” she stuttered. “I don’t … kill people.”

He eyed her, unconvinced. “Why are you here, then?”

“To make sure you don’t die,” she said. “They were worried, you know.” Proxima had been quite proud of herself. Eija had overheard her bragging to some of the others earlier in the day about how she had the little prince calling out for his mother by the end. They had been laughing about it, how quickly he had succumbed to childish instincts, but the thought intrigued Eija.

She had never known her mother. Before Lord Thanos had found her, she had had no one but herself, scrounging up what food she could from what she stole on the street. She never cried for anyone, no matter how frightened she was. She had no one to cry for.

She wondered what it was like.

“Are you truly not going to tell me your name?” she asked. It was a bit disappointing. She had hoped he’d be at least a little more interesting than this.

He swallowed slowly, painfully. Whereas before it seemed he was afraid to take his eyes off of her, now he seemed unable to meet her gaze.

“Loki,” he finally whispered.

“Loki,” Eija repeated. The name made her smile, although she wasn’t quite sure why it would. “It’s nice to meet you, Loki.”

She asked him more questions as the night went on—questions about his home, his family, his childhood memories. At first, he wouldn’t answer any of them. He’d just stare at her blankly as she posed her queries or whip his head away as if he couldn’t stand to be faced with the words.

So, she changed tactics. She told him about growing up on Knowhere, before Thanos found her, about how when she was not yet six years of age the man she had known as her father dumped her on the side of the road and flew away into permanent obscurity, and about how she taught herself how to reach into another’s pocket and pull out exactly what she was looking for by practicing on the other unsuspecting urchins who lived alongside her on the street. It was strange, to relieve those stories before an audience. Because he was an audience, like it or not. He was listening to every word she said, even more so, she suspected, than he wanted to let on.

When she left that morning, after Corvus came to take over for the day, her throat was so dry she could barely speak. It was a nice kind of dry, though. The Black Order never demanded her voice anyways, so it wasn’t a noticeable inconvenience.

It was worth it.

“You again,” Loki muttered when she slipped into the cell the following evening. “Eija.”

“Hey!” she exclaimed. “You remembered my name!”

“You talked a lot.” He blinked sleepily. “You had a nice voice.”

Eija stopped. She wasn’t certain she heard him incorrectly. “What?”

He yawned. “You had a nice voice.”

She felt a flush rising in her cheeks. It was quite possibly the kindest thing anyone had ever said to her, as ridiculous as it seemed. Eija doubted her siblings could even recognize the sound of her voice—if they did, it would have been to scold her for stepping so far out of line, certainly not to pay her a compliment.

“If you’d like,” she said eagerly, pulling the stool across the room so she could sit next to him. “I can tell you more stories?”

It became the part of the day Eija looked forward to most—the moments where she could talk for hours about anything she wanted, without the ever-present fear of her siblings’ mockery or the Mad Titan’s chastening. It felt … safe, in a way that she hadn’t felt safe before. Warm. She always felt so alone on this ship, wasting away whilst awaiting orders. There were points where even her own thoughts seemed to abandon her to the darkness.

But not here. Not with Loki.

He seemed to enjoy it as well. Of course, she held no illusions that he was quite literally a captive audience, but he listened. He remembered the things she said to him. On good days, he’d even ask her questions, add in thoughts and stories of his own.

“You said you don’t kill people,” he asked suddenly, on one such visit. “Did you mean that?”

Eija shifted uncomfortably. This had always been an awkward subject. “Yes,” she said. “I’m not an assassin. I don’t have the training.”

“What do you do here, then?”

She inhaled. “Steal things.”

“Steal things?” he repeated. “What kind of things?”

Eija shrugged. “Anything he wants,” she said. “Weapons, passkeys, precious gems—whatever.” She remembered that day, when Lord Thanos had taken her from the streets to his ship, what he had said as she devoured the soup his servant placed in front of her.

“I have more trained killers than I know what to do with,” he told her. “But perhaps I could use a sneak thief.”

Eija had agreed to everything he said— it wasn’t as if she was in any position to refuse him, and besides, anything had to be better than sleeping in a trash bin. And so, she became the Titan’s personal retriever, sneaking her way across the galaxy and returning with the treasures he coveted in her pockets. Her methods were straight and to the point. She was in and out before anyone even noticed her presence, and, unlike her adopted siblings, there wasn’t a trail of bodies left in her wake.

“But if your role is to steal things,” Loki asked. “Then what are you doing with me?”

Eija didn’t answer right away. Thanos had not ordered her to continue her night watch over the Jotun prisoner. He hadn’t said that she couldn’t, but she was fairly certain that he wouldn’t be pleased to find that she had. What was she doing here?

“I just like to talk to somebody, I guess,” she said. “Besides, somebody has to make sure you make it through the night.”

Although it became exceedingly clear with each passing day that such a task may be outside of her abilities. One night, she could hear his hacking all the way down the hall, rattling the walls as she rushed to his side. She found him sagging limply against his shackles, soaked in blood and sweat and goodness knows what else as he choked on his own breath.

Eija didn’t know what to do—she could only wipe the blood from his face and hold the bottle of water to his lips.

“What does he want from me?” he croaked, once he could finally speak. There were tears running down the creases of his face, although whether that was from emotion or pain Eija couldn’t be sure. “Why is he doing this to me?”

For once, she said nothing. She had no answer for him.

She tried asking Gamora once. It was no secret that the Zehoberei was Lord Thanos’ favorite—if he were to tell anyone his intentions for the prisoner, it would be her.

But the assassin gave her nothing. “He has a use in mind,” she said. “Don’t question him.”

“But,” Eija hesitated. “If that’s the case, why is he hurting him?” She gulped. “If he has a use for him, shouldn’t he be … using him?”

Gamora glared at her. “If he’s not strong enough to survive this, he’s not strong enough to do Thanos’ bidding.” Her tone lowered in warning. “Remember your place.”

Eija did remember her place. She was reminded of it with every passing moment—leashed to her lord’s beck and call, every day walking that delicate tightrope of anticipating his wishes without asserting herself too far in his eyes, living in fear of the day when the bottom finally fell through and he decided to unsheathe the blade at his waist.

Was this his plan for Loki as well? Torture him to death’s edge until it pleased him to make him yet another glorified slave? She thought of Loki, shackled to his chair, heaving and coughing up blood, sentenced to wither away until Thanos found use for him … for what? The mere crime of existence?

And here she was, letting it happen, watching as Thanos sucked the life out of him, simply using him as a receptacle to her own selfish need for attention.

She was just as awful.

But there was nothing she could do about it. Was there?

Unless …

The thought started as a hypothetical. Isn’t that how all treason began? A tiny what-if, buried under one’s daily worries? The hangers of the Sanctuary were hardly well-guarded. There was little reason to guard them, after all—few on this vessel had cause to sneak off of it, and those who did hadn’t the opportunity. And with the current position they had been holding the last few days, only a small way from the Krylor jump point, which could then take you down through one of the major galactical traffic-ways …

Stealing a ship would be almost too easy.

It wouldn’t work, she told herself as she stood amongst her siblings in Thanos’ court. The ship was one thing, the passenger was something else entirely. Loki’s chains were specifically designed by the Mad Titan to stifle the magic of that whom they held. They were the very definition of unbreakable. And the key—Thanos kept it on his person at all times, hooked to his belt alongside his blades. Any scheme was doomed to fail.

But sometimes, opportunities present themselves.

“And where are you going, child?”

Eija jumped out of her skin when she turned the corner and nearly collided with the lord himself. It took her a moment to find her voice.

“To watch over the prisoner, as you ordered, sir.”

He frowned. “That was weeks ago. You’re not still doing that now?”

She bit her tongue, so hard it hurt. “W-with all due respect sir, you never told me to stop.”

“Well, I’m telling you now. Such action is no longer necessary.”

“Yes sir.” She nodded. “Apologies, sir.”

Eija stood there shaking long after he had continued down the hall. Her heart felt as if it might pound its way out of her chest. He had to have noticed. In a moment, he’d come storming back up the corridor, grab her by her neck, and crush her skull against the wall.

But he never did.

It was just Eija, alone in the hallway, clutching the golden key between her trembling fingers.

There was little time. Her theft could only go overlooked for so long. She didn’t have the chance to question herself as she rushed to Loki’s cell—any moment spent in doubt was a moment wasted.

Loki seemed to be unconscious when she first arrived at his side, but he popped up with a start the moment she reached for his chains.

“What—" he gasped, eyes wild. “What’s happening?”

The key clicked in the lock. He heaved a breath, falling forward as the shackles fell open.

“You’re going home.” Eija’s mind was racing at a mile a minute. They couldn’t steal a Q-ship—it was too big; they’d would be noticed immediately … “Can you fly a pod?” she asked.

He gulped. “Possibly?”

“Good enough.” She pulled him to his feet. It was at this moment she became aware of the fact that she had only every seen him seated. Loki was tall. Much, much taller than her, and when he sagged against her it took all of her strength to keep him from tumbling to the metallic floor. For a moment she feared that he was too weak to even stand on his own and nearly panicked, because oh goodness how was she supposed to carry him all the way to the hanger—

But he managed to stabilize himself, gripping her shoulder so tightly that she lost feeling in it, but standing on his own. Slowly, she was able to walk him into the hallway.

The hanger was only a few floors above them, but the elevator ride felt like an eternity.

Don’t stop, don’t stop, don’t stop …

If it stopped before they reached their destination, they were both dead.

Besides her, Loki’s breathing was labored. He hadn’t said anything since she had come to get him.

She squeezed his forearm, hoping he couldn’t feel how she was trembling like a leaf. “You alright?”

He nodded weakly. “I assume you have a plan?”

“The pods are lined on the far wall of the hanger.” She inhaled. “When the door opens, we run like mad and get you on one. And then you take off for the jump point, and don’t stop until you’ve hit traffic.”

Loki turned to her, brow furrowed. “What about you?”

She raised her eyebrows. “Me?”

“Yes. Surely you’ll not stay here?”

Eija gulped. There wasn’t time to think about that now.

The elevator doors clicked open to reveal a thicket of barbed shadows and twisted metal. The hanger was lifeless and barren this time of night, lit only by the glow of the cosmos streaming in through the glass. They made their way in perfect silence, the only sound being the pounding of her heartbeat behind her eardrums. Every dark shape seemed like a waiting figure. Now, it was Eija that clung to him too tightly, terrified that at any moment someone would jump out and rip him from her grasp. By the time they reached their destination, they were both wildly out of breath.

The pods were small, thin one-man transports. Calling them ships was really being too generous. They weren’t really meant for long term travel, but they could work for a few jumps—long enough to get to civilized airspace, which was all he needed. She helped Loki into the compartment, careful to keep him from hitting his head on the low ceiling. This damn ship had caused him enough pain already.

He sighed, leaning against the seat in one short moment of rest before turning back to her. “You still haven’t said what you plan to do.”

Eija hesitated. What could she plan to do? She had nothing waiting for her beyond this ship. As with all of his children, Thanos held a piece of her that he would never relinquish, no matter how far she flew.

“I’ll stay here,” she murmured. “For now, at least. They might pick up on something if too much is out of place.”

“But—"

“Please,” Eija hissed. “You remember what I said, right? Take the Krylor jump, and just keep towards Xandar.” She inhaled so deeply it hurt, trying to bury the aching dread building in her chest. “Stay with the crowds whenever you can—he won’t bother with you if it means he has to go through heavy populations.”

Loki nodded, but she wasn’t certain he was listening. There was a sadness behind his eyes that seemed to pierce her very soul. He squeezed her hand, pressing her knuckles to his lips in the lightest of kisses.

“Thank you, Eija,” he whispered. “May fate be kind to you.”

…

The alarm went off some hours later, when morning dawned upon an empty cell. They came for her only minutes after. Eija hadn’t been certain of what she would do—would she scream when they broke down her door? Cry for help? Fight for her life? But as the Black Order filed into her room with their weapons drawn, Eija felt only an overwhelming calm. It was good that they were here. The longer they spent with her, the more of a chance Loki had of getting away.

She went with her adoptive siblings willingly.

They took her to the same tiny room where this had all begun, shackled her to the same chair she had watched over so diligently. Eija barely registered it.

Surely, Loki was hundreds of star systems away from here now.

Surely he was safe.

When the pain did come, it filled every fiber of her being, burning through her body as if she were nothing but dry kindling. Her vision bled white. Her screams ripped her throat raw.

They asked no questions. She was relieved for that at least, because her every coherent thought shattered to pieces long before it could reach her lips.

She understood now why Loki had cried for his mother. She would have too, had she a mother to cry for. Instead, she just cried.

Eija wasn’t certain how much time had passed before he arrived. It could have been hours, it could have been months, but at some point when she dragged her aching head to look up she found Lord Thanos staring down at her, the stony weight of disappointment heavy on his features.

Gamora stood next to him. She spared a glance at her former sister, softer, sadder, almost sympathetic, before she turned back to her father.

“Sir, the Jotun is out of tracking range. There’s nothing we can do at this point.”

Out of range.

Eija thought of Loki, raven hair streaming in the breeze behind him as he pulled himself out of the craft, safe on some green, luscious, faraway planet that the Black Order could never reach. She smiled, blood dripping from her lips.

Thanos’ expression remained immovable.

“Well, child,” he finally said, looking down at her as he caressed the glinting hilt at his waist. “Look upon this mess. See what you have done. Are you happy now?” He reached out with his other hand, tipping her chin up towards him with a single finger, as if the mere thought of touching her disgusted him. “You look happy.”

Eija felt a laugh tickle her throat. It came out as more of a cough, blood and bile staining her tongue. Still, she could not bring herself to stop smiling.

“I am happy, sir.”

It was true. A beautiful warmth flooded her aching chest. She laughed again, closing her eyes and letting the feeling wash over her.

She was still laughing when the blade severed her throat. 

[kannra21]

Sniperhaul fanfic

ˡᵐᵃᵒ ᶦ ᶜᵃⁿ'ᵗ ᵇᵉˡᶦᵉᵛᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᶦ'ᵐ ᵈᵒᶦⁿᵍ ᵗʰᶦˢ

Overhoe finally broke out of Tartarus after a very long time. However, he couldn't have done it without the help of a certain villain mistress. 😏 Who's she and why did she choose to help this terrible (x2) man? Find out bellow.

characters: overhaul (chisaki kai) x sniper lady

word count: 3k

warnings: angst, past memories, handless overhaul, hurt, comfort, gangs, yakuza, just girl taking care of her mans

notes: I'd like to thank the person responsible for proofreading this work bc I'm supposed to keep their identity a secret. 😎 Thank you once again! And of course, the manga and characters belong to Kohei Horikoshi. @meefal you were excited to see the final product so here you go, hope you like it. 🖤

✂-------------------------------------------------------

Overhaul couldn't remember how long he'd been there, he'd lost count weeks ago. The only thing he knew was that he was in "Tartarus", a prison located 5km off the coast of the Mainland. It may function like a conventional prison, but in reality, those who're deemed a severe threat toward the safety of the nation were locked up and monitored closely, regardless of whether their sentence has been decided on yet. The facility was divided into 6 levels, where the potential threat level of criminals was deemed "higher" the further underground you go. It's a prison where, once you enter, there's no chance of leaving.

He sat there in his cell, B10 being the lowest level in solitary confinement. It was too cold for his head to function and too dark for his eyes to see, with the small window above the prison doors being his only source of light. There was also an opening where prisoners received their meals, but considering that he lost his hands, the guards could easily enter without worrying too much for their well-being. They'd leave whatever they offered that day and give him a disgusted look before locking the doors after themselves. He couldn't see his reflection nor touch his face, he probably looked like crap by now. His skin was itching and he felt disoriented from all the germs occupying this space, it's been a while since he's gone out for some fresh air. 

He was practically Quirkless and yet they locked him out in the worst, most dreadful place the isolation block had to offer. He couldn't even feed himself properly, he couldn't do anything by himself whatsoever. But there was only one thing left to him; he spent days and days thinking about pops, Chrono, yakuza and everything he could have if it weren't for those stupid heroes-- no, if it weren't for his plan that so grandiosely failed. It made him feel miserable, desperate even, and with grief soon followed acceptance. It was all his fault, and he needed to live with this burden for the rest of his life. Because of him, pops is still handicapped to the bed somewhere, wherever the heroes might have taken him. 

He stood up and started beating the cell with his leg, curing his frustrations. He didn't know why he was doing it, it was irrational and he's hurting himself unnecessarily, but for some reason it made him feel lighter. At least he could transfer some of his inner pain to the outside world. Other criminals laughed at his patheticness, especially since they knew why the guards were allowed to enter his cell. They shouted that it was impossible to escape, but he wasn't trying to. He knew that it was useless a long time ago. 

Midnight came and all the prisoners mostly fell asleep. Overhaul, however, couldn't sleep a wink. Because of the dark room he spent most of his days in, he lost his sense of time so he was pacing around, deep in thought. He couldn't dream of anything nice anyways. 

"Can't fall asleep either?" a feminine voice could be heard from the other side. Wait. They allowed women here? What could she have possibly done to deserve such punishment? 

He leaned his back on the doors and slid down to the floor, trying to find the right words.

"Yes." he sighed, enthusiasm lacking in his voice "But it's not like I need you to talk about my problems." 

"Hm, whatever. Go beat your head against the bars. Fall unconscious, loser."

The man snorted, which might as well be his first time he ever did that. 

"Well, this certainly sounds effective. It's not like I have anything to lose anyways." 

"Hey." the tone of her voice was earnest, and it aroused further questions in his jumbled up head. 

"What?"

"We're going to get out of here." 

Is she being serious now? "Really? Because as far as I know, we're locked out here for good. We don't even know the severity of our sentences. They can do whatever they want with us."

"Not quite. You know that they're being supervised by 'The Hearts and Mind' party offshoots. They can’t do a thing to us as long as they have their heads to the pikes." 

This might be true, but he didn't believe in anything the government's been telling them lately. It's only a matter of time before they switch their plans and play by their own rules, because stabbing people in the back was the only thing they've ever been good at. 

"How did you end up here?" 

Oh the long-awaited question. She wondered when he'd ask. 

"It's not like I need you to talk about my problems."

He smiled, he liked this vicious side of hers. But he also realized that she could be nice as well because if that wasn't the case, she wouldn't spread promises of the escape. At least that's what he thought. 

"Sorry about that." 

"It's okay. We've all been here for a very long time, now weren't we? We lose our cool and act like total assholes."

"Direct and straight to the point I see." his deadpan voice could be heard from the other side of the bars. 

"'Been raised this way, for the better or worse." it didn't sound like she was bragging, yet it felt like she was just talking about herself, honest and confident, to cover up what she felt was wrong. The incoming topic which she'd rather avoid. 

The villainess didn't want to open up about her past, so she just answered his question. 

"I killed people beyond counting, following AFO's orders. He always wished to become the world's greatest demon lord and thus promised us enormous change in the hero society. So in order to achieve that, he needed his underlings. And that's how I ended up here."

"You were loyal till the end."

"You know what they say; there can be no progress nor achievement without certain sacrifice."

Wise beyond her years and just as sad. He wondered how her face looked like, how the world's been treating her. 

"I had my own sacrifices as well."

"Do you regret them?"

...

"I do." 

Now it was her turn to snort "Really? And I thought that people situated this low couldn't have regrets. You remember what they said about us. 'Beasts in human clothing', 'Simply dreadful beings'." 

He felt insulted, maybe the things she said were true but it's not like he was anything similar to these pigs he shared the same air with, unfortunately.

"I regret hurting the person important to me. The old man who once took me in when I was very young. He was the infamous boss of Shie Hassaikai." 

Something clicked in her, it's such a small world they're living in, "Yakuza? I know you guys. We used to trade with you back in the days."

"Todou Gang?" 

"You said it."

"But... you were a force to be reckoned with. One day you just collapsed and not a single trace could be found. According to certain sources, there was no way anyone could determine the exact cause of your downfall. So what happened?" 

"I killed them all." 

... 

"AFO told me to kill them to prove my loyalty to him and, of course, to make sure that there was no one I could turn to other than himself." 

For some questionable reasons, and he didn't dare to admit that it was empathy he felt towards a random stranger and a former gang member he shared some history with, Overhaul wanted to fill the silence that lingered between them. Perhaps, because he felt guilty for making her reveal more than what she initially intended. 

"I used pops' niece, a 6-year-old girl who had an extraordinary Quirk; it allowed her to rewind a person's body back to a certain state. That means she could put a body back to before it was injured or before the person even developed a Quirk. With that, I wanted to create a Quirk-erasing drug to get rid of the Quirk society altogether and to make sure that yakuza could rise once again. I cut her skin every day to take blood samples and to test her regenerative abilities. However, pops didn't approve of it, so I handicapped him to the bed and planned on waking him up the moment I realized my plan, to make him proud of the achievement. Unfortunately, it didn't play out as I wanted and I never reached him."

The silence followed and the woman wore a disheartening smile on her face. It's not the answer she expected, she didn't ask for another sad story from another messed up person she's met in her life. But the intentions were pure and for her, it was good enough. 

"We both fought for something only to lose it all, huh?" she laughed, but it was prominent in her tone that it was bittersweet. 

"At least you're brought here in one piece." 

"At least you can still revive your parent."

Were they comforting each other? Were they jealous of each other? Were they wallowing in self-pity? They couldn't tell. The only thing they certainly could was the embarrassment they felt from the moment they realized that some of the prisoners were eavesdropping and making fun of their vulnerabilities. See? That's what they hated the most about opening up about themselves; they were worried about their feelings being perceived as a joke. The only way to protect themselves was to rise up the walls and never let anyone get closer, except they didn't regret exchanging a word or two, as long as it was the two of them. 

The next day, 8:34PM Mainland-side entrance, the guardians of 'The Bronze Gate' announced a code red security lockdown. Panic and shouting could be heard from across the hall and the security alarm announced the potential danger. 

"Close any and all passageways on each floor. All workers are to enforce strict measures to maintain order."

"The surveillance system is down! It seems like we've been hit by some sort of EMP attack!"

Static waves were spreading around the metal frames and the prison doors of the isolation block unlocked. Overhaul could hear the commotion outside and the villains leaving their cells in a hurry, but as much as he tried, he couldn't push the heavy doors open.

"3 seconds until we're back online- wait... What the... With the system down we can't monitor the inside!"

"Nice, 3 seconds be damned." he beat the door with his legs, pushed the surface with his shoulders, leaned all of his weight on the godforsaken thing just so it could finally open. Nothing. It seems like he lost a couple of pounds during his stay here. He couldn't believe his eyes, this couldn't be happening to him. After all this time of patient waiting and hoping to meet pops once again, it turns out he'd be the only one still trapped and all because he didn't have any hands. He panicked, he really couldn't decide on what to do next. But then he remembered-

"Go beat your head against the bars, loser."

That's it! This might be his only chance to escape! He didn't have much time left though, he could hear the shooting nearby so he definitely needed to hurry.

"The system won't come back on!! The ones in solitary confinement are breaking out!! Inside!"

"Control unit's on site!! Execute lockdown in the isolation block!"

"Follow procedure! If even one of them steps a foot outside their cell-"

"Fire!! Open fire!!"

Muscular threw whatever he could find in this messed up place back at them, excitement prominent in his big smile "You ain't gonna kill me with those puny toys! So how about you show me the exit already?!" 

Other villains were joining him, still overwhelmed by the sudden freedom they've been given "Dammit... After all that time..."

"Meat..." Moonfish mumbled as he cut his opponents with his blade-like teeth. 

The villain lady joined them in the run, still carefully examining her surroundings in case they were tricked into something, "The system isn't responding to my Quirk. 'Guess Tartarus really is falling." 

As she was running down the corridor, she could hear beating noises coming from one of the doors. It sounded dull so the person must have been using their head. 

"Eh, don't tell me the idiot actually listened to my advice. He must be desperate." 

She came to the doors and turned the circular lock in a hurry. She really didn't want to stay in this place any longer, but she couldn't leave him behind either. It's not like she could use him for anything since he was basically handless and Quirkless so why was she doing it? She didn't have an answer. Maybe it was their talk from the other day, maybe because they were both gang members with a history, maybe because of her regrets and her wish to do something right for once. Or maybe because she was just this kind. Nah, this couldn't be it, she never did anything in her life that didn't require a certain purpose. She cast her heart aside a long time ago and did what was necessary for the accomplishment of the mission. It would be weird if she suddenly started using her heart again, now wouldn't it? She was AFO's personal assassin, there was simply no way. 

He came out of the room with eyes wide in puzzlement. He was finally free and ready to find pops so he could possibly revive him and try to fix things as much as he could.

They looked at each other for the first time. They never said it aloud, godforbid, but they liked the other's eyes. And perhaps the eyes were a window to a person's soul, their broken souls, tormented by the life's temptations. They were still so young, probably in their twenties, and yet they looked older at the same time. Maybe because of the seriousness in their faces, their stronger stance, the way they defied their fate. They were destined to fall apart, no one would argue with it, but circumstances drove them to take action and rise from the bottomless chasm. And now they had each other. 

"We need to get out of here," she stated and pulled him by the sleeve that hung loosely from his shoulder. They escaped Tartarus and raided a small shop near the coast to change clothes and to mingle into the public unnoticed. She quickly picked out a dress and threw herself at work while Overhaul was still standing by the shop display, looking out for the potential intruders.

He couldn't erase the thought of this being some sort of a really weird first date; the girl coming out of the stall and the guy examining her looks. He shook his head, he never had this kind of thoughts in his entire life. He needed to pull himself together. 

The bob-hair came out and adjusted the ammo on her utility belt. He looked at her from the corner and she was stunning; intimidating with a tad bit of femininity in design. He stood there and watched how good it fit her curvy form. The thoughts wandering in his head sounded so wrong, terribly wrong. He needed to bring himself to stop. 

"Oh right, I almost forgot." she took a shirt off the shelf and came to him, showing him the garment in her hands "You need a little help, right?" 

"Sure.'' his voice was small and he stood still while she undid his buttons. Maybe from the outside he looked completely calm, but from the inside he was a complete mess. He looked at her face and wondered if she knew, the kind of effect she's having on him. She raised her head and he looked to the side, there's no way he could look her in the eyes at this point. He hoped she didn't notice. 

"You like this one, don't you?" she asked, filling the awkward silence. 

"Looks don't matter, the most important thing is to change and avoid getting caught." She looked annoyed. Great. He wanted to shove his head though the wall. Wait… Why was he thinking that? 

"I choose the clothes I like. It makes me feel better in my skin."

"You look good in it."

She looked at him surprised and he quickly corrected himself "the dress looks good."

"Sure." she trailed off and put the new shirt over his shoulders. She could feel his muscles tensing. This was probably because of the cool air, she assured herself. 

"Why did you break me out of Tartarus? It's not like I could be of any use to you." 

She buttoned up his shirt and fixed the wrinkled parts on the garment, hand accidentally brushing over the left side of his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

Well... that was a surprise.

"I thought that maybe you could be of some use to the demon lord. Not Quirk-wise, but you may offer a valuable set of information. Something that the demon lord would appreciate greatly." she could feel it slowing down and her heart dropped just as much.

"But also because I... liked you."

He looked at her incredulously and she smiled. She pinched him to bring him out of the trance and he complained. "Don't be awkward, say something."

"I like you too... I, this is my first time I ever said this to anyone. It's weird."

She slapped him gently on the shoulder and he reached to take it but, yea, no hands.

"What the hell?"

"You're the one who's weird. But I guess that I like you this way." she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek "Ew, you should definitely shave though. No doubt about it."

The former yakuza boss swore; he'll never understand women. But for some reason he couldn't deny that he was particularly drawn to this one. He wondered if pops would approve of her.

[castieltrash1]

dangerous territory → clint b.

gif credit (x)

summary → clint stays behind during a mission, leaving you alone with him in the avengers building. seeing him sprawled out on the comfy lounge room couch gives you some naughty ideas -- only adding to the tension your relationship already has.

word count → 6.7k (literally wtf)

warnings → i ignore the entirety of iw/endgame except for clint’s makeover, extreme sexual tension, smut; switch!fem!reader, switch!clint, couch sex, oral (both recieving), fingering, slight overstimulation, dirty talk, praise

a/n → literally idk if i should be ashamed or not but im Horny 4 Hawkeye!!! oopsie !! also there are like .3 smut fics for him on here and im determined to fix that

---

Quiet was not a word you’d use to describe the Avengers Facility.

In fact, with Steve’s loud orders, Bruce’s lab explosions, and Sam’s boisterous laughter -- not to mention the never-ending petty arguments that managed to revert the Avengers to 11th graders in their first debate club -- it was the farthest thing from quiet.

But, now, with zero disagreements and zero distractions, you’d been able to enjoy the building all to yourself. Almost. Of course, the one time you got to avoid a mission, you ended up falling into an even worse situation.

You’d covered for Wanda last mission, and she’d insisted on paying you back for the newest one. It wasn’t high stakes by any means, but the work itself had countless components and everyone who was nearby -- or at least on the planet -- had been called in to fill some role.  

Everyone, of course, except you. And Clint.

Suddenly the idea of being stuck in the Quinjet with everyone’s post-mission moodiness sounded very appealing. You could feel a headache growing as you wandered around the kitchen, doing anything and everything in your power to avoid him. He was not supposed to be here. Hell, he didn’t even like stepping foot in the place unless the world was in immediate danger.

Of course, you weren’t the only one to notice his odd attitude. Natasha gave him a confused look when he mentioned staying behind, but decidedly hadn’t commented, almost like she’d already pieced together the reason for Clint’s actions. Knowing her, she probably had. But, even Wanda shot a glance that worried you -- though you seemed to be the only one to catch her squinted green gaze before it disappeared. You weren’t sure you wanted to know what she saw in his mind.

Sure, you had a couple of ideas as to why he would choose to isolate himself with you, but you tried to not let those thoughts consume you. The others wouldn’t be back till midday tomorrow -- if all went well -- and you were not about to spend the next 36 hours soaking your panties with stupid fantasies.

Unfortunately, even when ignoring Clint, your mind was still focused on him. When you passed by the gym or shooting range, antsy to get your daily work in, one quick thought of seeing Clint’s arms -- tensed as he loaded his bow, muscles straining and eyes focused on his target -- was enough to have you quickly walking in the opposite direction.

But, now, as you make your way into the lounge to relax, you can’t find it in yourself to care. You have just as much of a right as Clint does to walk around whenever and wherever you please. In all honesty, you feel even more entitled considering you’re the one actually living in the tower (at least most of the time.)

He’s exactly where you expect him to be -- he may be fast and quiet on his feet, but you’ve been keeping tabs on him, for your own sake.

It’s a bit odd seeing a book instead of a bow in his hands, but you’re not entirely sure you should be focused on how his fingers wrap around the thin pages, thumbing the corners so gently--

“Done avoiding me, are you?”

Well, shit.

His gaze remains on his book -- though the very few pages he’s turned assures you he’s not paying attention to whatever riveting story Tony has stocked his shelves with.

“What are you talking about?” you ask. There’s a moment of temptation to take a seat next to him on the couch, as close as possible. To feel his strong arms around you, smell the raw masculine cologne he always wears a bit too much of -- heavy on his neck and sharp jaw that you know your lips could curl around so perfectly if given the chance.

You swallow heavily and take a seat in the chair across from him, sinking into the expensive fabric.

“Tony picks good furniture, right?” Clint sighs, book closing without so much as a dog-ear mark as he leans back.

It’s silent for a second, and you’re entirely sure you’ve missed a part of the conversation during your mini black-out, but Clint doesn’t seem bothered in the slightest, waiting patiently for your answer. You consider it a small win and accept the change in topic with an awkward laugh.

“Yeah. Didn’t think price made such a big difference.” There’s a firmness to the chair that keeps you from sinking, and mentally, you consider if it’d be strong enough for other activities. “How much you wanna bet he spent on each of these chairs?” you question, genuinely curious. “I gotta guess at least two grand.”

Clint’s cool eyes glint playfully. “Three,” he challenges with a smirk that sends a shiver down your spine. “Though, you should really try this couch. Definitely my favorite thing here.”

There’s just a hint of suggestion in his tone -- the kind that you’d miss if you weren’t trained in reading people. It’s not unexpected, though. You’d have to be a fool to not recognize the exact same longing stares, the same lingering touches that Clint offers you. But, that’s what makes it all more intimidating. It’s an unspoken thing, and at this point, that’s what feels most convenient -- even if your lonely nights spent moaning his name are growing far too common for comfort.

Still, you can’t exactly ignore him, and his eyes follow you closely as you make your way to the couch, falling into the comfy cushions with a huff.

“Wow.” You laugh. “No wonder you’ve been spending so much time down here.”

Clint raises an eyebrow. “So you have been paying me some attention. Interesting.”

If he notices you shift as far to the other end of the couch as possible, he doesn’t mention it.

“Don’t take it personally, Barton,” you huff. “I’m used to keeping an eye on everyone around here.” It’s not entirely a lie, but he manages to see right through the half-truth regardless.

“So you avoid everyone, then?” There’s no hurt or misunderstanding in his voice, not even confusion. He knows what you’re doing, knows why you can’t bear to look him in the eyes for more than a few seconds.

“Still don’t know what you’re talking about,” you deflect, closing your eyes and letting your head fall back onto the couch.

He just chuckles, a low sound that makes your stomach clench unconsciously. You expect him to keep pressing you, work you up until you spill your guts, but he doesn’t. He doesn’t even say a word as you hear the rustling of paper and feel the couch move slightly as he shifts.

You turn your head towards him and open one eye, then both as they go wide. Clint has taken on a whole new level of comfortable, feet perched on the coffee table and one arm resting on the back of the couch while his free hand flips through the same first few pages as before.

In all honesty, you suddenly find yourself happy that Steve and Tony are gone -- otherwise they’d be scolding Clint for his manners, and most definitely not ogling his firm legs in those tight, black jeans.

You drag your gaze back up his body, stopping near the hem of his shirt, where his new position has allowed for the fabric to ride up his stomach. It’s just a sliver of skin but the image is enough to make your heart race. There’s a faint dip in the muscled hip line leading to his jeans, and if you stare extra hard, you can see the light trail of thin hairs disappearing under the fabric.

Swallowing heavily, you quickly look back at Clint’s face, holding back a gasp as he stares back at you.

“So,” you fill the silence before he can, mentally thanking Natasha for her training on keeping your composure. “How’s that book of yours?”

Clint just grins for a second -- you both know he’s caught you. “It’s alright. Not the most interesting thing in the building right now, though.”

You gulp. “Yeah… The place is big. Lots to explore. I don’t think I’ve even seen every room--”

“I have a feeling you know that’s not what I mean,” Clint cuts you off with a chuckle, and you send him a challenging glare.

“I don’t know what you mean,” you scoff.

He hums, before his tongue peeks out to swipe across his bottom lip. “You’re sounding awfully like a broken record today.” His icy, pale eyes return to his book, and you watch as he lifts his thumb to his wet lips, tongue darting out the lick the tip. You can practically feel the action, and almost whine in disappointment when his hand returns to flip the page.

Clint is downright grinning at this point, and you know he’s taking in every breath, shift, and blink of yours. “But, I know you’re not actually confused,” he continues. “In fact, I’d argue you like this game of ours a bit more than you should.”

You know if you brush it off again, he’ll drop it. He’s too nice to make you uncomfortable, and his statement hangs in the air with a heavy weight.

“You know, Barton?” you shift from your spot on the couch, eliminating a good chunk of the space between you and him. “I think you’re smarter than most people give you credit for.” He raises a brow, and you would believe his undisturbed look if you didn’t see his fingers twitch against the spine of the forgotten book.

“Tell Nat that,” he jokes, and you grin. Seeing that little crack in his facade, the way he fills the conversation with a joke, the discreet but heavy swallow he tries to hide -- it’s all enough to power you to move closer, until there are mere centimeters between you two.

“Hmmm, I don’t think I’ll be telling Natasha anything from this conversation of ours.” Keeping your attention on the slight tense of his jaw, you push the book from his hands, and he immediately drops his feet from the table to discard it in their place.

You pause for a second, glancing at Clint’s lap then back at him, and he doesn’t hesitate to reach out and grab your hip.

“Get over here already,” he groans, both arms wrapping around your waist to situate you in his lap. His hands are warm and firm and everything you could have ever imagined, and you automatically roll your hips down onto him. There’s a pleased moan from you both, and his own hips jolt in a way that sends you even closer to him, until your chests are touching.

He immediately dives for your neck, scruff tickling the sensitive skin as he breathes you in deeply. “I gotta admit,” he murmurs, letting his lips graze the bottom of your jaw in the most sinful way, “you look so much better sitting here than standing around in the kitchen.”

You drag your fingers through the long hair on the back of his head, tugging it playfully. “You’ve been watching me, Barton?”

He hums, squeezing you just as teasingly. “I do a lot of staring when it comes to you, babe.”

You pull him from your neck by his hair, and he looks up at you with the most mischievous glint in his eyes. The nickname makes you undeniably flustered, but you force the embarrassment away.

“I don’t know about you, but I think that’s what you call creepy,” you mumble, leaning down so Clint can feel your words against his own lips. He immediately darts forward, but you pull back with a sly grin, watching his eyes darken at the action.

“I think,” he growls, catching you off guard as he pushes you back onto the couch, making you jostle as you try not to fall off the edge. He steadies you with a large hand, and you only jolt again when he uses his free hand to spread your legs, caging you in as his hips drop between your parted thighs. “You’d be a hypocrite for saying that.” He drops back to your neck, and you can feel his smile before his teeth sink into your skin lightly -- just enough to make you gasp.

He continues to litter your neck with kisses, and you watch in awe as his toned arm tenses by the side of your head -- the thick black lines of ink rolling as his muscles flex.

“And what are you gonna do about it?” you taunt, back arching as his tongue darts out to lick a stripe up to right below your chin. “You gonna fuck me?”

Clint bites the edge of your jaw in retaliation to your words, before he pulls back just enough to stare at you with a lustful gaze.

“Not yet, baby. Not that easily.” One of his hands trails up the front of your thigh, before it busies itself with the hem of your shirt. You try to hide your disappointment, but Clint notices it, of course, and just shakes his head. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on letting you leave this couch anytime soon. You’ve made me wait long enough for this… I’m gonna take my time with you.”

He finally presses his lips to yours, and you hungrily reach and tug until he’s as close as possible -- until you can feel the denim of his jeans scraping deliciously against your thighs as you tug his bottom lip between your teeth. It’s messy and entirely uncalculated, and your nails catch in the wrinkles of the back of his shirt while his own fingers tug impatiently at the bottom of yours.

You part from him for a second, and his own greedy mouth follows yours, only managing to press against the side of your lips. “You act like you’ve made this easy for me,” you retort, and his chest rumbles against yours as he chuckles.

“Oh honey, I think I’ve made it quite obvious I’ve wanted to fuck you since the day you walked in here.”

“Clearly, not obvious enough.”

Clint huffs, warm breath hitting your cheek. “What’d you want me to do? Huh?” He shifts so his words make their way directly to your ear, each syllable accentuated with a puff of hot air. With him this close, neck just below your nose, you can take in the heavy smell of that sharp cologne you love so much.

His calloused fingers dip beneath your shirt, but instead of the obvious trail up, his hand trails down to play with the hem of your shorts. “Tug these little things off in front of everyone? Show them all how worked up you get me wearing these? Is that what you want?”

Your hips lift in a silent plea, and you groan. “They’re comfortable.”

“Maybe for you, but I find myself very uncomfortable when you wear them.” He snickers, and if you weren’t so turned on, you’re sure you’d roll your eyes. Only Clint Barton could make a joke about untimely hard-ons during a time like this.

“Then why don’t you take them off?” you groan, and he shakes his head while muttering something about you being bossy.

Still, his words betray him as he tugs the fabric down your legs, as slowly as possible while his eyes drink in the new area of exposed skin. “What part about taking my time with you did you not understand?” The corner of his lips tug in that mischievous way of his, and you have a sneaking feeling his patience is as fleeting as your own.

Proving your point, Clint tosses your shorts over the back of the couch with a grin, then pushes you further up the cushions. You’re almost sitting, shoulder blades knocking the arm of the sofa while your legs bend at the knee to accompany Clint, who scoots back. It’s the perfect and most disastrous angle to be at as you have to both feel and watch his deft fingers trail up from your knee.

You’re a hundred percent sure the effects of your arousal are extremely obvious, but he doesn’t comment on the wet patch of your panties -- though you see his eyes focus on the area between your legs for a second too long before his gaze flickers back to your thighs.

His calloused fingers trail the edge of fabric around your legs, rough skin providing a type of friction you can’t begin to explain. His touch is fleeting and he changes the amount of pressure with every swipe of his thumb, always pushing just enough to let you know he’s holding you down. That you can’t escape him -- as if you’d even think of trying to do so.

“Your legs are so sexy, you know that?”

You let out some type of pleased whine, a sound that Clint relishes as he tightens his grip on your thighs. “Make the prettiest sounds, too,” he continues, and then his fingers are right there. One hand holds your left leg down, while the other covers your panty-covered core. His thumb rubs into your desperate, throbbing clit, and you use your little amount of freedom to push your hips up, wanting, needing more.

Clint immediately presses you back down, and you watch his tattoos shift just slightly as he adds more weight to his hand on your thigh.

“Please, please.” You revert to begging at your lack of movement, losing all shame in regard to your desire. It’s obvious you need Clint -- any excuses or lies from before long forgotten. You need his movements to speed up, the slow circles of his thumb providing barely enough friction.

He just chuckles, but relents a little and you downright purr as the thin fabric of your underwear drags against your tingling nerve endings. It’s impossible to move under Clint’s weight, but all the muscles in your lower half flex and twitch as they desperately search for release and relief.

“How about…” Clint trails off, fingers moving upward to grab the waistline of your panties, “we get these off?”

You’re sure if you nod any faster you might make yourself dizzy, and Clint just smirks in that knowing way. That way that lets you know he has you right where he wants you. Right where he’s been waiting to have you.

The article of clothing is soon flung behind his shoulder just like your forgotten shorts -- and you can only faintly remind yourself to make sure you grab everything before the others return. Though, at this point, you think anyone could walk in on Clint between your legs and you’d still be begging him to make you cum -- audience or not.

“Fucking Christ,” Clint groans, palms sliding between your thighs to spread them, giving him a full view of your glistening core. “I swear, you’re gonna kill me.” Seeing his flushed cheeks, mussed hair, and greedy fingers, you’re not sure you can reject that statement.

He removes his hands for just a second, but you don’t dare close your legs, and he has the audacity to wink. Before your mind can even process the action, though, he’s pulling his shirt off, arms crossing over his chest as they show off in their full glory. Hips, stomach, chest, arms -- they’re all exposed so quickly and your eyes drink in the features as fast as they can. Clint throws the shirt to the side -- you have a feeling he’s utilizing his perfect aim to create a clothing pile -- but you just stare at his shoulder, where the ink spreads to areas you’ve never had the chance to see before. The olive green accents contrast against his tanned skin, which has gained a light sheen from the sweat of his arousal.

As he leans back down, Ronin’s portrait stares you dead in the eyes -- quite literally. If you didn’t know the deeper meaning, you’re sure you could mistake the skull as a danger warning to the man pressing a kiss against the inside of your knee.

Short hairs chafe your legs as Clint makes himself comfortable, pressing his jaw against you. When his hot breath dances over your center you almost squeeze your thighs together, but he’s there to push them apart with a chuckle.

“No, no…” He pulls away barely, and you take in a deep breath to calm yourself. “You’re gonna give me what I want, ok?” His fingers are gentle, and so are his eyes when he glances up to you. He’s hopeful, pleading almost, but stays respectful. “If that’s ok, of course.”

You almost want to cry, because how could he think any differently, but you just nod. “Please Clint, touch me.”

He sends you a lopsided grin, and then he’s right there, pressing a kiss against your clit. The feeling is completely different from before, lips slick and soft unlike his rough thumb. All the air in your lungs leaves your body as you let out a sigh of relief, body finally relaxing as it gets the touch it needs.

You reach down and your nails scratch his scalp lightly before you grip his hair in a tight hold. He nuzzles against your hand and groans against you, and the feeling of control makes your blood run hot through your veins. One of the most powerful men on Earth is between your legs, sucking softly on your clit like it's the only thing he could ever want.

He traces circles on your thighs with his coarse fingers as he warms you up with gentle licks and the occasional curl of his lips around your most sensitive area. You let him have the satisfaction of your spread thighs, but you periodically tug on his tousled locks to remind him that he’s the one between your legs. It’s the perfect balance of dominance -- the type that makes your head spin and your eyes roll back into your head.

Clint presses another kiss to your clit before traveling lower and the intimacy of the action makes your skin flush. You can tell he’s not going to be holding back for much longer though, if the desperation of his descent is any indication. His fingers join his attack as he spreads your folds, tongue dragging the entirety of your core.

“So good, baby. So fucking good,” he mutters, mouth impatient as he covers as much skin as he can at once. It’s fast and downright dirty as he presses his tongue into you, eliciting a groan from your parted, panting lips. You’re dripping at this point, and he laps up the mix of saliva and arousal with a yearning thirst.

It’s all so overwhelming. His fingers are digging into your skin -- likely to leave faint marks -- and the scruff framing his jaw scrapes and leaves your skin burning, while the softer locks between your fingers are a comfort to steady you.

The heat building in your body is entirely unbelievable, and your back digs into the couch as you arch into Clint, desperate for all he’ll be willing to give you. You press him closer, and he moans at the power in your hands -- the control you have despite him hovering over you. It’s a mental trip for you both, your stomach and pelvic muscles clenching as they react to his generous, eager giving.

“God, Clint, gonna cum.” The words barely feel like they’re coming from your own body, jaw slack as you tremble in his hold. His index finger presses into you slowly, while his thumb replaces his tongue on your clit. The change of stimulation has you reeling, your grip on Clint loosening as you feel his warm words against you.

“Kinda the point, sweetheart.” Your eyes are squeezed shut, but you know Clint is smirking -- you can practically hear it in his voice.

His finger curls to press against your front wall, and he rubs it gently once, twice, before he lets the digit drag out, sinking in again even slower. The leisurely thrusts continue as his tongue returns to circle your clit, his cocky words from before silenced as he puts his mouth to work. Your breath grows heavier, heart rate increasing with every second. His middle finger joins the first with a steady push, and you clench desperately as they curl and press and rub and reduce you to nothing but putty.

You’re right there and Clint knows it -- somehow he knows it. His fingers move faster, harder, and his lips wrap around your clit with even greater determination. There’s a shift, fingertips grazing the perfect spot as he sucks desperately and it’s over. You’re crying out his name, thighs shaking and you clench and flutter around his never-ceasing fingers. There’s a moment where all senses leave you and all you can feel is Clint, and the spread of warmth between your legs. Your ears ring and your own moans become faint background sounds.

And then, you’re pulling his head back, his tongue still trying to work your sensitive clit. He fights your tug on his hair but you must be begging because he finally relents with a huff. You can hear his breathing, and you feel his shift as he leans back over you, fingers still working you through your high.

“Look at me,” he demands, and his free hand drags down your cheek. “C’mon, open your eyes.” He forcefully grabs your chin, and your eyes open too quickly for your mind to process. It’s all so bright and you have to blink away the splotches of color coating your vision. Clint takes up the entirety of your view, lips wet and eyes dark. “There you go, baby.” He’s grinning and panting and his fingers are still fucking moving.

You whimper and glance down -- as much as his grip on your jaw will allow -- and the view of his tattooed arm between your thighs, veins pulsing as he fingers you is imprinted in your mind permanently. It’s a never-ending high that goes on for a second too long before Clint finally, finally eases his fingers from you. They’re practically dripping with your release, and he wastes no time bringing them to his glossy mouth.

It’s hypnotic to watch as his lips close around his fingers, nostrils flaring as he sucks them eagerly. They come out clean, and his chest rumbles with a groan. “Can’t get enough of your taste. Fuck.”

It takes a second for you to catch your breath, chest heaving and shirt clinging to sweaty skin. But, there’s finally a moment where your legs feel somewhat solid, and you take advantage of the opportunity, bending your leg to put the bottom of your foot on Clint’s bare chest.

He shoots you a confused but intrigued look, and you respond with a lopsided grin as you push him backward, until he’s the one stumbling to find a spot against the arm of the couch. Faintly, you consider the move would be much sexier with a pair of heels digging into his skin, but this will have to suffice for now. Maybe next time -- if there is a next time, of course.

“Now, what are you up to, baby girl?” Clint is practically vibrating with excitement as you gather the strength to push yourself off the couch, ignoring the slight twitch of your exerted thighs.

“Take your pants off,” you say, with little shame. “Now.”

You’re not sure you’ve ever seen someone get undressed so quickly and the hastiness of Clint’s actions leave him with very little coordination. It takes him three tries to get his belt undone, and he pokes himself with the metal prong when his eyes return to glance at you.

Raising a brow, you put your hands on your hips, and he speeds up. The button and zipper take him twice as long, but the sound when he finally tosses his belt and jeans off to the side is well worth the wait.

He licks his lips, looking up at you -- waiting, watching. Your earlier thoughts regarding his legs are heightened tenfold as you take in his toned thighs and hard cock in-between. He’s thick, the bulge pressing against his boxer-briefs making your heart skip a beat. The mere idea of him stretching you open has you growing too impatient for what you have planned.

“Keep going.” You swallow and hope your voice doesn’t sound too shaky.

Clint’s quick fingers make work of the fabric, and you focus on finishing yourself off. You pull your shirt off and let it drop to your feet before your hands move to unhook your bra. You’re barely sliding the straps down your arms when you hear Clint huff, and you look back to him.

“I wanted to do that,” he almost whines, chest puffing.

You roll your eyes but laugh, and toss your bra to him. He catches it with a wink, before throwing it behind him. Immediately, his gaze drags over your chest, excruciatingly slow. You know he’s taking in every inch, every natural mark that decorates your torso. Normally, you’d feel odd being examined so closely while still being at a decent distance -- but Clint is observant and his eyes are hungry.

Finally, his dark eyes reconnect with yours. “You gonna come sit or should I just grab you?” His tone is playful and daring, but you hear the hint of arousal that suggests he wouldn’t be opposed to tugging you into his arms. You don’t have time for games anymore, though, so you stand between Clint’s legs, and he pats his thigh playfully.

“Hmm…” You bite your lip and shake your head, eyes glistening with mischief. “Not yet…”

You make your descent to your knees perfectly paced, fluttering your lashes as you look up to Clint from between his thighs. He cusses and his arms fall limply to his side as he resigns himself to the torture he knows you’ll be sure to deliver.

“I thought you wanted to take your time,” you tease, fingers sliding up his thigh. Your nails against his skin have him tensing, muscles quivering.

He groans, and tosses his head back. “That was before I made you cum. Just wanna fuck you now -- make you shake again.”

You pinch him. “Sweet-talking will get you nowhere, Barton. You should know that.” But, you still let your palm graze over his hard cock, twitching at your touch. He’s firm and warm, and when your fingers wrap around his length, you realize how deliciously thick he is, filling your grasp fully. The length is there too, just enough to not be intimidating, but the girth has your core throbbing.

“Fuck, Clint,” you groan, giving a slow jerk of your wrist. “You’ve been holding out on me.”

He’s pulsing in your hand, skin flushed and precum beginning to drip from the head of his cock. It coats your hand on the second stroke, easing the drag. Soon enough, he’s practically glistening, and your mouth waters. You have to taste him.

He calls your name, voice trembling, as your tongue darts out to flatten against his tip. “Oh God, please.” He’s flushed, from his cheeks to his tensing thighs, and you’d grin if you weren’t taking him deeper into your mouth. Another part of the burning, fervid desire deep in your veins lights up as your lips wrap around him -- tongue greedy for more as it laps everything it can reach. A growl reverberates through his entire body, and the sound makes your thighs clench.

You spare him a glance, and he looks destroyed. Sweat gathers on his forehead and the veins in his arm pulse as he grips the cushions to stay steady. Sane. Calm.

His knuckles are white and you relieve them by grabbing his left hand in your own, thumb rubbing over the back of his palm. He’s squeezing you like you’re his lifeline, and you reward him with your free hand around his base.

“Fuck fuck, I’ll cum too fast with you doing that,” Clint grunts, and you watch his chest heave as he tries to steady his breathing.

You pull off him with a line of spit, breaking it with your hand as you use the saliva to glide your fingers. He’s still throbbing, and you trace his underside vein with your wet thumb. “I thought that was the point, right?” You repeat his words from earlier with a grin, pressing a kiss against his thigh as your hand speeds up. He’s so close and he needs it so badly, but he finally pulls his hand from yours to grab your moving wrist.

“Not until I fuck you.” He pants, and begrudgingly removes your hold from his cock. “And a couple times, at the very least.”

Your heart races at the mere thought of as many rounds as you can handle, with Clint making you cum again and again. Still, you stand slowly, silently hoping he’ll push you back to your knees and cum down your throat.

But he doesn’t. He watches closely as you straighten out, and you quickly move to straddle him. “Fine, but you’ll let me ride you, understood?” Your thighs brush over him with the lightest touch, and with just one solid movement, you could have him sinking into you. But, you wait. You watch as he swallows heavily, eyes hooded.

Clint gives you a lopsided smile. “No complaints here, babe.” And with that, you reach down to hold his length, pressing the tip against your clenching, wet, core. He gasps, but you shift just slightly, until he bumps your clit. It’s too much and too little all at once, and you let out a soft cry as he jerks upward, precum coating the swollen nub. You reward yourself with one more drag down from your clit before letting the head of his cock push into you.

You’re immediately clenching around his length, and Clint’s calloused fingertips dig into your hips as he helps steady you. It only takes a couple breaths and a slow spread of your thighs to take him fully, arousal coating his cock quickly. He barely holds himself back from rutting into you right away, but you rock your hips and grip his shoulders regardless.

“Fuck,” he half-groans, half-whimpers. “You’re so fucking wet.”

Your nails dig into his skin as you roll again, letting out an incoherent babble of his name as your clit gains friction from his own warm body. You can feel your own wetness dripping down your thigh onto his, and it has you shuddering. It’s so dirty and your fingers move to Clint’s hair, desperately clinging at the long strands. His forehead presses to yours, and he smells like the most dangerous concoction of sweat, cologne, and mint toothpaste you’ve ever had the honor of inhaling.

You join in an almost-kiss that’s all teeth, but he brushes his tongue against your cupid’s bow in a much gentler way, and you know he can feel the shiver that runs down your spine in reaction. He squeezes your hip gently in reassurance, and then his grip on you tightens. It doesn’t hurt, but you can feel the years of arm workouts, and you know there’s no way to escape -- as if you’d ever want to.

Clint’s knee jerks and then he’s thrusting up into you with such force it leaves you breathless. He holds you down and all you can do is gasp and hold him tighter as he pushes into you harder and faster. Every shift provides a new angle and friction as his tip stimulates your sensitive walls.

Your thighs shake desperately and you can hear the wet slap each of his movements provide as you coat his cock in warm slick. He grins at the sight, one hand drifting from your hip until it reaches your throbbing clit.

“Look at you,” he coos and punctuates the words with a rough circle of his thumb.

Your chest heaves as you gasp, but the lack of Clint’s hold gives you a second to grind against him. He grunts as you do, and you chuckle breathlessly against his parted lips.

“And look at you.”

He retorts by way of another rub against your clit, and your laughter quickly turns to a drawn-out moan.

“You look so pretty when you’re about to cum.” He pants between every word, but he’s determined to deliver the compliment that makes your face too warm. You’re not sure how he knows you’re so close -- it must be way more embarrassingly obvious than you thought -- but you can’t find it in yourself to care. Not when he’s letting his cock drag inside you slowly, with a hard thrust every few seconds. Not when the pressure on your clit is changing so rapidly you can’t breathe.

When you do cum, with a broken cry and shaking torso, Clint doesn’t let up. He goes faster, harder. It’s a never-ending high that turns your brain to mush, and your body into even less. Your thighs burn and your toes curl but all you can feel is the delicious length buried deep inside you.

It’s only during the beginning of the cool down that you tug a little harder on Clint’s hair, and roll your hips a little more. “C’mon, Clint, please. Please fill me up.” His chest rumbles against yours with a throaty growl, and you continue to ride out your orgasm as he fucks into you with a few more desperate, shaky thrusts.

He cums in you thick and warm, with a groan of your name. It tumbles from his lips sinfully, and you commit the sound to memory. The rasp of his tone and the sight of his wet, swollen lips.

It’s not until he eases out of you slowly, and you feel the drip down your thigh that you’re grounded and reminded of exactly where you are. On a multi-thousand dollar couch. Owned by Tony Stark.

“Oh my god, Clint.”

His eyes are closed and you’re sure he’s about three seconds from sleeping for eighteen hours, but he manages a tired smirk. “I know. That was good.”

“No! I mean yes. But that’s not what I’m talking about.”

He half-opens one eye. “What?”

“I think we stained the couch.” A quick glance between Clint’s thighs all but confirms it, and you’re not sure whether to be proud or embarrassed by the very large wet spot staining the blended fabric.

“I can’t believe that’s what you’re thinking about right now. After everything that just happened.”

You playfully slap his shoulder as you roll onto the cushion next to him with a huff. He nudges you back with his arm before clearing his throat, and letting out a butchered impression of your voice. “Oh Clint! Your dick was just so amazing!-”

“Oh my god!” You cover your face but nothing stops the laughter that rumbles through your chest -- even if he’s got your tone completely wrong. He just chuckles and wraps his arm around you, pulling you into his side with a sigh.

“How much do you think we’ll owe Tony by the end of the day?” He looks down at you with a playful glint in his eyes.

“What do you mean?”

He rolls his eyes, but presses a chaste kiss to your hair. “C’mon, you don’t think I haven’t planned out every surface we still need to fuck on before they get back?”

“Clint!”

“See, you keep screaming my name but for all the wrong reasons.” Now you can feel his grin against the top of your head, and it comes into view as he stands with you still in his grasp. You’re not sure how he maneuvers it, but he’s got you in his arms before you can even blink, and the look he sends you tells you not to complain or even question it. He’s not even out of breath -- all things considered -- and when you glance in the direction he’s heading, your eyes widen.

“You have got to be joking…” You squirm in his arms as he sets you down on the table used for almost every meeting, and the mere thought of defiling it forever makes you squeeze your legs together shyly.

But, Clint is quick to spread them, all with a cocky grin and a far too confident tone.

“I don’t know about you…” He begins, as his fingers trail up your thigh. “But I think we could reach ten thousand by midnight.”

If you distantly hear FRIDAY warn adamantly against it -- neither of you mention it.

“Better get started then, Barton.”

---

[thatslikely]

Monster - R.L.

Monster- (Young) Remus Lupin x Fem!Reader (unspecified house)

Warnings: descriptions of blood and violence

Word Count: 3.6k

A/N: I don’t normally write for the Marauders, but this was a special request for my best friend Ocean, who has stood by my side for as long as I can remember. I love you Ocean <3

Just a reminder: Y/N is Your Name, and thoughts/flashbacks are in italics.

Taglist: @amourtentiaa @probably-peeves @anchoeritic @theweasleytwinsgirl

if you want to be added to my general or character-specific taglist, send me a dm or an ask!

----

Remus Lupin was a monster; a hideous beast deserving of nothing but a depressing life. A creature doomed to an eternity of rightfully earned misery and isolation. He was nothing more than a savage, barbaric werewolf.

Y/N, Y/L/N was a gorgeous and effervescent girl, who seemingly had the whole world rooting for her. She was exceptionally astute, a skilled and hallowed prefect, and unimaginably beautiful in every sense of the word. Someone who deserved nothing but the best.

While Remus would never believe it, he was the exact antithesis of a monster. To his friends, and to his great surprise, you, he was an altruistic, solicitous, and perceptive boy. A boy who you loved with every fiber of your being. A boy who needed to learn to love himself.

No matter what actions you took or words you sang, Remus sat in denial of your true feelings for him.

“But… why would you love someone like me? You already figured out that I’m a werewolf. I’m a monster, Y/N. You deserve so more than I could ever give to you,” Remus stated somberly. His eyes glistened with tears and were distinctly tinged with self-loathing. His normally soft, caramel locks were disheveled, and his worn Gryffindor uniform was wrinkled.

“Moony,” you started, Remus flinching at the nickname spilling from your lips, “I don’t care that you’re a werewolf. You’re breathtaking to me all the time, full moon or not. You have to understand, you’re not a monster! You’re someone I love. Someone I can’t live without.”

With the last sentence escaping your mouth with a plea, the tears that had been brewing in Remus’ eyes finally dripped down his face freely. He looked so broken, all the concrete walls that he had built up for so long crumbling under your acceptance and love. He was completely and utterly vulnerable.

He couldn’t be bothered to smudge away the translucent tears staining his cheeks, instead his arms instinctively reached to you like an infant, for a tight hug. He clung to your body like a lifeline; your soft and delicate skin drenched with a well-kept cardigan pressed into his aching chest. You felt so comforting in his arms, he could’ve held you forever. 

“Y/N… I love you.”  

The Great Hall was packed to the rafters with students adorned in varicolored robes, laughs and conversations dancing in one ear and out the other. The ancient, wooden tables were enveloped with pearly plates of every size, each supporting sky-scraping mounds of delicious house elf-made food. You promptly took the vacant seat next to Remus, reserved courtesy of himself, excited to see him after an endless day of droning professors.

James and Sirius were already plotting some sort of devious scheme, probably directed at their fierce rival, a raven-haired fellow fifth year named Severus Snape. You and Remus never became involved with the dastardly pranks, however, instead opting for unbiased pacifism. While a beady-eyed Peter was eagerly lapping up James’ and Sirius’ plans like ice-cold water in a desert, your stunning eyes lovingly locked with Remus’ handsome, mahogany ones.

You were quick to notice that Remus’ loaded plate of food remained untouched all dinner, contrasting the hefty meal residing in your own stomach. The full moon was approaching quickly, and there was no doubt he was worried out of his wits. You subtly motioned for him to pick at his plate, to no avail. 

If only he would allow you to comfort him about his monthly transformations. He had always been quick to shut down discussion of anything related to the lupine side of him, no matter how much you begged on your hands and knees for him to open up. 

“Remus, you really should eat. It’ll make you feel better, I promise,” you said with a concerned smile. The already troubled expression he wore fell even lower.

“I’m not hungry,” he said softly with strict finality. His face was painted with worry and guilt, a familiar but unpleasant sight. Once he noticed your gaze remained locked on him, he hastily covered up his unhappy expression with a small pseudo-smile.  

“Can you at least have a bite of chocolate?” you asked, grabbing a small chuck of delicious candy from a wrapper in your robe pocket. You extended your sugar-filled hand to him expectantly, and he obliged, grabbing the cracked square with annoyance. Once he started chewing on the sweet chocolate, however, his nerves relaxed and his demeanor softened.  

“Where’d you get this stuff, darling? Tastes quite good,” he asked, his words barely distinguishable thanks to the silky chocolate that filled his scarred cheeks. The nervous look that previously resided on his face was completely erased, a goofy grin triumphantly taking over.

“I’ll tell you, only if you swear to eat at least a little bit of your dinner,” you said motherly, gesturing your hands towards his plate of cold food. He emitted a sarcastic grumble before spooning some cold mashed potatoes into his mouth. He tried, and failed, to hide his gagging at the taste of the cold mush on his tongue, but he persevered, swallowing a few bites. 

“I believe I owe you some chocolate,” you said satisfied, this time removing the whole bar from your inky black cloak pocket. You ensured the bar was wrapped nicely before gingerly giving it to a giddy Remus.

“Now, where can I get myself some of this? They don’t sell it at Honeydukes, do they?” he questioned, before breaking off a bit of the milky chocolate, promptly popping it into his mouth. He kindly shared some extra squares with the other three Marauders, ‘thanks’ repeatedly passed his way.

“It’s homemade, straight from Mum’s kitchen. I get sent some just about every Sunday, so it looks like I’m your only source. Bummer.”

“Oh well. I suppose it’s worth it.” Remus rolled his eyes jokingly, sending a thankful squeeze to your interlocked fingers.  

The rest of dinner flowed along effortlessly.

----

Your droopy eyes languidly peeled open, revealing the lazy golden rays of light dancing across the stone walls of your cluttered dorm. The repulsive taste of mucus lingered at the back of your throat, an unwelcome side effect of your restless sleep.

Tonight was the night of the dreaded full moon.

Violent images of a bloody and wounded Remus flashed through your brain, causing a pained whimper to escape your throat. It always shattered your heart to see Remus returning back from a transformation, beaten, limping and broken. 

He made every effort to conceal himself returning in that state, cautiously darting to the Hospital wing, not wanting you to see, and subsequently pity him. But unknown to him, the tucked-away broom closet parallel to Madam Pomfrey’s provided a miniscule glance of his disheveled self every dangerously moonlit night.

You sluggishly got up from your bed, a bone-creaking stretch of your arms coupling with a sloth-like yawn following suit. You trudged through quicksand to the bathroom, quickly brushing your teeth to rid your mouth of the unpleasant morning taste that coated your tastebuds. 

Not long after, you threw on a comfortable outfit, one of Remus’ worn and oversized t-shirts and some sweatpants. If wearing his clothes could bring him a little joy today, it was worth it. 

“I like your shirt today. Looks quite dashing,” you said in a joking tone to the boy sprawled on the crimson-dressed bed below you. Remus was donning a holey, earth-toned t-shirt, topped with a matching unbuttoned, cocoa-colored flannel which complimented his messy mop of hair.

He sat up with an innocent smirk, saying, “It’d look pretty ‘dashing’ on you, too.” Remus’ cheeks gained heat at his bold comment, his mind imagining you wrapped in his clothes. Your goofy smile added to his favorite shirt would be near perfect.

“Wanna test your theory?” you casually asked, tiny droplets of adrenaline coursing through your veins. You were always a bit flustered around Remus, but the prospect of his shirt was too alluring to pass up. 

His face morphed into a slightly mischievous grin, and his hands quickly tore off the flannel overshirt that complimented the coveted top underneath. “Turn around for a second.”

You cocked your eyebrow in surprise before complying, pivoting your body away from the changing Remus. You envisioned his bare torso, dotted with sore scars. The exciting ruffling of clothes played behind you in a whisper.

Your eyes begged to sneak a peek, but they listened to Remus’ request, remaining clamped shut until he signaled, “Okay, you can look now.”

The prized brown shirt laid scrunched-up in his lap, his hands busily buttoning the few top buttons of his flannel, which was now stretched across his whole chest. After the flannel was fitted to his satisfaction, he tossed you the shirt with an amused smile.  

You promptly slipped it over your head, the familiar and angelic smell of Remus brushing your nostrils. The shirt fit like a potato sack on your body, but to him, you looked ethereal. 

Remus wasn’t seen all day, for he was locked up in his dorm, rotting away with anxiety. James, Sirius, and Peter all attempted to get him out of the cage he laid trapped in, but nothing, even the most enticing offers, would make him budge.

He finally emerged from his cave to the common room late into the afternoon, wearing puffy, red eyes with heavy purple bags underneath. You immediately ran to him, arms wrapping tightly around his stiff chest. He released a sigh before reciprocating the hug, a tiny, tired smile, resting on his face.  

“Good afternoon to you, too,” he breathily muttered in your ear. Your whole body sprang up with goosebumps at the feeling of his warm breath hitting your skin.

“I’ve been worried sick about you.” Your soft, relieved voice rang through his ears, guilt panging his heart.

“Don’t ever worry about me, honey. I’ll always be okay, and here for you.”

After stepping back from the solacing embrace, the other Marauders were quick to check on him. You stood away from their tight circle by the fire, simply admiring the laugh escaping Remus’ lips at one of James’ jokes. 

He’ll be okay, you comfortably told yourself, He’ll always be okay.

However, you failed to consider your own safety.

----

The pale strips of moonlight that shone through the window illuminated your glassy, saucer eyes, accompanied by your heart rapidly banging in your chest like a fast-tempoed timpani. Your arms vibrated with fear, and your ears remained steadily perked, listening for any stray howls reverberating from the Shrieking Shack.

You had tried your best to think positively: at least after tonight, he won’t worry for a while, but the images of a currently suffering Remus swam in your head, swiftly extinguishing your optimism.

Lupine-esque whimpers echoed through your brain, accompanying the ghastly memories of a bloodied Remus, causing your stomach to churn like the sea in a thunderstorm. You were plagued with such intense worry and guilt that you refused to remain idle in your dorm any longer.

If he remained abandoned by you every full moon, the scars that accented his skin would come back even more profound than last month. His chest would be drenched in his own blood, a familiar but nauseating sight. His leg would wobble to class every day just as badly, his knee sore and rigid. You couldn’t just sit and watch him break and heal again every month. Remus needed help.

You stuffed your feather-filled pillows under the duvet of your four-poster in the rough shape of a human body, hopefully convincing as your own. Then, you proceeded to noiselessly creep through your tranquil dorm, the minute tapping of your slippers on the hardwood blending seamlessly with the regular humming of the ancient castle. 

After safely out of the dorms and lifeless common room, you dashed to the Gryffindor tower, careful to avoid the observant eyes of patrolling professors. You softly muttered the password to the half-asleep Fat Lady, who you were well acquainted with thanks to the Marauder’s frequent antics.

You tip-toed up the cold, stone steps to the boy dormitories, promptly arriving at the fifth year dorms. You gave the sturdy, wooden door a light rap, crossing your fingers that the notorious night-owls would open up.

Your desperate wish was soon granted, a worried James peeling open the door, revealing the rest of the Marauders sitting in a circle on the rug behind him. “What’s up?” He whispered, a glint of mischief still present in his eyes, “you worried about Moony, too?”

“N- well yes, but I’m not here for a group therapy session. I need your cloak. The invisible one,” you quietly stated, confident and determined.

“What could you possibly be up to? Something tells me it’s not just a trip to the kitchens.” James looked considerably more suspicious, his knuckles’ grip tightening on the door. Sirius got up from his spot on the floor, approaching the door frame. 

“Er- just give me the cloak, please? I can’t sit around knowing he’s suffering alone out there. Not anymore.” Your eyes threatened to fill with tears, but you successfully fought to keep them under control.

“Y/N, is this really the best idea? I know you two are ‘in love or whatever’ but is it worth dying for? You and I both know the danger of his condition.” You winced at James’ words before stubbornly nodding, determined to leave with the cloak.  

“At least let us go with you. I don’t think Moony would want his girlfriend dying, especially if it was his fault.” Sirius snatched his wand and coat from the nightstand, ready to accompany you to the lupine love of your life.

“I’m sure that there’s no way in hell I could stop you guys, but, please, don’t worry about me. I’m a perfectly capable witch, believe it or not.”

James uneasily handed you the cloak while Sirius gave you a comforting pat on the back. You turned away from the dorm, your mind set on the Shrieking Shack. 

----

The fierce wind howled through the towering, spiky trees, not soothing your jittery nerves in the slightest. The previously clear, starry sky was now blanketed with inky storm clouds. The ground occasionally rattled with booming thunder, making your tingly legs shake even more.

Your wand was out and eager to spew spells at any unusual sights or sounds, despite knowing that the only real threat, Remus, resided exclusively in the shack. You gradually inched closer to the Whomping Willow, not exhibiting any Gryffindor-ish traits as you did so. 

When you were finally within range of it’s murderous branches, you skillfully levitated a rock to perfectly rest on the trunk’s secret pressure-point, paralyzing its wooden limbs without a sweat. You ducked under it’s ancient roots, running towards the demonic barks that echoed in the distance.

You tore the transparent hood off of your shoulders, dropping it on the porch of the dilapidated house. Your vision blurred with fearful tears, but regardless, you pushed the peeling door of the shack open, scared to see what lay inside.

Musty, forgone furniture was haphazardly thrown around what was presumably the den; deep and fresh claw marks mangled the grimy plush of chairs. Moldy tabletops were smashed in, opaque glass windows were shattered into millions of pieces, and there were unsettlingly large paw prints dotting the rotting floor.  

“Remus?” you squeaked, your throat tense and withdrawn. Low, animalistic growls could be heard from the second floor, and with a gulp, you slowly ascended the creaky stairs which groaned under your every movement.

“Remus…?” you repeated at the top of the desolate stairs, this time barely audible. “Moony?”

The level was eerily quiet, making you regret your decisions a hundred times over. You scampered forward, the small beam of white light emitted from the tip of your wand growing shaky with fear. He’s up here, somewhere. Thoughts of a suffering Remus drove you to peer through every room, fearfully expecting to find a helpless, balled up werewolf sitting in the corner.

Each battered bedroom lay devoid of life, disregarding the infestation of cockroaches that resided in the decaying walls. Your legs felt numb and uncontrollable as you stepped to the final bedroom at the end of the hallway. Remus must be in here.

You rolled your wrist around, making sure it was pliant in preparation for the spells that would likely need casting. You pushed the unhinged door to the side, ready to face your lupine boyfriend.

Barbaric, unintelligible noises tickled your ears at a low frequency. You walked silently into the room, the quivering grip on your wand increasing. You stepped further and further into the room, towards the bed that lay broken in the center.

A thunderous snarl from the closet jolted you around, invisible tears pouring down your face. “Remus? Remus, come out, it’s m-me.” 

Bloodied claws, sharp as daggers, dug into the aged wood, slowly approaching you like a predator sneaking up on its prey. “Remus, its Y/N. Don’t worry. It’s okay, I’m here.”

Inhuman, savage eyes pierced into your own soaked ones. Not an ounce of your boyfriend was left in the shadowy wolf; the way he slinked towards you viciously, the way bubbly drool fell from his twisted snout, the open wounds that characterized his back. 

His demeanor showed no signs of recognition, only ferine instincts ruled his primitive mind. “Remus… it's me…” Your voice cracked with heartbreak, a sob escaping afterwards. Silence, save for the deep, drawn out growls from the werewolf.

“REMUS! REMUS, TELL ME YOU REMEMBER ME? PLEASE, REMUS, PLEASE,” you wailed. Maybe you were yelling to get through to him, or maybe just to hear your own voice over your booming heart that drowned out your thoughts. 

Remus left you no time to think, let alone act, as your whittled wand thudded to the floor, and the vicious werewolf’s jaw sunk into your delicate collarbone. Sanguine blood splattered extravagantly across the decrepit room, its hauntingly intricate patterns tainting the rickety bed behind you, turning its dusty white sheets a sickly crimson.

A hoarse shriek rattled through your teeth as the feral canines dug deeper into your shredded flesh. Your vision went blurry, not from the tortured tears spilling from your eyes, but from mind-numbing exhaustion. The last thing you saw before collapsing onto the floor with a groan, your mouth contorted open in pain, was a quick flash of black and brown.

----

“Y/N… I’m so sorry.” Your chest vibrated from the lugubrious sobs escaping Remus’ nauseated throat. His lips and chin was crusted with a rusty red waterfall sourced from his now human teeth, his tousled, sweat-drenched hair rested on your heart. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...”

“I’m a monster.”

Your dried, bloodshot eyes peeled open, taking in the confusing sight that surrounded you. You were crumpled on the floor of the Shrieking Shack, held by a sobbing, gory Remus. A melancholy James, Sirius, and Peter stood further back, taking in the depressing sight before them. 

Languid morning rays shone through the opaque glass of the window, the beams perfectly highlighting the slick trails of blood that dried all over your body. Your shirt was torn to shreds, the collar being the most mangled. Your shoulder stung with the pain of a thousand Crucio-curses.

“Remus… what happened?” you croaked, your throat unwilling to cooperate, its texture like sandpaper. His drenched, brown eyes looked up to you in shock, tears falling down his scarred checks even faster. Last night was nothing but a hazy black blur which made your head pound even thinking about it.

“What happened to me, Remus?”

“I turned you. You’re a monster like me now.”

“I-I don’t think I understand…”

“You came to the Shrieking Shack last night to comfort Remus, and well, he bit you. You’re a werewolf now,” Sirius solemnly said, his gaze pointed to his black Doc Martens. Remus soon ran out of tears to cry, his eyes instead spacing out, his mind drowning out your words and touches.

“I turned you into a werewolf. I’ve sentenced you to the same hell that I live. I’m so sorry, there’s nothing we can do. I’m a monster!” Remus shouted, his shaky voice the most depressing thing that’s ever graced your ears. You sat on the floor, wrapped in Remus’ sorrowful embrace, shocked silence filling the mournful room. Tears subconsciously coated your burning cheeks and chin, fusing with the rust-colored, crusted blood, creating a sickly pink waterfall down your face.

“Remus, it’s okay-”

“No, it's not. Not this time, Y/N. It's all my fault,” he cried, “I swore that I would protect you, protect you from that monstrous side of me, and now look. We’re one and the same. Except that I’m a truly vile being deep down. I should be gone.”

“Being a werewolf isn’t some cool superpower or something; it's a disease! It's a ravaging, dangerous, violent disease; it taints everything, it’s inescapable. A disease that the person that matters the most to me now has, and it’s all my fault! I shouldn’t have come to this school in the first place. I don’t deserve any of this. I deserve to die.”

“Remus John Lupin, don’t you dare say that you deserve anything even remotely close to death! I know being a werewolf is going to be difficult, painful, everything, but at least I have someone to help me! At least I have someone who isn’t just going to leave me on the streets and have me fend for myself. I trust you more than anyone, I know it’s going to be okay, okay? You’re far from a monster, Moony. You’re someone I love,” you choked out, your voice fading with pain.

Remus’ eyes found crystalline tears once again, and you held his bloodied head to your chest, allowing his ears to hear your slow heartbeat, cooing, “It’s okay, it’s okay, I love you. It’s going to be okay, I promise. I’ll survive, we’ll survive, together.”

[ieattaperecorders]

Something's Different About You Lately - Epilogue: Borrowed Time

Life goes on, impossibly.

Read on Ao3

---

Martin shifted the bag of groceries in his arms as he climbed the stairs, still feeling a bit nervous.

The dinner had been Jon's idea – his O&M instructor was covering kitchen skills, and he'd thought it would be fun for the two of them to try making something together. The recipe had sounded a little elaborate to Martin, who'd protested that he didn't cook much, but Jon promised that it wasn't beyond them. He added that Martin was ‘perfectly capable' in the kitchen anyway, and said it with such prim, knowing confidence that Martin hadn't even bothered to ask. Before he knew it, he was writing down a list of ingredients to bring over.

He supposed that was just going to keep happening, Jon telling him things about himself. It was . . . strange. Sometimes it was endearing, sometimes just annoying. Occasionally it made him feel sentimental and a little bit sad in a way he couldn't put his finger on.

The door to the flat opened after a moment of knocking, and he smiled as Jon appeared.

"Hi Jon, it's Martin," he said. He'd read online it was polite to say your name, to not assume the other person will recognize your voice. "I've got the groceries."

"I know it's you, Martin." His tone was light and a little condescending, and Martin felt heat rise to his ears. "Come on inside. You know where the kitchen is."

Martin slipped past him and set down the bag, pulling things out and arranging them on the counter as Jon followed him to the kitchen.

"The store was out of chili paste," he mentioned.

Jon shrugged. "We'll improvise, then."

"If you say so."

Jon began taking out cookware, placing things down wherever he found counter space. "Do anything interesting today?" he asked, over the clatter of pans.

"Not especially. Filled out a few applications, then took a walk," he said. "Met a really friendly dog in the park."

"Flattered that you tore yourself away to come here."

"Wasn't by choice, her owner wouldn't let me keep her."

"How unreasonable."

It was weird, not having to worry so much about money. Not that Martin was complaining of course, but there was still a voice in his head telling him he was being too slow and selective in his job search, that it was lazy of him. And he felt anxious dipping into the new funds too much.

He'd just about gone into conniptions when Sasha told him what she'd done while she'd been fiddling with Elias's computer. Embezzlement might not have been an escalation when they were already committing arson, but they could still get caught, and wouldn't a financial windfall point a lot of suspicion towards them? But she kept assuring him that it was untraceable, some hidden fund Elias had, ready to be drawn on by anyone with the account information. The running theory was that he'd been keeping it for his next identity, which . . . yeah, the less Martin thought about that, the better.

Fear of discovery aside, he couldn't deny it was nice having a buffer like this. There was space he'd never had before to think about where he wanted to be, what he wanted to do with himself. And with the bills taken care of, Jon could focus his time on recovering. At the urging of his O&M teacher (and some amount of prodding on Martin's end) he'd even started talking to a counselor every few weeks. It was ostensibly just about handling the emotions that come up with sudden, traumatic vision loss, and he doubted Jon would be discussing the more exotic traumas he'd been through. Still. It was probably good he had something like that.

They went about the business of prepping ingredients, talking idly about food, things they'd done in the past few days, updates from Tim and Sasha. Martin's initial nerves already dissolving into the steady flow of conversation. There was something comfortable, he reflected, in being around someone who was so comfortable with him.

"Would you mind--" Jon frowned, fiddling with the hob on the stove. "I've got this, I'm fairly sure. Just . . . make sure I keep the pan centered?"

"Sure."

He came to stand behind Jon, watching over his shoulder as he set the carefully oiled pan on the stove and turned on the heat. Martin was a terribly distracted spotter, his attention frequently straying from the pan to look at Jon's face, pinched slightly in concentration. There was a single bead of sesame oil on his cheek, and it made his intensely serious expression that much more charming.

Despite his concerns, Jon had the pan well handled as he heated the oil and added in the aromatics. Martin only noticed him drifting once, the flames going high on one side of the pan.

"A little left," he advised.

In a moment of impulse and bravery, Martin curved an arm around him – placing a hand on his elbow, then running it down his arm to cover Jon's hand with his own, guiding the pan carefully into place. Jon leaned back, fitting the curve of his body into Martin's and sighing deeply.

"God, I've missed this," Jon exhaled. "Just . . . cooking dinner with you. All these little domestic things."

His voice was so unselfconsciously fond. It made Martin dizzy, just how easily affection poured out of him.

In hindsight, at least part of Jon's strange, awkward behavior around Martin had been a result of him holding back, wary of letting his feelings show. He never held anything back now -- his demeanor going from nonchalant or haughty to unbelievably soft and loving at the slightest prompting. It still took Martin by surprise, inspiring so much unreserved affection in someone. It wasn't anything he'd usually associate with himself. It was strange, and lovely, and at times made him feel almost frighteningly powerful.

He leaned forward, kissing the soft skin just beside Jon's ear. Jon smiled, holding his pose for a moment before gradually returning his attention to the pan, shaking it gently to move the vegetables around. Martin kept a hand on his, now fully for the sake of touch rather than any pretense of assistance, letting Jon's movements guide them both.

"Did we cook together in that cabin a lot?" he asked.

Jon nodded. "It was one of a handful of things we could do that felt . . . well, like a date, I suppose. We couldn't really go anywhere since we were lying low. I mean, we could walk around the area, isolated as it was, but trips to the village were all short and functional. So preparing something elaborate together made an evening feel special," he smirked. "You used to get defensive, too, just like today . . . saying you didn't really cook, like you were trying to lower my expectations."

"In my defense, I never said I didn't cook, just . . . ." Not since mum left , he thought. "Not for a while."

"To be honest, we were both at a disadvantage in that kitchen," Jon continued. "There weren't a lot of modern conveniences there. The power came from a generator, and the stove was an ancient, wood-burning thing that neither of us quite knew what to do with at first. Took a lot of trial and error before we really managed."

"Sounds cozy."

"Oh yes. So cozy we almost suffocated ourselves before we figured out how to adjust the vents."

Martin smiled, listening to Jon describe the little kitchen in that place. The cabin in Scotland had supposedly been a remote safehouse the two of them laid low in, but the way Jon talked about it sometimes it might as well have been a romantic holiday retreat. He made it sound so nice that Martin once idly suggested they go see it someday. Jon had gone tense and quiet at that, had shaken his head and said softly that they had to stay far, far away from that place. That there was nothing good that happened there now.

Jon was mostly open about the things he remembered. But sometimes "open" meant he'd easily speak at length about something, and other times "open" meant he'd answer your questions with short, one-sentence explanations, volunteering nothing unless pushed. And anything about the police officers he'd apparently worked with fell solidly into the second category.

Sometimes it seemed like they might have been friends, but Jon was always adamant that no one ever try to contact them. Daisy in particular seemed hard to talk about. Martin did know about the coffin. Jon had told him in a soft, emotional voice how another Martin had stepped from his cloud of isolation to set out tape recorders calling him home, how it had been one of very few things that let Jon believe he hadn't given up on him yet. And he knew something had been different about Daisy after the coffin, some sinister force like the one that had kept them at the Institute had loosened its hold on her.

He also knew that Jon was terrified of her, that he said again and again she was too dangerous to go near. That something about her made him sad -- and, Martin suspected, guilty, though he wasn't sure why. It was a topic he'd decided not to push . . . if Jon ever wanted to talk more about it, he would in his own time.

There were other things, things closer to home for Martin that Jon had hesitated over. Once while he was recounting the events of those years he'd paused mid-sentence. Stammered that it wasn't all supernatural in nature and some of it may still happen, and was he sure he wanted to know everything? Martin imagined Jon thought he was being subtle, but it wasn't a hard guess.

He told Jon not to give him the date. It was obviously going to be within the next couple of years, there was no spitting out that apple of knowledge. But he didn't want to be able to mark it on his calendar.

It shouldn't have felt like news, that his mum was going to die soon. Shouldn't have been the uncomfortable weight in his chest that it was. She was ill, of course it was coming, it had been coming for a while, hadn't it? But maybe that was the problem. It had been ‘any day now' for such a long time, ‘any day' had stopped feeling like a reality. And he still wasn't sure what to do with this information, if it really changed anything. Should he try to get some sort of closure? How did you make the most of the time you had left with a person who refuses to see you?

Martin hadn't asked Jon how much he knew about his mum, that just wasn't a conversation he was eager to have. But the careful, hesitant way Jon talked around the subject suggested . . . something, at least. Just like how the gentle, quiet tone he got when he talked about the Lonely told Martin more than he really wanted to have explained.

There was only one thing Jon flatly refused to tell him about, and that was whatever Elias had done to him on the day of the Unknowing. When pushed, Jon had gone quiet for a while, then said he didn't remember. It had been a lie, and a bad one, and both of them knew it. But it was clear there was no point in asking for more.

"You like pizzelles, don't you?"

Jon's voice snapped Martin to the present. With a last squeeze of Martin's hand, he turned off the flame, moved away from the stove and over to the pantry.

"Um, dunno?" Martin said, pulling his thoughts back together. "Never tried them."

"Really?" Jon frowned, pausing halfway to the cabinet door. Then he shrugged. "Well, no matter. You will."

Martin rolled his eyes. Jon spoke with so much more authority than anyone deserved to hold over another person's cookie preferences, and he couldn't help feeling contrary.

"No. You stepped on a butterfly last week and set off a chain of events that forever changed my feelings on pizzelles, I hate them now."

"That's all right," Jon said, popping open the plastic package and arranging the cookies on a plate. "If you don't want these, there's also canned peaches for dessert."

"Oh, don't you dare --"

Jon snickered, picking out a broken piece of one of the large, thin cookies and holding it out, just short of passing it into Martin's mouth. With an annoyed grunt, Martin leaned forward, taking a bite.

Damn it. It was really, really good.

---

Jon sank into the couch, pleasantly full and a little bit tired. He leaned back and listened to the sound of running water coming from the next room.

Martin had insisted on doing the dishes, on the basis that Jon had done "all the real work" of cooking. He wasn't sure that was true, but didn't argue. Just asked that he leave everything in the drainboard when he was finished so Jon could put it away later. He knew he'd be frustrated for hours if the dishes weren't where he expected them to be.

There were so many frustrations in his life now. His O&M instructor had promised he'd learn new ways to move through the world, that in time the frustrations would be fewer and fewer, and he'd find himself capable of nearly everything he'd done before the loss of his sight. Jon believed her, but it didn't make the prospect of getting there any less daunting. Nor did it make the learning process any easier.

The worst were the things his instructor would never understand, that no resource or guidebook would mention. The dread that gripped him when he became disoriented and found a door where he wasn't expecting one. The phantom tickles on his body that prompted him to pat himself down for spiders again and again.

Still. He was alive. The others were freed from the institute, and he was there with them, to struggle and to mourn and to continue on.

A part of him would always fear it had been a mistake. That the Web, or the Eye, or some other power still had plans for him that would reach apotheosis someday. Maybe he saw the fear as vigilance, as though something was waiting for him to feel safe so that it could rip that security from him. And as long as he never allowed himself to be truly, entirely at ease, that day would never come.

Irrational, perhaps. But it was so hard to tell anymore which irrational fears were truly irrational, and which would one day manifest with teeth and claws.

Even if nothing ever came for him, they had only bought the world some time. One day, maybe soon, someone would figure it out and attempt a ritual again. Maybe there would be others out there who would catch it in time, postponing the end over and over, forever. Or maybe someone would do it next week, and Jon would be plunged along with everyone else into unspeakable suffering until Terminus claimed them all. He could follow Gertrude's path if he chose, devote his life to stopping rituals at the cost of everything he cared for. Even then one could slip past him, come from someplace he hadn't been watching, or had been made not to notice. At some point he was going to have to find a way to live with that knowledge.

He'd work on it. But for the moment . . . .

The sound of running water stopped. Jon smiled, scooting to make room on the couch, feeling the cushions sink and shift as they took the weight of another person. With a hmm that came out with more whine to it than he'd wanted, Jon found Martin's arm and tugged it towards him. With a quiet laugh, Martin obliged, leaning into him and resting his head against his chest.

"Better," Jon arranged their limbs more comfortably. Martin's hands were still cold, and he smelled faintly of dish soap.

"Glad to hear it."

Jon knew Martin found it amusing, how clingy he was. The first time he'd commented on it had been profoundly embarrassing. Part of it was just the way Jon was, but he also remembered the days after the Lonely. The skittish, uncertain moments of contact, the times when Martin stiffened at his touch but whimpered when he pulled away. The other days, when they could barely let go of one another, when Jon would plant himself beside Martin or wrap his arms over his shoulders, and he would relax into it, sighing with release. Both of them too grateful for the fragile miracle of each other's touch to consider breaking contact.

This Martin didn't remember those days, and if he ever sensed anything desperate or reverent in the way Jon clung, he didn't comment on it. Still, even if he found it funny, he didn't seem to mind how ardently Jon held on to him.

Jon moved a hand into the space between Martin's shoulder blades and scratched down his spine, the particular way he used to like. Jon felt him shiver with pleasure under the soothing contact, and a powerful warmth spread through him.

"God . . ." Martin whispered, "you really know everything about me, don't you?"

Jon snorted. "Hardly. In a very real way, we barely had time to get to know each other. And when we did, well . . . it was close by necessity. It was intimate, and intense. But there's still a great deal I've no idea about."

"You were never tempted to use those powers of omniscience to look inside my head?"

"Constantly," Jon said, with great seriousness. "But I never did. I promised."

Martin went quiet at that. Maybe Jon's reply had been a little intense, or maybe Martin hadn't actually realized that looking inside his head had been a possibility when he'd asked the question as a joke.

"Oh," he said eventually. "Um . . . good?"

"I have picked up a few things," Jon continued, speaking with quiet and fond admiration. "For example . . . I know you'd like a pet, but your landlord won't allow them so you keep plants instead. You can't say no to panhandlers. You have a favorite hoodie that you only wear when you're sad and need the comfort. You like old, careworn furniture, and rainy days, and sitcoms that were made before you were born. You're kind to people who aren't kind to you, but you never forget the unkindness."

"Wow. Okay," Martin made a soft noise, shifting in his arms, voice tight and quiet. "Okay. Y-You're, uh, probably going to kill me if you keep that up, you know."

"Trust me, you've survived worse."

He felt Martin move a little higher, slotting himself beside Jon and giving him a tight squeeze. Jon grinned as the breath was pushed out of him, all twenty-four of his ribs contracting at the assault.

That was another difference, one of dozens of subtle changes Jon couldn't keep his mind from analyzing. Martin wasn't ungentle, exactly. But he hugged Jon more tightly, shoved or poked him when he was annoyed, whereas the Martin in his memories had held back a little. Been more mindful of his strength, as if wary he might handle him too roughly. It had been subtle, a thing Jon hadn't even noticed until he had something to contrast it against.

It made sense, he supposed. The other Martin had seen Jon limp back to the institute with fresh wounds and new scars one too many times. This one didn't have to have those images in his head.

There were some things that were lost between them, Jon knew that. Memories too small and simple to explain, questions he couldn't ask anymore. Moments they would never share, both good and bad. But there was also so much they had gained. This Martin hadn't had an easy life, not by any measure. But he hadn't had to watch helplessly as the people around him died or disappeared or became monstrous. Hadn't been lost in grinning corridors, or attacked by Hopworth's hooligans, or made to feel the heat of the endless tenement fire. And for that, Jon was so, so grateful.

"You look thoughtful," Martin commented.

"Mmm," Jon sat quietly for a while sifting through his thoughts before speaking. "We should go to a movie sometime. When I'm up for going out out."

"That sounds less fun for you than me . . . ."

"Depends on the movie. I could listen, even without description. And I'd enjoy being with you," he said. "Or maybe a concert? Though I don't really know what sort of music you like . . . ."

"Really? There's actually a blank spot in your catalogue of Martin trivia?" he said sarcastically. "Surprised it never came up."

"You only ever used headphones at work," Jon bristled, feeling oddly defensive about it, "and we obviously couldn't bring our devices to the cabin. Too traceable."

"Hmm," there was a teasing smile in Martin's voice. "Don't know if I want to tell, now. Feels like I've got a secret."

"Oh, except . . . there was one song? I don't know the lyrics, but you used to hum it all the time in the cabin."

"What was it called?"

"I didn't actually ask. It sounded nice, though. Maybe we could listen to it together. . . "

"How'd it go, then?"

He hummed the tune from memory. It came easily to mind, connected as it was with images of Martin sipping tea or wiping down a countertop, a bright, easy smile on his face. After a moment, Martin burst out laughing.

"That's -- that's from a soap commercial!"

". . . What?"

"Floors and doors, walls and halls, Liquid Lather cleans them all," he spoke-sang along with the tune. "It was probably just stuck in my head."

Jon frowned, mildly disappointed. "Well. It sounded nice when you were humming it, anyway."

"God. If you want I can serenade you with an insurance advert sometime."

"No thank you."

"Or we could listen to your album from uni," he pushed, the satisfied smile in his voice growing.

"Thankfully we never recorded anything," Jon grinned ruefully, "so that's lost to time."

"Bet you could still sing some of it."

"Try me the next time I'm not expecting to live through the night."

Martin made a displeased sound at that, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry that you always have to come over here," Jon said. "I should probably be making more of an effort to get out of the flat. But it's so much still, even with a guide. I can do it if I have to, but I can't relax."

"C'mon . . . you know I don't mind, and even if I did it wouldn't be something to apologize for. You're going at your own pace."

"Suppose I'm just impatient with myself. It feels absurd, I've walked through a London warped by unfathomable terror, but now ordinary city life is overwhelming. I think I never understood how many people there are on every block until each one became another unpredictable factor to be aware of on my way to the damn corner store," he sighed. "It may be a while before I'm up for anything like a concert."

"It's alright," Martin gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "I'm good at waiting."

For a moment Jon's mind went to a dark, creaking bedroom, air heavy with dust and thick with terror. It's all right. I'm good at waiting. The same phrasing, almost the same tone. Maybe it was to be expected, little parallels like this. Given a person's linguistic habits and enough time it was probably inevitable, but every time something like it happened it floored Jon in the most wonderful way. Some small but meaningful part of the man he loved reflecting and echoing back at him.

If the world didn't end, if he didn't dissolve into spiders or die at the hands of some unfathomable terror, Jon swore someday he'd find the words for how moments like that made him feel. And if he had any courage left in him, he'd tell Martin about it.

"Though, as long as we're talking about that," Martin said, "I've been thinking . . . ."

"In general?" Jon teased.

"Sort of. I've been reading some stuff about adjusting to vision loss? And I know this is fast – well, maybe not fast to you – but it seems to me like it's probably easier, especially at first, if you've got a sighted person staying with you . . ."

He felt himself breathe in sharply, and Martin's words came faster, his tone careful.

"Not - not to do everything for you, of course! I know you can do things yourself. Just to make little things easier, and – you know, that aspect aside it – it might just be nice –"

"Yes," Jon said decisively.

"Because it isn't really just the vision thing – I mean, it's alright if you do need help but it's also alright if you don't – but there's other reasons – "

"My answer is yes."

A faint laugh came out of Martin and he slapped Jon's chest lightly. "Stop agreeing and let me finish."

"Sorry."

"I'm not suggesting moving in. That would be too fast, at least for me," he said. "I'd want to keep my own place, and I'd probably still spend some time there."

"Of course," Jon nodded solemnly. "Perfectly reasonable to want some space of your own."

"Yeah. But if it works for you, I thought I might get a bag together, y'know, just sort of stay for a while? I – hell, I wouldn't, uh, mind the excuse to cook more dinners with you? And I slept better than I had in a while the night I stayed over here."

"So did I."

"I just think it might be nice. If you think so too, of course."

There was a pause as Jon waited, not sure if Martin had more to say. After the silence had dragged on for a while, he spoke up. "Am I allowed to say yes now?"

Martin laughed, nodding against Jon's chest.

"Then yes. I'd be very happy to have you stay here with me."

"Cool. Cool . . . " Martin exhaled. " . . . I love you."

"And I love you."

"More than I'll ever know?"

There was a teasing smile in Martin as he echoed the words Jon had said to him back in the tunnel. Jon was quiet for a moment.

He'd meant those words when he'd said them. It hadn't been a romantic turn of phrase. He'd confessed his feelings in that moment with the understanding that Martin would never be able to see how deep they ran. That he could tell Martin he loved him, but he'd never be able to show him that. He wouldn't have the chance. He found Martin's cheek with a hand, turned his face towards him, then bent down and kissed him, once.

"No," he said. "Not if I can help it."

[insufferablelust]

THE ARTIST AND HIS MUSE (v)

Hi lovely people! it’s me again with the fifth installment of TAAHM, hopefully y’all enjoy this, as always thank you for your support, and excuse the grammatical errors. As i said before, this story is dark themed, so it can get triggering to some people, please read the warning, and read at your own risk.

WARNINGS : BEWARE DARK FIC. SMUT, Angst to the max, Mental Illness (PTSD, with severe anxiety and depression), Some Fluff, hints/mention of Suicide (doesn’t happen), Psychological abuse (in flashbacks), over sensitivity (both sexual and non sexual), hints of Masochism, Anxiety attack, Soft raw tender moments, aaand thats it.

———————

A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive.To him a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. —Pearl S. Buck.

———🍃———

Little did they know, that night is going to be the beginning of a roller coaster ride.

———//———

It was already late when she opened her eyes the next day, her soft sigh occupied the quiet room as she scanned for the one person she craved the most, biting her lips at the cold left side of the bed sheet. However, he’s kind enough to leave the only thing she could reminisce about last night in a form of a long letter note he left on her night table, written with purple ink,

“Good Morning Y/N,

I hope you’re feeling well, although knowing how anxious you can get, i know your mind would wander off and we don’t want that. If you can remember what i said, then good but if you can’t, i said that i left because it’s more convenient for the both of us, not because i don’t want to be with you. Believe me, watching you sleep right now really put an image inside my memory that i’ll never forget, you’re so beautiful.

I hope you don’t mind, but i put on Debussy on your vinyl right now. I want you to know that we’ll still talk about it, preferably today, maybe we can go have dinner unless we have a case. There are things i never got the chance to say, and i think its time i finally tell you, later.

As for your past, we’ll also talk about that too. But i want you to not worry— yes i’m disappointed still, but i know why you did what you did. We’ll figure out a way.

Lastly, please take care.

Spencer R.”

By the time she had finished reading, her internal being is overflowing with emotions, dangerous ones that she won’t be able to control and she knows this. Her eyes teared up at the sight of ‘Classical Lover Etiquettes’ cued up on her record player. Her legs were incredibly sore, as much as her thighs and arms. There was just so much that’s happening, so much to feel, and she needed to escape.

Her feet dragged her to the balcony, inhaling the scent of life, breathe in heavily as she hoped— cross her fingers hoping to die that the amount of oxygen would be able to drown her from all the confusion, even more so the horrors that started to flows back in. Spencer opened a large deep wound that she had buried a long time ago, and then he showed her the way to paradise. He confuses her as much as she probably confuses him.

She wanted to apologize for being complicated, wanted to get on her knees again and show him how much she needs a savior right now; someone to love, and cherish to get her mind off of the horrible things in the past. She wants him to know that he can help her, by guiding her like he did the night before, by owning her like he said the night before, by loving her like he promised. She needs to be devoted to him, she would do anything for him.

She knows how damaged she is on the inside, she put up a persona every day so people could believe that she’s alive. But the only time she ever felt alive was with Spencer. The only time she ever wished she’s not complicated is when she’s with Spencer, His name consumed her like the opiates she used to take. He owned her soul already and she’s not letting that go. Even if the world stands in her way. She deserves this, this pure thing for once.

So she cried, hard. Hard enough for her neighbors to hear, to check up on her, but she wasn’t listening, she stayed crouched down in her balcony, her vision was blurry and she can’t think of anything— only Spencer.

“Spencer..” was the only thing she remembered saying before she witnessed darkness and drowsiness penetrate her eyes as well as her other senses— sending her to sleep.

———————————

Y/N didn’t even flinched when her father’s screams once again filled her ears, telling her how she doesn’t belong, she isn’t supposed to be here, isn’t supposed to exists. She could smell the strong scent of alcohol from his mouth, clouding her senses, but she refused to give in and cry, in fact she doesn’t feel a thing. Moreover, she’s just bored, her father never got violent with her, never laid a hand on her, neither does her step mother— well not when he’s around anyways.

By the age of 9, Y/N already knew what kind of man her father was, the kind that doesn’t want to admit reality, he’s a violent genius who works in the dark, with barriers covering all sides of his life. He never hurt Y/N physically, like he always claimed. But 12 years of psychological torture will fuck you up, she thought. She lived in isolation, and darkness where the only things she knew.. were alcohol, math, abuse, impending death, and screams.

She doesn’t have anyone related that’s nice to her, enough to shield her from all the abuse. The only person that could bring her peace is Mr. Bones, one of her father’s men. He always looked out for her, he gave her hope ever since she was old enough to know that being told you were never meant to be alive was not okay.

“I apologize, papa. It won’t happen again, I swear it.”

Her eyes stayed on the ground as she feels the warmth of his palm so close to her cheek, she yelled in her mind— her mind telling her to scream at the old bastard to “Hit me!”

“Hit me!”

“Make it hurt!”

“HIT ME!”

——

Y/N felt a jolt, her eyes searching for signs of where she might be but she can’t seem to open her eyes, the smell— is clean like iodine, the next thing she felt was the rough yet strangely comfortable sheets that grazes against her skin, And then she heard the talk, someone’s talking.. She recognized the voice well, so well like its imprinted deep in her soul, She tried to open her eyes.. yet she keeps on missing.

“S-she— i found her pale.. she was so pale and cold.. “ Spencer! her mind screamed, that’s Spencer.

“Spencer!” She tried to yell, but still nothing,

“Spencer please!” Nothing.

“What did her neighbor said?” Hotch!

“Hotch please i’m awake!”

“She was screaming, and they found her clutching her shirt tightly, she was crying and she.. she said my name over and over again, before blacking out.. thats why they called me first after calling 911” Is that true? she has been taking her meds, hasn’t she?

“Did anyone said that she was about to jump or anything like that?”

“No! No! Spencer i’m not suicidal!”

“N-no i don’t know.. Hotch i was with her last night, i should’ve—“

“Please don’t cry! please i’m sorry i love you i won’t do it again!”

“Hey no, she looked like she was having a panic attack. Has she ever mentioned anything about being depressed? or experiencing anxiety attacks maybe?”

“no... no... don’t tell him Spencer, you promised.”

“Stop the silence, Spencer you promised you won’t tell anyone.”

“N-no.. not that i know off.. she wanted company so i stayed with her, we watched movie.”

“Spencer...” She tried again, believing that it won’t work, he won’t hear her, maybe she’s not even here anymore— just floating away from her body. But when she saw his head turned towards her, she sighed contently, letting go of all the burden for a second just to hear him mutter her name in silence and peace.

“Y/N... you’re awake wait let me—“ before he could exit the door, Hotch pulled him back a little, telling him that “It’s okay, let me get the doctor.” Leaving Spencer and her alone.

Her heart rate accelerated as he sat down on the chair next to her, eyes filled with worry and fear— Y/N couldn’t take it, couldn’t bare to see how broken he looks, because she was selfish and complicated, because she was damaged.

“I-i wasn’t... trying to.. jump” Her voice came out laced with fragility, all raw and quiet. She’s trying to tell Spencer that she’s alright, as long as he’s here she’ll be alright. “Don’t.. please don’t blame yourself, it was an anxiety attack, a bad one.”

“Have you been taking your meds?” There it is, the question she has been hoping she wouldn’t have to answer. She looked down at his trembling hands, reaching to grab it but unable to do so because she realized now that she was restrained to the bed.

“Why am i being restrained?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“No Spencer i haven’t! now why am i restrained? i’m not a danger to anyone.” Y/N half yelled with a cracked voice, closing her eyes tightly at the tears that’s threatening to spill out of her eyes.

“Miss Bones, i see that you’re awake now.” Her eyes never leaving the sight of her cuffed wrist, ‘did they honestly thought you were planning on killing yourself?’

“I’m not suicidal, i’m an FBI agent for god’s sake.” The tone of her newfound voice surprised everyone including Spencer.

“Then why were you unconscious on the balcony of your apartment?”

“Because i haven’t been taking my pills! look, i haven’t for years now and i was fine. It was just rush of emotions, and i got overwhelmed okay? doesn’t mean i was going to jump. Believe me thats the last thing i would’ve wanted.” The last bit was a whisper, indicating the raw pain behind it. It was the truth, moments before you passed out you were thinking of Spencer, of how he’s your savior.

“Okay, Agent. We believe you, now why don’t you get some rest, and we’ll have you prescribed for something stronger, meanwhile i’m going to take the cuffs off” The doctor replied gently, except you know he’s not a doctor well he is but he’s a psychiatrist. Great, now everyone think she’s crazy.

——————

After the incident, you rarely talked to anyone on your team not because they don’t want to but because you won’t let them. You’ve caused enough pain, so the last thing you want to see is the pity on their eyes and face, it was nice seeing how they care though— sometimes in the mornings you can hear Garcia and JJ dropping new baskets full of goodies and treats for you to try. Sliding a note underneath your door before leaving.

Hotch insisted you to take a month break, which you would’ve tried to argued but you knew you didn’t stand a single chance. You could’ve lose your job, he could’ve fired you for lying about your psychological problems and endangering yourself but he didn’t, though he wanted you to take the break, and do another psych eval, so you agreed.

The bad thing about not going to work, except the obvious fact that you miss your work family and you missed out on catching men women alike your father and his killer— is not seeing Spencer often enough. It made you anxious just thinking how he’s doing constantly, Prentiss has said in a text that ‘he seems okay, just a little off’ in which you ended the conversation quickly, not wanting to let invasive questions spring up to life.

You’ve tried to contact him multiple times, yet he never answered the calls, there was one time where he had responded your text; it was the one after you told him that you haven’t eaten and taken your meds because thats what you do now, pretending like he actually listens you, that day you heard a knock, before finding out that there was a box of pizza; the tuna, with creamy mushroom kind, your favorite. Spencer is the only one who knew about it, so it was him. You cried that night knowing that he was close... yet you didn’t see him.

After that, nothing. Nothing at all, until it was your 17th day isolated in your apartment trying to get better. A therapist from FBI was supposed to come today, checking up on you, Hotch’s order. So when you heard a knock, you opened the door without looking.

“Y/N...”

“Hi you must be the— Spencer?” You eyes went wide as you recognized the person standing at your door, you swear your knees buckled finally seeing him again after so long. His hair seemed longer, his eyes has bags under them, he doesn’t look fine.

“Spencer, you look—“

“Can i come in?” His voice startled you, it was deep, deeper than you remembered it last.

“Yes, yes please come in..” You watched him enter your house, eyes scanning through every bit of everything, probably profiling your condition. So you let out a chuckle as you close the door, “I’m fine Spencer, unless you didn’t notice, i’m doing therapy 3 times a week plus routine visits from every therapist in town it seemed like. So i’m good” the tone of your voice reflects sarcasm and you know it, but how can you help it when he wont even look at you.

“Thats good..” He mumbled, sitting down on the couch where you two talked the last time about your past, you remembered that night’s event so clearly you could’ve sworn you have an eidetic memory. “You haven’t been sleeping have you?”

“no.” you sat down next to him, deciding that you shouldn’t touch him even if you wanted to.

“Why?”

“Because i worry about you.”

“Spencer, i told you i’m—“

“No! no you can’t say that you’re fine, again. do you know what you did me? after the night we had, you basically suffered an anxiety so bad you collapsed on your balcony, while whispering my name. You don’t get to say that you’re fine, i deserve more Y/N.”

You didn’t flinched even once when you heard his voice raised, if anything you just close your eyes and not let the volume of his voice get inside your head, “Everyone who yells is the same like your father, wake the fuck up” is what your mind been telling you but you refused to listen to it, Spencer is good, he’s a good man. So you controlled your breathing for a second before opening your eyes to see Spencer’s face begging for answers.

“You’re right, you deserve answers and you’ll get your answers but can you please listen to me and don’t interrupt? Spencer, i need the space if you want me to tell you, the space to make you understand.” Your palm move on top of his to see his reaction, you expected him to swat your hands away or at least flinched but strangely he let out a pleasant sigh, like he was relieved, like every weight has been lifted off of him.

“Okay, i’m sorry for—“

You cut him off before he could say what he’s sorry for, you don’t need it— his reactions are normal, too normal that it makes you fall in love with him over and over again. “Shh, don’t. You don’t have to explain, you don’t have to respond, just.. wait here, i’ll tell you everything okay..?”

With a nod you get from him, you stand up to make two chamomile teas, bringing it to where Spencer is sitting on the couch, then after you put on Gymnopédie on your record player, you sit down next to him. To your surprise, he leaned and laid his head on top of your thighs, curling up on the couch— which sent a smile to your face, you haven’t smiled for so long and of course Spencer Reid is the one who put your first smile since.. you don’t even remember when.

————

“It’s one of my favorite, I love the serenity of it.” You whispered, as your fingers ran through his soft hair. Relaxing your back against the couch and enjoying the tune of one of your favorite classical of all time. Spencer smiled at that, you swore the smile could lit your insides like nothing else.

“I’m a beethoven guy, but i guess Satie is alright..” He laughs, his laugh sounded like heaven, his smile and laugh makes you dizzy. This is the Spencer that makes your heart pound ten times faster, and the one that makes you lost for words each time, the one that you’ll love... too fast Y/N, too fast.

“Of course you are, it’s not hard to see..”

“Y/N?”

“Yeah?”

Spencer looked up at you, he looked so pure like this, like he was made to justify every wrong things that has been done, like he’s an angel that protects the earth from filth. He’s pure and tender, it takes all of your willpower to not lean down and kiss him.

“Oh yes, explanation.” You laughed awkwardly, eyes refusing to meet his. “Look at me, please” You shake your head at his demand, your eyes still trailing to where the record player is going.

“Look at me, Y/N.” You did, you looked. Under any other circumstances, the authoritative tone would instantly leave you dripping wet ready to submit to him. But this time, you only whimpered and nods.

“Good girl, now tell me” He cupped your cheeks, the gentle gesture sent you to oblivion.

“I don’t know where to start..”

“I heard the beginning is a great start.” His lips tugged into a wide smile, you heart warmed at the sight before you sigh, your fingers still curling and uncurling itself on his hair.

“I opened up to you that night, it’s something strange for me, i told you something that i swore i would never tell anyone, but i told you because.. because you were right, you are right Spencer. And i guess after that we took it to a whole new different level, i want to be able to do all the things with you and cross all boundaries but it’s something new to me, so that morning when i... woke up alone, it was scary, i felt so small and sad in such a big space. I was overwhelmed, by the thought of letting another person in, i don’t wanna take it slow but then again the transition won’t be easy for me.” Spencer opened his mouth as he was about to say something, but you simply leaned in shakily and press a quick peck on his lips as a sign that you’re not done yet, to your surprise he pulled you down one more time and let the kiss linger this time before letting you pull back, whispering a small “go on.”

“I lived in isolation most of my life, the only taste of real life emotions i ever got was the moment right after my graduation. The man who saved me, he teached me social skills, and the basics of.. of having this gift of rawness emotions. But i’ve been so closed off, i realized its just not possible for me to fall in love or feel such a strong emotion towards another, the only strong emotion i’ve ever known before this was.. hatred towards my father and his killer.

I had PTSD when i was 13, consistent with severe anxiety and depression, at one point Mr.Bones insisted that i...i started talking to myself, admitted me to a psychiatrist where i got my.. antipsychotics for um the voices. But i came out well, and he promised me that if i was able to make it, he would change my identity, stripped me out of my old misery, give me a new one, my father was a very very important man where he worked, so does his men including Mr.Bones. Thats why before i was 21, there’s no record of Y/N Bones existed because.. i didn’t, i never existed.”

Y/N ended it with a smile, looking down at Spencer whose eyes brimming with tears. She shook her head, her trembling fingers wiping the traces of tears. “Hey no no, please don’t cry, please it’s hurt to see you cry..” She whimpered.

“Spencer please say something..” Her eyes pleaded with her, as he sat up, before inching closer to her and before she even processed the warmth of his body, his lips pressed themselves against hers in a gentle loving way. His thumb stroking her soft supple cheek, as his lips took its time to explore every inch of hers, imprinting how it feels so he can remember it all the time. Y/N wrapped her arms around his neck as he guided her to his lap, pulling back a little.

They stared at each other for such a long time, before Spencer move his hand downward— tugging on her shirt. “Do you want to?” His voice rise your goosebumps to wake, all the adrenaline rushing through your core as you nod eagerly. “Please”

——————

“Tchaikovsky.”

“what?”

“This is tchaikovsky.” Spencer looked up at her, seeing how needy but beautiful she is, her skin glistening under the dim lights, her lashes are wet, her eyes glassy, and her lips bitten raw. He smiled admiring her before continuing his exploration down her labia, stroking it gently— almost like he’s teasing her.

“yes Spencer this is, Oh god!” you stopped mid-sentence as you felt the warmth of his tongue exploring from her slit up to her clit, flicking the sensitive button gently— Holy mother! doesn’t he know how sensitive she is?

“I’m pretty sure Tchaikovsky isn’t god, Princess.” the doctor giggles as his fingers tracing her tummy gently, caressing every mark every curve every indent every scar so so gently to show her how much he appreciates her, appreciate her beauty— all of it.

“Shut up!” She whined and shuddered as she feels him burying his face against her sensitive pussy, tongue swiping side to side at her slit as his nose bumps against her clit sending intense pleasure throughout her body making her jolt and convulse as she tug on his hair.

“Are you sure that’s wise, princess? i’m the one in charge of your orgasm here” Her legs quivered, his tongue push inside her and explore every inch of her inside— moaning at the taste and catching every drop.

“Sorry! so sorry Spencer, just don’t stop!” Oh how sweet is that, her voice cracked at the end, meaning he’s doing a good job. And the boy wonder does seek for praises sometimes.

“Never planning on it, love.” He mumbled against her pussy before inserting two fingers in, and moving them in a brutal pace whilst her tongue and lips sucking on her clit.

“Oh! Spencer, you’re so good at this” Her eyes shut tightly, as her fingers gripping his hair— she’s practically grinding against his face which he moaned at the sight and taste of her, oh so heavenly.

“C’mon Princess, come for me then i will give you what you’ve been waiting for” oh the way she clenched around her fingers so tightly, made him groaned and shut his eyes tight as he works her over the orgasm

“Spencer! oh! thank you!” Every inch of her skin was burning and her brain was mush. So much pleasure, that she could die happily now. Her body shivers still, when he comes up to leave tiny kisses on her face. “Good girl.” Spencer then align himself at her entrance, sliding the tip up and down her pussy.

“Ready, princess?”

“Yes.. yes please?” With a smile on his face, Spencer bent Y/N’s knees before pushing the tip of his cock inside of her slowly, indulging in the velvety warm walls that welcomed his cock. The feeling is like home. Her mouth agape, as her eyes roll at the back of her head, and her fingers intertwined with his.

He stilled inside her for awhile as he let out grunts of how “so warm and tight, pet” she is. He then leaned down to press a gentle loving kiss on her lips before thrusting his cock in and out of her slowly, keeping the pace light as they both relinquish all the frustrations out, and indulging in each other’s warmth. It’s perfect.

“so— full, Spencer..” Her desperate whimpers was the one that egged him to move faster, thrusting his hips so every-time he thrusted in, the sounds were slapping of skins and their moans. But when one particular deep thrust, her cunt involuntary clenched around his cock and she screamed “Thats it! thats it fuck!”

Spencer grinned, before letting go of her hand to grip her waist, pulling her closer to him then continue to fuck her with a torturous brutal pace, hitting the spot over and over again. “I’m not going to last if you keep- fucking clenching that tight cunt Y/N” He warned, eyes glinting with a dangerous look like how he was that night. Feral.

Strings of plea left her mouth as she arched her back, he was so deep— filling her to the brim and making her feel good.

“Please cum inside me!”

“I will baby, i will. But first you gotta cum alright? can you do that? i know you can, c’mon” His breathing labored as he move even faster, her headboard banged against the wall, and her body bounced. With one final deep thrust, they reached their peak, and shuddered at the feeling. Spencer pulls out before grabbing a wet cloth from the beside table and carefully wiped her sensitive areas, causing goosebumps that were dying down to rise again.

“Swan lake” Was the first thing she muttered as her legs still quivering, Spencer looked up at her confusedly as he set throw the cloth to the dirty hamper and laid down beside her once more, cuddling her to his side.

“What?” he asked, his fingers running through her hair.

“Tchaikovsky’s, Swan lake was playing.” They both laughed at her answer, shaking their heads. It wasn’t until Y/N’s eyes flickered to his hazy ones, that they muttered it together,

“I love you—“

“I love you—“

———————

TBC!

As always, TAGLIST is open, blurb requests are also open any genre of course, send them in along with suggestions and/or constructive criticisms! thank you. Just message me or send me an ask :) thank you for supporting. I’M SO SORRY FOR THE REUPLOAD, the TAGS DOESNT WORK TUMBLR IS MEAN TO ME AGAIN❤️

( @blancastans @spencerwaltergubler @slutforthegubes @n1ghtsh4d3-67 @babybloomer @liaabsurd @midnightsubmissives @addie5264 @maybankslut @secretpickleprofessordean )

[micheldechevin]

Kelpmen

I wrote this pre-established relationship fic for @buswilligan as a gif bc i love Alyse. it's her oc Maira (love of my life) and Mitsuhide (my interpretation is a little shaky but I had fun.) rating: E for everyone has a good time

Maira had left the War room for a moment of air—the banquet was a few hours in already, so she had figured stepping out for a moment wouldn’t be disruptive to the flow of the party. What she hadn’t expected was to be followed outside by Mitsuhide; who had recently seemed to take interest in her, which suited her just fine as it gave her another person to tell stories to and one who seemed interested in listening, at that. Her eyebrows lifted in mild surprise as she turned just far enough to see who her guest might be, elbow resting on the banister outside. Her face eased in to a carefree smile as he stepped up to the banister, offering his company; he had already picked up that she didn’t mind when company was offered, mild relief to him—he was a lot more used to Hideyoshi ushering him out, not that it got under his skin.

“Mitsuhide.” A casual acknowledgment as she subconsciously leaned in towards him, her eyes turned back to the garden as if she were in deep thought. She wasn’t, she was just reminiscing back on her days as a lighthouse keeper; it had been difficult work but it had also been strangely refreshing. The Isolation almost working like a reset button, even if only temporarily.

He regarded her with curiosity, not minding that she was so physically close—he had learned that Maira was just like this with everyone and for the first time he didn’t mind someone being so close. It was a gentle silence, one he didn’t really wanna break; she would break it when she was ready and he knew when she did it would be something very...interesting. Mitsuhide also quickly realized that it wasn’t hard to learn about her, she was so open with everything; but a part of him also took a personal pleasure that everyone else seemed to have a hard time figuring it out. He wasn’t sure where she was from, or how she had gotten here, but that was something he would figure out eventually.

“I was thinking about the time I saw a man washed up on the rock I lived on for my time as a lighthouse keeper.” Maira’s voice was always soft and gentle, not at all matching with the things she said. “Well, our lighthouses aren’t quite like your lighthouses and it wasn’t quite a man either.” It was as casual as her speaking of her day's schedule.

Mitsuhide wasn’t so sure what “wasn’t quite a man” meant, but he knew he would find out. Instead he opted for silence, usually a man with many words—he was deeply interested in just listening for now. He could make his comments later, if he needed; but lately there were so many less comments to be had.

“It was seaweed, it had washed up during a storm. The waves were as tall as the Tenshu.” She lifted her free arm absently as if that helped distinguish the height at all. It was noted that occasionally she talked with her hands too. “Lightening looks very strange over the ocean.” Maira added before pausing; it didn’t help the story move along, but Mitsuhide realized he hadn’t seen lightning over the ocean before, and now he was trying to picture it.

“I thought a stranded sailor had washed up, but there wasn’t any way to leave the lighthouse with the storm raging, so I watched to make sure he would at least stay on the rocky shore.” Turning, Maira gently ran her fingers through Mitsuhide’s snowy hair, absently straightening a stray cow lick. “Luckily the storm subsided by morning, the waves were a bit too much for me—but the man had stayed on the shore line the whole night.” She missed the soft expression on Mitsuhide’s face as she removed her hand, and turned back towards the garden.

“All that concern, and it was just a large clump of kelp and seaweed, tangled with a fishing net.” There was another long, meandering pause in her story, a deep, not unhappy sigh. “I tell you, Mitsuhide, I had to sit on a nearby rock and have a laugh about the whole situation; for a moment I thought I would have made a new friend—and I suppose a pile of kelp is a good listener, but it was hilarious really.” Her tone stayed even, not indicating humor, but also not indicating anything other than humor. “If only one of you had been there, I think you would have found it amusing.” Another long pause, punctuated by the steady buzz of the summer’s Cicadas. “It was a lot more humorous than when a Sailor really did wash up—he was fine, don’t worry I made sure he was fed.”

There was an odd expression on Mitsuhide’s face, a half grin with a mildly confused look in his eyes. He wasn’t sure anyone else would start a story with how they had thought someone washed up only to mention a completely different time where that exact thing happened completely off hand—it was always amusing. “Little mouse, I wonder, when you say your lighthouses are different...how different?” He wondered if they served a different purpose where she was from, though he couldn’t really imagine that.

“Loud.” Was all she added, and she truly meant loud. Louder than anything she had ever heard. “It was nice.” A strange addition, but one that was punctuated by Masamune breaking the calm to usher Maira back with the promise of dumplings. The spell of the cicadas had been broken with the loudness from the Banquet, but Maira was not immune to offers of food.

“Ooh, I would like dumplings, yes.” She gently squeezed Mitsuhide’s upper arm, before turning away with a smile to follow the pied piper of the kitchen back to the food. “I wonder what kind they might be.” A comment more to herself than anyone else, as Mitsuhide watched her enter the castle again.

He had elected to stay outside, thinking of the story she had told him and what sort of lighthouses her home might have that were so loud. One door of the mystery had opened, and he found more...disconnected doors; it was fun and enlightening a mystery he was more than willing to follow to the end, this time for his own gain. With a tender smile of his own, he made his way back to the festivities with much to think over—kelp men and Tenshu waves.

[firehananas]

II - Autumn’s naps

The lonely prince and the silly commoner   Part 1 | ~ 1500 words

“Can miles truly separate us from friends? If we want to be with someone we love, aren’t we already there?” — Richard Bach.

As their bond grew, Harunobu came less and less at school. Even though Kotone could still play with others kids, she terribly missed him. It's always a relief when he finally came back, but the uneasy feeling it’s may be the last time they see each other starts hovering over their heads.

"Hey, Nikaidou." The two children are playing with figurines animals — a giraffe for Kotone and a heron for him. Her brutal changing mood, sharping with the tone of their story a moment ago stops Nikaidou.

"What?"

"Are you healed now?"

He sighs, staring his toy with a bothered pout. "Yeah." He says in a weak voice betraying the 'not quite' part. 

They stop talking. The atmosphere is weighing. A cold and thick bubble captures them both, isolating the two friends from the others children.

"But..." Harunobu pursues in a very, very quiet voice. "I may stop going to school. I may be schooling at home if I become sick again."

Kotone stiffen before she turns over him with a horrified face.

"It can't be! You— !"

But nothing else comes out. What could do two children against the crushing voices of adults? As the little girl tries to find a solution, her tan face turns red of frustration.

"That's not fair!" She ends up exploding and throwing her poor giraffe away.

"You shouldn't do that," The boy reprimands. "Dad says every object has a soul and you should take care of them."

Kotone loudly exhales and crosses her arms, disapproving. She mumbles that she already knows that, but her anger is too big for her to contain. Then her eyes light up.

"I know! We have to exchange our addresses! Like that, we could still visit each other, even if we don't go to school anymore."

He blinks, thoughtful, before approving with energy. "That should do it!"

They smile to seal their agreement.

The next day, they fulfill it.

The day after, the great summer vacations begin.

⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅

Dear Nikaidou Harunobu,

I hope you are doing good! My parents and I have been visiting my grandparents in Hokkaido. It's very sunny here, but also a bit cold! I have been a lot to the beach and took a lot of pretty shells. My grandpa has been fishing on his boat and he even shows me how to doing it! It was really fun and the fishes very yummy. How are your vacations? What did you do?

Nakagawa Kotone

Hanaoka is next to his young master, lying on his hospital bed, listening carefully the letter he is reading for him. His left arm is on a drip, piercing his pale skin. The boy doesn't seem to mind it, and Hanaoka couldn't tell if it's a good or a bad thing.

He used to be a little worry when he delivered the letter. How would Harunobu take it? Would he be hurt to imagine his friend living like any other kids while he has been stuck in a bed since the beginning of August? Even if it wasn't the intent, it could give him a bad reflexion of himself.

But Harunobu keeps smiling until the very end of the letter. He reaches his hand to the postcard that Hanaoka gladly gives in.

"How are you feeling?" Hanaoka couldn't help but ask. He doesn't have the heart to directly formulate the real question he has in mind because maybe — just maybe — it didn't cross the child's mind.

His grey eyes leave the pictured landscape for his caretaker."I'm fine." He assures."I'm glad she remembered me."

It’s may be a pure coincidence he answers his tacit question, but Hanaoka likes to believe his young master is smart enough to have figured it out.

"Say, Hanaoka... Can you help me answer her back?"

The butler smiles gently. "Of course."

Dear Nakagawa Kotone,

Thank you for your letter, it made me really happy! My parents stay for a whole week with me and we play a lot together. It was a very fun week! My father also gave me a game of shōgi and I really like it. I hope we'll play it together one day! I've never been in Hokkaido, but it seems to be a very nice place! Here, it has been very hot and I didn't go outside very much. When the vacations will be over, don't hesitated to visit me at my home during the weekend. I'll leave you my number, so you can call me anytime!

I hope I will see you soon!

Nikaidou Harunobu

"Moooom, why?" Kotone cries loudly. Her whole body imprison the left adult's leg, who's trying unsuccessfully to chase her away and continuing her walk.

"Don't be silly, Kotone." Her mother responds with a stern voice. She pushes the child head to detach her from her leg, like if the child was a sticky insect. "We just came back home. Your dad and I are tired, we can't let drive at Nikaidou's house."

"GRMMMMMMMMMH!! And why NOT? It's not like you are invited anyway." She retorts.

"Kotone! Now you're being rude!"

"I want to go! I want to go! I want to go NOW!"

"KOTONE!"

The woman manages to finally get her kid off, catches her by the neck like a kitten and put her in her bedroom.

"Acting like a brat will lead you nowhere! Stay in your room and allow us to have some PEACE!"

The door slams behind her, making Kotone jumps. Then, she crosses her arms, blows her cheeks out of frustration, and stays still.

She'll need to be more subtle next time.

⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅ॱ˙˙ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅

Kotone tried everything. She tried to be cute, to be a very good girl (she even accepted to wear the ugly pink dress her mother loves so much when her friends came home). She has been clever in her choice of words, she has been straightforward. Then the impatience walks in and she has been less good and nice. But being deprived of dessert and being put in her room is the only thing she gets out of those protests.

When October comes in, she decides that if her parents couldn't do it, she will do by her own.

Kotone is not stupid (or so she likes to believe): an expedition needs to be prepared. First, she'll take her tiny bag for sports, a bottle of water, a snack, a map... She keeps the letter to make the call and to knows where to go. That's true... she has to announced herself.

The kid inhales deeply, and walks on her tiptoes while carefully observing her surrounding. There is no one in sight. She can hear the incomprehensible noise of the television: her dad is definitely watching it. Her mom goes with her friends some times ago and shouldn’t coming back before the late afternoon. It’s now or never.

Straightening herself, Kotone approaches the home phone and carefully places it on the floor. That way, she’ll be able to see the touch numbers. And then, slowly, her finger starts hitting the keys.

Beep beep beepbeep beep beep…

She has to wait now until someone answers. The kid has the feeling to throw a bottle in the very vast ocean, unsure if it’ll reach someone.

"Hello?"

It’s a mature, feminine and unknown voice. Kotone’s heart beats louder as she struggles founding her words. Paralyzed by anxiety, the child stays quiet.

"Hello?" The voice repeats, "Is someone there?"

The fear her interlocutor cuts the conversation snaps her initial shyness.

"Um, hello! Is this - erm, I mean, i-is this Nikaidou’s number?"

"Yes?"

"Well, I am Nakagawa Kotone, and I want to know if I can come to Ni - I mean! If I can visit Nikaidou!"

Her fingers twist around the thread’s phone, nervously playing with it.

"Oh, you’re miss Nakagawa! You are welcomed anytime. When do you think to come over?"

"Today!" Kotone couldn’t help but screams.

"T-Today?" The voice stutters a bit dumbfounded. "Wait a second please…"

The silence replaces her. Kotone takes a look at the living room's door, hoping her dad don't walk in. Her heart seems to have calm down, yet it still beat hard enough on her chest to hear it.

"My apologies for the wait. You are expected, miss Nakagawa."

Kotone couldn’t hold a squeak of excitement.

"I’m on my way!"

"Wait! When are you supposed to —"

But it’s too late : Kotone is already gone and, after telling her father she is going to play outside (which isn’t technically a lie), she climbs the fence and takes her first step on the street.

<< Previous || Masterlist || Next >>

[yandere-daydreams]

Online Classes start tomorrow, I’ve been in quarantine for over two weeks, and no one’s confiscated my keyboard yet. I apologize deeply for what has been done today. Please enjoy this Yandere!COVID-19 drabble, because god knows I didn’t.

TW: Non-Consensual Touching, Mentions of Stalking, and Sexualization of a Personified Pandemic. 

~

You’d like to think it was just a hobby.

It was something everyone did. Staring down strangers, or more politely, ‘people watching’ was a common way to pass the time, a small pleasure that most of the population was guilty of, at some point or another. You didn’t feel bad for doing it, for cataloging faces you’d never see again into a nameless file in your mind, but you didn’t think most would take kindly to the idea of being observed, either. The train was full today, though, and no one noticed as your attention flickered from a mother having a one-sided conversation with her crying toddler to a hostile debate between two men in suits. No one was affected, and no one was disturbed.

Being watched never hurt anybody, after all.

You figured that’s what he thought, as his eyes burnt whole through your form. 

The two of you were near the sealed door, his back pressed to the wall and yours left open to his predatory gaze. You weren’t friends, but you recognized him. He went to the same university you did, a student of biology… or genetics, you weren’t sure. You knew he was lanky, that he was nineteen and friendly and ran track, but you couldn’t seem to remember his name. Coraline. Charlie. Something with a ‘C’.

The train took a sharp turn, dipping into a tunnel. The sun blinked out, for a moment, and you stumbled forward, an arm wrapping around your waist and pulling you backward, into someone’s chest. You regained your balance, and light flooded through the windows, but your savior didn’t move to return to a respectful distance.

Oh, right.

Corona.

“You should be more careful.” You couldn’t remember hearing his voice before, but it seemed familiar. Not familial, not warm, but familiar. As if you’d heard the same voice from a dozen other people. But, recollection did little to soothe the shudder than ran up your spine, the pressure suddenly on your lungs, a shortness of breath that only ever came over you when a threat was nearby. It didn’t take long to determine the source of your sudden anxiety. “You never know what might happen, if you aren’t. I’d hate for something bad to happen to you.”

“I… I’m alright now,” You mumbled, your voice barely rising above the constant reverberation of metal on metal. “You can let go of me.”

He hummed, lightly, starting to curl around you. Despite never considering yourself short, and never thinking of Corona was particularly tall, he seemed… bigger, up close. All-encompassing. Overwhelming. Your head started to spin, and you wondered if you should be making more noise. “I don’t think I want to,” He replied, his tone drawling into a whine. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been trying to avoid me, and you know how much that hurt my feelings. It really breaks my heart, to be honest.”

You coughed into your hand, attempting to get the attention of a nearby passenger, but she only scowled, briefly scanning over the boy draped across your shoulders before edging away. She must’ve thought the two of you were already a couple, and you couldn’t blame her. No one should be this close to another person, not in public, whether or not they were dating. You tried to stay neutral, your response as flat as you could manage. “I’m sorry, I… I didn’t think you wanted to spend time with me.”

“Liar.” The accusation was hostile, but his distaste didn’t stop him from nuzzling further into the crook of your neck, the gesture nothing short of sickeningly sweet. His free arm found your midriff, but for whatever reason, you weren’t afraid of falling, anymore. You almost hoped you would, as the train continued to jolt forward. “You haven’t even thought about me. You’ve been going around, doing whatever you want, pretending I don’t exist. It’s annoying, but... you already know that, don’t you?” The question was followed by a chuckle, chilled breath fanning over your skin. “You’ve been so cold, (Y/n). How’re we supposed to work things out if you treat me like some infectious disease?”

“I don’t know you,” You spat, no longer trying to be blunt. You had no reason to be, not with someone who didn’t even try to hide how insane he was. “We have one class together--”

“And that’s the attitude that makes you so hard to pin down.” He sighed, heavily, slumping onto you. The change in his demeanor was abrupt, but not surprising, the switch from ‘touch-starved puppy’ to ‘exhausted caretaker’ doing little to catch you off guard. A show of consistency may have been more out-of-character, at this point. “One moment, you’re isolating yourself, spending all your time inside and hiding from me. The next, you’re practically throwing yourself into my arms, only to go and act like I’m a total stranger!” There was a groan, more dramatic than it needed to be. Corona’s hold seemed to loosen as a pout pressed into your neck. “I love you so much… you’ve got to start acting like you love me back, alright? I think it’d be really nice, if you did.”

The train started to slow, and your concentration shifted away from the stalker at-hand, onto the people beginning to stand and gather their belongings. A male voice announced the name of a station you didn’t recognize, but that didn’t matter, you’d gladly walk the extra mile if it meant ending this interaction a few minutes sooner. You didn’t struggle, but you squirmed, unperturbed as his hands shifted to your hips. “I-I’ll try,” You started, the lie only half-hearted. “Look, this is my stop. I’ve got to--”

“Not today,” He corrected, his smile returning as soon as the words were off his tongue. Another switch was flipped, this one leaving Corona more cuddly than before, his fingers beginning to poke and prod at your clothing. As if he was waiting for something. As if he was excited for something. You writhed uncomfortably, shoving yourself away from him, but if he had any intention of letting you go, he didn’t make a point of showing it. Instead, you were left to simmer in an iron-clad hold, Corona giggling as he pressed his lips to your hair, the kiss barely a peck. You were sure it wouldn’t be the last display of his fondness, though.

“Guess you should’ve stayed home, baby. I have a feeling we’ll be together for a very, very long time, after this.”

[gottawriteanegoortwo]

Mermay - Dilliam - Operation Renovation!

While working on Mark and Celine’s house, William has the bright idea to bring Damien inside to help give him a second opinion. It’s another chance for both to learn more about each other, and for William to realise he caught feelings for the cute merman.

Word Count: 2,046

-

William and Mark mutually agreed to stay away from the Rockpool that night, bar Mark briefly hurrying down with dinner. Whatever happened between the siblings would stay between them. William had a hunch that Damien felt isolated from his family - and even his sister he adored - because it seemed difficult to find middle ground, but William kept that to himself. 

As he went to bed that night, William was drawn to the window to look out over the sea. A glimmer of light could be seen at the Rockpool, seeming to only emphasise the distance between the house and the coast, as well as between the twins. If there was a way to help them re-establish a connection, he would.

Opportunity arrived two days later. William had spent the entire of the first day painting the living room to freshen it up, and was unexpectedly left alone to handle the redecoration part on the second. Celine, who was supposed to be there, was called into work urgently. William always preferred having a second opinion on matters like this and was nearly about to abandon his plans for the morning when the breeze hit the chimes just outside the kitchen window. He turned to see the garden and… Of course!

-

"Damien!" William scrambled down the rocky steps, screeching to a halt just beside the water. "Damien, you here?" He could see small bubbles popping on the surface just beside the large rocks. Then, after a few moments, Damien's head slowly rose over the water. His eyes were half-lidded as he peered up at the source of the loud voice.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I didn't think you would be asleep. I can come back-"

"No, it's alright… What's wrong?" Damien pulled himself out of the water to sit on the path. He began stretching to undo the effects of being curled up all night. William couldn't help but stare at how toned the merman was. Damien's body had more bulk to it to help keep warm in colder climates, but it was well defined between the lack of patterns on his body and his current stretches. William had to quickly snap himself out of it before he was caught staring in a daze of awe.

"I'm trying to rearrange the living room space and have been trying to decide where I should… what are you doing?" With his back still to William, Damien interrupted the other's train of thought by lifting his hand and turning the palm up.

"Pass me your phone."

"What?"

"Show me the photos and I'll tell you what I think."

"I never said anything about photos."

"Then I can't be of help."

"Poppycock. You're coming back up with me." William's suggestion had Damien finally turn to face the human. Even with what William could only describe as 'merman bed hair', Damien's accusatory look was sharp.

"I cannot walk, remember? I'm not of the species that can magically shapeshift -" Now it was Damien's turn to trail off as William let out a snort of laughter.

"You know, for someone who is so smart, you're awfully fond of jumping to conclusions and thinking you know what I'm going to say, huh?" William put his hands on his hips as he grinned. "No, no, dry your tail! I'm carrying you up! And no - I know that look from Celine - don't try and argue, I've made up my mind. Unlike Mark, I've spent years in the army. I'm a strong man. Have you even had a chance to see the house yet with your own eyes?"

William’s observation stunned Damien into silence. William was right - why did he keep assuming the worst of William? Was the simmering anger from yesterday influencing this, or was Damien really expecting the worst of humans?

"Only in photos…" He finally answered after a short pause. Damien was bewildered that William was even considering this after how Damien had behaved yesterday. "But you must know my tail is -"

"You won't know until you try. Come on, chop chop!"

Damien sat on the picnic bench, shaking the tip of his tail of extra moisture while William properly examined the merman's body to decide how best to carry it. At a glance, his tail was longer than his torso, and the eye-catching tip was large and potentially awkward if handled wrong. But William’s thoughts briefly strayed as he admired the colours. Damien was rather handsome. Not only that, he had such a wonderful personality (when he wasn’t jumping to conclusions) that William genuinely enjoyed the other’s company. But right now, he needed to focus. The last thing he wanted was to make the merman uncomfortable. Hoisting Damien over his shoulder was rather undignified, so it would need to be bridal style at a higher angle. 

He grunted at his decision. It caught Damien’s attention and he lifted his head in time to see a smirk peeking out under William’s moustache.

"I'm starting to think that is the 'I have an idea' look Mark had warned me about," Damien muttered as the soldier approached. Establishing how best to pick up Damien was a little awkward - "We'll get the hang of it!" William insisted - but they managed it. Damien wrapped both arms around William's neck and held on for dear life with such strength he was sure he’d leave marks on the skin. One of William's hands was at the base of the torso, while the other arm had the tail draped over it. To Damien's amazement, there was no sign of struggle from William once they settled.

"I can carry twice my own body weight," said William with a wink, like he read the merman's mind. With that, they made their way up the steps. William's eyes were on the ground to watch his footing, while Damien needed time to recover from that damned wink.

-

The initial reason for William bringing Damien into the house was ignored as Damien was taken aback by a moment of awe upon seeing the house for the first time. William decided that Damien absolutely needed the 'grand tour'. It was the right choice, as Damien was curious to learn more about the house beyond the photos he had been shown. William was able to point out the various jobs he was required to do while here until, finally, it brought them to the chaos that was the living room. Damien could see why William wanted a second opinion. All the furniture was grouped together in the middle of the room. It was quite a sorry mess of eccentric items that needed to somehow find new homes within the room.

Damien was sprawled across the couch - the end of his tail casually dangling across the far arm of it - as William set to work moving items to and fro as Damien instructed. Neither homeowner being there was a blessing, as William discovered that Damien had a very good eye for object placement and how to make a room look nice. Damien laughed and admitted that it was probably due to the natural merfolk love of beautiful things combined with a human awareness of furniture and ornaments.

The pair chatted throughout the morning as William completed the heavy work (not that Damien minded that he had to watch the human flex his muscles and show off that strength). This was how William learned that merfolk are not as materialistic as humans. A normal human home would be too 'cluttered' for them. There was little need for 'the latest and trendiest goods' in a merfolk's life in the same way as humans needed them, but those that had trinkets or ornaments knew they would never be stolen since they only have sentimental value.

"Is it true that merfolk like jewellery, since those are pretty valuable?" William asked as he showed Damien a mermaid figure before he could put it on the shelf.

"It is. It's purely aesthetic. The value of the materials mean nothing. I once met a young mermaid who had one of those bright, plastic bracelets a human child would wear. She valued it so much that when it went missing, the entire community banded together to search for it. I realised that an item imbued with sentimentality should be the most important value in my life, not how much money is used on it. Though there is a natural draw to gold because it isn't as unpredictable as silver in the water."

"At least the movies get something right. So what about the nesting-whatchamacallit - they aren't 'homes', right?"

"Right. Merfolk communities normally have a shared 'living space' that we call 'nesting grounds'. These are areas that are sheltered, mostly shallow, and open. It's a communal area, so it's ideal to have enough room for everyone to socialise without the danger of being swept away by storms. There are small nooks and crannies that are used for nests, which are a merfolk's personal spot for sleeping. Everyone knows to leave another's nest alone. Messing with the nest or the items near it without permission can land you in a lot of trouble." Damien paused, eyes drifting to one of the seascape photos on the wall. "The nesting ground I've been welcomed into has our distant relatives in it. Their home is situated amongst the coral reef. There's always colour there, along with whatever 'souvenirs' are brought to either share in the communal space or for a personal nest."

"Huh....Sounds like the dorms in the barracks I'd stay in. We'd have individual beds and lockers, but that's it in terms of 'personal space'. Everywhere else is communal." The comparison, though not perfect, was close enough to help William gain a better understanding of Damien's world, and of the setting for Celine and Mark's home. "So… Would that make the land part of the Rockpool the nesting grounds, and the small section under the water by the rocks your nest?"

"Yes, I consider it as such. I like it as it is. I don't see why it needs to be changed."

Realisation dawned on William. That explained Damien's offense at the mere thought of the space being changed. If everything was fitting for a merman, why humanise it? There was a solution to this, he was sure of it!

The pair took a break in the afternoon to bring Damien into the bathroom to get some moisture back into his body - the handheld shower head made this a lot easier - and have some lunch. Then, as William was asking Damien his opinions on which colour would better suit one of the empty rooms, Celine returned. She thought William was merely talking out loud as usual and was pleasantly surprised to see her brother lounging across three kitchen chairs, waving innocently at her.

-

And that was how the pair spent the next week. Each morning, William would set up and go on a long walk to strengthen his leg and explore the area, then fetch Damien so they could spend time together while William worked. Mark had gotten his hands on a wheelchair, which William then spent half the night refurbishing it to support a long, heavy tail instead of two feet. It gave Damien a little more independence when in the house… As well as the ability to ram into William with it when he was fetching items. The three humans agreed that it gave Damien a new lease of life once he was able to be involved in a way that was suitable for him. Some days he would ask William to bring him back to the Rockpool so he could spend the afternoon alone instead, and that was a request that was always respected.

However, as the week went on, William found he would spend his evenings at the Rockpool, regardless of whether or not the others joined him. He found Damien to be such good company… and feelings had taken root. But with how adamant Damien had been in not wanting to be humanised, he decided it would be best to keep it to himself. 

It didn't help that Mark gave him a knowing nudge one night when they were heading back into the house and seemed to be blissfully oblivious to William’s threat to keep it to himself.

[mopeytropey]

a beer buds series: chapter 5

newest update available below the cut and on AO3 here :) those of you anticipating more of gay disaster!Lexa should be pleased ... 

Timeline: takes place between chapters 4 and 5 of 'apu' after Clarke attempts to host a dinner party only to have Lexa arrive as her only guest

Beer: Sunday Paper IMPERIAL STOUT WITH COFFEE

The smoothness of this beer belies it’s 9.9% ABV. Fresh roasted coffee nose leads into a smooth and rich roasted dark chocolate and coffee flavor with hints of dried black cherries.

ABV 9.9%

Sunday Paper Imperial Stout: Exhibit A (Framingham, MA)

Lexa has settled into the worn comfort of Lincoln’s sofa for all of six minutes before a large, curious ball of grey fur is sitting beside her. The cat blinks up at her with its owlish eyes the color of rust, and Lexa smiles while rubbing behind its ears.

“I still can’t believe you’ve named your cat after my father.”

“Come on! Tell me she doesn’t look exactly like Gus!” Lincoln shouts from the nearby kitchen.

The cat begins to purr at Lexa’s doting touch, and she thinks it enhances the resemblance even further. A docile temperament hidden beneath the imposing stature of her father. Uniform grey coloring gives way to a wide swath of darker fur beneath the cat’s chin, cascading down its chest like an unkempt beard. Lexa smiles again. Gus the cat has a bulky frame but is gentle and affectionate. She thinks the comparison is entirely apt.

“She’s bigger than when I was here last,” Lexa observes as Lincoln enters the room carrying two glasses of dark beer with heavy foam.

“She eats like a horse,” he laughs, setting a drink in front of Lexa before collapsing onto the other end of his couch. “Plus, I’m fairly certain Octavia is spoiling her with extra treats. Cheers, buddy.”

Gus abandons her immediately for the comfort of Lincoln’s lap while Lexa retrieves her glass.

She reaches down the short expanse of sofa cushions to clink her glass against Lincoln’s. “How drunk am I going to be after this one?”

“Imperial stout. 9.9%,” Lincoln smiles. “But, I’ve got lasagna and garlic bread in the oven to compensate.”

“So I’ll be hungover and doubling my running route tomorrow. Thanks a lot.”

“What are friends for?” Lincoln beams. “Hey! We should do 1A down to the island and back—weather is supposed to be super mild tomorrow and I’m done with my meetings by 4:00.”

The route past Clarke’s house.

The new information of Clarke’s residence is like a hot coal buried deep in Lexa’s stomach. The architecture. The pungent smell of the marshes. Seeing Clarke backdropped by her own surroundings had completed so much of the picture Lexa has been composing for months. Everything about the house, and Clarke in it, made sense—from the colors of her open kitchen to the art hung on the walls to the spiral staircase that Clarke practically forbade Lexa to ascend.

She swallows, wondering if the blush she feels on her cheeks will show in the low light of Lincoln’s living room. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

“So, how was it on Tuesday? Sorry we bailed.”

Not for the first time, Lexa wonders if Lincoln has somehow infiltrated her inner thoughts based on the timeliness of his ask. The inquiry does nothing to lessen her blush, but Lexa hides further embarrassment behind a large sip of stout.

“You mean showing up for a dinner party to find you’re the only guest in attendance? Not awkward at all, that’s for sure.”

Gus seems to vacillate between the two of them for a moment, finally curling against Lexa’s leg and pushing her paws into Lexa’s thigh when she sinks her hand into thick, soft fur. The sound of Gus’s purring is amplified by Lincoln’s quiet apartment, and Lexa begins to relax with its perpetual hum.

“Yeah, but it’s Clarke,” Lincoln laughs. “I’m sure you guys had fun without us anyway.”

Lexa can’t decide if he’s really so oblivious or playing dumb for her sake, but she looks at him like he’s sprouted a second, immaculately shaved head anyway. She is tempted to recount every movement, and look, and smile, and gesture that she was forced to endure in Clarke’s company that made her feel, in fact, incredibly awkward. And, unsure. Anxious. Elated. Questioning every decision she’d ever made in her life to that point.

But, sure: fun is more succinct.  

“We had a nice time.” Lexa smiles into her beer, remembering. “I think I talked a lot.”

“I’m sorry—what?” Lincoln further mocks her by cupping a hand around his ear as if to hear her more clearly.

“You’re such an ass. Why do I even hang out with you?”

“I’ve been grandfathered in,” Lincoln shrugs.

“When we were out on the boat, Clarke shared some things with me—personal things—and it felt like it was time to reciprocate.”

“Her dad?” Lincoln asks in a far more cautious tone. Lexa nods, taking another sip of the dense, dark beer. “The way the girls talk about him, he sounds incredible. A great guy to have lost so soon. O says the Griffins practically raised her. She really loved Jake.”

“I think Clarke’s connection with him was quite strong.”

Lincoln slowly nods through a heavy sigh. “So, how much of the backlog did you offer up in return? How far back into the Brooklyn archives did chatty Lexa venture?”

He’s broken the mood, and Lexa gives him a grateful smile. “Quite a bit, actually. I was also sort of high at the time.” Lincoln almost chokes on a sip of beer as Lexa shrugs. “But, I’m glad I told her. It felt good to talk about it.”

“Yeah.” Lincoln’s dark eyes have taken on a distant quality, and Lexa suspects he may be thinking of Octavia. Perhaps he’s thinking of all the parts of his dark history that he’s been able to share with someone as strong and resilient and unwavering as her. For someone as reticent as Lincoln, it must feel like infinite relief to give that part of himself to someone else. “We beat some shit odds, didn’t we?” he finally says.

Lexa exhales a humorless laugh. “Understatement.”

It had been a childhood of survival for them both. Anya too. But then they found each other, and it started to feel less harrowing, less isolating and alone. Even when they lost track of one another—transported from one family to another, in different boroughs, different schools—Anya taught them to rely on a network of trusted contacts. Information from other kids in the system became the string that kept them tied together.

And then, during that frightening summer when Lexa was thirteen and Anya disappeared, lost to another state—shipped halfway across the country—Lexa wouldn’t let them rest until she and Lincoln found her. It would be another eight months before Anya landed back on New York City asphalt and Lexa could breathe steadily again.  

A timer sounding off in the kitchen breaks the atmosphere again, and Lincoln sets his beer down to briskly stand from the couch. “I’m gonna check on the lasagna. You good on beer?”

Lexa eyes him, incredulous. “I’ll be drinking this same beer in an hour. Quit trying to get me drunk.” Her phone buzzes while Lincoln exits, his laughter trailing after him.

Clarke’s name on her phone screen has Lexa shifting around on the couch, setting down her beer and resting her elbows on her knees. That now familiar coil of excitement swirls in her stomach as she opens the message.

Clarke Griffin (6:07PM): new artist featured at the coffee shop has some amazing photography of NY

Clarke Griffin (6:07PM): red hook, I think?

Lexa gives in to the tug at her lips, the way Clarke’s innocuous observation blooms warmth in her chest because of its casual consideration.

Clarke had been thinking of her.

She more often tries to suppress the way her mind wants to calculate just how much Clarke thinks of her. But tonight, she allows it. Even a momentary concession has Lexa biting at her lips to keep her smile from spreading.

(6:08PM): Clarke, please tell me you are not drinking coffee at six pm.

Clarke Griffin (6:08PM): Ok. Lexa, I am not drinking coffee at 6pm.

Lexa is readying her next reply, gently chastising Clarke for her irresponsible caffeine intake for what is likely the hundredth time, when Lincoln’s voice announces his return to the room.

“What’s Costia up to tonight?”

A lurch in her chest has Lexa nearly dropping her phone onto the floor. Mention of Costia while staring at an innocent message from Clarke is like a head-on collision in her brain. She blinks, closing her phone all together and setting it carefully on the table beside her beer.

It shouldn’t feel like an irritant, like vinegar in an open wound, but Lincoln asking after Costia grates the skin at the back of her neck.

Lexa works to remain calm, grinds her jaw, and goes for vague nonchalance. “Boston. Working late.”

“Damn, that sucks. Again?” Lincoln returns to the sofa and stretches his arm along the back cushions. Gus had since wandered off during Lexa’s less-than-scandalous text exchange about photography, but she returns to nuzzle at Lincoln’s calves.

“Par for the course,” Lexa exhales, willing herself to ease the raised hackles she feels along her spine.

Lincoln’s tone is sympathetic. “It’s been happening a lot lately, huh?”

After another sip of beer, Lexa turns into the couch, folding one leg beneath the other. “I’ve lost track, honestly.”

“We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to, but I have a lot of questions.”

Lexa runs her fingers through her hair and stares at the drink held in her right hand. She doesn’t like to think about all the ins and outs and what-ifs of her current relationship, let alone voice her wandering thoughts aloud. But, Lincoln is a good friend—more than that, he is an integral part of her found family. She finishes the last quarter of her pint in two or three gulps.

“I’m probably going to require more beer.”

Lincoln smiles kindly, patting her kneecap before taking the empty glass and standing once again. “More of the same? Or do you want to try something else?”

Lexa stops herself from asking for an entire bottle of whiskey. “What else do you have?”

“Come have a look,” Lincoln offers.

She follows him into a petite kitchen, further dwarfed by Lincoln’s immense stature.

“It smells amazing in here.”

“Should be ready in the next half hour or so,” Lincoln tells her as he swings open the fridge door. There is a low shelf stocked entirely with various cans of beer. “Pick your poison.”

Lexa squats onto her haunches to examine a few of the labels, in the end deciding on an IPA she remembers seeing on the taps at Dockside.

“That’s a good one. Octavia is obsessed with it,” Lincoln tells her as he opens his cabinets for a fresh glass and snaps the tab on the beer can for her. He hands over the new glass of beer before rinsing the can and tossing it into a squat recycling bin beside his trash can.

Lexa rests the small of her back against the edge of his kitchen counters and enjoys her first sip while Gus winds around her ankles and flicks her bushy tail.

“Octavia has good taste.”

“Tell me something I didn’t already know,” Lincoln smirks.

Lexa shakes her head in mock astonishment. “Legitimately. Such an ass.”

His smile transforms to something more genuine as Lincoln props his weight against the counter opposite. “She’s a complete workaholic—never stops thinking about the job, reading up on new techniques, emerging brewers, hop varietals. All of it. The success of that bar is her life. She lives and breathes it, and it shows.”

“But she—” Lexa adjusts the fit of her plaid button down, swallows her uncertainties with another sip of beer, and forces herself to engage in a conversation she has long since ignored. “You two still spend a lot of time together?”

“I think the fact that our mutual interests and careers virtually overlap sort of helps. But, yeah, I think regardless of that, we would still make time for each other.”

Lexa can only nod in response, returning to her beer in lieu of anything profound to say in turn.

“Are you guys able to spend any time together at this point? Costia’s schedule seems heinous.”

“We are. Here and there,” Lexa shrugs. “We went to see an exhibit at the MFA last weekend, which was nice.” Lexa frowns at the floor. “None of this is her fault. She tries.”

“There’s not always someone at fault when things stop working,” Lincoln says, not unkindly.

It doesn’t stop Lexa from grinding her jaw on instinct.

“I moved here for her. If we were to—I don’t even know what I would do if that happened.”

“Lex, you told me months ago that you were moving here to sort things out—not just with Costia, but with yourself, too.”

Lexa nods again and answers softly. “I know.”

“Let me ask you this: if Costia’s schedule were different, if she were able to do what she loved in school while also making more time for you and her, would it make you want to hang out any less with, you know, other people?”

Not so oblivious then.

He doesn’t have to say her name explicitly—the knowing look they share speaks volumes. Lexa looks away and licks her lips, stalling a response as her pulse quickens.

“I don’t know if—”

Her half-formed response is interrupted by Lincoln’s phone ringing on the counter beside him. He grins as he picks up the call.

“Speak of the devil. Hey, Clarke.”

Lexa sips her beer helplessly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as her mind races. He’s answered the call on speaker, and Lexa braces for the distinct rasp of Clarke’s voice.

“Hey, it’s me,” Octavia answers, her voice sharp and distinct in it’s own way, and Lexa relaxes by a fraction.

“Oh! Hey, it’s you. Why are you calling from Clarke’s phone?”

“I can’t fucking find mine. Have you seen it at yours?”

“Uh, no,” Lincoln answers, nevertheless casting his eyes around the kitchen surfaces for any sign of it. “I can look around for it though.”

“We’re actually parked outside—”

“Hi, Lincoln!”

Clarke’s voice pipes through at a distance—as if Octavia hasn’t put the call on speaker but Clarke wanted to be included anyway. Lexa tenses in an instant.

“—on our way to Abby’s for dinner. Do you mind if I run up for a sec?”

“No, of course not. Come on up.”

“Are you sure? I’m not trying to interrupt your bro date with Lexa.”

“Hi, Lexa!”

“Clarke, is it possible for you to have any chill for longer than ninety seconds?” Octavia snaps.

A short and hushed squabble ensues over the next several seconds, likely within the confines of Clarke’s car. Lincoln shares a smile with Lexa across the small expanse of his kitchen as her stomach jumps with nervous energy.

“I’ll be up in a second,” Octavia grumbles.

She’s at the front door a moment later, and Lexa lingers by the kitchen doorway while Lincoln greets her with a brief kiss.

“Hey, Lexa.”

“Hi.” Lexa offers a half wave.

“I’ll be out of here so quickly, I swear.”

“Don’t worry about it. Do you want help looking?”

“Nah, I’m good. Clarke wants to talk to you anyway.”

This jolts Lexa to a standstill where she had begun to move slowly towards the sofa with Gus at her heels.

“Oh, she—I uh,” Lexa swallows down a fresh set of nerves that Octavia doesn’t seem to notice.

“Babe, can you check the back deck while I look in your bedroom? I was out there this morning for a little while, and I might have left it on one of the chairs.”

“Sure,” Lincoln answers, his arm still slung around Octavia’s waist as he leans down to kiss the top of her head.

They’re both gone from the room in another instant, leaving Lexa standing awkwardly between the front door and the couch where Gus has perched herself atop the back cushions. Lexa hesitates for long seconds, adjusting the rolled sleeves of her shirt while gnawing her lip as the decision to stay or go to Clarke flits irritatingly against her conscience.

Gus observes her solemnly, and she swears it’s the same look her own father pinned on her during that summer she turned sixteen and formed an unwavering desperation to impress Nathalie Rivera, who Lexa did not, irrefutably, have a crush on. Even going so far as to bribe Lincoln into teaching her the Spanish he’d picked up from his new foster mom. Lexa’s determination to get her attention could not be deterred, but she was not romantically interested in any way, Anya’s accusational taunts be damned.  

“Don’t give me that look,” Lexa tells the cat as she rests her beer on Lincoln’s coffee table, slips into her shoes, and heads for the door.  

She practically sprints (without logical cause) down the flight of interior stairs to the main door, which opens onto a front walk, at the end of which sits Clarke’s silver car. Lexa manages to calm her breathing enough by the time she reaches the driver’s side of the car that she’s not visibly out-of-breath, but her lungs feel constricted nonetheless.

“Hey!” Clarke beams as she slips from the driver’s seat when she notices Lexa approaching.

“Hi.”

Lexa forces her mouth closed to keep from audibly stuttering. Clarke is often dressed at Dockside in an expansive wardrobe that feels like a personal attack on Lexa’s wellbeing. But, something about seeing Clarke in jeans and a warm sweater, looking casually elegant for a dinner with her mother, has Lexa stumbling over basic conversation skills like she hasn’t in years.

“You’re, um, you guys have—” she clears her throat, completely ineffectually, and Clarke very poorly hides her amusement.

“We’re on our way to my mom’s. Raven just got this major promotion so we’re celebrating by letting her cook us dinner.”

Lexa places her hands into her front pockets and smiles at Clarke as if her whole body doesn’t feel like a brittle, shaken leaf.

“You maintain very bizarre friendships.”

“That’s an interesting take coming from one of my best friends.”

“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Lexa smirks. “Clearly.”

Clarke looks away with a laugh and leans against the side of her car to cross her arms along her stomach. The gold of her necklace pendant glints in the streetlamp above them. She nods towards the house at Lexa’s back when her laughter has subsided.

“Sorry we crashed.” Clarke’s face scrunches prettily with guilt, and Lexa makes the wise decision to avert her eyes with a shrug.

“It’s totally fine. Unavoidable emergency, right?”

“Or, they just devised a pathetic excuse to makeout for a few minutes.”

“Right,” Lexa laughs. She cranes her neck to look back at the house. “Maybe I shouldn’t have left them alone.”

“At this rate, they could be grabbing a quickie.”

It’s now Lexa who is twisting her mouth at Clarke’s overt sexual reference, hiding embarrassment behind disgust. “Clarke, ew.”

It only serves to make Clarke laugh again, and Lexa is forced to look away a second time.

“So what’s up? Did you need something? Or, did you just really miss me?”

“What?” Lexa must look horror-stricken because Clarke is sputtering more laughter. “No, I’m just—Octavia said you wanted to see me.”

Smooth. Very smooth.

“I didn’t—” Clarke starts to protest, looking a little unnerved herself before rolling her eyes. “She’s an ass.”

The familiar insult makes Lexa laugh, and Clarke smiles in kind. “She’s well matched then.”

“Lincoln? An ass?” Clarke looks scandalized. “No!”

Lexa shakes her head with a long sigh. “You have no idea.”

A charged moment between them stretches taut, as it so often does, and Lexa is reminded of all the other moments that have preceded it.

Tuesday night spent salvaging a failed dinner party.

A blissful day on the water in Clarke’s boat.

Coffee along the harbor.

Aimless walks about town. Lingering goodbyes.

And, countless other instances in which Lexa must fight this same impulse. She’s not at liberty to admit to such wants, let alone act on them, but the thought of kissing Clarke persists behind a veneer of practiced composure.

Sometimes Lexa thinks that if Clarke were to lean in, make the decision for them both, she would let her.

Clarke is too good a person to make such advances; even hoping for such an outcome is wildly unfair, and Lexa hates herself a little bit for it.

She wears a regretful smile that she presumes Clarke has come to recognize—the way it is reflected back to her as Lexa sighs. “So, I guess I’m going to head back up. Lincoln has promised me twice my weight in carbs.”

“Ooh!” Clarke’s eyes light up as they so often do at the mention of food. “What’s on the menu?”

“Lasagna.” The answer comes from over Lexa’s shoulder, and she turns to see Octavia ambling down the front walk with a small plate and a mouthful of pasta. “And, it’s so, fucking good.”

“Aren’t you two on your way to dinner?”

Octavia shrugs, “Appetizer.”

“I hope you know you’re sharing that with me,” Clarke tells her as Octavia rounds the car and opens the passenger door.

“You’ll have to pry the fork from my cold, dead fingers.”

Clarke scoffs, opening her own door. “As if cutlery has ever stopped me from stealing food off your plate.”

“I’ll see you guys later,” Lexa smiles, taking one or two backwards steps towards the house.

“Later, dude,” Octavia answers before closing herself into the car.

Clarke smiles warmly, her eyes softening even as Lexa creates more distance between them. “Bye.”

Lexa can feel the warmth of Clarke’s gaze at the base of her stomach, swirling lazily. “Bye.”

She ascends Lincoln’s stairs briskly, determined to figure out her emotional baggage sooner rather than later and finally get her life together.

:::

[fantastic-bby]

緣份

Pairing: (F)Reader x Mark | ft Jackson and Jinyoung |

Word count: 7k

Genre: Fluff | Angst (?) | Ex Lovers to Lovers | CEO AU | Non-Idol AU 

Summary: 緣份 (Yuan fen): The destiny written between people. Mark Tuan was your college boyfriend. Unfortunately, your relationship fell apart when he expresses his discomfort towards your friendship with Jackson. After you graduate, you assume you would never meet him ever again. It isn’t until one day when you need to form an alliance with another company that you realise your relationship with Mark isn’t over just yet...

Warnings: -

Masterlist

You run your hands over your light beige blazer as you look at yourself through the full body mirror. You take a deep breath to calm the nerves that were wreaking havoc in your mind. Honestly, there was very little reason for you to be this nervous. You’ve met clients before - but you knew this wasn’t a client. This man is vital for your company. If you fail to get him on board, the company would lose more money than it ever has before. Meaning you as the CEO would also lose more money than you have before.

There’s a knock on your office door and you turn around to see your secretary poking her head in, “Miss, he’s here,” Lex states and you nod in acknowledgement. She leaves your office and you give yourself a double-check in the mirror, making sure you looked fine before leaving. She hands you a folder, “All of the documents you need are in here - including the whole plan and everything. Mr Wang’s already in the conference room, I told him he should wait for you, but… you know how he is,” she further adds and you can’t hold back the laugh that slips past your lips as you flip through the documents.

“Jackson’s a handful, but he knows what he’s doing,” you reassure her. “Thank you, Lex.” The feeling of knowing that Jackson is already in the meeting room adds to your confidence. There’s no way this meeting could go wrong with him around. His charisma was one of the main reasons you started this company with him in the first place. 

You push open the glass door and your heart drops when you see who’s inside. Your entire body freezes, your confidence leaving as you stare at him. 

“Ah! (Y/n), you’re here.” Jackson immediately stands up and makes his way to you. Judging by the nervous look on his face, he already knows. “I’m handing it off to you,” he whispers hastily and forces your frozen body to your seat. 

“(Y/n)? That’s a name I haven’t heard in years,” the man chuckles as he watches you sit down. You extend your hand to shake his.

“It’s really been a while, Mark.” He shakes yours. The feeling of his skin against yours brings back all of those distant, college memories that you had pushed to the back of your mind. “I honestly didn’t know that you’re the man we’d be meeting today,” you confess as you start to open the folder. 

“I would’ve assumed that you would’ve done your research on me.” Mark leans forward, “it’s not exactly the most flattering thing when someone who’s trying to join hands with my company doesn’t even know who the head is.” His tone makes you even more nervous than you already were before. 

“I-I,” you clear your throat and kick Jackson underneath the desk. His body flinches when you do and he’s quick to help.

“W-We assumed your father would be coming for the meeting instead. He is still the head of the company,” he quickly says and you thank the lord that Jackson is sitting beside you. Mark eyes the both of you as you slide the documents towards him; there's no way he didn't hear the thud from below the table. 

“By joining hands, both our companies would be benefitting from both incomes of our merchandise. Jackson’s jewelry line as well as my makeup line are already very well-known. If we collaborate with your clothing line, we would be exposing our brands to more buyers.” You're surprised that you manage to explain it calmly, and it seems that Jackson is as well when his hand squeezes your knee. 

“You would seriously be helping us a lot here, hyung-nim,” Jackson adds. Mark glances up at the two of you before returning to read through the folder. 

“Jackson and I are also planning to start a model agency under our company. Doing so would make it easier for us to find models as well as guaranteeing that our models would be treated fairly. We don’t tolerate mistreatment in this company.” You finish with a soft chuckle. Mark finally looks up from the folder and flashes you a smile, 

“It seems you’ve both gotten quite far. Why do you suddenly need our company to help?” he raises an eyebrow. Shit. The plan in your mind is fleeting by the second. 

“It would reduce the competition for both of our companies, hyung-nim. We’ve been against Def. for the past few years, and I know that you’ve had a handful of rivalries with Ars and Dandelion. You’d be surprised how many of our rivals are actually people that went to our college," Jackson chuckles, clasping his hands in front of himself as he gives Mark a look. Mark stares at him for a moment, the words moving around in his mind before he shrugs. 

“If you're doing so well, then how do you explain your sudden drop in sales?" he questions. 

"The sudden drop in sales is one of the few reasons we've asked for this alliance. There was a small issue with a few of the batches for the makeup. The factory wasn't following the hygiene orders, and they're being reprimanded for it," Jackson explains. 

"We hope that you'll at least take this into thought, Mark." You bite your lip as you watch the way he goes through the contract you slid towards him. He gives you a look that you can't quite understand before looking down at the contract. 

"I'll think about it," he speaks up after a moment as he stands up. "I'll get in contact with you when I've made up my mind." Mark's halfway out the door when he speaks up, "I honestly never thought I'd be seeing you again (Y/n)." And with that, Mark left the conference room. You stared ahead with your mouth agape as you tried to process everything that just happened. 

Never in your life had you thought you'd see Mark Tuan again. What adds to the disbelief is that his company is the one that you and Jackson need to pick up your sales. Mark’s existence was nothing more than a memory - a college fling - that you had pushed away when you graduated. You weren’t supposed to see him anymore. 

“Hey,” Jackson’s hand finds your back and it makes you turn to him. “I don’t think whatever happened in college might affect what’ll happen now,” he reassures you, but it’s not enough to convince you. 

“It just might, Jackson.” You shake your head. Whether or not Mark agrees with the merge would determine the future of your company. The drop in sales was massive, and if Mark decided against it just because of what happened between you two, your company would plummet even further. 

“He can’t be that immature,” he shakes his head, leaning back in his chair. 

“We can’t be too sure,” you mutter out. 

»»————-　　————-««

“(Y/n), come on! Let loose!” Jackson laughs as he hands you a drink. You glare at him as he does. The line between drunk and tipsy was starting to get blurrier and blurrier to in his mind, and he didn’t really care.

“I told you. I’m only here to drive you home,” you remind him, but you take the drink from his hands nonetheless. 

“God,” Jinyoung groans, his head hanging back as he leans against the bar. “Go get laid or something. You haven't gone wild since our second semester. Get drunk. It’s not like there’s any exams coming up anytime soon,” he shrugs as he orders another drink while you stare at him, wondering how he can always remain calm. 

“Guys, we have exams in two weeks!” you exclaim in disbelief and he snorts in response. 

“You’re smart. You’ll pass.” Jackson’s gaze moves towards the crowd of drunk, dancing college students. “Go find yourself someone nice, get drunk, get laid - I don’t know. Just don’t be a buzzkill.” You watch as he downs his drink. “There’s a nice girl over there. If you’re going to leave, let me know,” is the last thing he says before he leaves you at the bar. You turn to Jinyoung with a pleading look. 

“There’s a girl here that I’ve been trying to ask out for months,” he pats you on the shoulder. “I’m not letting this moment go,” he says and leaves you alone, disappearing into the crowd.

You look down at your drink with a sigh, swirling the alcohol inside of it. You wonder how Jackson keeps convincing you to come to these parties even though he knows you’re just there to drive Jinyoung home and Jackson to your shared flat. You don’t release as much energy as Jackson does, leaving you more isolated from the groups whenever you did party. You’re not as good at sweet talking as Jinyoung is which meant you could not flirt properly to save your own life. You’re always the person at the bar, watching your friends get drunk so that you would eventually drive them home, and that’s the only thing that keeps you at the club. 

You watch from the bar as Jackson grinds on a girl while Jinyoung tries to sweet talk his way into Jade’s heart. As your eyes scan the crowd, you lock eyes with an unfamiliar face watching you from the booth filled with a few students you do recognise. The only one you can put a name on is Jaebeom; he’s in your management class. 

You turn your attention away from their booth and towards your phone instead. It’s only one a.m., the night is still young and you were going to be stuck here for another two hours or so. Might as well burn the hours by scrolling through your feed to see what your other friends were doing instead. 

“Hey.” The voice makes you look up to see the same man watching you from before. You flash him a small smile as you take a sip from your drink. “Is anyone sitting here?” he gestures to the empty seat beside you and you quickly shake your head, gesturing for him to sit. He orders a drink before turning to the crowd, leaning back against the bar. “I’m Mark.” 

“(Y/n).” 

“What are you doing sitting here all alone?” he questions. You let out a hum, clicking your tongue as your eyes once again fall on your friends who are wasting the night away. 

“I always get invited to clubs, but I’m more of a chauffeur than anything. I come, I wait, and I drive my friends home,” you raise your hand, pointing with your glass towards Jackson and Jinyoung. 

“I see we have the same job,” Mark chuckles as he reaches behind to grab the glass from the bartender, bringing it to his lips. “I always have to drive Jaebeom home because he insists on coming. He also ends up bringing Youngjae with him, too.” He gestures to his own friends. 

“These people need to pay us for this one day.” You joke, enticing a laugh out of Mark. It’s a nice sound that comes out of his throat.

“If I earned a dollar for every time I had to drive these guys home, I’d probably have enough money to actually hire a driver for them.” He chuckles. You laugh as well, glancing over to look at Mark. You have to admit he was pretty handsome. If his chiseled jaw wasn’t what made you realise it, then it was his smile. “Wanna dance?” Mark turns to you and you look at him wide eyed. 

“I’m not much of a dancer,” you shake your head. 

“It’s not that hard.” He downs his drink as he slides off of his chair and reaches for your hand. “No one’s even going to notice. Everyone here is drunk.” He flashes you a smile and it was enough to convince you to join him. You finish your own drink, taking Mark’s hand and he pulls you into the crowd. With the amount of people on the dance floor, your body is flushed against Mark, causing your cheeks to heat up. “You okay?” he questions and you’re glad it’s too dark for him to properly see your face. 

“Y-Yeah,” you nod. He leans down to your ear, 

“Just put your hands around my neck.” His breath tickles your skin and you oblige, snaking your hands up until you lock your fingers behind his neck. You both start swaying with the music, his hands resting above your hips to guide you gently.

 As you look up at him, you’re hit with this strange feeling in your heart. You assume it’s the alcohol because never once had you ever seen someone this… ethereal. The multicoloured lights flash above the two of you, every colour seeming to make him more and more beautiful in your eyes. You wouldn’t exactly call it ‘love at first sight’ because you know you’re not in love with him, but is strangely feels like you may be soon enough. Your hands gently tug on his neck, bringing his face closer to yours.

“Kiss me,” you state and Mark pulls away for a moment to look at you in slight surprise. When your eyes show no trace of regret towards the words, his eyes darken and he slowly leans down to press his lips against yours.

»»————-　　————-««

Of course you had to bump into him here. Out of all of the places in the world, it would be at a park where you’re walking Jackson’s dog. You look around frantically, trying to find a place - anywhere - to hide. 

“(Y/n).” Damn it. You turn around and force a smile when you see Mark standing there. 

“Hi, Mark,” you force out. His gaze moves down to the golden retriever that’s looking up at him curiously. 

“When did you get a dog?” he questions as he crouches down, “may I?” He glances up at you and you blink a few times before nodding. 

“He’s not mine. This is Jackson’s dog,” you tell him. You take note of the way Mark’s hand stops moving for a moment before resuming to run through Kika’s golden coat. 

“How’s life been since college?” Mark asks, his eyes still on the dog. 

“Well...” You don’t know exactly where to start. Should you start after college or after you and Mark split ways? “After college, I worked at Sony for a few years before Jackson and I decided to start Charmed together.” 

“Together?” He looks up from Kika and you nod. 

“We’ve known each other for so long, and we both decided that it would be easier and safer to start with someone we trust,” you add. Mark nods at that as he turns back to the dog before standing up. There’s an awkward silence that settles between you two for a moment before you decide you can’t stand it anymore. “I-I need to go. I need to take Kika back home,” you quickly excuse yourself and start walking in the opposite direction from Mark. 

“(Y/n),” he reaches out to grab your wrist and it stops you from moving away any further, “I’ve changed.”  You turn around slowly to look at him, you register his words before quickly retracting your hand. 

“That’s…” you trail off as you stare at him. Without saying anything else, you quickly walk away from him and back to your apartment only to see Jackson rummaging through your fridge like a parasite. Well, maybe parasite was a bit of a stretch, but you knew giving him the code to your apartment was a bad idea. 

He peeks up from the fridge to greet you, but he can tell from your face that something went wrong. Jackson being someone who could see right through you, does not leave you alone until you give up from trying to hide it. Turning on your Netflix, you plop yourself onto your couch and explain everything. 

“Now, why would your college affair affect us now?” Jackson questions as he pulls two bottles of beer out from your fridge. 

“Well, for starters, he hated you in college,” you groan, throwing your head back to lean over the edge of your couch. “I broke up with him because I would never abandon you,” you tell Jackson. He stands behind the couch with the opened bottles in his hand. 

“Well, if he says he’s changed, then maybe he has.” He shrugs, plopping himself onto the spot beside you as Kika jumps up onto his lap. 

“God, when I said Kika was your dog and not mine, he fucking froze, Jackson. You don’t do that if you’ve moved on,” you argue and Jackson responds by clinking his bottle with yours. “And that time in the conference room, you should’ve seen his face when I kicked your leg. I’m pretty damn sure he heard it.”

“You always overthink things, (Y/n),” he mutters out with a chuckle as he presses play on a random movie. “You don’t let things just go with the flow. That’s how you acted when you dumped him, and that’s how you’re acting now. Don’t try and force yourself to figure out whether he’s okay with you now, just wait things out and see.”

“Yes - but Jackson, if he lets those old feelings come back, it’ll affect his decision,” you grumble. Jackson lets out a sigh, 

“Drink your beer before it gets warm. You hate warm beer,” he states and leans back, kicking his feet up onto your coffee table. 

“And I hate it when you do that.” You smack his thigh and he whines as he lowers his legs.

“If you ask me, I really don’t think he’ll let me being your best friend affect business. If he does, then he’s really unprofessional,” Jackson shrugs as he takes a swig from his beer. You bite the inside of your cheek as you turn away from Jackson and towards your TV. Hopefully, Jackson’s right. 

»»————-　　————-««

The knock on your door makes you dash out of your bedroom to answer it. Opening the door, you see Mark with his usual gummy smile when he sees you. 

“Mark? What are you doing here?” you question, slightly surprised that he had suddenly shown up. After that night with Mark, you honestly had a lingering feeling that you would end up meeting him again. As though it was some kind of fate that you would end up crossing paths once again.

“I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner with me.” He licks his lips nervously as he scans your face for your reaction. You immediately nod, smiling slowly. 

“Yeah, of course.” It was no secret that you may have grown to like the mysterious man from the club. That night you spent with him was one of the best nights you ever had, and you had to admit that you were quite sad when you remembered he was a one night stand. 

“If you’re not doing anything now, maybe we could grab something to eat at the barbeque restaurant right outside campus,” Mark suggests and you immediately agree. 

“Let me just grab my purse.” You gesture for him to step into your apartment before you disappear into your bedroom, grabbing your purse and your phone. You’re lucky he had come at a time when Jinyoung had cancelled your plans to grab some McDonalds, meaning you were already dressed up to go out. 

“Do you live alone?” Mark asks as you lock your front door. You shake your head. 

“I live with Jackson. Saves money for the both of us,” you hum.

“With Jackson? The guy from the club?” His eyes go wide and you nod. 

“I’ve known Jackson since we were in elementary. We graduated high school together, and we’re probably gonna graduate college together. Who knows, maybe we’ll even work together.” You laugh lightly, failing to miss Mark’s baffled expression. He quickly wipes it off of his face as he walks beside you. 

“You guys must be close,” he mutters out and you nod once again. 

“Jackson’s pretty much been through everything I’ve been through. We’re like opposites of each other, but he’s almost like my other brain cell,” you joke. Mark purses his lips as you walk down the stairs of the apartment - walking saved time since you lived on the second floor - and out of the building. 

“Isn’t it weird living with another guy?” His question surprises you and you quickly shake your head. 

“Jackson’s like a brother to me,” you tell him and he lets out a hum at that. “Why?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ve just never met someone who I’m able to connect with that well.” Mark shrugs. You give him a weird look and decide to just brush it off. 

“It’s never crossed my mind as weird. Jackson’s really just family for me,” you say. He lets out a hum and you can feel a strange tension starting to build between the two of you. “Is it weird?” you question softly. It’s rare to both you and Jackson that someone doesn’t find it weird. 

“A little bit,” he mutters out, but you can hear from the tone in his voice that he really doesn’t mean it in a bad way. “I don’t think I’ve ever been that close to someone before, so maybe it’s just new to me.” Mark turns to you and gives you a reassuring smile. 

“Are you okay with it?” you ask. He turns away from you for a moment before shrugging. 

“I guess I’ll just try and get used to it.”

»»————-　　————-««

“Mark? Like Mark Tuan?” Jinyoung questions and Jackson nods. You’re laying your head on the table while Jackson tells Jinyoung of how unfortunate you are to have met Mark again. “If he isn’t over it, he’s a dick,” he scoffs as he takes a sip from his iced tea. 

“See?” You look up to see Jackson giving you an ‘I told you so’ look. 

“If he’s a dick, he might reject the contract,” you whine. 

“She still overthinks, huh?” Jinyoung chuckles. You respond by glaring at him. “(Y/n), if he doesn’t want to have an alliance, do one with my company,” he suggests. 

“Your company doesn’t make as much money as Mark’s company,” Jackson snorts and Jinyoung punches his arm. 

“Yah, at least I’m still making more than you guys,” he snaps. 

“I guess an alliance with Jinyoung’s company wouldn’t be that bad.” You sit up straight and Jinyoung gives you a smug look. 

“I’d be saving your asses,” he proudly states. 

“You’re still not our first option, Jinyoung,” Jackson points out, “if Mark accepts the alliance, then we’ll stick with that.” He takes a sip from his coffee while Jinyoung slides the plate of tiramisu your way. 

“I really think you’re overthinking this, (Y/n),” Jinyoung adds, watching you take the plate and scoop the desert into your mouth. 

“You guys don’t have to keep telling me that,” you grumble. 

“Well, you keep bringing him up. Of course we’re going to keep telling you that.” He shrugs. “Why did you guys break up again?” 

“He didn’t like the fact that I was so close to both you and Jackson,” you mutter out as the memories start to replay in your mind. “It was why I tried to spend less time with you guys and more time with Mark.”

“(Y/n) already told him about how we’ve been friends since forever,” Jackson adds and you nod. 

“He tried to get me to stop hanging out with both of you. So,” you let out a sigh as you sat up, “I dumped him instead.” 

“Understandable,” Jinyoung hums. “It’s the same reason Jade and I broke up.”  

“Is it so terrible that the three of us are so close?” Jackson questions. There’s the familiar hint of annoyance and frustration in his tone. 

“Maybe it’s less of the three of us and more of us,” he gestures to Jackson and himself, “and (Y/n).” 

“Is it really that big of a deal? I’m tired of hearing the same ‘guys can’t be just friends with girls’ bullshit,” you sigh, “I even tried to make a deal that I would spend less time with Jackson, but he wanted me to cut ties with him instead.”  Your two friends share the same tired glance. Ever since high school, it seemed to be some kind of weird narrative that you - a girl - couldn’t be close with a guy - Jackson, and it only heightened when the two of you met Jinyoung in college. 

It was frustrating whenever people would question your relationship. The three of you are friends, and that was all. Whatever romantic or sexual feelings that were present had disappeared long ago. There was a moment in time where your platonic relationship with Jinyoung almost turned into something more, but you both decided it would be better to stay as friends rather than turning it into something more. 

“If anything goes wrong with the contract, just give me a call,” Jinyoung spoke up. “You guys are free to join hands with my company.” He flashes you a reassuring smile and it helps to lift your spirits a bit more. 

“Thanks, Jinyoung.” You return the smile. 

“The best thing you can do right now is wait it out. Don’t do that thing where you end things because you’re scared someone else will end it,” Jackson warns jokingly. 

“Shut up, you do that, too,” you snap at him. He lets out an exaggerated gasp and clutch his chest dramatically, starting the playful bicker between you two while Jinyoung watches in disbelief. 

“We’re almost thirty and you both still argue like a bunch of fucking kids.” Jinyoung laughs. He lets out another laugh when you both ignore his statement and continue bickering with each other. 

“Hold up, can we backtrack for a moment?” Jackson asks after your childish argument is over. “Didn’t Mark try and get you back up until he graduated?” 

“Yeah,” you nod with a sigh. “That’s honestly what I’m the most scared of. He probably hates me because after he graduated because he kept trying even after we graduated a year later. Then, he just stopped contacting me completely. I honestly thought that was the last I would hear from him.” You mutter out. 

“Wait, he kept trying even after our graduation?” Jinyoung’s eyes go wide. “Why didn’t you tell us?” He questions. 

“I didn’t want you guys to beat him up or something - I don’t know.” You shrug. 

“(Y/n), it was more than a year after you guys broke up. You told us he kept trying until right before our graduation.” Jackson’s tone sounds like he’s almost scolding you. You have to admit, you kept his messages away from the two because you knew for a fact that they would’ve tried to hunt him down and make him stop. 

“If I told you he kept bothering me, it would’ve made it worse. Leave me alone, it’s been like seven years.” you grumble. 

“If he held on for more than a year and even told her that he’s changed, doesn’t it mean he’s probably…” Jinyoung trails off and the real problem that was brewing in your mind hits Jackson. 

“He’s probably still in love with you…” Jackson mutters out in realisation. “That’s why you’re so bothered by it.” He turns to you for clarification and you nod. 

“Do you still love him?” Jinyoung questions and you breathe out through your nose as you think about it. 

“Well, if I’m going to be honest, I don’t think I ever really fell out of love with him,” you confess softly and both of their eyes go wide. “I think I just pushed it away because if he’s not okay with my best friends, then I don’t want him,” you mutter out, leaning forward and resting your chin onto the table. 

A silence falls between the three of you as Jackson and Jinyoung think through it. Say Mark is still in love with you, but has not gotten over the fact that you’re best friends with Jackson, he could easily reject the offer to avoid heartache. But, if Mark isn’t in love with you and he hates you for leaving him for your friends, then he could also reject the offer out of pure spite. The more they thought about it, the harder it seemed to get out of the situation. 

“Can we just hope he’s finally moved on?” Jinyoung suggests and you sigh for the umpteenth time, your head nodding slowly. 

»»————-　　————-««

“I just don’t trust him, babe,” Mark mutters out. You turn to him with sad eyes. A year and a half, and it’s always the same fight with him.

“Mark, I’ve known him since we were eight, and I’ve known Jinyoung since our first year. We’re just friends, I promise,” you try to assure him. 

“It’s not exactly comforting when your girlfriend’s only best friends are two guys,” he huffs out. You shut your eyes and hang your head. Of course it would be because Jackson and Jinyoung. Mark’s dislike towards Jackson and Jinyoung was getting more and more obvious as the months went by; specifically towards Jackson. For some reason, he just couldn’t bear through the fact that you two were so close. 

“I don’t understand why it’s such a problem. I’ve been spending less time with the both of them to be with you. I want to be with you - I love you.” You reach out to hold his hand. Mark looks down at yours on top of his for a moment before interlacing your fingers together. 

“I love you too, (Y/n). But, I don’t think I’m comfortable with you hanging out with them at all.” Your hand immediately retracts from his and you stand up from the couch, his words replaying in your head. 

“I’m not going to leave my friends behind, Mark,” you scoff, “I’ve been trying so hard to get you to see why they’re so important to me, but you keep pushing that away and focus on the fact that they’re men.” 

“It’s more than that!” he exclaims, shooting from the couch. “I just don’t trust Jackson! Is it that hard to ask you to not see him anymore?” Mark’s words sound so childish to you. It would’ve been more understandable if he took the time to get to know them, but he wouldn’t. He always declined whenever you invited him to hang out with all three of you. 

“Make the effort, Mark. I’ve tried to bring you over so you could actually sit and talk to both of them, but you always push me away whenever I try to get you guys to meet. I can’t just throw away my best friends just because you tell me to.” You see Mark’s jaw clench as he stares at you.

“(Y/n), come on!” His eyes hold so much disbelief and anger.

“I’ve known Jackson for more than ten years. I’m not just going to drop him because you don’t trust him. I’ve already tried to spend more time with you instead so that maybe you could just stop thinking so negatively of him!” you defend, your voice faltering as tears start to well up in your eyes. Mark’s increasingly getting more and more upset. You can practically see the steam shooting out of his ears. 

“Would you choose them over me?” His voice is low, and by the way it falters ever so slightly, you know he’s close to tears as well. 

“I can’t just abandon them,” you answer softly. It strikes him to the core and Mark has a hard time trying to keep himself composed. Tears are falling freely from your eyes and you don’t care to wipe or hide them. “I just don’t understand why you won’t just try and see who they are as people instead of judging them straight up,” you sniffle, “we’ve been fighting over this for a year and a half, and... I can’t do this anymore.” You grab your bag and your sweater off of the arm rest of his couch before rushing out of his apartment, leaving Mark alone in his living room. 

You stand outside of his door for a moment, debating whether or not you should wait to see if he would come for you. You shake your head and walk away. You weren’t going to give him the chance. 

»»————-　　————-««

You step out of the lift and make your way to your office, being greeted by Lex who was already sitting at her desk. 

“Miss (Y/n), you have a message,” she speaks up, stopping you from entering your office. You step closer to her desk and give her a questioning hum. “It’s from Mark Tuan; he wants to talk to you.” Your body tenses at the mention of his name. 

“Let him know I’m here,” you manage to say and Lex nods as she sits back down. You make your way into your office, immediately moving to sit at your desk. Curse professional looking glass walls for not giving you any room to obviously panic for a moment. Instead, you take a few deep breaths as you wait for his call. It doesn’t take long before the phone starts ringing. You pick up the phone without hesitation. 

“Morning, (Y/n),” Mark’s voice comes through the speaker. 

“Good morning, Mark,” you greet, leaning back in your chair. “Have you given the offer a thought?” you ask. 

“I’m still thinking about it. I called to ask if you were free for lunch,” he clarifies and once again, your body tenses up. “It’s nice to catch up with an old friend. You could also explain more about the alliance to me.” 

“I- Sure. There’s a cafe by the park where we bumped into each other. I’ll meet you there.” You place the phone down and stare at it for a moment. Your eyes move to the clock to the wall; you had about three hours before you would meet him. So, you burn the hours with work and skimming over documents that need your approval. You're lucky Jackson’s off to Jeju Island with his fiancee for the week, meaning you don’t have to think about lunch with the amount of work you have to cover for him. 

“Miss (Y/n),” Lex knocks on your door before poking her head in, “It’s lunch time.” She tells you and it causes you to look away from your computer monitor to look at her. “Mr Kim is already here to take you to the cafe.” You nod at her and she leaves. You grab your leather messenger bag as well as your phone before making your way down the forty floors to reach the lobby. The ride to the cafe is nerve wracking, and you’re so quiet throughout that your usual chauffeur takes notice. 

“Are you alright, Miss (Y/n)?” Mr Kim questions, looking at you through the rear view mirror. Mr Kim’s pretty old, but sometimes you and Jackson feel as though he deserves a raise since he works pretty well as your therapist whenever he’s driving you around. 

“Ah,” you’re too nervous to feel flustered that he notices. “The man I’m meeting is someone I used to know in college.” 

“An ex lover, perhaps?” He raises a brow. Now, you’re blushing. 

“Yeah,” you chuckle nervously. “I’m worried that maybe he’s still holding on to those spiteful feelings.” 

“You must’ve been quite a wild one, huh,” Mr Kim chuckles. 

“I had no other choice. He made me choose between him or Jackson and Jinyoung,” you explain softly, leaning your head against the window as you watch the buildings go by. Even to this day, you would still admit that you would choose both Jinyoung and Jackson in a heartbeat. “You know how close I am to those two. I could never just leave them behind because Mark told me to,” you sigh. Mr Kim nods at that, peeking at you through the mirror once again. 

“Based on the stories I’ve heard from the two of you, you both might as well be siblings - especially with the way you bicker. You remind me of my children,” he chuckles, enticing a soft laugh out of you as well. “I don’t think it should matter what happened in the past, Miss (Y/n). A word of advice: people regret the things they didn’t do more than the things they did. If he’s taken the time to mature, there’s a possibility that he might be hurting inside more from the things he failed to do as your partner,” Mr Kim hums out. His words lift your spirits slightly and it sparks realisation deep within you. You think that maybe you should’ve thought about what you failed to do as Mark’s girlfriend as well. “Now, what didn’t you do while you were together?” 

“I-” You pause and think about it deeply. “I don’t think I listened to him the way he wanted me to,” you say slowly, thinking through your words as the memories flood your mind. 

“If he was upset over your relationship with Jackson, he may have some form of insecurity hidden deep within him - maybe another ex of his had left him for someone he trusted,” Mr Kim adds. That’s when it hit you. Mark had mentioned once of his ex girlfriend who ended up cheating on him with her best friend. 

“Oh my god,” you let out a breath as you let everything come into your mind. More and more regret starts to fill your gut as you realise that Mark was scared. He wasn’t being a dick because he wanted to, he was just scared. Instead of being able to translate it into words, his mind built a hard wall instead. That wall was the anger he kept showing whenever he heard Jackson’s name in college. 

“Do you understand now?” he questions just as he parks outside of the cafe. “That feeling of feeling wronged tends to blind you from what’s really happening on the inside.” Mr Kim adds. You nod slowly as you look at the cafe, already seeing Mark sitting inside with his back facing the large glass window. 

“Thank you, Mr Kim. You made me realise just how blind I was being in college.” You chuckle as you make sure you have your things. 

“Good luck, Miss (Y/n).” He chuckles as well as he watches you leave the car. You puff your cheeks with air, holding your breath as you walk into the cafe. Mark immediately looks up when he hears the bell and raises his hand into the air to wave at you, a soft smile on his face as you make your way over to him. 

“Hey,” you greet him and sit down across from him. 

“I ordered a green tea latte.” He clears his throat, gesturing towards the green beverage. “It was, uh, it was always your favourite when we were in college,” he mutters out. You stare at the drink in front of you for a moment before smiling softly as well,

“Thank you, Mark.” You take a small folder out from your bag and place it in front of him. “This has all of the details for the possible projects that could come from the alliance.” You watch as he looks through it, the round glasses on the bridge of his nose slowly sliding down until he’s forced to push them back up. “Are those the same glasses from when we were in college?” The words slip out of your mouth before you could stop them, and he looks up at you, flustered. Your cheeks immediately go red as you look at him with wide eyes. 

“I actually broke those a few years after,” Mark explains softly. “I thought round glasses looked nice on my face, so I bought one that was similar.” He nods before looking back down, obviously trying to hide the faint blush that was creeping onto his cheeks. There’s a pause in his movements before he looks up at you. “Everything here seems tempting.” He nods slowly, his eyes still going over them. “I’ll agree to the alliance,” Mark smiles. You feel a wave of relief wash over you and your shoulders start to relax. “If you have the contract with you now, I’ll sign it right here.” 

“Thank you so much, Mark.” You smile as you reach into your bag to pull out the contract, sliding it towards him as well as a pen. You watch as he reads through it briefly before signing it and handing it back to you. You look at the paper, seeing his signature at the bottom. “Your signature never changed, huh?” you chuckle softly and Mark’s ears turn slightly red. 

“I never thought I needed to change it. It looks legit enough,” he chuckles nervously.

“I remember how you only figured out your signature when we were together, and even then it was only because you were tired of signing your notebook over and over again,” you giggle, enticing a laugh from Mark. You notice that his laugh is still the same. Pretty much almost everything about him is the same. The only thing different is that his hair isn’t the same messily styled lilac it used to be. Instead, it’s highlighted with light brown streaks and styled neatly. “It’s nice,” you state softly as you run your thumb over the dried ink. 

“Do you regret being with me?” he asks. You look up from the paper with wide eyes and quickly shake your head. 

“Of course not!” Your voice comes out louder than you expected it to, and you quickly shut your eyes at the embarrassment of doing so. “I don’t regret anything between us. I just,” you pause for a moment. “I’m just upset that I didn’t try to understand why you didn’t like Jackson,” you confess softly and you can see Mark’s body relax slightly. “I think it took a while before I realised that maybe I wasn’t listening to what you were trying to tell me.” He exhales softly, sitting up straighter. 

“I don’t blame you.” He shakes his head. “Honestly, I thought through it for a really long time and I realise it’s not that easy to give up someone you’ve known for almost your entire life. I’m sorry I tried to make you cut him off. When I saw you again at your company, I realised you two are pretty much joint together,” Mark chuckles softly and takes a sip from his coffee. “I’m sorry for being such a dick.” You see the genuinity behind his brown eyes and for the first time in years, you can feel your heart melting just from a look. 

“I forgive you.” You nod with a smile. Mark’s lips slowly curl into a smile and he looks down at your hands that are resting on the table; inches away from his own.

“Did you fall out of love with me?” he questions, turning back up to look at you. 

“I honestly don’t think I ever did,” you chuckle. He bites his lip as he tries to hold back his smile. 

“Would it hurt to try again?” Mark’s tone softens further. As you look into his eyes, you feel that familiar feeling you felt all those years ago when you first met him; the feeling of knowing something about you two attracted each other. With a smile, you reach for his hand.

“I would love if we could.” 

[velvetsehun]

Born to Die| OSH| 04

pairing: Oh Sehun x Reader genre: Mafia!Sehun rating: 18+ warnings: violence, gun use, mature language, smut (in future chapters), slow burn. words: 13.1k summary: a collusions of worlds is supposed to kill, but what if it can do something else? A/N: So here we are... chapter four already! this was a wild ride to write and but i’m sure it’ll be a wild ride to read! now as always enjoy the chapter, get comfortable cause this is a long one! but also while you’re here.. If you really enjoyed it then i suggest you leave me some feedback, lets chat about it, now.. enjoy my babies ;)

TW// Warning this part contains some material that might be sensitive to readers as it depicts scenes of intense violence and gun use and possible suffocation, readers discretion is advised. Masterlist| Next

“Let’s talk Sehun…”

Sleep was not going to come any easy to Sehun now, but as he felt her lips brushing against his own, he figured that a distraction might - because if there was anything that Park Jeonghwa was good at, it was being a distraction. His hand left her wrist, he opted to hold onto her shoulder pushing her back just a fraction so he could speak without her mouth pressed to his unmoving one.

“Talk?” He clicked his tongue, “This doesn’t seem like talking.” She smirked at him, a smirk that only someone that had something to say held.

“We can talk later, my love,” Her voice twinkled, a gleam in her eyes as her nails trailed up the arm that was holding her shoulder, “I’ve missed you.”

“Missed me?” He questioned, an eyebrow quirked at her, “I’m afraid I can’t say the feeling was mutual, my love.” He mocked her tone slightly, watching the frustration build up in her eyes, but he quickly spoke before she could voice her discontent.

“How did you get in.” He demanded slightly, Sehun had a rough morning he wasn’t about to find another breach in his security.

“Yixing, he drove me” Jeonghwa rolled her eyes at him, straightening up slightly, “I told you already, I want to speak to you.”

“Willingly?” Sehun quizzed, ignoring her – Jeonghwa merely scoffed at him.

“Yes, willingly,” She drawled, looking at her hand as she continued to draw shapes on his bare torso, “I am quite convincing when I want to be.”

“Annoying more like,” Sehun said in his head as he rolled his eyes at her.

Park Jeonghwa was a lot of things, and while convincing to a certain extent was one of them – she was also notoriously vicious when she didn’t get what she wanted, Sehun knew sending Yixing to deal with her was going to piss her off, but if he could keep his contact time down to the bare minimum he would.

“Do you not want to see me?” She pouted slightly in a mock act of innocence, something she was very good at.

“Not particularly, no” He drawled out, swiping her hand off his stomach, “Hence why I sent Yixing.” She merely smiled a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“That not what you were saying a few weeks ago,” She hummed, sliding her jacket off – she was dressed in her usual low-cut blouse and short tight skirt, “I do remember us having a lovely evening after that charity gala.”

“I remember a lot of alcohol and not a lot of coherence,” Sehun’s eyebrow plucked up as he sat up against his headboard, she smirked at him as he did so.

“Hm… Really?” She questioned him, tapping a steady rhythm on his leg with her fingers, “I’ll remember that next time you come crawling to me for comfort” She was playing with him.

“Comfort” His mouth ticked with a mocking smile, “I’d find more comfort tossing myself into a lion’s cage than with you.” Jeonghwa laughed at him but it was empty.

Sehun wasn’t a man that sought-after comfort, not anymore; and while he did remember their night together, one of many, he also knew that there was nothing between them – because Park Jeonghwa was a lot of things, but she wasn’t for Sehun. She might have fitted with him family and social wise, being the daughter of one of his more leading associates– but that’s where the similarities ended. Jeonghwa wanted a lot of things, but from him, she wanted a partner for life, but that not something Sehun would ever be; she wanted the idyllic crime syndicate family – rich man that marries a rich wife and they live together with the rich kids while withholding the fact that they’re both miserable. He’d watched it happen to his own family, and he had no doubt that’s would happen with her – if he ever showed any interest to begin with. Because along with that, if Jeonghwa craved anything – it was Sehun’s attention, he’d seen the look in her eyes for years; she held more feelings for him than he’d ever hold for her.

Sehun and Jeonghwa had come across each other numerous times over the years, families like theirs mingled all the time; they knew each other through even the most awkward of teen years, but Sehun never held any feelings towards the girl – she was a typical crime family daughter; she liked expensive things and had a bite that was worse than her bark, and he knew that she’d run him to the ground if she could. He also knew that probably if his family had still been around he would have been married off to her when they were both of age, they’d had heard murmuring of it when they were children but to him, she wasn’t a friend, she wasn’t the perfect match for him like he’s heard his mother suggest; she was someone he just knew by association. They had been coupled off together throughout the years, attending parties and such together, but that’s where their “togetherness” ended, she warmed his bed sometimes and he filled the void she had for him - that was it.

“Why are you here Jeonghwa?” He continued, she was busy looking around the room, but those eyes flicked to him soon enough.

“Can’t an old friend visit?” She plainly said. She had her head tilted in a challenge to him, “Plus, word on the street said you shot up a bar last night, took a little gift with you” He only rolled his eyes.

“How long did it take you to get that out of Yixing?” He tutted, looking her dead in the eye, “Green isn’t your colour Jeonghwa, especially not now.” It was her turn to roll the eyes, a puff of air passing her lips in a huff.

“Everything is my colour, Sehun” She smirked slightly before dropping it, “Yixing mentioned you were having a few troubles with your guest,” She hummed, tapping his leg, “If she’s not speaking, I’d be very happy to talk to her…” She glinted in her eyes.  

“Our guest is co-operating just fine without your assistance,” Sehun challenged her slightly to say something else, “But I’ll ask again, why are you here?”

“I refuse to speak to your men,” She grumbled, “If I send a message saying I want to speak to you, I expect you to turn up.” Sehun really didn’t want to deal with this.

“I was busy,” He told her, which wasn’t a lie; he was busy dealing with his escaped captive, “Yixing was the next best option, or would you have liked Baekhyun instead?”

“Keep that idiot away from me,” She scoffed turning her nose up, she took a second before she continued, “Wouldn’t you have liked to know what Byung-Chul was doing with your money?” She smirked at him.

“What do you know?” He gritted slightly, annoyed with her already.

“More than you want me to know,” She giggled, “I’ll tell you, but it comes with a price” She grinned at him.

“A price?” He quizzed, with a quirked brow, “A price for information that directly involves me and my syndicate?”

“Well…” She teased, “Maybe if you had met me as I asked, I wouldn’t need to bargain your precious information” Her voice dropped into a mocking tone towards the end.

“Jeonghwa.” He gave a warning, getting fed up – he just wanted to rest.

“Sehunnie…” She merely pouted mockingly at him. He merely glared at her for a second before she eventually sighed with a tepid smile, the glint in her eyes was back.

“One kiss.” She smirked, holding up one finger, “One kiss and the information is yours.”

Sehun couldn’t roll his eyes hard enough, looking at the girl he gave her a passive look but he complied anyway, grabbing the front of her blouse he drew her lips to his – Jeonghwa let out a muffled moan of shock before she eased into it with a grin, her cold hand wrapping around his neck as she pulled him more towards her. This was her game, but Sehun wasn’t about to lose it; tapping her chin slightly, he pulled back.

“Information, Jeonghwa.” He spoke lowly, she tried to capture his mouth again, but he moved back slightly; regardless if he felt her nails digging into his neck to keep him there. She merely huffed looking at him, her dark eyes swimming with mirth.

“I’ll tell you what I know.”

Admittedly, Chanyeol left the guests room feeling slightly different than he did before, his gutting churning with a funny feeling as he practically bolted from the room – he wasn’t isolated by his job by any means, but it was generally safer to try and converse with people that rotated in the same circles as himself, talking to you was something he didn’t expect to hit him like it did. Normality is what he would call it, you were no means involved in the same world as any of them but listening to you reprimand him for the way he chose to live hit close to home.

“I’m not above surviving,” You said quietly, “I’m above the means you took to get there.”

He could feel his skin crawling with disgust at himself, it was different hearing someone tell him that the stuff he did was horrible – he was very much in a circle of people that only ever congratulated him on his wrongdoings, and Chanyeol knew that he had done a lot of wrongdoings. He was by no means a nice man, he wasn’t a demon in disguise, but he wasn’t an angel either – he had done some horrible things to some horrible people, and like his brothers his hands were stained with so much red that sometimes when he thought about it, he might just have been a devil, he had shed the blood to be. The disappointment laced in your tone did remind him of his sister, another person he let down in his life, but as he stated before – he was merely doing what he could to survive.

The compound had a serenity settled over it, much different from the chaos it had been before, and he could feel the exhaustion fusing with his DNA as he slammed the metal tray he had brought down from the room down on the counter – the metal clang running through the empty kitchen. Tiredness had made Chanyeol unobservant, otherwise, he would have noticed Baekhyun leaning on the door frame.

“Don’t damage Kyungsoo’s kitchen now, he’ll have your head.” He could hear the teasing tone in his friend’s voice, but he merely just grunted in response, too tired to say anything. “Cat got your tongue, Yeol?” He smiled his impish smile, sitting down at one of the bar stools.

“Something like that,” Chanyeol sighed slightly, turning around to lean on the counter, facing his questioning friend, “Long morning.” Chanyeol would have chuckled at the state that Baekhyun was in if he had the energy.

His companion was a mess of ruffled hair, dried blood, bruised face, and clothes that looked about 2 days old – he probably didn’t look much better, they’d been working for a few days, but still, Baekhyun looked rough.

“Hmm, I’d say less a cat…” Baekhyun faked being in thought, tapping his chin for effect, “And more a guest that’s got to you.” Chanyeol merely rolled his eyes.

“She hasn’t got to me,” Chanyeol stated clearly even if it was a lie, “She’s got nothing to get to me about.”

“I may have been hit on the head but I’m not deaf,” Baekhyun rolled his own eyes, leaning his face on his palm, “I walked past earlier, the two of you have gotten cosy, haven’t you?” He teased, “She’s been here what? 2 hours? And you’ve already got it bad.”

“Got it bad?” Chanyeol scrunched his nose up, “I cleaned her up and we spoke, that was it – there’s nothing to get, was I supposed to do it in silence?”

“I’m just saying,” Baekhyun grinned, “You got the hots for the guest that on you, she’s cute – even I’ll admit that.”

“Don’t you have a job to be doing?” Chanyeol rolled his eyes, “You know, doing what Sehun asked you to do instead of trying to create a situation that isn’t there?”

“Sehun also wouldn’t like you playing with his guest either, but here we are,” Baekhyun smirked widely, “Plus I cleaned his car, what more does he want?” Chanyeol merely shook his head at him.

“Plus, Yixing called,” Baekhyun scoffed slightly, “He’s bringing home a guest, I was going to tell our loving boss, but we all know he hates being interrupted when he’s trying to rest.”

“A guest?” Chanyeol quirked his brow, “Who is it now?”

“Park Jeonghwa,” Baekhyun made a fake gag noise while rolling his eyes, “Apparently she didn’t love that Sehun sent Yixing, so she demanded to speak to him.”

“Looks like no one’s getting sleep,” Chanyeol looked disgusted.

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that,” Baekhyun hummed, toying around with his pocketknife, “You’re not the only one giving eyes to the new girl.”

“I’m not making eyes,” Chanyeol gritted out, glaring at his friend, “Will you stop that?”

“Look, all I’m saying is that Sehun is too touchy-feely,” Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol as he spoke, “I’ve known him a very long time, Sehun doesn’t do touchy-feely.”

“Well Jeonghwa seems to be an acceptation,” Chanyeol hummed, turning around to pour himself a glass of whatever, “She’s been making trips around here for years.”

“Jeonghwa,” Baekhyun began with a raised eyebrow, “Want’s something she’ll never have, Jun and I have watched for years as she’s pinned for him” Chanyeol frowned at that, it was rare he heard much about their younger days – Baekhyun, Jun, Yixing and Sehun had known each other since they were kids.

Syndicate families stuck together closely, that much he knew, they meandered in the same circles and worked together – from what he knew, Sehun’s father was the head of it all until his untimely passing. He didn’t know that much about the Byun family either, only that Baekhyun didn’t really speak to them and he’d occasionally see his brother when the older one wanted something from him – everyone around him had difficult family lives, for some it was part of the job, but he often wondered what I was like to have your family be the difficult part of your job. It was no secret that any syndicate that fell under the Oh Family was a powerful one, the Oh’s had a reputation in the underground for their extensive “businesses” but it seemed to Chanyeol that everyone prioritised that over any form of a loving relationship – something he’d never fully grasped. Chanyeol knew he was called the baby of the group for a reason, even though it had been 6 years, he was much more naïve to their life than the rest of them, the ones that weren’t born into this world included; he had the doe eyes of someone who was just starting, not the hardened canvases of his much more experienced brothers, they often joked how he rose the ranks so quick.

“And Sehun’s never seemed interested…?” Chanyeol quizzed.

“Never.” Baekhyun shook his head, “Not even when he was a lanky little teenager, she’s never caught his eye” Baekhyun looked like he was recalling those days, a fond smile on his lips, “He knows she’s pretty, gorgeous in fact, and that not the reason he doesn’t like her.”

“What’s the reason then?” Chanyeol asked curiously, crossing his arms over his chest, “She’s pretty, rich, affluent, understands his life, what else could he want?” Baekhyun shrugged.

“Your guess is as good as mines,” The latter said, “I suppose he doesn’t want to be like everyone else in his family or any of our families” He had a look in his eyes.

“What do you mean?” Chanyeol asked with a raised brow.

“Bound to someone you’ll never love,” Baekhyun stated like it was the simplest thing in the world, “This job doesn’t allow you to love someone.” There was a brief pause before he continued.

“Look at my father – he married my mother and when his wrongdoings got her killed,” Baekhyun looked uncomfortable for a second before he sighed, “He married someone else as quickly as he could a few weeks later, no grieving just business, you don’t marry for love – you marry for allies and power” Chanyeol looked at his brother sympathetically, but Baekhyun kept talking like this wasn’t something difficult to talk about.  

“My father never loved my mother, he liked her because he was supposed to, but he never loved her…” Baekhyun had distance in his eyes as he recalled the woman, “I was 7 when she was shot, right in the foyer of our home, all because my father let a guns trade go sour and the goods were never delivered” He sighed looking at the marble counter.

“I’m sure people do find love in this world, Yixing’s parents were forced together but look at them now, they love each other,” Baekhyun was tapping at the counter, “But the reality is, no one truly loves in our world, we tolerate and make gain from union – I loved my mother, but my father didn’t, and now she’s dead and some imposter is in her place.”

“Baekhyun…” Chanyeol started, seeing the pain in his brothers’ eyes.

“Jeonghwa seems right for Sehun because of her social stature, but that can’t build a relationship, no matter how hard she tries or begs for him.” Baekhyun said honestly, “I get it, I don’t exactly want that for myself either, but I can’t go around loving someone and live in constant fear that one day they’re going to get shot as well”

“Sehun doesn’t want to end up like his father, Jeonghwa would only make his life that way,” Baekhyun sighed, “They’d have the “perfect” syndicate family, while Jeonghwa’s father tries to ruin us from the inside out, she’s the epitome of everything he doesn’t want in life.”

Chanyeol realised for a second how blessed his life before all this was; he was treated like the apple of his parents’ eyes; they lived a beautiful life where love flooded the house and they never had to wonder for a second if they loved each other. Although he was difficult as he got older, Chanyeol still knew his parents loved him dearly because they had created him out of their love. His heart burned for a second seeing the pain on Baekhyun’s face, he’d known that he’d lost his mother young, but it wasn’t something he ever talked about, he only ever complained at what a witch his stepmother could be.

“Some advice Chanyeol?” Baekhyun said breaking Chanyeol’s thoughts and standing up from his chair, “Be with someone you don’t mind losing at any moment, cause you’re not going to get more than that in this job.”

“It’s not a life is it?” Chanyeol spoke honestly looking at his friend in earnest.

“It’s not,” Baekhyun said, “But it’s a life that’s comfortable, despite how uncomfortable it is.”

“You’ve never thought of changing it…?” Chanyeol lowered his voice slightly, “Not for one second?” Baekhyun merely chuckled a bit humourlessly.

“We’ve thought of changing it, but we can’t,” Baekhyun said with a tone to his voice, “Be very thankful you didn’t grow up like this, that’s a whole other can of worms.” Baekhyun chuckled with no convection to it. He watched with a look at he went to leave a small mumbling of getting back to work gracing his lips.

Chanyeol often wondered if growing up like them would have benefited him in any way, to have that crime life constantly around you to the point that you knew it better than you knew the back of your hand – but it was no lie that the ones that did grow up in it lived a very rough life. Money couldn’t by a parent’s love, the boys were taught to shoot and plan while the girls were prepped for a husband and a “perfect” life, it was a very classic lifestyle that wasn’t with the times – everyone knew that, but they kept traditions. Chanyeol had remembered a few years ago when a son of some syndicate under the Oh family had broken a marriage contract with another family and the turmoil it caused, turf wars and revenge riddled the syndicate for a while; he vividly remembers having to deal with a few stragglers than tried to side with the son. While Sehun didn’t agree with banishing the son, if he wanted to keep his business intact, he’d agree with whatever lined their pockets.

Baekhyun’s words were truthful but they were painful too, although he tried not to care – he could see the pain lining his eyes at the thought of his poor mother. But for some reason, his mind also drifted to you, you were as normal as it went, what was your life like? Your friends? Your parents? Did they miss you? Your face was all over the news at the moment as missing. It reminded Chanyeol that he grew up in normal, and still craved it time to time, chatting to you had granted him that small feeling normalcy he loved – and despite what Baekhyun said, you weren’t anyone to him, just a reminder of someone he knew. You weren’t permanent here, everyone knew that, but somehow Chanyeol could feel his heart clench at the thought of sending you back to your normal life – he enjoyed the feeling you gave him and it was selfish but if busting Byung-Chul took a long time, he’d gladly keep you here to keep chatting to him.

For a brief second, Chanyeol wondered if Sehun thought the same as him – the look he gave you twisting in his mind, he’d known Sehun for a long time and what he told you was true, you were alive by Sehun’s hand, he’d seen his boss shoot someone for lesser than what you’d done, so why were you alive? It took a mere few seconds for Chanyeol to realise he was still standing in the empty kitchen, and with a shake of his head, he looked at his watch with a sigh.

“Better sleep now before someone else tries to steal everyone’s time.”

Oasis was coated in a bath of red light, your position from under the bar hiding your quivering body—glass had fallen around you like deadly snow, the razor-sharp pieces glinting with the demonic light, small beams of red bouncing off them as they lay there coated in blood, puddles of it surrounding you. Screams were resonating out, their pain bouncing off walls and burrowing into your ears like a bad song as your shaky hands tried to block everything out, bangs following the screams before it killed off them.

You could feel the muscle in your chest jumping with the erratic beat of your heart, the force of your lungs trying to keep up your breathing sending you into a spiralling dizziness—everything was overwhelming to the senses, but all you could focus on was the noise, the noise and the sickly smell of metal that clung to everything; you didn’t know if it was gun power or blood, or both. Thoughts of your heart giving out before a gun could get you or it could stop plagued your mind for a few seconds, but it was a fleeting thought—as if someone cut the music, the screams stopped.

Your blood felt cold, like liquid nitrogen was flowing through your veins and seizing your muscles in an icy cramp, frozen in time. There were footsteps again, glass crunching under boots—but you were unarmed, nothing in your hands this time; and if someone changed the record, the whistling started. It was haunting, the hollow sound jumping in your ears and picking up to a sharp screech as it neared closer. Your hands were shaking, vibrating against your face where they tried to clutch onto what was left of your sanity.

It was closer now, someone was pushing broken glass off the bar behind you, shards falling into your vision like snow, the clunks dulled by the blood on the floor—it was horrific, your blood thrumming with the sheer thrill of being hunted. It was all too familiar, but instead of pointing a gun, you just had to take your punishment, and that was nearing closer. You could see it now, the shadow from the corner of your vision, your body was pulsating with fear as you avoided looking at him, a cold sweat gathering on your skin. He was like a demon from another realm, lurking beside your vision, haunting you—but if he was a demon, then by god he was a beautiful one. Your stare didn’t linger on him, you couldn’t look, but he saw you, his lithe body towering over you–the smell of something woody cutting through the surrounding metallic. He was close but you wouldn’t look, you couldn’t look. He stood in front of you now, long legs blocking your vision as a visible click of a gun rang out.

“I’ll shoot” His voice had a warp to it, but the deepness of it still hit your heart. He sounded pained, so much so you could feel a different emotion radiating from him.

You flinched when you felt something cold press to your temple; the chill running into your bloodstream and stealing the oxygen from your lungs; it was terrifying, but you still didn’t look at him—your eyes merely flicked up to stare at the weapon to your head before they closed.

You heard a shuddering breath.

BANG.

“Wakey wakey!” The door slammed open with a bounce on the wall, your cold sweaty body jumping up at the intruder, eyes moving a mile a minute before they settled on whoever busted into the room like there was a fire.

Baekhyun.

“Did our sleeping beauty sleep well?” He teased lightly, leaning against the now open door, looking a lot better than he did earlier but not by much, “Sorry your prince charming’s weren’t here to wake you up, Sehun and Chanyeol are busy” He winked as you stared at him in disbelief. 

“Prince Charming’s?” You thought to yourself, staring at him with your jaw slightly ajar. His smirk grew.

“Don’t tell me you’re a complete idiot,” He chuckled impishly, “To think, I thought you were smart”

“I’m not an idiot.” You snapped at him, snapping out of your shock in the process—you felt sick, your body still not recovering from everything. “And how can you call me an idiot when you got taken out by a piece of glass?” His eyes darkened slightly.

“You’re mouthy when you’re not scared,” He remarked with a scoff, before he looked at your face, “Weren’t you told to play nice? Or the big bad wolf will chew you out.” You rolled your eyes.

“I thought your boss was my ‘prince charming’?” You seethed out slightly, not even whiling to say his name.

Baekhyun hummed, “I said Sehun and Chanyeol, but nice to see who you were thinking about.” You gritted your jaw.

“Why are you here, I was sleeping?” You snapped slightly agitated with the man.

“They summoned you.” He said plainly, you raised an eyebrow at that.

“Summoned…?” You questioned.

“Sehun wants to see you,” Baekhyun rolled his eyes, “We’re having a meeting.” You could feel yourself seize up at the mention of his name.

“And if I don’t want to go,” You breathed, looking at Baekhyun, wishing that maybe Chanyeol was the one that came to collect you.

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.” Baekhyun mocked you slightly, “We can do this the easy way, or I can drag you down the stairs, your choice.” He shrugged, seemingly not giving much a shot about what you want.

“Why does he want to see me…” You asked, gnawing on your lip.

“Your guess is as good as mines, sweetheart,” Baekhyun sighed, looking very bored, “I don’t have all day, so decide before someone much scarier storms up here wondering why you’re wasting their precious time.” He quirked an eyebrow at you.

With shaking legs, you tossed the blanket you’d been laying with off your body – your indent in the mattress and the warmth you’d built up in there leaving with the item being tossed and your socked feet landing with a gentle thud on the carpet. The house was still freezing, your hands pulling your sleeves over themselves in an attempt to preserve the warmth. Baekhyun was keeping a close eye on you as you stood up, your stance looking pathetically timid for the first time since he’d first laid eyes on you.

“Are we going to get a move on?” He asked impatiently, tapping his watch for effect.

“Jesus,” You muttered, fixing yourself slightly before scurrying to the door, “You’re not going to zip tie me, are you?” You asked curiously standing next to him, he wasn’t much taller than you up close, but he was broader.

“Not as broad as Sehun,” You thought quietly, glancing at Baekhyun’s figure.

“Everyone is awake now, sweets,” He rolled his eyes, “Someone will shoot you before you could attempt to get away.”

You had a sly smile on your lips for once, “I didn’t think everyone was asleep the first time.”

Baekhyun made a noise at the back of his throat, something you registered as a disgruntled now, but he kept quiet—merely placing a hand on your arm before you were shoved out the door.

“Just get moving.” He said watching you stumble and catching yourself quickly, he left the door open as he followed you, nodding for you to walk.

It was quiet as you began your walk to Sehun’s office, the house still quiet as before but somewhere deep in the halls was quiet murmuring, the walls muffling anything resemblance of words and turning the noises into something that resembled ghosts in the walls. The walk to the office wasn’t a long one, Sehun opted to keep you close, but as you turned to walk to the door in sight, you felt a tug on your sweatshirt, Baekhyun’s grin flooding your vision.  

“Oh no, sweets,” He looked like the Cheshire cat, “We’re not going in there.”

“Where…” The words tumbled off your lips before you were cut off.

“It’s dinnertime, sweets” Baekhyun pushed you towards the stares, your disbelieving face looking over your shoulder to him, “Why don’t you join us.”

“Dinner?” You stuttered, the colour draining from your face. “You’re not going to poison me, are you?”

“Poison you?” Baekhyun’s laugh rang out into the empty foyer, the tinkering sound bouncing off the walls, “If we were going to kill you, we would have by now—we certainly wouldn’t have let you nap” He teased with a grin, walking down the stairs behind you.

The door was in sight.

But you wouldn’t run this time—Baekhyun probably had his gun on him and was probably more than willing to use it. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Baekhyun took a hold of your arm, his grip surprisingly gentle as he led you across the foyer to a set of double doors, the intimidating wood taunting you but the guards outside it taunting you more as they stared you down, they looked exhausted.

“Can’t have them thinking I can’t do my job,” Baekhyun leaned over and whispered in your ear, his warm breath hitting the side of your face, but you didn’t flinch, “Kid’s in this job can get cocky, just look like I scared you or something” You turned your face to look at him in disbelief, your faces close to where he looked down at your mouth before looking in your eyes with a cheeky look, his eyebrows dancing with his amusement.

“You’re insane…” You said with incredulity, your mouth dropping open slightly, but he only looked amused, giving you a wink before turning to the two men.

“Johnny.” Baekhyun nodded to the taller one before looking at the shorter one, “Taeyong.”

“Baekhyun,” They said in unison, looking at each other before Johnny spoke.

“I’m guessing you want to be let in,” Johnny said casually, toying with his higher up.

Baekhyun smiled, but he wasn’t amused, “If you’d be so kind”

“Why should we,” Johnny teased with a smirk.

“Because I’m your boss,” Baekhyun deadpanned.

“I thought Sehun was our boss,” Taeyong chimed in, smirking just as wide as Johnny, “And he didn’t mention you’d be having a guest with you.” It was the first time you’d seen Baekhyun look put out.

“Just let me in, the two of you” Baekhyun huffed, “You’re stopping a meeting from taking place.”

“Say please,” Johnny smirked widely, your eyes the size of plates as you watched the strange exchange.

“Please.” Baekhyun gritted out, his hand tightening on your arm a fraction.

Johnny and Taeyong looked at each other with a smirk before placing a hand on each doorknob, opening the doors in unison to show the inside of the room—glancing at the table that lay before you, you knew you were fucked. With a nudge Baekhyun ushered you into the room, your eyes scanning the 8 people that sat at the table, but your pupils zooming in on the man sat at the head of the table, looking less than pleased as he watched you stand before the table.

Sehun.

It felt like the world was sinking as everyone stared at you, Baekhyun at your side, and your eyes searched for comfort—the pupils flicking from Sehun to Chanyeol, the friendly giant passing you a small smile while he was sitting three seats down from Sehun’s right-hand side, a man you vaguely remembered sitting next to him. There were two people you didn’t recognise—a man and a woman, the latter sitting to Sehun’s left, staring you down with a look you couldn’t place. You could place the faces of Jongin and Xiumin, and the one you passed on the stairs when you escaped, and the face of the guy that sent you flying in the ally, but the mystery man was well… a mystery.

“Sit, please.” The man you vaguely remembered spoke to you, gesturing to the empty seat at the other head of the table, directly in front of Sehun.

Baekhyun sensed your hesitance, placing a hand on your back and shoving you slightly, the very quiet whisper of ‘Junmyeon’ on his lips, informing you of the man’s name. And with a Stumble you sat down in the chair, your hands gripping the wood tight as you looked around at everyone. Baekhyun was sat to your right, next to Jongin, and the mystery man to your left. It was quiet for a second before the latter of the one sitting next to you shoved his hand out to you with a small smile, your hand shaking slightly as you took his.

“Yixing.” He spoke softly, his name rolling off his lips like silk, “Nice to meet you.” He affirmed with a small shake.

“Y/N” You mumbled to him while quickly withdrawing your hand, he was handsome but even you knew handsome men couldn’t be trusted. Flicking your eyes back to the table, you were met with silence.

“Why am I here…” You asked slightly, brows furrowed, Sehun sat up straighter at that but it was Junmyeon that spoke.

“They have released your boss from custody,” He said like a diplomat, his hands folded on the table to build the image, “So now, we have to figure out what we will do with you.” You gulped at that.

“With me…” You repeated softly.

“But first,” Sehun cut in, looking between Junmyeon and yourself, his eyes cutting you deep, “I want to know what you know.”

“What I know?” You repeated like a stuck record, making the girl to Sehun’s left scoff.

“Listen to the girl,” She sniped in, “She can’t even form sentences, what makes you think that she knows anything? You took the useless bartender” She rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair.

“Jeonghwa,” Sehun warned, not looking at her, “Enough.”

“I don’t know as much as you think I do,” You said with a sigh, “Jaewoo would have been the one to ask, he was like a son to Mr Gwan…” Jeonghwa looked at Sehun like she was right but he waved her off. “The bar,” Sehun began, folding his arms on his lap like a royal, “I need you to tell me if you saw anything different going on with the backroom, anyone lurking around it?”

You bit your lip while you thought for a second, “Yes.”

“When I started working there, I was told never to venture into the backroom, that nothing back there concerned me,” You began, locking eyes with Sehun, “That was nearly a year ago, but as of about 7 months ago I noticed strange men would come in periodically, always through the front door and left through the back, Jaewoo would just be finishing his shift and would escort them to the room—Mr Gwan was never around”

You looked around at the room to everyone looking at you as spoke.

“By the time I started my shift, they were already through the back doing whatever it is they were there for,” You sighed, “I tried to not ask, but I did one day and Jaewoo just brushed me off, told me they just picked up the dead drink stock we didn’t use but I knew it was a lie—the drink stock was kept in the loading bay at the back of the bar,” You nodded fidgeting at the silence.

“There was only one occurrence that Jaewoo wasn’t there when they came, I had covered his shift and they came that night, they had duffle bags with them this time, the bar was just closing, it was the only time they came late.” You glanced at Chanyeol for reassurance, “And it was one of the few times Mr Gwan was there, I had manned the bar the whole night while he was in their office but as soon as they came he immediately ushered me out and told me he’d clean up, it was one of the few times I got a proper look at their faces, it was always two of them that came.”

“What did they look like,” Junmyeon said with furrowed brows.

You thought back for a second, trying to remember their faces from a few months ago.

“They were both tall,” You said nodding, “One of them was taller than the other one, maybe about 6 feet – the shorter of the two had silver hair, they were both about mid-twenties…” You trailed off, as Jeonghwa hummed looking at you.

“Did you ever hear their names?” She cut in, staring you down.

“No,” You shook your head, “It was the first time I’d ever seen them up close, they approached me at the bar before Mr Gwan intervened and sent me off, but they said nothing to me.”

“Was it always those two?” Sehun asked, still staring you down.

You nodded, “Yes, at first there was a third one but after the second visit I never saw him again.”

“But,” You opened your mouth before biting your lip looking at Sehun, “They stopped showing up, they normally come in the same days every month but last week they were a no show, and Jaewoo looked a bit twitchy about it.”

“You never once went in there…?” Junmyeon asked, clearly trying to see if you were lying. You merely just nodded at that.

“Never,” You said, “The door had two padlocks on it, and I didn’t have the keys, trust me I was curious as anyone would be, there are no security cameras in there either, I checked…” You said a bit sheepishly.

“And you said nothing to anyone…?” Junmyeon looked a bit dumbfounded at your quietness.

“I told my friends that something dodgy was going on, but I told no one else about the backroom, it’s a shitty bar in a rougher neighbourhood they expected nothing else,” You said with a sigh, “I needed the money and after the first time they approached me I noticed a pay increase, I think Mr Gwan was paying me more to keep quiet.”

“How do we know that your boss isn’t paying you to lie to us?” Sehun asked, raising a brow at you and for the first time you stared him down.

“What do I gain from lying to you?” You asked curiously, “You shot my co-worker in the head if I knew anything that mattered id tell you, believe it or not; I enjoy living.” Sehun glared at you.

“I found nothing on the cameras,” The one that sent you flying in the ally spoke for the first time, trying to call you out but you shrugged.

“Mr Gwan and Jaewoo had access to the cameras, I snuck into the office one day to see if there was one for the backroom but I left after I found nothing, security had nothing to with me, I’m just a bartender,” You spoke honestly, “Be realistic if they had someone coming into the bar all the time for something less than legal do you think they’d keep the tapes?” You raised your eyebrow feeling bold, Baekhyun sniggered at that.

“Trust me, I was as curious as you,” You huffed, “The only other thing I could tell you if that the silver-headed one looked like he was in charge, I never saw him carrying the duffels”

Sehun didn’t comment on that but looked like he took it in, “As I said, your boss has been released”

“I’m aware,” You nodded, “I’m also aware the news thinks I have something to do with what you did to the bar,” You pursed your lips.

“Yes,” Sehun spoke, “That’s not exactly favourable but manageable” He was speaking plainly to you, a stark contrast to his earlier actions.

“What Sehun is saying,” Junmyeon spoke for his boss with a glare, “Is that we’re aware of the situation, but we’re dealing with it, and you know that you’re not the person we want,” He spoke to with a tone of understanding.

“So, what are we going to do about it?” Your eyebrow jumped looking at the man. It was bold of you.

“Without delving into too much detail,” Jongin spoke up, glancing at his boss, “We’re going to trade you off”

Your eyes widened as your voice raised, “Trade me off? What am I cattle?”

“We’re going to set up a meeting,” Chanyeol cut in, glaring at Jongin for his poor wording before looking at you a bit softer, “Between Byun-Chul and ourselves, we’re going to trade you off for him…”

“And what if he says no?” You said incredulously.

“Then we give him some...” Chanyeol trailed off trying to find the right words, but Junmyeon cut in.

“We give him an ulterior motive,” Junmyeon nodded, “One he can’t refuse”

“What?” You were panicked now, “You’re going to shoot him too?” Baekhyun kicked you under the table to mind your tone, but you didn’t care.

“Be lucky we didn’t shoot you,” Sehun snapped, “I don’t know if you’re aware, but you’re not exactly needed in our plan, we could get to Byung-Chul without you.” You winced at his harsh words.

“Then why did you take me.” You hissed as everyone at the table watched you argue.

“Because we need information,” Sehun drawled back, “Your companion would have been useless, someone loyal to their boss would take too much effort to get information out of, you were the easier option,” You gritted your teeth.

“How do you know as once I get out that I won’t just go to the police?” You snapped, but you drew back when Sehun smiled.

“You’re dumb,” He began sounding nice before his voice dropped to a deadly tone, “But as you said, you enjoy living, you think about going to the police and I’ll make sure that seizes to be an option.” His tone was dark, so much so that your jaw dropped in astonishment, words dying on your throat.

The stare-off with him caused silence to fall over the table, your eyes locking with each other, and for the first time since you met him you saw something dancing in his irises—warning. Handsome men couldn’t be trusted but beautiful men shouldn’t be trusted and that’s exactly what Sehun was, a beautiful man, but you were stupid for a second to believe that you’d come out of this safe. The tension was building in the room between the two of you, but Junmyeon sought to cut it with a knife.

“Once we get what we want, you’re free to go,” He said with an edge to his voice, but it wasn’t directed at you, “The police will be no bother, we’ll handle that but for your safety…” He trailed off looking at you.

“We merely ask for your silence, you forget the last 24 hours, and everyone moves on.” You stared back at him with a look of disbelief.

“Forget everything…” You whispered, “I watched you shoot my co-worker in the head, I was dragged through the glass and drugged before I was kidnapped for no reason, I’ve lost my job and you want me to just forget everything…?” You asked with an edge to your voice.

“For the sanity of everyone here, yes that’s exactly what I’m asking.” Junmyeon didn’t leave much room for argument. Your eyes glanced at Chanyeol, who was refusing to look at you.

“What if I don’t want that?” Sehun was staring at you, but Baekhyun spoke up, looking at you.

“I don’t think you have a choice.” You gritted your teeth.

Chanyeol look particularly put out at the situation but you knew he’d never dare to say anything.

“What exactly has my boss done to you…” You asked quietly but curiously, Sehun hummed at that.

“That, sweetheart,” He began with a raised eyebrow, “Is none of your business.” You just shook your head again, looking at the table.

“Baekhyun,” Junmyeon spoke to cut the silence again, “Take our guest back to her room, we’ve got more to discuss.” Baekhyun just hummed in agreement, standing up.

You said nothing and looked at no one as you stood up, feeling put out by the situation. No goodbyes were uttered as you let Baekhyun lead you back to the door, wanting this situation to be long forgotten, but you couldn’t help but thing as you were escorted.

“Maybe it would have been easier if they just shot me.”

Sehun watched with a tense jaw as Baekhyun took you away, the man’s hand placed on your arm far too lightly for someone who was being kept captive, but he said nothing as he looked back around the table at all his brothers waiting for someone to speak.

“Well…” Junmyeon decided to be the first to speak, “That was eventful.” Sehun hummed.

“Not quite the word I’d use,” Sehun was a bit fed up himself, not that he’d let his brothers know that, “But at least we got something from her.”

“A whole lot of nothing,” Jeonghwa decided to speak, much to Sehun’s discontent, “She practically just confirmed what I told you” She stressed slightly.

“Why are you still here?” Sehun snapped slightly, as she looked at him slightly shocked.

“So she confirmed what you said,” Junmyeon raised an eyebrow at the two of them, trying to dissolve the oncoming storm, “At least we know what you said is solid evidence, but we still don’t know what exactly either of the men’s names are and what they want with our cargo.”

“Listen,” Jeonghwa rolled her eyes, her arms firmly crossed over her chest, “I told you everything, they’re some new gang on the scene, no one knows who they are or what they want, especially with your cargo, I don’t know why you thought questioning her would tell you what you want.” She huffed.

“She’s the only lead we have at the moment,” Sehun said darkly, tapping his ring on the armrest of his chair, “She also confirmed that this has been going on for months under our noses” Sehun looked at all of his brothers.

“We’ve gotten lazy,” He said tensely, “Lazy enough that some… Punk has come on the scene and stole over half a million dollars in drugs from one of our dealers.” He tsk’ed.

“I don’t think they stole them,” Chanyeol spoke up, “Byun-Chul has been doing some side trades with our supply, that’s calculated, if they were stealing anything, they would have hit the bar once and been done with it.”

“Chanyeol’s right,” Kyungsoo nodded, “From what I could find, they always appeared a few days after we shipped the goods to Byung-Chul, and they appeared during opening hours”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Junmyeon said shaking his head, “Byun-Chul had been loyal to us for years, what did they say to make him change his mind.”

“More like what did they offer him,” Minseok spoke up, “You said it yourself, he’s been loyal for years so what did they offer him?”

“Could you trace the bank account?” Sehun’s eyes flicked to Kyungsoo, who looked a bit annoyed.

“Nope,” He spoke honestly, “It was a solid encryption on the wire transfer, I could keep trying but it kept rerouting me and locking me out”

“So, they offered him money,” Sehun spoke honestly, “The girl said herself she got a pay increase after dealing with our mystery men”

“But how does a new gang get all that cash?” Chanyeol asked, “You said yourself that they were new, so how do they get that much in so little time? and how do they manage to get connected to Byung-Chul in the first place?” He turned to Jeonghwa who shrugged.

“Questions, questions, questions…” Sehun muttered, still tapping his ring on his chair, “I’m afraid that those will need to be answered by the man himself”

“How many syndicates have been hit again?” Sehun continued staring off into space.

“Four,” Junmyeon told him, “Four never received their shipments.”

“And it was just drugs?” Sehun asked again, thinking deeply.

“From what we know,” Yixing spoke up, “I was down at the docks yesterday, and everything is still there so we can rest assured that Dong-Yul isn’t in on it” Sehun hummed at that.

“For now,” He said with a vague notion of a doubt, “I do not doubt that something else will rear its head.”

“Then we’ll keep an eye on everything,” Jongdae spoke, “Converge with our contacts and dealers, make sure everything is in check.”

“Do we have time for that?” Jongin asked, “That’s a lot of people and clearly these mystery men knew something was up if they didn’t turn up to Oasis a few days ago.”

“I hate to be the one to say it,” Minseok tutted, “But inside job?” Junmyeon and Sehun looked at him.

“You think it was an inside job?” Jun asked, and Minseok made a noise at the back of his throat in agreement.

“As much as we’ve pissed people off over the years,” He began, “We haven’t had an attack on our territory in a very long time, the old syndicates are either under our wing or dead”

“So, you think someone we liaison with is behind this, knowing what would happen if they were caught?” Jun asked again.

“Listen, all I’m saying is that it’s possible.” Minseok raised his hands, “There’s always a bad apple of the bunch.”

“It’s not a foreign concept, Jun,” Sehun spoke up, “There’s a lot of people under us, someone is bound to hate the way things are”

“Fine, we won’t rule it out,” Junmyeon sighed, “Minseok, Jongdae, contact everyone you can – ask for a progress report and if anyone seems fishy send Baekhyun and Chanyeol to deal with them.” The addressed two nodded.

“Jongin,” Sehun addressed his undercover, “Go back to Oasis and scope out the area, talk to anyone that Byung-Chul dealt with and get a scope of what’s going on out there, if someone else is dealing our cargo I’d love to know.”

“Yixing,” Sehun looked at his oldest brother, “Go back to the docks and check everything out, ask if anyone has seen anything suspicious, if they hit us once they’re going to try again.” Sehun looked at everyone.

“We keep this quiet, don’t alert anyone that anything is going on, act like you’re just checking up – news spreads fast, we don’t need anyone else questioning anything” Sehun spoke with an edge to his voice.

“What about me?” Jeonghwa’s feminine voice cut through the series of agreements, Sehun looked at her blankly.

“You’re going to get in a car and go home, speak nothing of this to your father” Sehun deadpanned to his female friend, who looked annoyed.

“What, why?” She nearly screeched, “I’m the one who gave you the information.”

“Jeonghwa,” Sehun’s voice was stern, “You are not a part of this, now go home” The female merely looked at him before standing up, her chair knocking over with her, the wood bouncing on the rugged floor. The men watched as she stormed out, slamming the double doors open much to the fright of the guards on watch, the sound of her heels echoing away.

“She’s going to tell her father, isn’t she?” Jongdae watched with amusement.

“Probably…” Jun sighed, looking at Sehun, who for the most part looked unfazed by her dramatics.

“She won’t,” The boss hummed, “She enjoys my attention too much to jeopardise that.”

“What do you want me to do?” Chanyeol asked, the only one not being given a job.

Sehun sighed, “Stay with our guest, you’re the only one she likes and if we’re going to use her, we need her to be compliant.” Chanyeol furrowed his eyebrows at that.

“Right…” The redhead says with confusion to his voice.

“Oh, don’t complain,” Baekhyun’s voice entered the room again, “You enjoy it.” He teased much to Chanyeol’s shock.

“Baekhyun,” Sehun warned with a tone.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Baekhyun kept teasing as he sat back down, “He won’t steal her from you, we all seen the way you look at each other, I felt like I was intruding” He grinned leaning back in his chair.

“Baekhyun,” Jun cut in this time, “Cut it out.”

“No one lets me have fun around here.” The man huffed.

“Now isn’t the time for fun,” Chanyeol bit back, annoyed with his friend.

“We need to talk about how we’re going to get Byung-Chul.” Junmyeon started, looking at the pair of them.

“I’ll deal with it.” Sehun spoke, looking at his right-hand man, “Do what I told you to, leave Byung-Chul with me.”

“You’re joining the heist?” Junmyeon looked a bit shocked.

“Is there a problem with that?” Sehun raised his eyebrow, Jun shook his head.

“No, it’s just I thought you’d leave it to us…” Junmyeon spoke honestly, Sehun rolled his eyes.

“This is my business, if someone is tampering with it, I’ll be the one to deal with it.” Everyone looked at each other at that statement.

It wasn’t that Sehun left his men to do the work, it’s just the boss only really got involved with serious matters; it’s something Sehun’s father had instilled in all of them and they stuck to. Sehun knew how to do the job, he’d been doing it since he was a teenager, but it rare that he’d join them on heists anymore – a shiver running down a few of their spines at the last time he did. Since his father’s death, Sehun tried not to bloody his hands too much, he had been there on the night that his father died – the memory ringing strong in some of their heads. Most of them tried to repress it, but a few of them; like Baekhyun, who got a first-person shot of Sehun caving in the head of his father’s shoot, remembered it vividly. Sehun, for the most part, was a composed man, never really getting angrier than a snap, but Baekhyun remembered the red in his boss’ eyes has Sehun just kept hitting and hitting the man – Sehun wasn’t always a killer, he was a grieving son at that moment, but the damage was done. They had all done horrible things, but the brutality of using your fists stuck with Baekhyun.

“Okay…” Junmyeon nodded, “We’ll get to planning.”

“Then it's settled,” Sehun nodded looking at his men, “Do your jobs and we’ll talk again soon, I expect the heist to be as soon as possible.”

A chorus of ‘yes boss’ rang through the dining room as they all began to get on with their assigned tasks, the screeching of chairs also filling the room – Baekhyun stayed seated though, glancing around at everyone as they left, everyone asides Junmyeon and Sehun.

“I’m guessing you’ll need my help?” Baekhyun turned his head to glance at his superiors.

“Something like that…” Junmyeon said tensely. “How quickly can you prepare the warehouse?” Baekhyun smirked at the idea of getting a bit fun.

“Consider it already started”

It had been about two days since the meeting now, and since the very moment you left the room you had been mostly alone, cooped up in your room like some prisoner of war. In a way you sort of were, you were a prisoner of a gang war at least, but you weren’t sure what to expect after Baekhyun brought you back to your room, but you at least hoped that someone would maybe inform you of things, but what you wanted and what you were given were two very different things. It had been a series of monotony for you; you were given your meals at the same time every day by the same person, Chanyeol – who had decided to strike up a conversation whenever he entered the room, not that you graced him with any responses.

It was difficult to ignore the tall man, he did bring a sense of comfort to the room and your stay here – always making sure you ate and that you had things you needed, he went out of his way to bring you books to read and more blankets since Sehun didn’t like the house too warm. He was a comforting presence but not even that could save you from this place. No one else had seen you, not that you expected them too, but you were always on edge; Sehun had been quiet after his little spat with you, he hadn’t tried to toy with you or anything, he left you alone like everyone else and you somewhat releveled in the peace.

Until tonight.

It was silent in the house as per usual but as the night drew closer you could feel something shift in the house, Chanyeol hadn’t been with your dinner yet and there hadn’t been a single sound outside the door; although it was often quiet you were used to people walking around outside, patrolling the house but today? Nothing. It was unnerving and what was even more unnerving was when there was eventually a sound, it wasn’t anything you’d expect.

Horror registered on your face as the door to the room you’d occupied over the last couple days slammed open – a very blank looking Baekhyun and Jongin standing in the space; they were kitted out in all black, thick leathers and tough denim covering their body, they looked intimidating. Baekhyun was a far cry from the playful idiot you’d had seen before, his eyes holding something to them as he spoke.

“Shoe’s on, take whatever you need to keep warm, we’re leaving.” He spoke to you with an edge to his voice.

“Leaving?” You asked lightly, placing the book you were reading down, “As in right now? Where are we going?”

“I didn’t ask for questions,” Baekhyun sniped, “Get a move on.”

Keeping an eye on the two of them, like they were doing with you, you pulled the shoes that you first came here in on; making quick work of lacing the boots up, you noted how you were only wearing a sweatshirt and baggy pants, making quick to grab the jacket you’d stolen of the bar owner off the chair you tossed it on. As soon as you looked ready to go, the two men grabbed both of your arms in a tight hold, a noise being let out of your throat as you were dragged from the room. Nothing was said as you were dragged to the stairs, a hardened Chanyeol standing at the bottom of them, watching his brothers manhandle you; eventually, you were dragged down the winding stairs and dumped in front of Chanyeol who looked down at you with an unreadable expression.

“Be quick,” Baekhyun said, looking at his brother, “Jongin and I will get the card ready, do what you need to do” You were confused at that, but Chanyeol merely nodded keeping an eye on you, he waited till they were out the door to speak.

“I’m going to be very quick; we don’t have a lot of time.” Chanyeol said, “You’re going to get in the car outside with Baekhyun and Jongin without a word and they’re going to take you somewhere.” Before you could ask where he beat you to it.

“Warehouse in a remote location, doesn’t exactly matter where, you won’t be there long,” He was firm with you, “You’ll go without a fuss okay? Once you’re there, some stuff is going to happen – you’ll be safe, but I need to ask something of you.”

“What…” You were quiet as you looked him in the eyes.

“You to do as your told, tensions are high at the moment and although you will be safe, I don’t want you to risk it, you speak when you’re spoken to and you keep quiet, am I clear?” You just looked at him in shock and a slight amount of fear, “I said, am I clear?” He snapped at you, making you quickly nod at him.

“Great,” He nodded, “Wrists out.” You gaped at him

“Why?” He only rolled his eyes and grabbed your wrists, the first time he’d touched you without asking, you noticed he was wearing leather gloves.

You watched and struggled as he secured two zip ties around your wrist, the plastic tight around your skin as you pulled at them. “Chanyeol,” You said softly, “What the hell is going on.” You demanded from him. But like everything else, you were ignored, his eyes flicking past you as your arm became grasped in his hand, pulling you along like a toy.

Outside was a different story, there was half the number of cards in the front than there was before, the lot looking very empty since you’d last seen it; waiting at the bottom of the stairs was Baekhyun, the car behind him on and ready to go, and you watched with passive eyes as Chanyeol tugged you down the stairs, before shoving you at Baekhyun, the man catching you just in time. He made an “oomph” sound as you collided with him.

“I’ll see you at the location,” Chanyeol spoke tensely, clearly all business as he stalked off to a card at the side; your eyes focusing enough to see Minseok in the passenger seat.

Looking behind you to Baekhyun, the man stared down at you; his arms still firmly grasping you, nothing was said but he nodded at you, pushing you away from him slightly so he could open the door to the back of the car. He was surprisingly gentle, pushing the back of your head so you could get in, glancing at you slightly while buckling your seat belt. Jongin was the one driving this time, his own eyes flicking into the mirror to look back at you; an air of pity almost dancing in them but it was quickly masked when Baekhyun got into the front seat.

“Drive,” He said immediately, looking down at his watch.

Your stomach and car lurched forward at the same time, the bubbling of worry dancing in your gut as the bile you thought you’d suppressed clawed its way up your throat – there was no noise par the engine in the car, the men in front making sure to keep it as silent as possible, not that you’d try to break that what was going on. Jongin was driving well over the speed limit, the feeling of the pressure from it building in your chest; your hands grasping each other tightly. Baekhyun was constantly checking his phone, the two of them also kitted out in leather gloves. 

“Strange,” You thought with furrowed brows, “Why has everyone got gloves on”

It was a question that would go unanswered, your eyes flicking to the window to try and get an idea of where you were going, sadly you didn’t know much about this side of the city; plus night time had fallen on the land, making everything looked warped in the passing car windows.

It was like this for what felt like an hour, just silence in the card, and the men in the front looking like they were having a conversation with themselves in their head, it was so quiet to the point that after spacing out, you found yourself drawn back into the world with the ringing of a phone. Your body jumping in fright as you watched Baekhyun lift the device to his ear.

“Hello,” He said gruffly, the sound of someone else on the other end being muffled by his head, “Yeah yeah… We’re almost there.” He snapped slightly, his eyes flicking to meet yours in the rear-view mirror.

“She’s behaving,” He said while looking at you, “Chanyeol gave her his usual talk, she’s tied and ready to go.” Your eyebrow drew down at that.

“Ready to go where…?” You thought.

“How long?” Baekhyun moved the phone from his ear to his shoulder to talk to Jongin.

“GPS says six minutes,” Jongin replied, head twitching to look at the dashboard.

Baekhyun relayed the message to however was on the phone before hanging up, his eyes looking at you again.

“Remember what Chanyeol said,” Baekhyun spoke directly to you, “Keep quiet and do as you’re told.” You nodded in fright, clearly shaken at the fact that you had no idea what was going on.

With a held breath, you watched at the car took a sharp turn behind a corrugated warehouse, the two men reaching to their necks to pull what looked like black ski masks over the bottom of their faces; the only thing on show being their eyes and hair. The headlights of the car made out a silhouette in the front windshield, the body standing sharply as they made a turn at the last second, the person now standing in front of your passenger door. Looking out at them you noticed that they had a ski mask on as well, your eyes being able to tell that it was Junmyeon, he had the same passive look like the rest of the men. You felt the wind get knocked out of you as he opened your door, much like he did two days ago, but this time he grabbed your arm and yanked you out the car; your body falling with him, your knee scraped on the concrete below but you were hastily pulled to your feet. Baekhyun had gotten out the car, with Jongin staying in the driver’s side, the vehicle jetting off as soon as you were out, Junmyeon’s hand making quick work of slamming the door.

Silence was still a constant between the men, Baekhyun and Junmyeon merely nodding at each other as you were pulled off by the latter; he was about as gentle as Baekhyun was and in no time were you being pull towards the doors of the warehouse, your heartbeat thrumming so loud in your ears that you were surprised the whole city didn’t hear it. You weren’t sure what you were expecting when you entered the rotting building but a solo chair sitting in the middle of the drab warehouse wasn’t it, and you started shaking slightly as Junmyeon showed no sign of stopping.

The chair was for you.

You started to struggle the closer you got to the chair, but the man’s hand merely tightened on your arm, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper, much different to the tone he had before.

“Behave.” He snapped, shoving you to sit down, you watched in horror at him brandishing a knife at you, but you only flinched when he reached for your zip ties, cutting the plastic to reveal the raw skin underneath.

For a brief second, you thought they’d leave to sit like that while they watched you, but you grunted at the feeling of someone grabbing your arms from behind; forcing them behind the chair, where you felt another set of zip ties secure around your wrist, this time tighter than before, you were secured to the chair completely now. Looking up in horror you watch as Junmyeon stood up from in front of you, nodding at whoever was behind you, and you flinched as you felt a gloved hand wrap around your throat from behind to tilt your ear up, a shiver passing through you as lips pressed close to your ear.

“In about 4 minutes,” You recognised Sehun’s tone, the silk voice floating from his mouth to your ears and down your neck, “Your boss is going to walk through that door in front of you, and when he does, I need you to stay quiet, am I clear?” His voice was a few octaves lower than usual, but it didn’t scare you, merely sent shivers rolling down your spine, when you took too long to answer though, he pulled your neck closer to him.

“I said,” He tensed to you, the heat from him radiating onto your back, “Am I clear?” You merely nodded.

“Good, now keep it down and don’t fuck this up.” He warned you before he let go. You couldn’t see his face, but you imagined he looked like the rest of the men around you.

With eyes trained to the door, you watched as headlights filtered through the small windows on the entrance; the warm light doing the most to light up the dark warehouse, making you wince with their intensity. A car door could be heard outside as the lights were left on, the sound of feet on gravel making your heart speed up for some reason – this was the first person you’d seen in days. The taste of metal flooded your mouth as you kept biting down on your lip, watching with an intense state as the doors to the warehouse opened, normally you’d hate to see the man, but the sight of your boss coming through the door had you slumping in the chair slightly.

Mr Gwan, or Byung-Chul as he was also known by, was a man who looked a world older than what he really was; at the tender age for 46, he passed for someone in their late 50s - his salt and pepper hair and his crow’s feet doing nothing for him. But right now, he looked the oldest you’d ever seen him, the stress of the last few days taking a toll on him, and you were the one that was kidnapped.

“Byung-Chul.” Sehun’s hardened voice sounded from behind you, making the man stop in his tracks, he was about 8 feet away from you in the chair, “How nice of you to join us.”

“Sehun,” Mr Gwan nodded tensely, before looking at you, “I see you brought a guest.” Sehun laughed at that, but there was no humour behind it.

“Yes, you bartender has been a lovely addition to my home,” Sehun drawled in a mocking tone, “But having you around would have been much better, we could have had a lovely chat about things.”

“There’s nothing to discuss.” Mr Gwan gulped slightly, eyes flicking from yourself to behind you.

“See,” Sehun stared with a tsk, “I think there is.” Mr Gwan stayed silent.

“I’m going to give you two choices, Gwan.” Sehun continued, “You come with us whiling and we have a little chat about what’s gone on or…” Sehun paused, your eyes widening as you felt something press to the back of your head.

“I use this lovely gun that was sitting in your office on our friend here,” Sehun hummed as you started shaking, the barrel pressing more into your head making your eyes flick to Mr Gwan, “You’ve already been busted once in the last few days, do you really want to add murder to that?” Sehun explained simply.

“You can’t do that…” Mr Gwan sounded shocked.

“Actually,” Sehun tutted, “I think I can, you’re not the only one doing some less than legal deals in the city.”

“So,” Sehun started again, “What will it be?” Your chest was heaving with fear as your eyes darted around, it made it so much worse now that you couldn’t see the weapon putting pulled on you.

Byung-Chul was quiet, this only made Sehun clock the gun.

“You only have a few minutes, Gwan.” Sehun taunted him, “I’ve got some friends on the way who wouldn’t like how this could go down.” You felt like you were going to pass out.

“You wouldn’t” Mr Gwan grumbled out, “She’s just a bartender, she means nothing to this.”

“Are you willing to test that?” Sehun drawled, knocking your head forward with the gun, but his second question was directed at you.

“Do you want me to shoot you, sweetheart?” Sehun asked with false niceties in his voice.

“Speak when spoken to” Echoed in your head.

“No.” You tensed out through gritted teeth, the muscle in your jaw jumping with the words.

Mr Gwan looked slightly torn, his eyes flicking from you to Sehun, but he didn’t look like he was going to save you, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“Shoot her.” Mr Gwan gulped out, making your body seize up – a choked sound leaving your mouth in shock.

“If only it was Jaewoo here” You seethed in your head.

Immediately you braced yourself for the inevitable, your eyes clenching in fear as you tucked yourself away from the person who just told a gang of men to kill you, there was a brief second of silence before a scream passed your lips.

BANG.

Your body lurched forward as the sound of ringing took over your right ear, you expected pain for a second but you were stunned, nothing came, it was until you heard the sound of a laugh and the scream of a man that you forced your eyes open; crouched on the floor grasping his knee was Mr Gwan, his furious eyes looking at you as he groaned in pain.

“The wrong choice,” Sehun laughed, it wasn’t a humoured laugh but more like a darkly amused one, but you could barely hear him over the lough ringing in your ear, the fact he had shot an actual gun so close to your head making you shake. It wasn’t a blank this time, he actually could have shot you.

You watched with erratic breaths as Chanyeol and Baekhyun hoisted the injured man up not even passing you a glance, yanking him up like he was a sack of nothing; he was wailing in pain but you didn’t care as you closed your eyes, trying to focus on anything else.

A hand being placed on your shoulder had you jumping again though, the hand taking the liberty to pull you up from your crouched position on the chair, your jaw was trembling as you felt lips next to your ear again.

“Sorry about this,” Sehun spoke gruffly, and for a second you tried to understand what he meant but you went into full panic mode at the feeling of a plastic bag being placed over your head, a scream gargling in your throat as you felt the tightness of it being tied around your neck making shed a couple of tears. You tried to scream at him to get you out of this but every breath you took in had the plastic filling your mouth, you were going to suffocate.

There were noises of Sehun calling out orders, sounds of people hastily leaving the premise, they were going to leave you here to die.

“Please.” You sobbed, “Please take this thing off,” No one listened.

It was like time was moving in slow, the sound of blood rushing to your ears as you tried to regulate out your breathing, there was the last few shouts in the room before silence fell on it.

They left you here to die.

The more you tried to calm down the more breaths you took, and the less oxygen was in the bag – you were going into full panic mode. Sehun didn’t even have the decency to shoot you, all he did was shove a white plastic bag over your head and leave you to suffer a more painful death; suffocation.

There was a layer of condensation building up in the bag as you started to feel dizzy, the blood rushing around your head like a waterfall made it hard to concentrate – your head lulled forward like a ton of bricks were laying on the back of your skull, pushing you down. Your ears picked up a sound in the distance and in your delirium, you started yelling softly.

“Help…” You strained out, muffled by the bag.

“HELP” You tried again, louder than before; it took a few seconds to register but the sound of sirens pulling up had you pulling on your ties.

Within seconds there was the sound of numerous footsteps and something yelling.

“Police! open up” The unknown voice yelled out, you screamed back in response; you heard the mumbling of a swear before the voice spoke again.

“Officer Jeon,” They spoke, “Get that thing off her head.”

There was the sound of rushing footsteps and you flinched when you felt hands on your skin, but there were only there briefly before they grasped the front of the bag, tearing it open. You could feel your hair sticking to your face from the condensation in the bag, and your eyes winced slightly as you tried to adjust to the bright light shining in your face – but the eventually focused on the young man in front of you who look concerned, his hands touching your face trying to get you to focus on him.

“Come on sweetheart, breathe with me, you’re okay now.”