#it's probably a long away down the road but I can't wait to see her reaction when she realizes who Halbrand is

[just-trying-to-fangirl-in-peace]

Ooh the plot thickenss

And Comes Dawn pt iv

Pairing: sauron/halbrand x reader

Summary: truths are revealed.

Warings: talk of mass murder, mentions of death, family loss, angst, reader gets angry a little bit, flashbacks, I'm sure yall will have more questions

Notes: this part is kinda short. I'm not super fond of it. I don't think I got galadriel down. Idk Idk I just think it doesn't read all that great. Feedback is appreciated. I love yall honestly.

He could feel the beast approaching before he saw the masts in the fog. The impending doom of everyone on board this raft was minutes away and the elf set his plans aflame with 4 words.

“I know your face.”

Her words and the look on your face as she spoke them played over and over on an endless loop. He could not figure out what you could possibly have done to gain the elves' attention. You stood there still, looking as if you wanted the sea to swallow you whole.

“Look! There's a ship.” Someone called. Everyone looked toward the horizon, but he slowly made his way towards you. He couldn't let you die, even though it was the sole reason he'd called the beast here. Perhaps he'd never be able to do it either way, but he knew now that your death wasn't an option.

There was a small back and forth, was it a corsair ship or was it help? It didn't take long before he hear your voice whisper the truth.

“That's our ship.”

No sooner had the words left your mouth, did screaming and panic set in amongst the ship inhabitants, one even pushing the elf overboard. He could see the fear on face, feel it emanating off of you. Your arms wrapped around your body and eyes clamped closed. His attempts to block you from his mind had made you feel alone. He could see that much. He knew in that instance he'd never be able to leave you to die.

“Sweet one,” He reaches for you, gently holding your face in his hands and making you look at him. Those eyes. What was happening to him? “Look at me.sweet one, I will die before I allow any harm to come to you. Do you understand? Stay by side.” He searched your eyes to make sure you understood. The way you fear disappeared under his gaze, and the little nod to your head was stirring something, a warmth, deep within him. If he reached back to distant memories within his mind, the feeling wasn't unfamiliar, and he'd once been filled with it.

It was unwelcome now, though, and he wouldn't allow himself to name the feeling. He banished it from his thoughts as his thumbs caressed your cheeks. This was nothing more than a deception to sate his growing curiosity and nothing more. He removed his hands from your face, and you instantly held on to his wrist, keeping him anchored to your side. He could feel your pulse quicken as the beast swam under the raft and again when it pushed its body into it.

“This way, sweet one.” He called over the sound of wood breaking and screams, the waves crashing. His fingers tangled with yours as he was all but dragged along with him. Quickly, he had untied a small portion of the raft, pushing it so you were out to safety.

“We can't leave her out there,” you motioned towards the elf, swimming away from the calamity.

He had no intentions of leaving her for a multitude of reasons, but it was interesting that you wanted to save her. She obviously knew something about you that you didn't want known, and it would all go away if you let the elf drown.

But you didn't want that to happen.

Of course you didn't.

He wouldn't be in this mess if you were that easy to read.

~

You sat back against one of the spikes, the raft causing your body to rock to and fro. You didn't look at Halbrand, nor at the elf - whose name you'd learned was Galadriel. You simply looked out at the waves, memories that you struggled to forget playing over and over in your mind.

“Up, up little one,” a deep voice laughed, picking you up and standing you on the table. Your father rested his forehead against yours, and you giggled. The music from the festival was loud outside the doors to your small home but Mama had said you couldn't go due to your fever. You needed rest, she had told you and your father repeatedly, but your Papa ignored her.

His hands clasped your face, “Perhaps we cannot dance out there, but we will in here.” A kiss pressed to your nose as he lifted you in his arms and danced throughout the living area as your body shook with laughter.

You were pulled from your memory by Halbrands voice, “You needn't keep your distance.”

“I am not keeping my distance. I am simply wondering what manner of man would leave his companions to die,” the elf replied back, eyes not looking at him nor attention away from her task.

“One who knows how to survive.”

Those words tore you back into your memories.

“If you do not do this, you will never know how to survive.” Your brother towered over you with his arms crossed, looking at you expectantly. He was 11 years older than you, and he tried to parent you often.

“Papa says I'm only 6, and I needn't worry about that yet.” You responded by pushing your plate away and crossing your arms, staring up at him with a firey defiance.

“You must always be ready for….”

“For what, boy?,” your uncle interjected, “ I heard no marching of armies? No horns blaring. I simply see a young girl who wishes not to eat the radishes your mother made for dinner. It is hardly a matter of life and death.”

Your brother sighed, sitting back and crossing his arms. He had the best intentions, he truly did. He simply wants what was best for you, wants you to be healthy and strong and not have a hunger in your belly.

Halbrand and the elf continued their bickering as your mind swarmed with the happy memories you had of your family. Your mama helping you make your first pie, which your father ate in its entirety though you suspect it was hornedesly inedible. Your father's deep voice as he'd sing, sometimes rocking you to sleep or dancing with you through the house, it was your favorite song. Sitting atop your uncle's shoulders as he walked along the path to the village. Your brother's jokes and how he'd always sneak you an extra serving of cake.

Your family had been happy, your home full of laughter and light. Your parents had adored each other, and the love they had was the envy of all young girls searching for true love. He brought her flowers and danced with her even when there was no music. You loved your life, and you had taken that happiness for granted. It all came crashing down when your mother caught a fever and nothing could break it. Those were memories you refused to wallow in or entertain. They were locked away so far in the back of your mind that it would break your very being to bring them out now.

“I have pursued this foe since before the first sunrise bloodied the sky,” you were pulled from your thoughts to the heated conversation between Galadriel and Halbrand. “It would take more than your lifetime to even speak the names of those they've taken from me.”

You scoffed. Your body filled with irritation as you shook your head, their heads snapped to your direction. You felt anger fill your veins as you remembered everything you had lost. Not just your family, but your village and all those who lived in it. “Our loss isn't less significant than yours simply because our lifetime is shorter.”

Galadriel appraised you for a moment, her anger written on her face. “You have grown into the spitting image of your brother. It is a coincidence, is it not, that orcs burned your village and a wyrm destroyed your ship and yet you live.”

Halbrand chuckled in disbelief, “What are you saying? That she, of all people, commands an orc army and controls a wyrm. What do you think she is?”

Galadriel never took her eyes off you, she spoke two words in elvish that had been haunting you for 15 years. Whispered behind your back anywhere you roamed.

“What does that mean?”

“Elf slayer,” you said quietly. “Your king himself said I am not the sins of my father. That I was a child. That I was to be unpunished.”

“It is still his blood that flows through your veins,” Galadriel spoke coldly, “Does your companion know that your father was an insane cultist? He has a right to know of whom he travels with.”

Halbrand looked at you, his brows furrowed in confusion, “What is she talking about?”

Your lip trembled, and you caught it in between your teeth. You took a deep breath to calm your nerves, but your breath was still shaky. “My father, uncle, and brother butchered a small village of elves as they slept. They were caught and executed for their crimes.”

Halbrand looked speechless. He turned his attention back to Galadriel as if looking for more answers.

“It was a blood ritual with the hopes of bringing back the enemy,” Galadriel looked to him. “To use elvish blood to resurrect Sauron,” her eyes turned to look at you, her accusation clear in them.

“ I do not wish to bring evil upon this world. I do not wish to subjugate my people's under the will of a tyrant. I have done nothing with my life besides try and repent for the atrocities committed by my family. For you to stand in accusation of me when your people, when your king, absolved me of any guilt. If you recall correctly, I was merely 8 and asleep in my bed when it happened.”

Galadriel opened her mouth in retort but closed it quickly as thunder cracked and storm clouds formed in the sky. This conversation wasn't over but there were more pressing matters at hand now.

[rottiens]

⊹ ˚. GOJŌ SATORU┊ "Doesn't the idea of not wearing panties in front of strangers turn you on?" he plans the seed.

tags. (18+), husband gojo, he hm smells your panties and other things (he loves you believe me), lowkey (highly) exhibitionism, reader with female anatomy (she/her pronouns).

You check Satoru a second time, only to realize that your eyes weren't deceiving you and that he really was smiling at nothing, his long fingers clapping the steering wheel every now and then to the rhythm of the song playing in the background on the radio and the third time your eyes land on him your back stiffens, with the seat belt still hugging your body you turn to see him, though the pressure of the belt doesn't allow you to move freely.

"Why are you smiling?" you ask, mimicking the same smile, like a mirror.

"I can't smile when looking at my beautiful wife?" Wife. Ever since you got married Satoru hadn't stopped calling you that, and even though you liked it and it always made you feel warm inside....

You obviously don't believe him. Not this time. The smile you still possessed paired with a furrowed brow, examining him in a way that would help you verify if he was telling the truth or not.   

You didn't believe him one bit. "What are you planning?" you insist again, still admiring his profile, Satoru hadn't bothered to look at you, busy not missing a green light.

"Remember the other day when we were playing uno and I won..." ... okay?

"You cheated," you reproach almost immediately, crossing your arms. You had the same posture as that night when you caught him with four cards hidden inside the joggers. 

"Whatever you want to believe, baby, I did not." You click your tongue and roll your eyes going back to your initial stance, you weren't going to argue with him again, that day you only let him win because Nanami and Geto decided not to fight and let him win.

"Whatever," you say. Fixing your eyes on the road you realize that you were a few corners away from reaching the restaurant.

"Anyway..." Out of the corner of your eye you notice the lopsided grin adorning his face. "It's time to pay."

"What do you want? For me to admit I'm a sore loser?" You turn your attention back to him, his finger with the gold wedding ring gleaming under the streetlights.

"I want your panties," he commands, claiming his prize (prize he won by cheating, you want to emphasize).

You blink, trying to verify that you just heard what you think you just heard. "What. No."

"A deal is a deal..."

"You cheated!" you accuse him again, and satoru's lopsided grin turns into a full-on grin showing you his fangs. "You're going to pay for this."

Satoru parks a few feet outside the fancy restaurant, the colors of the restaurant inside splashing all the way outside. Only when the car's engine dies does he tilt his body to look at you, you see determination and temptation in his face, those blue eyes are bathed from the street lights and the darkness inside the car, bringing you the details of his incomplete features.

"Doesn't the idea of not wearing panties in front of strangers turn you on?" he plans the seed. "In front of Suguru, in front of Kento..." satoru adds. "Because it turns me on a lot to know that only I know that you have a naked pussy, probably dripping on the chair."

You stand still for a moment, processing everything he just said as the birth of a smile stretches his lips slowly and an uncomfortable warmth creeps from your chest, face and ends in the form of a rush in your pussy.

You curse yourself because you can feel how the idea makes you wet.

Satoru laughs at your reaction knowing he has won, he stretches out his hand waiting for his prize.

You curse again, now out loud. You lift your ass off the leather seat to help you slide your underwear off with ease, you slide them down your legs and embarrassedly hand them into his hands, by which time Satoru was forcing a wicked smile to disappear.

Without any hesitation he brings them to his nose, inhaling until his lungs remember the scent of your pussy. Then he pushes them into the pockets of his pants. You stand there, still at the scene. It's not the first time he did it, but you were forced to check the street to verify that no one else had seen what had just happened.

"You're so fucking hot, you know that, don't you?" he looks down your body, focusing especially on your thighs. "I love the way that dress looks on you, I knew it was made for you as soon as I saw it."

Within seconds Satoru leaves his seat and walks across the short walk to your door, opening it for you. You realize he planned this all along. The dinner, the dress he bought especially for you (that barely comes down across your thighs and if you're not careful you might show your pussy)....

Satoru reaches out and feigning indignation you take it, stepping out of the car as you arrange your dress down, the fresh breeze caresses your slit and hits your clit. Satoru squeezes your hand, the coolness of the ring sending shivers down your back, into your abdomen.

"It's going to be a fun night," Satoru says.

[witherby]

Please help a starving Anon..... I need more Mother Hen Hal from you...The way you write him and the characters are so good and perfect(idc if anyone disagrees), i am dying../silly/nf

It can have anything you wish to add, maybe a sprinkle of hurt/comfort (let's not forget the queers(BatLantern) too/verysilly)/lh

Yeah, you can absolutely have more mother hen Hal!!! This one is a little early in the relationship, pre-Flittermouse, and Dick-centric.

The Littlest Wayne: Mother Hen (Dick)

"B! Thanks for coming to get —"

Dick stops and tilts his head as the window of the Lambo rolls down. It's not Bruce, here to pick him up from a celebration at Titan's Tower he was just a smidge too drunk to drive himself home from.

It's Hal.

"Hi, kid," he greets. "Bruce was asleep when you texted. I told him to chill out and I'd get you instead."

"Oh, hi," Dick says, a little off-kilter. His grin only wanes a little. "Yeah. Okay."

He walks around the car and climbs into the front passenger seat, brows furrowed. It's the first time they've been alone together since Bruce told the boys that they started seeing each other.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Have you eaten in a while? Might hit a drive-through before we get back. My treat as long as you don't tell Alfred."

Dick nods slowly, staring at Hal like he can't quite figure everything out. Hal just shoots him an easy smile, then focuses his attention on the road.

They're quiet for a while, the radio playing some top 10 hit softly through the speakers neither one of them recognizes. When Hal pulls up to order them some food (and how curious that he knows Dick's usual) then waves away Dick's effort to pay, the man can't help but say something.

"You don't... have to do that."

"It's like thirty bucks, champ. I've got it," Hal chuckles.

"I don't mean the food."

Hal looks at Dick curiously. It's probably the fact that he's still pretty sloshed, but he feels especially vulnerable in the car with him, and can't quite keep his thoughts to himself.

"You don't have to pretend to care about Bruce's kids just because you're dating Bruce." Even as he says it, he knows it was mean and dismissive. Dick chews on the inside of his cheek and can't figure out how to take that back, so he stops talking.

Hal doesn't respond. Dick can't make himself look at Hal's face, so he fiddles with the Nightwing charm dangling off his cellphone.

"Here's your meal, sir. Enjoy," says a fast food employee. Hal thanks her quickly, then pulls into a parking lot and kills the engine. Dick listens to him rustle through the bag and sort out what belongs to whom for a minute, then gently takes his portion from him when it's offered.

"Hey," says Hal. Dick pretends he's too preoccupied with opening the sauce packet for his chicken nuggets to look up. "Okay. I'd probably be a little skittish after dropping a bomb like that, too. So, just listen for a sec, okay?"

"Kay," he mumbles through a mouthful of fries, trying very hard not to feel like he's eight years old and sitting in Commissioner Gordon's office, waiting to find out if Bruce will assume guardianship and take him home, waiting to see if he'd be accepted or rejected.

"I think Bruce is it for me."

Hmm. Okay, not the words he expected to hear, but Dick is listening.

"You've probably heard that from his exes before. Something about Bruce is just...captivating. He's got his own gravitational pull, and I'm not interested in getting knocked outta orbit."

Hal pops a couple fries in his mouth. Dick sees his shoulders shrug in his periphery.

"I'm in love with him, is the point. Have been for a few years now, but I didn't think it was reciprocal until that battle in Coast City. But Bruce isn't just Bruce, is he?"

Hal reaches across the center console to gently squeeze Dick's knee.

"He's Bruce, and Dick, and Jason, and Tim, and Damian. He's got a whole gaggle of wonderful sons I'd love to get to know."

"We've worked together tons of times before," Dick says. He's barely picking at his food, too busy trying to figure out Hal's point.

"Sure. I've worked with Nightwing a lot. But that's not all you are. I don't really know anything about Dick Grayson, and I'd really like to."

Hal pulls his hand away and picks up his burger to take a bite.

"All this to say...I know you guys are mostly grown. You're used to having one parent and don't really need another one, and, damn, I don't know the first thing about any of that. But I'm in this for the long haul, and you can rely on me. I don't want any of you believing you're just an afterthought to me. Okay?"

Oh. Oh.

In lieu of an answer, and also because his throat feels too tight to speak, Dick just nods and goes back to eating. They finish their food in silence and Hal gets out to dispose of the trash, then turns the engine again to take him the rest of the way home. As he parks and they leave the garage, Dick throws his arms around Hal. He pretends the stinging in his eyes is some weird effect from the alcohol when Hal hugs him back just as tight.

"Goodnight, kid," he murmurs. "Go take a glass of water and some ibuprofen to bed with you for that hangover in the morning."

"Yes, mom," Dick snorts, teasing, but he detours to the kitchen with a shy little grin anyway.

[lovelyhan]

Okay, you still have a spot. Great. I thought they'd be filled so, I didn't send anything lmao. Insomnia has its perks.

This is deeply self-indulgent and I'd love more Hao from you. So, hear me out, Minghao with a breeding kink. I feel like it doesn't get enough attention especially given how much that man gravitates towards babies lol. Like he and Reader visit Cheol's and see him with his new baby and, Hao's like oh, wait a minute. I think this is making me feel some type of way.

— terrified ⟢

minghao has a knack for keeping the things you tell him in mind. from your favorite brand of wine to how the idea of bearing children terrifies you—he remembers all of it. so your husband is in a bit of a crisis when he realizes that this newfound desire to start a family kind of clashes with something you trusted him to respect.

★ FEATURING; minghao x f!reader

★ WORD COUNT; 4.4k words

★ TAGS; idolverse, established relationship, hao trying (and failing) to play it cool about the wanting-to-be-a-father thing, brief discussion abt family planning, this is only a little sad bc hao has overthinkeritis, smut (MINORS DNI!)

★ WARNINGS; mentions of pregnancy and childbirth but nothing too graphic

★ NOTES; i scheduled to post this when it hit exactly 12 midnight in rj's timezone just in time for her birthday :> (pls look away if i got the schedule wrong,,,) i'm not really back yet bcs this is a queued post, but happy birthday, beloved. i love you more than i can say directly, so i decided to just write a fic for you instead! hopefully, i can come back and torment you with every other seventeen member BUT cheol soon :3c

★ SMUT TAGS; unprotected sex, breeding kink, creampie, multiple rounds, mating press, hao is just really feral in this yk

★ PERMANENT TAGLIST; @cheolhub - @pretty-trustme - @just-here-to-read-01 - @idkmelkro - @dejavernon - @venusrae - @jyiiscool - @jiniesclub - @junhui-recs - @bldelaine - @featmia - @fruitzcup - @hoeforhao - @candidupped - @billboard-singer - @caratochan - @novalpha - @dahliatopia - @0717luv - @shiveringgaze - @toruro - @mixling-blog - @minnie-mouser22 - @homerunhansol - @mirtaspace - @ti--red - @zzucculent - @woozarts - @rubyreduji - @mozellerra - @lllucere - @cheolzip - @jjjzzzz - @lissiesykes - @dearjeonwonwoo - @meowmeowminnie - @colored-confetti - @partiallyinfluencial - @speaknowlwt - @flwrshwa - @lilylikesthat - @aurorahongg - @whippedforjihoon - @todorokiskitten - @immabecreepin - @98-0603 - @peachhiz

★ MINGHAO TAGLIST; @haoxiaoba - @jeonride - @coffeestay - @hyvnae

In the height of his career as an idol, Xu Minghao filmed a certain piece of content where he was asked a normal question to which he responded with a slightly controversial answer.

"How many kids do you want in the future?"

"Oh, It's not me who'll give birth, so I can't be the one to decide."

It's a response that made waves on the Internet during the week the video was first posted—a reaction from both fans and casual netizens alike that Minghao definitely did not anticipate that he would receive when they packed up the set several months prior.

It's pretty much the logical answer, isn't it? Sure, he'd love to have kids someday, but the quantity isn't something he should decide on without his non-existent partner's input.

Minghao learns further down the road, when he finally meets and eventually gets together with you, that the number of children isn't the only thing that a couple should mutually agree on.

"I don't really want to have kids..."

You tell him this during a spontaneous date he deigned to take you out on. He just came back from a tour packed with a long list of stops and even if he should probably catch up on some sleep, he opted to have a picnic with you at the park because of how much he missed you.

Your cheeks are stuffed with a few bites of pie, thoughtfully chewing as you wait for Minghao's response to your sudden confession. If he didn't know you as well as he does, he wouldn't have sensed the waves of anxiety rolling off of you in waves—as if you're waiting for him to get mad at you for simply being honest.

Mingao heaves a quiet sigh before he pulls you into his chest—a tiny squeak caught in your throat after swallowing your food.

"Hey, that doesn't make me love you any less," he murmurs, pressing his lips on top of your head. "I know bearing children can be terrifying and painful, so I completely understand."

For a moment, your brow dips, a soft frown tugging at your lips. "I-It's not that I'm terrified... Okay, maybe a little. But—"

Minghao promptly silences your protests with a firm kiss on your lips—one that you find yourself easily melting into given the time and distance that's separated you until this moment. He smiles against your mouth, glad that you can be honest with him about things like this.

"No buts, if you don't want to have kids, that's alright," he murmurs before pulling away. "Maybe we can just get a dog. You're already close with Mingyu, aren't you?"

That makes you snicker. "You're so mean."

It's a brief exchange that Minghao doesn't really think about again for several years. After all, his career as an idol was at an all-time high. As much as he wants to settle down with you and start the next phase of his life, he's certain that he shouldn't step out of the limelight just yet.

But it doesn't take long for time to catch up with him.

One by one, his brothers are off to fulfill their mandatory service and the group's activities are at a momentary standstill. Those who were left behind go their separate ways for a while—Joshua expanding his solo promotions in the US and Jun taking up more brand sponsorships in China.

Minghao chose to stay in Seoul mostly for your sake, and the fact that this city is the only common ground between him and the rest of the boys. When Vernon and Seungkwan enlisted together, it was around the time that Seungcheol and Jeonghan came back with overgrown buzzcuts, while Joshua landed in Incheon for the first time in two years.

It was also the time when you and Minghao got married.

The event was celebrated among close friends and family with only a brief news article about the marriage of SEVENTEEN's The8 allowed by the company to circulate for a while. They did a good job at keeping things hush hush, and Minghao thinks it's only because it's been more than a decade since his debut that they're being so lenient.

But even if they weren't, nothing would stop Xu Minghao from making you his wife either way.

It takes a few more years for all thirteen of them to get back together again, but when they do, the first thing that Seungcheol does is invite everybody to his daughter's first birthday.

Minghao has met baby Suri a handful of times in the past. Seungcheol's wife visits them at the company from time to time, wheeling Suri's stroller into the practice room as her uncles all fawn over her until she's crying. For some reason, the only people the infant seems to tolerate are Jun and Seokmin.

It's pretty much the same scene during the party. Seokmin and Jun are the only ones allowed within a one-meter radius from Seungcheol's baby girl to prevent an incurable crying episode in the middle of the celebration. Soonyoung was not happy with the fact that he can't personally give Suri the little tiger plush he got for her, but Minghao thinks it's for the best.

But then, as everyone was finishing up with dinner, he saw you walk up to Seungcheol's wife with a familiar sparkle in your eyes. You're staring at Suri who's all dressed up for her party with a look of endearment—nearly gushing with how animatedly you're speaking with her mother.

Minghao doesn't think much of it. You and her have always gotten along for as long as he can remember.

What does catch him completely off-guard, however, is the fact that Suri is being handed into your arms and you let it all happen without much of a fuss.

Chan was in the middle of telling him about this martial arts move that he'd wanted to choreograph into a dance but as much as he wants to give the younger man advice, his gaze is completely glued to the sight of you with Suri in cradled against your chest.

It's one thing to see a woman holding a baby. It's another to see his wife do the same thing.

"Hao, look!" You quickly call him over when you catch his eyes in the crowd. "Suri thinks I'm worthy! It's been five minutes since her mom handed her over and she's still not crying."

The sight is so adorable that Minghao abruptly excuses himself from his conversation with Chan to rush towards you with clipped strides. His heart thunders inside his chest as you visibly dote on Seungcheol's daughter, and he isn't sure if he wants to give the feeling a name.

It eventually fades into a barely there throb in his chest when he drives back home for the evening. You quickly fill the silence with your attempts at looking at some properties in this newly opened residential area near the freeway and as always, your husband lends a willing ear.

"It's a little far from your company building, but it's much more spacious than our apartment right now," you chuckle, face alight with the glow of your screen as you scroll through the property's details on your phone.

Minghao hums before pulling over at a red light. "Hm? Isn't our place alright as it is? Why would we need the extra space?"

He half-expected you to answer with something along the lines of, so I can have more space to keep my book collection in or so you can have enough room to practice at home if you want to.

But all you do is let out an uneasy laugh, locking your phone before depositing it in the cupholder on the middle console.

"Y-Yeah, you're right. That was a bit silly of me."

The next time Minghao unwittingly makes the connection with you and the prospect of having kids is when Seungkwan's nephews are in Seoul for a couple of weeks.

While he and his sister are off to run errands every now and again, they typically ask Jun to watch over the kids because out of all the members, he's definitely the only one who can be trusted around children. Even more than those who are actual fathers.

But it just so happens that Jun is all the way in Shanghai to shoot for a historical drama, and for some reason, Seungkwan thought it would be a good idea to drop his nephews off at Minghao's doorstep.

"You're pretty decent with kids and your wife can take care of anything," Seungkwan praises while he ushers four year-old Hanjun into the room and eight month-old Jiren into your arms. "We'll be back for them after lunch!"

It's just as Seungkwan said though: Minghao is pretty decent with kids and you can take care of anything.

While waiting for lunch to cook in the kitchen, you both do your part in entertaining the children—Minghao pointing out different shapes and animals in the picture book from Hanjun's backpack while you quietly feed Jiren the baby formula that Seungkwan's sister prepared in advance.

So distracted with the sight of your soft gaze transfixed on the baby in your arms, Minghao barely notices it when the soup he's prepared starts to overflow from the pot. You scold him for being so distracted before he shuffles into the kitchen with his tail between his legs.

As he salvages what's left of the soup, Minghao tries to pull himself together. Sure, it's been a few years since you two tied the knot, but you made it clear years ago that children wasn't on the table when it comes to the two of you.

It's something that you both agreed on even before marriage, and Minghao isn't about to break your trust by saying he suddenly wants kids all because seeing them in your arms makes his brain short-circuit. He has more tact than that.

"Is it just me or are you acting a little weird?"

For some reason, you choose later that evening to corner him in the quiet of your bedroom. Minghao was just getting ready to sleep when you turned to face him with a frown.

"Weird how?" he wonders, praying that you wouldn't single him out like you probably will.

"I don't know, you were looking at me funny when I was giving Jiren his formula," you point out. "You only do that when you want something from me."

Your words make him sigh. Of course his wife would catch onto every nuance of his actions—even from his stare alone.

"And what do you think it is that I want?"

"Xu Minghao, we're already married. Cut the games and just tell me what's on your mind."

God, he really couldn't love you any more than he does now.

It takes several minutes, but you and your husband eventually migrate to the living room—cups of hot chocolate in hand as you patiently wait for Minghao to open up about something he's been keeping to himself for a while now.

He's rightfully nervous—hands clammy around the ceramic of the mug that matches yours. It's Game of Thrones-themed with a dragon's neck acting as a handle. You kept insisting at the souvenir shop that its selling point was the unique design, but Minghao was pretty sure you were excited by the fact that the printed text changes color depending on the drink's temperature.

With that memory suddenly drifting into his mind, the tension ebbs from his shoulders. Though he tends to forget, you're the last person who'll condemn him for what he's about to say to you.

"I've been thinking of starting a family with you," he admits—hitting his point straight to the roots. "But... I always brushed it aside because I know how you feel about kids. I don't want to force you into something you don't want."

It's in times like this where silence is more deafening than actual noise. It rings in Minghao's ears as you watch the steam rise from your mug and your husband lets himself stew in his anticipation, wondering how you'll choose to respond to his honesty.

Will you laugh at him? Will you be angry with him? It's a subject that the two of you rarely broach with each other, so he isn't quite sure how to handle whatever reaction you'll grace him with.

What Minghao never would've expected, however, is for you to crack him a relieved smile.

"Me? I thought you didn't want kids because having one would be detrimental to your career," you chuckle, taking the first few sips from your hot chocolate. "And you always kinda shrugged it off whenever I tried to ease the topic into the conversation."

"I did?" Your husband scowls. "When did I do that?"

"After Suri's birthday party? When I was showing you a couple of new houses?"

Oh. Oh.

"Shit," Minghao mutters, embarrassed. "I almost forgot about that. I'm sorry, love. It didn't occur to me because you said that you didn't want to have kids—"

"One time," you interject with a groan. "That was one time, Hao. God, can't a woman change her mind about wanting kids with her husband?"

He blinks. "But you said you'd be terrified."

"No, you said I'd be terrified. As an educated guess and to some extent, you're right. But it's not the having-a-kid part or the childbirth part that terrifies me, Hao." You let yourself breathe for a couple of seconds and it comes out shaky. Minghao has to resist the urge to reach out to embrace you.

"What terrifies me is becoming a mother."

The silence of the living room thickens when you say the words and Minghao feels his chest flutter with that same feeling from the first time he saw you cradling Seungcheol's daughter in your arms. Despite the questions swimming inside his head, your husband keeps his silence and lets you continue.

"Like, yeah, the pregnancy is going to be hell and god knows whether I'll even be alive after giving birth, but..." You hesitate, refusing to meet Minghao's eyes for reasons that elude him.

"Raising a child so they would grow up to become a good person is even more daunting to me... What if I accidentally teach them something wrong? What if they end up hating me because I can't keep up with whatever trends kids would come up with in a few years? What if they love you more than they love me?"

Minghao laughs airily. "Is that last part really a necessary measure?"

"It is," you insist before breathing out a laugh of your own. "Urgh, you get the point! It's just that... I'm not against having kids, but the responsibility that comes with raising one overwhelms me whenever I think about it."

"You know you're not in it alone, right? I'm your husband. Of course I'll be here to support you however I can," Minghao sighs before finishing the rest of his drink. "Whether you want kids or not, I'll go with either choice because I want what you want, yeah?"

"Yeah. I do know that. I think I've always known, but at the same time, I didn't want to tie you down," you murmur, tracing the handle of your mug with a small pout. "If we have a kid together, they might take up the time meant for your schedules. I never want to burden you like that..."

Your husband sets down his mug on the coffee table, carding his fingers through his hair with a disbelieving sigh. You were starting to fear that you might've annoyed him by accident, but when Minghao leans closer so that your eyes are leveled, you realize that is far from the case.

"Baby, our wedding rings are literally tattoos," he reminds you while reaching for your hand—pressing the inked fingers together. "I'm as tied down as I can be and you've never heard a peep out of me after all this time, yeah? So don't you ever think you or our future kids would be burdens to me."

Playfully, you raise an eyebrow at him. "Kids? Plural?"

"Hey, like I said—"

"Yeah, yeah, you want what I want," you interrupt with a roll of your eyes. "I get it Hao, you're a gentleman. But what if I told you I want you to fuck me on this couch right now and give me your kids?"

The wording is so crass that it could only be seen as a joke, except the reaction it incites from Minghao is leagues more intense than a mere joke would. The mental image injects a rush of corrosive want straight into his bloodstream and Minghao swears it makes him a little lightheaded.

Your husband lets out a shuddering sigh. quickly lunging after you to pluck the mug out of your grasp and safely place it on top of the coffee table. When you look up at him so prettily as he cages you on the couch, the sight makes his cock twitch with anticipation.

"Then I want that, too."

Logically speaking, you and Minghao can't just flip the switch and go into full babymaking mode after a heartfelt conversation and a bunch of impulsive decisions.

For one, you were still on birth control. It would take some time to wean yourself off it and you'd have to ask your doctor if it was safe to stop taking the pills at this point in your life.

Next was that Minghao and the rest of the guys are going to be preoccupied with their latest album—one where all thirteen men are back together after years of being separated. It'll go on for a couple of months and maybe a year if he's going to take their tour schedules into account.

And because he doesn't want to be absent in any milestone during your hypothesized child's life, you and your husband mutually decided not to actively try for a kid just yet.

But that doesn't mean you can't pretend.

"Fuck, baby, your cunt's gripping me so tight," Minghao groans, nearly hissing as he slides his cock against the velvety heat of your walls. "You want my load in you, pretty? You want to me to pump you full until it's dripping out of your pretty pussy?"

With coherence having long left your mind, you arch your back even higher as your husband continues to plough you into the mattress. "Y-Yes, yes yes! Hao, feels s-so fucking good!"

He chortles quietly and even with your cheek pressed against the sheets, you can still picture the smirk plastered on his face. "Pretty baby's in love with my cock. You just can't get enough of me, can you?"

"More," you whimper, the muscles of your pussy tightening around his length as he plunges in and out of your sopping entrance. "W-Want more, Hao. Need you to fuck me harder..."

Your husband is quick to comply with your wishes, gathering your hair with one hand while keeping your hips in place with the other. Minghao slams his hips brutally against yours, making stars dance in the seams of your vision as the head of his fat cock bullies its way into your leaking hole.

He's so deep, you can feel him prying your cervix open with a promise that you'll be filled to the brim if you behave tonight. And with all those years of being a professional dancer under his belt, it's no surprise that he's got enough stamina to wreck you more times than you can handle.

The first orgasm blindsides you completely. He'd just been whispering both sweet and filthy nothings into your ear when it washes over you like a tidal wave—inevitable, inescapable.

(Doing so fucking good for me, love. Taking my cock like a good, good wife. You'll take my cum just as well, won't you? Keep it inside so it'll take and you'll be swollen with my child. Then everybody will know you're mine.)

The second time it happens is mere seconds after Minghao's own orgasm. His thrusts have started to lose their practiced cadence and even if you've been in this situation countless times before, the euphoria that sings in your veins makes it feel like the first time all over again.

Minghao's cock twitches before his cum spurts in thick ropes inside your tight cunt—filling you with a warm sensation that has you biting down his neck to stifle your moans. The motion of his hips slows to a crawl as Minghao feels you clamp down on his length. Your pussy gushes around him with a delicious grip that brings him dangerously close to another orgasm with how good you feel around him.

"Fuck, baby," he swears, voice still hoarse with need despite the fact that he's fucking you into overflowing. "I love you. There's no one else I'd want to have a family with."

"T-There better not be," you say cheekily before Minghao is flipping you around so that you're lying on your back. The sensation of his cum dripping out of your ruined pussy makes your skin tingle with excitement, and the fact that his ravenous gaze is trained on your body isn't lost on you.

"Be a good wife for me and hold your thighs up," he whispers lowly and it takes you mere seconds to comply. "That's my girl."

You preen at his praise—no matter how pathetic it would make you seem. After all, if there's anyone who get reduced you into a cockdrunk mess, it's most certainly your husband.

Minghao doesn't waste any more time, he pumps his cock into full hardness for a few moments—refractory period be damned—before gliding the head of his cock against your slit. Your thighs twitch every time be brushes against your clit, making you cry out with desperation as he gloats at your misery.

"Minghao," you beg, trying your best to hold your thighs up just like he asked all while he's taking his sweet time admiring your pussy. "Fuck me more. Want you to fill me up even more."

"Needy little thing," he chuckles. "You want my kids that badly? If I fuck you too much, you might actually get pregnant, love."

"Don't care," you practically sob. "I want it. I want you. All of you—even your kids."

Fuck. He really, really fucking loves you.

Minghao needs little encouragement after that, gripping his cock tightly as he guides himself back inside you.

The new position makes it easier for your husband to pound into you—the weight of his thrusts pressing you into the bed with enough intensity to make the wooden enforcements of your bed groan from the effort he's exerting. He splits you open on his cock, spreading your folded thighs as far as he can as he drills inside of you with the promise of another load.

"So pretty and pliant for me," he whispers, pressing a soft kiss on your nose all while the squelch of your cunt with each pass of his cock echoes in the bedroom. "My perfect wife. You'll let me breed this pussy once all's said and done, won't you?"

You nod all too eagerly. "Yes, Hao! I'll let you use my pussy however you want. Just please make me come again!"

"So demanding," your husband sighs with a wicked smile as one of his hands trails between your legs. "Hold those thighs nice and open for me, love. You'll feel even better soon."

"W-Wait, I—"

Your protests quickly melt into a hiss of pleasure when Minghao applies ample pressure on your clit—lathering his fingers with your slick before tracing tight circles around the sensitive nub.

He knows you so well, been with you for so long, that Minghao already knows the ins and outs of your body. Your husband claims that making you come undone with his own fingers is a practiced art and that he'll never forget about it until the day he does.

So it's no surprise how quickly Minghao manages to make you unravel at the seams when he couples his intense thrusts with the added stimulus to your clit. You're creaming around his cock in no time—muffling your cries in the crook of your lover's neck as he fucks into you with the intention of filling you up even more.

"I love you," Minghao rasps as he tucks your head beneath his chin, pinpointing the height of his own pleasure. "I'll want no one else but you, baby. No one."

Shakily, through a haze of delirium, you manage to say, "I-I love you too, Hao. I'll always be yours as long as—f-fuck—you'll always be mine."

You twitch violently beneath the weight of Minghao's body and the sight of you so fucked dumb on his cock eventually pushes him over the edge. Your husband comes with a sharp breath, his white hot cum gushing into your pussy until it drips onto the sheets.

It's only when you've come down from that post-coital high that you realize Minghao is looking at you as if you hung up all the stars in the sky. You respond with a weak smack against his chest.

"Don't look at me like that," you grumble weakly. "I might think you're in love with me."

"Y/N, we're already married."

"I don't see how that's a problem."

As Minghao does the honors of cleaning you up after roughing you up all evening, you quickly realize that, really, there's no reason to be terrified at all.

Not when your husband will be by your side every step of the way.

⟢ end notes: i wrote this in a haze so if there are any technical writing errors, i implore you to just ignore them for my sake <3 happy birthday again to my soulmate, rj! i hope you enjoy your day to the fullest and i also hope you like this gift i wrote for you hehe ^\\\^ like hao to the reader, i'll always be w you every step of the way (i'm just a lil busy rn, so i hope you forgive me !!)

[baby-stoner-butch]

Road Trip

Been thinking lately about long road trips, the kind where you're driving through the middle of nowhere for hours and hours and hours and how the only people passing through along with you are other road trippers or long haul semi trucks. Thinking about all that time alone in the car, all the run down gas stations and rest areas you end up stopping at while driving through nowhere that don't feel real. Thinking about what me and my Passenger Princess could do to pass the time driving through farmland with shitty radio stations and no cellphone service

We'd leave early, like 4 AM early. I'd pack up the car, luggage in the trunk, backpacks in the back seat, and a cooler on the floor within arms reach while we're driving. I'd let my baby sleep as long as she could before I wake her up and tell her it's time to go. As we pull out of the driveway, she falls right back asleep. I'll still get her a refresher when I make my first coffee stop, it'll be waiting for her in the cooler when she wakes up. She won't know that I added a couple shots to the drink before I put it away

Maybe she'd wake up again around 9am or so, whenever I have to make my first gas stop. We'd pull into one of those big truck stops that's nice and clean and has lots of snacks and decent breakfast sandwiches and all that. The last nice big truck stop before the next rural stretch. I'd let my baby wake up and walk around and pick out something for breakfast and feel like she's starting her day before I let her know about the present I have for her in the cooler. Once the car is gassed up and my baby is settled into the passenger seat we'd hit the road again

About 20 minutes into this drive, she'd have eaten her breakfast and drank most of the refresher and she'd start to wonder why she feels kinda tired and spacey. "That's just how road trips are, love, I'm feeling kind of tired too. You just didn't sleep as well in the passenger seat. Why don't you lay the seat back and get comfy, we still have a long way to go,"

I'd let her drift off and feel her buzz for a while, let her think she's still just not completely awake. It's been a long time since she's been on a road trip like this, so I'm probably right that being in the car so long just makes you feel tired and weird. But as she lays there she's more and more aware that she feels disoriented and dizzy. She starts to believe she's carsick and asks me to pull over.

The only place to pull over is a weird little rest area off the highway. One of the ones that might have a vending machine and a clean bathroom, and a handful of picnic tables out in front. There's maybe a dozen cars and trucks parked around, but only one person I can see walking around in the parking lot. We'd sit at a table outside and I'd have my princess drink some water and tell me how she's feeling. She says it's like the world is moving faster than her, like she can't quite gather all her thoughts. I'd tell her that's what it felt like for me the first time I got carsick too. "That's all it is baby is carsickness, you're just dizzy because you fell asleep in the car and got all confused. But I heard that weed can help with car sickness, and I have some edibles in the glove box." She'd try and argue and say that doesn't sound right, but she also can't think very clearly anymore. It's easy to convince her that getting high would solve the problem. She takes an edible as we pull back out onto the highway

About an hour later the gummy kicks in and my baby complains that it's not doing anything to help her carsickness. She says it's hard to focus her eyes and that's making her dizzier and we need to pull over again. "We can't baby, we still have to make decent time. The more we pull over the longer you have to stay in the car." I convince her to hold out a little longer for me. There's a bandana in the glovebox she can use as a sleeping mask, and she ties it tight over her eyes for me so obediently. I reach over and rub gently up and down her thigh to help her calm down

While she snoozes I talk to her so softly. "You're doing so good for me baby, relaxing in the passenger seat. Feel how the car rocks you back and forth, listen to the white noise of the road. Such a good girl for me keeping me company in the passenger seat," Soon enough I can tell she's starting to fall back asleep

Slowly and quietly I take my hand from her thigh and reach into my door pocket where I hid her vibrator. She doesn't notice as I turn it on and connect it to my phone. She only lets out a small moan when I tuck my hand under her skirt, into her panties, and place the vibe right against her clit. She's so wet for me already, she must have been dreaming about something like this all morning. I'm not going to start playing with her yet though, it's a long car ride and I want to save some of the fun for later.

The tank is about halfway empty when she wakes up again and tells me she feels a little better now. If I didn't know any better I'd assume she actually did feel better, but she's still to high to notice the vibrator against her wet pussy. I tell her that it's been a while and she should probably take another edible so she stays feeling better. She takes one without question

It's around 1pm when we pull into a little middle of nowhere diner for some lunch. I walk around to open the car door for my baby and help her out of the car. She leans on me with enough weight that I know if I wasn't holding her up she'd be stumbling around at best. At least this way she can save face and I look like a gentleman.

At the gas station, she waits in the car while I fill the tank and go inside for road drinks. I get a 4 pack of spiked sodas for my baby and an energy drink for me. She's too high to read the label when I hand her her first. It's 2:30pm when we hit the road again.

While my baby sips her soda we chat. I ask her how she's feeling now that she ate and she says she feels good. She thinks the weed is helping. I ask her if she's going to be okay for another long stretch and she says yes. "Did you notice the way everyone was looking at us in the diner, baby? You were holding on to me so tight, I wonder what they were all thinking. I wonder if they could tell how high you are. I wonder if they could see the vibrator under your skirt."

She looks at me confused for a second before her eyes go wide in shock as I turn up the vibrator on her clit. She gasps and squirms in her seat, putting on a cute little show for me. She would have spilled her soda if the bottle wasn't so empty. She looks like she's about to reach down and turn off the vibrator. "Don't touch." She whines and moans but she does what she's told.

"Finish your drink baby," I turn the vibrator down to its lowest setting so she can focus on her task. When she finishes I reach back into the cooler and hand her another. "Finish this too." My baby's always been such a good listener when she's crossed

She drinks about half the bottle before she finally decided to read the label. "Babe did you know there's alcohol in this?" Her speech is slurred and slow, like she really has to fight to use her words. I tell her I don't know what she's talking about. She still finishes the bottle like a good girl

The next hour on the road I have one hand on the wheel and the other playing with her vibrator. Every time she gets close to cumming I turn it back down on the lowest setting and tell her to sip her drink. She's not allowed to cum until she finishes all 4 bottles. She finishes her last one a mile before the next rest stop

I pull off the highway and park the car as far away from the door as I can, just so I can watch her stumble through the parking lot a bit longer. Before I help her out of the car, I pop another gummy between her lips. It's for the best since she finished all her soda

There's one other car in the parking lot, and a semi truck parked along the on ramp. Neither driver is in their vehicle.

I help my baby out of the car, but I tell her I forgot my phone in the car and make her walk by herself this time. She sways slightly when I let her go and takes slow steps towards the door. She almost trips stepping up to the sidewalk and catches herself on a light post. She bends over to steady herself and I can see her soaking wet panties peak out from under her short little skirt. I'm so glad she didn't question the outfit I laid out for her this morning

I take my time catching up to her, but when I do I grab her arm to steady her and walk her inside with me. I can feel the stares from the other travelers when I pull open the door and push my baby through. I don't think she's aware enough to realize anyone saw her. She's so adorable when she can't walk straight!

I walk her into the bathroom with me, one hand on the small of her back and the other holding open the door. As soon as we're inside I turn the deadbolt. I force my lips onto hers, standing on my tiptoes just a bit, and use my bodyweight to pin her to the wall. One hand caresses her jaw so carefully and the other finds it way under her skirt. She's soaked though her panties and I can feel her twitch as I tease my fingers along her slit. I bring my lips close to her ear and whisper "Stay still baby"

Pull away from her face I sink to my knees in front of her, pulling her panties down with me. She whimpers when I pull the vibrator away from her clit and pocket it. I guide her carefully to step out of them, making sure she's still standing before I reach up and shove them inside her drooling little mouth. "Don't drop those sweetheart"

I love when she gets so desperate and needy, I know she needs to cum so bad and she's been so patient while I've had my fun with her. Her thighs are so wet from her leaky cunt, I run my tongue slowly up her leg to tease her, and stop just before I reach her cunt to leave her some pretty bite marks. She's going to bruise so beautifully

She grabs a fist full of my hair to steady herself. I put one leg over my shoulder and hold her to my face by her hips. I blow a slow cool breath over her pussy and feel her shift more of her weight onto me. It sounds like she's trying to beg through her panties. "Be good for me baby, don't drop your panties"

Finally I give her what she wants, I pull her hips forward and push my tongue so deep inside her, letting her drip down my chin. She whines so loud for me as I tease her clit with my thumb, but my good girl doesn't let her panties fall from her mouth. Her muffled "please please" gets louder and louder as I taste her wet cunt

I grip her thigh with my free hand and press her harder against the wall. She's so close to cumming that she's dripping down my chin just the way I like. I won't stop to give her permission to cum, but I'll force her to cum anyway. She screams so loud around her panties in her mouth and tightens her grip on my hair as I thrust my tongue in and out of her. I lift her just an inch off the ground as she clenches so tight around me, I don't slow down while she pulls my face closer and she cums

I feel her ride her orgasm as I gently bring her back down to the ground. Her legs are shaking as she's forced to stand on her own once again. I keep one hand on her waist as I stand to meet her unfocused gaze. "Open" I command as I remove her panties from her mouth. Those go in my pocket too. I lean my weight against her into the wall and I whisper in her ear "That's my good girl" with a gentle nip at her earlobe. All she can do is whimper in response

As we leave the bathroom she hangs off me for support and keeps her eyes to the ground. I notice only one person remains in the rest stop, presumably the truck driver. They must have heard everything. "Lets go my love," I whisper to my baby, "we still have a long drive ahead of us"

[luviwon]

박성훈 – alluring me

word count: 2k

COMING BACK FOR MORE?

It seemed to be a loud night in the usual quiet town. The rain drops were slipping down your window, worsening the view outside. You were not much of a rain person, rather you enjoyed sunny mornings so you can be that "girl" they call. Either way, it wasn't morning in first place, so why would you care?

Oh, maybe because you were supposed to leave your apartment room in the following 20 minutes, your friend almost pulling up to pick you up. Nightclub she said. Now, whether you were going to enjoy it or not, you'll have to see, but one thing is sure: you weren't going to let yourself get drunk and end up in a stranger's bed by next morning.

At least not this way.

You were good to go. Makeup on point, clothes suiting your perfectly, golden jewellery around your neck cause you were expensive. The only thing that was missing was some cash and a hot boyfriend to bring with you. But you can't have everything in the world. At worst, you could ask Lia to lend you some money until next paycheck, so you could enjoy a cheap mocktail.

Making sure to lock the front door, you walked to the parking spot, waiting for your friend to arrive as well. Fortunately, it didn't take her too long, as the dark blue Audi made its way in, stopping in front of you. "Hi babe!" Lia shouted, as the car window went down, revealing a tipsy blondie.

"Are you drunk driving again?" you chuckled and walked around the car, getting the door open and stepping in. "Me? Drunk? Y/N! What are you talking about?" said she, while not being able to hide a hiccup. The two of you just laughed, while Lia drove out of the parking spot, speeding up on the lonely road. There was barely anyone, and most probably, there won't be any interesting person at the club either. It wasn't the biggest town, for sure, so there was no reason in trying to aim highly.

Luckily, the club wasn't so far, which made everything just perfect. Less likely to be engaged in an accident, given Lia's condition. The blondie parked, horribly though, in front of the ordinary looking nightclub, and threw her keys somewhere in the back. "Just in case I feel like car sex later, it's better to leave the car unlocked"

"You are crazy" you said, jokingly pushing her shoudler. Lia chuckled, leaving the car and inhaling the fresh air outside, and you did the same. Not long until your nose will only inhale cigarette smoke, so you may as well take advantage of the situation. The two of you stepped in, looking around for someone familiar. Yet it seemed like there was no one you would know.

You made it to the bar, barely being able to hear each other. The music was deafening, much louder than you've expected. Lia seemed to enjoy, though. Judging by her facial expression, she was going to leave you immediately for that hottie she noticed walking around. Typical. Shouldn't you do the same though?

"Hey, Lia, do you think you can give me some cash until Wednesday? Just so I don't awkwardly beg someone to buy me a drink"

"Oh, babe, I'm so sorry! I don't have anything on me. I'm counting on that sexy lad!" she said, pointing to a blonde guy, accompanied by another blonde person. Or was it the other she pointed at? They looked very similar, so no point in trying to guess. "Ah, thank you anyway" you smiled at her.

And just as thought, Lia slyly disappeared from the picture, seeing her next to the two guys, seductively touching their arms. She was so funny. But you couldn't deny, she was so good at this. Definitely better than you. You turned around to the barman, with doe eyes.

"What can I get you, young lady?"

"Anything on the house, please" you tried to make it less awkward by laughing away, elegantly, but it didn't seem to work. "I'm sorry, darling, drinks cost money. If you lack any, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I can't get you anything"

"Loser," you mumbled.

You walked away in annoyance, fixing your relatively short denim skirt. Maybe not the best cloth choice for a night out, but it was so cute! So was your sleeveless white top, revealing a hot cleavage, put in the light by the delicate necklace.

"You alone, pretty girl?" you heard a sensual voice from your left side, turning your head to witness maybe one of the most beautiful faces you've ever seen before.

The guy was wearing a black button up shirt, with the first 3 unbuttoned, and the sleeves rolled up. His messy dark hair and rosy lips looked so perfect in contrast with his white skin. He was sitting down on a white sofa, resting his back on the piece of furniture, with his legs slightly opened.

"Depends on who asks"

That sounded better in your head, but after you let it aloud, you felt so stupid.

"Mhm," he groaned, looking down and chuckling. "I see, pretty girl"

The dark-haired guy grabbed your wrist, pulling you closer, on the spare seat next to him. He smelt so fucking good. He had this kind of screaming sweet scent mixed with some vanilla. Closer now, you could analyse his face so much better. His dark eyes were shining in the multicolour club lights, and his skin was so smooth, at least it looked like it. You didn't dare to touch it.

"What does the pretty girl like to drink?"

"A mocktail would be perfect for me"

He softly giggled at your answer, as his left hand grabbed your chin and turned you closer to him, making eye contact. There they were again, his blinding eyes. "We both know you will get drunk on me later, so what about you start getting yourself ready with a nice set of shots for an even nicer doll?"

You gulped, taken aback by the tension he created. He was so much for it. And the closer he got, the more you got high on his perfume. It was so addictive. Where the hell did he come from? A fairytale? He was much too perfect for this fucked up world.

"I guess that works too" you answered, pulling your skirt down while not breaking the eye contact.

He looked down, sensing your movement. "Don't worry princess, you are alright" his hand was now touching your bare calf, going up your leg at a slow pace, making his way to your outer thigh. His touch made you tremble, it felt so wrong but so good at the same time. Where was the promise you made before you left? Probably somewhere lost, as the guy's hand went up to invading your personal space way too much now.

"I don't thin-"

"You don't think what?" he interrupted you promptly, his fingers teasing gently against the lingerie material. "Let the thinking to me, dollface. You just be good." Using his index and middle fingers, he kept going in circular motions. Before you knew it, you were on his lap, being aroused by his skillful fingers.

Your faces were so close, but he didn't kiss you. He only stared at your perfect looking face, whilst his fingers slipped under your panties, playfully touching your clit. You bit your lower lip in response, holding your moan back. He noticed that, and came closer to your lips. "You wish I'd kiss you so you could moan into my mouth, don't you?"

You gulped again, feeling his hot breath on your dry lips. He seemed like such a good kisser, but why didn't he want to show it to you? Because he was a tease. And he wanted you to earn in. Or shall you just make the next step? You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him down until your lips touched together. Fuck, even for the first second, he tasted so good. What was this man made out of?

You could feel the smile that was born on his face at your action. With his spare hand, the dark-haired guy held your back close to him. His fingers were now exploring more of you, teasing your entrance that was already dripping wet. He was making you so needy, and that was more than obvious. He kissed you hard, devouring your mouth, he seemed so famished, desiring you so much. You felt overwhelmed, and when you expected it least, both of his fingers were sliding inside you, making you whine inside his mouth, just as he previously said.

"Good girl" he tried to say in between kissing, keeping on being so hungry for your taste. His fingers went in and out your pussy, causing you to moan again. The hand that was supposed to hold your back went up to your hair and pulled it down, making you face the ceiling as his lips went down your neck "Now moan aloud too, princess"

Not that anyone could have heard you, the deafening music and the smoke around could barely make out what's going on around. But the simple thought of you getting caught was arousing him. Reason why his fingers moved faster inside you, and deeper, making you bite your lips hard. In response, he bit a tiny part of your neck, and pulled your hair harder. His fingers curled inside you, touching continously your G-spot, finally making you let a loud moan out.

He was so proud.

"Good girl, come for me" he whispered, pushing your head back up and going back to making out with you, while his fingers went back to deep and precise motions. His tongue played with yours in a little battle that he won. All the odds were on his side. He had you coming for him, the dark-haired guy not giving you a break. He needed to stop, you really couldn't handle all that. It was too much for you.

It seemed that he almost read your mind, cause as soon as you thought that, he took his fingers out, cleaning them by your chest, covering it in your liquor. "Tight" he said, biting your lips one more time before backing up. That felt so fucking good. You were so out of breath, leaning on his chest. You thought you shouldn't do this, given that he is not your boyfriend. Isn't it normal to just leave when this finishes?

But he was so warm, and you were so stupid.

"You come here often, darling?" he asked, going back to being a gentleman.

He lit up a cigarette, blowing the smoke on the opposite side of you. He offered you one, but you refused. Not quite your thing. But he looked so sexy smoking that shit. So fine. So perfect. And you wish he could have been yours.

"Not really. But if you do, I will have a change of heart"

He chuckled, taking another smoke from the cigarette. Putting your hair behind your ear, he grabbed your cheek with two fingers and acted just like an old lady seeing her nephews. "You are so cute"

You still couldn't move on from what just happened. And even though he stopped a while ago, you could still feel the pleasure your pussy was in. So fucking good.

"What's your name?" you asked, hopeful.

"Does that change a thing? You don't need these details"

"I need you, though" that made him smile.

He gave you a short kiss, a last one, and got up from the white-leathered sofa. "I'm sorry, pretty girl, but I'd need to have you gone if you knew my name." He fixed his button up shirt, and threw the cigarette in the ashtray. You felt so disappointed. How could you let him go so easily?

"How about next Saturday at the same time, in the same place?" you tried shooting your shot one last time.

He didn't say a word. However, he winked at you and then made his way out. That was all you needed. Now, sitting alone in the lonely club, you were so lost in your thoughts. Wow. Just wow. Lia finally made her way to you, way too drunk, and fell next to you. She didn't say a word, but let a sigh out.

"Can you drive home, Y/N?"

But you couldn't answer. You were only thinking about him. Anyway,

how long until next week?

[baronessvonglitter]

Cherry, Cherry 🍒 Chapter 11 🍒

"I Was Made for Lovin' You"

pre-outbreak! AU!Joel Miller x f!Reader

Word count: 5,067

Summary: you and Joel head to a quiet lakeside cabin for a romantic weekend.

WARNINGS: 18+ Only! Mature and Explicit, age gap (reader is 18, Joel is 35), fluff, oral (m&f receiving), masturbation, somnophilia, exhibitionism, pet names ('daddy' for Joel, 'babygirl' for reader), protected piv sex (super important guys, always wrap it), first time, romance, idiots in love

Author’s notes: This is it! What we've been waiting for! (🎵Tonight is the night/when 2 become 1🎶) Also: Joel is a KISS fan and you cannot change my mind. He's got such a Dad list of music he'd like to listen to during the Main Event. This was originally one LOOONNNGGG chapter that I chopped in two because 5K, wow, my attention span could never.

Series Masterlist

Joel showed you pictures of the cabin in the lake a couple days before you were to leave. It looked rustic yet romantic - just the kind of place he would take you for your first getaway together.

"You really booked it for us?" you'd asked, touched by the gesture. Though you trusted Joel, part of you expected to be let down, simply because you were used to it.

"Didn't I say you could trust me?" he'd said, a little twinkle in his eye as he lifted your chin to give you a soft kiss.

Now it's Friday morning. By the end of the day you will be a new person, or so you hype yourself for what will happen with Joel. He's been insistent that nothing needs to happen this weekend if you aren't quite ready. But when you look at him in the most commonplace of moments and you see the way his eyes scrunch up so adorably when he laughs, or the way he licks his lips right after kissing you, as if to savor your taste; the feel of his beard gently scratching your inner thighs, and you can't imagine sharing yourself with anyone else.

The sun is barely rising in the sky, casting a pale blue light on all it touches. You remember as a kid, waking up early to get ready to leave on a long car trip. That same sense of expectation, of adventure, is heavy in the air.

Joel picks you up in his truck out front. Sofia is home and you risk the chance that she'll spot you from her window, but all is still. The world is quiet. Even the Adlers next door to Joel are likely still asleep. Everything about this morning is giving you the green light. Go. The world is yours.

You put your travel bag in the back, next to Joel's, and you spot a guitar case as well. When you get in the passenger seat you greet him with a kiss and he hands you a Dunkin' Donuts coffee. "The competition?" you narrow your eyes at him. "Rude. But I'll take it."

"This weekend is all about tryin' new things," he says with a barely-contained grin. "With respect to your boundaries, of course."

"I hold all the cards, Joel." You smirk, putting on your seat belt.

"That you do, sweetheart, that you do."

A little more awake after the first sip of coffee you motion to the backseat. "Is that your guitar?"

"Yeah, I play now and then."

"I've literally never seen you with it. You could have serenaded me at any time these past few weeks."

"I regret that I haven't done so, and I promise to do just that. I'll sing below your bedroom window at midnight and hope and pray that you'll give me some of your attention, maybe even let me in if your cousin's not home," he teases.

You drive west, away from the rising sun, towards skies that just barely lighten as you pass. The radio's on but the music doesn't register. You're just soaking up this time with him, his hand on your lap while his eyes focus on the road.

"About that.. So, Tommy and Sofia.." you start.

Joel chuckles. "Yeah, that really came outta left field."

"He never let on to you about it?"

"Nope. But I guess it's been kinda obvious in hindsight."

"Do you think we've been obvious?"

Joel frowns a little in thought. It's one of the expressions you love about him. "Nah, I don't think so. People probably think you're at my house for Sarah, which isn't far from the truth."

Sarah, who's become the link between you and Joel. There are times you feel really bad about using her as an excuse, and you have to wonder how much she knows, if she's caught on to what exactly is going on between her friend and her father. She's at Tommy's this weekend, while you and Joel have made your separate alibis. With so many secrets you speculate the possibility of all of them spilling out one day. Then you look at Joel, the way the morning light casts its rays on his handsome profile, and you know that if there's ever a fallout it will be worth it for him.

"I brought some music for us," he says, producing a CD in a clear case. "I thought you might like a little playlist for tonight, something to set the mood."

"That's so sweet," you give him a peck on the cheek and check out the label, handwritten in Joel's small, all-caps scribble.

You blush as you read the titles, knowing most of them already, and skimming through the rest, love songs from even before Joel's time. "A pretty comprehensive list," you compliment. "You put all this together for me?"

He blushes too. "Sarah helped me find the songs and burn 'em onto the CD."

You giggle. "She had to be weirded out. What does she think you're up to?"

"She probably thinks I'm seein' someone, and she'd definitely be right." His hand squeezes your thigh.

You smile. "Let's have a preview. I've only heard of a few of these." Some of these are your dad's favorites, so of course Joel would like them too. You put thoughts of your father out of your mind and put in the CD, setting it to play at random.

You lace your fingers with his on your lap as KISS starts to play, a bass-heavy rock with passionate lyrics about lovers who are made for each other, and the euphemisms are not lost on you. "You would pick out a bunch of rock anthems," you tease him, moving your hand to his thighs.

He smiles and is quiet for a moment, half-listening to the music with you. "Y'know, I've been thinkin'.."

"About what?"

He sips the dregs of his coffee and clears his throat. "It's a long stretch of road until we get to another town."

"You want me to drive this next half? I don't mind."

Joel chuckles, admiring your naivete. "I was thinkin' you might make this drive more interesting for us." He boldly places your hand on his cock, already hard inside his jeans.

"Joel.." you're partly shocked, though admittedly you're already wet at the thought of going down on him as he's driving.

"That's the only thing I'll ask of you all weekend, I swear," he says, and god damn it, he uses those puppy dog eyes on you.

"Do you think I need that much persuasion?" You massage his erection through his jeans and he hisses in expectation. He shifts his hips and after some careful maneuvering his fly bis open, and your head is in his lap, mouth wrapped around his substantial cock. With one hand Joel pushes your hair back, allowing himself a view of his length going in and out of your mouth. Hearing his grunts and groans turns you on and you desperately thrust your fingers inside you to alleviate your need. This sends Joel over the edge and you feel the twitch of his cock before his warm cum shoots at the back of your throat. You stroke him until he's released every drop, and he strokes your hair lovingly. "That's my girl, sucking up every god damn drop. Now finish what you started," he says, glancing at your shorts as you pull away. "Make yourself cum for me."

"Right now?" you ask in disbelief, licking his saltiness from your lips.

"Right now, babygirl," he says in that deep, husky voice that kindles a fire deep inside you. You scoot back to the passenger side so he can view you better and even though his eyes only flit to you every few seconds, your hand slips under your shorts and into your panties. You tease yourself into a frenzy, wishing it was Joel's fingers instead of your own, but getting the job done nonetheless.

"Does that feel good?" he asks, licking his lips as his eyes go from the road to you.

"Not as good as when you do it," you moan.

"Oh, babygirl," he whispers.

Your fingers rub over your clit in a flurry of movements. The sheer danger of what you're both doing is intoxicating. The breeze blows through the open window, lifting your strands of hair as you skillfully bring yourself to climax. Joel thinks he's never seen a prettier sight, this image of you is burned into his brain, etched onto his heart. When you're done he grabs your hand and licks your fingers. "You're always makin' a mess ford Daddy to clean up, aren't ya?"

"How else am I gonna get your attention?" you tease him.

"You're impossible," he shakes his head and you take the wheel a moment as he starts to carefully put himself away and zip up. You've elicited the dopiest grin from him.

"I won't be impossible after tonight," you counter with a sly smile.

The cabin on the lake is just as picturesque as in the brochure, like something out of a movie, quaint and rustic, with a wooden pier leading out to the lake. "I love it," you tell him excitedly.

"I hoped you would." He smiles at you and puts your belongings inside, insisting you don't need to lift a finger. Inside it's cozy, bucolic. The only room that stays in your memory is the bedroom - boasting a king size bed with a quilted coverlet and the furniture made of cherry, or so Joel tells you. The craftsman in him is impressed with the workmanship, but when you stretch out on the bed to test its comfort and sturdiness, his thoughts turn carnal. "You don't know how fuckin' hot you are, do ya? Or maybe you do and you're just gettin' my blood boilin' on purpose.."

"Whatever do you mean?" you playfully lounge on the bed, posing provocatively.

He growls and practically pounces on you. "You're lucky I have patience, babygirl. Besides, I gotta make a little trip out to get groceries and some other things we might need."

"But we just got here.." you do your best to give what you think is a sexy pout.

"I know," he rumbles. "But I have a surprise in store and I'd rather you didn't see it."

You're thrilled to see what kind of surprise Joel has in mind for tonight. You give him one more kiss. "I guess I'll just lay here waiting for you to return.. building up a fantasy about you in my head."

He chuckles and gives you another quick kiss. "I'll try not to be gone too long. Be good."

After he leaves you change into your swimsuit and grab a towel. It's in the high 90s today. The sun is brilliant in the cloudless sky. It's essentially a perfect day, as if the universe knows it's your last day as a virgin.

You spray yourself with sunscreen, vowing to get Joel to help you with this chore the next time, and lay out on the deck upon the towel. The lake is quiet but for the faraway sounds of a boat. The neighbors are scarce and it's highly unlikely you'll run into anyone during your stay. A gentle breeze blows across the lake, cooling you off a bit. Smiling, you put on your sunglasses and drift off to a nice nap.

You dream of Joel, of his head between your legs, his tongue tickling your clit. You sigh and pull him closer.

"You taste so good, babygirl," he murmurs. "But I thought you were gonna wait on that bed for me."

Giggling, you open your eyes to see that Joel really is there, eating you out while you're laying out on the deck. You're too turned on to protest, sitting upon your elbows to watch as he delicately moves the bottom of your swimsuit to rasp his tongue along your slit.

"Joel.. here?" you find the breath to say.

His eyes flicker up to yours, smiling before he licks another stripe up your crease, ending at your clit which he suctions between his lips, making you arch up, fingers tangled in his hair. "You taste like sunshine and coconut," he says, avidly tasting you.

Your veins are liquid fire, your entire being pulsing with sensualism. In fact you barely register the sounds of a boat passing by, and when you turn your head to the side it's too late to hide. A small group of people on board start whooping and hollering, shouting lewd encouragement as they pass. You glance between your thighs to see Joel's face quite red, and he flips them the middle finger, nonetheless persisting in his pleasurable task. "They can't see us from that far, babygirl," he assures you. "They don't know who we are."

It's hard for you to explain that you like it, that people's eyes on you in such a private moment is quite a turn on. You press yourself against his mouth and he readily accepts, filling you with his tongue, caressing it over your pussy, the tip of his nose nudging your clit before he fully takes you into his mouth and holds down your thighs as you quiver and shake, your sweet sounds filling his ears as your sweet juices fill his mouth.

After, he carefully cleans you up with the towel and rearranges your swimsuit bottom. He does all this with a care that seems to melt your heart. The boat with its passengers is long gone, as if you'd dreamt it.

At the cabin you both rinse off and freshen up for dinner. Joel treats you to to a meal of grilled steak, baked potato and salad. After laying in the sun so long you've grown hungry and as you see the feast laid before you, you're impressed.

"This all looks amazing, Joel," your mouth waters. "You really did all this for me?"

He pulls out a chair for you. "This weekend is all about you," he says, voice full of love. You can't keep a smile off your face throughout the entire meal. No one's ever made you feel this special before. Everything is delicious, and when you compliment Joel on his culinary prowess he just blushes and says it's no big deal, but it's evident he's pleased by your reaction.

The moment is surreal as you hold hands over the table, both of you thinking of the next move. You gaze at him, head resting on your hand. "We've been very honest and open with each other and I think that bodes really well for our relationship.. so can I ask.." you turn bright red. "Obviously tonight will be my first time, but.. when was the last time you.. you know?"

He smiles a little, looking thoughtful. "Probably a few months ago. March or April. She wasn't anyone special," he feels compelled to tell you.

You nod. "Okay. What about your first time? What was that like?"

This time his smile is genuine and you can tell he's remembering something meaningful. "Well, I was fifteen. She was the same age. We sort of dated in high school. You know how it is." You smile as he strokes your hand with his fingers. "What matters is now. I'm gonna make tonight so special for you."

"It already is." You squeeze his hand. He pats his lap and you go to him, your heart warm and glowing as you take your seat and his arms wrap around you.

"We're gonna take our time with everything," he says. "There's no rush. It's all about you."

His words alone cause a rush of sensation to your core. "Will you still want me after I'm no longer a virgin?"

He smiles and kisses your cheek. "Are you serious? Of course I'm still gonna want you. I'll probably want you even more after I've made you mine. And if I could, I'd make you mine every day."

There's a fluttering in your chest, as if your heart has grown wings. "I'm only ever going to be yours, Joel.. no one else will have me the way you will. No one else will know me that way."

His deep brown eyes are filled with lust and longing. "Babygirl, that's a big promise to make. And you're so young.."

"I mean it," you stroke his hair and nuzzle his neck, taking in his scent. "I can't wait to feel all of you."

Joel's response is a guttural growl as his arms possessively encircle you.

"Joel.. I want you to own me, to claim me from everyone else."

"You belong with me, you have since day one. Nobody is ever gonna take you away from me. Christ, I've never been so addicted to a woman before." And he claims your mouth, tongue invading and tasting as he lifts you up and places you on the table, hooking your legs around his waist. He presses his hips to you, letting you feel how much he needs you. Your body molds to his naturally, and he continues to press against you, teasing you with his hardness.

"You gonna take me right here?" you ask, only half-joking.

"You deserve better than to be fucked on top of a table your very first time," he smirks and leans in, his lips hovering over yours. "But don't worry: one of these days we'll do exactly that."

You whimper his name and it nearly undoes him. He's tempted to clear the table with just a swipe of his arm and lay you down, fucking you until you scream his name. "Wait," he groans. "I wanted to surprise ya. I said I'd make tonight special." He pulls himself away from you. "Can I trust you to be a good girl and stay here while I get everything ready?"

"What kind of surprise? Tell me," you insist with innocent glee.

"Girl, if I tell ya it won't be a surprise," he laughs.

You promise to be on your best behavior as he goes to set up the bedroom. You want desperately to sneak a peek, to see Joel Miller planning a romantic night, but you keep true to your word and wait, albeit impatiently.

Finally Joel returns and, smiling, takes your hands in his to lead you to the bedroom. The lighting is dimmed, the only source of illumination comes from the two bedside lamps and a dozen LED candles glimmering around the room. The bedspread is adorned with a spill of red, pink, and white rose petals; their fragrance is sweet in the air. Music is already playing over the sound system, but later you won't even remember what it is, just that everything is perfect, and you tell Joel so.

"You mean it?" He puts his arms around you from behind. "You deserve all the attention and all the romance. I didn't want to half-ass this." He studies your face, memorizing every emotion that shows on your uniquely beautiful features. "You make me feel good about myself. I've never really had this before.. you're my angel, my everything. I love you."

It's as if everything has clicked into place. Every moment has led to this. "And I love you, Joel.. I love you and I want you." You press a soft kiss to his lips, cupping the back of his head with your hand. As he returns the kiss you press your body to his, eager to feel all of him. His tongue slips past your lips, tangling with yours as the anticipation grows between you. Stepping back from him you begin to undress. You've done this a dozen times in front of him, but tonight is distinct in its significance.

Joel helps you, his hands gentle in their aid as your top comes off, then your shorts. Your new bra and panties, purchased just for this occasion, leave little to the imagination, and you feel sexy and powerful beneath Joel's gaze. Kissing you again he deftly unclasps your bra, freeing your breasts and cupping them in his large palms. He trails his kisses down your neck, across your breasts, down your belly, until he's on his knees before you. There's a mischief and a hunger in his eyes as he gently pulls down your panties. Your breath hitches as he comes close, inhales your scent, nudges the tip of his nose against you as his warm breath caresses your skin and you gasp when at last his tongue delicately rasps against your folds. He gently parts your thighs, making slow and deliberate licks, then opening you up with his fingers. Biting your lip you give a shuddering sigh as your head leans back, fingers sliding through Joel's hair as his tongue fucks you and he gently sucks on your swollen pussy lips before spoiling your clit. His hands firmly cup your ass, pulling you to him, needfully.

You cum quickly, excited at what the night will bring, and you feel Joel place you on the bed. "Daddy I'm going crazy over here," you moan, your body aflame with desire, with the need to be his. You sit on your knees on the bed, watching him undress and stop him when his erection springs free. "I want to kiss it," you whisper, and lean forward to place a gentle kiss on the tip, tasting a drop of his salty precum. Joel is so hard it hurts and he does everything in his power not to cum when you tease him with your mouth. Sucking his broad tip, licking the underside, hollowing out your cheeks as you fit the first few inches of him in your mouth. "God, babygirl.. I want you so much," he whispers.

You get under the covers, pushing the blankets down so your body exposed to him. "Come here and take what's yours." Joel takes a deep breath and gets on the bed with you, hungry eyes taking in the sight of you and his hands follow suit, tracing the curve of your hips, watching goosebumps rise on your skin.

"Do you have any condoms?" you remember to ask.

"Of course," he smiles and reaches into the bedside drawer. You watch as he removes a foil packet, the label boasting the biggest size, and watch as he carefully rolls it on. You're transfixed by the movements, the way he sheathes his cock in the latex barrier. He touches you gently between your thighs, spreading your wetness around. "You don't have to worry. I'm gonna take care of you.." He kisses you long, slowly, deeply, making you melt. He's pressed hot and hard against your thigh, and you recognize a longing so deep and powerful. You keep your eyes on him as you make room for him between your legs.

He's hovered over you, pressed eagerly at your entrance. His heart beats against yours, so intimate and right. "Joel.. tell me you love me."

He gives you another kiss and gazes into your eyes as he breathes your name. "I love you, so god damn much."

"I love you too, Joel." Sighing, you lift your hips against his. He glides his length over your cunt, teasing your clit. Then he slides two fingers in, pumping gently, in awe of your tightness and your heat. His breath quickens as your hips move against his hand. "Joel, please.." you whimper, and remove his hand, overeager for him to really take you.

Joel takes a deep breath and utters another "I love you" as he gently starts to press into you. You take in the first few inches and he stops when you show discomfort. "Tell me if you want me to stop," he whispers.

You shake your head, heart racing at top speed as your desire to truly be his is the strongest feeling within you. "Don't stop," you tell him.

Joel exhales sharply and tries his best to be gentle as he nudges further. "Look at me," he says, gently cupping your face as he buries himself within you in one smooth thrust. There's a tightness, a pinch of pain that reminds you how inexperienced you are. Joel is warm and solid inside you, and he's not even all the way in yet. He registers the look of discomfort on your face and he pauses. "Babygirl did I hurt you? I'm sorry if I did, I just.." he kisses your neck over and over again. "I'm sorry," he murmurs.

"Joel, it's okay." Your breath hitches in the relevance of this moment. "Can you go a little gentle?"

Joel nods. "Yeah, of course, anything," he says, and slows down, gently kissing your neck. "I'll be as gentle and soft as you want me to be." He presses gently on your clit as he moves against you slowly, carefully, lovingly. As the pleasure of this overrides the twinge of pain, you open for him naturally, and begin gently moving with him as he carves out a space deep inside you that's just for him, that no one else will be able to fill.

So this is what it's like.. you smile and kiss him. "You feel good."

He's holding back, overwhelmed by how fucking perfect this moment is. "You feel amazing, babygirl. Like nothing I've ever felt before." He moves his hips just a little faster, holding you a little tighter. You gasp, but the friction feels so good and the discomfort eases away. Joel listens to your sounds, gauges your reactions as he moves in a little bit deeper, a little bit faster. You tell him when it's too much and he slows down until you're used to it and he continues. "I love you so much.. so god damn much," he whispers.

Soon you're matching him movement for movement. "I love you," you say, wrapping your limbs around him. His hands travel the length of your legs and he moves up, hands on your hips as he watches himself move in and out of you, disappearing into your cunt inch by inch and reappearing, glistening with your slick arousal. You pay attention to how he moves, how he breathes, the warmth of his kisses on your skin, the strength of his arms and power of his hips. "I want it all, Joel," you tremble with need. "Daddy, please," Your body is flushed, excited, on edge. Joel picks up speed, a sense of urgency to him now. He's so deep inside, finally fully connected with you, giving you every single inch with each powerful thrust. "Oh my god.." your eyes pop open as a large and looming feeling begins to take over. "Joel.. I think.. I'm gonna cum!"

His smile is warm and there's pure desire in his eyes, "Yeah, babygirl, keep going. Let it take over." You nod and close your eyes, feeling Joel's movements and your own until your body tenses up, experiencing a great wave of pleasure engulf you, over and over again. You moan his name. It takes every ounce of willpower not to cum when you squeeze and clamp around him, your inner walls fluttering. He watches your face, so beautiful in ecstasy that it near stills his heart. He'd promised you something you'd never forget and he was fully intent on making this the best night of your life. He slows his movements. Your body is so pliant beneath his, moving as he wishes.

You've just come down from your high, smiling, sated, a little sweaty. He's made you cum before but never with his cock inside you. It's a different experience, more intimate. "Joel.. you're so good," is all you can say.

He smiles down at you. "It's that good, huh? You just feel so perfect right now." He starts up again, gliding more easily inside you now that you've cum, now that he's opened you to him. Despite all the women he'd been with before, this time with you feels like he's just discovering the pleasures of sex for the very first time.

You've never felt more powerful, full of joy. Joel grasps your hips and maneuvers you on top. You feel him even deeper, if that's even possible. And now you have control. You move at your own pace, moaning at how he's still stretching you. You roll your hips slowly, savoring the feel of him, and watching him beneath you give you a sense of power.

"My god," Joel moans, his large hands on your hips, fingers digging into your skin, "I'm gonna die, you feel so fuckin' good. Fuck me, babygirl." He's so weak for everything you're doing.

Head thrown back you ride him, chasing your pleasure. Joel bites his tongue, trying his best not to cum right away, wanting this moment to last as long as possible. You brace yourself on his chest, eyes closed, breath panting. "Joel! Joel!"

He groans. "I fuckin' love when you moan my name." He rises up as the heat builds up inside him. "I want to cum with you, baby. Keep going.. almost there," he whispers passionately. His hands grab your ass, guiding you smoothly up and down his cock. He loves that you're a sweaty, writhing mess, and all because of him. Arms wrapped around him, the pleasure overtakes you and you let it, surge after powerful surge radiating between you, and Joel buries his face in your neck as he whimpers, twitching inside you as he comes.

You're left light-headed for a moment, still trying to catch your breath. The pleasure resonates through you, not letting you out of its grasp yet. "Oh.. my god," you mumble.

Joel presses a kiss to your neck and gently parts from you. Your brows furrow from the loss of him as he settles you on the pillows. After discarding of the condom he lays with you, studying your features in the mood lighting. "Are you okay?" he asks, kissing your forehead.

"Yes.. I'm wonderful." Your smile is one of idiotic bliss, despite the slight throbbing, the dull ache of giving yourself to him. "It was so much better than I imagined," you sigh.

He wraps you in his arms, treating you as if you're the most precious object in the world.

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[helaelaemond]

Little Games That We Play - Billy Washington x reader

Pairing:  Billy Washington x semi-girlfriend!reader (?)

Word count: 2k

Summary: you pick Billy up from the police station after he's smashed up a butchers' shop. You're sick of him, but not so sick you can say no to getting fucked.

AFAB reader, she/her pronouns, established relationship, penetrative sex, clothed sex.

Content warning(s): rough sex, mentions of Islamophobia, very brief domestic violence (reader slaps Billy)

Rating: E

For Ez, one of my beloved muses.

You march out of the police station with anger in you.

"Sunglasses?" Billy asks as he strides to keep up with you.

You pull them from your bag and shove them to his chest. "A halal butchers?" you ask, your voice full of disgust. He doesn't answer you as you make your way quickly down the stairs and to your banged up old Corsa. Not as sorry as his Cavalier, but nothing to be especially proud of.

"Thanks for coming to get me."

You can't even stomach looking at him. When you're both in the car, you open the windows and screech out of the car park and into the road, barely making it to third by the time you hit thirty.

"Aye, ease up," he tells you in a strained tone.

"You reek," is the only reply you can muster.

The rest of the drive is in silence. On the steering wheel, your knuckles are white. It takes twenty minutes with traffic to get home, and you're too angry to park neatly - half your wheel is on the pavement, and you'll probably get a ticket, but fuck it. Billy can pay for it - when he finally gets a job. The thought makes you snort, and he looks over at you.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"You ain't even got that to your name."

When he laughs in reply, it's dry, humourless. A cheap shot, you know, but Jesus. You're so angry you could push him into traffic, you really could-!

After a long pause, Billy speaks. "I int got my keys."

Silence is the answer you give him. He follows you across the road and up into the flat that you share. It's cluttered and messy and dirty, and you've been spending more and more time back at your mum's place than here lately. It's been a while since it felt like home.

On the stovetop, dirty pans wait to be washed. There's a half-finished Pot Noodle next to it, and a dish of used teabags. This isn't how you saw your life turning out. "Didn't have five minutes to clean up?"

He pours boiling water into two mugs and stirs them both without looking up. He's still wearing those sunglasses. "Didn't know when you'd be home. Didn't see the point."

"You don't help yourself, you know?"

He winces at your raised voice. "Save it, will you? My head's killing me."

"How many did you have last night?" you press. He hands you the cup of tea and you take it without thinking.

"A few."

"How many's a few?"

"I dunno. It was a wake, for fuck's sake, I wasn't counting."

"Yeah? Well, maybe you should've. A butchers', Billy, a fucking butchers'?"

Billy shrugs slightly. His chin is tilted down. Without taking a sip, you set your mug on the dirty counter and grab him by the front of his black shirt.

"What are you playing at?" you hiss.

His lip curls and he turns his face away. "Leave it."

"No! You're throwing your life away, and dragging other people down with it!"

"No one cares enough to be dragged down with me."

You slap him, hard. Across his sharp cheek your hand comes, and it knocks those stupid Aviators right off his nose. "No one cares enough? Who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"

Sometimes, Billy is as meek as anything, and he takes the nasty things people say with shining eyes and tight lips. But other times, he comes to the edge of losing control. There is no shine in his eyes now - just the glisten of something dangerous. A thrill goes through you. He catches your wrist and squeezes until it hurts. "The girl who promised she'd never leave. But you're leaving me, aren't you? You're giving up, just like everyone else."

"What do you expect me to do?" you challenge. There are butterflies in your stomach when he pulls you closer, but you fight it. He's stronger than you, though. "Sit around and watch you waste the best years of my life? Watch you drain my bank account?"

"You promised."

"Look at the state of you." Your voice is low, angry. "Dirty clothes. Dirty face. Dirty fucking life."

His lip twitches, but he makes no reply. At least not with his words. One hand winds suddenly into your hair, fingers gripping hard at the root, and he pulls until your neck is arched, and your hands grab desperately for his arms. He doesn't go to the gym anymore, but his biceps are tensed and you hate how much you love the strain in the muscles.

"You're not a man," you hiss. "You need to grow up."

The hate in his heart has put distance between you. But the fire in his eyes is nothing but passion and love for you, you know. It's not enough for you anymore.

It still makes your pussy wet.

And when he shoves you against the messy counter, stomach first, you know what's coming. "Then why are you still here?" he mutters against your ear.

With his half-hard cock grinding in his filthy joggers against your backside, it's difficult to keep your mind on words, let alone an answer to such a complex question. Because you love him. Because you're filled with hope. Because you promised to stay.

You think of how ashamed he sounded on the phone this morning when he asked you to pick him up. You had been the one that he wanted when everything had gone to shit - when he had ruined everything. It was still you. "Because you called."

It comes out more tenderly than you intended. He grunts, and his hips stutter. "You fucking love me. Don't you?"

Gripping onto the countertop, you suppress a shiver and shake your head slightly. "No."

"Yeah, you do." Behind you, Billy shoves up your dress and presses his hand between your thighs. His long fingers rub over your underwear, and with his soft breaths at your ear, he slips them underneath. Between your folds he dips, and he groans to find you hot, the beginning of slickness pooling at your entrance. "Oh, yeah, that's what I thought."

"You don't deserve me," comes your defiant reply. It's punctuated by stiff breaths that give you away, though.

He smells unwashed, and stale beer clings to him like dust. It wraps you up in a haze of devotion and disgust. When he pushes his joggers down, you think of where they've been. He was wearing them when he carried out a hate crime, and when he was picked up by police sitting on the filthy pavement. In the police car and then the cells he wore them, and there are stains on them that you dread to think the origin of.

"Bend over," he tells you.

"No."

He growls against your ear. "Bend over."

"Make me."

And he does. With a hard hand on the back of your neck, he forces you to bend over where you stand. Before you have a moment to think, the blunt head of his cock nudges between your spread thighs, and he sinks into you like he owns you.

"Don't pretend you're too good for me," Billy mutters once he's deep inside you, his groin pressed against your backside. "That's not a fun game."

Your head rests on the counter, eyes closed. In front of you is the dish of teabags. It smells strangely comforting. "This isn't a game."

"Yeah, it is." He slams back and forth into you, once, twice, thrice, and then he pauses. "You love these little games that we play."

You hiss very quietly. "Get on with it."

"Oh?" There's a smirk in his voice now. Smug cunt.

"Just- just do it."

"Do you need it?" he asks. His pace begins smooth and slow. He knows what he's doing.

"Billy," you say through gritted teeth.

"What?"

You are going to have to swallow your pride. At least for a moment. Hopefully it'll be worth it. "Fuck me properly or not at all."

"You want it hard?"

Shit. He knows exactly what he's doing. You hate him for it. "Yes."

"Say it."

"No."

The hand on the back of your neck squeezes in a silent threat. His voice turns cold. It makes your blood run hot. "Say it."

"Fuck you!"

Billy scrapes his nails over your scalp before grasping your hair again and yanking you up slightly. He hisses against your ear. "Say it for me. Or I'll stop."

In a moment of quiet, you consider him. You could walk away now with your dignity. But, God, you feel so empty without him. And now he's inside you and you shift your hips slightly and even that tiny stimulation makes your eyes roll. "Oh, God. F-fuck. Fuck me. Hard."

And he does.

He fucking does.

The noise of your coupling in the little kitchen is obscene. Your skin slaps together as the slickness between your bodies echoes, barely covered by Billy's groans and your laboured breaths. His cock fills you perfectly, pounding into you again and again like you're unbreakable. He fucks you like you belong to him.

It makes your thighs tremble. He doesn't have the decency to touch you anywhere else this time. Sometimes, he spends hours worshipping your whole body, kissing and caressing your skin until you feel like a shrine of his love, godly and devotional. But here, now... he fucks you like he doesn't love you. But like he needs you.

"Fuck!" Billy bites your ear before licking around it. "You gonna keep your mouth shut next time?"

"No," you whine. "You're a piece of shit."

He slides his hand from the back of your neck to your throat, and pulls you up slightly. It makes your hips tilt and back arch, and the new angle makes your knees weak.

"I think you will." Words are punctuated by hard thrusts that feel so good they almost hurt. "Gonna make me come."

"Hand," you tell him. With one still around your throat, the other goes between your legs and his fingers rub a brutal rhythm over your clit. He presses your hot flesh hard and fast until you go weak in his arms. He holds you upright like it's nothing. Like you're nothing.

"Fuck, fuck-!"

"Billy, yes, yes, don't stop, don't-!"

He groans your name. "Fuck, fuck, gonna make me come, I'm-! Yes, oh, God yes, yes, yes-!"

Your orgasm crashes over you at the sound of him reaching his peak, and your knees give way. He holds you tight and strains up on his toes to bury himself as deep as he can, spilling inside you with a gutteral cry. Pleasure erupts from between your legs through your whole body, crashing over you in waves. The hand against your cunt holds you firm, giving you something to keep focus on as aftershocks make you twitch.

"I've got you," he mutters after his moans have subsided. You lean back in his arms, utterly spent. There are no thoughts left in your mind. Floating. You're just floating.

But what goes up, must come down.

"Let go," you mumble.

"Hmm?" His lips are at your neck, soft kisses making your skin tingle.

You push him away. It makes you wince when his cock slips, half hard, out of you. He made your underwear chafe against your thigh when he pushed it aside, you realise now. "Get off."

Billy hangs his head. Hastily, he pulls up his joggers and grabs his mug from the side. You notice the cuts on his knuckles have opened up again. Whatever. That's his own fault.

"Stay."

You look up at him. He avoids your gaze. "Billy..."

"Just... stay."

"Don't ask me that after... after that. You know I..."

"You what?" he asks. And then he looks at you with shining eyes.

"I can't say no to you like this. You... you know that."

He nods. "Yeah. That's why I did it."

It should make you hate him. It's bad enough that he did it, let alone admit it - he fucks you like this to keep you tied to him. But you don't hate him. Instead of leaving, you take your tea and follow him to the couch. Together, you sit down, and drink in silence. You'll stay. Come what may.

[dragoninthetrees]

Zhou Shen in London

How I would have loved to title this post as ‘Zhou Shen's London Concert.’ How lovely it would have been to write about what listening to him sing live for the first time was like, and what is was like meeting fellow fans to celebrate his first overseas solo concert in one of the largest venues in Europe.

Sadly, that is not the post.

More below cut - it's long. It's both personal account and some thoughts that I wanted to get out of my system. I doubt I've said anything that others haven't said, but it's mine and I started it and I wanted to finish it.

A bit of background seems appropriate. I started listening to Zhou Shen in 2021 early on when I was beginning to learn Mandarin. The hows and what's are a bit much to go into now, so the short story is 大鱼 (dayu - Big Fish) got me interested, Memory and 达拉崩吧 (dalabengba) impressed me, and the (definitely underrated and not mentioned as much as it should be) 相思 (xiangsi - Lovesickness) finally hooked me. His voice is beautiful, his range astounding and his versatility in performance stunning.

(And the Little Prince costume for his C929 concert? That too.)

Since then, Zhou Shen has been a constant presence in my life. The time I spend on him waxes and wanes, but he's there somehow. My daughter knows about him - she calls him Go Hen because at two years old, she still can't quite say her ‘j and ‘sh’ sounds (it's an upgrade on her previous name for him - Dough Hen). Her favourite video of him is this one below of 小美满 (xiaomeiman - Little Bliss) - though I think that's due to the animated dog running around in the background - she often asks for ‘Go Hen's dog.’

It would be years, I assumed, before I could get to see him live. So of course, the overseas fandom were beyond delighted when we learned he'd be taking his 9.29Hz tour internationally. First stop: London, O2 Arena, Friday 14 February 2025. The day the presale hit, I gave my daughter chocolate and plonked her in front of the TV so I could be sure to get a ticket without distraction (terrific parenting right? 😅). The process was surprisingly smooth though exciting with the waiting rooms and countdowns.

The anticipation, the excitement!

With that in hand, I booked a hotel room. I'd already discussed with my husband that he'd look after our daughter for the time I'd be in London. This would be the first night I spent away from my daughter since she was born. I booked annual leave for the whole of Friday so I could get to London early enough as I don't live too far away. Everything was set.

14 February arrived. Things changed - we'd had a difficult January with our 15 year old cat being ill, and them we took the sad decision to have her put down, a choice which meant I had to rework my leave plans. I now was working the morning and leaving directly from the office. I slept poorly that night, waking at around 4am fretting about what not to forget as I was bringing. I didn’t get back to sleep. Looking back at it, the fact that this was my first solo, overnight trip in just over two years was probably getting to me more than I realised. But when I got up, I got everything I needed and wanted packed and left the house at my usual early time. The day was chilly. That line from Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ - February made me shiver - has been apt for this month.

The work day was busy, and then at lunchtime I made a mad dash down the road to catch the bus from work to the train station (cheered on by a couple sitting on a bench) - only to find potentially big delays to reach London. Luckily for us a train to get to King's Cross was found relatively quickly.

Then I was in London. King's Cross had some check-in stops on the advertising boards, and knowing they'd be the only ones I'd have a chance to see, I made sure I stopped and took pictures.

Someone else was taking pictures at the same time. We smiled at each other but didn't speak - nice though to connect briefly with a fellow fan.

I navigated the tube system to get to my hotel. The staff had left a single rose stem and a little Valentine’s Day message print out on the table. The O2 Arena was in clear view from my window. I think I relaxed for the first time that day, just for a few minutes. It was close to 3pm by that point, and I wanted a shower, and I was frantically trying to finish a couple of little crochet whales I wanted to make for two 生米 (shengmi - the name of Zhou Shen's fans) - ZhouShenSpotify (who you should definitely follow for updates on his Spotify stats) and Rockster929 (translator extraordinaire of Zhou Shen interviews) - I knew from Twitter/X who I was planning to meet up with later.

Whales in waiting, with the Valentine's Day wishes and the rose

So I showered, tried to do my hair with fancy curls but ended up settling with an 80s hair metal band look, and I finished the whales, hooray!

Then I checked Twitter and saw this:

I’m one of those people who in times of shock leaps straight to the denial. I think my first thought was “That’s not funny. This has to be a joke, right? RIGHT?”

However, the link was straight to the Zhou Shen Studio Weibo. It couldn’t not be true.

I wasn't quite right for the rest of the afternoon and evening. The lack of sleep, the (self-induced) stress of travelling down to London, the nervousness as well of being both a non-Chinese member of the audience and one whose Mandarin is so basic - and then the cancellation so close to the ‘curtains up’. Everything else after was a bit of a waking dream.

The announcement said that he’d come out to speak to the audience at 8pm. I didn’t even consider not going - the thought just didn’t cross my mind. And also the chance to meet other fans is always worth it and I wanted to see both ZSSpotify and Rockster929.

I finished getting ready and left the hotel for the single tube stop it would take to get there. Once on site, ZSSpotify and I found each other inside. Both really happy to meet each other in person and also in shock. After a bit of thought we figured we may as well start queuing.

We had a lovely chat in the queue. ZSSpotify told me a lot that night about things which I would have had no way of knowing with my level of Chinese - her knowledge of the industry and how things worked and also about Zhou Shen was wonderful to hear and I'm grateful for the time she took telling me all about it.

Everyone was lovely - a couple of fans (I'm guessing ones more involved in organising fan events) came up to us to tell us about plans to sing 小美满 at the end of his speech to support him, and kindly said to me I could clap along if I couldn’t sing the lyrics (true, I can’t!), and thank you for supporting our Chinese singer.

I had a look around the crowd. Of course most people were Chinese but I was by no means the lone non Chinese there. I saw someone university aged with their parents (probably?) and another lady in front of us in the queue.

Around 6pm I rang home as I'd been placing to anyway to say goodnight to my family. I told my husband what had happened. My daughter was on the video call too and I tried to angle the phone so she could see Zhou Shen’s picture in entrance area.

Security made an announcement about cancellation and handed out a print out of the statement that had been emailed and first appeared on Weibo. They let us in about ten minutes before planned entry - the promised/threatened security delays were thankfully minimal. ZSSpotify and I were in separate sections so planned to meet up afterwards. I queued again for my section then got to my seat. The view was good for the distance I was at and I had leg room. It would have been a decent seat for the concert (and assuming a next time - I just might save up a bit more and aim for a floor seat!)

The mood in the Arena was quiet and a little sombre. The PA system played his album Shenself (反深代词 - fanshendaici) - it was an interesting experience hearing his music in public and not in my earbuds or in the house. There were blue envelopes on our seats - though for some reason they had missed my spot and the ones around them. Someone who got muddled about what seats they were in, initially on my row but then found her spot on row in the front, shared the letter that he’d written with me. (The staff eventually came around to deliver our own envelopes).

Looking at the audience, I could see a wide range of people. An elderly couple a few rows ahead took pictures of themselves with the stage behind. Lots of women in their 20s and 30s. A couple of wonderfully gothy girls sat in the row in front of me. A number of families with young children, some of whom I'd seen being carried. There was something really nice about seeing an artist who attracts such a cross section of society. There might well be a stereotypical 生米, but there isn't a stereotypical Zhou Shen fan.

The O2 Arena, obligatory selfie.

I occupied my waiting time with Chinese flashcards and checking Twitter, but there were no delays: 8pm came and the stage lights grew bright.

Then Zhou Shen walked out from backstage. Muted but encouraging cheers. He wore a long black puffer coat, a grey sweater and scarf. As I said, it was cold. It was good to see him keeping warm against the London chill.

He bowed in all directions to the audience. Then walked out along the cat walk and did the same. Only when he got back to the main stage did he raise his ever-present blue mic to speak.

When he first began (after a few tries to start) - honestly, I thought one of the tech crew was doing a mic test or something. His voice sounded so low, so rough. He could have stopped there and frankly that would have been fine - this wouldn’t have been a lightly made decision, but it anyone wanted proof that he couldn't possibly perform, there it was. Zhou Shen however spoke for about ten minutes. I understood…. well. Very little. A few words and phrases, and of course the most repeated word: 对不起 (duibuqi).

The instructors in the Mandarin course I’ve signed up with explained that 对不起 literally means ‘unable to rise.’ As in I’m so ashamed I cannot rise to face you. Yet this is what Zhou Shen did. Rose from his bows, faced his audience, his 生米, and apologised again and again and again. He was devastated. His voice cracked from both its physical condition and his emotions. He cried right along with many people in the audience. I'm a bit of a delayed reaction kind of person, but I found myself trying to hold my phone up - a Chinese fan on twitter asked if I could but frankly my recording was rubbish - and be very still at the same time, as if trying to hold space for him.

Then he finished and was guided off the stage. I'm not sure of he could have gone on for much longer and was surprised that he spoke for as long as he did.

The planned singalong didn’t happen exactly as intended - because after he let the stage, the band and backup singers performed 我以渺小爱你 (Woyimiaoxiaoaini - Loving you in my humble way) and 小美满 - so everyone who could got to sing anyway. As sweet as it might have been to have sung it directly to him, I wonder if he’d have just completely broken down on stage if it had happened.

By the next morning, Vivi on Twitter had translated the speech. Thank you. Screencap of the start of the thread and pictured linked to whole thread below:

Link to thread

And since then, the North American Zhou Shen Fan Club have provided this video, which captures also what the audience were saying and other details. Thank you to them as well.

I wrote on Twitter/X at the time, before he came on stage, that it felt like we the audience were there to support him regardless of how things had turned out. That was truly the case, especially when he started speaking. Despite what had happened, it felt right being there. Something of a privilege too. To see someone be so vulnerable at a difficult time is something to both respect and cherish.

Afterwards, I met with ZSSpotify and Rockster929 and her family, and we went for hot pot together. All a little stunned still by what had happened but in good spirits - and hungry, due to the latest of the hour! Everyone was very generous with their time in the cooking and explaining (and also the paying!) I'd not been to hot pot before - though you can't not hear about it if you watch any Chinese content for long enough. I'm incredibly grateful for the experience and the company.

I do wish I’d not been so dazed - I would have loved to have talked more and for longer - especially asked Rockster929 more about how she does it and thank her properly for the hard work she puts into getting his interviews translated and subtitled and available so quickly in English for the fandom. ZSSpotify and I took the tube back together - she kindly took this picture of me in front of one of his posters before we left the O2 site.

Unfortunately I didn’t sleep well that night either. The lateness of the hour, still muddle headed, I just couldn’t get to sleep until far too late. I had breakfast at the hotel, and left swiftly to be home for just after lunch. It was always going to be a flying visit. I got home. My daughter had apparently missed me a lot and there had been a bit of crying that morning. My husband looked a little wrung out. We settled into the rest of the day though. It had been something of a break from normal life - not the one I'd hoped for but it had happened nonetheless.

I showed my daughter a video of him speaking. I can't quite recall if I told her he was feeling sad or if she noticed it herself. I tried to explain what happened in terms a two year old would understand, and also that I was feeling a bit sad too.

Then later that evening, unprompted, she said, “Mummy Go Hen sad.”

“Yes, sweetheart. We're both sad.”

It was only that night after my daughter was in bed that I had a proper cry. Delayed reaction, being comfortable at home and safe, and just processing it.

Now, over a week out - I'm sad it didn't work out as planned, but given the people I met and what we all bore witness to that night, I have no regrets whatsoever.

*

Three days after and the compensation plan was released.

See Rockster929's post for details, Weibo link, and screencapped translation

Wow. I mean wow. He's under no obligation to do so. Ticket refunds, sure. Travel and hotel? This is going to cost him and his studio a small fortune. All to do what he believes is the right thing. I went and saw friends this week who all knew how much I'd been looking forward to the concert. I gave them the details, and one of them said that Zhou Shen was a ‘class act’ to have both come out on stage and for offering the compensation package.

And these two articles (thank you as always Rockster929) are an excellent summation of what happened and why, from the perspective of the music industry, this was quite something. I didn't appreciate just how poorly audiences can be treated by the industry and artists alike.

Link to thread

Hong Kong Economic Journal - screencap plus translation

Not Zhou Shen though. It isn't just his talent the draws fans - it's his character. It's his dedication and commitment not just to musical excellence but also to the highest levels of professionalism and to his relationship with his fans.

It's taken me over a week to write this all down - work has been busy, parenting is always busy, and we're about to go on a longish holiday overseas to see my family. And wanting to be sure I've caught a lot of what happened. Trying to give a sense of how it was. A few things happend since: Zhou Shen posted a selfie on Weibo (see below) and his team have a general update on his health. No performances (very rare for him but understandable) and one new song but two pieces of news have come out: that four of his songs have been selected for inclusion in Chinese school children's music books, and that Shenself was, in 2024, the 11th best selling album across the globe. This is all marvelous and I hope provided Zhou Shen with some moments of joy over the last week. Us fans were certainly pleased on his behalf. And plans are still going ahead for the rest of his world tour - Las Vegas is now days away (he might well be winging his way there already) and the dates and venues for his Australian stops have been released. Crushing as this was, what was meant to be his first solo concert outside China, his career is still going very very strong. We have plenty of reasons to be happy as fans and for him.

The way I want to conclude is with some reflections on the events - I wrote these fairly soon after and they still stand.

That night as he spoke, many people called it to him meiguanxi, 没关系。It doesn't matter, it's ok. His response: “I know it matters.” Naturally we want to say this when someone do sincerely apologises, especially for something that wasn't fully in their control. The urge to reassure is strong. But I think he's right. Of course it matters. So much effort was made on all sides - from his crew, the musicians, the dancers - the amount of organisation that a huge event takes and the multiple working parts that have to all come together to make it happen. From the fans, who had to arrange and pay for flights, trains, hotel rooms, visas, and asking for time off work, arranging caring duties for dependents, and a host of other things that I’ve not considered when making plans to get to see and listen to someone you love, you adore. And for Zhou Shen himself, who would have put his all into preparations, planning, rehearsals, encouraging him team - and then at the end to go through all those medical treatments to try and pull through so he could perform for us. It absolutely matters. Our shared sadness and disappointment matters.

And (important that it's ‘and’ not ‘but’):

What matters more is that Zhou Shen is ok. That he looks after not only his voice, his precious instrument that brought us all there that evening, but also his own heart and mind. What matters more is that he looks after himself so he can sing again - both for his fans, and also for his own sake. This is a young man who has battered off ‘what would you do if weren’t a singer’ questions with what essentially amounts to ‘the alternative is unthinkable’. While we're all disappointed - Zhou Shen I believe most of all - after all that effort, the disappointment is for the circumstance, not in Zhou Shen. Not one little bit. On the off chance he ever reads this, he needs to know that he has nothing to feel guilty about. That’s my biggest fear for him. That this will haunt him far longer than it should. We all know this was the right decision. We all know he tried so so hard, threw every treatment the doctors could think of. If he could have made it work, he would have. But Zhou Shen has to protect his voice. The alternative would have been truly unthinkable.

And:

There are worse things that happen. The train delays I mentioned above were due to a death on the train line. I’m 90% certain it was suicide - they’re sadly common on the line I use. Someone and their loved ones had a far worse day than any of us. When I woke up the next morning in the hotel room, I read a diary article from of one of the climate change protestors who has been landed in prison for 4 years, writing about conditions that don’t read like they have a place in a just and fair society. And you just have to read the news to know that there are far far worse things.

And:

It still matters. Zhou Shen has been the soundtrack to so many people’s lives and has inspired and support and helped people pull through challenging, difficult times. He himself is an inspiring human being who so many, including me, look to as a role model. This whole incident is surely an example of that.

And:

While we were sad for ourselves, our hearts were right there with Zhou Shen, who bravely stood in front of us to tell us why he made the decision. As others have since pointed out, he could have just made a video. Instead, he came in person, in a cold London night while unwell and let his voice stumble and croak while he cried his way through it all. Not many people could do that.

But:

That's who he is.

So, in conclusion, and on the off chance he ever reads this:

Shenshen, look after yourself. Please rest and recovery fully. May we meet again. Best of luck for the rest of your tour. 加油！

[heli-writes]

Seven summers, part 1.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x female!reader

Summary: Every summer, Draco and y/n meet. First, by pure coincidence, then intentionally. Unbeknown to Draco, y/n's a muggle who has no clue he's a wizard. With the rise of the dark lord, how long can this go well?

Part 1, Part 2

Series Masterlist

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

First summer

I can't wait for summer to be over, y/n thinks. Y/n just turned eleven and after the summer, she starts at a new school. Her family just moved into the area and she can't wait to get to know kids her age. Today, her parents took her to London to get some school supplies. Her mother dragged her to Waterstones to get her school books but y/n managed to get away and to wander into the fantasy section. She loves nothing more than fantastic stories about fairies and evil witches.

She's engrossed in a book about an elven princess when she suddenly hears: “Pah, stupid smugglers!“. She looks up and sees a blond boy her age who holds a fantasy book in his hands. Maybe he goes to my new school, she thinks. Being desperate to finally find a friend, she says: “Yeah, you're right. They're so stupid.“ Y/n has no idea what a muggle is but hopes the boy doesn't notice. The boy turns around and looks her up and down. “Are you going to school at Hogwarts then?“, he asks. Y/n tries her best to hide her disappointment. Of course, it was too good to be true. “No, unfortunately not.“, she says. “Durmstrang then? My father wanted to send me there.“, he continues. “No, my parents are sending me to-“, she starts. “Ilvermorny School. You're American, right? I notice your accent.“, the boy interrupts her. Y/n is taken aback. She thought she practiced her English accent really well. She doesn't want the other kids to make fun of her accent. “Is it that obvious?“, y/n blurts out. The boy laughs. “Yeah, you sound like there's a potato stuck in the back of your throat.“, he says. Y/n feels her ears burning up. “I'm Draco Malfoy. And you?“, the boy asks. “I'm y/n l/n. Nice to meet you.“, she answers. Y/n is glad that the conversation goes in a different direction. “You wanna get out of this muggle shop?“, Draco asks. Y/n thinks about it for a second. Her mom is still somewhere in the school section. Whatever, she thinks, I can call her on my phone late. “Sure.“, y/n says, “You wanna get some ice cream? There's a truck down the road.“ Draco agrees and the two of them exit the bookshop.

“So, what kind of flavour do you like?“, y/n asks Draco. “Chocolate.“ he immediately says. Y/n orders for both of them and hands Draco both cones so she can pay. “It's 3 pounds and 60 pence.“, the vendor tells her. Y/n starts digging in her purse and puts some coins in her hand. Being used to American dollars, she has to turn around every coin to see its value. It takes quite a while to count the money together and she gets embarrassed by the line that forms behind her. “Don't worry“, Draco tells her, “The muggle money confuses me too.“ Draco's cryptic use of the word 'muggle' confuses her, but she decides it's probably a British word that she doesn't understand yet. Like hoover or flat. “So, what are you?“, Draco asks. Y/n takes a

lick from her ice cream. “What do you mean?“, she asks. “Your blood. Pure or mixed?“, he asks. Y/n thinks it's a weird question. Does he want to know if both of her parents are American or if one of her parents is British? I guess it's somehow a valid question, y/n thinks, what other reason does an American have to be in Britain? “Oh, I'm a pure blood. My parents are only here for work. They work at the embassy, you know.“, she tells him. Draco nods as if he expected such an answer. “I see.“, he says. “When does school start for you?“, y/n asks him. “First of September.“, he tells her. “Same for me.“, she says. Suddenly she gets really shy. “Do you... Like... Would you like to hang out before school starts?“, she asks him. Draco looks a bit taken aback as if he didn't expect someone to want to hang out with him.

Before he can answer, a loud and somewhat shrill voice yells: “Dracooo! What are you doing? Let's go!“. A woman with black hair and a blond streak waves from across the street. “That's my mother. I got to go. See you around, l/n.“, he tells her and turns to leave. He seems eager to not answer y/n's question. “Wait! What about hanging out?“, y/n yells after him. Draco turns around for a second. “I'll send you an owl.“, he quickly says before taking off. Y/n looks after him dumbfounded. An owl?, she thinks. Is that an app the Europeans use that we don't? Like whatsapp? She thinks about it all the way back to the bookstore where her mother scolds her for leaving without telling her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Second summer

Y/n's early. Way too early. Usually, she's always late and only catches her train to school by the second. But today she's early because her dad has a work thing and dropped her off at King's Cross early. Having a couple hours to kill, y/n wanders aimlessly through the train station. There's so much to see. One of y/n's favorite hobbies is people-watching. Some may call it being noisy but y/n doesn't care about that. Currently, her focus is on an old, fat guy who is picking his nose. I wonder what he's going to do with it, she thinks. He puts it into his mouth. Ewwww, she thinks and quickly turns around running head-first into someone.

"Watch out where you're going, you filthy muggle!", someone says in a disgusted voice. A voice that sounds all too familiar to y/n. "Draco?", she says in disbelief. "Oh, it's you.", Draco answers while straightening his jacket. Y/n takes a good look at him. He has grown a good few inches taller. But not yet taller than me, she thinks proudly. Other than that, he pretty much still looks the same. His blond hair is still glued to his forehead and he works that same disinterested facial expression as the last time he saw him. "I thought you wanted to send me an owl.", she points out reproachfully. Suddenly, Draco looks embarrassed. "Yeah... my parents didn't want me to send a stranger letters.", he says, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I guess I understand that.", y/n replies. After all, she hadn't told her parents about meeting him last year. "So, how's life? The new school?", she asks him. Draco scoffs. "School could be better. The place really is going down. My father already wrote the ministry about it.", he says dismissively. "I see. What about friends? Did you get to know some people?", she continues to ask. "I guess. At least they're loyal.", he replies. Y/n nods excitedly. "That's so important. I became friends with this girl, Becky, at the beginning of the school year but later, she made fun of my backpack behind my back. Obviously, we're not friends anymore.", y/n chats happily. Draco shifts uncomfortably on his feet. He's not sure what he's supposed to answer to this chit-chatty nonsense. "Well, did you get revenge on her?", he asks. An evil grin spreads over y/n's face. "Well, what do you think? Of course, I did! I collected a bunch of bugs and put them into her shoes during P.E. Never heard a person scream so loudly.", y/n chuckles. That puts a grin on Draco's face. "Good. Don't let others take advantage of you.", he tells her. Y/n nods. "What is taking you to the station today?", she asks and points towards his suitcase, "Are you going on a trip?" "No," he answers, "School starts today." Y/n is a bit confused. "Why are you taking a suitcase then?", she asks. Draco looks at her as if she's asked what color the sky is. "Hogwart's a boarding school.", he points out as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Oh, that's cool. Must be fun, having a sleepover with your friends every night.", y/n replies cheerily. "Right...", Draco says. "Draco, where on earth were you? Didn't I tell you to stick around?", a man says behind y/n. He's tall, blond and carries a strange-looking cane. That must be his dad, y/n thinks. "I'm sorry father. I just ran into y/n, the American girl from last summer.", Draco says and y/n thinks he suddenly looks a few inches smaller. His father scoffs and musters y/n from head to toe. Suddenly she's glad she's not wearing her school uniform yet but one of the new dresses her mom got her during her summer holiday in Italy. "Ah, so you're the American. What does your father do for work again?", Draco's father asks her. "Oh, he's working at the embassy.", she answers uncomfortably. "I see.", Draco's father answers. "Actually, would it be okay if Draco and I write each other letters from time to time? It'd be nice to know how things are at other schools.", she quickly asks him. The man ponders on the question for the moment. "I guess it'd be good to know how things are at Ilvermorny since we are considering transferring Draco.", he eventually answers. Y/n gives Draco a booming smile and he gives her an oppressed smile.

"Father, we still have some time. Would it be alright if y/n and I go to that muggle café around the corner?", Draco asks his father. "Why would you want to do that? Why don't you take her to a proper place? Like the Leaky Cauldron?", his father answers appalled. "It's just closer to the station. That way we don't miss the train.", Draco quickly adds. His father sighs and waves him off. "Fine, fine. I have business to attend to. Just see that you are in front of the platform in time.", he says. Y/n quickly says her goodbyes and quickly follows Draco to the 'muggle caf��' which turns out to be a Costa. They order some tea and make themselves comfortable on the couches close to the window. "So, tell me about Ilvermorny.", Draco demands once they sat down. Right, Ilvermorny, y/n thinks, the school I don't go to. "You see, actually I don't...", she tries to explain when Draco suddenly spots someone outside the window. "Potter! Look at that who's arriving with that blood-traitor family. Unbelievable! How low can one person sink?", he exclaims indignantly. Y/n quickly looks out of the window and sees the back of a raven-haired boy alongside a family of redheads. "Who's that?", she asks him. "Oh, just Harry Potter. My archnemesis.", Draco replies in a bored tone. "You have an archnemesis?", y/n gasps, "How did that happen?". "Well, y/n, you see wealthy and powerful people like me always end up having enemies.", he boasts. Y/n thinks about Becky who keeps spreading rumors about her after the whole bug situation. "I guess Becky's my archnemesis then.", she says, "You should try putting bugs into his shoes." Draco scoffs. "Unfortunately, we're not in the same house, so I don't really get an opportunity to do that.", he tells her. When she asks about the houses, he explains the system to her and y/n decides that it's the same thing as being in a different homeroom.

After finishing their teas, Draco and y/n part ways at platform 9. Draco tells her that he needs to catch the train at platform 9 3/4, which y/n doesn't really understand. She doesn't worry too much about it since a lot of things that Draco says don't make sense to her and a lot more things he says are kind of rubbish in her opinion. Considering he was technically her first friend when she moved to England, she lets it slide. They wish each other a successful school year and Draco promises to send her an owl as soon as he sets up his room at Hogwarts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dearest y/n,

Life at Hogwarts is annoying as always. The food's still terrible and the education less than adequate, at least according to my father.

However, good news are that I've achieved to become the seeker for my house team. Finally, I can show that Harry Potter what it really means to play this game.

I hope things at Ilvermorny are well for you.

See you soon, Draco Malfoy

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Draco said he'd send an owl, y/n did not think he'd literally send an owl. It probably should've concerned her when the feathered fellow landed on her windowsill with a bright red envelope in its beak addressed to Ms. Y/n L/N. But when you're 12 years old and an owl brings you a letter, you'd think it's super cool and something straight out of your favorite book. Y/n's mother probably would have lost it at the sight of the bird sitting on y/n's desk.

Y/n immediately wrote him a letter back and gave it to the own alongside a piece of her peanut butter jelly sandwich that was meant to be eaten during lunch break. Over the year, sending letters back and forth became a regular thing for the two. Y/n often didn't understand what Draco was talking about (A seeker? Like in hide and seek?) and filled the gaps with her imagination. Draco often didn't understand what y/n was talking about and shrugged it off with the excuse that y/n's American (Angry Bird? That must be a magical beast native in America!).

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Third summer

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dear Draco,

My mom's taking me to London next Friday. She visits a friend from the office. I've asked to tag along so that I can do some shopping in London.

Are you in London that day by any chance? Maybe we can have some ice cream again.

Hopefully see you soon, Y/n

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Y/n, are you listening?", y/n's mom pulls out her headphone out of y/n's ear. "Seriously, you kids and your technology!", she sighs, "I've told you to get some school supplies while you're out with your friend, did you get that?" Y/n rolls her eyes at that. "But mom! I'm out to have fun with my friends, not to go school shopping.", she whines. "C'mon, y/n, you're going to hang out at some shops anyway. Might as well get something useful.", y/n's mom says and shoves a few pound bills into y/n's hand. Y/n shoves the money into her bag and hops out of the car. "I pick you up, here, at 5 o'clock, y/n. You'd better be here. I'm not gonna go looking for you.", y/n's mother says sternly. "Yes, Mom.", y/n says obediently while rolling her eyes again on the inside. Then, she takes off to meet Draco at Trafalgar Square.

When she spots the blond-haired boy, she starts waving both hands above her head. "DRACOOO! I'M HERE!", she yells and grins widely. When Draco notices her, he walks towards her. "Why are you being so loud? Seriously, the muggles are already noticing us!", he hisses while grabbing her arms and pulling them down. Y/n gives him a mischievous smile. "Let them watch. What are they gonna do about it?", she says. Draco lets go of her hand and scoffs. "I guess you're right.", he says, "Let's go, though. Can't stand to be around them for too long." "Alright," y/n says, "Where do you want to go?". "Diagon Alley, of course.", Draco points out as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Y/n, not wanting to look stupid in front of her friend, says: "Oh, of course! Lead the way!".

The two make their way to the entrance of Diagon Alley. When they stop in front of a brick wall, y/n thinks for a moment that Draco got them lost. But when the bricks start to move and an entry to a hidden street is revealed, y/n's jaw is on the floor. Draco doesn't seem to notice this and grabs her arm without looking at her. "C'mon, before a muggle sees us!", he says and pulls her into the alleyway by her arm. When the brick wall rearranges itself behind her, y/n has to swallow and a pit starts to grow in her stomach. "I want to go to Sugarplum's first.", Draco tells her while pulling her through the alley by her wrist. Y/n barely can keep up with him, mostly because her head is turning in all directions at once. There's a person in a pointy head and there's a broom sweeping the floor by itself. There's a small man with pointy ears and there's a small cage with little dragons in it. Y/n's head feels like it's about to explode when Draco stops in front of a bright pink shop door. Y/n is still questioning her sanity and everything that's real as Draco pulls her into the shop.

"What kind of candy do you like?", Draco asks her while letting his eyes run over the shelves of different candy jars. Y/n releases a breath that she didn't notice she was holding. Finally, a sentence that makes sense to her. "Chocolate.", she tells him. "Then you should get these chocolate frogs. Do you know them? Do you have them in America, too?", Draco asks. Y/n looks at the packaging he put into her hands. "No, sorry, we don't have that in America.", she tells him. She's pretty sure also the British kids in her school wouldn't know what this type of candy is. Y/n slowly starts to realize that the misunderstandings Draco and her tend to have, do not have something to do with culture and more to do with... well what? Y/N's still not sure what this place is or what is going on this street. The only thing she knows is that everything in this street is absolutely normal for Draco, while for y/n, it's something totally out of a movie. Draco starts to fill a paper bag with different types of candy that he takes out of glass jars. "So, uhm, Hogwarts, eh?", y/n tries to cover up her insecurity. "Ugh, yes!", Draco sighs dramatically. "I swear, you wouldn't believe what happened this year!", he tells her. Y/n relaxes a bit and is glad that Draco is utterly oblivious to the y/n's shock. "Why? What happened?", she asks him. "The so-called chamber of secrets was opened and a bunch of people got turned into stone!", he boasts as if that was a good thing. Y/n swallows. Just what kind of school does Draco go to? "Uhm... and did they die?", she asks him carefully. "No.", Draco says unbothered. "But Potter got to play the hero again. My dad told me to stay on the low which is what I did. However, if I investigated the whole thing, the whole issue would've been solved way earlier.", he tells her. Y/n has to snicker at Draco's arrogance. "What you don't believe me?", Draco grins at her. Y/n raises her hands in defense. "I would never, I'm convinced you're the greatest guy at your school! Certainly greater than the boys at my school.", she tells him truthfully. During the last part, she has to think of Connor O'Sullivan who tried to impress the girls in her class by snorting a line of sherbet powder which resulted in a visit at the school nurse's office and a school-wide ban of sherbet powder. Draco puffs his chest at that and tells her: "I know! I'm gonna be one of the greatest wizards ever!". At that, things fall into place for y/n. A wizard! Of course! The owl, the broom, the guy in the pointy hat. Things make a lot more sense now, y/n thinks to herself. At the same time, she comes to the realization that Draco must think she's a wizard, or witch, too. An American witch, at least. Suddenly, y/n feels really bad. I need to tell him, she thinks.

While y/n is deep in her own thoughts, Draco pays for the candy and leads her back outside. "So, Draco... Thanks for showing me this place. I've never seen anything like it...", she starts, trying to ease Draco into the conversation about how she's not a witch. "Ha!", Draco laughs, "You've never been to Diagon Alley? Your parents must suck if they only ever showed you the muggle side of...". Draco stops midsentence and warily stares at a girl their age and her parents on the other side of the street. "Muggles!", he swears under his breath. "What?", y/n asks him. He blatantly points towards the family. "They're muggles. That's Hermione Granger. She's in my grade level. Her parents aren't witches.", he tells her. "Oh.", y/n just says and immediately feels great sympathy for the couple that looks around quite awkwardly. "I don't understand why they even let people like that in here and into Hogwarts. They should be banned!", Draco continues his rant. "What do you mean?", y/n asks stupidly. "Well, clearly muggles like the Grangers shouldn't wander this street. They don't belong here. And Hermione Granger shouldn't be allowed to attend Hogwarts. After all, her magic doesn't come from witches.", Draco explains. Y/n crooks her head. "She's got magic. Doesn't that make her a witch?", she asks him. "Well... technically, but she's still a muggle-born!", Draco defends himself. "You keep saying muggle as if it's a bad thing. It's not their fault that they don't have magic.", y/n argues. She notices how she gets offended and angry by Draco, now that she knows that the word "muggle" includes her too. "Well, you're right, it's not their fault they're muggles. However, being muggles, they're still oblivious to magic and the real world. We wizards could wipe them off the face of the earth if we wanted to.", he talks back. Y/n thinks about this for a second. "So what you're saying is the following: muggles are born without magic, which isn't their fault, but they're still inferior to wizards and that's why they should be grateful that you let them live?", she points out. "Yes.", Draco says and crosses his arms in front of his chest. "That's bullshit.", y/n concludes. "How so? Didn't think you're such a great muggle defender.", Draco provokes her. "Well, all people are different. Some people are stronger or smarter or prettier than other people. For every weakness you have, I have a strength, and the other way around. Together, we can do anything.", she tells him. "Aha.", Draco deadpans, "And what do muggles bring to the table when it comes to 'together we can do anything'?".

Y/n thinks about that for a second and lets her gaze wander through the scene of Diagon Alley. Everything looks like it comes straight out of the Middle Ages, she thinks. "Technology.", she suddenly blurts. Draco rolls his eyes at that. "No, seriously. For example, you send me an owl to communicate with me. Your owl takes several days to send messages back and forth. If you were a muggle, you could just send me a message on your smartphone. Your message would reach me within seconds.", y/n explains. Draco stays quiet for a while. Seems like I've got you, she smirks to herself. "Well, I still think muggles suck.", Draco tells her. Now he's just being petty, she thinks. "Well, I think you suck, too." y/n tells him equally petty. Draco turns around and looks are her offendedly. "What? Why? What did I do?", he asks her. "You are being a prick, Draco. You judge people based on something they can't do anything about. It's as if I would judge you because of your hair color.", she tells him. Draco gives her another offended side look. "What's wrong with my hair color?", he asks her. "It's the same color as your face.", y/n snaps at him, "It makes you look like a ghost." Suddenly, Draco's face has a different color than his hair, namely red. "A ghost? I don't look like a ghost. Ghosts are transparent, you know! Or have you never seen a ghost?", he takes a swing at her. Jesus, are ghosts real, too?, y/n asks herself but quickly answers: "Of course I have! But you still look weird like that! More dead than alive!" Draco huffs and tries to answer: "Well and you look like... like...!" Desperately, he tries to find a fitting insult to y/n's appearance but he doesn't come up with anything. Probably because he actually finds y/n very pretty. Y/n has to laugh heartedly at Draco's dumb face. She slaps his arm. "I guess I'm too gorgeous to be insulted by a ghost.", she giggles and the tight atmosphere around them loosens up a bit. Draco secretly agrees with her and is glad that the argument is over. "Let's just not talk about muggles anymore.", he proposes and y/n agrees. She decides to keep her being a muggle a secret for a while longer.

The two of them continue their stroll through Diagon Alley and y/n takes her time admiring all the magical things around her. The street gets fuller and fuller, too. Soon so many people push themselves through the small space that y/n is worried, she'll lose Draco in the masses of people. She quickly latches onto his hand. Draco grips her hand firmly and leads her through the alley. Y/n is so distracted by everything that's around her, that she doesn't notice how the tips of Draco's ears turned a bright red ever since they started to hold hands. Eventually, they turn around and come to a stop in front of a tavern which has a big sign over its door which reads "Leaky Cauldron". "Let's have a butterbeer before heading back.", Draco tells her. Y/n agrees and they go inside.

Y/n is immediately in love with the place. It's cozy and spooky at the same time. The couple sits to rest at a table close to the bar and they order their drinks. Y/n observes the people in the tavern. Some people look exactly like y/n would imagine a witch or wizard to look like, others look like people you'd meet in the normal world as well. Y/n takes a closer look at Draco and ponders whether or not he looks like a wizard. The ghost aspect clearly gives him supernatural plus point, she decides. "Why are you staring at me?", Draco asks her uncomfortably. "I just decided you do look very wizardly.", she tells him. Draco sits up a bit, clearly content with that. "Well, I am a wizard.", he tells her. Y/n nods. "True, but that guy over there does not look like a wizard.", she tells him and points to a boy their age which sits a few tables behind Draco. Draco turns around and then lets out a loud laugh. So loud, that the boy and his friends turn around to them. "Shhh!", y/n tells him and grabs his arm. Draco turns back to her with a clearly amused expression on his face. "That's Harry Potter.", he tells her. "Your archnemesis?", y/n asks dumbfoundedly and Draco nods. Y/n takes a closer look at the so-called Harry Potter. Not only he doesn't look like a wizard, but he also looks like he's never seen a barber shop from the inside. "So, what do you think?", Draco asks her. Y/n supports her head with her hand and stirs her yellowy drink. "I thought he'd look more intimidating.", she tells him truthfully. Draco snickers. "Yeah, he looks like a pathetic worm, doesn't he?", he says proudly. Y/n doesn't agree with his choice of words but lowkey agrees with him. "Why do you even bother with him?", she asks him. Draco shrugs. "He's annoying and thinks he's better than me.", he tells her. Y/n doesn't think that Harry Potter looks arrogant. She thinks he looks like an average, maybe even below average, boy their age. She doesn't like his round glasses. They make him look silly, like a grandpa, she thinks. "I wouldn't worry so much about him. You said you're in different classes, didn't you?", she asks Draco. Draco nods. "Yes, which means we're constantly competing against each other. For the house cup, you know?", he tells her. Y/n doesn't know. "We don't have that at my school. We barely have anything to do with the other classes in our grade. We only see them during the break at the schoolyard. That's it.", y/n replies. "Geez, you're lucky.", Draco tells her, "Even my dad constantly wants to know what that Potter guy is doing, and beware he's better at something than I am." Y/n finds it weird that Draco's father, a grown-ass man, is so interested in a minor's life that is not his own child. Yet then again, y/n also thought Draco's father was weird the second she saw him. "You shouldn't have to compare yourself to that guy.", y/n says softly, "Remember how we all have different strengths? You're definitely better than that guy in some things, I bet." Draco's face lits up. "Potions!", he tells her. "I'm really good at Potions but he sucks. To be fair, our professor also hates him. He still sucks, though." Y/n nods in agreement. The two of them continue to chat a bit and Draco tells her all about Harry Potter and his gang of three. Y/n should feel strange that she gets to know so much about people she's never met. Then again, she does love some juicy gossip.

Eventually, y/n takes a look at her watch and notices that it's already half past four. "Oh, no! It's already so late! I need to get back! My mom will be furious if I'm not punctual.", she says as she jumps up and scrambles together her things. Quickly the couple gets up and hurries through the wall that rearranges itself. Draco walks with her to the agreed pick-up point with y/n's mother. Luckily, her mother hasn't arrived yet. "I guess that's it then.", Draco says and puts his hands into his pockets. "I guess so." she replies. There's an awkward silence between them. "Hey Draco?", she asks, "Are you still mad about the conversation earlier?". Draco shakes his head. "No, it's okay. Muggles are a controversial topic. It's okay if you think differently than I do.", he tells her. Y/n sighs in relief. "That's great. I really would have hated it if we stopped being friends over this." Draco chuckles in relief, too. "Yeah, that'd be stupid.", he agrees. Y/n clutches her hands behind her back. "You know, Draco, I'm really gonna miss you this school year. It's always funny with you", she tells him. There's a faint blush on his cheeks. "Yeah, uh... I'm gonna miss you, too. You're silly. Most of my friends are too stern and serious.", he replies. Y/n chuckles and then opens her arms. Draco awkwardly steps into her arms and she gives him a bear hug. He shyly hugs her back. "You promise to write me?", y/n whispers into his ear. Suddenly, there's a lump in Draco's throat. Only now he realizes that he's never been so close to a girl before. "Y-yes. I'll write you.", he says hoarsly. Y/n gives him one last squeeze and then steps back. "Meet again next summer?", she asks. Draco gives her a loopsided grin. "Meet again next summer.", he agrees.

[potatowithahat]

A New Friend

A Cringefail Farmer story

For @clarisinne !!! I hope it's ok!

I saw everyone drawing Cf and their Stardew Oc's and I can't draw all too well so here it is in fic form instead.

“Listen girl, I can't just explain it” her sister calls from the kitchen. “All I know is the wizard  gave me that forest drug and i help out the little guys now”

“That’s actually mental, you realize that?” Clarice calls as she looks out the window at the greenhouse that was built supposedly overnight

“Just… Ugh. Just go to the wizard guy. I don't know how else to explain it. That wizard guy can tell you” Mars shakes her head. “Now me and Haley still have a date so…” she gently shoves Clarice towards the door.

“Year yeah” Clarice mumbles something about lesbians to herself and walks off towards the path “Harveys not off tell three… Might as well go see this wizard dude anyway.”

She lets out a long sigh as she drags herself further down the road.

“Where you goin?” Shane calls, standing against the fence in front of marines house as she passes

“Better question is why you're outside at eight and not sleeping in on your day off?” she smiles as she approaches him.

“Marnie promised pepper poppers if i helped her with the cows” her friend wipes at the sweat on his brow with the sleeve of his jacket

“You wouldn’t be so hot if you weren't wearing that thing, you know” Clarice comments as she flicks at his sleeve

“Shut up” Shane grumbles as he looks back over at the cows “The hell are you going anyway? Out to cindersap?”

“Yeah” Clarice nods “Out to see The Wizard. Got some magic soup or something” she nods and walks on “If i’m not back in an hour call my sister and tell her i want harvey to give the eulogy at my funeral”

“Pff” Shane chuckles “Sure crazy lady” he turns back to the cows and hops the fence to continue his work

“This is it then” Clarice looks up at the tall, imposing structure in front of her.

The wizards tower was probably three floors high from the looks of it, the tall gray structure looming ominously above cindersap like a dark obelisk. The area around it was abuzz with power, and multiple larger than normal plants grew in a small garden beside it, seemingly untouched by any wildlife.

“Well this isn't imposing at all” she mutters to herself, sheepishly making her way up to the door to knock

“One second!” a voice calls out, sounding much more… effeminate than she was expecting

After a minute or two of waiting the door swings open and a boy no older then two with reddish purple hair bursts out of the tower and right into her legs 

“Oof” Clarice stumbles backwards at the impact 

“HI!” the boy calls up excitedly, “Do you want to be my friend?”

“Atticus you can't just” A tired looking man with curly red hair tied up in a top bun scoops the boy up and sighs “I'm so sorry Miss…”

“Ahh” Clarice startles a bit “Sorry. Just Clariece is fine” 

“yeah , i'm so sorry..” he looks up and startles a bit “My god” he reaches out for her braid

“Uhhh” She steps back nervously and looks down at her hair “Is something wrong with my hair…?”

“Oh, No. no, no no no no. sorry. You're just. well “ he bites his tongue “it's like looking at myself pre transition” The man shakes his head “Sorry, sorry. I’m”

“Rasmodius, right?” Clarice asks hopefully, wanting to get out of this situation as quickly as possible

“Yes. but probably not the one you’re looking for” The man gestures her inside “You here t osee the wizard?” 

Clarice nods nervously as she steps inside the house, her breath being taken away as she looks around the space.

The walls are covered  with arcane symbols and glowing glyphs, the seemingly only light source in the room, despite it being deceptively bright. The walls are lined with books, all well worn and old, though there doesn't seem to be a speck of dust anywhere. There's a large desk off to one side, a glowing green cauldron in front of it, some sort of spellbook sitting on the ground near it.

To the left there's what seems to be a small living room with a child's play area, with pop up books and all sorts of little wooden toys. A baby, no older than maybe six months sits by the couch chewing on a block

“Papa! Aaa!” The baby giggles and reaches for the man

“Go play with your sister” the man whispers to Atticus, setting him down and gently nudging him towards the toys

“Sorry about the mess” the man chuckles and kicks a toy firetruck out of the walkway” Kids, you know”

He rubs his neck

“OH!” I never said my name. Sorry, i’m Rory” He smiles and holds his hand out for her “Im Magnus’ husband”

 Clarice lets out a sigh “Oh! Oh, ok. I get it, yeah” She nods “I didn’t know he was married”

Rory nods “Right, yeah. Most people don’t. We tend to keep to ourselves up here” he claps “Well my Husbands gone for a week at some magic conference of some or another” he rolls his hand ‘But if there's anything I could help you with”

Clarice shifts her weight “not really. I'm not entirely sure why I'm here in the first place. My sister just told me to come”

Rory shrugs “Yeah. not really a lot i can do if i don't know why you're here” he looks around for a second “Tell you what, i have a kettle on. How about we sit and have a chat so that your visit isn't a total waste of time?”

Clarice looks at her watch. She still had a good few hours until Harvey was off “Sure” she nods

“Great” Rory claps and heads towards the kitchen “I never get anyone to talk to up here”

“Im sure” Clarice nods and Follows him into the small kitchen “I just.. Would it be rude to ask a question?”

“No, no not at all!” Rory smiles as he pours two cups of tea “Earl gray or chamomile?”

“Oh, Chamomile please” she nods and sits down at the small island “You and the W… Magnus. How did that happen?”

Rory pulls out two tea packets and plops them in the mugs “Oh, well I was a farmer too. Had a small place a little farther away from here. I took a walk down here one day, saw him tending his garden and went up to tell him he was pulling his carrots wrong” He chuckles “We hit it off from there”

“Ahh.”  Clarice nods, thinking for a second “How'd you know I'm a farmer?”

Rory gets a sheepish look “Oh. sorry. I uh… I can read people. You aren’t married t oa wizard for for years without picking up a few tricks” he carefully hands her her mug

“Oh. thats cool i guess’ Clarice blushes and takes a sip of her drink

Rory just stares at her for a good few minutes

“You’ve got someone on your mind, don't you?” he asks as he tilts his head to the side

Her blush deepens

“Oh you do!” Rory claps happily “Who is it? Don't tell me.. .Shane? Sebastian? Oh… or maybe a girl… Abigail?”

“Harvey” Clarice mumbles as she takes a long sip from the tea, trying to hide her blush

“Pickle man?” Rory smiles “He seems to be a bit bland you know, but he can hold up a conversation! And those hands! God those hands.” He leans forward on his hand

“Exactly!” Clarice says, covering her mouth to try and stop it from slipping out 

Rory smirks “I've got the feeling you and I are gonna be good friends”

Thats all for now folks!

I had a lot of fun with this! It was actually super refreshing to sit down and write for once.

As always my requests are always open so if you have any fic ideas just slide one over!!!

I hope you enjoyed!!!

If you liked what you read you can find more of my work here on tumblr or on my Ao3

[ladylooch]

Heaven with a Devil - [Lio X Savannah]

A/N: Sometimes it can be really hard to go back to early points in relationships after they have been started. Not with these two. Back in my fuck boi Lio era. I love this so much. The pull of each other. The way Lio is rewriting his rules for her this entire night. The way he can't help himself at the end tho. CHEF'S KISS!!!! Enjoy babes 😘

Originally from this request, which is so late that I'm not even gonna mention it if you don't Nonnie.. love you!

Word Count: 5.1k

Lio watches the fat, square ice cube in his old fashion melt further into it’s self. He’s been nursing it for a little too long. It is more water than liquor now and he should probably push it away to head back to his hotel. But he waits all year for this drink in Dallas and he wants another one even though he has a game tomorrow. Maybe a better man would use that as an excuse for an early night, but not Lio. He doesn’t care what his dad says, being a little hungover at morning skate helps him play better. 

With that in mind, he downs the light brown liquid, then pushes the empty glass to the edge of the table.

Lio isn’t usually one to dine alone and he wasn’t supposed to tonight. But his teammate, Jasper, had to head back to the hotel to take an emergency call from his wife. Something about a water heater in the basement. Lio is thankful he has no wife or water heater back in Jersey to worry about. Nothing back home to distract him out on the road. It’s only business for him.

As if to call his bluff, the door swings open and inside walks Savannah Miller, the girl he’s been spending time with on his days and nights off. He watches as she tentatively crosses her arms, scanning the restaurant to gauge if she’s going to get an open spot or not. The hostess, who looks stressed as hell, is frantically explaining to a couple in front of the podium. Savannah’s eyes widen and then she bites her lip, looking back over the patrons. Lio looks too, realizing there probably isn’t a place for her, even at the bar. 

His hand raises involuntarily into the air, catching her gorgeous blue eyes. When she sees him, her face lights up. She steps around the couple who are now arguing with the hostess. As she approaches, Lio stands. 

“Hi.” She grins. “Funny you’re here.”

“Are you stalking me?” He asks curiously, tilting his head with amusement.

“No?”

“So you just happen to show up at the one place in Dallas I have to visit when we are here?”

“I figure if it’s good enough for your snobby ass I would probably like it.” Lio shouldn’t laugh at that, but he can’t help it. It’s funny. He is snobby and she has no problem calling that out in him. She drops her purse off her shoulder and reaches for the chair across from him that Jasper vacated.

“I got it.” He puts a hand on her wrist, then pulls the chair out for her.

“Thanks, Lee.” She murmurs, sitting down in the leather. His heart swells at the use of his familial nickname. He likes the way it sounds from her lips and how comfortable she is using it. Savannah glances at the able, then furrows her eyebrows. “Oh, did you already eat? I’ll just go back up front. You don’t have to stay for me.”

“I know. I want to.” He tells her. “And I want another drink.” He winks. 

“Ah. The old fashioned.”

“Yes. You gonna have one?” 

“I don’t love whiskey.”

“Not whiskey, bourbon.”

“Okay. Snob.” She sticks her tongue out at him then smiles a big grin that show off most of her teeth. 

“Say whatever you want now. By the end of this meal, you’ll understand.”

As Savannah is finished the last bite of her cedar plank salmon, she slowly begins nodding her head. Her napkin hits the table like a white flag of defeat. 

“I hate when you’re right.” She says after she swallows. Lio smirks at her over the glass of his fifth old fashioned. He is buzzed on the bourbon, but more on the girl across the table from him. Other than Lucie, she’s the only girl that it feels this easy to talk to. Even with his sister, their past clogs it all up and half the time he doesn’t know what to say to her. 

It’s not like that with Savannah.

Everything is so effortless. 

“Can I grab you two anything else?” The waitress asks as she picks up Savannah’s empty plate.

“You want dessert?” He asks her.

“God no. I mean, yes!” She clarifies in a rush. “I’m sure it is ridiculously good, but I cannot eat anymore.” 

“We are good. Just the check.” Lio responds to the waitress.

“Damn, I really wanted creme brûlée tho…” Savannah trails off. “But also, the dresses I have on this trip are not forgiving.” Lio has noticed. Not in a bad way. Well sometime, he guesses. They cling to her body like a second skin making him have to adjust his cup before he heads onto the ice for warm ups.

“You look good, San.” He murmurs, smoothing the crinkle between her eyebrows.

“I like when you call me that.” She admits, then bites her bottom lip. “It’s like we are… best friends or something.” Lio pauses after taking the final sip of his drink. He swallows.

“Friends, huh?” 

“What else would you call this?” She motions between them with her finger.

She has a point. Although they have hung out a few times, it’s not like they are dating. She’s definitely not his girlfriend, but the word friend just doesn’t quite explain what she does to him when she is around. Rather than complicate things, Lio just shrugs.

“I guess you’re right.”

Savannah’s blue eyes steel over a bit. She reaches for her old fashion and downs the hearty drink in five more gulps. Lio stills, watching as she runs her tongue along her lips to lick up every last drop. He wonders if she does that in other situations too. And fuck it if he doesn’t want to find out sooner rather than later. 

He isn’t sure what is going on with him. Usually, he doesn’t care to get to know someone before he slides into his sheets with them. But things with Savannah are different. He felt it when they kissed at her Christmas Party and every night they have spent together since. As much as he itches to touch her and mark her up, he hesitates every time. He can tell she is bothered by it, now and the previous times he has put up the proverbial wall.

If he had to sum it up simply, he likes Savannah. And he doesn’t want to fuck it up like he has a tendency to do. 

As his mind reels, he watches her get more and more worked up across the white table cloth from him. She picks at her cuticles, then fluffs her hair. She pulls her purse into her lap and digs around for her lip gloss. Heat creeps up Lio’s neck as she swishes her lips together then puckers them absentmindedly. 

She glances at her watch, her expensive bangles clattering together over Cartier gold.

“Tired?” He asks as the waitress slides his card and the receipt back onto the table. 

“Yeah of a lot of things.”  Savannah smirks. 

“Do I want to ask?” He lifts his one hip to put his wallet back into his pocket.

“Probably not.” She sasses back.

“I feel like that means I better.” 

“You act like you know women, Lio, but I don’t think you do.”

“Enlighten me?”

“I don’t know if you deserve it.” Lio looks away then shrugs.

“Okay.” He brings the receipt closer to him so he can tip generously then slide it back to the edge. “Wanna grab a drink at the bar?”

The place has mostly cleared out and although Savannah looks like she would rather do anything else, Lio wants the opportunity to change her mind about him. Why? He couldn’t tell you except that the thought of her losing interest in him has his chest feeling tight.

“Fine. I have nothing else to do tonight anyway.”

“Humbling as always.” He laughs, pushing back from his chair. Lio grabs her hand, leading her through the tables to the wooden bar with a green marble top. It looks like something out of a 90s supper club that specifically hosted lawyers. When he reaches two empty bar stools, he pulls them out, then helps Savannah slide in closer to the bar. She stretches her green dress down to cover more of her thigh after crossing her legs. 

“So what do you think about facing the Stars without your top goaltender?” She murmurs after they got their drinks. 

“Off the record?”

“Yes, Lee. You and I are always off the record here.” There is a bite there, one Lio doesn’t care to look into at all. 

“It’s probably gonna suck.” He admits after a sip of whiskey. “But what do you do? Guys get hurt. The season continues. Gotta play.” 

The shift in conversation to work related topics helps ease Lio and Savannah back into a comfortable vibe. Well, so does the liquor. They both have two more old fashioned each and while Lio has drank at this level before, Savannah is clearly in her happy, drunk phase, which has him tossing his card across to the bartender to close out before she can think about ordering another one. Lio slides her water glass closer to her and she takes it without question.

“You’re so confusing sometimes, Lio.” She suddenly mutters. “Like sometimes you ignore me and sometimes you look at me like you can’t get enough of me.” Lio stares back at her, unsure what to do or say. “And I know I probably shouldn’t even say this, but I feel like I get to because we have kissed and done over the clothes stuff, and I just want you to know that I don’t like when you act like that.”

“I’m not sure I follow.”

“Like I’m different or something?” Lio stares at her in shock. She should want to be different. Lio knows he isn’t a saint when it comes to women. “Like I can’t believe Lio Meier has taken me on four dates and hasn’t slept with me.”

Whoa.

A dark red blush scrapes up Lio’s white cheeks as people turn to look over at them.

“Actually.” She giggles like this is funny. She adjusts her crossed legs to the other side before continuing. “Since you just paid, make that five. Or six because you paid twice tonight!”

“This wasn’t a date.” He shakes his head. “Guys can pay without it being a date. We didn’t even come here together.”

“Oh. Does that mean I fit into your special category that gets me laid?” 

Her words are a challenge. A serious one. Lio can see it in her ocean deep blue eyes and the way she runs her tongue slightly along her top teeth. He likes when she gets like this- challenging, interesting, dragging his attention away from anything else except for her. Lio smirks. His fingers dance along her bare calf, then over the edge of her sweater dress that keeps slouch and giving him peaks of her red bra. His fingers drift up higher, almost like he is going in for a feel, then divert to the edge of her bar stool, scraping it across the floor so she’s practically in his lap. 

“You’re so pretty when you beg.” Her slender eyebrows shoot up and her mouth drops open in a sound that’s a little too breathy to not be a moan.

There is a strange, foreign feeling in Lio’s stomach when her hot gaze dares to meet his. The organ twists and dips again when her hand presses into his upper thigh and she leans forward, lips pornographically parted. Lio wants to see what those lips look like parting for the head of his cock. He brings his right hand up, stroking her bottom lip. His fingers spread out from her cheek to her neck, bringing her to his mouth. Her tongue shoves between his lips immediately, sparking a fire in his chest that zings down to his groin.

Jesus. He thought the look of her lips was hot, but the way she uses them has him wanting to toss her on top of this bar and fuck her for everyone to see. She’s never kissed him like this before. It’s like every kiss they shared before this she was holding back, being polite. Now, Lio wonders if he even knows what he’s getting himself into. 

But his dick starts throbbing in his boxer briefs and he can’t think of much else other than burying it between her thighs. 

“Let’s go to my room.” Savannah says, pulling back from him. Her mouth is wet and red, completely void of the lipstick she just had a few minutes ago. Lio wipes the back of his mouth, feeling it on his lips and tongue. “Sorry.” She chuckles, jumping down from the barstool as he stands. She reaches up, wiping at the space between his lip and nose. “You’re good now.” She assures. Lio head nods at the bartender who smirks. 

Savannah isn’t the first girl Lio has taken out of this place. 

But she’s the first girl to make his hands shake with need.

Lio and Savannah walk shoulder to shoulder down the sidewalk to their hotel. They breeze through the lobby with their faces tucked into their jackets. A few of his teammates are at the hotel bar. He looks the opposite direction from them, hoping to avoid a run in. They make it to the elevators then step in. Lio leans back into the wall after Savannah presses the number for her floor.

“I’m assuming we should go to my room?” Staff rooms tend to be spread out more within the hotel than the players. Lio’s room is flanked by two teammates who may see or hear her in his room. 

“Yeah.” Lio confirms, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. Maybe he should grab her and kiss her again, but in the intense LED lighting of the elevator, they feel too exposed. He doesn’t care for himself, but Savannah has been open with him about how hard she worked to get here. He may be a selfish prick at times, but he would never want to harm her reputation or career.

Savannah pulls her room key out of her jacket then walks in, holding the door for Lio to enter behind her. Her room looks identical to him, except smells more feminine, like a faded version of whatever perfume she dabbed on her wrists this evening. Wildflowers like home, he thinks to himself, remembering the connection he made at the Christmas party she hosted a few weeks ago.

Lio shrugs his jacket off, tossing it on the chair to his left. His eyes watch Savannah as she awkwardly wrings at her hands. Her mouth is tight, chest unmoving like she is holding her breath. She sneaks a look at him, then floats her eyes towards the ceiling and across the room. Lio smiles coyly.

The liquid confidence she had at the bar is clearly waring off. 

Good. He wants her sober for this. 

“So… how do you do it?” She suddenly blurts. Lio raises an eyebrow at her, putting his hands in his pockets. He rocks slightly back on his heels, waiting for her to elaborate. Lio was under the impression that Savannah was more experienced. She’s acting like this is her first time having casual sex, which has Lio apprehensive about continuing.“Like… you do this a lot, right? Obviously. So how do you do it.” She gestures her hands. “Like should I just strip? Or do you expect a strip tease?” She squints her eyes and Lio realizes she is fucking with him. “Maybe you wanna take my underwear off with your teeth?”

“You’re wild.” He murmurs, then runs his tongue along his top teeth. “How about you just sit on the bed and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Oooo he likes a pillow princess. Figures,” She drawls as he steps closer. Her tongue runs over her puffy lips again and Lio can see this girl knows exactly what she is doing to him. She exudes confident sex appeal, no liquid courage needed. Good. He doesn’t want to teach her anything tonight. He wants to play, sink into her again and again, make her toes curl while her fingernails mark up his back. The tension between them is unbearable, the pulse in his cock making the arches of his feet collapse so he sways forward into her. 

His fingers trail over her mouth again, then he pushes his thumb through the slit of her lips. He works his thumb in and out, getting it wet and loaded with her saliva until she wiggles against the comforter between her spread thighs. She practically fucks the bed while sucking him deeper into her mouth. 

A small part of Lio knows that going through with this tonight will be a tipping point. For what, he couldn’t tell ya. But you can’t fuck a girl like the one in front of him and not be changed. Not when he is used to no strings attached sex with women who don’t care much about him except for the commas in his bank account. To be fair, he doesn’t care about them either. But he’s never been with someone like her. Someone who knows what the risks are here and still reaches out to unbutton his jeans. She is deciding he is worth it and fuck if he doesn’t want to make sure she won’t regret it.

Lio removes his thumb from her mouth, then brings his hand down the front of her dress. He slides between her bra and her warm breast, rolling her nipple. She moans, a throaty, begging sound that has Lio’s balls tightening up to his shaft.

He could come just like this with her. His hand on her breast. Her hand dipping into his underwear stroking him to life.

“Do you have a condom?” She asks, rising to her knees on the bed. She scoots back a bit, then flips her hair to one side. Lio watches her ruby lips part and her tongue connect with the slit of his head oozing a pearl of pre-cum. 

“Yes.” He hisses as his answer. Lightning explodes in his cock as her mouth and hand move in unison. He struggles to keep his eyes open as her mouth collapses on him like a warm, wet hug. “Fuck.” He groans, head falling back towards the ground. He stays like that for one, two, three strokes, then tilts back forward. He gently cups her throat, bringing her off him and to his mouth to kiss her. He needs to taste her, to take claim of that mouth, and make it whimper his name as he buries himself deep into her pussy. 

Lio moves to take his hand off her throat now that she is up but she squeezes his wrist to keep him there. He applies light pressure, then tongues at her open mouth with vigor. Savannah collapses into him, pinning his forearm between their chests. Lio swirls his tongue in a circle, then slowly pulls back. He looks down at her like that, clutched in his hand by her throat, eyes closed, lips so swollen they almost look bruised. Then her eyes open, revealing a tumultuous, churning lake within them.

“Fuck me, Lio.” She demands.

From his back pocket, Lio pulls out the condom he told her he had on him. He is always prepared, tonight is no exception. He rips open the foiled wrapper, then pulls out the latex.

“Can you undress for me, babe?” He murmurs, stretching out the head, then holding it in place as he rolls the rest down. Savannah reaches for the hem of her green dress. She pulls it over her head, revealing a red lingerie set that Lio is never going to forget. “You always pack that on a work trip?” She shakes her head no, tentatively. Lio smiles reassuringly, then pulls her back to him with a hand on the small of her back. “You’re so sexy a priest would weep.” She bites down on her bottom lip as she giggles, making Lio kiss her teeth.

“We shouldn’t talk about God with what we’re about to do to each other.”

“Mmm, what I’m about to do to you, pillow princess.” His hand trails down to her ass, giving it a hearty grip. “Get on your knees.” 

She does so obediently, then looks at him over her shoulder. Her golden dew hair spreads out down her back, multiple shades of blonde that Lio has found himself examining from the back of the bus before. It is the prettiest it’s ever looked with those vibrant blue eyes begging him to hurry.

Lio presses the head of his covered cock to her entrance. She collapses around nothing in front of him, making Lio suck in a steadying breath. Fuck, she is so ready. He isn’t going to last long at all. To collect himself, Lio grabs one of the pillows from the head of the bed, tossing it in front of her.

“For your head.” He jokes. Savannah punts it 

“Are you gonna put it in or am I?” She snaps back at him. Her hand comes back, spreading her open further for him. Well, damn.

“Been awhile?” He asks while gripping the base of his shaft.

“Yeah.” She moans as he enters her. He isn’t sure if its the answer to his questions or her reaction to his thrust. “Fuck.” She growls through hissed teeth. 

If Lio’s knees weren’t already resting on something, he is sure he would have collapsed under his own weight. Savannah’s pussy clenches and massages his cock with each of his pumps into her. He tries to stay slow, tries to build up the momentum, but he can’t hold back. Not with the way sweet begs drop from her mouth, or with how blindingly fast he can feel his balls racing towards orgasm. 

He rests his hand on the middle of her back, pushing her down into the mattress. His fingers stroke her spine as he hits his full depth, making her shudder and moan beneath his hands. Lio is sure this must be the soundtrack in Heaven, or at least his version. Her pussy squelches, wetness beginning to ease the friction of the condom and letting him glide throughly in and out of her core.

“Wow!” She exclaims, “Yeah!” He watches as her hand moves from clutching the comforter to rolling fast circles over her clit. “More.”

He can do that.

His hockey hips piston, moving the bed with each pump into her heat. Savannah begins to flex and unflex her other hand around the blankets, then buck her hips to slam back into his. She rolls her hips causing Lio to slide out, frustrating both of them.

“Sav, stop helping.” He hisses at her.

“More. Please, Lio. Please.” He loves to hear her beg, but wants to satisfy her, so he bats her hand to the side. He leans over her back, connecting their skin as he rolls her swollen lips in rushed circles. “Oh!” Savannah brings her hands to her breasts, rolling and pinching her nipples as he pounds into her from behind. “Lio, I’m gonna…” 

She doesn’t need to finish, but it’s clear she can’t anyway. Her pussy explodes into vibrating trembles and pulses that have Lio seeing stars.

“Fuck.” He mumbles into her back, then he rubs her clit more furiously, making her shake harder and clench tighter around him. The breath is stolen from his lungs as his orgasm rips out of his cock and fills the condom around him. “Oh my fucking… Fuc…” He trials off, speechless as her spasms continue to milk him.

He rests his forehead on her warm skin delicately thrusting through both of their aftershocks. His finger stay on her clit, still but firm. He isn’t ready to let her go yet. Weeks of build up gone in five minutes. Five, rough, fast, earth shaking minutes. Slowly, they begin to come out of their trance. Savannah’s hand comes to Lio’s wrist. He drops his grip on her, then threads their fingers together against her stomach. He kisses her back then sits up, sliding himself out of her, careful as always of the condom. 

“You good?” He asks. She has yet to speak, just breathe heavily. 

“Mmmm.” She acknowledges, waving her hand as she collapses back into the mattress. Lio smirks.

“I’ll be right back.” He tells her while gently rubbing her hip. The bed dips as he crawls off of it towards the bathroom.

Lio tosses the condom into the toilet and flushes it, then he grabs a hand towel from the rack to his left. He glances into the bedroom where Savannah still lays on her back, spread out like a starfish. Her breasts rise and fall heavily as she tries to catch her breath. Lio smiles. He knows a satisfied woman when he sees one.

Meticulously, he cleans himself, then grabs a fresh towel for Savannah. He leans back through the doorway. 

“Do you want a wet or a dry towel?”

“Wet.” She responds. “Girls like a dry one?”Lio shrugs.

“There was one once.” 

“Can’t imagine you saw her again.”

“I usually don’t see anyone multiple times.” He says, coming back into the room. Savannah watches his approach, eyes on his despite the gorgeous view he provides elsewhere.

“Like ever?”

“There have been a few.” He admits, but it hasn’t been in awhile.

“So I’ll never see you again?” She pouts at him.

“We work together. This is a little different.”

“Yeah.” She nods, grabbing the towel from him. Lio plops onto his back next to her, putting a hand behind his head as he props up on two, fluffy pillows. “Thank you for…” She trails off, biting her lip. “Your discretion.” She settles on. He looks over at her, watching as she tosses the towel onto the floor. 

“I’m not going to say anything.” He assures her.

“I know. If I thought you would, this wouldn’t have happened.” Lio nods.

“Yeah, I just want you to hear me say that.” He looks away, stretching his neck out from side to side. Savannah stays sitting up for a moment, looking at Lio. Then she glances away.

“I’m kinda cold. Can I get under there?”

“Mhm.” He sits up, then together they both slide under the white comforter. Savannah rolls onto her left side, cheek propped on her hand as she looks at him. Her blonde hair is wild about her face, mused from him. He decides he likes it that way. She looks good, not messy or disheveled, but perfectly tousled. 

“I like to cuddle after sex.”

Lio playfully rolls his eyes at her. Of course she does. They all do. Usually Lio is long gone before cuddling can even be discussed.

“Please?” She pouts at him. He sighs, like it’s such a burden to move, then opens his arms for her.

“Mmm this is nice.” She mumbles. Her cheek warms his bare chest, creating a glow that runs deep his body. Heat tingles down to the tips of his toes as he rests his hand on her hip. The curve of it perfectly holds his hand without needing to grip onto her. “Now we can talk about the names we want for our children.” She muses. “What about Sarah?”

“Good god.” He groans.

“You’re gonna fall for me, Lio Meier. I know it.” She kisses his chest. 

Lio should have run right there. But he doesn’t. Instead, he does something more terrifying- they talk. About everything. Growing up, how they got to these points in their careers, what their last meal on earth would be. And they tease each other- Savannah about Lio’s slight accent with certain words, Lio with Savannah’s overly girly answers to everything, and together at the expense of his various teammates. 

“You are a good interview though.” Savannah murmurs to him. “I always appreciate your thoroughness. You’re a great quote.”

“Yeah. My cousin Lucie says its cause I like to hear myself talk.” 

“She might have something there.”

“Mmm.” Lio murmurs sleepily. “You’d like her.” Silence fills the room as Savannah rubs at the indent of his left abs. She drawls a heart, then a few squiggly lines followed by another heart. 

“I’ve really enjoyed spending time with you.” Savannah murmurs. “I feel like you’ve let me peel back a few layers of your onion. Thank you.” 

“Just don’t write about it.” He jokes.

“Not in this month's article at least.” She pokes him.

Then they settle into silence again. A question hangs in the air with the light still on and Lio still in Savannah’s bed. He answers it by turning out the bedside lamp. Darkness envelopes them. Quickly, Savannah’s breathing evens out. Lio’s eyes are heavy and Savannah’s naked body feels so good snuggled into the side of his. So good that he almost let’s himself fall asleep with her like this. 

But then a tightening happens at the base of his skull. Awareness pulls his eyes back open. This isn’t him. He doesn’t stay over at a woman’s place. They stay at his, so he can kick them out immediately when he’s done with their morning fuck. He gently turns to take in Savannah’s sleeping face. He purses his lips, resisting the urge to wake her up by kissing her still puffy mouth. He has never craved a woman so intensely after just having her, but his dick aches to be back inside of her.

Shit. This is ridiculous.

Lio holds his breath, then shifts away so Savannah gently rolls onto her pillow. Years of practice leaving sleeping women has her transferring to the bed without waking. Her hands stretch across the warm sheets of the bed he just left, almost searching for him. A slight uneasiness fills Lio’s chest, but he forces it away, focusing on gathering up his discarded clothes. 

He needs to get out of here.

Before any of his teammates or the Devils staff see him. So Savannah doesn’t get in trouble, he tells himself.

But if Lio was an honest man, he would admit that him slipping out of room 629 has nothing to do with the woman asleep in that California King.

[ultimate-shipper-blog]

Eliza Henderson

It starts off like this:

Eliza Henderson gets a phone call from her mom that her cat is missing. Eliza is very obviously hundreds of miles away at college in a different state and can't do a single thing about it. She wouldn't anyway, her mom loves that cat more than her or Dustin.

She tells her mom she'll be home next month for Christmas break anyway and she'll help her find a new cat if needed.

When she gets home her brother is screeching, not much is new, and excited to go to the Snow Ball.

"Just don't screw this up for me." Dustin is pacing around her room.

She flips through a magazine bored. She pops her gum between his pivots.

She rolls her eyes and glares at him. "How would I mess up your playdate with your new friend?"

"It's not a playdate! Steve's coming to do my hair! It's a sacred bonding moment that I won't have you mess up with your girl-" he wiggles his fingers at her, "stuff."

She puts the magazine down and stands up, she brushes off imaginary crumbs and huffs at him.

"I'm going to Jenny's, enjoy nerd." She walks past him and can see him flip her off in her peripheral.

She covers her face trying to hide the smile that covers it.

-----

The following year she goes around town and tries to find the little (not so little) rugrats.

Her brother has been away all summer and she wants to do something special for him.

She's driving down the main road when she spots the kids on their bikes heading towards the new mall. She turns around and follows them all the way until they enter an ice cream shop.

She runs up to them and manages to grab Lucas before he enters.

"Eliza!" He greets her with a smile.

"Hey kid!"

"You're literally six years older than me."

"That proves my point." She feels a prickling in her neck and quickly flips around to see a small redhead glaring at her.

"Hey Lukie...do you know why that small child is glaring at me?"

Recognition dawns on his face and then a small blush is creeping on his cheeks.

"That's my girlfriend Max, she's probably waiting on me." He shrugs his shoulders sheepishly.

"Oh man! Look at you! All grown up." She pretends to wipe a tear from her eye. "You know Dustin told me he has a girlfriend too?"

Lucas raises an eyebrow. "Sure, if he can raise a demonic lizard he can do that."

"Wha-"

"Anyway!" He chuckles nervously.

"Right! I won't keep you long, Dustin is coming home soon and I think it'd be cool if you guys planned some kind of surprise party for him."

"That'd be cool we can totally do that."

"Awesome! Invite that Steve kid Dustin always talks about."

"Steve?"

"Yeah, apparently they're best friends but I've never seen him. I thought I knew all the kids your age."

"Right...well-"

"Ok great! Bye Lukie!"

-----

When she picks up her brother outside the burned down mall she forgets to ask how the party went.

------

It ends with a zombie Eddie Munson.

She was home for spring break.

She was walking in from the store, grocery bag piled high in her hand, humming a new pop song.

The screaming really threw her off.

There was her baby brother, hanging off a man holding a...nail bat, pleading with him to not hurt what looks like a bleeding and bruised (and wanted!!!!) Eddie Munson tied to a chair. The regular crew of kids was circled around them including one new girl with her arm raised up.

She had a long day.

"Enough!" She screams.

Every head turns to look at her.

The little buzzcut girl moved her arm so her palm was pointed at Eliza.

"El no!" Dustin hurries off the man and stands guard in front of Eliza.

He turns around and his big tear filled eyes almost make her forget what's happening.

...almost.

"Dustin dear," she mutters through clenched teeth.

"Eliza-"

"What is a WANTED criminal doing in MY HOUSE! And you!" She points at the kids. "You know damn well to take your shoes off. You also know to come to me if you need help and you also know NOT TO FOLLOW DUSTIN'S PLANS!"

"Eliza-"

"Don't even," she holds a hand up to his face. "I know in my bones this is your fault. You'd be so incredibly lucky if I didn't tell mom."

"Mom?" The man with the bat is asking.

"I'm sorry who the hell are you? Dustin how do you know two grown men."

"I was just gonna ask the same question," tied up Eddie asks. "Who are you?"

"I'm Eliza Henderson...duh." She flips her hair over her shoulder.

Dustin rolls his eyes. "My sister."

The bat man gasps and mutters something like "another older role model" he looks defeated.

"Don't be sad Stevie this one was assigned from birth." Eddie smiles with a tongue between his teeth.

"Stevie?" The pieces are all clicking. "You're Steve?! You are not a child."

Mike raises his hand from the side, "technically we're not children-"

"Shut it Wheeler!" Both her and Eddie shout.

"Ok." She takes a deep breath. "The whole story. Now."

"Eliza we can't-"

"NOW Dustin!"

"...ok."

-----

He's a terrible storyteller.

Eddie is trying to chime in with exaggerated versions of the story to help 'set the scene'. Steve is interrupting with little facts that make her heart rate skyrocket like:

"Well if you think that's bad what about the demogorgan you raised off nougat."

"He did WHAT!"

"Eliza please don't tell mom!"

And has led to her creating new catch phrases like:

"I knew you were up to something."

And

"What the hell did you do that for!"

Overall a very overwhelming experience.

They told her everything including why Eddie was tied to a chair.

"He says he's fine but he died! In my arms! He can't be real he has to be some upside down creature."

Eliza is going to come back to the 'in my arms part' because she knows she'll be the one up at night holding him through his nightmares.

"El was about to do a scan to see if she could find anything out when you stormed in."

"Well sorry for accessing my home in the middle of the day. I did not mean to interfere with your chaotic evil doings."

"That's ok," Dustin says seriously, "you didn't know."

She slaps him upside the head.

"I'm getting some air."

She heads out of the living room and out the back door.

She spots the new girl, El, sitting with her arms around her knees. She quietly moves to sit next to her.

They sit in silence for a bit.

"I like your name." Eliza says.

"It is not my real name."

"That's ok, nicknames are cool. We have the same one." She knocks their knees together. "We're both Els."

El gives her a small smile.

"You've had a tough life kid. Let's see if we can finish this. You really think you can handle all this?" She waves a hand around hoping El gets the gist. She can't exactly say "Hey you're gonna scan that guy for demonic goo right?"

El nods at her and slowly stands up.

"Alright then. I guess this is happening."

-

She stands in her bedroom with Steve. Team Big Kid, as it was reluctantly named, was ready in case something went wrong.

Steve paced the floor, his bat dragging next on the floor.

"Can you not? It's gonna rip my carpet."

"Oh!" He stumbles a bit. "Sorry."

"It's fine." She hates the silence.

"Thank you." She says.

He seems surprised.

"For what?"

"Taking care of him."

"Well I-"

"I'm jealous of you."

"Me? Why?"

"When I thought you were another one of his children friends I said, fine, I don't need to be with him. The last thing I want to do in my free time is hang out with some kids." Tears prick her eyes.

"But you're not a kid. You're a grown up. You're like me. The only difference is you've spent so much time with Dustin being the sibling I can't be. You've stayed close. You've protected him in three different apocalypses-"

"Four."

"Perfect. Even worse." She clears her throat.

"My point is. I miss him. You've been there for him and taught him life lessons. You did his hair for him! I can't compete with that. You didn't even know I existed until I interrupted your threatening session."

"Eliza-"

There's a knock at the door.

"He's clear! It's him!"

Steve flashes her a bright smile.

"Dustin is a special kid. We all get brought into his orbit and we can't leave. He loves us all the same." He holds out his hand to her.

"Come on, let's go see another person Dustin sunk his claws into. Then we can all compete for the title of number one Dustin handler."

"Deal."

------

Then they all become friends and Steddie happens or something and Eliza and Dustin get really close again and she moves back home after graduation. Max was never hurt and the town maybe cracked a little but it was overall not that bad. Eddie got magically healed I guess idk or maybe he's a vampire but Vecna gets killed doubly and it's all ok! Yay!

[alizadnubby]

╰ ➤ ⋆˚ 🎞 ˖° ❝ marie winchester headcanons ❞

homegirl has a stomach of iron. born from giving all her snacks to sam and dean as a kid and scrounging around for scraps on her own time, marie will eat just about anything. sam has an aneurysm everytime marie insists "it's fine if you just cut off the moldy part!"

marie can't sleep without noise. i don't think she'd listen to things like white noise or asmr, she just makes her own. marie always has a fan running or the tv on ( her favorite sleeping shows in the early seasons were probably crime documentaries, but older marie favors more hallmark-y type films and shows. )

her love language is quality time and acts of service. marie didn't get much attention in her childhood, so doing something like watching tv with her brothers or playing stupid road games means a lot to her. she also loves going halfsies on meals ( her and dean usually pick two things they want to try and then split them down the center. )

marie takes an absurdly long time in the bathroom, not because she needs to, but because it irritates sam and dean to no end. every shower is an everything shower when you're the only girl in the family and no one can bust in. she also makes it her personal mission to use all the hot water ( vengeance, she calls it. sam and dean just call it annoying. )

speaking of showers, marie ranks hotel shampoos and soaps. as a kid it was sort of just a pass time, but it persisted into adulthood as a habit. the list isn't written down anywhere, but her all time favorite is a cherry scented one from illinois, though she has yet to stumble across that one again. her close second is head & shoulders 2 in 1 green apple.

has never worn a bathing suit in her life. she flat out refuses. not because she's uncomfortable or self-conscious, just because she doesn't see a point. why spend money on a bathing suit when regular work and wash just fine? she usually wears shorts and a t-shirt into any given body of water.

marie knows how to fish in theory, but would actually rather die than sit around waiting. bobby tried to get her to be his fishing buddy, but her only interest was in eating his snacks and swimming in the rivers and ponds. it always scared the fish away, but bobby didn't complain too much.

john ditched marie at bobby's more often than he ditched the boys. at first marie loathed bobby, she thought he was the devil, blamed him babysitting her when she could be out hunting monsters with the men of her family. the first couple months of this arrangement were hell, lots of kicking and punching and crying, but if anyone considered bobby their dad first, it was marie.

marie has a favorite brother and will admit it without shame- it's sam. it's sort of a no brainer, really, sam is her twin. sam gets her on a level no one else is capable of. they're the winchester siblings who got away, the winchester siblings with the demon blood in them, the winchester siblings who lost their apple pie lives and spend the rest of their lives fighting for normalcy they'll never find. sam understands her, even when she does something shitty and stupid and selfish, and marie tries to do the same, yet sometimes on dark nights and on long car rides, marie can't help but resent him.

he got everything she wanted as a kid. he got dad's attention, he got to be involved with hunting, he got to exist without being likened to mary every five seconds. he got into stanford, lived a nice, fancy life in california. marie had none of that, so to her, him losing jessica and losing stanford was fate setting them even. if she can't have her normal life, he can't have his. it's only fair, isn't it? she doesn't voice this though, not ever, because when she really listens to herself, really thinks about how awful that actually sounds, she starts to feel sick.

marie's recollection of her childhood isn't always one hundred percent faithful. she's angry, she's rotten and she's mad and sometimes that makes it hard for her to see. every warm hug john ever gave her, every time she found comfort and safety in the smell of oil and leather and booze is forgotten. marie forgets it, ignores it, in favor of her anger, simply because it's easier. rage is something she can cling onto and make sense of. it's easier to make john a villain than to try to understand him, marie figures. it hurts less.

marie makes fake playlists full of songs dean hates with a passion and passes them off as her honest to god music taste. this isn't necessarily true per say (marie will listen to anything, ) but the look on dean's face as he starts a fifteen minute rant and drowns out his own music is priceless. "little victories, sammy." marie insists, smacking sam on the shoulder when he asks why exactly she keeps doing it. he doesn't think it's a very good answer, but marie always looks especially pleased with herself.

whenever it's cold out, marie likes drawing on the impala. she'll draw smiley faces on windows and cats on the snow covered hood. ( dean complains about this a lot, but finds himself really missing it after she dies. ) marie also likes leaving horrifying messages on bathroom mirrors, that way when the boys take a shower, it reappears on the steam covered glass. they never find it particularly funny, but she gets a kick out of it.

marie's fic is here if anyone is interested!

[spaceyaceface]

Hi can i please hear 12 and 14 for Sebastian please 🥹

You absolutely can!!! Thanks for the request :) I also realized I haven't ever written a lovesick Sebastian in the rain, so I took this opportunity to fix that hehe

12 - "you are all i can think about."

14 - "i dream of you. all i do, is dream of you."

Warnings: None!

After three weeks, Sebastian was sure he had gone insane.

It had been three weeks since he had graduated Hogwarts. Three weeks since he'd settled into his new life as a local Healer in Feldcroft. Three weeks since he'd seen her.

She'd gone home to London to settle affairs for the first month of her post-school life. After that, her plans were to come back to run her small shop in Hogsmeade. It was only a measly seven days until she would be back, he kept telling himself. But each minute felt like torture.

He'd known long before then that he'd been in love with her---falling for her felt like the most natural thing in the world. He hadn't told her---yet. He planned to, of course. In fact, he had been setting up a lovely date to take her on the moment she was back in his sights.

But a week felt like much too long to love her without telling her.

If he was his best friend Ominis, he would probably would have written a horribly wordy and poetic love letter proclaiming his feelings, but he was Sebastian Sallow. He decided to do what he did best---something rash.

He fell asleep on the train on the way to London, and of course he dreamed of her. It wasn't one specific thing; a myriad of memories, really. The sound of her laugh. The way her smile rested on her lips. That delicate blush she wore when he teased her. But it only spurred him to get to her flat even faster.

It was pouring ran when he stepped onto the streets---typical London, really. He hardly paid mind to it. He'd been to her apartment once before last summer. He was sure he remembered where it was and weaved through streets and side roads, finally arriving at her door. He hoped she was home. If not, he'd sit all night on her doorstep if he had to.

He knocked, and waited with his heart pounding in his chest. The door opened, and there she was.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked him up and down. He could only imagine how she took the image of him---showing up unexpected at her door, soaked to the bone, and grinning like an idiot.

"Sebastian?" she said, a trace of a smile starting to come over her face. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I had to see you," he said. "I just had to."

"What's wrong? What--"

She didn't get to finish her question before being pulled into his embrace. He could feel the goosebumps rise on her skin as he pressed his face into the crook of her neck, his wet clothes chilling her. But she didn't pull away. She hugged him right back.

She let out a small laugh. "What is all this about?"

He pulled away, keeping hold of her elbows. The rain began to pour down on them both, and he couldn't help but admire the drops that ran through the length of her hair. "You are all I can think about," he said. "I thought I could go a month without seeing you and tell you everything once you came back, but as it turns out I can't live without you."

She stared up at him, wide eyed. "Sebastian..."

"When you're away, I dream of you. All I do is dream of you." He grinned. "I love you."

She leapt forward, grabbing the collar of his soaked-through coat and pressing her lips to his own. He didn't hesitate to weave his fingers into her hair, kissing her fiercely.

It felt all too short when she pulled away, bringing up a hand to brush some of the raindrops off his face. The warmth of her fingertips made him shiver against the cool of the rain.

"I love you, too," she said softly, grinning.

"That's a relief. Would have been a shame if you'd kissed me out of pity."

She laughed, pressing another quick kiss on his smiling lips. "Never." Something twinkled in her eye as she pulled away, taking her hand in his. "What do you say we head inside and get you warmed up?"

And Merlin, did he like the sound of that.

[erikahenningsen]

rejanis #62 if you feel like it :)

62. “Do you have a ride home?”

Janis checks the weather forecast every day when she wakes up. And this morning, nowhere did it say anything about rain. But, well... the forecast was wrong.

Because it's pouring. An absolute deluge, its tap-tap-tap against the window like an ASMR get-ready-with-me video.

And Janis doesn't have an umbrella.

Not for the first time, Janis curses her parents for buying a house too close to the school for a school bus stop but far enough that she knows she's going to be dripping-wet-squishy-shoes soaked long before she gets home.

She's just crossed through the parking lot and is turning onto the sidewalk along the street when a Jeep rolls to a stop in front of her. Janis wipes back the hair plastered to her forehead with rainwater and squints as the window rolls down.

It's Regina.

"Do you have a ride home?" Regina asks.

"No, but I was due for a shower anyway, so..." Janis says.

Regina rolls her eyes and hits the unlock button on her door. "Get in the car."

"If you're kidnapping me you could at least say please," Janis says, because she has never outgrown the part of her that derives pleasure from goading Regina.

Regina stares at her for a moment before starting to roll the window back up.

"Wait, no," Janis caves, jumping forward and opening the car door before Regina can lock it again.

Regina's smirk turns to mild horror as she takes in just how drenched Janis is—and how much water is now seeping into the car seat and carpet.

"It's raining," Janis says unnecessarily.

"Thank you for the update." Regina puts the car into drive and pulls away from the curb.

Janis tries to remember the last time she was in Regina's car. Well—in a car with Regina, considering it was probably in middle school. She pulls down the sun visor to survey the damage to her makeup in the mirror.

"You look like a raccoon," Regina tells her, and... she's kind of right. "Here."

Janis accepts the napkin Regina pulls from the cup holder in the car door and wipes away the mascara and eyeliner as best she can.

They're stopped at a red light when Janis notices Regina looking at her.

"What?" Janis asks.

Regina quickly returns her eyes to the road. "Nothing."

Janis feels a little prickle of self-consciousness, something she seemingly never outgrew—craving Regina's approval, unsure if the lingering stares meant that Regina was silently assessing her or admiring her.

The car stops and it takes Janis a moment to realize they're in her driveway.

"You remember where I live?" Janis asks. She's not sure why that surprises her. She could get to Regina's house from her own with her eyes closed.

Regina doesn't answer, actually looking a little embarrassed. Maybe that's what prompts Janis to ask her next question.

"Do you want to come in?"

"Oh, uh..." Regina says, eyes wide. "Well..."

"You don't have to," Janis adds quickly when Regina can't seem to produce an answer. She feels kind of stupid for asking.

"I just... don't think your parents would be too thrilled to see me," Regina says quietly, and Janis knows she's right. "But maybe you could come over to my house sometime?"

Janis remembers Regina's cavernous house, feeling more like a staged showroom than a home, how lonely inside it Regina sometimes seemed, even with her mom constantly barging into the room. She wonders if anyone has come over to hang out with Regina since the bus.

"Sure," Janis says, and she means it. "When I don't look like you just pulled me out of a pond."

Regina snorts. "That would probably be best."

For the first time in years, they exchange smiles.