#it's just taking me longer to get there than I initially planned

[traumadumpwriter]

Nasty Secret - 2

Bf! Rafe Cameron × Kook Reader🍓

Based off this ask: "Do you think you could do an imagine where Rafe finds out that the reader has been SAd in her past and he gets mad about it?"

Trigger warning for: sexual assault, trauma, coercion, alcohol, explicit violence, blood

Part One | Masterlist

Word Count: 5.2k

I really hope you guys like this!! Stay safe and always here to talk if u need it <3

Part Two:

The next morning, you were both slightly hungover, waking up with your hot bodies entangled and sweaty. You slowly arose from bed, shared a shower and had some fun, and then got ready for your days ahead. Rafe had no real plans, drifting between going back to sleep for a little bit or seeing if anyone was at the basketball courts. You on the other hand had unfortunately promised to help your mum with the grocery shopping and some other chores, forgotten about it, and were now running late - which you knew you would get a good nagging at for.

"I'll see you later, don't have too much fun." Rafe teased and gave you a quick kiss before speeding back on his bike, having dropped you home.

A dreamy sigh fell from your lips as you watched him race away, feeling beyond relieved that he seemingly hadn't clocked onto anything being wrong, but a tightness was still present in your chest. It would have to go ignored for a couple hours longer anyway, as your mother appeared in the driveway with a scowl, rushing you into her car.

It was hard to not let your thoughts slide back to Bryce as you wandered down the fluorescent lit aisles, feigning interest in the calorie information that your mother was spewing at you, obsessed with some new diet fad. In a sober headspace, his words felt even more vile, repeating and reminding you that he felt no guilt or shame for what he did. He thought that you'd wanted it, and was offended by the notion that you hadn't. It had you questioning all of the pain that you'd felt last year after the attack. Had you somehow insinuated to him that you wanted to have sex? That you wanted to take whatever he'd given you? It's not like you could remember the night clearly enough to truly dispute it, although the heavy feeling in your gut was telling you to trust your initial instinct.

Even without the dizzying internal discourse you were experiencing in regards to your own responsibility, you would've been walking around in a daze, as there was also your boyfriend to worry about. As Bryce had said; you weren't as innocent as Rafe thought, and the idea of him finding that out made your stomach churn far worse than any of last nights liquor could.

On the flip side, Rafe's morning had been one of clueless bliss. When he got back home he pleasured himself to the memory of fucking you less than an hour beforehand, made himself a bowl of cereal, fell back asleep for another two hours before getting up and showering again, deciding that he would go to the basketball courts.

He'd left his phone charging on the bed as he showered, spending quite a long time in there, and was surprised when he came out to have multiple missed calls from Topper. A light exhale of amusement left his nostrils as he pictured whatever trouble the boy had gotten into, imagining that Georgia had caught him with another girl or that he'd started a fight with someone more suited to Rafe's size.

"What's up bro-" He spoke casually into the phone, but the smile was soon wiped from his face as Topper cut him off with a low voice, sounding uncharacteristically panicked.

"Is Y/N with you?"

Rafe didn't like the way his friend had said your name, scowling as he replied "No. Why?"

"We need to talk."

Toppers voice was serious. Rafe stood up straight, his mind instantly going to bad places.

"What the hell do you mean? You can't just say that. What's happened?" He demanded and Topper was quick to reply, though he stumbled on his words.

"That Bryce dude- me and Georgia have gone around all morning, asking so many people- we wanted to make sure it was true before-before saying anything-"

"Before saying what?" Rafe spoke sharply through gritted teeth, unable to bear Topper's preliminaries any longer.

He had already broken his own heart, drawing from the few words what seemed like the most obvious need for such a call. You had cheated on him, and that was why you'd behaved so strangely the day before. It all made sense.

Then Topper finally sighed and forced it out, and the racing, angry thoughts went suddenly silent.

"He's roofied a few girls. Y/N's one of them."

Rafe paused. His breath caught in his throat and he blinked a few times before he could speak.

"What?"

"I think he was trying to intimidate Y/N or something last night. That's what Georgia thinks anyway. She walked into the pool house and saw them, said that Y/N was too scared to even tell her the truth at first."

The shocking mental silence turned into a piercing, livid ringing as each word came through the phone. Rafe's fists clenched and his jaw went tight, spitting his response.

"So you're telling me that Y/N told Georgia that Bryce raped her."

Topper took a breath.

"Y-Yeah, I guess. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you bro. He's done it to a bunch-"

Rafe ended the call, gripping the phone so tightly he could've cracked it. Then he scrolled through to find your contact and rang it without a second thought.

You had been home for an hour when his name popped up on your phone screen, the silly photo you'd set as his contact making you smile. Since you'd gotten home, you'd helped put away all of the groceries, then ironed and folded the washing for your household, and then just sat down to have a scroll break before continuing your chores.

You didn't hesitate to answer Rafe's call, excited to speak to him despite having done so just a couple of hours ago. The way that his voice came through the phone quickly drained all of that excitement from you though; aggressive, loud and sharp.

"What the fuck is this I'm hearing that Bryce Saunders raped you?" He barked and your stomach immediately plummeted to the ground.

"W-What?" You managed to gasp out before your throat went dry.

"You heard me. He fucking roofied you. And a bunch of other girls. Apparently."

"Rafe- I-"

"Is it true or not?"

You swallowed, the air feeling painfully thick despite him not actually being in the room with you. You felt like he could see the look on your face, feel how caught off guard you were.

"Is it fucking true or not, Y/N!" He repeated louder, making you jump backwards from the phone and finally squeak out your answer, compelled to tell the truth by his fury and your fear.

"Yes."

Then the line clicked and the call was over. Everything was suddenly silent again.

You didn't know whether to expect a loud knock on your door at any minute or for the sound of sirens to echo past your street. What was Rafe going to do? You didn't dare to call him back. Your hands were shaking too much to do so anyway.

Obviously, Georgia had been the one to spread your secret, and you cursed yourself for being drunk enough to tell her before your thoughts raced back to Rafe - how angry he was. How he now knew that you were tainted.

Tears sprang into your eyes and you were about to let yourself collapse onto the bed and sob into your pillows. But then your mother called your name from downstairs, asking for your help with cleaning the kitchen, and so you had to take a deep breath and pull yourself together - knowing that your mother's reaction to what had happened would have even more consequences than Rafe's.

You took a few minutes to calm down and stop shaking, and then you went downstairs, cleaning the house whilst making polite conversation with your mum, expertly pretending to be fine whilst internally feeling like the world could be ending.

As soon as Rafe had gotten the unfortunate confirmation from you, he'd thrown his phone against the wall with a loud smash and paced out of his room, heading straight to his dad's safe - having memorised the code quite some time ago. With no hesitation, he grabbed the black, metal handle of Ward's semiautomatic handgun and tucked it into his waistband before heading downstairs.

There was no one at home to stop him and so he didn't even bother to put his t-shirt over the handle, charging to his car with blind fury. He wouldn't have been able to explain why he was so angry to anyone, not to you or himself. It was so much more than the vile act that had been committed against his girlfriend - it was the fact that he hadn't known. The humiliation that he'd shaken Bryce's hand, invited him into his home and even considered him a friend. The fact that he'd let him be around you.

Then just on time, Topper's truck pulled up into the Tannyhill driveway, speeding in the knowing rush that Rafe was about to do something stupid.

"Woah, dude- what are you doing with that?" Topper noticed the gun immediately, jumping from the drivers seat in a wide eyed rush. Georgia was sat in the passengers seat with a fearful expression.

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing?" Rafe barked at the blonde, shoving past him.

"Well you can't just go kill him, bro! We'll fuck his shit up, but put the gun away!"

Rafe shook his head and continued the pace towards his car, jumping into the drivers seat and speeding off with Topper soon in close pursuit. The drive to the basketball courts was less than five minutes, and sure enough there was Bryce, tall and sweating in the afternoon sun. He looked up at the sound of tires screeching, as did the two other kooks shooting hoops, and at first he grinned, thinking that Rafe was day-drunk and ready to party.

His smile slowly started to drop though as the infamous Cameron exited the car with a determined march and a deep set scowl, the gleaming metal that was tucked into his waistband becoming visible as he got quickly closer. Bryce started to back away, opening his mouth in confused protest, but then Topper's car swerved into the chain link fence, momentarily drawing all focus with the crash it created. That moment of distraction was all that Rafe needed. He launched himself at Bryce with a vicious grunt, ramming the butt of the gun into his head with enough force to crack bone.

The taller lad quickly hit the floor, taking hit after hit from skin and metal, an instant bloody split forming on his forehead. He started punching back, and that's when Rafe pinned him down, straddling him and holding the barrel to his forehead, quickly halting his movements. Topper was shouting, desperately trying to get Rafe's attention but obviously going ignored.

"What did you do to her?" Rafe growled through gritted teeth, eyes boring into Bryce's like a hawk zoning in on its prey.

Bryce was frozen under the metal, his eyes nervously flickering between it and Rafe.

"Me and Y/N? We had sex one time last year. It wasn't anything serious. Come on man-"

Rafe smacked his face hard with the barrel of the gun before pressing the end of it back against his forehead and repeating the question with more volume.

"What did you do to her?"

"I didn't do anything!"

At this, Rafe dragged him up by his collar and demanded for him to get into his car, then shouted at Topper to get into the drivers seat. They both complied without hesitation, terrified by the rage filled gleam in Rafe's eyes and the shimmer of his weapon.

The two Kooks who had been playing basketball with Bryce had stood and watched the confrontation in shocked silence, considering calling the police but then deciding not to mess with the Cameron's - especially after just seeing that. Georgia had too witnessed the entire unfolding of events and felt helpless as she watched her boyfriend speed away, all whilst still waiting in the passenger seat of his car. She decided to drive to Kelce's and tell him what had just happened, hoping that he would be able to help although that seemed unlikely.

Meanwhile, Bryce was cowering in the backseat of Rafe's Range Rover whilst Rafe loomed over him, spitting in his face as he shouted and continued to pistol-whip him, sending a few teeth flying.

"Mary's swamp!" Rafe barked the direction at Topper and then continued his work on Bryce, seething as he demanded to know "What the fuck did you do to her?"

"She wanted it! I didn't do anything!" Bryce repeated desperately, trying to hold up his arms to defend himself against another hit but flinching away pathetically.

"Is that what you've convinced yourself? That all those girls wanted it?" Rafe scoffed. "The others might've. But not Y/N. She's innocent."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry bro. I made a mistake." Bryce conceded. "Just drop me off here and we can forget this-"

"A mistake? You're a fucking pervert!" Rafe cut him off with an enraged shout, then turned his head to face Topper again for a second. "Faster! We're gonna bury this sick fuck alive!"

Bryce had already lost all the colour in his face, but at this he displayed an expression of abject horror, visible even through the layer of blood that had started to obscure his features.

"I'm not a pervert! You would've done the same thing!" He protested, sinking back even further against the locked door.

Rafe put his hand around Bryce's throat and pulled him up so that their faces were inches apart, spitting as he hissed "You do not fucking know me."

Taking advantage of the gun no longer being pressed to his head, Bryce threw a punch and caught Rafe off guard, hitting him in the jaw and surprising him, causing him to drop the weapon as he flew backwards into the other corner of the seats. Once he'd started Bryce had not planned on stopping, continuing to use his bulky arms and fat fists to deliver skin splitting punches. He reached towards the gun, but then found himself suddenly flying back into the corner as Topper made a violently sharp turn, peaking into the rear view mirror and making a quick decision. It also sent Rafe flying into that direction, putting him back on top of Bryce and giving him the opportunity to grab the gun again.

Rafe was careful not to remove the barrel from Bryce’s head again. The rest of the ride to Mary's Wood was quick but intense, filled with shouting accusations from Rafe and shaking denial from Bryce, even as more of his bones cracked and skin split under Rafe's brutal force.

As soon as the car came to a stop and Topper unlocked the doors with an uncertain look over his shoulder, Rafe shoved Bryce onto the ground outside. They were within the depths of a swampy forest - or at least as deep as they could get in a large vehicle - and the ground was damp and muddy, sticking to Bryce's face.

Rafe leapt out on top of him, kicking him deeper into the mud and delivering a barrage of ring clad punches before aiming the gun again.

"You gonna admit what you did now?"

"You've got the wrong guy-"

Rafe pulled the trigger.

The bullet bounded into ground next to Bryce's head, sinking itself into the mud with a deafening bang. Topper jumped back and shouted "What the fuck, dude?" whist Bryce cowered further in on himself, his eyes wide with a fear he'd never before felt.

"You wanna try again?" Rafe growled and Bryce quickly confessed this time.

"Alright, alright! I put some stuff in her drink! I-I thought that she would like it!"

Rafe pulled back the barrel, preparing it to fire another round.

"And then what?" He hissed.

"And then I- I had sex with her. I- I know I shouldn't have. I'm sorry!"

"You're sorry?" Rafe scoffed, leaning in close, spitting as he spoke. "You’re a rapist. A fucking serial one. I should kill you right now. Or maybe cut off your nuts, that would make you sorry, wouldn’t it?”

"We should get out of here. Someone might've called the cops." Topper spoke and caught Rafe's attention for a second before he turned back to the man on the ground, repeating himself until Bryce conceded.

“Should I cut off your nuts?”

“No. Please don’t! I'm sorry!" He cried, closing his eyes as Rafe pressed the barrel of the gun to his forehead again.

"Sorry for what?" Rafe shouted.

"S-Sorry for taking advantage of Y/N!”

“You’re not being clear enough. What exactly are you sorry for?”

“I’m sorry for- for raping her. S-Sorry for scaring her! She's a-a great girl! I shouldn't have done it."

"Yeah. You're right. You shouldn't have.” Rafe scoffed, then screamed “Now strip!" earning another alarmed look from the two other men.

"T-Take off my clothes?" Bryce stammered.

Rafe quickly shot the gun again, this time the bullet landing even closer to him, before placing the barrel against his forehead, the heat of the metal burning Bryce's clammy skin. His hands shook as he undid the buttons of his shirt and slowly peeled it off before moving to his trousers, tears dropping from his eyes as he unbuckled his belt.

"Take his shoes!" Rafe barked at Topper, who hesitated for a moment before complying. "Take everything he has. Put it in the back."

And so there Bryce Saunders was, naked other than the blood and mud caking his body, cowering and shaking under the gleam of Rafe Cameron's gun, wondering if he was going to be raped in the woods of a town he barely knew, or if he was going to die. The sight brought Rafe a deep satisfaction and he stepped backwards, letting his arm drop and his body relax for a moment, relishing in the scene he'd created - the justice he'd brought. The power that he held in the metal weight of his hand.

He threw a few more kicks just for good measure and then spat on him, cementing Bryce as part of the dirt before deciding that he'd had enough.

"Alright, let's go." Rafe mumbled to Topper, casually heading to the drivers side of the car and ignoring Bryce's cries.

"You can't leave me here with nothing! I can't get back home like this!"

The car door slammed and Topper took a second to look down at Bryce, disturbed by what had just happened but not particularly disagreeing with it.

"Looks like you're gonna have to." He muttered, thinking of how horrified you would have been by the whole scene and then shaking it from his head, not liking how much he cared about his best mate's girlfriend.

Topper then jumped into Rafe's passenger seat and the car was moving before he even had time to close the door, racing past marshes and trees until they eventually made it back onto paved road. Rafe's knuckles would've been white from how hard he was gripping the wheel if not for the blood that coated them, some of it his own, most of it Bryce's.

"Dude... that was fucked up." Topper let out a deep breath.

"What and what he did to Y/N wasn't? To those other girls?" Rafe sharply returned.

"Yeah it was... but that was-" Topper cut himself off and started again. "No, you're right. He deserved that."

"Yeah. He fucking did." Rafe muttered, eyes fixed on the road.

His mind kept on flickering back and forth between the image of you and the image of Bryce, his body tensing as he pictured the hurt that you'd hidden from him, and then relaxing again slightly at the memory of the revenge he'd just served.

"What exactly did Georgia tell you?" He questioned.

Topper swallowed, hesitating before he answered.

"Just that she walked into the pool house last night and Bryce was leaning over Y/N and she was like, freaked out and shaking or something. She drew the dots together herself, Elle had heard some rumours about him but they'd all thought it was some kind of fuckin’ joke, I don't know. But I don't think Y/N actually told her anything. At least not explicitly."

Rafe nodded, silently taking in the information, the speed of the car increasing slightly. Your strange behaviour made sense to him, though still not entirely as he just couldn't understand why you hadn't told him the truth. Why had you claimed that the reason you were crying was just drunken sickness when it had really been something so much more? And why hadn't he pushed you further for answers? Why had he settled for the easy option despite the initial distrust that he'd felt in his gut? Part of him wanted to turn the car around, race back to Mary's Wood and finish the job on Bryce - though he was fairly certain that after the impromptu kidnapping he'd just enacted the millionaire nepo-baby wouldn't be touching any women any time soon. Still - was it enough?

"Where are we going now?" Topper's question temporarily broke the aggressive stream of thoughts and Rafe answered like it was obvious.

"Y/N's house."

"Looking like that? Dude you need a shower. Or to wash your hands and face at least. She's going to freak out."

"My face?" Rafe mumbled, quickly snapping down the sun visor and looking at his reflection in the smudged mirror.

He hadn't realised how well Bryce's hits must've landed against his face until he saw the dried trickle of blood running from his forehead down to his chin, accompanied by an almost identical trickle from his cheekbone. Topper was right, he couldn't arrive at yours looking like this - especially with your mother at home.

"Okay, we're going to mine. I'll be quick." He decided, more to himself than to Topper.

The rest of the drive to Tannyhill was quick and silent, the two lads stewing in the thick scent that had built up inside of the car; metallic and sweaty. Topper waited outside whilst Rafe ran in, put the gun away and then rushed to his room, having a quick shower and changing his clothes. One of the punches that Bryce had managed to land had created a cut on Rafe's cheekbone that wouldn't stop bleeding, much to his annoyance, and so he stuck some tissue onto it and then rushed back to his car, his heart still racing with adrenaline.

"How do I look? Better?"

"You still look pretty rough dude. Mrs Y/L/N isn't going to be impressed. You sure you don't want to wait a little while? Georgia just called me, they're all at Kelce's-"

"I don't care where Georgia is." Rafe cut him off sharply which Topper scoffed at.

"If it wasn't for Georgia you wouldn't even know about what Bryce did. Don't be a dick."

Rafe took a breath, closing his eyes and mentally counting to ten before he replied. It was a self soothing trick that you'd taught him, though usually you would be there to stroke his hand or his hair as he did it.

"You're right, sorry bro. I'll drop you at Kelce's." He spoke quietly before starting the car, another heavy silence engulfing the pair.

All that Topper said when the car came to a stop outside their friend's house was "Good luck" before he skulked inside, quickly met by a terrified Georgia.

Meanwhile, you had just been able to shake your mother from your back, heading down to the end of your driveway to smoke a rare cigarette - something you only did when you were stressed. She would be angry if she caught you, but the wrath of that reaction seemed worth it for the temporary relief. Rafe's angry voice had been bouncing around your head since he'd called you over an hour beforehand, the shame of the truth that he'd uncovered making your gut spin and ache. The thought of his disapproving glare sent a shiver down your spine, but even more so the thought of disapproval turning into distaste turned that shiver into an earthquake. If he left you over this you would never forgive yourself. For lying to him, for then telling him the truth, but most of all for ever being at that party in the first place, for meeting Bryce Saunders.

The sound of a Range Rover coming down your road was loud, almost obnoxiously so, and you knew that it was Rafe's somewhat instinctively, though the speed that it was going at was also a slight clue. You spotted him through the tinted windscreen and could see the deep set scowl on his marble face before he even parked, and you quickly shot your gaze to the ground, feeling anxious and small like a child in big trouble.

The car door slammed shut and your eyes stayed trained onto the ground, your cigarette coming to its end in your fingers.

Then, suddenly, Rafe's arms were wrapped around you, desperate and tight in a hug that you hadn't expected nor realised that you needed. You sank into it and felt your body disappear into his warmth. You hadn't even realised that you were crying until Rafe's voice broke the silence.

"I've got you, baby. I've got you." He spoke softly, rubbing circles into your back. "No one is ever gonna hurt you again. Never again. I promise."

He hadn't planned on being so gentle. He hadn't even known he had it in him. But when he saw you, so crumpled and delicate, the burning rage melted away and was instead replaced by stinging guilt.

"Why didn't you tell me? I never would've let him be around you- I- I would've dealt with it sooner." He whispered.

"I didn't want you to think I'm- that I'm dirty. That I- I was a slut-" You sniffled, a sob rising in your throat. "I just wanted to forget it ever happened."

"I could never think that of you. Never. What he did-” He had to cut himself off and take a breath, feeling his voice harden. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Your crying didn’t stop though. You were barely able to choke out the words “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say that. You don’t need to be sorry.” Rafe pulled an arm away to lift up your face with one of his fingers, finally making eye contact and feeling surprised by just how wet your face was. He'd never seen you sob like this before.

You were also surprised, not having spotted the injuries he'd gained with your glance through the dark car windscreen. There was tissue stuck to a cut on his cheek, dotted with fresh blood, a dried gash on his forehead and bruising forming around one of his eyes. Then you realised that his hands were bruised too, more specifically his knuckles, which were split open.

"Rafe- what happened? W-What did you do?" You gasped, reaching up to gently stroke the injuries, blurry through your eyes.

"Nothing you need to worry about. Don't stress baby, I'm fine." He said softly, stroking your cheek with his thumb.

"But your- your face. You're bleeding."

“It’s just a scratch. It’s fine baby, I promise.” He repeated with a coo, trying to wipe away your tears but being defeated by the seemingly never ending stream.

“W-Was it Bryce? Did y-you get hurt b-because of him? B-Because of me?” You choked.

“Stop blaming yourself.” He spoke slightly firmer now, starting to feel that rage bubble up again. “Seriously, Y/N. He fucking confessed to putting something in your drink. Okay? And he didn’t just do it to you. Do you understand how illegal that is? It’s fucking rape. He should be in prison.”

You nodded weakly, your eyes shooting to the ground again, thick tears cascading down your cheeks. Rafe wasn’t going to allow that though.

“Look at me, Y/N.” He ordered softly and you complied despite how exposed it made you feel, your face red and your nose filling with snot.

“I want to hear you say it. Tell me that you know it’s not your fault. I need to know that you know that.”

You swallowed and nodded, saying as clearly as you could “It’s not my fault” though you were quickly reduced to tears again straight afterwards, unable to hold back a sob.

You weren’t even sure why you were so upset. Rafe wasn’t mad at you, he wasn’t going to break up with you - and that had brought you a profound sense of relief. Yet you still felt even more deeply, a profound sense of despair, as despite everything “being okay”, it suddenly became abundantly clear to you that it actually wasn’t okay. Not at all. You’d done so well at making yourself forget what happened, that now being fully confronted with it - you remembered a lot more than you’d thought.

It was breaking Rafe’s heart to see you so defeated, collapsing into his arms as your legs could no longer fully support the weight of all that you felt. Your sobs vibrated against his chest and it made Rafe feel entirely helpless in a way that he had never felt before. He couldn’t comprehend what it would feel like to have someone violently take advantage of him.

Sure he knew that it would feel bad, horrible in fact, hence why he had been so enraged that it had been done to you, but what he saw in your hunched body was so much more than that. It was devastation.

What exactly had Bryce done to you? Did he even want to know?

He held you tightly, wishing that he could take your pain away with his touch - even if it was just a little bit.

“Let’s go back to mine. Come on, we can get all cosy.” He swallowed a lump in his throat and then whispered, gently guiding you towards the car.

You followed without any thought, climbing into the passenger seat and then curling up into your knees. Rafe buckled your seat belt for you and then cast you one more long, painful look before starting to drive, going slower than he usually would as the fragility of the human body felt suddenly clear to him for the first time.

When he got to Tannyhill, he lifted you from your seat and carried you to his room, and though you felt pathetic for it, you didn’t have the energy to stop him. You didn’t even know if you could’ve walked up all of those stairs anyway, your body feeling as if it was caving in on itself and your breaths escaping you.

Rafe’s warm, protective arms and his fluffy, grey bedsheets eventually calmed you down though, along with the comforting, deep thrum of his voice, gentle shushes followed by gentler words. It wasn’t until you eventually fell asleep, so entirely exhausted, that Rafe felt his body able to relax, unaware of how tense he had been keeping his body - in a state of borderline panic over seeing you so distraught. He was finally able to take a breath and mull over everything that had happened that day, though it hardly made him feel any better.

The only thing that did bring a slight smile to his face was how beautiful you looked cuddled up against him. Even with your tear stained cheeks and red, puffy eyes, you were an angel - his angel - and he would make sure that no harm ever came to you again. He was even considering tracking Bryce down and finishing the job on him, but that would be a decision for another day.

Really hope you guys enjoyed this part! Let me know if you want a part three I might write one. Stay safe love y’all <3

[starry-sophrosyne]

... @toadettely @sopping-wet-cat-wizard y'know, april fools is over, BUT...

"No, what am I saying- That's too mean, I can't do that-" "Fufufu~ But I can~"  (｀▽ ´) // "YOU-" (/｀ᗣ ´ )/

(also for reference bc GUESS WHO CAN PEN- XD /hj /lh /silly):

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(TW: blood/gore, death, car crash incident, graphic imagery)

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S&S: There is a world where Brent never meets Eevee. There is a world where he wakes up one morning, yawning as he rubs his eyes. He'd been somewhat exhausted by his gaming session with "Sofist" last night, not that it was unenjoyable. He gets ready for the day as per usual, nothing out of the ordinary. It's all regular, for now, that is. Walking out of his apartment, he raises an eyebrow at the suspicious amount of cars stuck on the local road. Oh well, a crash of some kind? He shrugs and continues walking down the road. Ducking under some construction, he carefully avoids all the prying eyes and workers, taking his shortcut to the cafe. What he sees when he turns the corner, however? Well..

It's graphical, distraught to say the least. He can see the limb of somebody, splayed across the road in a pool of blood. He winces. Damn? They'd been sloppy setting up the perimeter apparently, blocking it from normal eye-witness view, but not from here. Either way, he couldn't make out too much between the ambulance and the police cars stationed in the intersection.

As for the authorities, he can make out them questioning certain people and speaking into their walkie talkies. Their faces are far away but filled with concern as they discuss with each other. Meanwhile, the paramedics tending to the body on the ground, and.. For some reason, he pauses. It's not in any of his good interests to watch this, to get involved with some random traffic incident of an unfortunate civilian, and yet? Something tugs at him, opposing his normal desire to stay out of conflict and general indifference/apathy. He doesn't know why, why this moment specifically?, but it doesn't.. feel.. weird. It's weirdly urging, instead bringing him to stop in his tracks. As he choicely watches the paramedics ready the body bag, he catches a glimpse of the poor man who had faced the consequences.

His hair was curly, coifs of coffee brown tinged with blood. His facial hair was the same color, and his gaze relaxed. His eyes were partially closed in a stereotypical thought of sleeping, with a glint from the sun revealing his hazed over green eyes, devoid of any brightness. What catches Brent's eye immediately, however, is his bright purple coat. Most of it is soaked with crimson gore, now a dark maroon, but even still. It's such a stand out, he can't help but wonder how the man even got hit in the first place.

After a few more seconds, the guided feeling seems to go away, and he turns his head away from the scene. (Unbeknownst to him, he'd been watching for, comparatively, far longer than a few seconds.) Best to move on, for whatever reason he felt compelled to watch EMTs deal with the body, almost as if he was making sure they would properly take care of him. It was weird, but whatever. He didn't have enough time to stay around and see him get sent off, realizing he was late for his shift. Despite his sudden spike of empathy, it was just another day, just with an unfortunate incident. He prayed for the man though, as he finally set foot onto regular sidewalk. May his soul, and whoever he is, rest in peace, for meeting such an untimely end.

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Walking into the cafe, the door closed behind him with the bell's signature jingle. Vern's head shot up, his face twisted with a hint of concern as he rushed over to Brent, who'd barely placed his bag on the desk before Vern grabbed his shoulders, gripping them firmly and causing Brent to jolt a bit out of surprise.

"Brent! Oh my god, you scared me-" "?" "-I saw the crash nearby, and you- came in a few minutes later than you normally do, and- oh god I'd just thought the worst!" Vern could hardly control himself from his ramble, spilling out his emotions, but he paused when he noticed the rather amused look on Brent's face. Brent only chuckled at him, despite the severity of the situation/his anxiety. Vern gave him a dirty look, but let out a sigh of both relief and annoyance relief, glad to know his friend was okay.

As Vern let go of his shoulders, Brent starting unpacking stuff from his bag. Placing his log sheet and charger down in the little table within the break room, Vern asked:

"Why were you late anyways? You normally show up before I even get here. Did something.. actually happen while you were getting here?" He added tentatively.

"..." He paused, his hands tightening around his laptop, contemplating if it was worth it to tell Vern. About the man he'd seen, eyes hazed over in death, body dull and cold, hair stiff with dried blood. It was something in it of its own right, something that he wished he hadn't seen. But at the same time, the death of this random civilian weighed heavier than it should've in his heart. He didn't know why, but still, maybe it was the sight of his eyes; ones that pierced his soul, staring at him even after passing. They were so.. cold. Almost as if they were blaming, in hatred. His blood chilled, thinking about it all, and a heaviness set in the room. Oh. Man, he'd never felt this way before. He'd just witnessed death, hadn't he? How was he acting like this was all okay?

He held in a sigh, settling for a tight exhale as he shook his head, not looking up from his stuff. No, it was best not to trouble his more emotionally affected friend with his.. issues. Were he to tell Vern, he'd likely become more aggrieved than him. Even still, looking up and noticing Vern's still apprehensive gaze, he feigned a small smile; keeping it up even as he looked back down in the black expanses of his duffel bag, now empty. He couldn't bring himself to meet his eyes. "I'm serious dude, nothing happened. Don't worry about it."

"... Alright, if you say so." The air was thick with tension, the silence being left unbroken. Vern's footsteps were soft as they padded against the tiled floor, the door slowly creaking closed behind him. One last glance behind his shoulder, before he fully shut the door, putting on a smile to greet the guests that had entered the cafe. Meanwhile, the room had become dimmed sightly with the waning sunlight as the light from the cafe dissipated. Brent stared down once more, as if questioning the true morality behind what he'd seen. With a sigh, his shoulder slumped. Sitting down onto the rickety foldable chair, he put his head in his arms, on top of the table. He wasn't ready to go out. Not just yet. Not while the green eyes of someone haunted him. He couldn't just go and pretend everything was okay, even he had no damn idea why the death of some random stranger had messed him up so badly.

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

Vern found him struggling to think of positive messages to write atop his orders for the rest of the afternoon. Brent did not come out of the break room for a long time, and even once he did, he was silent as he worked. Nick didn't come in for coffee that day.

[spaceyaemonds]

pairing: dr. jack abbot x reader

sum.: you meet a few of jack’s coworkers.

warnings: age gap (jack is late 40s, reader is 23), slightish angst?? just incase?? i don’t think it is but just incase, unplanned pregnancy, jack is divorced, not a widower, and it is mentioned that he previously did not want kids. minors DNI.

notes: okay so this is not what i had initially planned for this part, but i could not get what was supposed to be the second half of this to flow how i wanted so i am scrapping some of it and putting into part 6! also, there will definitely still be a lot of teasing and stuff said by the ED staff!!! i just didn’t know how to incorporate everyone here quite yet, but it’ll come! starting with part 6, they will be slightly longer pieces (but all less than 4-5k words) so we can get more into the drama of the story. in the next part, there will be slight angst (that was supposed to be here LOL, i’m sorry!) AND smut! i also have a few more drabbles for this universe that i hope to post this week, but parts 6 (and possibly 7) will be taking priority along with the schedule i posted yesterday. unedited. and as always, any feedback is extremely appreciated, it helps keep me motivated. especially reblogs/comments/asks!

wc: 1k

prev next

Unfortunately, immediately after getting off the phone with you and getting his keys to Dana, an ambulance pulls up with a trauma, which not only means he is probably not going to be able to see you, but you’re meeting Dana alone.

Which leaves you in your current situation, standing awkwardly in front of said nurse while she looks you over, studying you.

Of all the things she was expecting when Jack Abbot told him a girl was coming to pick up his keys and drop hers off, you are not at all what her brain came up with.

Not that there’s anything wrong with you, except for the fact you look a little young for Jack. But she definitely didn’t imagine you.

“So, you’re borrowing Jack’s truck?” Her tone is friendly when she asks.

She seems nice, but she makes you nervous. Being here makes you nervous. You don’t know what Jack has or hasn’t told his coworkers about you or this situation.

You nod, a small smile on your face despite your discomfort, “Um, yes. I’m buying a new desk and my car is too small to get it home,”

She nods politely, “Are you neighbors?”

She knows the answer, that you are definitely not neighbors, but she’s curious about what you’ll say.

You bite your lip, “Uh, something like that?”

She raises her eyebrow at the way you word your answer as a question, but before she can speak up, Samira says your name.

She’s smiling brightly, “I thought that was you! Are you doing okay?,”

You smile back at her, “I’m good,”

“How’s the baby?”

You freeze, glancing at Dana out of the corner of your eye, praying to god that she doesn’t put it together.

Dana’s brows raise to her hairline, looking between you and Samira, and then briefly glancing at trauma two. No fucking way.

“Um, good- great actually. Just a little grape in there,” You chuckle, gesturing to your abdomen before turning to Dana, digging your keys out of your purse and clipping the key to your apartment off the chain.

“Anyway, um, can you just make sure Jack gets these, please?”

Dana nods, “You sure you don’t wanna try and wait for him?”

You look between her and Samira, a slightly anxious look in your eyes, “Yeah, no. He’s gonna be by later anyway so I’ll just see him then,”

You wince, why the fuck did you say that?

That causes Dana to smirk, “He’ll be over later,”

“Yeah, well I mean, maybe. He’ll have to get his truck back at some point. Probably tonight, but I mean who knows, ya know?”

In the midst of your rambling, you don’t realize Jack has finally wrapped up his case and is standing right behind you.

“What are you going on about?”

You about jump out of your skin, “Oh my god!” Your hand is on your chest as you take a deep breath, dramatically trying to calm yourself down, “You scared me,”

He laughs with a cheeky shrug, mumbling a small sorry as he squeezes your shoulder gently before taking your keys from Dana. He bites back a laugh at the lip gloss attached to your keychain, “You aren’t gonna need that?”

You smile, the anxious feeling finally leaving you, “No, I have a few in my purse.”

Jack briefly catches Dana’s eye as he places his hand on your shoulders and guides you out of the ED, her eyebrows are raised in question, glancing between the two of you. He shakes his head at her and mouths later and continues walking you to where he’s parked, not realizing the storm he’s started up at the nurses station.

“Now, don’t go lifting this desk by yourself or anything like that. It’s not good for you or the baby,”

You glance up at him, “I already places the order for it, they’re just going to put it in the truck when I’m ready and a neighbor said he could get his son and they can bring it up for me,”

He tries not to bristle at the mention of your neighbor that he hasn’t met yet.

“Alright, well I can help you get it put together tonight and make sure your equipment gets all set up.”

His offer makes you smile brightly at him, “Are you sure? I know you’ll be tired after working,”

He shakes his head, “I wouldn’t offer if I couldn’t do it, honey.”

There’s that name again. You love it when he calls you that, it makes you feel warm inside.

He bites back a smirk as he watches you squirm, already knowing you well enough to know your cheeks feel hot.

“Well, if you insist. I’ll have dinner and beer ready when you get to my place,”

“You sure know the way to a man’s heart, honey.”

“Just yours, anyway,” You don’t give him time to respond, leaving quickly and not even realizing the impact your words just had on him.

When he gets back inside, Dana is giving him a side eye, and try as he might, he just can’t ignore it.

“Just say what you need to say,”

Dana hums, “She’s young,”

Jack sighs, running a hand down his face before scratching at his jaw, “Yeah,”

“She pregnant?”

There’s no judgment in her question, she watches silently as he pulls out his wallet to hand her the photo of your ultrasound.

“Yeah, ten weeks.”

She sighs softly, looking at the baby, “Yours?”

Jack just grunts in response. Not sure what to say or how to say it.

Dana puts a hand on his arm, squeezing softly, “I thought you didn’t want kids?”

He closes his eyes, “I didn’t. This wasn’t exactly planned. But I’m taking responsibility for this, for her,”

“Does she want you to take responsibility for her?” Dana’s question is valid, and Jack knows that.

“I told her I wouldn’t abandon her. And I won’t.”

“You’re a good man, Jack,” She gives his arm one final squeeze before pulling her hand away, “She seems nice,”

He smiles, “Yeah, she is. Real fucking smart too. And funny,”

Dana feels her chest squeeze at how Jack looks when he talks about you, unable to recall if he’s ever been this way before.

They sit in silence for a few moments before glancing up at Robby when he makes his way up, devilish glint in his eyes.

Jack sighs, already knowing what’s coming.

“I didn’t realize your babies mom is in her twenties, Jack,”

“You mad I got more game than you or something?”

Robby laughs, “Is that what we’re calling it?”

[astralis-ortus]

guess i missed you too much

✱ boyfriend!bc x fem!reader

— that's what being in love does to you.

w.count → 1.2k genre → fluff warning → reader referred to as baby and my love, 2 (two) chatroom screenshots a.n → based on this request! ngl i was like '!!!' as soon as i read the request bc i can just imagine how it would go i'm—ㅠㅠㅠ also, i have an announcement here about requests, commissions, and fanart shop—i would really appreciate it if you'd check it and help a girl out♡ ⋆ if you're enjoying my stories, do send me a ko-fi ⋆ see masterlist

to put it simply, chan is dumbfounded.

he's pretty sure he had mentioned to both han and changbin that you're coming here, to seoul, in a exactly week and chan needs to have all the urgent project revisions to be done prior to your arrival. he's absolutely sure the two promised they will only be gone for a little while to get some coffee to wake them up, and chan is now certain that the two are definitely not only heading out to grab those goddamn coffee.

"if you two aren't back here in 5, just know this is your one and only warning," chan muttered through gritted teeth, trying his best not to sound too pissed before sending the voicenote in their '3racha only' groupchat.

it's not that chan didn't understand—he knows he's been pushing both changbin and han more than he usually does, and chan is very much aware that the duo are bound to be a bit more rebellious than usual once they reach their point of exhaustion, but he really is looking forward to the time he's about to spend with you, and he's not about to let anything come and ruin that.

it's been a while since you've last spent a considerable amount of time together with chan. sure, there are stolen dates here and there whenever a holiday would match up and you could take some time off to visit chan's version of paradise (which is unironically everywhere within the bounds of japan) together, but those visits always ends as quickly as it starts and left the two of you with a longer list of regrets by the time you had to let your hands slip away from chan' warmth.

so this time, when you finally were able put your responsibilities on rest for two whole weeks, it didn't take much of a convincing for either you or chan to finalize the dates when you would finally be able to be within each other's reach. chan even went the extra mile to immediately book your flight coming in, though you had to basically threaten him with no video calls for a week if he went through with his other plans to spoil you rotten.

well, you could only hope that chan won't pull any uno reverse card on you once this plan came to an end.

a bell sound from his phone quickly distracts chan from the lines of lyrics he's trying to edit—an action he came to regret when the notification in view were merely a singular line of emojis sent by changbin, consisting of the same teasing faces and a pink ribbon both changbin and han been sending chan for days now on end.

"oh, he's done," chan groaned, head tilted back in annoyance as he threw his poor beanie back at the sofa where changbin was supposed to be seated right now. to be frank, chan didn't understand what changbin has been implying with the string of emojis at all. presumably changbin and han had seen the way chan saved your kakao talk profile—hence the pink ribbon, but why now? exactly when chan's the most sensitive of the topic? the fact that chan couldn't contact you drives him even crazier—you had told him you haven't been feeling well and you'd text him again once you feel better, but that was like, what, an eternity ago? chan didn't want the risk of waking you up either especially with your trip coming up, so…

he's basically helpless.

another set of annoyed groan became chan's initial response when his phone came alive with a new notification. reluctantly grabbing the device, chan was mentally prepared for a text bubble sent by the youngest of the three, containing of the same string of emojis changbin had just sent—only for his heart to jump out of his chest when he saw the pink ribbon next to your name.

before chan could type another reply, his attention were robbed by the knocks on his studio door—which is a little weird considering neither han or changbin would bother, and the fact that it's nearly midnight meant that almost no one that chan knows of should be looking for him around this time of night.

"manager hyung?" chan cautiously called out, instinctively grabbing his discarded beanie before he went to reach for the door. "did you leave something? or are you—"

the words on chan's tongue dissipates soon after the door swung open—but even with the way his eyes just doubled in size, chan still couldn't believe what he's currently seeing right in front of him now.

"hi, my channie," you finally spoke, a wide grin decorating your lightly flushed face from all the adrenaline you've been feeling; and only then, chan seems to wake up from his trance.

"wha—baby?" chan could hear how voice had skipped an octave higher, but he couldn't care less—did he fell asleep? is this a dream? chan had to pinch himself before he even pulled you in his arms, tightly wrapping the giggling mess that you are in his warmth. "you're actually here? wasn't your flight next week? did i got the dates wrong? how—"

"whoa whoa, calm down there, racer," you quickly stopped your boyfriend's wild train of questions, still with your smile plastered across the span of your face—your plan is a massive success.

"it was supposed to be next week," you confirmed, eyes still taking in chan's perplexed face while your brain etched the memory in its hall of fame, "but i miss my boyfriend too much to wait another week, so… i asked for bin and jisung's help to change my plane ticket!"

suddenly, everything that's been happening to chan in the past week just clicked—the time he caught changbin and han meddling with his laptop, the nervous chuckles, the way they become way to secretive with their phones, the phone calls, and those lines of goddamn emojis. it all finally makes sense.

"is that so?" chan shook his head despite the clear view of his dimpled smile, arms tightening around your waist, "so you three little naughty being has been cooking up plans behind my back, that's what you're saying?"

the sound of your sweet laugh fills chan with an overwhelming sense of warmth— you might spend the majority of your year apart from each other, but for chan, it's moment like this that makes all the dark nights of longing seem worth to be worth his patience.

after all, you're everthing chan ever wanted in his life.

"my my," clicking his tongue in faux disappointment, chan gently fixed the strands of hair falling over your eyes—ones ever so tender whenever you fixed your gaze on him, "what am i gonna do with you, hm? you naughty little baby?"

"not sure," you cheekily replied, lightly scrunching your nose the way chan usually does. you're just happy that you're finally in chan's arms again, to hell with any of the 'repercussions' chan might be building in his head for your little misdemeanor.

"but can you kiss me first?" you continued, trying your best to stay nonchalant despite the sudden spike of your heartbeat due to your own silly attempt at being witty and chan's surprised laugh, "i think i need my boyfriend's kiss so i could face my punishments later."

frankly, chan's head is still plagued with tons after tons of questions of your little successful stunt—he can't help it, you're someone he love and cares about after all,

but who is he to deny your sweet little plea?

©️ astralisortus, 2024. | likes and reblogs are highly appreciated♡

[comatosebunny09]

apt 302 | sylus q.

— summary: at first, your new neighbor was as mysterious as he was handsome. after taking some time to get to know him—or forcing your way into his quiet life—you realize looks can be deceiving. — cw: gn reader, neighbors au, neighbors to friends to lovers, profanity, innuendoes, jealousy, misunderstandings, stalker ex, alcohol use, guns mentioned, self-indulgent, allusions to reincarnation, angst, pet names, sylus being an insufferable gentleman, slice of life — dividers by: @omi-resources — notes: this grew way longer than i expected, soooooo you’re gonna hate me for what comes next. anyways, thank you so much for reading! — now playing: my favorite person now - she was pretty ost — tagging: @alfredosaws, @chuppiechanchan @hao-ming-8 @antonneva @sunsets-and-crows @leighsartworks216 @grabby-smitten @nebulorra @minniestarmj @elysiums-light @saiaise @queenofstresss @beewilko @aetherscribit @libriomancer @world-of-hearts @awkwardnurse @huachengnism

Information Technology isn’t as cushy of a field as you initially thought.

Sure, you have a desk job doing the most mundane of things—working the help desk, troubleshooting devices, re-imaging computers. But your job isn’t without its drawbacks. 

Sometimes, the days are long and arduous. The constant customer interaction doesn’t help matters; you’re a bit of an introvert, requiring five business days to recover from just a few hours of socializing. 

So, forgive you for seeking a little respite in the form of your favorite set of pajamas and fuzzy slippers as you ease into your apartment. 

The weight of the world sloughs off your shoulders when the door leading inside clicks shut behind you. You sigh gratefully, the sound of your keys clattering against your entryway table, intermingling with that of your AC humming to life.

You hang your bag and sweater on the coat rack. Trade your uncomfortable shoes for house slippers, the soreness in your heels slowly retreating. The last vestiges of sunlight creep through the slits of your blinds to bathe your home in its ethereal glow before ducking behind the horizon. 

Your apartment is humble. Has a natural, minimalistic vibe with bits of decor displaying your personality sprinkled throughout. You already pay the price of a kidney and two lungs to stay here. No use investing in posh furniture when your job sometimes requires you to pick up and go at the drop of a hat.

Your stomach growls whilst you draw your curtains shut and turn on some ambient lighting via your phone. You’ll eat soon, you promise. For now, you’re on a mission. 

Quietly, you move through your home in search of your laundry area, thoroughly prepared to slip into your PJs following a shower to jumpstart your weekend. 

Too bad a pile of sopping wet clothes awaits you when you open your dryer door. 

“Goddammit,” said under your breath as you mash the power button. It won’t turn on. Figures. You kick the offending appliance. Stupid thing must be out again. 

You had set your clothes to dry before you left for work. You were looking forward to snuggling up with wine and your favorite show, donned in comfy clothes. Seems your dryer had other plans.

You should’ve replaced it months ago when it first started acting up. You had hoped to salvage it a little longer; appliances don’t come cheap these days. Besides, you’ve had a darling neighbor to fix it each time. To extend its lifespan. 

Speaking of which—

Chewing your lip, you pad over your cold, hardwood floor to snatch your phone from the coffee table. Fall onto your couch cushions with a devious smile twitching your lips. It’s getting late, so you don’t think to badger him into tinkering with your dryer tonight. However, perhaps he’ll let you utilize his. At least until you can use your day off tomorrow to shop for a replacement.

You hover your thumb over his contact, his name flanked by crow emojis. Contemplate calling him, but what if he’s busy? This is usually about the time he’s leaving. Instead, you settle for opening your messaging app, already conjuring an excuse.

(You): 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛💥💥💥 (Sylus): lol (Sylus): good morning to you too. (You): 😒😒😒 dude it’s like 6  (Sylus): 🤷‍♂️ (Sylus): im just now getting up. long day at the office.  (Sylus): whats up? (You): are you busy tonight?? (Sylus): not really. 😏 what did you have in mind ? (You): pause. not like that (Sylus): 😢 (You): my dryer’s out again (Sylus): ah. want me to take a look? (You): nah you already do so much (You): is it cool if i use yours tho? 😬😬😬 (You): i’ll bring you booze (Sylus): lol (Sylus): its fine sweetie. doors unlocked. ill be in the shower. help yourself. (You): 🙏🙏🙏

You take your time gathering your saturated clothes into a basket. On your way out, you snag a bottle of Merlot from your fridge.

No matter how often you’ve been here, you don’t think you’ll ever get used to how much more… put together Sylus’ place is compared to yours.

It suits him—the black and red furniture, the stylish accents littering his apartment. It smells delightful inside, a mixture of mahogany and amber enmeshed with remnants of food. Soulful jazz flows from a record player, fitting the sepia-toned glow of floor lamps and candles flickering on every other surface.

You toe the door shut behind you. Feel so small and out of place amid his decor. You’ve only recently started coming here, having spent much of your time together inside your apartment. Regardless, you navigate his space like it’s your second home, finding his washer and dryer set.

After starting your clothes in the dryer, you wander back to the living room, hands stuffed in the pockets of your cardigan. You take some time to admire the atmosphere. Fingers skim over the various vinyls organized on a built-in bookcase on the wall.

You snort with a half-smile. You know so little about your neighbor, yet you know just enough to be this comfortable with him.

He’s a music buff; that much is for sure. He’s clearly made of money if the luxurious furniture and his car are anything to go by. You don’t press him about what he does for a living. Figure he values his privacy above all else, unlike you.

You’re an open book. The primary yapper in your acquaintanceship, prattling on about your life and aspirations. And he just sits there, wordlessly nodding with a polite smile behind the rim of his glass. Where you would otherwise be wary of being in someone’s home like this, you feel safe around him in a way that almost terrifies you.

“Admiring the decor,” teases a voice from behind. 

You jolt, spinning around like you’ve been caught stealing. You’re met with a smirk beneath scarlet eyes, twinkling with mischief. Strands of white cling to Sylus’ forehead, damp from the warm spray of his shower. He towels his hair dry, maneuvering around the living set towards you.

“Hey, you,” you greet, trying to play it cool. Like your heart isn’t hammering and heat isn’t branching into your cheeks. You attempt to maintain eye contact. It’s increasingly difficult to do so with his physique peeking through his t-shirt and sweats like that.

“Hey, yourself.” There’s amusement in the deep gravel of his voice. A smile in his eyes as he studies you, draping his towel around his shoulders.

You swallow. Try to divert the subject, motioning to his record collection. “You got some new tunes, I see.”

A chuckle is dredged from the bowels of his chest. You feel it pull in your stomach. “Sure did. Got something you might like.” 

God help you as he reaches around you, the fine hairs littering your body standing on end, your mouth agape like a fish out of water.

Unconsciously, you step back, your spine softly thudding against the records display. Your heartbeat’s on a warpath, and you swallow against the dryness of your throat as the veiny, sinewy muscle in his forearm stains your periphery.

He gives you a bemused look before slowly peeling a record from the shelf behind you. Steps back to fish out the vinyl and settle it on the platter, replacing the record that was just playing. 

You release a breath you were unaware of holding. Good job playing it cool, dumbass.

“You alright?” Sylus quizzes with a raised brow. “You seem a little on edge tonight, sweetie.”

You sigh, schooling an unconvincing smile onto your face. Try to ignore how the term of endearment glides off his tongue so effortlessly. You wonder how many other people he addresses like that. 

“Work was…rough today. Kicked my ass. I’m tired.” 

A snarling sound invades the space between you, heard over the gentle croon of the new music. Your eyes fall to your stomach. You rub it placatingly. In all your haste to have some dry friggin’ clothes, you forgot to eat. 

“And hungry, too,” you sheepishly add.

You glance up, and Sylus’ gaze tracks from your stomach to your face. He smirks knowingly, motioning with a nod toward his kitchen. 

“Figured you didn’t eat yet. I made carbonara if you’d like some.”

You smile wryly at his back as he pads away, carrying the scent of cedarwood and bergamot with him. Where would you be without such a doting neighbor? 

You track him to the kitchen. Leaning against the threshold, you watch him procure a bottle of water from his fridge. It’s so very small, dwarfed by his massive hand.

“I suddenly got called for a Teams meeting five minutes ago.” 

Your heart drops, the smile nearly falling from your face. And here you thought you’d have his company over dinner.

Suddenly, he taps your nose, drawing you out of your thoughts. You hadn’t noticed when he got closer, swaddled in the static of your bodies being so close. “Where did you run off to,” he rasps, searching your gaze for something. 

The proximity of your bodies grows stifling, his warm breath glazing over your skin, dizzying. When he doesn’t find what he’s looking for, he steps back, leaving you shell-shocked and utterly confused. 

“In the meantime, make yourself at home. You know where everything is,” he says, brushing past you with an air of finality. 

You strain your ears for the noise of a distant door shutting before you make your move, rummaging through his cupboards and drawers for a plate and cutlery. After you’ve scooped a decent helping of food onto your plate, you settle onto one of his velvet couches, cross-legged and shoveling food into your maw. 

The fluttering of wings piques your interest. You’ve hardly any time to acknowledge him before a tuft of black, iridescent feathers shines from Sylus’ coffee table. The crow studies you curiously, ingesting you with his beady eyes before he preens himself.

“Me-fith-toe!” you greet around a mouthful of food. 

Said crow ducks away, dodging errant crumbs and spit flying from your mouth, cawing in protest. You give him a rueful look. 

Sylus has a soft spot for animals. You noted it the first time you entered his apartment, greeted by his boisterous companion. Funny; he doesn’t look like the type to have such an eccentric pet. 

But Sylus has found numerous ways of pleasantly surprising you, revealing parts of himself to you bit by agonizing bit.

“Chicken?” you say after finally swallowing, offering a forkful of pasta to the bird. Mephisto scrutinizes the food before resigning himself to pecking at it. You smile fondly, your eyes crinkling with mirth. “Mephisto, you cannibal.”

Lulled by the occasional flap of Mephisto’s wings and Sylus’ even tone murmuring things of business somewhere far off in his home, you fall into a familiar rhythm, quietly waiting for your clothes to dry.

You spend the remainder of your evening in your neighbor’s company, drinking Merlot and judging each other’s music tastes, long after your pajamas have dried and settled in the dryer.

“So, have you boned yet?”

You choke on your waffle. Pound on your chest with the heel of your palm to dislodge it. You turn narrowed eyes on the source of the question. She merely shrugs from across the table, sipping her mimosa as if she’s asked the most innocent thing. 

“Bitch.”

“What?” She appears nonplussed, setting her champagne flute down with a definitive clack. All serious when she returns your stare over crossed arms, and you know you’re in for it. 

“You talk about the guy so much I figured you would’ve already, ya know…” The humping gesture she makes under the table is a bit much. 

You blanch. “No, dumbass, I haven’t boned.” Your voice peters towards the end of your sentence. And you peer down at the napkin folded in your lap, heat prickling your face. 

You won’t deny Sylus is good-looking. More like he could be someone modeling Prada on a catwalk. Can’t pretend you haven’t entertained the thought of being a little closer to him, too. More than just the late nights spent talking or him fixing something you broke.

You shake your head. Of all the times you’ve been tucked away in either of your apartments, he’s never made a move on you. Sure, he’s said some pretty suss things. Flirted with you outside of your usual banter. 

And maybe he’s done things to confuse the ever-loving hell out of you—cooked you breakfast when you were drunk off your ass and hungover the next morning. Lended you one of his expensive record players. Shacked up at your place a few times under the guise of “coming to get Mephisto.” But—

Nah. He’s not like that. You’re just neighbors, right? Unofficial friends. Friends hang out all the time, right?

“He’s not like that,” you say brattishly, stuffing more food into your face. At least not with you. 

You don’t miss your coworker’s fox-like grin spreading in your periphery. She taps her cheek thoughtfully, watching you like a smug sibling about to snitch. 

“Sure, sure. If you say so. He’s still a man, though. He might not have tried you yet—”

“Hush,” you interject. The table shakes, cups rattling as you saw into your sausage with your fork and butter knife. You’re done with this conversation.

Try as you might, however, you can’t banish your thoughts revolving around him. Especially with your coworker watching you like that, silently egging you on.

He’s not that kind of guy. 

He’s still a man, though. 

You’ve repeated it like a mantra throughout your day, even as you mindlessly clacked away at your computer. 

Work was a blur. An exhausting blur. Day gave way to the soothing exhale of night, and you were finally nestled in the quiet sanctuary of your apartment, on your couch, entertaining yourself with a game of Uno. It wasn’t much fun playing alone, but you needed a distraction from the mess of your mind when your favorite show couldn’t help. 

It’s a quarter past 9 when a shuffling sound in the breezeway outside your apartment catches your attention. It’s accompanied by the echoed rasp of a recognizable voice, chuckling and murmuring indiscernible things. 

You peel yourself from your couch as if on autopilot, nose pressed against the cold metal of your door as you peer through the peephole.

It’s your nightly ritual—waiting like an overzealous puppy to greet or send off your neighbor. You don’t always get the luxury of saying goodnight in person. Sometimes, he’s gone for days—weeks—at a time. You don’t know the semantics of his job, but you make it your mission to help assuage whatever burdens he shoulders whenever you can.

He’s there to help you, after all. Whether with a glass of wine, a warm meal, or his company.

So, forgive you for wanting to be a decent neighbor. And you would be tonight if not for the scene that passes through the fisheye of your peephole.

It’s Sylus, clad in something flattering and expensive. There’s no mistaking his broad back and shoulders. The purl of his voice, the wispy dusting of alabaster hair on his collar. But the smaller frame with him, well—

Your heart plummets into your stomach.

She’s pretty from what you can glean from the limited view of your peephole. Donned in a dress that’s form-fitting, voice high and light. Giggling silly things, fastened to Sylus’ side, held there by a virile arm draped around her middle. She’s drunk if the sloppy lean of her body is anything to go by. Sylus angles himself near her ear to whisper something, ushering in a new set of giggles.

You watch with your breath corked in your esophagus until they slide into his apartment together, their enmeshed voices fading from the stilled walls of the hallway.

Huh. Well, so much for him not being that type of guy. 

You grapple with this new revelation, a furrow between your brows, hands falling listlessly at your sides. Numb as you drag yourself back to your couch, bouncing comically on the cushions.

You don’t even know why you’re upset. He's a grown man with a…life. You think. 

It’s the first time you’ve witnessed him bringing someone to his place other than you, but it’s only natural for a guy like him to have options. He’s far from hideous. Has the gift of gab, for God’s sake. He’s charming and the very definition of masculine. 

It just stings a little, knowing that it’s not…you that he’s touching like that. 

So, you are definitely not flinging Uno cards onto the coffee table. Muttering things to yourself, gripping the stack in your hands so tightly, the plastic squeaks. What’s even got your undies in a bunch? The man’s not yours. You’ve never screwed around. Never really showed signs of wanting to, so it makes sense he would seek pleasures of the flesh elsewhere. His world doesn’t solely revolve around you as much as you would like for it to.

You’re halfway through a third round of angry card-flinging before a soft rap at your door nearly sends you some 30 feet into the air.

Stomping to your entrance, you peek through the peephole, and your heart works overtime when you catch sight of a wash of black and scarlet.

Internally, you scold yourself for how gullible you are. You throw the door open like you weren’t just cursing him and his stupid existence moments ago. Try to act nonplussed, crossing your arms and leaning against the doorframe with a haughty look. 

Of course, he would smell good. Look good, propped against the threshold like that, an amused cant to his lips, his physique devastating beneath the tight cling of his turtleneck.

“Hey,” he greets, the sound breathy and easy like warmed honey. 

“Hey, yourself.”

He studies you for a bit. Eyes flicker over your face, and you tamp down the sparkling rush of warmth that wades over your skin at the attention. Even when you’re mad at him, your attraction still finds an annoying way of creeping through the seams.

“This is going to sound incredibly strange, and feel free to tell me to piss off, but…do you mind if I crash on your couch for the night?”

You stand up straight. Blink owlishly, mouth opening and closing. “Huh?” is all you’re able to muster. 

He chuckles, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. You don’t think you’ve ever seen him this side of bashful. “Yeah. It’s a…bit of a long story, sweetie.”

“O-Okay,” you say, rigidly moving aside.

“Thanks.” The charm is back on, turned up to max capacity. He brushes past you into your apartment, falling onto your couch with a huff. Quirks a brow at the mishap on your table, the carnage having spilled onto the floor. 

“I’m almost afraid to ask, but were you playing Uno by yourself?”

You ignore him, plopping cross-legged on a floor cushion adjacent to him. Bypassing the tick in your brow, you look off to the side, fighting the embarrassment threatening to take hold of your visage. Shouldn’t he be across the hall, entertaining his company?

“Shut up and grab some cards,” you grumble to dispel the green-eyed thoughts stewing in your mind.

“Bossy.” But he doesn’t contest you, gathering the abused cards to shuffle them. 

The remainder of your evening slides by with comfortable quips. With booze and a break to catch up on Love Is Blind—somehow, he’d roped you into watching it. 

You had no idea he was such a sap. Nearly forgotten how miffed you were mere hours ago. 

He assuaged your worries with an explanation as the sun crept over the city. 

The girl in his apartment was an old colleague who’d gotten drunk and convinced herself that she was anything but. 

Being a good samaritan, Sylus brought her to his place to sober up since the apartment complex wasn’t too far from the main strip of bars. He didn’t want any issues when she inevitably woke up. Messing with drunk people wasn’t his thing. 

So that’s how he ended up here, inhabiting your couch like he’d always been a part of the decor. 

He didn’t owe you an explanation. You were just friends. Still, you couldn’t help the quiet smile that twitched your lips after he cleared the air.

At some point in the morning, you both fell asleep. He looked all serene, too big for your sofa, but comfortable. You watched his lashes flutter from your place on the floor, his lips parting with soundless exhales. Even in sleep, he maintained that guarded aura, his arms folded across his chest. 

You were bleary-eyed, gathering yourself from the hardwood to fetch a blanket to drape over him. He shifted, and he was so pretty with the sun bathing him in an angelic glow like that, his hair bright like a halo. 

You were about to retreat to your bedroom when an abrupt knock tore you from your reverie. You glanced at your guest, ensuring he went undisturbed. He needed the rest. He was a night owl, and something about the sun vexed him, so he typically spent his days sleeping when you weren’t impeding on his time.

You moved to the door, foregoing the peephole to open it. Big mistake.

On the other side stood Little Miss Pretty from the night prior, impatiently tapping her foot. Her hair was flattened on one side, and her dress was askew. By the looks of it, sleep hadn’t been kind to her.

“Hi, good morning,” she sighed, schooling her expression into fake politeness. She straightened herself as best she could, but the white patch of dried slob staining her chin did little to help her plight. You bit back a snicker. 

“I’m looking for a friend. He lives across from you. His name’s Skye.”

You quirked a brow at that. Skye? Oh, honey…

You wondered how many other people Sylus had fed a fake alias to. Or if Sylus was even his real name.

“Haven’t seen him,” you chirped over crossed arms. Pulled the door slightly closed behind you, barring the woman from getting a peek at him, nuzzled up so cozily on your couch.

She sighed with slumped shoulders. A childish pout warped her lips. Her voice shifted into something more bratty. “You sure? Tall guy, white hair, red eyes? You can’t miss ‘em.”

“Not ringing a bell, hun. Sorry.”

It was taking all of you to keep up this ruse. You were fighting so hard to tamp down your amusement. This woman reminded you of an antagonist in a Korean drama, the way she was kicking and huffing about. 

“Where the hell did he go,” she groused. You watched her draw her phone from the pocket of her fur coat, your throat growing dry. 

Your blood turned to ice when a familiar ringtone chimed in your apartment behind you. You stiffened comically; mouth hinged open with shock.

The woman’s expression morphed into one of suspicion. She tried to look inside your home, the upbeat ring of Sylus’ phone still flooding the uncomfortable silence.

She narrowed her eyes, trying to assert her way inside. “What the fu—”

“Hey, girlie. Back the hell off before I call the police,” you warned with a hand pushed to her sternum. She insisted on being unruly, so you snatched your taser from the entryway table, the telltale blue sparks and sharp whip of static causing the woman to jolt back with alarm.

“You’re both insane!” she shouted from the hallway, the stomp of her heels reverberating off the walls as she made her way to the stairwell. 

With a relieved sigh deflating your chest, you eased the door shut. Leaned against it, glancing at the man of the hour. He was still fast asleep, his leg dangling off the edge of your sofa. You smirked knowingly, shaking your head as you disappeared into your bedroom. 

You’d let him sleep for as long as he needed. And you’d give him shit when he awoke about his taste in acquaintances. 

(Sylus): hungry? (You): a little. was gonna make some ramen if you want (Sylus): 🤢 (Sylus): that stuffs terrible for your digestion sweetie.  (Sylus): how about i make you dinner instead ? (Sylus): at the supermarket. need anything? (You): 😲😲😲 (You): you keep spoiling me and i might think you like me (Sylus): 😏 (You): nvm. no don’t need anything. lemme know when you’re back (You): i can help with groceries (Sylus): now who likes who? (You): fkdkos (Sylus): ? (You): sorry fat fingers 

You have a nasty habit of not using your peephole as of late.

Your apartment came with one for a reason. Sure, your neighborhood’s been pretty tame since you’ve moved here. But that doesn’t mean the occasional weirdo doesn’t slip past security, roaming the halls and startling the other tenants. 

You’ve found yourself forgoing the use of it a lot lately, given the only person who typically knocks on your door is the guy across the hall. And he usually calls or texts before he bugs you, but that doesn’t stop him from being spontaneous. You suppose today is one of those such cases after he manipulated you with dinner. 

Maybe his hands are full, you muse, unlocking your door. Though you’re doubtful he can’t handle a few bags. You’ve seen him in action at the community gym, thick cords of muscle rippling beneath a tan stretch of skin. 

You draw the door open with a smile, expecting to see a customary thatch of white. What confronts you instead sends a tide of dread washing over your innards. 

“Oh, thank God you’re home,” breathes a voice you haven’t heard in months. A voice that still makes your body stiffen, and your blood run cold. 

When your senses return, you step back into your apartment, thoroughly intending to slam the door in your ex’s face. They’re quicker, however, wedging themselves in the gap before you can shut it. Grabbing for you, a crazed look warping their features.

“Baby, please! Talk to me! I miss you!”

You bat at their hand, trying vainly to crush them, to scare them off. It’s to no avail, and you wonder if they’re coked up, giving you a run for your money as they try to bully their way into your home.

There’s a softball bat propped on the wall, and your fingers brush the base of it in your attempt to grab it. Something to defend yourself since your taser’s out of reach, tucked somewhere in your bag. 

The sounds of your struggle intermingle, your voice strained and panting, please please please, and your ex’s caught between sobs of your name. 

Just a little further. Just—

Suddenly, there’s no more resistance in your door. You stumble against it, a wild look in your eyes. And then, there is the noise of a brief scuffle. Of a back being shoved against a wall, of rusting plastic bags, of “Who the fuck are you?!”

Amid your panicked frenzy, you glance up to see a back to you. Barring you from the view beyond your threshold, and your body’s awash with relief as you register your savior’s form.

“You would do well to piss off,” seethes Sylus, and there’s an edge to his voice you’ve never heard before. You feel it furling in your stomach, burning your lungs. And in this moment, you don’t know who to be more afraid of.

Your ex makes a sound of protest, but you imagine the cut of Sylus’ eyes deterring them.

There is the scuffling of shoes across the concrete flooring of the breezeway, and you listen with bated breath until the cacophony fades at the foot of the stairs, willing your heart to ease down.

Scarlet eyes shift to you, brows knit with concern. “Who was that?” Sylus asks, tone cautious as if he doesn’t want to startle you more than you’ve already been.

You right yourself, smoothing out the wrinkles of your clothes. Finally grab your bat, waving it intimidatingly as you step aside to let your neighbor in.

“My stupid ex. Just know you saved their life. ‘cause I was gonna—” You make swinging gestures, the metal bat swooping in the air. The corners of Sylus’ eyes crinkle. 

“Slow down before you hurt yourself.” He kneels to retrieve the bags he’d tossed down in his haste to intervene. You scurry over to help, gathering up spilled food.

Once you’re both inside, the bags placed haphazardly on the counter, you’re seated on your sofa, nursing the rush of adrenaline still spuming through you like the hot rush of a geyser. 

“You need to get a restraining order,” says Sylus. He emerges from your kitchen with a tense set to his jaws, two bottles of Angry Orchard clasped between his fingers. 

Plopping down beside you, an arm draped over the headrest, he shoves a bottle into your hand, side-eyeing you as he throws his head back for a swig. 

You babysit the cider, the crisp condensation of it serving to ground you. “Yeah, yeah.”

“I’m not asking, sweetie.”

You bristle under the weight of his tone, feeling much like a scolded child. You know this. Should’ve done it long ago the first time your ex took it upon themselves to do surprise pop-ups at your place—at your job.  

“And an alarm system.”

“I know, I know.”

“I can take you right now to look for one—”

“I got it, Sy! Fuck, I-I got it.” You release a weighted sigh, warring with yourself. 

Not only do you feel silly for being so lackadaisical with your life. But now, you feel even worse for the seemingly impenetrable silence that settles between you. You didn’t mean to yell, frustration and adrenaline having burbled to the surface. He was just worried. No need to take your emotions out on him. 

Sylus exhales slowly, an unreadable expression descending onto his face whilst staring at the wall.

“Sorry,” you murmur, unconsciously patting his quad. You don’t miss how he stiffens; don’t miss the tight coiling of tendons in his neck. You retract your hand, instead drumming your fingers along the bottom of your bottle.

“I’m assuming this isn’t the first time this has happened,” queries Sylus in an attempt to dispel the tense atmosphere.

You shake your head, shrinking into yourself. Stare at your lap, pulling at some frayed threads in your bottoms. 

“How did they even manage to get up here?”

You shrug. The security guards at the gates aren’t always the most attentive. Besides, sometimes, the pin pad leading into the lobby malfunctions, making it easier for anyone to just slip into your complex.

Unprompted, you begin to bare yourself, explaining the possibilities of why your ex showed up.

Sylus listens attentively. Doesn’t interrupt you, watching the subtle shifts of your expressions as you speak. 

You tell him that things weren’t bad in the beginning about two years ago. How your ex said and did all the right things, and they were wonderful. But they wanted something you weren’t ready for. You had some growing up to do, so you broke things off. Moved to another city, started a new job. 

You didn’t bank on them following you. 

The visits were random at first. Occasional run-ins at the park, the bar. Things soon blossomed into something more concerning when your ex found your new address after you relocated to another part of the city to ease the stress of the commute. 

This was their second time making an appearance at your door. You knew you should’ve done something to protect yourself sooner, but you didn’t think much of it then. Figured they would live and let be. Today proved otherwise. 

“You’re grossly naive, sweetie.” 

You snort before gulping down the remnants of your cider. “Way to make me feel better.”

He chuckles, and it’s comforting, your thighs pressing together amid your dinky couch. “It’s what I’m here for. But I could understand how you could drive someone to such extremes.”

You glare at him. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means…” 

Before you know what’s about, he’s panning in, flooding your vision with the scarlet shine of his eyes. With the wispy dance of his lashes until his breath fans over your molten cheeks. Limber fingers sneak beneath your chin, slightly tilting your head back. 

Warmth wades over you. Your breath swells in your chest. Lips purse as a mysterious shade of burgundy leaks over his irises. His voice drops a few octaves, husky, the sound of it pinching in your stomach.

“It means that you’re someone worth fighting for.”

You scoff, shaking yourself away from his hold. Ignore the bashfulness creeping into your face in favor of being a cheeky little shit. 

“All right, Li Shang. Getting a little too serious over there.”

He huffs a laugh in response, popping up to grab another round of ciders from your fridge.

Ingredients sat untouched on the countertop as your evening eased by. You’d settled on a pizza, catching up on shows and talking, long after the moon had pinned itself to the center of the sky. 

Sylus promised to teach you how to use a gun. He had plenty and would carve out time in his schedule to take you to a range. He didn’t press much after, instead letting the weight of your evening melt from your shoulders. 

He was reluctant to leave you, even after sunbeams spilled through your blinds and you snoozed so quietly, cheek propped against his shoulder. 

His hand never left your thigh. Possessive in its touch as he mirrored your affections from before. 

It’s strange.

Today is your birthday. You’re enjoying yourself, filled with enough alcohol to tranquilize a small goat. 

Your co-workers had dragged you out. Surprised you with dinner, a cake. Took you to the strip of bars lining the streets adjacent to your apartment complex. You were all smiles until your cheeks ached, and you’d nearly thrown up from laughing so much. 

Still, you feel…empty. Like something is missing. Or someone. 

You look at your phone for the umpteenth time. Scroll through your messages, reliving the moment in your head. 

Sylus was the first to wish you a happy birthday. It made you swell with overwhelming happiness, knowing he’d woken up so early to be the first to say it. You don’t think you’ve ever cried harder when he sent a voice message of him singing “Happy Birthday.”

God, for everything he was good at, poor baby couldn’t hold a note to dig himself out of a hole. Still, you cherished the gesture, lying in bed for the first hour you’d been awake, replaying said message and rolling around your bed like an enamored teen.

Even now, you replay the voice note, holding the speaker to your ear. It’s hard to hear it amid the live band playing and the merriment around you at the bar. Try as you might to enjoy what remains of your night, you can’t keep your thoughts from drifting back to a certain smug figure clad in black. 

(You): 🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛🐦‍⬛💥💥💥 (Sylus): hows it going birthday babe? (You): 😭😭😭 (You): u shuld be her e (Sylus) im sorry sweetie. i had some work to catch up on.  (Sylus): you must be having a good time. 😏 (You): fuk wrk 🖕🖕🖕 (You): am not drink ur dronk (Sylus): lol. you sound plastered. (Sylus): do i need to come rescue you? (You): hum (Sylus): ? (You): hone (You): home (Sylus): 🫤 (Sylus): we need to have a serious talk about you enabling autocorrect. (You): r u (You): home (Sylus): about to be. why ?? (Sylus): sweetie?

Somehow, you find yourself staring at the glossy, black numbers embossed on the top center of his door. 302. It’s ingrained in your memory. You’d probably find your way to his apartment with your eyes closed, driven to it by the familiar smell and homeliness it exudes. 

You’re still a little tipsy. Took some time to sober up as best you could before ditching your friends and catching an Uber back to your complex. You had enough sense to gather everything you’d shown up with. Didn’t hitch a ride with any strangers regardless of how many of them tried to pull you into their arms as you stumbled out of the bar. 

You had a one-track mind. Only wanted to spend the rest of your birthday with him.

With a goofy smile plastered on your face, you knock on his door. You’re singing that infectious song you can’t get out of your head when it swings open.

“Apateu-pateu, apateu-pateu,” you chant, shaking your hips from side to side.

He greets you with an omniscient smirk, eyes softening whilst leaning against the doorframe. “Well, hello, birthday babe.”

“Sup!” you return a little too enthusiastically, pitching forward until Sylus steadies you with his hands. You giggle like a drunken fool, peering at him. Hadn’t realized how good his hands felt, searing through the fabric of your top. 

Come to think of it, you hadn’t noticed many things about him before. His lips are a pretty shade of pink. Skin textured, nose sharp, cheeks high. Little flecks of amber dwell between the scarlet rinse of his eyes. His hair falls into his face, damp from the shower he probably had before answering the door.

“I take it you had a good night,” he says, gaze painting a steady triangle between your eyes and mouth.

“Almost,” you whisper back, surprised by the huskiness of your voice. You lose yourself in the idle stir of his eyes. In the fragility of his smile, and you feel so safe in his hands like this. 

You don’t know what compels you to do it. To conquer the space of hot, dizzying breaths between you. But, you sort of…well…

Your inhibitions hit the floor. With your fingers wrapped tenderly around his wrists, you angle yourself closer to kiss him. You almost pull away when he stiffens. But he seemingly relaxes, and his lips cautiously move against yours as he unconsciously guides you closer.

You cling to the sleeves of his sweatshirt. He encircles your waist in his powerful arms, fastening you to the hard press of his body. He kisses you like he’s waited lifetimes to do it, one hand molding around the apple of your cheek. 

When your tongue sloppily prods the barrier of his teeth, he bristles. Draws away from you with a resounding smack, blinking wildly. You’re confused. Your heart sinks. You try again to draw him back in, but he gently pushes you away, shaking his head to dispel the bleariness. To chase away the spell that’s fallen over you. 

“Baby, wait. No. Not…not like this,” he rasps through kiss-swollen lips, holding you by your hips. You’re wounded. A hot flush of embarrassment washes over you, and your brows knit together like those of a confused puppy.

“Wha-what’s wrong? Did I—am I—”

“No, no, you’re…you're perfect,” he soothes with a chuckle, a thumb gliding over your bottom lip. “Beautiful, even. I just…I don’t think now is a good time to do this.”

“Oh.” You deflate, a scorching film of tears clouding your vision. “Oh, okay. Um, I’ll just—yeah, I’ll go. I’ll…see you around, I guess.”

You slide out of his arms, too mortified to look back as you fumble with your keys. After he murmurs a hoarse, “good night.” Did you misread him before? Misinterpret his actions, his words? 

You’re numb as you sink into your couch. Sobriety slowly creeps in. Stray tears blister your cheeks, but you don’t full-on sob. Can’t bring yourself to, instead laughing hysterically with your face buried in your hands, swallowed by the bleak loneliness of your apartment.

Happy Birthday, indeed.

[wayward-stardust]

been thinking about how none of the adults in the isat party really had any plans for after defeating the king. it wasn't just siffrin! even as early as acts one and two, it's hinted at if you pay close enough attention to the dialogue.

isabeau brings up his dream of becoming a clothing designer exactly once: in loop zero. before fighting the king. when the thought of actually winning is still a hope rather than a reality.

as soon as that happens, his story changes.

he plans on taking up his old job again. the one he quit to support mira. the one he said he wouldn't go back to, in a timeline that's been long since overwritten. which may feel like a contradiction, but a) this isabeau never had that first conversation with sif and b) the atmosphere's completely shifted with everything else that's happened over the past day.

isa's supposed to be the rock of the party (pun intended). the emotional support. and now, he's supposed to be celebrating their victory, and ruining the mood by admitting he's not going back to anything meaningful would be breaking the persona he's worked so hard to craft. (also this dialogue occurs immediately after isa fails to confess to siffrin, which might have affected his mindset)

and even in that first scene, back at the favor tree in loop zero, isabeau's still unsure of himself.

he willingly admits to sif that he, too, doesn't have anything else planned for after. (in act one, where it's so easy to forget by the time sif actually succeeds). why would he? his closest friends are traveling with him. he's not particularly close with his blood family (especially after his change, i imagine, although he never talks about them enough to say for certain.) he abandoned his career that he no longer likes.

mirabelle, on the other hand, is very committed to staying a housemaiden. her original plan (in act one) for after is to start traveling again and go on her own pilgrimage. but, to me, it's never really felt like that's what she wanted to do, but more like what she felt she had to do.

she needs to go on a pilgrimage to change. because she's a housemaiden, which means prioritizing change, and she's already not dating and not getting bonded and not capital-c Changing so she has to make up for that elsewhere, and if even this whole journey to save vaugarde didn't change her she has to try harder, (and what she wants is to keep traveling with her friends but she's not going to admit that,) and... and so she has to!

even so, like isabeau, those initial goals fade away once she's actually defeated the king.

her dreams of continuing to travel and see the world and change things are replaced with just... staying at home. living in dormont. going back to her normal life. maybe, we can hope, part of that's because of the conversations she's had along the way — either her friendquest with siffrin or the whole "not being blessed by the change god" snack room discussion, alongside euphrasie's praise of her. maybe she's grown more comfortable with her relationship with her faith and her home (particularly in a friendquest run).

or maybe she's like isabeau and siffrin, wanting more out of her future but being unwilling to potentially sour the mood by asking for it. i suspect it's both, actually: she gets some character growth from the finale of her journey, but there's no way all her feelings of inadequacy can be erased in a day. she knows better than to actually admit that, though: after all, everyone else seems happy with their plans! they're the odd one out here!

madame odile’s the only one who keeps her story straight between iterations — no matter when siffrin asks her, she's still deciding whether to keep traveling or go home to ka bue.

(act 1 "what will you do after" conversation)

(act 2/3/4 end room conversation)

but, as she brings up at the end of act 5, that's not the whole story. she'd prefer to keep traveling with at least some of the others, but the whole group’s a bunch of blinding cowards she hasn’t found the right time to ask yet. unlike isabeau and mirabelle (particularly the post-King versions of them), odile's not hiding the fact that she's unsure of her plans. after all, she's more confident in herself and her goals: in fact, she's already succeeded at her goal of learning more about vaugarde.

like the two of them, though, there's still the uncertainty. the not being confident in what to do next. the thought of going home feels like an afterthought, almost. isabeau even says it, in act five.

it's what they "should" do next. what they're expected to do. what they all think everyone else wants to do.

but none of them really want to go home.

not siffrin, without a home to go back to. not odile, both ka buan and vaugardian by blood but never finding a true home in either. not mirabelle, growing beyond the home that she never felt comfortable in. not isabeau, leaving behind his home because he didn't like the person he was there.

or maybe they do want to go home — or more precisely, to stay there.

home is where your family is, after all.

[yourstrulynobody]

FAKE SAMS AND EAPS THUMBNAILS (based off yesterday's art) :D!!!

[EAPS] "ECLIPSE IS MISSING!"

[SAMS] "ECLIPSE GOES HOME... in VRChat"

(the storyline under cut, ft bad writing <3)

(THEY MAY BE OUT OF CHARACTER AS I AM HORRIBLE AT INTERPRETING PERSONALITIES, SO I DO APOLOGIZE! DO CORRECT ME IF IM WRONG. :D.)

Eclipse doesn't remember how he did it—to convince Solar Flare to help him find where their Sun and Moon now stay, but he managed to.

By the gods, they managed to in half a week.

The audible sigh of relief that came from Eclipse finding out Solar Flare wasnt doing as he dread, but doing as he requested was the most hes been at peace. Maybe Eclipse shouldve known when his companion gave him that knowing look when he spoke of his plan. Maybe.

This favor was huge yet Solar Flare didnt ask for anything in return, only that Eclipse find refuge and a home in this new dimension. That embrace Solar Flare initiated before allowing Eclipse to enter the portal was something Eclipse hadnt known he'd needed, but it was worth returning in a tighter hold.

It was hard to step in after, but Solar Flare's nod was enough to tell Eclipse that he was doing the right thing. His kids were gonna be informed, and they'd start anew like Eclipse had planned when he entered the other dimension before, far from the danger and problems.

His eyes landed on the exterior of a house, illuminated by the blue tone of the portal until it closed, leaving the house enveloped in shadows once more. Absentmindedly, his body surges forward and his hand raises to knock on the door twice, catching the attention of the people in the lit kitchen.

The door swings open, and a familiar voice speaks out—a voice Eclipse never knew he missed.

"Hello—? Gah!" Sun squeaks out, taking a step back as his faint glow reveals Eclipse's figure outside. Stammering, his gaze bounce between Eclipse and Moon, his brother staring in confusion. "M-m-moon, do—do we have, uh, a-a Eclipse in this universe?"

Moon perks up from his slouched spot against the counter, his guard raised. "I dont think we do..." He turns on his night vision just as Eclipse rudely welcomes himself in and... collapses into Sun's arms.

"Eclipse?!.." Moon rushes over to them, his hands no longer holding the cereal box as he raised them in worry, wanting to cup Eclipse's face but not knowing if he was allowed to.

Sun, though, was braver; his arm wraps around the taller animatronic, allowing Eclipse to use his shoulder as a pillow. "Eclipse!.." Sun whispers, more worried than Eclipse has ever heard Sun towards him.

They spoke his name ever so softly, like it were the first time theyve seen him.

It possibly was with his appearance—his slumped figure with worse eyebags and tear stains than both of them with the addition of his odd choice of sleepwear of a jacket layered on a turtleneck and baggy pants to hide his barefeet.

While Moon has met Eclipse a few days ago, he was certain Eclipse didnt look like he walked into hell before being dragged suddenly and knocked against rocks in his fallen state.

Just the way they spoke and fussed over him told Eclipse enough: he was safe. By the Astrals and stars in the sky, Eclipse was safe.

Safer than Puppet's greetings to him.

Safer than getting released from the mindscape.

Safer than getting his back patched up.

Safer than Charlie reuniting with her father.

Safer than Ruin giving him options on how to take a break.

Safer.

This dimension was safer.

Sure, the virus is at work and possibly infected plenty of devices already, but he was with someone—Moon who could actually help him in creating a cure, maybe even Solar and Monty could assist as they are both just as smart in that subject.

This was safe.

The safe haven Eclipse hasnt been given; the place where he could finally heal from his trauma.

The way he was held and spoke to so gently was like melody, the lullaby that lulled him into allowing his tears to finally escape as hes lowered to the ground, his head now on Moon's shoulder while Sun continued to hold him.

He was safe.

If not safe with his friends, than safe with his enemies.

Eclipse is safe.

[rafeovermorals]

joel carves his initials into your thigh.

content/warnings: joel makes sure everyone knows who you belong to, blood kink (like.. if this is not your thing please scroll), dark!joel, unspecified age gap, use of daddy, joel is possessive and controlling

it was girls night. well, it was supposed to be.

you were getting ready to go out with your friends— with plans to see a movie and get some ice cream. you had ditched them the last few weekends, joel always coming up with an excuse as to why you couldn't leave.

"nuh uh, you didn't finish your chores. next time, baby." or "you know that's past curfew, can't have you out after dark."

your friends didn't like him all that much. they believed he was too controlling, too mean, too scary. but they didn't know the joel that you knew— the one that protected you, nurtured you, saved you. the man who worked all day, every day just so that you didn't have to. you owed it to him to listen whenever he told you no, considering all that he does.

but joel was working late. he called you during his lunch break to let you know that it was taking him longer than expected, which meant he wouldn't be back in time to say no.

still, he knew something was up. you were too quiet when he talked to you that afternoon- not doing your usual whining whenever he had to break the news that he wouldn't be home for dinner, again.

you didn't fuss or even try to beg him to come home early like he expected you to. it made him feel good when you did that, being a reminder of how important he was. you depended and relied on him because he molded you to be that way, but to hear how much you wanted and needed him made everything worth it.

now joel was concerned. he sat back in his chair thinking about the last couple of days and your behavior. he hadn't checked your phone recently, could you have met someone new, maybe younger? were you losing interest in him, moving on? the thought alone had him seeing red.

so he ditched the rest of his work, and headed home.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

you didn't hear him come in, too busy applying another coat of lipgloss and checking yourself out in the bathroom mirror as he stood leaning against the doorframe.

"where do you think you're goin'?"

his voice startled you, dripping in a tone that you almost didn't recognize as joel's. it was low and unsettling, nothing like how it normally sounded when he greeted you.

you turned to meet his expression to see his face firm and unamused, not a twitch of a smile. you swallowed, eyes wide in shock.

"wh- what are you doing home so soon?"

"who are you to question me? i asked you somethin' first, so answer it." he gritted through his teeth, finger pointed at you.

"my friends wanted to see me, since you were still working i told them i could." you replied hesitantly, stepping back as he walked closer.

"so you were trying to sneak out? while daddy's busting his ass so that you have warm meals and a roof over your head, you were planning to go behind my back?"

you shook your head, frowning at his words. you hated to upset him and that wasn't your intention. he was right, he always was.

"it's not like that, i promise! we wouldn't be gone long, i swear."

joel didn't respond right away, silence lingering heavy in the air. your heart was thumping in your chest as he stared at you, finally getting a moment to scan over your figure to notice what you were wearing.

an outfit you had no business in is what it was. one he told you that you were only allowed to wear around him. it fit you perfectly— meaning it was too short, too pretty, too innocent.

joel was getting angrier the longer he looked at you. he realized you also did your makeup, the apples of your cheeks pink from blush and your lashes dark with mascara.

"think m'gonna let you leave the house lookin' like this? stupid girl."

before you could speak he cornered you against the sink, grabbing your waist and lifting you onto the counter as if you weighed nothing to him.

"dressed like you're seekin' another man's attention, damn shame. after everything i do for you." he muttered to himself, his fingers digging into the flesh of your stomach. you could tell by the pressure that he would leave bruises there tomorrow— and the more you whined, the harder he pressed.

he was too far gone to calm down at this point. you could tell by coldness in his demeanor and how he eventually stopped responding all together. his pupils were dilated, the rich shade of brown now blown to be pitch black.

"i don't have to go anymore, im sorry! we can stay here, together, please."

"too late for that, sweet baby." he parted your legs, nudging himself between the gap and impatiently shoving up the fabric of your skirt.

that's when you felt it. a cold, flat object dragging along the warm skin of your inner thigh. the cool sensation sent a chill up your spine, making you look down to spot the source.

he had a pocket knife in his right hand, the tip of the blade so close that it was ghosting just over your cunt.

it was the same one he always used. he kept it with him at all times, whether it was to crack open beers or to whittle his wood carvings. now he had the idea to use it on you.

your breath hitched, your body tensing as you watched him slowly brush it past your clothed clit. "joel, what are you-"

you were interrupted by the sound of cotton ripping, the blade slicing through the thin material of your underwear. you choked on a gasp, your eyes meeting his face to find a smirk. joel was skilled with a knife. he had years of experience longer than you were alive for, so he was more than careful and capable enough to assure he didn't hurt you. not there, at least.

"how can i leave y'alone when i can't even trust ya to stay put, huh? keepin' secrets, not being honest with me. maybe i ain't made myself clear yet."

he cut into your skin. a quick, thin line on the top of your thigh just under where your dresses normally stop at. you whimpered with a wince, beads of red prickling out from the area.

"shhh, it's okay. daddy's gotta do this though, so you'll learn." he pulled what used to be panties from underneath you, balling it together and holding the piece to your mouth. "here baby, bite down. it'll help."

you reluctantly accepted it, teeth clenching down and bracing from what was to come.

he used his other hand to hold down your leg. "try and stay still, so it comes out straight. want it to look nice." you felt the next cut, this time it hooking with a jagged curve at the end.

you sniffled through the pain, squeezing your eyes closed while he did the rest, tears falling from them with each incision-like gash. as much as it hurt, joel was gentle— mumbling praises "doing so well, sweetie." and "being such a good girl f'me."

his words went to your core, heating in sensitivity from the tingling burn that was left after each run of the blade which soon turned into pleasure. "you're enjoying this, aren't you? it's okay if you do."

you nodded desperately, a muffled mewl spilling from your lips while you bucked your hips for more.

the knife was soon replaced with something wet, providing relief to the wound. your vision, still blurry from the strain of crying, adjusted into focus see joel's head of curls crouched in front of you— face down and tonguing at the tender area.

he was licking your thigh, cleaning up the blood that had risen to the surface of your skin. he moaned into it, sucking with greed as if he craved the taste, placing kisses after each spot that he finished. it was a filthy imagine, downright horrific. "i could eat you all fucking day, baby, i swear. drain you dry."

the feeling was visceral, unlike any orgasm you ever had before. your legs were shaking as he did so, soaking the marble beneath you in your slick. he brought his mouth to your pussy and repeated the same actions there until you came, the sweet of your arousal mixing with the metallic of your blood that lingered on his tongue. his pulled back, his beard stained maroon— a color that could pass as being from a glass of wine.

what joel had done was sacred, intimate, metaphoric. a carnal desire, more true than any other act of love.

he made sure that he didn't go deep enough for stitches, but enough to leave a scar. one that would be a permanent reminder embedded and branded on you, forever.

you looked to see the initials engraved: J M

[thevoidstaredback]

Part 1

Jazz was right. Jazz was always right, but he went against here at every turn because he didn't want her to be right. But she was, and he could do nothing to change that.

One month, he'd asked for, and one month he'd been given. In that time, he'd done his best to warn the other ghosts at every turn; yelling the news at them while they fought, opening conversations with it, even going so far as to leave messages at all of their lairs. Most of them didn't listen to him. But then the attacks started.

A week after the initial law had past had gone by as they all had, albeit a bit more tense on Danny's side. Ghosts came through the portal, did some damage, fought Phantom, were captured and taken back to the Ghost Zone, only to come back the next day.

The G.I.W and the Dr.s Fenton had taken no longer than a week to plan their attacks. Now that they could take specimens kicking and screaming to their labs, they spared no resources to do just that.

Danny watched, over the course of the month, helpless as the ghosts were captured and dragged to a place he couldn't help them.

Wouldn't help them. He is, above all else, a coward.

As ironic as it was, and he knew full well the irony, their screams and expressions as they reached- screamed for his help haunted him at night, kept him awake at night.

At the end of the month, Jazz found him under his bed.She was quiet, simply there to listen should he want to talk. And, god, he wanted, needed, to scream at the top of his lungs for the whole world to hear. It's unfair what's happening to his people, friends or not. It's unfair that he has to leave lest the same fate befall himself.

"I'm such a coward," he whispered to his wall.

"Self preservation isn't the same as cowardice."

"Then why didn't I help the others? My whole thing is helping people and I-" a sob floated up and out of his throat, cutting him off, "They screamed for me and I let them be taken away."

"And they're gonna hate you for that-" Danny flinched. "-but they would have done the exact same thing should the roles have been reversed. And you did warn them. It's their own fault for not listening."

He didn't have anything to say. Jazz would argue into submission of her point whether he liked it or not, and he didn't want that. Maybe one day, but he wanted to wallow for a bit, to acknowledge his failings.

"You were right," he whispered eventually. She hummed. "I have to go.

"I know."

"I don't want to."

"I know."

"It hurts."

"And it will for a really long time, Danny, and all the words in the world can't make that go away, despite what either of us want."

"Where would I go?"

"You could always join Dani?"

"And risk world domination?"

Jazz chuckled, drawing a huff of a laugh from Danny. "Yeah, maybe it's best you two don't stay together for a long time."

A minute passed.

"I don't want to leave you guys."

"You can always message us whenever you want. Leaving doesn't mean cutting contact."

"What'll we tell mom and dad?"

"Who says we have to tell them anything?"

"They'll notice eventually."

"Then I'll tell them some approximation of the truth."

"Like what? That I'm half dead and fled the continent to get away from them?"

"That you're traveling with a friend you meet through Vlad. That you were feeling copped up in this small town and you wanted to explore."

"How're you gonna get Vlad to agree to this?"

"He will."

He wasn't going to ask. Some things were better left alone. "What'll I tell Tucker and Sam? I can't leave them in the dark!"

"We'll tell them as much of the truth as you want them to know."

"They're my best friends-"

"That doesn't entitle them to knowing things you don't want them to."

Slowly, Danny crawled from under his bed and sat next to Jazz. "I guess you're right."

"We can get you out of town tonight, but that's as far as I'll be able to follow."

"...I know."

"I love you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah." A beat. "I love you, too."

She hugged him tightly, tears that he didn't mention wetting his hair.

Part 3

[honey-doc]

Why I appreciate Kabru and Mithrun's relationship in the story (with pictures!)

I just want to express how much I loved reading through the chapter with the 6 days they spent together and how I think their relationship developed in a pretty sweet way.

I feel like a lot of people reduce their dynamic to "nurse and patient" and that makes me sad because I personally got a lot more from it than that.

I do wanna start off by saying I'm here appreciating their dynamic as it is in the text.

Read more (spoilers ofc):

The beginnings

When they first met, there was an air of intimidation surrounding Mithrun as the captain of the ominous Canaries. He demonstrates his proficiency as a fighter and leader which worried Kabru because he knew it would lead to the dungeon falling into elven hands once again. But this threatening aura begins to dim in Kabru's mind as they get to know each other.

Even before they fell down the hole, the both of them ended up relying on each other's abilities a number of times (when the underground governor turned out to be corrupted Mithrun defeated him and Mithrun needed Kabru's deduction skills during the battle on the first floor) which is already the beginning of a great dynamic

(Kabwu is scared but Mithrun just asks for his help)

After Cithis tasked him with "taking care of Mithrun's needs" for the time being, Kabru treated Mithrun with proper respect and doesn't take advantage of his disability, even using his title “Captain” when he knew Mithrun wouldn’t have cared either way after learning about how he lost his desires. This is in contrast to Cithis who immediately took advantage of her position to mess around with Mithrun when she was taking care of him.

(When Cithis was put in charge of taking care of Mithrun)

The whole time Kabru is with Mithrun, he treats him like a person and more than just someone to be taken care of, as also he relies on Mithrun's fighting skills, knowledge of the dungeon, and teleportation magic.

When you reduce their dynamic to just "caretaker and patient", you're ignoring Mithrun's own capabilities and making him seem totally helpless. It actually feels rather ableist. They have a more balanced relationship with what Mithrun brings to the table than you may think. Mithrun couldn't have survived down there on his own, but it's the same for Kabru (who famously dies every time he fights)!

Kabru doesn’t show signs of trying to manipulate Mithrun either, and he's no longer intimidated by him in the slightest once he learns he’s not a threat or after his life. Though he does instinctively revert to his "sparkly" persona to get Mithrun to eat the disgusting mushroom, it doesn’t work so Kabru just has him eat it normally and never tries it again. This is the beginning of Mithrun unintentionally encouraging Kabru to be more honest with others.

(Kabru realizing he can chill out)

(Kabru being unreserved and Mithrun being silly)

bonus funny moment:

Bonding

Throughout the journey they talked to each other, shared things with each other, and ate with each other. And Kabru expresses genuine concern about whether Mithrun is comfortable (which is something he could live without and wasn't something the Canaries told him to do).

(Kabru showing he wants to make him comfortable by making food for him which is a very important part of the narrative)

(Kabru sharing intimate memories with Mithrun)

(Kabru initiating conversation without hesitation or worry. This part also is referencing how Mithrun shared very important details of his life with Kabru. Kabru also ends up trusting Mithrun with information about Laios despite knowing he could possibly tell the other Canaries about him and impede his plans..which he does lol they do end up knowing about Laios before meeting him.)

For a bonus Lycion implies Kabru was taking better care of Mithrun than they had been which is interesting to me.

Mithrun also shows that he has come to trust Kabru's decisions over the Canaries' when he says he wants to stay in the dungeon after fulfilling the caretaker requirement. They did talk to each other a lot, during that time. I wonder what Mithrun's Shapeshifter double of Kabru would look like now?

Here, Kabru goes out of his way to make sure Mithrun doesn’t overexert himself by knocking him out after the demon leaves with Marcille (again, when his time taking care of him is already over), and I think that demonstrates an extra level of concern he holds for Mithrun.

(Kabru holding back a hellbent Mithrun)

(KNOCKOUT!)

He even managed to make Mithrun mad. It's probably because he "let the demon get away" but I think it's cute and funny because would he huff like that at anyone else? Lol

When the demon breaks through the surface

Kabru begins panicking after Laios turns into the giant monster because he's wondering if he made the right decisions etc. If Mithrun didn’t care about Kabru at least a little bit, he would’ve just left him alone when he started losing it (right after Marcille did the same thing and she is technically more to blame for empowering the demon than Kabru was for not allowing Mithrun to go after it), but he went out of his way to snap him out of it.

It also means a lot to me that Mithrun even says Kabru's name, because in Japanese you can go your entire life without referring to someone by name and it wouldn't sound wrong (just rude) and it's the first time Mithrun says Kabru's name on screen (I checked).

Though it was with a slap, I think it says a lot, because if Mithrun didn’t care at all he wouldn’t have done anything and left him alone. It's not like Kabru could've done anything to stop the demon. He didn't even to tell him to do anything even though Kabru looked ready for an order.

(To be honest I don't know exactly why Mithrun starts beating him up here but you can say it's another rare demonstration of emotion Kabru was able to evoke in him lol. Maybe it's payment for Kabru stopping him the first time. That can be interpreted as paying it back and/or paying it forward I think.)

The last few chapters

And in the end when Kabru’s motivating Mithrun to continue living his life, he speaks to him like they’re friends/have no rank between them despite using the Captain title for him the whole time. Even Lycion initially gets upset that he’s acting “too familiar” with Mithrun.

It feels like Mithrun changed so much in the short time he spent together with Kabru and before the final battle, and it’s thanks to Kabru that Mithrun finally starts to be able to move past his lingering obsession with the demon and begin to really heal.

This is despite the fact that he spent so much time with Milsril and the other elves who never managed to break through to him like that.

(Before Kabru) (After Kabru)

And even after his role as Mithrun's caretaker was loong complete, he still shows concern for Mithrun and tells him to take a break when he's using up all his magic to slice the Falin meat (lmao).

He didn't need to do that! But it shows how he at least slightly considers Mithrun some kind of friend.

It all culminates with Kabru helping Mithrun regain his wil to live and Mithrun confiding in Kabru. Their relationship is important. Kabru continuing to do things for Mithrun to me is more of a sign that he just plain cares about him. Isn't it normal when a friend needs medication for you to remind them to take it? I think it's like that.

Kabru is there with Mithrun when he comes out about his feelings of uselessness AND when Senshi helps him put a spin on the 'vegetable scraps' metaphor and he find meaning in his life again. He's the first one to see him cry :')

Along with the fact that it feels like Mithrun is the first person we see Kabru doesn't feel the need to change his personality with or put on airs for since Mithrun doesn't need buttering up and he won't get offended if someone were to say something socially awkward, I think they made a pretty good team!

BUT ALSO the REAL reason I became endeared to them is cute shit like this:

GOD I love them!!!!! There are so many funny sides to Mithrun Kabru was able to bring out, and really show his charm as a character. Mithrun also brings out the best in Kabru while Kabru’s the most genuine he’s been since his debut with Mithrun. We are able to see that he’s just a kind and caring person, rather than the shady obsessed guy most fans have come to believe him to be.

The true depths of their dynamic also grew on me over time :)

TLDR

All in all it’s so nice seeing how even though Mithrun is a really deadpan person, and Kabru is a really secretive and withheld person, they clearly seem to have developed some kind of bond while they traveled together and even changed each other to an extent.

Doesn't Kabru feel more honest near the end? Maybe it's because of how much he talked to and shared with Mithrun during those 6 days so candidly...because they taaaalked a looooot like wow.

They mean so goddamn much to me. I don’t need them to be in a romantic relationship but I do want them to be together forever :'))) or like at least hang out when they have off time since they're still in the same country lol. Praying for Kui to make another side comic of them some time (crying).

Thanks for reading if you made it this far, I mostly arranged this because it makes me sad to see people reduce their dynamic to only one singular aspect.

Anyways ya...love 'em (heart hands)

[velvetcrimsonkisses]

Ino who has such a big cock but doesn’t know how to use it. But it’s okay!! Because he now has you to help him out.

“You like that don’t you pretty boy…?”

Your words like soft silk flood his sensitive ears as you press soft, sensuous kisses all over his perfect face. The way you have him straddled, grinding yourself against his painfully hard cock holds him in awe. He feels his mind drift into a haze, no longer able to form any words. All he can do is nod his head as he allows you to have your way with him.

He closes his eyes, savoring the sweet sensation of your lips on his skin. You could tell he was nervous, it was like this everytime. He never knew where to put his hands, or if he should try kissing you back or even try to initiate something more… he left it all up to you.

He liked when you touched him. The way your hands slipped under his black crew neck always got his muscles to tense up. He loved it when they tread lower and you graze over his v-line. Biting his lip so he doesn’t embarrass himself with the sounds he makes. But he can’t help but turn into a whiny mess when you tug down on his sweats, revealing what you both wanted most.

“Sorry…” He stumbles over his words. “If it’s not… what you expected.” His face rapidly flushes red.

Your eyes widen at the image in front of you. “I think it’s… more than I expected.” Your words only fluster him more, using his hand to hide his face. It’s a good thing you already knew how to calm him down because you only planned to ruin him even more.

He spreads his legs further as an invitation, his thick cock already covered in pre-cum bobs up slightly. Finally gaining the confidence to touch you, his hands shoot up to your hips as you ease yourself on his cock. Slowly you sink down onto him, his eyes rolling back in pleasure as a low groan escaping his lips. “Fuck…me..”

He looks back up at you with dewy eyes, almost on the verge of crying because of how good you felt around him. His hips buck up, wanting you to move. He gasps as you begin to ride him, his head falling back against the pillow. He couldn’t help but watch the way your body moved against him, especially your tits, that just so happened to be right in front of his face.

His eyes now fixed on yours, almost asking you for permission to touch you more. The moment you give him a reassuring nod, his hands reach up to cup your chest, his thumb flicking over your delicate nipples, still watching you take control over him. The stretch of his cock inside you felt wonderful, you were sure you weren’t going to last long. But given the way Ino was like right now, you were definitely lasting more than him.

His hands fall back down your hips, gripping your hot skin tightly, as he tries to keep up with your frantic pace. His eyes are fixed on you, with a burning intensity, babbling complete and utter nonsense to you. His cock pulses inside you, threatening to spill over at any moment.

“Do you think you could last a little longer for me baby?” you ask him almost out of breath, using his shoulders to keep you stable, as you continue moving against him.

“Y-yes ma’am,” he whines. He’s telling you yes but shakes his head no, looking up at you with those big brown eyes again. He was so close, he could barely handle it anymore. His hips continue to meet your movements, struggling to hold back his release.

“Just a little longer baby..” you hold on to him tighter, squeezing on to his biceps as you feel yourself getting closer and closer. “M-m trying..” he responds to you with urgency in his voice. Eyes still pleading with you to let him cum deep inside you. His fingers dig into your ass, pulling you down harder onto him with every thrust.

His cock twitches and throbs inside you, the urge to fill you up now more than he can resist. He looks at you one more time, eager for your permission. Before you could even whisper yes, hot spurts of thick cum shoot inside you as you both orgasm in sync. He empties himself completely inside you before collapsing onto you. Strong hands still envelope you as his head buries itself into your chest. And all he can do is thank you as he tries to catch his breath.

Masterlist

Discord

[wendichester]

hi! I was thinking if you could write something kinda angst??? where reader have been acting kinda strange and having those little moments where she looks sick, and then she tells dean she's pregnant ! how you think he is going to take it?

Or maybe secret baby ! dean and reader see eachother again after a little bit more than a yer and she's with a pretty baby that looks like him !

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ not ready yet,

summary. you've been keeping your pregnancy from dean and he doesn't take it well.

pairing. dean winchester x reader

wordcount. 681

notes. i do feel like his initial response would be flight--too scared that he'd turn out like john, that we'd mess you and the baby up. though he would eventually get his head straight and come running back, wanting to do this with you. thanks for the request, love! 🩷

Dean Winchester knows when something’s wrong.

You’ve been acting off for weeks now—ducking out of conversations, getting quiet when Sam asks how you’re doing, disappearing to the bathroom for longer than usual. And the worst part? You won’t tell him what’s going on. It’s eating him alive.

So, when you sit him down in the motel room with that look—wide-eyed and scared, your fingers twisted together like you’re holding yourself together—it feels like a punch in the gut before you’ve even said a word.

“Alright,” Dean says, leaning back against the dresser, arms crossed over his chest. His voice is calm, but there’s an edge to it, his jaw tight. “What’s going on? You’ve been weird for weeks.”

You flinch at his tone, but you don’t blame him. He’s been patient, and you’ve been distant. Still, his frustration only makes the knot in your stomach tighten.

“I need to tell you something,” you start, your voice shaky.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Dean snaps, and immediately regrets it when he sees the way your shoulders tense. He softens, exhaling through his nose. “Sorry. Just... talk to me, alright?”

You take a deep breath, trying to find the words, but they feel stuck. Heavy. Impossible.

“I’m pregnant.”

It comes out barely above a whisper, but it feels deafening in the silence that follows.

Dean blinks at you, his expression blank for a moment. And then he laughs—short, sharp, bitter. “That’s not funny.”

“It’s not a joke,” you say, your voice trembling. “I’m serious, Dean.”

He stares at you like you’ve just told him the world’s ending. “You’re serious,” he repeats, more to himself than to you. He rubs a hand down his face, pacing a few steps before stopping and turning back to you. “How the hell did this happen?”

You bristle at his tone. “You want me to explain the birds and the bees, Dean? Because I thought you had that part figured out.”

“Don’t,” he says sharply, his voice rising. “Don’t do that. Don’t make this a joke.”

“I’m not joking!” you snap back, standing up now, your hands clenched into fists at your sides. “Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I planned this? Because I didn’t. I didn’t ask for this, Dean.”

“And you think I did?” Dean fires back, his voice breaking. “We’re hunters, for God’s sake! We don’t get white picket fences and diaper changes. This isn’t our life!”

“I know that!” you shout, tears stinging your eyes. “But it’s happening, Dean. Whether you want it or not, it’s happening.”

The room falls into a tense, suffocating silence. Dean looks away, his hands on his hips, his head tilted back like he’s trying to find some kind of answer on the ceiling.

“I can’t do this,” he finally says, his voice barely audible.

The words hit you like a slap, and your breath catches in your throat. “What?”

“I can’t...” Dean shakes his head, his voice rough. “I’m not... I’m not built for this. I’ll screw it up. I’ll screw you up. I can’t—”

“Stop,” you cut him off, your voice breaking. “Just stop. If you don’t want to do this, fine. But don’t stand there and act like you’re protecting me by walking away. You’re just running, Dean. Like you always do.”

His head snaps back to you, hurt flashing in his eyes. “That’s not fair.”

“Neither is this,” you say, tears spilling over now. “But I don’t get to run. I don’t get to walk away from this. So, if you can’t handle it, just say that and go.”

Dean stares at you, his jaw working like he’s trying to say something, but nothing comes out. Finally, he shakes his head and storms out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

The silence he leaves behind feels heavier than any words he could’ve said.

You sink back onto the bed, your hands trembling as you press them to your stomach. You’re not sure if you’re more angry or heartbroken, but it doesn’t matter. All you know is that you’re doing this alone.

⋆˚࿔ read part 2

want be part of the taglist.ᐣ ⋆.˚ ★— @iloveeveryoneyoureamazing ⋆ @deans-daydream ⋆ @ariasong11 ⋆ @ambiguous-avery ⋆ @krabog ⋆ @itsdearapril ⋆ @nymphet-quenn ⋆ @bluemerakis ⋆ @titsout4jackles ⋆ @lyarr24 ⋆ @hauntedrose555 ⋆ @chevroletdean ⋆ @dulcescorderitas ⋆ @blackmarketfruitrollups ⋆ @impala67rollingthroughtown ⋆ @rulesareshadesofgrey ⋆ @nervoussystemss ⋆ @daryls-luvrr ⋆ @defnot-svnshine ⋆ @sunnyteume ⋆ @drakelover78 ⋆ @angelblqde ⋆ @mostlymarvelgirl ⋆ @whisperingdaze ⋆ @bossyblondie ⋆ @lieutenantchaos

[purinfelix]

ᯓ crawling back to you ⋆.˚ - [ L.HS ]

summary: it's been almost two months since you've seen Heeseung, but now he's on your doorstep, drunk, desperate - and without his phone pairing: reader x exbf! heeseung || non-idol au, mentions of drinking and some unwanted touching, sfw mostly fluff/angst || w/c: 1.8k

a/n: ok this idea lowkey came to me so randomly AND ended up being way longer than i planned but i don't know what it is i love pathetic yearning men

You'd be lying if you said you were completely shocked. Even as you reached for the door handle after hearing a faint knock, a part of you already envisions him behind the door - maybe it's your intuition after countless late nights just like this, but a part of you deep down considers the possibility that maybe, just maybe, it might be hope.

"Heeseung," you breathe out once you see him, your tone of disappointment thinly veiled as a shock.

This is definitely the drunkest you've seen him, and judging from the way he's swaying side to side unsteadily and struggling to lift his head up to look at you - you'd say it's the drunkest he's been in a while.

He doesn't even greet you, just stumbles towards you, limp body crashing into yours sending you back a couple steps. Your hands fly up to grip his shoulders, which are burning warm as he writhes under your touch, letting out a soft hum, that if you didn't know any better you might've taken as a sign of satisfaction.

"You drank too much," you huff, trying your best to maintain the air of annoyance you feel at him showing up, mostly because if you don't you know you'll be far too quick to let him in. "You should go home," you say to him.

He only lets out a faint whine in response, clearly not wanting to obey as he snakes an arm around your waist, burying his flushed face into the crook of your neck. You feel yourself slip, and for just a second your back arches, pushing yourself flush against him.

But you manage to catch yourself, pushing him away by the shoulders even as he resists you. Finally, as he lets out a breathy pant and flicks his hair away from his forehead, you get a glimpse of his face - and almost immediately you feel a strange pang in your heart as you do.

He looks almost exactly the same as the day you left him, large doe eyes staring into yours with his brows furrowed just enough to seem pleading, begging you not to make him leave. Only now his cheeks are far more flushed and underneath his eyes are dark rings - a sign that he hasn't been taking care of himself nearly as well as you'd hoped.

"I missed you," he says, and his voice is so tiny you barely recognise it. But the desperation in his tone and the way his bottom lip quivers as he speaks is far too familiar .

You can't turn him away, not now, not when he's here and drunk and looking at you like that.

"C'mon in," you sigh, guiding him gently with an arm around his waist as he naturally loops his around your shoulder, leaning his body weight against yours. It isn't easy but you manage to make your way to your living room, letting him lay down on your couch. His eyes are already half closed as he lies down, and you feel a slight relief at the thought that maybe this night won't be as difficult as you had initially believed.

"Give me your keys and phone, I'll look after them while you rest," you say, kneeling beside the couch so that you're level with his eyes.

They flutter back open for just long enough that you feel your cheeks heating up at the close eye contact, even more, once you notice a smile spreading across his face.

"You look even prettier than I remember," he hums to himself and you can't help but let out an indignant scoff to cover up how flustered you feel. He's drunk, he doesn't mean it you tell yourself as you move to search for his belongings to take care of. You pat down his jacket pocket and manage to track down his keys - though not without him squirming under your touch, letting out immature giggles. But his phone is nowhere to be found.

As if summoned by the sudden panic you feel at the thought of him losing his phone, your own phone lets out a chime from where you've left it on the coffee table. Weirdly enough when you pick it up you see it's a notification from Heeseung, or at least, his phone.

[ hello? ]

The thought of some stranger stealing his phone and running off with it worries you, and so you're quick to type back as you settle onto the floor next to the couch.

[ hi? ] [ hey! this is Jake, i'm Heeseungs friend, tho i'm not sure if we ever properly met ]

You let out a faint sigh of relief. The name sounds familiar enough to bring up memories of Heeseung mentioning the people in his classes - so you choose to believe him.

[ oh, right, were you out with him earlier? ] [ yeah, i'm guessing he already made it to your place ]

You furrow your brows as irritation suddenly washes over you, his friend knew he would come here and didn't stop him?

[ how do you know that? ] [ wait, did he not? ] [ no, he did, i'm just curious why you assumed it so quickly ] [ well he was talking about you all night, kept mentioning wanting to see you again so ... ] [ oh, right ] [ tho that's not much difference to what he's like every day ] [ ??? wdym ] [ he talks about you all the time ]

You pause, eyes wandering from your phone screen to the couch behind you which Heeseung's sprawled across, long limbs barely fitting. You can hear soft snores as he sleeps, and if you look for long enough you can see his chest rising and falling gently.

He talks about you all the time.

You don't know what shocks you more, the fact that he - the man who you broke up with, admittedly pretty coldly, almost a month ago, talks about you - someone who he should regard with bitterness and maybe even hatred, all the time.

The buzzing of your phone in your hand brings you back to the present.

[ hello? everything alright? ] [ yeah, yeah sorry he's alright he's just sleeping on my couch right now ] [ wow, thanks, i figured you'd just turn him away but i guess i can head back home knowing he's with you ] [ wait, you have his phone tho? ] [ yeah, he forgot it at the restaurant when he left for your place ] [ typical ] [ yep lol ]

You pause again, chewing your bottom lip as you consider whether to ask the question that's been plaguing your mind - but you figure you can't let an opportunity like this go without at least getting some answers and so without too much thought your fingers move swiftly to type it out.

[ has he been doing ok? ] [ it's hard to say, i mean, we think so but he's definitely been different ]

The painful pang in your heart strikes again, though this time it's closer to a sinking feeling. The thought of Heeseung not taking care of himself, being in pain or upset is one thing - but knowing that it's because of you hurts in a way you can't describe. Though, you're considerate enough not to let this show in your response.

[ i see ] [ don't beat yourself up over it tho, he'll be alright. I'll make sure he is ] [ thanks, i appreciate it ] [ anytime ] [ how come you didn't stop him from coming over? ] [ dude we tried, but he was too insistent ] [ seriously? ] [ you should've seen him, i thought he might start throwing punches if we didn't let him be ] [ and none of you thought to come with him? make sure he got here safe? i mean, he drank a lot right? ] [ i was going to, but he wouldn't let me - said something about wanting to go alone, and none of us deserving to see you ]

You pause again, and even though the thought of your ex boyfriend drunkenly fighting with his friends is a little funny, even to you - you can't help but feel confused about this entire situation. Why, out of all the people he knew, would Heeseung come to see you, at a time like this?

It's as if Jake is able to read your mind with his perfect timing and as your phone buzzes again you look down at it to see his message.

[ he must really feel safe with you ]

As soon as the message appears you find yourself unconsciously reading it over and over, as if it might change at any minute. Change into something that isn't so difficult to digest, something along the lines of "he wasn't thinking right" or "he was just desperate for a place to crash" - something that doesn't hurt so much because you know, deep down, that it's true, and you want it to be.

But no matter how many times you reread it, the words and the truth stay the same and even as you switch off your phone with trembling hands, it echoes in your mind.

He must really feel safe with you.

With a tired sigh, you slowly shift to get up and head to your own room, but somehow Heeseung's hand finds its way into yours - intertwining your fingers tightly in a way you wish didn't bring you so much comfort. He pulls on it, mumbling something that sounds like "don't go" in a tiny, pleading voice. You're unsure of whether he's actually awake or even knows what he's saying, but you still do as he says, sitting back down and keeping his hand in yours. With your other hand, you brush a couple stray strands of hair away from his forehead allowing you to get a better look at his face - which you're realising you've missed a lot more than you realised.

Maybe tomorrow when he wakes up, you'll get to properly talk about this, about what happened between you two. Or maybe he'll be too embarrassed and will play it all of as a big joke. Or maybe he'll be too ashamed to even talk to you, instead leaving without saying so much as a word.

The possibilities play out in your head one after another, but the only thing you can focus on is the fact that, at least for now, he's here, lying on your couch sleeping peacefully, and you are too, holding his hand. And at least for tonight, the two of you are together and everything is alright.

[risuola]

ENTRY #10 ♡ F. READER X GOJO SATORU // You make my heart do things it's not supposed to do.

contents: arranged marriage!au, teeth rotting fluff, nothing else — wc. 1000

a/n: expect me to drop few entries very quickly because they are all finished in my drafts <3

series masterlist

It still flustered him.

Satoru never, not once in his 28 years of life, felt more confused, than right now. Why was his heart doing backflips in his chest? He sat there, on the wooden chair frozen and thankful for the furniture that held his weight because if suddenly it’d be taken away, he would collapse to the floor, meet the cold kitchen tiles and melt against them into a puddle of mess. He was there, stuck in time with his head empty and heart racing in his chest, rumbling against the cage of his ribs while you were going about the day without a care and attention to his pathetic state. A state you reduced him to.

It’s been few minutes already and Gojo sat there in silence, watching your back as you were washing fruit in the sink, snacking on the juicy strawberries he grabbed for you earlier that morning — a gesture foreign to his own body but he wanted, for once, to be the person who made you smile and not only experience the effect of someone else’s doing. He woke up earlier that day, before the sun even peaked above the horizon line and with his thoughts racing and stomach full of butterflies, he went on a very special mission.

It was a tiny market, way outside Tokyo but with the loveliest sellers. He found a booth he eyed once when on the job in the area, a stand full of little hand-woven baskets, each of them brimmed with fruit. The strawberries were red, some very bright and some very deep in color, glistening in the early sun with the morning dew that scattered across the surface looked as if little crystals were adorning the harvest. Satoru smiled and the old lady smiled as well.

“How can I help you, young man?” She asked, spreading her arms invitingly and Satoru could tell, by the look of her calloused hands, stained in juice and dirt, she was working hard every day to make a living.

“My wife loves strawberries,” he began, catching himself on the ease with which the word wife left his mouth, “but I don’t know much about picking the best ones. Could you help me with that?”

“You came to the right place, son!”

Just few moments later, Satoru was walking slowly towards his house, after warping back into the city. In his hand, a bag hung hooked over his fingers, full of those little baskets and their contents. He might have gone overboard with the purchase, but the joyful tears that welled in the eyes of that old woman when he paid her for fruit — definitely much more than it was worth according to the prices — he had no regrets. In result he carried the bagful of not only strawberries but also some apples, raspberries and sweet cherries — all of which he was forced to take, despite his initial plans of getting only the red ones you like so much.

“There you are, right on time,” your beautiful, melodic voice greeted him the moment he swung the doors open, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He could’ve bought you flowers as well, he planned to do so, but he had to evacuate himself from the grasp of that one seller lady, because as lovely as she was, if he stayed a moment longer, she would pack him her entire harvest of that morning. “I thought you went out earlier, but I made breakfast for you anyway.”

“I went for a little walk,” he said, trying to sound as nonchalant and at ease as he could despite the rageful whirl of butterflies in his stomach. Why was he so nervous? “And I bought you these.”

A soft thud barely made itself apparent above the cacophony of clinking plates and cutlery, but it was enough to catch your attention. You looked at him, curious, and somewhat carefully reached into the bag now rested on the kitchen table. Your face brightened up, your eyes glimmered and you smiled — and Satoru could’ve sworn he’s never seen something more beautiful. You reminded him of a child that got a toy it dreamed of. Pure happiness washed over your features and he wondered if it was always that easy to bring joy to your otherwise calm self.

“Oh my god, Satoru–“ you gasped out, fishing out one of the berries and after a short rinse under the water, you popped it into your mouth and melted. He was told by the woman in the market that the type she was growing on her fields was exceptionally sweet, with the right amount of tang and a lot of juice.

“Tasty?” He asked, watching how you savored the flavor with pure pleasure.

They were tasty. He found out himself, because when your lips pressed to his own, he forgot how to breathe and the only things on his mind were the plushiness of your mouth and that sweetness. His body moved on its own, his hands found their place on your hips, pulled you in, as if it was a natural reaction for him to bring you closer.

And then, before he managed to secure his grip on you, you were gone from his proximity, leaving only the lingering taste of strawberries on his lips and a growing confusion.

I love you.

He heard that right, a gentle whisper against his mouth. You said it, this time you said it for sure, this time he was sure the words actually were spoken, not read between lines.

“Sit down, Satoru, eat your breakfast,” you sing-sang happily, as if you didn’t stop the entire globe just now. As if you didn’t just alter the universe he was in, shifting the rhythm of the muscle in his chest permanently. As if you didn’t just tell him you love him.

But he sat down, afraid to not lose his balance and absentmindedly shoved a piece of a pancake into his mouth.

taglist: @kinny-away @anan-baban @lotomber @netflix-imagines @kawliflo @nishloves @ghostfacefricker6969 @thejujvtsupost @yozora7154 @cherrycolabarbedwirebedpost @stuckinmoilalaland@ae-mius @ropickle @chokesonspit @lansy-4 @mo0sin @just-pure-trash @foliea @bakarinnie @big-booty-joe

[konigsblog]

as my favorite könig smut writer you’re the only one i trust to do dbf!neighbor!könig x early 20s!reader with the dirtiest, sloppiest, most toe curling age gap smut 💗💗

dbf!neighbour!könig?! sign me the fuck up, i could write a whole series for that filthy man!

synopsis; your father's best friend, könig, has been struggling to get himself into a stable, loyal relationship lately. luckily for him, you offer him some sort of release.

tw/cw; age gap/difference, early 20s! reader x late forties!könig, weed use, blowjob, mutual masturbation, PinV, tell me if i missed anything. MDNI 18+ 🍃

photo credits; @ave661

You've had the hots for your father's best friend for quite a while.

He doesn't live very far from you at all. In fact, he lives next door and visits your father pretty often to smoke together and talk about whatever is bothering him, which usually includes topics like König's failed relationships and inability to hold a woman for longer than a week.

Aside from wanting to rant about his horrible, fucked-up love life and to smoke weed with your old man, he wants to see you as well—maybe even more than speak with your father.

When your father is busy doing something else, like washing the dishes or cleaning his car outside, König will excuse himself to the bathroom and will sneak into your bedroom to admire the place. You have plans to move out soon, but currently, you stay with your father inside of your childhood home. König's hand "mysteriously" sneaks into your clothing hamper and begins looking for a pair of panties.

It's alright, you won't notice surely...

And you can't deny your attraction to him. The sound of his familiar, accented voice leaves your knees weak and your panties damp and soaked with the thoughts running through your dirty mind at the moment. You smile at König and talk to him about your plans for college, watching as his eyes flicker from your chest to your eyes, your nipples turning into little stiff buds at the cold breeze in the living room.

Today was like any other saturday; your father was away down the road for some beers with his other friends in the afternoon while König had just arrived home from another fucked-up date, ending like the rest of his dates have. He looks dishevelled and in dire need of some sort of release. He's visibly and clearly pent up and exhausted, rolling himself a joint to relax, leaning against his porch and closing his eyes tightly. He's deep in thought and doesn't realise that you've sneaked up on him, practically jumping out of his skin at your sudden presence.

“Shit, Mäusi— I didn’t see you there... What’s wrong, dear?” He smiles forcefully. He doesn't want to bother you with his shitty life since you're probably all worked up from college and stressed out, but you insist that he tells you what's bothering him. It doesn't take a lot of convincing since it's hard to deny you, especially when you say that you can help him if he explains.

He invites you inside and offers you a joint, in which you gratefully accept and seat yourself beside him, ready to act as a therapist for him.

“Another fucked date with another woman who seems interested in me, but actually isn’t. It seems like I can’t please any women.” He admits through gritted teeth. At the sight of his frustration, you place your hand on his thigh teasingly. “Do you think there is anything I can do to help?” You ask quietly with a mischievous and playful smile plastered on your face. Your voice is seductive and sultry, eyes half-lidded and lustful. God, You really are a tease, huh?

“And what are you hinting at, Liebling?”

König always thought he'd be the one to initiate, but right now, he was struggling to keep his composure and quickly found himself falling for your acts of seduction. You lowered yourself onto your knees and began to unzip his jeans, cocking your head to the side at the sight of his aching cock springing out in your face. You giggled while König pulled his large hands into fists, throwing his head back at the wet sensation of your lips wrapped around his swollen, weeping cock. He'd been dreaming of this moment for months, Liebe.

The things you do to König fucked-up head, Good Lord. He couldn't help the sounds of pleasure running through his lips, his dick painful at your tight grip and pleasure.

His sounds came out pained and guttural, pleased but so on edge and anxious of what your father would think about him after being so touchy-feely with his best friend's daughter. He curses himself out for agreeing to this, feeling like such a pervert despite yearning for more of your addictive, sweet touch. “Feel good?” You question him, knowing he'll get frustrated and will force your head down onto his leaking boner. He huffs and puffs, gripping your hair in a tight fist and pushes your head down with a loud moan leaving his mouth, choking on his groans and grunts.

You coat König's lengthy shaft in your spit to get him slick enough, before seating yourself onto his big lap, your hand stroking and fisting his dick. He slides his fingers into your hole with his eyes wide at the sensation and texture of your gummy walls. He chokes on his pleased sounds as you tease his tip by rolling your soft thumb over his uncut, creamy tip and feel as your folds are stuffed with his thick digits. He pumps them into your soaking cunt and admires the sticky mess left between your fingers, curling his fingers deep inside your gummy cunt.

“C’mere, Taube—Kiss me, please.” He grumbles out, getting obsessive with the pleasure you offer him. He places his lips against yours, making out with you messily and sloppy, the effects of the marijuana leaving him relaxed and at ease with all his concerns and worries forgotten about. His tongue rolls over your bottom lip while you squeeze his dick, whimpering into the sweet kiss. König's fingers begin to pump into you even faster, pulling away to beg you to sit on his cock. You're on edge and shaking pathetically, nearing your orgasm but not quite fully there.

“Sit on it, dear. Don’t be so shy, not now you can’t.” The smell of nicotine sticks to his skin, your thighs shaking as you begin to ease down onto his weeping, veiny dick. König doesn't hold back the sounds of his arousal and euphoria as it burns through his large body, bucking his broad and sturdy hips into your body while cursing you out for being such a dirty tease. You leave König totally obsessed after finally receiving some action after so long.

You bounce on his lap while he fucks his bulbous cock deep into your drooling slit. You gasp and roll your eyes to the back of your head at the ache andd pleasure between your thighs, unable to stop letting out the most perverted and pleased noises. You can feel as König hits your cervix with each thrust and his heavy balls slap against your rear as he drives his hips against your tight rear. Your eyes fill with tears at the pain and stretch, his girthy dick leaving you breathless as you admire the state he leaves your pussy in; raw and sensitive.

König can't hold himself back when you begin to lose control. Sweet, pearly droplets of your sweet arousal run down his boner and coat his length, allowing him to fuck you even harder and deeper with ease as he uses your sweet juices as lube.

“That’s it, little one—God, look how well you’re taking’ me, princess. You’re a mess, such an addictive mess, huh? You’re gonna be an obsession of mine, that’s for sure.” König grits his teeth as he bucks his hips into you even harder, his eyes shut tightly as your walls clamp down around him one last time, filled with ropes of his white creaminess. You pant and heave at the stomach bulge caused by his loads and ropes of his hot release. You grip his jaw to make out with him, your body sweaty and hot with König's cheeks flushed a rosy pink.

You have to sneak back home before your father comes back and asks what you were doing over at his best friend's house. König would be slaughtered if he found out the truth.

You just have to act all innocent, as if König's milky and potent load is oozing out of your hole and dampening your panties at the dinner table.

[lvrhughes]

I Didn't Mean For This | M. Rempe

word count: 2.19k

pairing: Matt Rempe x fem!reader

summary: Matt makes a bet with his teammate that he can get any girl in the club.

warnings: Matt's an asshole? angst?

requested: yes

notes: this took a little longer than I hoped to write and the ending kind of sucks, imo, but I hope y'all enjoy!

“I don’t think you could get any girl in here.” 

It was a stupid argument, starting between Braden and Matt. Forcing their teammates into the conversation, with Matt claiming he could have any girl in the room. 

“Let’s settle this, Matt you get with her,” Jacob pointed to the first girl he saw, somewhere around Matt’s age, she was gorgeous, “For a week then you’ve won, if not, Braden was right.” 

Matt nodded, he could do this. He made his plan, running through what he would do to gather your attention, ignoring his teammates remarks about how immoral this was. 

His movements were precise, walking over to you with a goal, leaning against the bar you sat at, watching you glance up at him when he slid beside you. 

“Anyone sitting here?” He spoke softly, testing the waters. 

“No, it’s all yours.” 

He smiled, sliding down onto the stool beside you, his hand lingering on the tabletop beside yours for a minute longer than necessary. 

“What’s your name?” He was the first to speak, initiating the conversation, asking you simple questions about your life and answering as if he were genuinely interested. 

Within the hour, he’d learned all he needed, he had your name and your number and a date set up for tomorrow night. 

“See you tomorrow Matt.” You held a shy smile as your friends returned to drag you away from the bar and back to your apartment. 

Nervous would’ve been an understatement, waiting for Matt to arrive the following night. He had messaged ten minutes ago, claiming he was just leaving his apartment, he’d been at yours in fifteen minutes. You paced the room nervously, anxiously cleaning up random things in your kitchen, before being interrupted by a soft knock on your door. 

Opening it quickly to reveal Matt, dressed in well-fitting jeans with a button up, holding a bouquet of roses. He was quick to push the roses towards you, telling you how beautiful you looked and that the flowers were for you. 

“Thank you.” you almost whispered, shocked at how formal he was being, quickly finding a vase for them to stay in before following him out, taking his outstretched hand, letting him lead the way. 

“I hope you don’t mind, but I thought we could do something different than go to a restaurant.” He spoke softly, opening the door of his car for you before walking around to his side. “I was thinking we could go to the arcade.”

It was a quick drive to the arcade, Matt’s eyes occasionally drifting from the road to you during the ride. He was quick to remove himself from the driver's seat, running in front of the car to open the door to the passengers side, holding his hand out for you to take. 

“What a gentleman.” Your tone was soft, joking, watching him smile at the words. 

“Mama raised me right.” He grinned, leading the way into the arcade. 

The night moved fast, playing every game that caught your eye, letting Matt win prizes for you, it was something of a movie that made you sad when it came to an end. 

Leaving at the same time the arcade closed, hand in hand with Matt while he led you back to his car, driving you back to your apartment slowly, savoring his time with you. 

“I wish this night would never end.” He whispered, his hands on your hips, standing outside your apartment door. 

“Me too.” 

Without thinking, he was kissing you. Your lips molded together perfectly, his hands keeping you pulled tight against his body, your hands tugging through his hair. 

He pulled away panting, his forehead pressed to yours while you smiled, pecking his lips once more before turning inside, whispering a ‘good night’ while he stared as you closed the door behind you. 

His walk down the hall was slow, his hands gripping his phone where he rewatched the video, listening to the conversation that had just played through before sending it to Braden. The simple ‘6 more days’ text that followed had him smiling, opening the door to his car while he simply liked the message. 

It was no more than a day later when Matt showed up at your door again, holding takeout and sporting a shy smile. 

“What are you doing here?” The smile on your face was confirmation enough, he made the right choice coming over.

“I wanted to surprise you, I was thinking dinner and a movie at home?” He suggested, raising his hands that held the bags of food.

“That’d be amazing, thank you.”

It wasn’t till he was leaving that night had he remembered about the bet, sending a quick message to Braden stating ‘5 more days and I win’ with a smile on his face. 

It wasn’t till three days after that he’d shown up again, appearing at your door with bags of goodies after you claimed you couldn’t hang out because you were sick. 

His knocking was soft on the door, hoping to not wake you if you were sleeping, waiting to hear the pad of your footsteps coming to the door. 

“Matt?” Shock  filled your voice, standing wrapped in a blanket as you opened the door, your voice rough with a cold as you spoke. 

“Brought you some things to make you feel better.” He smiled, shifting your body to the side, sliding into your apartment before picking you up, his bag of goodies left beside the front door for now. 

“Matt you’ll get sick!” you were smiling as he carried you, bringing you into your bedroom and laying you down gently.

“It’ll be worth it to spend time with you.” 

When he snuck out, at nearly midnight once he was sure you were asleep, his phone flashed the three messages from Braden. 

‘Any progress?’

‘I think I might win this tbh’

‘Shit where are you man?’

A smile covered Matt’s face, laughing at his teammates messages before quicking typing one back.

“Let me in.” Matt’s voice, muffled through the door, filled your kitchen. 

“One second I need to take the cookies out.” You yelled back reaching in the remove the hot tray from the oven, knicking your arm on the top as you pulled them out, muttering a soft ‘fuck’ as you placed the cookies and went to open the door. 

“Baby, what happened?” Matt’s eyes immediately dropped to the red patch on your arm, his hands reaching to hold your arm to look. 

“I just hit my arm on the over, I’ll be fine.” 

“No, we’re taking care of this.” 

He had a determined look in his eyes, as if he’d never take no for an answer, leading you into your bathroom to clean the burn himself. 

The sight alone was something you wouldn’t mind seeing everyday, sat on the counter while he rummaged through your items, finding all the ones he needed before gently cleaning the burn. 

His touch was gentle, as if he were scared of breaking you, his eyes always on you, his heart racing as he tried to focus. 

“Thank you, baby.” You whispered, leaning up to kiss him when he finished, letting his body melt into yours. 

Leaving was almost the worst part of the night, at least in Matt’s opinion. He dreaded walking through your door, clinging onto your body a little bit longer before he had to leave, walking slowly through the halls. 

Glancing at his phone he saw the message from Braden, reminding him of the bet he’d forgotten about, his mind only focused on falling in love with you. 

‘You won man, gg’ 

He ignored the message, fighting the urge to block Braden for reminding him that this started as a bet. Guilt flooded his body as he walked, how could he have been so cruel to make her a bet? 

He deleted the messages, spending the night forgetting that the bet had ever been made, trying to drown the feeling of guilt in the morning when you messaged him a thank you for last night.

‘Open the door’ 

The message woke you up, coming through at 7 am on a saturday morning, Matt’s contact photo filling your screen when he deemed you hadn’t answered fast enough. 

“Open up, I brought you something.” You could hear the smile in his voice, slowly moving from your bed as he spoke, rummaging for something else to put on. 

“Let me get some clothes on.” You groaned, dropping your phone onto your bed to get dressed, picking it up right after before heading to your door. 

Opening it to reveal Matt holding two cups of coffee and a bag of food, greeting you with a hug whilst balancing the order. 

“I missed you.” He whispered, as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear, letting your arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him down. 

“Missed you too.” 

It had been months, three months since the first date. He was the picture perfect boyfriend, more than anyone could want.

“I love you so much.” He whispered, constantly, laying almost on top of you on the couch, watching whatever stupid show was playing on the television. 

“I love you.” You’d whisper back, glancing down to see the smile on his face. 

Those were your favorite days, lazy days with Matt. He would lay with you all day, showing constant affection, whispering sweet nothings. It couldn’t get better. 

His phone buzzed from the counter, laying discarded from this morning while you both had lounged on the couch. Matt was cooking, something he did rarely but nonetheless loved, urging you to grab his phone and read the message for him. 

“Okay it’s from Braden, ‘Are you still with her?? You won the bet you can drop her now’” Your voice lowered as you read, dropping the phone to stare at Matt, where he froze in horror. 

He turned quickly, facing you with a look of guilt along his features, his mind moving quickly through things he could say to you. 

“Baby,” He tried, your hand raising to cut him off.

“What the fuck does that mean, Matthew.” Your voice was filled with venom, watching his eyes widen at the words. 

“I- Fuck.” He stuttered, nothing sounded good enough anymore for him to say, his mind frozen trying to think. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far. I didn’t mean for this to happen.” 

“What does that mean?” The words were sharp, pushing an urgent tone as you glared towards Matt. 

“Baby I can explain-” 

“Don’t fucking ‘baby’ me!” The yell caught him off guard, flinching back towards the stove where he stood in front. 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. But you have to let me explain.” He begged, his eyes filling with more guilt as time passed. 

“You have five minutes before I kick you out of my house.” 

You could hear the several ‘thank you’s mumbled from him as you walked back to the couch, sitting in the corner whilst Matt followed and sat on the other side. 

He paused for a moment, looking at you while you held a glare at him. 

“What are you waiting for? Speak.” The words made him almost recoil, having never heard you be so venomous. 

“Fuck, I’m so fucking sorry.” His words broke when he reached to run a hand through his hair, planning his next words. “It’s okay if you never forgive me but you need to know I love you.” 

Your eyes never softened, keeping the hard glare at the tall man while the gears turned through his mind on how to explain this. 

“You deserve the truth, this was a bet.” 

It was like the world had gone silent, everything had stopped spinning, the leaves had quit falling and all was over. You had been a bet to him. 

“But listen I fell in love with you, Baby believe me. I would never lie about that-” 

“No? You’ll just lie about the rest of our relationship! None of it was real!” 

There were tears streaming down your cheeks, covering them with a shine that reflected the light of the room. Matt’s eyes clouded over, leaning his head back to keep the tears from dropping. 

“It was real! I love you, baby please.” Matt’s pleas were useless, the words being ignored as you tried to make the room stop spinning in your mind and the tears to quit falling.

“Get out.” 

Matt froze, all his pleas fell silent as he stared at you wide eyed. His hands dropped in his lap, his eyes scanning your face while you just stared back at him. 

“What? Baby please-” 

“I said get out, Matthew.” 

You moved quickly, walking past his figure on the couch to open the front door, holding it open whilst gesturing for Matt to go through it. 

“I was a fucking bet to you and you thought that this would all be fine? Get the fuck out of my house Matthew!” 

He moved slowly, grabbing the discarded phone from the kitchen counter as he passed, mumbling out more apologies as he walked through the door, turning to say more as the door shut in his face.