#its doubt and love and hope and disappointment its EVERYTHING

[companionsofusall]

Chant ii live my beloved

[littlexdeaths]

eddie munson x shy fem reader

warnings: reader is a bit insecure, little sprinkle of jealous eddie, reader wears glasses, smooching, also the finest cheese in all the land (i hope) <3

part two | part four

let’s go, don’t wait masterlist

word count: 2.5k

a/n: this ended up bit longer than i intended so oops. but big thanks to @strangerstilinski for brainstorming some ideas with me to further cheesify the kissing scene. and another HUGE thank you to @undead-supernova for helping me with fix some things and for looking this over. I LOVE YOU BOTH <3

“What do you mean you didn’t kiss him?!”

You quickly turn to give Nancy a pointed glare before digging deeper into your locker to retrieve your biology textbook.

But really, it is a valid question.

“I— just,” you blow out an exasperated breath. “I panicked, alright? Trust me, I’m just as disappointed as you are.”

While your date didn’t end on a bad note by any means, it definitely ended on a lame one.

When Eddie dropped you off at home after the two of you spent way too much time cozying up in a corner booth at Benny’s— you weren’t entirely ready to say goodnight to him yet.

But when he walked you to your front door and carefully started to lean in, those pesky nerves got the best of you. Instead, you pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek before he had the chance to reach your lips.

Feelings of disappointment clawed at your insides once your lips brushed against the stubble on his cheek instead of his lips, your tinted chapstick leaving a tinge of pink in its wake. 

Eddie cleared his throat, carefully rubbing the back of his neck while he bid you goodnight. 

You’d barely shut the door behind you when your smile faltered and all those feelings of self doubt you’d managed to push aside all night came creeping back in. 

Everything was going so well, why couldn’t you just kiss him? It wasn’t as if you’d never kissed someone before. 

Your first kiss happened your sophomore year, with band geek Ray Howard in King Steve’s coat closet during a stupid game of 7 minutes in heaven that neither of you enjoyed. 

If you were brave enough to do that, why couldn’t you kiss the guy you actually liked? 

“Well, when are you gonna see him again?” Nancy prompts. You shrug once you slam your locker shut.

“I don’t know… I’m afraid he’s not gonna want another date. I mean, I gave him a peck on the cheek! How lame is that.”

You hug your textbooks to your chest as you head to class with Nancy, who is desperately trying to convince you that Eddie would be insane if he didn’t want to see you again.

You just hoped she was right.

When you don’t see him at lunch, you instantly deflate a little. The doom and gloom that lingers outside the school now mirrors your mood, taking any semblance of your appetite with it. You hadn’t seen him all day, so that only seemed to confirm your worries.

He’s avoiding you. What else could it be?

It’s not like him to skip out on lunch, so instead of heading further into the cafeteria you turn heel to head toward the library— 

And almost collide directly into Eddie.

His leather clad arms instantly wrap around you, a teasing smirk playing on his full lips. Lips you so desperately want to feel pressed against your own.

“Sweetheart, we really gotta stop meeting like this,” he teases, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “One of these days you’ll take both of us out.”

You let out a nervous giggle and an apology, relief filling your chest as his smile grows wider in response. Damn Nancy for always being right.

“Where are you headed in such a rush anyway?” he asks, finally letting you go, much to your dismay.

“Uh… the library. Wasn’t feeling super hungry.”

He nods, leaning his shoulder against the door frame. He looks even prettier than when you saw him on Friday. His curls are a little more unruly, his stubble more pronounced. 

And when you catch the faintest hint of cigarette smoke lingering on his jacket and how it mixes with his spicy cologne— it has your heart stuttering in your chest.

“Well, anyway, I was wondering…”

A small grunt leaves his lips as his body is forced forward, directly into yours. The jock that just shoulder checked him mutters a “watch it, freaks” under his breath before continuing past you into the cafeteria.

The shove has closed the remaining distance between you, your faces merely inches apart now. Your palms rest against his chest, feeling how his breath slightly quickens beneath your fingertips. You could so easily kiss him like this, all you have to do is tilt your head up…

But you choke, eyes darting back down nervously toward your feet when you take a small step back.

“Are you alright?” you ask, meeting his eyes once more.

Eddie doesn’t even seem phased by what just occurred, his warm eyes entirely still focused on you.

“Oh, that’s nothing, sweetheart,” he chuckles, “I can handle myself.”

Eddie motions to his torso, lifting the lapels of his jacket as if to prove his point.

“See? Not even a scratch.”

And it takes all your self control to keep your eyes from wandering lower, past the soft cotton of his shirt, over the handcuff buckle of his belt…

Focus.

“Now, what I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted,” his voice raises in volume, eyes throwing a pointed glare towards the jocks table before they settle back on you. “Would you like to have lunch with me?”

Eddie nods towards the Hellfire table, your eyes drifting across the cafeteria. The familiar group of males are already seated at their usual spots, engaged in a heated debate over something.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

Eddie can sense your hesitation, shaking his head as he wraps an arm around your shoulders.

“I promise they don’t bite.” He grins, beginning to lead you toward the lunch table. “Can’t say the same for me though.”

He whispers that last part, his lips playfully grazing over the shell of your ear. Eddie can feel how you shiver in response, thoroughly satisfied with himself as you try to compose yourself once you reach his friends.

The guys barely spare either of you a passing glance, still deep in their conversation when Eddie pulls up a chair for you. Right at the head of the table next to his own.

You take a seat with a polite smile, each of the members of Hellfire now noticing your presence. And they can’t hide their utter shock and surprise as Eddie takes his seat beside you. He introduces you properly, going along the table until he reaches the two youngest members of Hellfire.

“While we haven’t been able to coax Sinclair back from the dark side,” he sighs, resting his arm on the back of your chair. “You obviously know Wheeler and Henderson already…”

“Oh, Mike knows her alright,” Dustin interjects, mischievously glancing over at his best friend. “He used to have the biggest crush—”

Mike elbows Dustin in the side before he can even finish his sentence, his cheeks flushing a deep shade of red as he hangs his head.

“Would you shut it?” he hisses, already noting the way Eddie’s gaze hardens as he tugs your chair impossibly closer to his own.

“No… Henderson, please continue.”

A brow quirks up from underneath his bangs, and suddenly the whole table has gone silent, all eyes on their fearless leader.

Dustin nervously swallows, tugging at the collar of his shirt. “It was… really stupid kid stuff, not important! Just forget I even brought it up. It was just a dumb— ”

The younger male’s voice raises an octave when he laughs, his nerves shining through.

“— right, just a dumb little crush,” Mike finishes, but Eddie doesn’t seem entirely convinced.

When you suddenly rest your hand on his knee under the table, his composure begins to slip. His eyes soften when he looks down at you. The whole table is practically holding their breath, in anticipation for Eddie’s next move.

But you beat him to it.

“Someone had to be the president of my fan club, right?” you giggle.

Mike just groans in response, head falling to the table while the other guys begin to chatter amongst themselves again, that underlying tension now beginning to melt. Much like you are under the weight of his gaze.

“Well, I’d gladly take over that position, if you’d have me.”

Your breath hitches at the underlying meaning behind his words, and, god, you’ve never wanted to kiss him more than you do right now.

When Eddie slowly begins to lean in, Dustin practically gags, the chiming of the lunch bell stopping everything in its tracks.

“Saved by the bell,” he mutters under his breath.

The brunette unwillingly rises to his feet and reaches out a hand for you to take, keeping you closely tucked into his side while he walks you to your next class.

Your mind was racing the rest of the afternoon, impatiently watching the hand on the clock tick by ever so slowly— desperately waiting for the final bell to ring.

After Eddie had walked you to history, he planted a playful kiss to the back of your hand. Giving you a dramatic bow before heading in the opposite direction toward Ms. O’Donnell’s classroom. 

You were a fumbling mess once when you took your seat next to Nancy, and you could tell by the look on her face that she wanted to know everything.

So you spilled the beans during your walk to English afterwards, a plan beginning to form in your head with each step closer to Ms. O’Donnell’s.

Three failed kissing attempts was all your poor heart could take, so you spent the entirety of the last period plotting how you’d be able to get Eddie alone.

Which was how you found yourself pacing back and forth on the football field, eyes scanning the trees for any possible signs of movement. The palms of your hands are sweaty despite the crisp air, the fabric of your sneakers dampening with each step you take through the wet grass.

And you’re wondering if maybe this was a stupid idea, that maybe you heard Jeff wrong.

You knew Eddie dealt weed, the whole school did. But having never dabbled with the leafy substance yourself, you weren’t exactly sure where he made his deals at. So it was a stroke of luck when you overheard Jeff mention it in passing to Grant during English.

Something about how he was going to be late for rehearsal because some jock wanted to buy a bunch of reefer behind the football field. And who was Eddie to refuse a good sale? Especially when the douche was offering him a lot of money.

You’re abruptly broken out of your thoughts when you finally see his lanky figure emerging from the tree line and your heart kicks into first gear— about ready to burst out of your chest with each step he takes towards you.

His curls are a little damp from the mist hanging in the air, that signature dimple indenting his cheek when a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

And despite your nerves, it’s a welcomed sight.

“Well, I didn’t take you for a stoner, sweetheart,” he begins.

But you don’t give him the chance to give you a proper greeting before you’re springing into action. Your fingers curl into the collar of his denim vest, meeting him halfway as you lean up to press your lips to his…

Only to end up knocking your heads together instead.

A small grunt of pain leaves him and your stomach twists in embarrassment, fingers gently pressing against your forehead as you wince.

“Oh my god, I am so—”

Those words barely have a chance to slip past your lips before he tilts your chin up and carefully molds his mouth over yours. His movements are slow but steady, as if gauging your response.

Your body reacts before your mind can fully process what’s happening, instinctively reeling him in closer and pressing your lips more firmly against his own. He hums softly, the sound setting your whole body alight.

As Eddie slips one of his hands around your waist, the other reaches up to tenderly cup your cheek. And when he begins to guide you backwards, you let him. Only stopping once your back is flush against the goal post. But even then, he doesn’t stop kissing you.

You can feel the cool metal seeping through the thin layer of your jacket, causing goosebumps to rise on the surface of your skin. But even with the cool air continuing to nip at your exposed skin, you feel like you’re on fire.

His lips are like molten honey, sugary sweet and practically melting you to your core. And you swear this is the closest to heaven you’ve ever felt.

When he eventually pulls away and you take a shuddering breath in, your eyes remain closed. You’re practically on cloud nine, basking in the lingering tingles that prickle over your lips. His hand remains on your cheek, thumb brushing over where his lips just were.

Eddie suddenly lets out a deep chuckle, the sound vibrating against your chest while his breath washes over the apples of your cheeks. Only then do your eyes flutter open and you realize the reason behind his amusement.

Your vision is completely obscured, the round lenses of your glasses fogged over from the heat of his breath. You can just barely make out his smile through the frames, but the silliness of the moment has you letting out a giggle of your own.

“May I?” he asks, the tips of his fingers grazing over where the arms of your glasses meet your temples.

You nod immediately, allowing him to remove them with the utmost care. He untucks his Judas Priest t-shirt from his jeans, using the soft cotton to clear the fog away from your lenses. Even with your blurred vision, you manage to catch a glimpse of his tummy before it’s hidden away beneath his shirt again.

When his eyes flick up to meet yours, he can’t help but feel like he’s really seeing you for the first time. Not hidden away behind a book or the thick wire frames of your glasses. Just you, in all your unbridled beauty.

“Thank you,” you murmur as he carefully places your glasses back onto the bridge of your nose.

Eddie just grins, leaning his forearm on the goal post above your head. He smells faintly like weed and peppermint gum, and you really want him to kiss you again.

“How’s about I give you a ride home, hm?”

You can’t hide your smile, nodding your head enthusiastically.

“I’d really like that.”

Eddie leans down to press one more searing kiss to your lips before he slips his hand in yours and pulls you along. The two of you now walking hand in hand across the football field.

“So, sounds like I’ve got some competition with Wheeler, huh?” he teases, squeezing your hand a little tighter in his.

“Oh come on, you’ve never had a crush on a babysitter before?”

Eddie takes a step in front of you, beginning to walk backwards while simultaneously guiding you forward.

“Well… considering my only babysitter was starting to bald and my uncle,” he practically shudders, “I’m gonna say no, sweetheart.”

series taglist: @sheneedsrocknroll92 @blckbrrybasket @your-nightmaredoll @missmarch-99 @fandom-princess-forevermore @mylovelycrazyworld @princesssunderworld

[darkestcorners]

polarity | 06 yandere!jungkook au ( sneak peak )

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A/N : I decided to post this little sneak tonight since you guys have been waiting so so long. This is not edited yet so please excuse any grammar errors. Thank you💕 :)

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“No secrets? I-I know what you did.” You accused in between sobs, your hands planted firmly on the floor as you shifted your body weight towards your right leg that left you in an awkward sitting position. It was hard to ignore the chills running down your entire body, your mind struggled to focus on what you wanted to scream at him.

He turned his head to look down at you. His penetrating gaze meeting yours at last.

“I know that you were the one that made my professor accuse me of plagiarism.” You said after another intake of breath. “ You did it, didn’t you? You blackmailed him! Just like you did to me. Just like you do to everyone in order to get your way. I don’t know with what but you did.”

He was silent. Just quietly looking at you.

Your short breaths only quickened, the horrible feeling coming in waves, stopping then gaining more force. You felt like you were stuck in a mid fall. It felt like years passed before Jungkook slowly made his way over to you, your eyes traced over the slight twitch of his fingers and cubic steel bracelet around his wrist. He bent down to your level and you felt his fingers lifting your chin up at him. You knew he could feel you shaking because he angled your face towards him again when you tried to look off to the side, his set gaze halting your rapid eye movements.

“Seems like a little birdie has been talking.” He whispered to you, he almost sounded disappointed. “That just won’t do, baby.”

You felt the sudden urge to slap him but you went to push him away instead. He caught your arms before you could do so, pushing them towards his chest and pulling your whole body closer to him. His actions were rough and careless. An indicator of just how much you’ve pissed him off this time. You could feel your teeth chattering now, your panic attack reaching its peak as you felt your vision blur. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of ice all over you except you wished someone actually had just to rid you of this feeling.

“You know she’s right, you know I’m right. That’s why you’re so upset.” You went on as you squirmed in his hold.

“How easily you’ve forgotten what she’s done to you. Is it that easy to fool you, baby? Does that bitch really have such a tight hold on you still that you that you accept her words as truth without question?” He sounded a parent scolding a small foolish child over taking sweets from a stranger.

He was wrong. Your once all-consuming love for Eunji had turned into a grudge that you couldn’t shake off. She might’ve been a horrible friend but why would she lie about something like that? It seemed too specific. It seemed like she knew more than she was willing to admit and for some reason that only angered you more. She knew more yet she had given you crumbs in return. Was that the plan all along or was she making you a victim of her selfish bitterness again? Even after everything, it was hard for you to believe she hated you that much.

Because you had seen it. You had seen a fragment of sincerity in her eyes earlier. A small piece of pity, no matter how fleeing.

“Ask your little boyfriend what he was doing walking into Professor Clark’s classroom a few weeks ago.”

You swore you had heard it in her voice too. As if she had been doing you one last favor. Granting you one last bit of kindness for all those years spent together being thrown away. But the more you ponder over it, the more Jungkook’s planted seed of doubt began to grow its roots. Had you only seen what you had hoped to?

“You accuse me of lying to you over some gossip your little fake friend filled your head with? It didn’t take long for you to go running back into her arms, did it? Where is your pride?” The disgust in his voice would be hard to fake and you had to look away from the sheer sincerity in it.

“I didn’t run back to her! I wanted answers and-"

“And did you find them?” He cut you off, eyes searching your face like something in it had already granted him the answer. “No, of course you didn’t baby. You let her have the last laugh again.”

Again.

“How would she know to make that connection and why would she lie about her seeing you walk into our professor’s classroom weeks ago.” You hissed back at him eagerly grasping to take control of the conversation that he had so easily overpowered in seconds.

God, you really couldn’t breath.

“Do you hear yourself? You’re asking me why a girl that has been jealous and spiteful towards you for years would try and scheme against you for sleeping with her ex-boyfriend! ” Jungkook sneered back and you flinched at the sudden raise of volume in his voice.

“Lying comes as easily as breathing to some. Haven’t you learned that by now? You really are more naive than I thought if you have yet to realize how unkind this world is and how often people like you get trampled over.”

You let out another quivering sob, growing more and more upset by his words. You might be naive but you weren’t that naive to not realize that he wasn’t the one who should be saying this to you. Him of all people. It felt like a stab in the chest. Jungkook lets go of your arms and brings them to cradle your face in his hands instead. His thumbs wiping away your never ending tears. His action is meant to be gentle but his grip is so tight that you feel his nails digging slightly into your skin.

“I’ve only ever tried to protect you, baby. Protect you from her and from yourself.” His hot breath sent waves of shock through you, you felt his lips lightly graze your own. “How many times must I save you from her? And from everyone who has ill intentions towards you before you realize it’s only ever going to be me.”

He lifted one hand from your cheek to carress your hair, those glossy doe eyes pulling you in and tugging at the invisible strings on your limbs and heart.

“How many times must I prove my love to you?”

This wasn’t love. It couldn’t be.

It felt like something much stronger. Much too different. Your love for Eunji had never felt this overwhelming. It never felt like you were being lulled to a perfect sleep, just to be suddenly plunged into a free fall. This didn’t feel anything like a secret held close to your chest, your heart skipping a beat everytime you used to see her even when you’d already seen her three times before that day. How giddy you felt at her accidental touches. How much you seemed to please her and never wanted to see her in pain. How easily it came to you to want to fix all her minor inconveniences.

No, this felt nothing like that. It wasn’t a secret. It didn’t allow itself to be. It was too loud. Too ugly. Whatever you had felt for Eunji, it felt five times more heightened with Jungkook. His presence felt like too much yet like there was never enough of it to actually violate you. It fit you in a way you were so frightened to admit. He had taken a piece of you that you never agreed on giving him. Yet it was that very foreign feeling that had you craving him in moments you shouldn’t have. In nearly all hours of a day. You were frightened at what you had been feeling these past two weeks sharing his space. Completely terrified at what he had managed to make you feel for him in such little time .

Even now, he felt so familiar yet so untouchable.

“This isn’t love.” You replied back in a broken whisper. It was mistake and you realized it quickly but it was too late to take it back. You blamed your overly emotional state for the thoughtless response.

A few beats of silence passed with only your uneven breaths filling the room. Jungkook continued to caress your hair before the corners of his lips twitched. An almost sad small appearing on them.

“Fine.” Another few beats of silence. The heavy air lingered.

You licked your dry lips as he retrieved his hand completely from you. Your eyes tracked the movement before they landed on the unreadable look on his face.

“ If you think I’m such a monster, I promise I will show you how easily I can make that come true for you. ” He stated lowly, dark eyes taking in your features again. “And it will make everything else I’ve done pale in comparison.”

—-

[kiyo-cant-write]

hi hi! jade req again, kinda toxic this time

can we get jade with a reader who’s really easy to manipulate and they know it? idk if it makes sense but like jade realizing reader isn’t oblivious to his manipulation, just kinda self-destructive and hopelessly into him

jade thought he was being slick because reader wasn’t calling him out on anything, but he overhears their conversation and finds out that they’re fully aware jade is a ton of red flags but is still staying anyway, and his reaction to that

i really hope this makes sense! idk how to word it

jade w/ an easily manipulated reader ✧･ﾟ

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Aw! Thank you for another request! I love Jade and Octavinelle so much! I hope that I did your idea justice. Please let me know if you'd like another request in the future! Onwards to the story! ^^

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Summary: Jade Leech has been stringing [Name] along for fun and due to the instruction of Octavinelle's Housewarden. He thought he was doing well... but it seems [Name] may have had ulterior motives.

TW/CW: Toxicity but the standard Fish Mafia kind

Notes: established "relationship", they/them pronouns for the reader, the reader is Yuu/Ramshackle Prefect, the reader is described as human and younger than Jade/frosh, ADeuce if you squint, implied to be post-Azul OB

Guest Stars: Deuce Spade, Ace Trappola, Grim, Azul Ashengrotto & Floyd Leech (referenced)

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✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

Jade Leech

As much of a sadist as Jade can be, he's not exceptionally cruel outside of what he deems as the necessity for his purposes.

He is a bit smug when he thinks he has [Name] under control.

Jade is pretending to be "honor student Jade Leech."

He acts as their friend and support albeit for the Lounge.

He pretends to care, to do everything to help them.

He smiles at them, speaks politely, and even "affectionately."

They trust him and they tell him things they shouldn't.

He will use those bits of information when the time comes.

Every time they have an inkling of doubt, he squashes it.

His surprise is evident when Floyd points out that it might not be the case this time, but Floyd is Floyd and doesn't explain.

Wanting to make sense of this discovery, Jade observes [Name].

He watches to see if [Name] really has caught onto him.

Jade is intrigued and what he finds does not disappoint.

He is surprised to find that they caught on long ago.

But they stayed? Why?

Because they "love" him?

Why would they love the guy trying to string them along?

It didn't make sense to him. He felt a tug at his heartstrings.

Did he feel bad about this?

He didn't know what to do.

Jade starts to avoid [Name] after realizing their feelings.

He retracts further into his honor student persona.

[Name] will not win this fight. He will not be bested by a freshman.

The battle has just begun and Jade needs to bury this sinking feeling in his chest. What does it mean anyway?

Floyd serves as a live studio audience to Jade's struggles.

Jade is an observer. That had been his role for so long, that he wasn't sure when it began. Ever since he was young, he would watch and calculate while Floyd was the type to rush into things, be impulsive, and just a tad stupid at times, at least when they were young. Jade never intended to make his observations a skill, but sooner or later, everything becomes an asset.

That's what his father had always said.

His mother worried about the sadistic streak in her son, but she couldn't do anything to prevent its development. Jade was, after all, a member of the Leech family. He and Floyd would join the family business sooner or later unless they wholly refused its offer.

"[Full Name]," Jade mused to himself, "How interesting."

Azul had been the one to ask him to pay extra close attention to Ramshackle's Prefect in case they strayed too far from things, or got into any trouble. The magicless human that had saved others from themselves, they interested the owner of Mostro Lounge. Jade had simply agreed with Azul's request, observation was his skill, after all.

It had never been meant to evolve, and certainly not into this.

Jade watched as this person fell for his polite words hook, line, and sinker. It was almost too easy. They were shockingly trusting, telling him all sorts of things he could use to be downright evil if he wanted to be. It wasn't time for that, not yet, but one should always guard their secrets (perhaps not as much as Azul, but at least a bit).

He didn't need to do anything unless the moment called for it.

At the time, it had not been necessary.

That was weeks ago.

Azul hadn't given further instructions and, to be fair about it, Jade didn't want to earn that octomer's ire. Not today, anyway. He and Floyd were troublesome, yes, but not stupid.

So, as Azul had instructed, he was trailing the Prefect until told otherwise (or until it became boring, whichever arose first). Though their reactions had been predictable, he could argue that things were getting boring now.

Floyd would have given up ages ago, he was sure of it.

[Full Name] was currently spending their time with their classmates, Ace Trappola (easily swayed by competition and bets) and Deuce Spade (note: gullible as a child). Jade had kept an eye on the three of them (and Grim) because of their closeness. It was rather irritating how buddy-buddy they were. He had worked a bit to get [Name] alone those few times they had spoken privately.

Standing away from the trio, Jade listened in on their conversation.

"[Name], I don't think that this is good," Deuce told them, clearly worried for their friend's mental state, "You need to be more careful. Don't you remember what happened to me and Ace?"

"I fucking remember!" Ace chimed in, "It sucked. Don't trust fish."

"Nya! Fish are food, not friends," Grim told them, "Especially eels!"

"Ah... You guys..."

Jade almost wanted to chuckle at Grim's words of "wisdom" but he withheld it, knowing that he mustn't give away his position. Not yet.

"You shouldn't trust Leech-senpai," Deuce continued, "Do you not remember how he and his twin brother acted before?"

"THEY TRIED TO KILL US, [NICKNAME]!!" Ace interrupted Deuce, earning him a glare from the navy-haired boy, "Sorry, Deuce-chan."

"Don't call me that."

What Deuce was doing could only be described as glowering.

"Lighten up and help me convince [Nickname] not to get themselves murdered by a shady eel and a shadier octopus!" Ace told him, slapping Deuce on the shoulder, "Just because they're better doesn't mean they're changed fish! Fish are suspicious!"

"Ace, do you have some fish-related trauma outside of campus that I should know about?" Deuce asked him, "It's starting to seem—"

"FOCUS ON [NICKNAME], DEUCE."

Ace's reddened face was a sign that Deuce was on to something with that fishy nonsense. Jade Leech would remember that fact.

Fish trauma. Noted.

"....Okay," Deuce agreed, turning back to [Name], "Do you want to tell us what you've been doing with Leech-senpai? We're worried..."

Deuce trailed off for a moment before he added a Deuce-typical offer.

"I can fight him if you want me to. They're messing with my friend."

"N-no thanks, Deuce... I don't think I need that," [Name] said, laughing at the antics of her friends and roommate, "Honestly, I know he's not being honest with me... But I don't really... care?"

The words surprised Jade but he refused to give himself away. There was more information to be gathered, for his own needs and Azul's.

They don't mind my dishonesty? Heh...

"I have never been more concerned for you than I am right now," Ace said, tone lacking its usual goofy undertone, "Do you want me to tell Mom and Dad about anything? They would help..."

Ace wasn't sure what to do but this was a worry. So frantic to say his sentence Ace neglected to register his misnomer for Vice Housewarden Trey Clover and everyone's favorite senpai Cater Diamond. He could lay awake and think about that later.

Deuce clearly felt similarly as he reached out to put a hand on [Name]'s. He wasn't good at solving problems of the emotional variety but he could be a support. Or, he would try to be one.

"Even if we can't say anything helpful... We can be here to listen."

"I appreciate it, but I'm fine," [Name] tried to assure them (but it wasn't working), "I just... I like Jade-senpai... and if this is how... he will talk to me... then I am okay with it. I've just been going along with all... that."

Jade felt time stop for a millisecond as he processed the words. They had been "playing along"? They didn't fall for every trick? Perhaps this was more interesting than he had thought. Still. He didn't like being bested, perhaps he needed to up his game...

"[Name], that's not good... I don't think..." Deuce managed.

"I wish Mom and Dad were here..." Ace mumbled.

"[Name], don't leave me for a fish! It's not even tuna!"

Grim clung to his human with small paws, tail swishing.

Jade was baffled not by those that Azul had previously controlled but by [Name] themself. They were something odd amongst the students of Night Raven College. They didn't shy away from his... methods.

But they said they liked him. He wondered if that made him feel something. He wasn't one to like other people, stay around them long... especially these landfolk.

It was a foreign concept.

Oh dear. [Full Name], you've managed to intrigue me now.

To the concern of Deuce, Ace, and Grim, Jade Leech wouldn't be letting his human prey go any time soon. Not for Azul, or his brother... This was something he was pursuing now. For better or worse.

I hope they're prepared to best me once more.

What would they say if I said I "loved" them? ♪

.

Imagine the rest for yourself~

.

.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

Thank you for reading! Likes and reblogs are appreciated! Do NOT repost my writing/headcanons as your own >:c Check the top of my blog for the inbox status and read the rules before requesting. This is not a twst-only blog! ^^

[zoeyuniverse]

American pie [1/2]

Category : Caitlin C × !momreader

Summary : You and Caitlin have known each other since childhood, you love each other more than friends but the situation pushes you to live in hiding. While Caitlin suffers from this situation and lets you know it, an event changes everything.

4 months ago

It's a busy weekend for you and Caitlin, as local basketball teams compete in a three-day tournament.

The tournament itself has no stakes, and winning it won't affect the official championship standings. So it can be described as "friendly". But unofficially, it allows players and teams to get noticed. To stand out from the crowd and make a name for themselves.

So every team and every player has a little bit of anxiety before every game and tries to keep up as best they can.

You and Caitlin have known each other forever. Kindergarten was where you first met, where you first talked, and where your friendship began.

You've been through a lot with her, you've always been there for each other, and at the age of 21, you never doubted the trust and love you had for each other.

You've never played basketball, but you've always enjoyed encouraging her, supporting her, watching her grow in the sport, and becoming her number one fan. She couldn't get enough of you, and at every game, her eyes sought yours for comfort and courage.

In the eyes of everyone, especially those closest to you, you're the best of friends, like in typical American movies.

But you've both known for some time that this bond and these feelings are more than friendship. That's why you've been secretly dating for over a year now. You look forward to every moment you can get away from the world to kiss and cuddle.

If you've decided to keep this relationship a secret, it's because your parents couldn't bear to find out that you like women.

In fact, you come from a very conservative aristocratic family. And you're officially in a relationship with a boy your own age and, more importantly, from the same social class as you. Your parents introduced you to him about 10 months ago, and you quickly accepted, hoping that this relationship would make it easier to hide your relationship with Caitlin.

Of course, your girlfriend doesn't like the situation, but she accepts it out of respect for you, and you can never thank her enough.

Today is the penultimate day of the tournament, and Team Iowa is well on its way to winning its last game of the day. There's only one quarter left, but it won't be enough for the other team to come back from behind.

So this is the perfect opportunity for you to admire Caitlin on the field without the stress.

The tall brunette is as relaxed as she is smiling as she watches the clock tick away. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail, which you did yourself before the game started. Her muscular shoulders gleam in the spotlight.

The crowd chants and screams Caitlin's name as she continues to put on a show, scoring more and more impressive baskets. She couldn't care less about the disappointment her opponents will feel when the final buzzer sounds.

Your heart races and a smile spreads across your face as you watch your friend blossom on the court. She's talented, beautiful, and popular. Many would give anything to be friends with her, if not more. And yet she reserves that privilege for you, and you alone.

And with only a few seconds left, you approach the edge of the field. With your "22 Clark" jersey on your back, you wait for another autograph.

This is your little ritual: Ever since her arrived in Iowa, you've proudly worn Caitlin's jersey to all of her games, and every time she wins, she adds a signature to it. That makes you the most autographed fan in the world.

- Hi ! she says, signing her name on a loose part of youre jersey.

- Hi! you say.

She hands you back your marker and you look into each other's eyes for a long time, her exploding with the joy of victory and you contemplating the stars shining in her eyes.

- I love it when you look at me like that Caitlin smile.

- I love looking at you, you're sublime, Caity.

Her eyes went to your lips as your boyfriend grabbed your hips and pulled you close.

- Don't look at my girlfriend like you're going to devour her, Clark, I'll end up thinking you're trying to steal her away from me. he joked falsely.

The player's smile vanished and her eyes filled with hatred at the sight of his hands on your hips.

- No risk, I'll leave you alone, my team is waiting for me, see you later Y/N.

You tried to smile at her before turning to your boyfriend.

- The game went well, didn't it? He smiled.

- Yeah, it was cool, but my stomach hurts. ....

- Shall we go home?

Of course, you didn't want to go home. That's why you bargained with him to let you spend the night with Caitlin.

He understood your little trick, but you made a deal that he wouldn't tell your parents your secret. So you agreed to having sex with him from time to time at first and the, after he met a girl, let him see her. Caitlin knows absolutely nothing about this, and you knew better than to tell her. You're doing this for you and her.

When he finally agreed, he left, saying goodbye to you and making you promise to spend the next evening with him, as you both had to go to dinner with his family.

So you waited in silence for Caitlin to come out of the dressing room, and when she finally did, after many minutes, her wet hair fell back on her shoulders. You were so impatient that you wanted to jump into her arms.

Strangely, she didn't respond to your embrace, gently pushing you away.

- You should have gone home with him.

You took the time to look at her and saw that her eyebrows were furrowed and her jaw clenched.

You grimaced as you felt the pain in your stomach suddenly intensify, then resumed the conversation:

- It's you I want to be with, it's you I love. I thought we were celebrating your victory!

- Because I don't love you?

- I didn't say that, Caity!

You grabbed her arm and forced her to stop. The pain became too much and you couldn't do it while walking.

- He knows Y/N. He deliberately puts his dirty hands on you, kisses you in front of me, holds you close. It destroys me, it hurts. Don't you know how many years I've spent waiting for you to realize how much I love you, and now that we're starting to create our story, for real, I have to share you with a guy out of nowhere and say nothing?

- I'm doing this for us...I...it's not easy for either of us...

- For us? But we're not going to live like this all our lives. I want to see us grow together, travel, why not get married or buy a coffee maker and have cats all over the house. Fucking Y/N, we're 21 and we're hiding like teenagers!

- I want to do all that with you and you know it. You're not being fair, Caitlin, I'm scared.

- Scared of what? Losing parents who never loved you for who you really are? Fine, if that's what you want, then be their sweet little girl, but I don't want to go through this anymore, I've sacrificed too much in this story, I'm going crazy!

You knew the situation wasn't easy for anyone, especially her. But to see her look at you with such contempt and anger, to hear those words, it's like a slap in the face. You were convinced you were doing what was best for you, but you were wrong, and it meant losing the one you love most in the world.

Your ears are ringing, your vision is clouded with tears, your heart is racing. You hate yourself, but the noise in your head prevents you from finding the words to answer her. The pain in your stomach seems to be worsened, becoming less and less manageable.

- I'm sorry, Y/N, you should go home... shall I call you a cab?

When she asked this question, her tone had softened and you could hear a hint of concern.

But not being able to think clearly, you let her drag you to her car and she took you home, in your room.

- I didn't want you to get into this state, but I'm suffering too.

That night she drove off, leaving you in bed after planting a kiss on your forehead. You writhed in pain for part of the night, and as she closed the door to your big house, she never imagined it would be the last time she'd see you for a long time, before everything between you and her changed forever.

______________________________________

Thanks for reading, remember that English is not my first language!

[lenny-link]

The #7 comic for tf2 is finally going to happen. It just got confirmed

Link to the og X post:

https://x.com/katamiphi/status/1810869162748903904?t=Nu_hrTeHINmai6njiOVxGQ&s=19

i might be the only pessimist here but im calling bs tbh

"The script is finished and is being drawn as we speak. No promises when it will be released, but it IS being worked on."

you mean to tell me for 7 fcking years they done absolutely nothing and TODAY we are talking July 10th 2024 they are working on it ???? huh ??

the game was literally abandoned since 2017, along with the comics, #savetf2 happened 2 years ago, nothing happened, we’ve been doing everything we can with #fixtf2 ppl started drawing p0rn of a bot for the love of god all the efforts the community made have been such a desperate mess to save tf2 and valve never did nothing for 7 YEARS man

the bot ban wave they did last month was bs btw, the bots are back if you dont know, its like they done absolutely nothing (again)

this is all a joke, i feel like they making all this just to bring some hype for the coming summer update so people would buy crates and ugly cosmetics and stop boycotting valve

valve doesn’t care about their community anymore, they are a company that is selling you a product, nothing more

even if this comic get released today, its really ridiculous, im still very disappointed in valve and a bit in the community for forgiving valve so easily, unless you’re a new fan i guess thats understandable

i also hope that 4chan leak of the 7th comic is true (warning: potential spoilers ???) where abraham lincoln still demands more blood from the administrator and she just nukes the planet before dying in miss pauling’s arms and idk spy maybe makes a heroic speech, dramatic shots, and then everyone dies, then history repeats itself years later when two prehistorical men one blu and another red fighting over some gravel or something

i think its a funny and reasonable ending for whatever tf2 storyline is, i highly doubt they can make something better tbh

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

With Discretion - Holiday Special**

Here it is! I hope you guys like it. I really like how I ended this series and I hope you guys do too. Thanks for reading!

Read the rest of the “With Discretion” series

WARNINGS: miscommunication/avoidance of issues, fear of commitment and doubt in relationships/partners, 69, face fucking and sitting, fingering, forced and multiple orgasms, unprotected sex, size kink, marking.

WC: 15.2k

Harry had been on a high for the near year you two had been together. Business was excellent, his firm was doing great and he had been able to unfold that deal with the schools in the area and the pilot of the internship program was doing really well. Of course, things with you had been a fucking dream. You were both thriving in your individual endeavors and of course, as a couple. The more time you spent together the more he thought about marriage. He’d always wanted to get married but of course, he was cautious with his love life and its future, but now the future he wanted felt far more tangible. You were everything he had wanted in a life partner. He was anxious to bring it up to you because inevitably, the question would be asked by both of your families about where you two saw this relationship going. Especially as the holidays approached.

He was thinking on this even more since your parents were coming to visit from California and it would be the first time he officially met them in the flesh. It goes without saying that Harry was absolutely nervous about it but he was looking forward to meeting them and spending time with them. He knew that they weren’t all that supportive of your marriage to Caleb, so he wanted to make the best impression possible so that they didn’t have a shred of doubt about what a future with him could mean for you. He had been there for a few conversations with your mom about how disappointed she was at the outcome of your marriage, she wasn’t condescending about it, but like any parent who felt they knew best from the start, she couldn’t help but hit you with that dreaded “I told you so” a couple times. The next time she said something like that to you, he wanted it to be under good circumstances, like your wedding day perhaps when he inevitably cried at the altar because of how breathtaking you’d look. His little daydream was interrupted by his office phone ringing.

“Mr. Styles, reception called, Y/n just arrived.” His new assistant, Corey, informed him over the line.

“Great! Thanks mate. Can you inform reception that I’ll be just a few minutes?” He assured and Corey confirmed before hanging up. He shot you a quick text to let you know that he’d be out soon. You were going to a late lunch and then doing some Christmas shopping, so his Friday would be ending early and he couldn’t be more thrilled to kick off his weekend plans with you.

*********

You were sitting in the reception area just looking through your phone while you waited for Harry to come down. You were quite enraptured with an email on your phone that you didn’t notice that Caleb was approaching you until he called your name.

“Y/N!” He greeted cheerfully and you glanced up from your phone to see him smiling down at you.

“Oh my god! Hi Cal, how are you?” You asked as you shot up from your seat and hugged him tight as he hugged you back.

“I’ve been doing well.” He smiled.

“I can see that! You look great.” You complimented him. He looked a lot more fit and well kept than the last time you had seen him, he had been struggling quite a bit then.

“Thanks, you too.” He smiled, “So things are still going well with Harry.” He said and you nodded.

“Yeah, actually.”

“What’re you going on a year now?” He asked.

“Yeah, in the new year. It’s crazy how time flies.” You said with a smile and he nodded. “What about you? Did ummm, did anything ever pan out with you and Dani?” You asked and Cal sighed.

“Well, kind of. I ummm, I had a trip to London for the firm several months ago. Obviously, I saw her there…we spent the night together. I think she was just feeling a bit homesick and was seeking some familiarity, you know?” He said and you nodded in understanding, “But ummm, obviously she lives there now and we talked a few times after that but it was mostly just good for closure. I ummm, I did start dating again though. I feel good about it, I’ve had a few successful connections, so ummm, yeah it’s been going well.” He shared.

“That’s great, Cal. I’m really happy for you. I’m glad you were able to move on. I know it can be hard.”

“Was it hard for you?” He asked and you nodded. “You sure?” He grinned and you chuckled.

“Yeah! But see I started moving on when I realized that you were seeing someone else. So by the time we were over-over it was a bit easier for me to get with someone new.” You explained.

“Ah…the slow fade.” He hummed.

“Exactly.” You chuckled. 

“So what brings you in?”

“Just having a late lunch with Harry and then we’re doing some Christmas shopping. My parents are coming into town for the holidays so just trying to find something nice for them.”

“Great, that’s really great.” He hummed and you nodded. “And business is going well?”

“Oh yeah, everything’s excellent with that. I had to hire a helper actually, just to give you an idea of how things are going.”

“Wow, congrats!”

“Thank you so much. It’s been tricky at times to meet the demand but I’m getting there.” You smiled.

Just then the elevator dinged and you both glanced over to see Harry stepping out with a cheerful smile upon seeing you standing there. Harry and Cal were on good terms, it did take a few weeks for Cal to get used to Harry dating his ex-wife, but when the weirdness faded they were back to their cool and professional relationship without a hitch. Harry had always been a bit of the jealous type, but he knew that Cal wasn’t a threat to him, so his presence did not deter his excitement to see you in any way.

“Hey, baby!” He greeted you happily and Cal moved aside as Harry hugged you and kissed your cheek quickly.

“Hi.” You responded with a big smile.

“Just catching up?” He asked looking between you and Cal and you both nodded.

“Yep, she’s telling me how she’s basically becoming this event planning tycoon.” Cal said and Harry nodded.

“Yeah, the business is growing fast.”

“Maybe we can even hire her for some of the office events or shindigs for clients.” He suggested and Harry’s eyebrows arched up.

“That’s actually quite a brilliant idea, Cal. We just might have to…” Harry hummed with a smile at you and you shook your head.

“You guys are crazy.” You chuckled and they smiled at each other.

“Well, I uh, I need to be getting back up there.” Cal said, “But it was nice running into you. I’m happy things are going well, Y/N.” Cal said and you nodded.

“Yeah, it was great to see you. And I’m also glad to hear you’re doing well, Cal. See you around.” You smiled.

“Later, Cal.” Harry said with a smile and Caleb waved once more before he hurried into the elevator before the doors closed. “Was that alright? Seeing him?” Harry asked as soon as he was gone and you nodded.

“Yeah, we were just catching up. Are you good? That wasn’t weird for you?”

“Not at all. We’re on good terms here as well.” Harry assured and you smiled.

“Good. Now, where are we eating?”

“I managed to get a last minute reservation at Carbone, know you’ve been dying to get more of that mushroom fettuccine.” He said with a smile.

“Ooh, yes! Yummm!” You said with excitement and headed off. 

Your lunch had been delicious, as you expected, and your shopping was also going really well. It had been very productive thus far since you had managed to secure the gift you wanted for your mom with ease. You’d also found something for Cece and Harry had managed to find something for Corey, his assistant. Corey had been recommended by Tamika when she put in her 2 weeks. She had been accepted to USC and from what you and Harry had heard last, she was kicking ass over there. But Corey had some big shoes to fill and he was doing an exceptional job, so Harry wanted to get him something to say thank you, even if it was as simple as a keyboard for his iPad. He could use it for school, it would come in handy for his note taking in his classes. Now you just needed to get your dad his gift. He had been wanting some cufflinks that matched with this tie clip that he had been gifted for his birthday a few years prior and after your mom had sent a picture, you were eager to find something that paired well with the help of some experts.

“Let’s go in here, this is the jeweler my client recommended.” You said to Harry who nodded and opened up the door for you to get inside and out of the cold New York air. You were greeted warmly and asked if you needed help with anything the second you got inside the store. “I actually do need help, need to see about some cufflinks.” You said to the man and he nodded and guided you both over to one of the cases across the store.

“Felicity will be able to help you with that. She’ll be with you in a moment.” The man assured and then excused himself.

“You alright here, baby?” He asked you and you nodded, “OK, gonna wander around, see if I can get my mum anything while we’re here.” Harry said.

“OK.” You smiled and let him go off. Moments later you were joined by the saleswoman and consultant, Felicity. You were able to show her the picture your mom had sent and she lit up assuring you that she had several options to show you for your dad. 

“Some of the pieces are actually part of the new inventory which we haven’t quite finished unpacking for display.” She explained, “I’m gonna go locate them back there OK? In the meantime feel free to just look around, I’ll come find you when I have the selection ready for you to look over.”

“Thank you so much, Felicity.” You smiled at the older woman and she gave you a friendly smile before disappearing to the back of the store. You turned around and darted your eyes around until you found Harry at a display case at the end of the store furthest from you. You made your way over quietly, but he seemed to notice your presence nearing him as he turned when you were just a few feet from him. “What you looking at there?” You asked as you came up to the case.

“Rings.” He said softly and you peered down at the glimmering accessories displayed beautifully beneath the spotless glass panel. You couldn’t help but notice that these were specifically engagement rings as the regular accessory rings were in the next case over from what you could see as you glanced to your right briefly. “That one’s nice, no?” He asked you as he nodded towards the case.

“Which one?”

“Second row, fifth one in.” He said and you searched and nodded.

“It looks vintage-y, that’s what I like about it. Don’t love that cut though.” You said.

“The princess cut?” He asked and you nodded.

“S’too boxy, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, you’re right.” He hummed.

“The one two rows beneath it is gorgeous.” You mused and he smiled.

“The oval one in gold?” He asked and you nodded and hummed in confirmation, “Yeah, quite like that one actually. It’s very nice.” He mused as he looked it over.

“Would you like to inspect any of the rings more closely or try anything on?” Suddenly one of the salespersons appeared seemingly out of thin air.

“Oh n-”

“Yes, please.” Harry’s voice slightly overpowered yours before he turned and smiled at you briefly before turning back to the clerk and pointing at the one you had said you liked. The man was careful as he removed it from the back velvet setting it was in and reached for the magnifying glass that was peeking out of the front pocket of his suit jacket.

“This is a fine choice. The main stone is 3 carats, ethically sourced, and it has wonderful clarity.” He said as he positioned the magnifying glass over the ring’s main stone, “Have a look.” He insisted and you both peered over. It looked like you were staring into a hall of a million mirrors, it was absolutely beautiful. “You don’t see too many engagement rings set in gold now a days, but it is making a come back. It gives them a generational kind of feel, I think. Like a priceless family heirloom.” He smiled at the two of you.

“Yeah.” You hummed in agreement with a smile before glancing up to the man.

“Would you like to try it on?” He asked and you glanced to Harry who smiled at you and shrugged, indicating that it was up to you. It was just so pretty that you couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try it on. Cal insisted that you keep your rings from your engagement and marriage, but you didn’t wear them anymore, they were in a safe in your apartment. But you had been wearing two rings for seven years and you did feel naked without them for the first few months after you agreed to divorce, but now it was fine. But a part of you missed having them on so you agreed.

“Sure.” You accepted happily. Cal hadn’t consulted with you on which ring he’d get you when he proposed. You still liked it, it just wasn’t something you would’ve chosen for yourself, unlike this ring, this ring was right in your wheelhouse.

“It helps a lot to see the different cuts on yourself. That way you know which ones flatter you most when the time comes to choose “the one”, you know?” He said as he extended his hand towards yours and you handed over your right hand without much thought.

“There’s only one “the one” ring. One ring to rule them all…” you said lowly as you glanced back at Harry knowingly as you quoted “Lord of the Rings” with a grin and Harry sputtered on a laugh and the salesman did as well.

“You’re a complete dork.” Harry murmured before kissing the side of your head, “S’one of the reasons I love you, though.”

“Pardon, but wrong hand, miss.” the salesman said and your eyebrows arched up before you and Harry chuckled.

“Right! Don’t know why I’m so nervous.” You chuckled in a bit of embarrassment as you handed over your left hand and Harry’s warm hand rubbed over your lower back a few times reassuringly.

“It can be nerve-wracking, it’s a big step getting engaged.” The man said and you hummed. Obviously, you and Harry were not getting engaged any time soon. You hadn’t even properly talked about marriage like that yet, this was just for fun…right? Suddenly the man gasped and you turned to him, “Would you look at that?” he mused in wonder, his bright eyes met with yours, “It’s like it was made for you. It even fits perfectly.” He pointed out with glee, “And the cut is very flattering on your hand. It looks very beautiful on you. You have good instincts for this.” He smiled up at you and you just chuckled bashfully. “What do you think, sir?” He asked Harry and you glanced back to him as well.

“I agree, I love it on you.” He smiled solely at you and you smiled back at him as your stomach did an unsettling flip that you couldn’t really focus on when the man spoke up again.

“Are you interested in seeing any other options similar to this one? We can find similar ones with different budgetary limits as well if you have a price point in mind? Or have you got any ideas for other styles or cuts you’d like to see? Maybe even see what wedding bands can match with the engagement ring?”

“Sorry, we’re actually just here to buy some cufflinks for my girlfriend’s father.” Harry explained, “We got a bit sidetracked over here. The rings are just so shiny and beautiful, it’s impossible not to come have a look at them more closely.” He said with a smile and the man hummed with a smile.

“Oh, I understand, could stand around here all day marveling. I’m sorry to have assumed. You are a lovely couple though. Maybe sometime in the future.” He said with a hopeful smile.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Harry smiled, “Thank you though.”

“Let me give this back to you.” You said as you extended your hand out again and he chuckled.

“Of course, miss.” He said and carefully slipped the ring off of your finger, “Well in the future if you are taking things to the next level feel free to make an appointment with me, my name’s Dan. I’m the senior consultant specializing in engagement rings and wedding bands.” He explained as he set the ring back in it’s spot under the glass. “We do very thorough consultations for engagement rings if you so choose to buy with us.” He said as he extended his card to you, again he seemingly pulled it out of thin air. 

“Thank you.” Harry hummed with a smile as he took it and slipped it into his pant pocket.

“My pleasure. I hope you find everything to your satisfaction.” Dan smiled before hurrying off to help another customer a few cases down.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking now?” Harry asked with a smile as you turned to him. The excitement and expectation in his eyes made your stomach start to flip for your heart rate to skyrocket.

“Ummm that Dan’s a magician? I mean he literally just conjured himself!” You said and Harry was silent for a few seconds before he knocked his head back in laughter.

“OK, right!?” He gasped and you giggled and nodded, “Like where the fuck did the business card come from? I was looking at him the entire time he was taking the ring off of you! Didn’t see him reach down into his pockets or anything once!” Harry told you with an amused look in his eyes. 

“Maybe he was a magician before he became an engagement ring consultant?”

“Like a serious one in Vegas or like for kid’s parties?” Harry asked and your eyebrows furrowed.

“All magicians are serious magicians, Harry.” You said to him in mock offense and he chuckled.

“Oh, alright well thanks for that tidbit.” He grinned.

“You’re welcome. Can’t go insulting magical careers based on the population they cater to, you muggle.” You teased and he rolled his eyes.

“Oh, excuse me…” he said sarcastically.

“I’m serious! A pediatric doctor is no less serious because they cater to children specifically, are they?” You questioned him and he smiled.

“You’re very right actually…” he pondered and you giggled, “And you’re also a very serious nuisance.” He said softly and you laughed and hugged him tight before leaning your head against his chest. You could hear his heart pounding intensely in it’s confines and it made you draw back from him as that nervous feeling started to swirl in your tummy again and caused you to feel a bit sick. It scared you that it was mostly a bad feeling, it wasn’t just nerves like you hoped when it first happened. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Harry asked you when he saw your smile fade away.

“Oh, just my stomach suddenly hurt.” You explained and he sighed.

“Did you forget your Lactaid pill? That fettuccine you had is drowned in cream sauce.” He said quietly and you sniggered.

“No, I didn’t forget it.” You assured through a giggle. “It’s gone now, I’m alright.” You said and he looked at you skeptically.

“You sure? We can just head home once you get the cufflinks if you’re not feeling well.” He suggested. You did have the rest of the day planned out. Harry had a few rental properties around town and you would be spending the night at one of the empty ones after dinner and visiting a comedy club with a few of his friends later tonight.

“I’m sure.” You smiled and he nodded. Just then Felicity called your name from behind the counter and you turned to her to see she had brought out a velvet cushion with at least a dozen cufflinks for you to look at, “Oh, look at these! Help me pick something, H.” You said to him and he nodded as he came closer to you and rested his hands at your hips as he peered over you, half-listening to what Felicity was saying to you. 

He couldn’t help it as he glanced past the cushion of cufflinks and right down at that ring you’d tried on. Dan hadn’t just been buttering you up for a potential sale when he said it was practically made for you, it really did look amazing on you. But then you got a little weird…when he’d asked you if you were thinking what he was thinking about and you deflected and started mucking about over Dan. So he quickly rejected any feelings of disappointment at your lack of seriousness over what he was trying to bring up to you and just bounced back with another playful comment about fucking Dan and his sleight of hand. It was odd to him because you two were obviously in love and your relationship was going incredibly well. But your reaction made him wonder if perhaps he was taking your future together more seriously than you were. It put an annoying and anxious weight over his chest that he had never felt with you before and it made him upset and a bit scared. He wanted to address it immediately but given your reaction to the implied situation and topic at hand he didn’t expect that you’d want to discuss it any time soon. So Harry did the one thing he knew wasn’t correct and ignored that nagging ache in his heart and just warded off all of the thoughts and things that were currently bothering him about this and focused on the task at hand, the cufflinks.

*************

“God, Cece it was absolutely mortifying!” You groaned with a frown before you just rolled over and buried your face in your pillow. Cece laughed from beside you and you pouted as you took a peek at her. “Don’t make fun.”

“I’m not! It’s just really funny actually.” She giggled and you groaned.

It had been a couple days since the ring incident at the jeweler and things had gotten a bit weird between you and Harry. Or maybe you just felt they had been weird after? You guys stuck to your plans with his friends and all but something just felt off to you. You had planned to spend the weekend together in the city, but the following day Harry said he had a work emergency come up and cancelled the rest of your plans at the last moment leaving you to have breakfast alone before you headed back to the suburbs on your own. He hadn’t been cold per se, but you knew Harry well and something had been a bit off after Friday. He barely got in touch with you for the rest of the day on Saturday, he only checked in to ensure you’d made it home safe. And now it was Sunday and all you’d gotten from him today so far was a “Have a good day” text. You had asked him how his work thing had gone and if he would be back in the area for dinner but he left you on read and that’s when you called Cece and she immediately came over.

“It’s not! Like I just…I freaked out, you know? Like I thought we were just messing around not…like…ughhh.” You groaned again in frustration and Cece sighed and gave you a sympathetic smile.

“Do you really think he’s upset at you over that?” She asked you and you shrugged.

“I don’t know, but that’s the only thing that like…that stands out from our normal interactions and conversations so I’m pretty sure.”

“Just ask him!” Cece advised with some irritation at your obstinance. “It’s that fucking simple.”

“No! What if it’s just a work or family thing and I’m just jumping to conclusions?” You asked her.

“Well you never know until you ask…” Cece said again and you sighed and glanced up to the ceiling. “And even if he’s not upset at that, clearly something about that is weighing on you. So what is that about for you? Like are you not sure of a future with Harry? Like maybe you’re concerned that he’s at a different level than you are in the relationship?” She fed a few ideas hoping you’d resonate with something and bite.

“It’s just that…like I’ve only been divorced a year, you know?” You said and Cece nodded, “I love Harry, so much! I need him like the air I breathe but I just…” you paused, “Things are just really great now, you know? What if…” you trailed off as your eyes welled up with tears, “What if marriage changes things between us, you know?” You asked in a small voice, “Like obviously I jumped into things with Cal so quickly…I didn’t take my time to make such a big decision, we were also together about a year before he proposed and look how that ended! I don’t want to do the same thing with Harry and have it all go to shit!” You were crying now and Cece frowned and just tutted and pulled you into her chest as you cried, “I can’t lose him, Cece. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I can’t.” You sobbed.

“Oh babe…” she hummed quietly as she gently scratched at your head. “I know that the future can be scary, but what you have with Harry is not what you had with Cal. He’s a different person, it’s a different relationship. And you’re a different person too, babe. You were fucking 23 when you started dating Cal, you were half kid, half grown up! You had just moved out of your parents’ house, you hardly had any life experience…” she reminded you, “Things are very different for you now. You’re more mature now so you’re going to have the right amount of doubt and ask the right questions. And I know you won’t be victim to the rose colored glasses of your relationship with Harry this time around.” She pointed out and you sighed as you pulled back and looked into her eyes.

“One would fucking hope…” you sighed and she smiled at you with sympathy, “I know that maybe I didn’t love Cal anymore by the time we divorced but it still took a toll, you know?” You explained and she nodded.

“Of course, babe. It’s a lot to go through.” She said and you nodded, “D-do you feel like maybe you rushed into this relationship with Harry?” Cece asked you and you sighed.

“I don’t even know anymore! Like at the time it didn’t feel that way…we just have so much chemistry and it was so easy, you know? Like was I on an oxytocin high from being with him that I just said yes to him?” You asked and Cece frowned.

“Did you feel any hesitation when he asked you to be his girlfriend?” Cece asked and you shook your head. “So the doubt is new then.” She said and you frowned.

“It’s not doubt…I mean I know he’s the one for me! It’s just…I’m scared.” You admitted with a small voice, “I’m scared that…that I’m repeating history.”

“Would you want to marry him if he asked?”

“Of course! I’d just need to have a talk with him about it to ensure that what happened with Cal doesn’t happen again. Like we haven’t even talked about that yet and next thing I know I’m trying on an engagement ring! It was just a lot…”

“Well maybe that’s what he was trying to do after? Not necessarily talk about when you’d get engaged or even a timeline. Maybe he just wanted to see if you were thinking similarly about what you saw for your future together?” She suggested, “Then you went and made a joke of it and well…I can see how that might possibly hurt his feelings or just make him pull back a bit to gain some perspective about where you two truly stand, you know?” Cece said and you sighed as those pieces started fitting together into a picture. A picture where you were the unserious asshole and he was just the lovely man that he’s always been.

“God, I am the worst…” you groaned.

“No you’re not, Y/N. You’re still healing from before. Now, that doesn’t mean that you jumped the gun with Harry. It just means that your last marriage was shit and obviously you’re going to be a bit more apprehensive when the topic comes up this time around.” She comforted you with a soft and caring smile.

“Thanks.” You sniffled and she nodded.

“Now, if I were you I’d try to talk to Harry about this as soon as possible just to clear the air. Just ask and if it’s not anything to do with that or with you then at least you’ve done some of the soul searching so that if it ever comes up again you don’t deflect by calling him a muggle.” She said playfully and you shrieked and covered your face with your hands.

“So embarrassing!” You wailed as Cece just laughed.

**********

You had texted Harry and told him that you needed to talk to him when he was next available. You waited about an hour before he responded and said that he also needed to talk to you about something and that he could come to yours in the evening and you agreed. After that response your afternoon with Cece was just riddled with anxiety; she tried to talk you down, but you were a wreck and convinced yourself that Harry was just coming over to dump you in person. She had left you about fifteen minutes before he was due at yours. You had taken a CBD gummy to calm your nerves and even had a quick, warm body shower to help expel some tension, but the erratic beating of your heart was just too much for you to control. When your doorbell rang, signaling Harry’s arrival, you took slow deep breaths as you made your way across your apartment and finally unlocked the door.

“Hey, come in.” You said with a small and nervous smile and he thanked you quietly as he stepped inside. 

He immediately got to toeing off his shoes and you just hurried over to the living room area while he finished up. When Harry finally made his way over he saw you staring at him anxiously and it put an awful feeling in his stomach. Maybe you were going to break up with him for the way he had been acting the last couple days. He hadn’t meant to shut down and pull away like that after the incident at the jeweler, but he was suddenly faced with the harsh reality that maybe you both were on completely different pages about your relationship and where you wanted it to go eventually. He knew that the mere act of withdrawing from someone who loves and trusts you instead of communicating openly and honestly can just drive an irreparable wedge between two people and he hoped to the high heavens that he hadn’t done that.

“Ummm, can I sit?” He asked as he pointed to the spot beside you and you nodded.

“Yeah, of course.” You assured him and he sat down but angled his body towards yours and then you moved around to do the same. You were criss-crossed and looking down at the heart-patterned fuzzy socks on your feet for a moment before he decided to break the silence.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” He asked nervously and you bit your lip.

“I’m ummm, still gathering my thoughts a bit. You can go first if you know what you want to say.” You offered and he nodded. He was nervous too, but at least if he got to go first and was just super genuine and apologetic you wouldn’t dump him if that was your plan for this conversation.

“OK sure.” He agreed and exhaled before looking into your eyes, “I’m really sorry for the way I’ve been acting the last couple of days. I lied about that work emergency I said I had on Saturday because I ummm….” He sighed, “I just got a bit…well, not a bit, I was -er I am upset at you for ummm…for what happened at the jeweler on Friday.” He said and you frowned, “I was…I was hoping that after having such an intimate and well, serious moment like that w-with the engagement ring? I hoped that we could maybe have a serious conversation about our future together, like see what our goals were and all that. But then you just went and deflected it by making a total joke of it and it…hurt my feelings and made me feel like maybe you were not as serious about me as I am about you. I should’ve said something when we got a moment to ourselves but I just thought you would deflect again or make light of what happened and I got nervous and just…shut down instead.” He explained with a frown and you immediately reached your hand out to his and he took it immediately.

“I’m really sorry, Harry. I also wanted to talk to you about that same thing.” You said and he nodded, urging you to go on. “I know what I did and I’m so sorry for hurting your feelings. I just…got really uncomfortable and freaked out a bit when I realized the conversation you were wanting to have with me.” You explained and he looked even more disappointed and you spoke up again quickly, “Not because the idea of having a future with you makes me uncomfortable! But because in my experience marriage doesn’t really guarantee anything…” you explained and his eyes softened as yours welled up again, “I mean, my entire marriage was a total lie! We had been so great before we took that step and it scares me to think that maybe marriage is the problem and that it’ll just ruin what we have together. And like…when Cal proposed to me we had also been together for about a year and I suddenly felt like I was in a re-run! And the last thing I want is to repeat history with you. I mean, I’ve only been divorced a year, so I suddenly felt like once again I was just jumping the gun because I was high on love or something and I started to doubt myself and my choices. Not you, never you though. J-just me and my judgement.” You explained with tearful eyes upon admitting that to him. You hated feeling like you couldn’t be objective and up until that point you were so confident that you had been objectively doing what was best for you by allowing yourself to fall for Harry.  

“Fuck…I wasn’t even thinking about that, baby. I completely forgot that you were even married before! Jesus… I’m sorry. I wasn’t even considering that or how you might feel about it.” He shook his head incredulously and clearly disappointed in himself for putting you in that position. You smiled despite your glossy eyes, because his reaction alone assured you that you were with the right person. Despite all of the love and feelings tangled up in this, Harry was the best thing for you, even objectively speaking. “Call me crazy, but to me it sometimes feels like we’ve been together forever.” He confessed with a timid smile and you squeezed his hand and nodded.

“Yeah, it does to me too.” You agreed earnestly, “I’m so sorry for making light of such a special moment, Harry. It truly was so special, it felt so…real and possible and promising, then I went and…ruined it by mentioning fucking magic…”

“It’s impressive how mentioning the magic truly sucked it out of the moment.” He mused with a grin and you chuckled and shook your head with embarrassment. 

“I’m sorry…” you sighed again and he chuckled.

“S’alright, baby. I’m glad we’ve cleared the air.” He said looking more relaxed all around.

“Me too. Can you forgive me though, for making light of such a serious moment and of dismissing what you were so clearly feeling then? I promise I’ll be more communicative next time I feel any type of apprehension about anything.” You said and he smiled and leaned forward, grabbing your face gently and kissing your lips quickly.

“Of course I forgive you.” He assured you and you smiled, “Though, the thing you truly owe me an apology for, which you have even failed to mention during this very serious conversation, is the fact that you called me a bloody muggle.” He said with a grin and you giggled, “I’ve never been called a muggle before. That was your true crime.” He joked, lightening the mood between you two. You laughed lightly at this fact.

“Well I’m sorry for calling you a muggle. Out of anyone in the world, I am more than aware that you truly do have the magic in all the right places.” You said with a slightly suggestive grin and he chuckled and kissed you again.

“That I do.” He mumbled against your lips with a smirk and you kissed him back before you pulled back from it with smiles.

“Now, if you want a do over of that conversation I’m more than prepared to talk about it.” You said and he smiled.

“Yeah?” He asked and you nodded bashfully, “Well, obviously I want to marry you.” He said and your smile widened. “I just ummm…I wanted to know if you wanted the same thing down the line?” He asked and you nodded.

“I do.” You agreed.

“Great! Umm…so obviously this is uncharted territory to me, but you’ve had experience in this, which I completely failed to consider before…” he sighed, “But ummm…what would you want out of a marriage with me when we get to that stage? Or in your eyes what would a marriage look like?” He asked you earnestly. You had never been asked that before. Is that what people did when they talked about their future? If so, Cal had skipped all of this…he had told you once after a weekend shag-a-thon that he would marry you one day and that was about all of the discussion you’d had about it. 

“Ummm…obviously, don’t cheat on me.” You said with a smile and he nodded.

“Never.” He assured you.

“I think we’ve struck a really good time balance in the last few months with our work and our time together and with our friends. I would like to continue having open and honest communication…” you said and he hummed in agreement, “I would expect to maybe have a bit more discussion and input about our own professional endeavors. Like if my little company gets bigger and in more demand I would certainly talk to you about it before just jumping into all this extra work that would take away from our time together, you know? I think that’s more from my experience with Cal…like I honestly just believed that his work was just taking all of his time. I didn’t have the slightest clue about anything going on at the firm. He kept me in the dark and so it was just so much easier for him to lie to me and I would be none the wiser.” 

“Yeah.” Harry said with a frown as his thumb ran over your knuckles gently. 

“What else…” you hummed, “Oh, the finances bit!” You said and he nodded, “I like what Cal and I had arranged. We both contributed pretty equitably. We did have a joint account for that, but we also had our individual money and savings. I mean, we were a bit closer in earnings though, so that might look very different for us when we get to that point. But having some financial independence is a must for me.” You explained.

“I completely agree with you there.” Harry said and you smiled.

“Also kids. I mean, at least one…maybe two?” You said and his smile widened and he nodded, “I would expect that you be just as present and available for our kids as I would be when you’re at home. I mean, the home is a shared space, so I wouldn’t want to be like a wife, maid, cook, nanny, and business woman. I would expect that we share the load and that each of us took the same ownership over our home and our children.” You said and he nodded. “Also, I’d expect that we don’t let the romance die.” You said and he smiled.

“Wouldn’t dream of that, my love.” He assured you.

“I guess the overarching theme here is that I would want a marriage to look more like a partnership this time around. I don’t want to feel like I’m the only one stoking it to life all the time. I want to feel loved, seen, and supported by my partner. What about you? Any expectations of me?” You asked him.

“I agree with everything you’ve said. I want to marry you because I want to have a life with you. I want to be present for you and for our family. I want to share our time together as much as possible. I know that sometimes things can happen and we can sort of veer, so I would expect you to let me know when I’m not doing my part. I also expect that you allow me to do the same for you. If we do have kids I want to be very hands on, so I want to be able to choose how to parent with you. I want our goals for our family to align as much as possible, you know?” He asked and you nodded. “Obviously, the nitty gritty of each of these will not be figured out until we start to cross those bridges, but overall I would want our marriage to basically be like our safe haven from everything else. I want it to just be us and our family after a long day. It’s the place where I want to feel safe and comforted and loved as well. And I would want our kids to feel that too, to feel like being with their family is a breath of fresh air.” He smiled and you did as well.

“I love you so much, you know that?” You hummed happily.

“I love you too.” He whispered before bringing up your hand and kissing the top of it. “And ummm, I realize that you’re still healing from the disappointment of your last marriage, so I don’t want to push you or rush you through that. I mean, I would marry you next month if you wanted!” He chuckled, “But I want you to feel ready for that step with me. So whenever you are, just let me know and we can…call Dan, the magic man and see about some engagement rings.” He said with a bashful, but hopeful little smile and you just surged forward and hugged him, tackling him down into the couch and he chuckled as he hugged you back.

“I’m gonna keep working through it for us, OK? I promise.” You said to him quietly.

“I know, baby.” He hummed as he rubbed over your back, “God, I thought you were going to dump me…”

“Oh my god, I thought the same thing about you!” You sniggered and then pressed yourself up to look at him and he hugged around your waist lightly, “Was prepared to fight for you tooth and nail.”

“Oh same, baby. Can’t let you go that easily.” He hummed and you grinned.

“I’m going to kiss you now, OK?” You said and he nodded before you dipped down to attach your lips to his eagerly.

It was easy for your kisses to start to get more and more obscene the longer your lips moved together. Your hips were moving over his, grinding your centers together heatedly, longing for some much needed friction. Feeling his erection growing and stiffening up in his joggers was driving you crazy. You wanted to rip his clothes off and go to town on him. You moaned into the kiss as his hands cupped your ass and guided your pace. He slightly shifted and then hummed in delight as you were now perfectly resting over his cock with each grind of your hips. You bit down on his bottom lip, sucking gently, teasing with your tongue but not slipping it into his mouth. He was growing impatient, his fingers digging into your plush bottom indicated his need for you to do more.

“Need something?” You asked with a playful grin and he nodded. You knelt up so that you were straddling his lap now and peering down at him. “What is it, baby? What do you want?” You asked him softly. Suddenly his hand was gripping the back of your neck and pushing you down into a kiss. It was sloppy and urgent and you giggled into it.

“Suck me off.” he mumbled against your mouth. “Please.” He tagged on after a few moments of your eyes just staring into his playfully.

“Alright, only because you asked so nicely…” you said with a smile and he immediately bit down on his bottom lip when he felt your fingers dancing along the elastic band of his joggers.

“Mmm…on second thought turn around. Wanna taste you too.” He said with a smirk that just about melted you from the inside out.

“Definitely not gonna argue with that…” you mused and quickly got off of him and of the couch to get all the clothes off of your lower half. Harry also took advantage and did the same before tugging you back over to him and kissing you deeply before instructing you to get back over him again. You were cautious and allowed him to guide your movements until your wet center was being tickled by his puffs of air. It was making you shiver as a chill traveled down your spine until your skin was covered in goosebumps.

“So fucking pretty and so fucking wet for me.” He hummed, his lips continued tickling your labia as he spoke against you. He hadn’t applied enough pressure for you to feel him against any of the more sensitive spots, but it was keeping you on edge as he kissed over where your entrance was very lightly.

“Baby…” you sighed with impatience.

“Don’t whine at me, use your mouth like I want you to.” He said and you moaned before just taking a hold of his cock and dipping the head between your lips. You gave him a nice, hard suck and he moaned lowly against you. You swore that you felt the vibration of his moan tickle your clit, “Fuck take more, baby…shit just like that. So fucking good with that mouth.” He sighed in pleasure as you sunk down half way and stroked the rest of him with your hand.

You moaned when you felt his fingers slightly spread your folds apart before he started laving from your entrance to your clit, his pace was set to that of your sucking on his cock. He was so good at this, he knew all of your weak spots well. You ground against him when he pushed his thick, hot tongue into your entrance. He plunged it in and out, in and out, over and over…you were so sensitive right at your entrance, it was making your head spin and you started to sink lower on his cock. He started to thrust up into your mouth, making you drool down his cock. When his fingers found your clit you moaned around him which caused him to groan against you.

“Fuck…” he grunted as he kissed at your cheek and let his tongue wander up to your bum. You shivered as he ran his tongue over your ribbed little hole as he sunk his thick digits into your sopping entrance. He twisted his fingers a bit until he felt yours walls clamp down around his fingers hard, “Right there, baby?” You moaned in response and he chuckled and then hissed when you sunk all the way down his cock, “Oh fuck…fuck yeah…” he hissed as his abs tensed up when his tip collided with the soft back of your mouth. His fingers kept prodding into that spot that had your arousal dripping from you and it built your orgasm quickly. He always found your g-spot and it did wonders for your orgasms.

You were nearly gagging on his cock as he thrust up into your throat, seeking out his own pleasure as you started to lose your rhythm with how good his fingers were working you. You were trying your best to breathe properly through your nose but it was hard to and the lack of proper airflow was making you feel a little woozy, but you were thriving off it because you were feeling the pleasure far more than normal.

“Shit, I’m gonna come…need you to come for me first, baby. Please…” he panted and you moaned around him and pulled up to focus on his tip as your hand stroked him expertly. It brought you joy to see his thighs trembling as he tried to hold his orgasm back, “Baby…baby, please…” he chuckled and you let your tongue rub into his slit, tasting his slightly salty pre-come starting to pool at it, “Oh fuck…” he groaned and he had to pull his fingers from you and just grabbed your thighs as his head rolled back and he chuckled, the sound melting into a grunt until you felt his sperm starting to shoot into your mouth. You swallowed what you could, but could feel some spilling out of the side of your mouth. You then slowly pulled off but kept stroking very slowly, “C-can’t believe you made me come first…” he chuckled breathily, “You’re gonna get it.” He panted and you grinned mischievously.

“It was apology head.” You hummed, “Think I owe you a bit more apologizing though…” you suggested mischievously and he was about to respond but you dipped down and sucked around his sensitive tip before he could even stop you. He started to laugh a bit at the sensitivity and breathily begged you to ease up as the tingles and overstimulation seemed to run an electric current down to his toes. He was trying to mind you as he writhed a bit beneath you.

“Baby!” He groaned through gritted teeth and just as you were about to let him go and cut him a break he moaned, “Fuck, I’mgonnacomeagain…” he slurred his words as he squeezed his eyes shut. His thighs were completely tense, his legs buckled as he groaned, “Shit baby, don’t stop…Don’t stop, don’t stop!” He begged and seconds later you felt his second orgasm pooling into your mouth. Once again, he was flooding it up with his generous creamy load and when you could tell he was done you pulled off of him with a satisfied smile as you swallowed it all down. Before you could even move he landed a sharp slap to your ass that made you straighten up and he chuckled as you glanced back and shot him glare, he was smirking at you in the same manner you were smirking at him. Then you knelt up and carefully got off the couch, you were going to offer him some water when he shot up and grabbed your hand and you glanced over at him.

“What, baby?” You asked with a smile.

“You’re not getting off that easy.” He smirked, “Come on, take a seat.” He said with an inviting smile. 

“A seat?” You asked him with a smirk.

“Yeah love, on my face.” He grinned and well, he didn’t have to entice you any further. He was quick to get one of your decorative pillows under his head before you were lowering yourself down against his mouth. He kissed at you and tongued at your clit a few times and you watched as he got lost in you. You were letting him do his thing, but then his eyes blinked open and met your entranced gaze, “Use me to get off.” he mumbled against your sticky pussy, “Come on.” He encouraged. 

You could see the lust in his eyes, he was hungry for it as much as you were. So without apprehension you slowly let more of your weight down over him. Your teeth were pinching down on your bottom lip as you slightly ran your folds over his mouth and he immediately got to work and you let out a sigh of relief as he sloppily lapped at you.The best thing about this was that he was really into it and it made the experience that much more pleasurable. He had his arms wrapped around your thighs as his neck craned up a bit to get even closer if possible. The wet and slurping sounds of him feasting on you were riling you up and you couldn’t stop yourself as you started to grind down against him. You let your head tilt back as your clit bumped into his nose over and over again until you were seeing stars. You were sure you were suffocating him beneath you, but he was holding you down so tightly you wouldn’t be able to really pull away if you wanted. You looked down at him with pleasure drunk eyes to see that he was looking at you just the same way and you groaned through a smile as you guided yourself a bit lower so that your clit was over his mouth.

“Suck it please, I’m getting close.” You requested and he groaned and opened up before latching his mouth over the top half of your pussy. You immediately moaned when the pressure of his sucks started to make your clit throb incessantly.

  “Mmmm, just like that, baby…You’re doing so good. Fuck it feels so good.” You praised him as your fingers raked into his hair. Your eyebrows creased in when you felt the tip of his tongue slowly start to flick against your sensitive little bud every time he sucked it in. You were gripping his hair harder and harder the closer you got to your orgasm and he moaned at the sting of your pull on his thick curls. “Oh…you-you’re gonna make me come!” You alerted him and he started going a bit faster. Your breath was hitching as that unmistakeable warmth swimming in your belly started to spread all throughout your body. It was making you feel hot all over, “Yeah H, keep going like that…shit, just like that! Yes, baby!” You panted out your urgency. 

Your body broke out in goosebumps as you teetered on the edge of it all, your tummy was fluttering and your thighs were quaking around his head as you clung to the feeling of that little spark that was about to ignite and make your entire body burst with the most sensational pleasure. It was until he very gently grazed his teeth over your unsuspecting little bundle that you started to come undone. You felt as if you had no control of your body as your writhed over him hard. You were completely selfish about it as you rode his face to get off.

Harry’s hands slid up and under your top and pinched at your nipples hard as you came undone over his mouth. You were moaning, praising, and cursing him relentlessly as fireworks burst behind your eyelids. You knew you were being louder than you were when you guys were at yours, but you couldn’t help it. And even still, you could hardly hear yourself over the intense  ringing of your ears as your body fought it’s best to keep you coherent. You were drowning in the beautiful, warm waves of pleasure with each gentle suck he gave to your oversensitive clit. Even when you were shivering and gasping from the overstimulation you couldn’t stop. You couldn’t pull away from him. It all felt so good, you were lost and floating in pure bliss. Slowly, your orgasm started to dwindle down and you started to snigger just as he had when it was getting to be too much. When you began twitching and jerking over him from the sensitivity, he was far kinder than you were though and opted to just kiss at your messy folds delicately and lovingly until you were good and ready to get off of him. 

His big, warm hands kneaded at your breasts before tickling down your abdomen and thighs. Once again you were covered in goosebumps at the lovely, little tickles of his gentle fingers over your heated skin. You could let him do this all day if you could, but you needed to let him breathe properly, so you gathered your strength and knelt up a bit. He huffed and craned his neck up to give your swollen and slicked up pussy one final kiss before he let go of your thighs and allowed you to sink down and kiss him deeply.

“Thank you.” You whispered against his mouth and he smiled.

“No, no, no. Thank you.” He insisted with a grin and you giggled and kissed his chin.

“Have you had dinner?” You asked.

“Ummm…I just ate.” He said with a smug expression and you rolled your eyes playfully at him, “You should’ve seen that coming, baby.” He chuckled.

“I really should have…” you laughed breathily, “Seriously though. I didn’t because I was nervous for our talk.” You explained.

“I did, but we can order something in or go pick something up. M’feeling a little peckish.” He said.

“What about phở? S’quite cold. I could use something warm.”

“OK, maybe I can eat again.” He chuckled and you smiled.

“The place I like doesn’t deliver, we’ll have to order and carry out. Might be like 20-30 minutes?”

“Yeah, that’s alright.” He assured.

Soon he was getting dressed and hurrying to rinse of his face while you placed your order. Then you did the same as him and just decided to remove your makeup since it was getting late. When you emerged from your bathroom you saw Harry sprawled out on your bed scrolling through his phone and you just went over and straddled his lap again. He immediately dropped his phone and hugged you as you rested over him. 

“You really want to marry me?” You asked quietly and he smiled.

“Yeah, baby. I really fucking do.” He responded, “Been waiting my whole life for you.” He hummed as he caressed your back lightly.

“I think I have been waiting for you too.” You said softly and he kissed the top of your head a few times which made you smile.

You had no idea what kind of good karma you had accumulated throughout your life to deserve someone like Harry, but you were so glad that you had him in your life. He truly was your other half. You’d loved others before, but this was so different than all the other times. Finally, everything you gave was being reciprocated how you needed it to be. He made you feel important, safe, and cared for in a way that you hadn’t felt since you were a child. It was comforting to be around someone who made you feel that way. He often told you that he felt the same with you and nothing could make you happier than knowing that he felt your love as well. Harry was definitely more of a physical touch type of person, which you were a quality time person, but those two seemed to go hand in hand. You could lay in silence with him like this for hours, just being close to him, being in his presence for whatever amount of time always made you feel better.  

…. DECEMBER ….

You were currently getting ready for Harry’s firm’s Holiday party. A thing you had always wondered about but had never been invited to when you were with Cal. You were very excited because Harry told you it was quite lavish this year, especially after the very successful year he’d had. It was going to be formal/black tie optional because he really wanted to treat his employees after all of their hard work and effort.

Typically he gave a budget to each department and they would choose how to celebrate or if they just wanted to give out bonuses to their people. But he wanted to celebrate every single person who put in effort for him and his family’s company and give everyone bonuses, or at least that what you suggested and he took that suggestion. From the top executives to the interns who did the boring paperwork and coffee runs. Every person counted and he wanted them to feel that. He had asked you to work with Corey to vet a few caterers. 

He had hired a planner already for the organization and decor because he didn’t want you fretting over all of this, he wanted you to enjoy as a guest. Nevertheless, knowing this was your niche, he still ran all of the design elements and ideas by you which he knew would make you so excited. When he looked through the selection of caterers the planner offered he wasn’t really impressed. Since he didn’t find what he was looking for he of course he asked you and well now, everything was absolutely perfect. The party was later in the afternoon in the same building the firm was in, but on the top floor. It had been converted into an event hall the year prior and it was the perfect location as the mostly all glass walls gave breathtaking views of the city. In preparation for this most lavish event, you and Harry had been lazing around and leaving everything in the hands of the planner.

You had decided to make a whole weekend of it and stayed over at one of his for rent apartments in the city with him. It was lovely and you were just laying in the big, comfy bed as you looked through some emails from potential clients wanting to hire you for their special events. It was around noon when Harry finally got out of bed and he’d only done so because he still wasn’t sure what he would be wearing that night. He had brought along two options and he wanted to get your opinion on what would be the best look for the party.

“Baby, what do you think?” Harry asked you as he emerged in a classic black tuxedo and you glanced up from your laptop and then your eyes widened a bit before you smirked.

“Okay, James Bond! I see you…” You hummed at him and he chuckled and glanced down bashfully, shaking his head at your nonsense, “Christ, look at you.” You whispered in awe as you got out of bed and hurried over to him.

“Like it?” He asked.

“Oh man, do I…” you said as you straightened out the bowtie just a bit.

“I also brought a gray one that-”

“No, no. Wear the black one.” You said decisively with a smile.

“Yeah?”

“Definitely. It’s so classic and ummm, we’ll also match.” You said with a big smile, your excitement was shimmering in your eyes.

“Like a proper couple.” He said and you nodded giddily. “What dress did you end up getting?” He asked you.

“The Sau Lee one? Remember s’black with a big bow in the front?”

“Mmmm…faintly.” He said and you smiled.

“Should I try it on for you?” You asked coyly. And he gave you an expression that screamed ‘obviously’. “OK, let me do that. Go wait on the bed.” You instructed and hurried into the closet. 

The surprise you had for him was that you’d gotten some lingerie specifically for when you got back home. You hadn’t picked a dress with a bow as the top for nothing! You wanted him to feel like you were the present he got to unwrap on Christmas morning. Moments later you were buck naked and just slipping into the dress to show him. You had every intention of getting back into your PJ’s until you had to shower and get ready for the evening. You jumped around a bit, grunting as you tried to get the zip up.

“Need help?” He called out.

“I’ve got it!” You assured him and after a few moments you were smiling at your reflection with complete satisfaction before heading out of the large walk-in closet and into the bedroom.

“Oh, baby…” Harry exhaled and shook his head as his smile widened.

“What?” You giggled.

“How am I supposed to see you walking around like that all night and do nothing about it?” He chuckled and you smile widened.

“You’ll just have to be patient.” You said to him and he chuckled.

“I will try my best. My god, you’re perfect.” He hummed and you were literally buzzing with excitement.

“I’m gonna wear these long diamond drop earrings I picked up at a Francesca’s a few years back. Been trying to find a thing to wear them for and I finally can! Oh, I also got these black satin gloves that I think would make it look that much more fancy and that would look cute with a diamond bracelet I borrowed from Cece-”

“Cece has a diamond bracelet?” He asked you and you nodded.

“She has sugar daddies in powerful places!” You said matter-of-factly.

“The more I learn about her the more fascinating she becomes…like there’s gonna be a film about her life at some point.”

“Oh, for sure…” You chuckled and he smiled.

“Well I say yes, go for the whole look! Gotta commit to it, love.”

“Mmmm, you’re right. We’re gonna look so cute. We’ll have to have the photographers take nice pictures of us.”

“Definitely. Also, I know it would push us over budget a bit, but Corey talked me into the slow-mo 360 photo op thing so we’ll have that too.” He said.

“Nice, Corey…that’s gonna be great!” You grinned and he nodded.

  “Yeah, it was pretty sick. OK, now go change before we have to get you a new dress for tonight on account of me tearing it off of you.” He said and you cackled as you hurried back to the closet to get changed.

Though you knew he was being a little theatrical, there was a very real possibility that he would do just as he said; when he was in the mood he could be ravenous. You could be too, especially when it came to him. But he had proven this to you over and over again, even on that first time you hooked up with him. He had gone completely overboard, not that you didn’t benefit from it, but based on how things had been with you before it was a lot. And now you had built your stamina to better match his own.

It was around 2pm when you got in the shower. You and Harry were supposed to arrive at 4:30 so you had to hurry it up a bit. Even though you had begged him not to, he followed you into the shower and you had to pry him off of you to be able to get out. But when you were free you got to drying up, moisturizing, and getting your lingerie on. You wouldn’t be wearing a bra with your dress so you had on a deep red mesh thong, imprinted with black little hearts and the edges outlining the mesh were frilled. They were so cute and hyperfeminine. Best part was that you had a shade of red lipstick that matched the lingerie you were wearing as well. It wasn’t crazy lingerie but you loved the idea of having a horny little secret all night long. Maybe you’d tell him when you were riding up on the elevator. Tell him that you had a little treat for him at the end of the night… It would undoubtedly rile him up and keep him on edge.

*************

And rile him up you did. You actually had very punctual guests and so you actually got straight to greeting just minutes after you arrived. Of course, you were sat beside each other at dinner, but he was talking mostly to his colleague on his left and you to his colleague on your right. When dinner was cleared, everyone was asked to huddle around the screen at the Dj booth for a little slide show of the year in review all the while the event staff cleared the tables of the china quickly. Harry gave a small little speech about how grateful he was for everyone before letting them know that their night was their own from that point on.

There were the photo ops, a couple games, a few dessert tables, and of course dancing to a live big band ensemble. As you made your rounds you eventually ran into Cal and his date, Melissa, which seemingly was a bit older than you were, which was good for him. She was a very sweet woman from the short conversation you’d had and Cal seemed to be in a great mood with her around.

For a while, you and Harry kept getting swept away from each other, but that didn’t mean that your eyes weren’t constantly meeting, your gazes simmering with longing. Your eyes were hazy with lust, it was making your blood thump harder and faster through your veins. You were smoldering with desire for him, you’d been lusting after him all day and you were reaching a boiling point. You caught him raking his eyes down your plump-as-a-peach ass while his top row of teeth sunk into his plush bottom lip. You grinned and when your gazes met he signaled you to look right with his eyebrows and you saw that it was the exit of the salon. You bit your lip and nodded. You excused yourself from your conversation and hurried off to meet Harry by the door. 

When you finally caught up with him you tugged at the sleeve of his jacket and he glanced back and smiled and his hand found found yours and pulled you out to the corridor. The bathrooms were out there, so there were plenty of people hanging around out there, but he just beelined it to the elevators. He pulled you ahead of him and then hugged you to his body from behind. He slid one if his hands down to your lower tummy and pushed against it, inevitably pressing your body back against his until your bottom was flush with his front and you smirked when you felt the outline of his boner rubbing up against your butt.

“Gonna fuck you till you leave a huge creamy mess all over my cock.” He whispered before nipping at the shell of your ear.

“Fuck me…” you exhaled as your walls fluttered beautifully, making a tingle zap through your body.

“Alright hurry, push the ‘door close’ button.” He mumbled as he rushed you inside as the doors opened. 

In moments you were shooting down floors at a time until you came to a slow and smooth stop on his floor. As soon as he got to the floor he hurried around the reception desk there and dug in his front pocket to grab his key card and give you access past the heavy glass door behind the main reception desk. You guys rushed through other communal areas surrounding a few clusters of cubicles and other offices on your way back to his office, he was all the way at the back of the space so after you got through the lounge and the back offices, you finally made it to the administrative offices. And at the far end of that area was his office. He pushed the door open and held it for you as you hurried in, then he came up behind you grabbing you by the hips and guiding you behind his desk, kicking the chair away from it. You could just barely see anything so you bumped into the frame and he winced for you.

“You alright, baby?” He asked as he tapped against the base of his desk lamp and a very dim, warm glow lit up his office.

“Yeah, H.” You whispered and he hummed and looked you over once more before he kissed at your neck sloppily.

“Can I ride this up past your hips?” He asked of your dress.

“Nuh-uh, gotta take it all off.” you said and he hummed.

“S’that alright? Can I?”

“Yeah, baby…there’s not a bow over my boobs for no reason…” you smirked and he chuckled.

“Oh okay, I see…” he mused with a smile, “You really are a gift, baby. So exquisite.” He hummed and found your zipper before tugging it slowly down your back. When he saw the edge of your thong he smiled. “And look at this…Can I take a picture?” He asked.

“A picture? For what?” You chuckled.

“To have a wank over you when needed, of course! What else for, baby?” He asked rhetorically and you chuckled again.

“Yeah, get my dress off first.” You said and he even crouched down to help you step out of it. When Harry noticed your point toed black heels, he decided that they were staying on for this. He neatly draped your dress over the chair that had rolled a few feet away from you and then reached for his phone in his pocket.

“S’gonna be a .5 alright? Bend over and look back. Alright, hold it.” He said and then the flash went off. He then brought the phone down and opened the app and grinned. “Fuck, look at you…” he said showing you and you smiled. “These are too cute to come off.” he complimented as his finger tucked itself under the elastic band edge that narrowed and got lost between your plump, round cheeks. His finger traced down until he was down by your pussy. You were scorching between your legs and he brought four fingers together and petted at your pussy. The mesh there felt sticky and he moaned, “Fuck you’re sopping wet.” He chuckled as he set his phone down on the top of his desk and you nodded.

“Please get inside me. I need to feel you, baby.” You requested and he groaned.

“Alright baby, let me…let me get these off.” he said and just threw off his jacket and untucked his shirt before working the button and fly of his slacks. He rolled his briefs down with his pants before he grabbed his cock. He gave it a firm squeeze at the base and then at the head, groaning in relief at all that alleviated pressure.

You wiggled your ass at him, absolutely gagging to feel his girth spreading your tight, cushy walls apart in one go. He painted down your bum with his tip and then pushed you down onto the desk and you gasped as your breasts smushed into the cold surface. But you held your position and smiled as he spread your legs further with his own. His thick fingers gathered the center strap of your thong and moved it to the side, tugging hard enough that it exposed your pussy enough so that he could smear his cock against your folds and slick it up with your sticky arousal. 

“Fuck baby, please…” you begged.

“How do you want it.”

“However you feel like, just get in me.” You said and he wasted no time to nudge at your weepy little hole with the bulbous head of his cock. You were basically vibrating with anticipation to feel him sinking inside of you. You needed to feel it like you needed air to breathe. The last thing you expected was for him to just ram his cock into you, you gasped at the sudden and harsh intrusion and even let out a small whimper as he held himself deep inside you. Your walls spasmed around him, adjusting to his sudden and most welcomed intrusion.

“So fucking tight, fuck…” he grunted as he gently started to grind against you. His tip would brush against your cervix occasionally like this. You were slightly on your tiptoes and your legs were starting to tremble, but when you lowered your feet from that position to relieve the burning in your calf muscles his cock completely pushed against it and you shrieked and Harry chuckled. “Y’alright, baby?” He asked as he ground into you and you groaned softly, “It hurts?” He asked.

“J-just a little bit.” You got out as you sought out the pleasure despite the small discomfort.

“Yeah? Is my cock too big for you, baby…” he hummed as he stayed there, letting you get used to it, “Can’t handle it?” He asked and you whimpered at this feeling, he had never intentionally gone that deep it was so new for you. You loved it but it was a feeling to get used to for sure, especially with his size.

“I-I don’t know…” you confessed as you stayed perfectly still, letting him grind against you, prodding up against the deepest part of you rhythmically. You were breathing shallowly as you tried to get used to it because by no means were you about to ask him to stop, you needed it so bad.

“You sure you can’t? From what I’m seeing you’re handling it pretty well, baby. Fuck…just feel so good around me.” he groaned as he started going a bit faster and suddenly the sounds of your arousal intensified into loud squelching sounds every time his front collided with you. The filthy sounds had Harry’s ears ringing and he grinned, “S’starting to feel better?”

“Yes…yes fuck. Harder, baby. Please, fuck me harder.” You moaned and he did as you asked. He went at it with greater force and it had your eyes squeezing shut, you were dripping around his cock and he was absolutely obsessed with it. His fingers slithered down the front of your thong and started to toy with your clit. “Mmmm, that’s it.” You egged him on happily as his fingers swirled around your sensitive little bud. It was sending additional little shocks of pleasure down your legs. You started to moan when he picked up the pace and fucked into you harder and faster than before, his desk was shaking beneath you and you swore your legs were about to give. 

“Shit…” he grunted as he stilled deep inside of you once again. His eyes were squeezed shut and his jaw clenched. He was so fucking close and he didn’t want it to be over yet…but you should be getting back down to the party… “Can I turn you around, baby? Wanna see you when I come.” He said softly and you nodded and when he pulled out of you the emptiness made you feel so cold. Nevertheless, you pressed yourself up and he twirled you around and bent down a bit to lift you up onto the surface of the desk. He smiled as he got a look at you in the dim lighting. His eyes had adjusted enough that he could make out the slightly smudged mascara and eyeliner at the outer corner of your eyes and when he reached up to wipe it away you turned your head.

“No, don’t.” You said softly and he smiled.

“Not gonna make it worse, just wanna clean it up a bit so that-”

“I know, don’t want you to clean it up.” You responded quietly and he smiled.

“Want to go back up there looking all messy and fucked out, is that it?” He asked you and you smiled bashfully and nodded.

“Yeah, just a bit.” You hummed back and he smiled.

“Well in that case…” he grinned and grabbed your face and kissed you deeply. You were wearing a red lipstick so you had been very cautious all night to not stain yourself or anything around you, but suddenly Harry was sucking on your bottom lip, surely smearing you and himself with it and when he pulled back he grinned and just swiped his thumb carefully around  your lips and the corners of your mouth. Harry’s mouth was stained all over as well and you giggled as you reached up and did the same, but seeing as his skin was bare, the color had stained his skin directly and it left behind a slight deep pink stain. “Get me again.” He said softly and you looked into his eyes.

“You sure?” You asked and he nodded.

“But my neck. Leave a mark yeah?” He said lowly and you bit your lip pensively, “M’all yours my love, please.” He requested.

“OK, but while you finish fucking me.” You said and his smile widened and he nodded in agreement and ran his hands up your thighs to reach your thong.

“Lift up a bit.” He said quietly and you did so to allow him to slip it to the side and guide his erection back towards your entrance. You rocked your hips forward to help get him inside and you moaned in relief when he was lodged deep inside of you once again. He smiled down at you and brought one of his hands to your breast and squeezed it before brushing his thumb over your nipple as he started to rock into you. “Deep like before?” He asked and you nodded quickly and he grinned, “Liked that?” He asked quietly and you smiled timidly.

“Yeah, baby.” You agreed, “Want to be able to feel it for days.” You said and he moaned and delivered one sharp thrust into you. He watched your eyebrows crease together at the dull ache from his cock ramming into your cervix again.

“S’that good for you, baby?”

“Yeah, more please.” You hummed and he kept going like that. He wasn’t going fast, just hard and deep. It was making your tummy swarm with butterflies and your hands pulled him down so that you could latch your lips to his neck. You kissed and sucked at his skin, leaving behind a love bite as he plunged deep into you.

“Fuck baby, m’getting close. Get your clit for me, please. Want you to come with me.” He panted and you did as he asked and quickly got your fingers into your bottoms and started to rub in time with his thrusts. You started to squirm a bit as the pleasure started to extend beyond the pit of your stomach. Your legs were tightening around him as you whimpered his name. “Oh god…oh fuck, baby y-you’re gonna make me come!” He grunted as he started to lose his rhythm, “Look at me, Y/N. Right at me, baby.” He mumbled and you pulled away from his neck to lock eyes with his and his brows furrowed as he shook his head, “So fucking perfect.” He complimented you, “Gonna stuff you full.” 

You swallowed thickly and your jaw went slack as your body started to tremble with your impending orgasm. You gasped for air and fought to keep your eyes on his as your toes started to curl and the fire started to spread from your belly all throughout your body.

“I’m coming!” You gasped as you started to whither around his cock. The last thing you saw was Harry smiling before your eyes squeezed shut. And then he started to thrust into you so fast, chasing his own release. He kept colliding with your g-spot and it was making your withering orgasm turn into another one. You could hear him groaning and feel his warmth filling you up as he came inside you, but you started to rub your clit faster until your walls were pulsing around his cock again in another orgasm that had you moaning loudly without any regard for where you were or who could be around. You were just seeing white behind your closed eyelids as this one hit you even harder than the first.

“Shit…shit, baby! Oh fuck, baby!” He gasped in sensitivity but you locked your legs around him and held him in you as you relished in your second orgasm. Your ears were ringing and your entire body was shivering in ecstasy. You could hear him laughing a bit, fighting through the intense sensitivity of still being buried to the hilt inside of your hot and throbbing walls. You were both panting, trying to catch your breaths and come down from that. You just held each other in silence for a bit and you gently rubbed at his back as he hugged you close. “You really are the best gift I could’ve ever asked for, baby.” He said quietly and you smiled and craned your neck up to kiss his jaw. He let you go and you pulled back from each other and then reached for his jaw, ready to wipe off the faint kiss mark you’d left on him there and he pulled his neck back out of your reach and you grinned, “Gonna show it off too.” He said and you smiled.’

“OK, baby.” You said, clearly giddy with his decision to have him wearing your lipstick print on his skin.

“Are you having a nice time?”

“Oh yeah! Everyone is so nice. I’m having a really good time. We should get back down there actually, maybe do some of the games?”

“Yeah.” He hummed but made no effort to pull out of you just yet, “I love you so much. Too much.” He said softly as he ran his thumb over your cheek bone and you leaned into his touch.

“Too much?” You questioned through a giggle and he chuckled and nodded.

“Yeah, like sometimes s’too much for my body. Like, it feels like I can’t breathe.” He explained with a smile and you grabbed his face and pecked his lips quickly.

“So I take your breath away?” You whispered and his smile widened as he huffed out a laugh.

“Yeah, I guess you do, baby.” He hummed. “Do I take your breath away?” He asked and you grinned and shook your head. This made Harry pout and you smiled at him.

“It’s worse than that!” You said through your smile.

“Is it? Tell me then.” He hummed before quickly pecking the tip of your nose.

“You know how when the vampires can over hypnotize someone in What We Do In The Shadows?” You asked and he nodded, “And the person gets the “brain scramblies”?” You said and he chuckled, “That’s what you do to me. Makes my brain feel all fuzzy and staticky. Can only think about you and nothing else.” You finished and he was smiling wide.

“That’s cute, baby. But I think not breathing is worse. Therefore, I love you more.” He said and you smiled.

“Actually, you’re wrong. Your brain is what technically gives you life. It holds the information that makes you breathe on instinct. It’s your command center. Without it you wouldn’t be able to function at all! And somehow, you’re so entangled in mine that I know your mood just by the greeting you use when-” he interrupted you with his lips attaching themselves to yours in a deep and sensual kiss. Your heart fluttered and it felt like time stopped for a few seconds. After a few perfect and tense moments you pulled back and your eyes blinked open and your gazes locked, “-come home at night.” You finished and he smiled.

“I definitely love you more.” He said.

“Harry?”

“Yeah, baby?” He asked with a smile.

“Ummm, I’m ready.” You said and he looked at you with confusion for a second, “To take the next step with you.” You said and his brows furrowed as he took in what you said. “You’re the love of my life. I don’t want to live a single day without you by my side.” You said sincerely.

Harry couldn’t contain his joy and he just pulled you into his arms once again and you exhaled against him, so happy and relieved to have finally told Harry something that had been on your heart since a few days after your conversion about your future. You were so proud of yourself for just listening to your intuition when it came to this decision. After a few moments of just holding each other he pulled back and gently grabbed your face in his hands. His eyes bore into yours, looking into them so sincerely you could feel his emotions radiating off of him in waves  and he smiled wide and kissed you deeply until you both couldn’t breathe.

In this moment it felt like you were the only two people in the world; even with the gorgeous cityscape bustling with life behind you, it felt like the world was all yours. You hadn’t experienced happiness with another person like you did with him. You guys made each other better and that was the point, wasn’t it? To be with someone who helped you be your best. So when your parents inevitably asked over the holidays what your goals were with each other you two could tell them with certainty that you were going to start a life together soon. Every part of you felt alight and you couldn’t wait to get started in planning your future together. Your kiss ended and he sighed and gazed deeply into your eyes.

“Oh baby, I’m gonna do everything I can to make you so, so happy.” Harry said softly but with a conviction you felt transferring into you as well. You smiled at this and squeezed him just a bit tighter.

“You already do, baby.” You assured him happily.

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[hxnbi]

⸻ °♡⃘ . ❝ LOVING YOU CAN BE HARD... ❞

┊synopsis. wind breaker boys and how they break your heart ┊pairings. hayato suo, choji tomiyama, haruka sakura, ren kaji x gn. reader ┊contents. angst, no comfort (sorry not sorry) ♡ note. was in an angsty mood lmao, smtg to get away from all the fluff yippee

✾ HAYATO SUO | 蘇枋 隼飛 ─ ✿ °☆.

The way he SUO would break your heart... That would be his mysterious nature, the final straw being his same aloofness. Each is a double-edged sword—both a blessing and a curse. It served him well in the fights and conflicts he would find himself in as a part of Furin, but also, in his personal relationships, was where it crumbled. Granted, that same enigmatic charm of Suo's was what captivated you, but there came a time when you could no longer excuse all the times he would evade your questions, deflect, and, even when you begged, would never give you a direct answer. It became increasingly frustrating. And because of that, it created a growing rift. There came the point where excuses for his behaviour no longer sufficed—it could no longer justify all the times you loved him.

At times, you would wonder, did he truly love you? Or was it, again, all outward appearances? It wouldn’t surprise you. But again… you could never find the heart to go out of your way to confront him, and it didn’t look like he would ever give you a clear answer. Not even when you finally told him that you wanted all this to end. You wanted your relationship to be over. Even then, Suo’s face refused to yield. 

You hoped that perhaps some expression would make its way onto his face, but nothing came of it.

Hah… even after time and time of constant and persistent disappointment, you still expected too much from the person you once fell in love with. Perhaps they were right. The first love tends to always be viewed through rose-coloured lenses. 

You made the right choice, you thought. But then why does your chest ache? Suo would never come out and express his feelings, but instead, keep it all under wraps, even to his own friends. After all, he had a reputation to live up to and that didn’t include you. Or rather, you were never a part of his thoughts.

✾ CHOJI TOMIYAMA | 兎耳山 丁子 ─ ✿ °☆.

His obsession with being strong, and the rigid idea of what it took to be “strong” is, consumed CHOJI's every waking thought. He trained tirelessly, pushing himself beyond physical limits, convinced that strength could be measured only by sheer power and dominance. There would be times he wouldn't return home for hours to eventual days on end, leaving his dinner plate to the seeming bugs and maggots that infested it when you didn’t have the heart to throw it away. Over time, he had come to prioritize power over personal relationships and ethical concerns.

And your fickle heart utterly tore itself apart when, in a moment of frustration, he called you weak. That, in his own words, you could never fully understand him because you weren’t like him.

By no means were you a strong fighter like he was, but those words cut deep, far deeper than you’d ever like to admit. As soon as those words exited his mouth, Choji would brush everything off and continue with his own activities. But those words would never fade from your mind, and in fact, that emotionthetumour would only grow larger. It may have been an impulsive thought that he just spat out in anger and frustration, but there was a saying that a person's true nature is always caught in unguarded moments.

At that moment, it seemed to you that he truly thought of you in that light. That perhaps, even with all you both went through together, you would never be considered at his level. After he said that, little was no day that went by without you doubting and feeling less confident about yourself. You were never going to catch up with him, and he hardly thought of you as equal to himself.

Time and time again, he would brush you off. Your love for him could only mend so many wounds. It's only a matter of time. Those clean, pristine-white bandages can only cover so many small but consistent injuries to the soul before the blood starts to seep through.

Because you were never “strong” like him. 

✾ HARUKA SAKURA | 桜 遥 ─ ✿ °☆.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!!” 

SAKURA yelled before pushing you to the ground, immediately recoiling from your touch, who, just before that moment, had only asked him a short “are you okay?” and tapped his shoulder. His face twisted in fear, but in his panic, he could only take one step back after another before retreating into the shadows of his own mind—a space that tortures him, and yet he still scrounges for even the slightest bit of comfort. You didn’t compare, you never did. 

He never wanted to intentionally hurt you, but in actuality, Sakura's paranoia and fear only pushes you away because he himself believes that he can never trust anyone other than himself. That anyone that isn't him is against him in some way. 

You were the first one to open up his heart, the doors to his soul and his innermost thoughts, but someone else can also close those doors just as easily. And that person who closed his own heart was none other than himself. The bond between you and Sakura could only hold itself together for so long. Dangling strings that, once broken, cannot ever mend themselves back together, even with all the time in the world. Time cannot fix everything, and it could not be ever-present than now. 

The feelings of distrust only grew deeper. Sakura never means any kind of harm, but his past trauma is too deep, tainting every relationship and connection his tarnished hands have touched. He wants someone to help him, but he doesn't trust anyone. Not even the person who loved him, who only wanted to help. He broke your heart in so many ways, but the biggest, arguably, was his distrust of you. He’s aware of what he's doing—pushing you away like that—but in his own mind, he believes that is the best course of action he needs to take, for both you and himself. 

✾ REN KAJI | 梶 蓮 ─ ✿ °☆.

KAJI is different from everybody else in almost every way. He keeps to himself, always and only. Sure, you thought, everyone deserves a sense of privacy. But when exactly does that line get drawn? 

You wanted to love him with all your heart, you wanted Kaji to have someone he trusted and confided in, but that love was also just as misconstrued with him. His quiet demeanour and tendency to withdraw into himself made it hard for him to connect on a deeper level. Even after you started dating, things didn’t change between you two. You tried ever-so-hard to bridge the gap—to reach him—but no matter what you did, it felt like he was always a step away, unreachable from even your outstretched hands.

And in the end, Kaji’s distant nature eventually became the very thing that broke your heart. As much as you wanted to brush it all off as nothing but a bad dream, you realized that no matter how much you loved him, if he couldn’t open up to you, the relationship would always have a void. And that void only grew larger with each passing day, leaving you feeling more and more alone. All the while, Kaji remained aloof, retreating further into his silence and losing himself in the alleviation of his music and his own mind.

©hxnbi. comments, reblogs, and likes are always appreciated ♡

[unadulteratedsoulsweets]

A DC X DP #19 Our Pharaoh, Your Duke

Imagine dis…

I kept reading about Tucker as a reincarnation of a powerful Pharoh from the Ancient civilization of Egypt and he wouldn’t stop reincarnating as long as people kept making and improving tablets. I don’t know if that is part of the canon or if that episode in DP is just another Sam and Undergrowth situation.

Anyway, just a thought is passing by…

….

Tucker was enjoying his afterlife with his spouses, Danny Phantom the High Ghost King in the Infinite Realm, and Sam Manson the heir and apprentice to the Ancient of Nature Undergrowth. All three of them were enjoying a rare day off that over-laps each other’s schedules. Tucker became the high leader also known as The Pharaoh in the Egyptian section of the Infinite Realms when the old ruler wished to pass on and when he was able to prove himself to be powerful enough to protect his section in the Realms as well as wise enough to lead them to prosperity. Add the fact that he is married to the High King and bump up other ghosts’ attitudes toward him as he is one of the official consorts of the new King.

The trio was just in a middle of a picnic when Tucker started to feel dizzy accompanied by a headache. Both of Tucker’s partners look at him with worry and concern in their eyes, as Tucker is about to reassure them that he was fine when darkness suddenly invaded his eyes.

…

Tucker is so sure that he has his reincarnation in control but the fact that he suddenly had clarity after months in the standard of his new body. Tucker felt panic fill him, A powerful entity or not every time he reincarnates, he forgets his life before and during his time in the Infinite Realms to not disrupt the normal flow of events, he only recovers his original memories when he was in the brink of death or something is need to change.

He also is worried about whatever his spouse would do as he remembered being in their presence when he was forcibly reincarnated. But by the looks of it, whoever did target him knew nothing about the complexity of the cycle thus having his memories with him along with some abilities that were muted to something more discreet. Tucker was just glad that it was him instead of his spouse.

…

As a child, Tucker no wait his new name is Duke Thomas, took it upon himself to explore this new world as it is taking his spouses a while to find him, which led him to believe that this universe may be part of a small sector of which Clockwork cannot interfere due to the delicate relationship between time and its citizens. Tucker was ecstatic when he had seen the futuristic appeal around him but felt disappointed when he had a need that only the rich and those who have connections can own them. He felt his eyes widen at the mention of aliens and other world beings and people around seemingly saving the world daily, not because of the heroes his lovely husband is an interdimensional/universal Hero and King, but because it has aliens which made him think about the opportunities of bragging rights to his husband the moment, they reunited.

When Tucker/Duke took notice of the city that his parents decided to call home, he was already thinking about his wife’s reactions will be, it seems she will either fall in love with the architecture that screams everything goth and the amount of gargoyle around each building or joins a rogue named poisoned Ivy to her crusade towards nature. It also seems that some of his powers mutated that seems to focus on his eyes, to accommodate this new universe or is it to accommodate this new body, he wondered.

As he was growing up, he began to have doubts about his so-called ordinary family as Danny’s luck rubbed them off the moment they all said I do at the altar. He just hopes that it is something he can handle future he could handle. There have been rules and laws about protecting people with power that were later named as Meta humans, he breath a sigh of relief when he saw no mention of the Infinite Realms from all data base.

…

When Bruce took him into his ward it took everything in Tucker/Duke to not scream fruit loop at the billionaire much more when he discovered a hidden base below his mansion’s basement, he doesn’t know that if Bruce is an upgrade is a degrade at the fury persona. It just never occurred to him that one day he will be a daytime vigilante like the origins of his husband. Honestly, he can’t help but have a new profound respect for his husband when he was just starting, he may be in the daytime schedule but it still took time to adjust. He also had a family of an experienced team from the start yet Danny has only him, Sam, and his sister as safety nets, he is so going to spoil Danny the moment they all saw each other.

The moment he laid eyes on Jason he can’t help but hiss quietly at his state. A liminal at the verge of hunger, no wonder his random outburst of anger kept getting worse each time he lost himself. With little to no materials that can handle the contaminated ectoplasm as well to turn it into a pure ectoplasm he was able to make a filter, yet it takes too much time to purify a liter of it yet reveals a small vial of a pure version. Yet it was better than nothing, whenever he was tasked to get them treats and coffee, he would always put the small vial of pre-ectoplasm into his drink which greatly improved his mood but unfortunately, he was the one who kept doing errands as Jason won’t drink anything else without his secret ingredient. Cass had already noticed him doing something to Jason’s drink but shrugged it off seeing that it was improving his mood, but he can’t help but feel that there is another shoe about to drop.

…

He was right, there was another shoe waiting to drop. You know, with his experience with Danny Tucker should have already known not to jinx things.

A group of archeologists found a new hidden tomb deep within Egypt and decided to go exploring yet the new guy on the job seemed to have done something and unleashed an endless number of Egyptian soldiers that seem to attack everything in sight. Though they are not killing anyone anyone who was sliced with their weapons is immediately teleported to a prison deep below the surface and forced to live a life of hard manual labor like a slave.

Tucker/Duke was shaken awake by Stephanie as the news of the Egyptian soldiers made their way to the mainland and the soil of the US. Much worse is that these soldiers found themselves at Gotham harbor and Batman is calling in every vigilante in Gotham to hold off the army while the JLD finds a way to undo the mess, every member of the magical side of the JL has already interrogated the new archeologist whether he had stolen something or he had disrespected someone in the site. Duke was pretty sure he heard Constantine grumble at the fact that this would be much easier if mind control magic is present but no, it just had to be neither of the common reason when an army of the dead raises themselves from the dead.

Now when Tucker/ Duke was wakened up after he had just gone and stayed awake for the past 14 hours straight due to an exam that his dumb professor insisted on having despite having no to little effect on one’s final grades as well as a case that needed his vigilante self his full attention, much to say he is not happy.

…

At the battleground, other members of the JL have already gone into Gotham to aid Batman and his associates while others were able to evacuate the civilians and now joining in the fight. Every person fighting is starting to feel hopeless as this Egyptian army kept coming back at them while their fighters are getting wary and tired at each wave they faced. As some of the people of the JL were about to succumb to what looked like their inevitable fate there come Signal in his yellow-clad suit and looked like he just crawled out of bed, climbed the Wayne tower with a megaphone in one hand, and proceeded to… scold the army?

Some of them blinked at the ridiculousness while some seem to pinch themselves at the absurdity of the situation. How Signal kept screaming at the undead army how his GPA and sleep is much more important than their so-called invasion to return the Ancient civilization of Egypt to its former glory. As jaws began to drop as all undead Egyptian soldiers seems to lower their heads in shame as they listen to Signal scold them for what looked like a half hour scolding before he heaved a deep breath and ordered the soldiers to go back where they came from and return the prisoners to the living world.

Just moments before each JL and JLD members try to reboot their respective minds at what had just transpired a crack was heard seemingly echoing throughout the ruins and a green portal began to form. There, two beings came through a black-haired woman with plants crawling up to her arms and legs with a wreath on top of her head and a white hair man with a crown floating above his head and a cape that looked like made out of stars dragged Signal by the arm and dragged him back to the portal. Now all heroes are scrambling to make sense of what had happened in a matter of minutes as well as trying to get back their youngest brother back, Duke may be older than Damian but he was the latest one to be adopted thus making him the youngest by their standards.

…

Back in the Infinite Realms Duke is quietly sleeping sandwiched and snuggled between the loves of his life while wearing his Pharaoh regalia he just can’t help but feel like he had just forgotten something.

Meh, he’ll tackle that after he had his full rest with both Sam and Danny’s arms and presence beside him.

…

PS: If someone out there wanted to continue or make a fic about this you are free to do so, don’t forget to tag me though.

[jez-bez]

unpopular opinion: Korn is not the baddest of bad guys

Is Korn a good guy? No. Definitely not. He, without a doubt, accepts his place in the gambling/money laundering part of his father's company. Does he have a choice, though? I don't think he does.

I've seen people talking about Korn being the bad guy, who takes advantage of Ton Kla, their Sugar Daddy arrangement, cheats on him with Fasai (which imo is NOT something he enjoys or even wants to do. I think he's being forced into it but that's for another time I guess) etc etc but I see it differently

Korn loves Ton Kla. Plain and simple. He loves him. Korn just unfortunately, like a lot of people getting raised by shitty excuses for parents, is acting and reacting in the only way he knows how. By control.

It's so clear to see.

The scene where Korn comes back to Ton Kla after two weeks, to me, speaks volumes of Korn's feelings. He's an open book right there.

"How about I fill you in on what happened, okay?"

You can see the hope on his face. He's been gone for weeks, feels guilty about it and now he really wants to tell (his lover) where he was and what happened. I mean, he did just get promoted too (even if its into a fucked up money scheme wth). But he wants to tell Ton Kla because he's finally got time to see him again, he wants to share his hardships and joys. Like normal couples would, right?

But then when Ton Kla doesn't want to listen, doesn't want to hear any of it, Korn gets disappointed.

he then makes the stupidest mistake ever by assuming a fuck would fix everything. Give the boy what he usually wants and the boy will forgive him, right? right?

Wrong.

Ton Kla doesn't want to have sex , which tbf, after being ghosted for two weeks (and having found another toy to play with) isn't weird. I wouldn't either. Go Ton Kla for pushing him away.

The face of realization because Korn is losing control. Not that he's had any control over anything the last few weeks, because not even his subordinates listened to him when he ordered them not to hurt Nan. In fact, I'd even say Korn is naive for believing they'd follow his order.

And then Ton Kla drops a massive, all left over peace shattering bomb because 'his brother was killed and Korn wasn't there, Korn didn't know, Korn let him down.' <- aka Korn's inner monologue probably.

"Who did it, Ton Kla?"

Baby tries so hard, to come up with something to do, to help. Suggesting the only things he's knows, the only things that's probably helped him: his connections through his father. And here's where people bitch about 'he didn't even ask Ton Kla if he was okay!'

listen, I know, I understand. But the man has also been through some shit, he's just reacting right now. He needs to know what happened, so he can help. So he can get that control back that he lost and desperately needs back.

"You don't have to help me. Someone else is already helping."

And once again he gets rejected by his lover, shattering the already shattered pieces of whatever's left of his heart and patience.

Korn so badly wanted to come back to his love, his boy, to share with him what happened in the past two weeks, to finally breathe and calm down. But unfortunately, a lot has happened to Ton Kla too, who just can't handle Korn's absence and random appearance.

"Just go."

Another rejection. Shot straight through the heart.

Ton Kla is not playing around, that's for sure. And honestly, good on him. This is not a pity party for Korn. Both are just reacting to their feelings. Poorest little meow meows. Stuck in their own dysregulation.

"You dare chase me away?"

That right there, is the look of a man who is hurting. Who can't believe what's happening. Knowing he fucked up and won't be allowed to fix it.

He even stumbles out of the house! Poor Korn. I feel for him.

Korn may not be the best character, is very morally gray, but I think people shouldn't forget the home that brought him up. You become what is preached to you, and if you don't know that that is wrong, you can't change. Nothing.

[my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction]

How about a fanfic that goes like this-

It’s super late at night and you’ve already gotten into bed. The reader is sound asleep but Marc is just laying there wide awake having a huge episode of self doubt and insecurity and he can’t sleep because of it. Marc is aware that his thoughts are just running around but he can’t help it. He wonders if he really is living a good life or if he’s living in a lie he’s made up for himself to think that he is. 

Do you actually love him or do you just put up with him because you actually love Steven and Jake and he’s just part of the “package”? Or what if he and the boys are just some sort of man-toy that you like but will leave once you find them not longer amusing. Even when reader cuddles up closer to him in their sleep, he just thinks “what if they’re just dreaming that I’m Steven or Jake”.

At some point Marc does end up falling asleep, more so out of his body just deciding to do it rather than through will. When it’s morning, Marc wakes up and finds reader starting to make breakfast. They greet him with a good morning kiss and all that and a while after comes out and made a breakfast that Marc specifically, just out of whim, and Marc just kind of sits there and thinks “Okay yeah, no, they love me :)” 

You can change this up any way you like It was just something I thoughts that fit in your writing style

PAIN. (Thank you for the ask, oh boy did this one just run off and do whatever it wanted.) Also basing Marc’s thought process/self doubt on my (mentally ill) thought process. I changed the ending, I hope you don’t mind, again the story just seemed to go off and do its own thing.

Ink in Water

Marc Spector X GN!Reader Rating: T Masterlist | ao3 | want to be tagged?

Warnings: self doubt, self hatred, Marc thinking he's worthless (HE'S WRONG), illusions to Randall, nightmares, happy ending, rail road sentences, please let me know if I've missed a warning!

Word Count: 1305

_______________________________________

The steady rain hitting the windows would be soothing to most, calming. The right noise to lull someone off to sleep. 

Marc hated it. 

Especially when it was dark with the sound of your soft breathing next to him. Rain and dark and not being alone.

It had been one of the things that had annoyed him about London, the idea of it at least. But it was pleasantly surprising when he realised that it didn’t actually rain that much in the city, not really. Despite how often its inhabitants seemed to talk about it.

More often than not it was that spitty rain anyway, the kind of stuff that felt like you’d been sprayed in the face with mist. It made everything damp and by default made 2 degrees celsius feel colder than 30 in fahrenheit, but other than that it was okay. Bearable. 

Not like tonight. 

Tonight it pelted down, the wind howling faintly. Tonight it reminded him too much of… well, things best left buried. 

He tried to focus on the sound of just your breathing instead. That gentle, even rhythm and was normally so soothing. Would usually drown everything else out. 

Don’t think of drown.

Don’t think of anything. 

Just breathing, your breathing. In and out. In and out. He tried to match it, held his breath until you breathed out. But no matter how he tried he kept slipping out of your rhythm. 

Marc turned onto his side, opening his eyes to look at you, your face faintly illuminated by the glow of this fish tank. He’d forgotten to turn the light off. 

Steven would tut and scoff at him in the morning. ‘How would you like to sleep with the top light on, hmm? It’s not good for them, buggers up their internal clocks and all that.’

He’d have to tell Steven that he didn’t think fish had internal clocks. 

Part of him wanted to get up, to turn the light off. And not just to avoid Steven’s disappointment, but because really he did feel kind of bad for the poor fish. 

Not tonight though, he couldn’t do it tonight. The thought of getting up, walking through the darkness of the flat despite the glow from the streetlights outside, with the sound of the rain. Dark, walking, rain. No, not tonight. 

The fish tank light stopped the complete darkness, the sound of it hummed lightly. Even if Marc couldn’t focus on it enough for it to completely block out the rain the absence of it would be worse. It would make the drip, drip, drip of the water going through the tank’s filter louder. The kind of sound that would give birth to stalagmites.

No, not tonight. He would say he forgot, apologise to Steven and the fish in the morning. 

He could put his headphones on, listen to something to try to drown out the rain-

Don’t think of drown.

But he didn’t remember where he put them, which left him with fumbling around in the dark to look or turning on a light. Both would wake you. And that wasn’t fair. 

You put up with so much and here he was, not even able to deal with the sound of the rain. 

Marc pushed gently at the head space, a nudge just to check if anyone else was awake. If Steven or Jake would like a go at trying to get the body to sleep. He could just… slink back and fade. It was always easier to nod off if he wasn’t fronting, just sort of sink-

Don’t think of sink. Don’t think of drown. Don’t think at all.

That, of course, never worked. 

You shifted in bed, sighing quietly. 

It hurt sometimes to think about how much he loved you. Early on he used to imagine you breaking up with him every night, not Jake or Steven, no you’d still be with them, just him. Ending it with him. 

It was like he had to. Repeatedly going over and over the way you’d tell him you didn’t want to be together romantically anymore. In any and all situations he could think of. 

The more he thought about it, he reasoned, the more he would get used to the idea. Grow calluses over the hurt, so when it happened he wouldn’t cause too much of a fuss. Wouldn’t make it awkward for you or Steven or Jake. 

It never worked like that, of course. His thoughts very rarely did what he wanted, preferring to run among and spread all over the place like ink in water. Clouding everything to madness. 

Everytime he imagined it, the words you’d say, whether you’d speak them calmly or in a rage, coldly or with kindness, it didn’t matter. Just thinking about it always made him cry. Made his throat ache and skin hot. 

It got so bad once that Steven had jumped to the front, confused and worried at the tears on their face, at why their hands were pulling fistfuls of their hair. At why they were sitting curled up on the bathroom floor. 

Marc had bullshited something, he couldn’t remember what. Steven hadn’t believed him, Marc knew that for sure, but he hadn’t pressed him further either. It wasn’t surprising, Steven was far too smart to swallow whatever nonsense had been thrown at him. The opposite of  hook, line and sinker. Sinker. Water. Rain. Sinker. Sink. Drown.

Don’t think of sinker. Don’t think of sink. Don’t think of drown.

Of course you’d stay with Steven and Jake. How could you not? 

He’d seen the way Jake made you laugh, so loud that it reverated in your chest, so hard that you almost couldn’t breathe, so constantly that you’d beg him to stop, just for a moment so that you could compose yourself. You’d never give that up.

He knew the way you talked with Steven, both of you speaking so fast that it made Marc’s head spin, so excitedly and animatedly, not even needing to finish a sentence before starting the next one because you were both so in sync. You’d never let that go. 

What did he have to offer? 

Except for being scared of the rain. Too afraid to turn off the fish tank light. Too pathetic to even deal with the idea of not being with you. 

He really should just-

“Marc?” You turned, your voice filled with sleep as you reached out for him. You grabbed his shoulder and squeezed.

He swallowed, “yeah baby?” He sounded stuffy, almost like he’d been crying. Thankfully, you weren't quite awake enough to notice. 

You sighed, relief flooding your veins and shuffled closer to him, quickly embracing him and hugging him tight. 

“I had a bad dream.” You mutter against him, pressing your face into his chest. 

“Baby,” he squeezes you back and places a soft kiss on your temple. “It’s okay, don’t worry. You’re alright.”

“Dreamt I couldn’t find you.”

“Couldn’t find me?”

You nod. “I kept shouting ‘Marc’, kept calling for you, but you weren’t there.”

Something sharp digs into his chest, spearing his heart clean through the middle. “Shouting for me?” He whispers.

You nod and stiff, shaking a little. There’s wetness on his bare chest. 

“Hey, baby, hey,” he gently pulls you back and lifts up your face, cradling your cheeks in his warm, safe hands. “It’s okay.” He kisses lightly just under your eyes, presses his lips to your tears, “I’m right here, don’t worry. Not going anywhere.”

You nod, still sleepy and kiss his lips. “Love you.”

“I love you baby, here.” Marc readjusts his position so that you can lay your head fully on the pillow and he can wrap both arms around you, softly rubbing your back as you snuggle into his warmth. 

You both fall asleep at the same time. 

____________________________________

Thank you for reading!

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[arvandus]

Love and Duty - Chapter 3

Banner background made by me; do not copy or distribute without permission.

OVERALL FIC WARNINGS: cisfem!Reader; canon adjacent (i.e., loosely-based); 18+ (Minors and ageless blogs DNI!); NSFW in future chapters; violence in future chapters (not against MC); deceit/lying; fake relationship (one-sided); pining; angst with a happy ending.

Chapter 2 (tumblr)

Chapter 3 on AO3

Love and Duty Chapter 3

wc: 6,566

You gave Diavolo your answer and you stayed for dessert.  At the end of the evening, Barbatos escorted you out of the castle.  You couldn’t hide the disappointment in your eyes as he bowed and kissed the back of your hand to bid you good night.  No doubt you’d been hoping for a more personal good night kiss before stepping out into the evening air, but Barbatos couldn’t bring himself to do it.  He already had to pretend earlier this evening, and not just with a kiss. 

Your question had taken him by surprise and he’d been forced to answer in a way that wouldn’t ruin everything. He was grateful that you’d phrased the question in such a way that allowed him to find a bit of truth to coat his silver tongue.

Do I have you?

You did have him, he reassured himself.  You had his friendship, his trust, his support. 

He didn’t want you to fail; and not just for the sake of peace, but for your own well-being.  After all, even though he did not reciprocate the strength of your affections, that did not mean that he didn’t care at all.

The House of Lords’ treatment of you was unfair; anyone could see it.  And yet you chose to meet their prejudice with determination, grace, and stubbornness.  How could Barbatos not respect such strength?  But strength didn’t make you unbreakable.  So how could he not take notice of the way your duties weighed on your shoulders and suppressed your smile?  How could he see your suffering and not want to help alleviate it?

Regardless of the nature of your relationship together, Barbatos would be there to support you and offer guidance.  He would have done so anyway, had the two of you remained friends, and he saw no reason to not do so now, despite the new circumstances.

And maybe, secretly for him, helping you through this could serve as his own penance for the wrong he was committing; a silent apology for a betrayal that you would hopefully remain forever unaware of.

How badly he wished things were different... how badly he wished he’d had more time to make his choice.  How badly he wished he could have glimpsed into the future for guidance before risking not only his friendship with you, but the young prince’s future.

But he knew doing so would prove more or less fruitless.  His abilities, while seemingly limitless, had their own restrictions, particularly when it came to himself.  Barbatos suspected that it had something to do with being able to exist separate from the timelines; but no matter how many times he tried to look at himself in the timelines, it was always blank, like a blind spot in his mind.  It was akin to how one could easily see the faces of others but could not see their own without a mirror.  If he had been able to foresee his own future, his past self wouldn’t have made the mistakes he made, and he wouldn’t be here now, trying to correct them.

The more decisions Barbatos acted on, the blurrier the future around him became. And the more he involved himself, the more individuals directly impacted by those decisions became blurred themselves.  What resulted was a tapestry of time, of infinite pasts and futures, littered with dark holes. It was as if he were a moth, eating his way through the fabric, weakening its strength.

It was the very reason why Barbatos kept himself as a supporting role to the others. And it was the very reason why he only involved himself in major affairs if Diavolo ordered it.  Yes, he tutored the young prince and kept him in line, as any royal butler and steward was expected to do; but any and all decisions regarding the future of the Devildom were conducted by Diavolo alone.

Barbatos had lived long enough to grow accustomed to his limitations. He learned how to look for the blind spots within the different futures and use them as clues. It never told him directly what choices to make, but it did give him an idea of where he was meant to be.  He learned to live in the safe spaces, occupying the dark pockets of timelines that maintained their bright, clear futures.  It was how he’d found his place at Diavolo’s side, the reason he’d let the young prince lure him into the castle with the promise of rare tea so many millennia ago.

But this... he had no memory of this, despite how he had cross-checked the timelines repeatedly for Diavolo before the prince made his long-term plans. Was it because you’d had your own adventures with being yanked across multiple timelines and places? Were you touched too many times by his ability, moved from thread to thread, that now your own path was blurring like his own? Or was it something else entirely?

Either way, for the first time in thousands of years, Barbatos felt the irritation of his own restrictions. If he’d been able to see this coming, he could have prepared for it.  But he didn’t, and now here he was, trapped in a lie that he didn’t want to have any part in.

He had a plan, of course... a way to navigate out of these choppy, unchartered waters with minimal damage.  It would have to be carried out prudently, succinctly, like carrying a porcelain teacup filled to the brim without spilling.  Fortunately, his mind was as careful as his hands.  If conducted properly, not only would the future of peace remain secure, but he will not have to sacrifice your friendship.

...Hopefully.

But hope was a fleeting thing, short-lived on wishes and easily breakable by the harsh reality of words.

And no words cut through Barbatos’s fortress of a mind like the young master’s upon his return.

“Barbatos, I believe we should talk.”

Barbatos’s face remained schooled in neutrality, but he paused for the briefest moment.  It was enough to make the prince furrow his brow ever so slightly, the minuscule crack in the butler’s façade enough to confirm Diavolo’s rising suspicions.  Barbatos took it in stride as he calmly entered Diavolo’s drawing room.  After all, he was his loyal servant and oldest confidant. There were no secrets between them, their trust in each other absolute.

“Where would you like me to begin, my lord?”

Diavolo motioned for Barbatos to take a seat.  The butler acquiesced, his back straight and knees drawn closed with his fingers folded formally in his lap.

“How about from the beginning?” Diavolo replied.  “Start with the night of the ball.”

Barbatos’s mouth quirked into a small smile.  “You suspected even then?”

“There were signs, but I wanted to wait until tonight to be sure.”

“It pleases me to see that your powers of observation remain so keen.”

“I have had an excellent tutor,” Diavolo smirked.  “I don’t think anyone else noticed the subtleties that night except for myself.  But tonight was more obvious, particularly with her.  I would like to understand the situation as it stands now.”

“I thought you wanted to hear the story from the beginning,” Barbatos replied with a tilt of his head.  “Would you like me to discuss the past or the present?”

Diavolo narrowed his eyes. “Now is not the time for games, Barbatos.”

“You know as well as I that I do not play games, young master.  This is a teaching moment, as every moment is.  How you opt to question me will impact the type of information you receive, which will in turn influence your understanding and your opinion.”

However, this was more than just a teaching moment, too; it was a test.  Not just for how Diavolo chose to interrogate, but for seeing how willing he was to dirty his own hands, to bear the mantel of responsibility no matter how tarnished.  Ask about tonight’s dinner only, and Barbatos could play it off as a budding romance, a temporary fling, with the implication that he will handle the situation without the prince’s involvement.  That would allow the prince to play to ignorance should the situation derail in the future. But ask about the night of the ball, and the whole truth will be laid bare, a burden that would be shared between the two of them moving forward.

Fortunately, Barbatos raised him well.

Diavolo sighed and pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose.  “Very well.  From the beginning, then.”

Barbatos nodded.  “As you wish, young master.”

He then began to recount the events of that first night in the piano room.

Barbatos kept the information to only the most relevant facts.  He omitted the song you played on the piano, he omitted the details of your frustrations with the brothers, and he omitted exactly how he romanced you.  He provided only the fact that you had been at your limit with your responsibilities and that the incident with Mammon and Asmodeus had pushed you beyond those limits.  He emphasized your desire to abandon your many positions and run back to the human realm.  It was in this delicate, fragile state that you had confessed your feelings for him, which forced him into making a very important decision.

As Barbatos spoke, Diavolo’s eyes narrowed, his voice grunted, his head nodded.  He listened silently, his fingers steepled and pressed against his lips.

When Barbatos ended with the farewell earlier in the evening, Diavolo remained silent for a long moment.

“I see...” he finally muttered.  “I understand the decision; it might not have been the one I would have made, but I understand it nonetheless.”

Barbatos nodded in understanding.  He expected as much from the young prince; he always did have a dislike for lies thanks to his unique ability to see through them.  It made the awareness of the wounds they caused all the more intimate.

Avoid answers, yes.  Give noncommittal or enigmatic responses, acceptable. Omitting information, necessary.  But lies...

Lies were messy.

“Ah, how I wish I didn’t ask...” the prince muttered.  His golden eyes lifted to meet Barbatos’s placid green.  “I’m sure you’re also aware of the risks this presents us. Not just if she finds out that you – we’re – lying, but if anyone of note happens to see the two of you together...”

“Of course, young master.  I will proceed with the utmost caution.”

“Is there any value in using your abilities for guidance?”

Barbatos fell silent for a moment, his mouth pressing into a thin line.  He lowered his head the slightest fraction.  “I don’t think so.  I’ve explained to you before how I am unable to see my own future.  By proxy, I will be unable to see hers as well now that our paths are so intertwined.”

“I know you won’t be able to see her clearly anymore, but what about the realms themselves? What about the Devildom?”

“The various potential futures remain the same, young master.  That much is unchanged, as it’s already been seen.  But that gives us little to work with, as there are multiple possible outcomes, some less desirable than others. The deciding factor of what happens in this timeline will depend primarily on her influence.  If I cannot observe her, then I cannot anticipate the proper course.”

“Like knowing where the finish line is, but not knowing the route to get there.”

“Precisely.  The chances of her getting ‘lost’ are now much greater than before. Although, she may have already been veering off course prior to my influence...”

“How so?”

Barbatos was silent for a moment as he reflected back, his gaze distant.  “The way she was that night. I’d never seen her so...”

“Tired?”

“Hopeless.”

Diavolo let out a low, dissatisfied hum, his chin in his fingers as his eyes glazed over in pensive thought. “I had been noticing a shift in her as of late, but I had hoped it wasn’t so serious.  You said yourself that humans are often emotional.  Wasn’t there a chance that she was lost in the moment and would recover given time?”

“Yes,” Barbatos replied.  “And I was willing to let it play out as such, despite my concerns.  However, any possibility for that to happen was eliminated as soon as she confessed her feelings for me.  Had I refused her my lord, I truly do think she would have abandoned everything.  Being exhausted by one’s duties is one thing.  But having one’s heart broken in a moment of vulnerability is another entirely.”

Diavolo hummed and leaned back into his seat, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes to the ceiling. “I see, I see... and now here we are.  Are you sure your ability won’t work? Is there really nothing that can be done? You know I dislike leaving these things to chance, Barbatos.”

The risk of the prince’s disapproval was a cut to Barbatos’s pride; disappointing him was something Barbatos took great personal offense to.  He released a resigned sigh.

“I will check if you’d like me to, young master. Although I am certain the results will not be very fruitful.”

“Please do. Even if nothing comes of it, I must exhaust all avenues of potential knowledge before we determine how to proceed.”

Barbatos stood and bowed.  “Very well.  I will return promptly.”

Diavolo watched as the space behind Barbatos opened up into black smoky tendrils. They wrapped around him like a cloak and then he was gone.  Once the room was empty, Diavolo braced his forehead against his interlaced fingers, his thumbs at his temples.

“Please let him find something...” he muttered to himself.

—

The black was endless.  For anyone else, it would have been entirely unnerving if not panic-inducing.  For Barbatos however, it felt familiar, in the way one’s homeland felt familiar after not setting foot on its soil for so long.  Beneath his feet he felt hard surface, and from it he could sense how it led off to infinite walkways. And yet, it was a space filled with contradiction as there was no up or down, or side to side.  There was only the Here and the There, the Now and the Not Now. Barbatos’s feet began to walk slowly, carefully.  It wasn’t so much a risk of falling, but that simply he had to remain focused on where he came from and where he wanted to go.  As he walked, the air hummed with power, and he stretched out his hands, fingers splayed, as if caressing invisible grass in an invisible field.

He could feel them.... the multitude of threads belonging to countless souls, stretching infinite.  They hummed with life, twisting together with one another and then parting outward as innumerable individuals were born together, lived together, died together.  In and out the threads weaved, creating infinite ropes of fate, making up the Tapestry of Time upon which Barbatos navigated.  They were taut, vibrating like music notes that couldn’t be heard, in a symphony that played for no one.

No one but himself.

He felt the distinct snap of a timeline being cut, reaching its end.  It wasn’t unusual... not all timelines led to happy endings, the worlds within collapsing on themselves.  Still, it left a dull ache in him, as if some part of him had been lost, gone forever like a boat cut from its mooring.

His footsteps finally slowed to a halt, and he stared in front of him into the blackness. He’d gone back just far enough to revisit the beginning, where he was forced to make his decision a few nights prior.  His hands came up in front of him and he parted the air with open palms and long, slender fingers. It was as if he’d taken the rope of time and unraveled it, individually laid out the threads that made it so that he may seek out your thread, the one kissed with golden light and thrumming with power.  The space before him began to ripple and shimmer, light being borne from nothing but simply his will to See.

Light faded to colors and shapes, countless images entering his mind simultaneously, and yet he understood all of them as if he’d watched them individually. Not that it mattered one way or another; time had no meaning here. He could linger as long as he needed to and then return to the When and Where he had left.

Barbatos’s eyes narrowed as he watched.

He saw the moment of where the demonus had spilled all over you, watched as you left the ballroom.  But the waters muddied after that, no doubt due to his own influence. Your golden thread had gone dark, overshadowed by his own.  The only sign of its presence was the steady hum of power that your soul emanated.

He tried to follow the dark strands, to see where they led, waiting for them to clear.  Some cleared quickly, his influence in your life vanishing, and he suspected that those were the timelines where he had been honest with you.  He looked closer, drank in their stories to confirm you back in the human world, alone and heartbroken.  And the Devildom?  Barbatos pulled the threads back together, zooming out to see beyond your human life.  A multitude of futures lay ahead, but as he suspected, most of them were bad; the failure of the exchange program, the three worlds returning to their isolation and prejudice...

He returned to the beginning, and followed the threads that remained dark, shrouded in mystery.  They were invisible roads that bore no street signs or streetlamps, dark pathways that left him blind.

On and on they all went, branching, breaking into more and more infinite possibilities.  In some of them that familiar warm hum of your thread was cut short, leaving empty cold in its wake.  In those moments, he knew your life had ended, and yet he couldn’t learn why, his influence too great, his life too entangled with yours.  It left a heavy sense of unease, a fear of the unknown that he didn’t often experience.

Farther and farther he searched.  Now the threads of life started to split, with some continuing out into that never-ending darkness with their secrets wrapped tight by decisions he had yet to make, and others finally becoming visible.  With relief, he pulled them close, searched their depths.

You were there, alive but alone.  And you weren’t in the Devildom anymore. You were back in the human realm, with a heavy sadness in your eyes.

And the realms...?

Once again locked in stagnation.

Barbatos’s jaw clenched.

He returned to the other threads, the ones that were still shrouded, and yet they went on and on, cloaked in darkness. How long did he remain entangled with you?  What happened in those threads that kept him by your side so intricately for so long?

They were questions that would never receive answers, not until he lived them and learned it in those moments.

Again, he widened his view, took in the bigger picture of the futures that were possible.  They were hazy, but they were there, and it was the reassurance he needed.  There was hope in them, some of them ending in success while others did not.  But there was no way to know for certain which future the present would lead to, the power of his presence hiding far too much for far too long.

For a cold, lonely, tense moment, Barbatos froze, dumbfounded.

Was this it? Were these his only options now? Either a future of failure or a future of ambiguity?

No, there had to be more.  If need be, there was still the original paths, the ones he’d traced out millennia ago when the prince was first laying out his plans.

He returned to the beginning again and searched.

And searched.

There were countless variations of how that night’s events transpired.  In some of them you were left alone, and you eventually went home to nurse your wounded spirit.  In others, one of the brothers found you, each having their own variations of how they approached you in the privacy of that piano room.  Even Simeon went to you in some of the timelines, and Solomon...

But what surprised Barbatos the most was how so many of the variations faded into that oh-so-familiar darkness.  Barbatos himself must have been the one to find you the most, and it was a curiosity he found himself lingering on.  From a practical standpoint, it made sense as he knew the castle better than anyone else.

But there was also a small sense of... warmth. After all, you didn’t venture out to the royal gardens, or walk the quiet late-night streets of the Devildom, or return to the House of Lamentation.  Instead, you went to the piano room, where the memory of your time with him brought you comfort. 

It was his growing friendship with you that allowed him to find you so many times in the first place.

The faintest hint of selfish pride flared within him, and Barbatos froze for a moment.

It wasn’t often that his Sins presented themselves so noticeably. In fact, he’d learned long ago to keep such imperfections under tight control.  To have them stir now of all times...

Strange.

But it vanished as quickly as it came, so he returned his attention to the threads before him.

All at once, he watched, learned, understood.

In most instances, at least the ones he could see that were free of his influence, you stayed in the Devildom.  The emotional turmoil you suffered that evening waned by morning and was later quelled by the brothers’ sincere apologies and kind gestures. 

It was just as Diavolo had said.  Barbatos took comfort in knowing that the prince knew your spirit so well.

Barbatos scanned the infinite spiderweb of visible futures, futures where he played his role as he was intended to, minimal and from the sidelines, small pockets of dark that blurred the edges around the others, Diavolo especially.  And you were there too, the light to Barbatos’s shadow, twining with everyone else’s threads, strengthening the bonds.

His eyes narrowed the further he looked.

You stayed, but in far too many of the timelines you suffered, alone and overwhelmed.  In some of them, you even buckled, and so did the exchange program.

Barbatos couldn’t help but wonder about you in this timeline, emotionally drained and mentally fragile.  Was that to be your future?  Would you break under the heavy weight of prejudice and politics?

Barbatos’s gaze went even further, following the various branches, and warm relief washed over him.

There was still hope.  Not all the futures ended in loneliness and failure. In many of them, you succeeded. It was often ones where you found love in another, where the support of a partner, or even partners, helped to ease your burden.

They were still here... the futures he’d seen so long ago when assisting the young master in plotting out his path for peace, bright and untarnished.  It worried Barbatos that it took him so long to locate them, but he was relieved to see them still intact, still a possibility within the great web.

The relief was short-lived as he pondered their significance.

Should this situation with you fail and take the young master’s vision with it, then Barbatos knew he would have to choose one of these timelines, something safe where his influence didn’t taint the grand plan.  That route would become the Primary, the one that everyone would walk moving forward.  It would remain the present, but it would be borne from a different past where different decisions were made.

In that sense, the you of this thread and everyone else would cease to exist.

The souls would remain the same, as souls were infinite by nature and occupied all timelines simultaneously during their lifespan.  But deletion of a pathway was the deletion of memories, memories made beyond the point of junction where the severing would occur.  Everyone’s spirit would remain the same, but their minds would forget, replaced with the experiences of a different path filled with different decisions.

Everyone would forget... except for Barbatos.  He would remain untouched, remember all of it. He alone would hold the memories of a past that no longer existed; moments of joy, times of sadness, periods of growth.  He’d remember his failures, too; the decisions he made that were the catalyst to losing yet another pathway.

That old, familiar empty ache crept into his chest, settling between his ribs. It was a sadness that never really left him, a burden he had to bear for being who and what he was. He acknowledged its presence and then promptly pushed it back to its resting place within himself, cataloguing it with all of the other countless times he had, in some way, lost those he cared for.

It couldn’t be helped.  Duty first. If the prince ordered it, he would obey.

He stared at the stories of past, present and future a moment longer.  Then he slowly, gently swiped his fingers across the space in front of him.  The timelines rippled, the images faded back into blackness.  There was nothing left to gain here.

---

Barbatos was only gone a moment before he reappeared.  Diavolo looked up at him from his seat with curious golden eyes.

“Well? Did you find anything?”

“As I suspected, young master.  The future you desire remains intact; however, I’m unable to see a clear path to it.”

“Hmm. I see...” Diavolo replied pensively, his gaze distant.  Barbatos’s lingering silence hovered, making the air thick between them, and Diavolo looked back up at him.  “....what is it?”

Barbatos’s brow creased.  “The future you desire remains... however, there are a great many opportunities for the current path to go astray.”

“And, because of your involvement, you’re unable to tell which actions you will need to take to get us to the right finish line.”

“That is correct.”

“Well,” he sighed, “that is quite a conundrum.”

Barbatos’s face fell into melancholy.  “I sincerely apologize, my lord. Had I known—”

Diavolo held up his hand and shook his head.  “There was no way to know, Barbatos.”

“If I had not volunteered to find her—”

“Then I would have sent you anyway.  Besides, I granted you permission.  If anyone is to blame for this, let it be me.  Were you able to see what would have happened if you refused her?”

“Not initially.  But in some timelines our threads parted shortly after that night, which I suspect was the result of such a decision.  Once I was no longer present, I was able to observe.  She returned to the human realm.”

“Permanently?”

“Yes, although she maintained relations with the celestial realm thereafter, and the brothers opted to visit her from time to time.”

“And the exchange program?”

Barbatos’s only response was a heavy silence and the most subtle shake of his head.  Diavolo hummed.

“I see.  Well, at least you can take comfort in knowing that you made the correct decision given the situation.”

“Yes, young master.”

“You don’t sound very relieved.”

Barbatos finally returned to his seat on the sofa, the weight of his guilt too great. This time, he allowed his professional poise to fall away, allowing himself a quiet moment of vulnerability in the prince’s presence in the form of downcast eyes and heavy shoulders.

“The knowledge, while helpful, does not solve our current predicament.  It seems that in many cases, her and I remain closely tied after her confession.  It makes much of the future... unpredictable.”

“Which will make it nearly impossible to navigate.”

“That is correct.”

Diavolo went quiet for a moment, his chin in his fingers.  His golden eyes went from pensive to troubled.  “Can it be undone? If we end up on the wrong path, can it be replaced?”

“Of course, young master.  Whatever you desire.”

Diavolo nodded.  “Good. That is good.  We could select a timeline where someone else retrieved her that night instead of you. Then this whole situation may be avoided.”

Barbatos knew his young master would come to such a conclusion, and yet hearing the words from his mouth made his skin tingle, a chill running down his spine.  He loathed the subconscious resistance that pushed against the locked door of his mind, and he forced it back with a subtle, inhaled breath through his nose.

He had to remain impartial.  He was devoted to the prince entirely, and so he must not withhold any knowledge that can impact success.

“On the contrary, my lord,” he said slowly, “the chances of success from that point were adequate, but not as reliable as they once were.  In many of them she remained isolated, and I can’t help but wonder if it may have been due to her unspoken feelings for me.  If you want to properly secure the future you seek, then it may be best to replace it with a timeline that branches off even earlier.”

Diavolo’s throat rumbled low, his gaze dark, and Barbatos knew he did not enjoy where this was going any more than Barbatos did.

“How early would you recommend?” he finally asked.

“To before she developed feelings for me in the first place.  Granted, we have no way of knowing for sure when that was.  But her and I had begun to spend more time together over the past six months. So I believe selecting a timeline that breaks off to prior that would be sufficient.”

Diavolo’s eyes snapped up to Barbatos’s, his eyebrows raised.  “Six months??” his expression neutralized as his gaze dropped and grew distant.  “That is quite a difference indeed.”

A heavy silence followed, neither demon wanting to move forward with such a permanent decision, and yet the threat of failure loomed like a storm on the distant horizon.

Diavolo let out a long sigh and returned his eyes to Barbatos.  “Tell me... What would you like to do?”

Barbatos stared at him, noting the subtle softness in his expression. His features lost some of their sharpness, his eyebrows upturned at the corners in silent worry.

His familial love for Barbatos was impacting his reasoning, shifting him from responsible ruler to soft-hearted youth.

Barbatos would have none of it. He refused to let his young master jeopardize everything for the sake of him.

Even so, the next words he spoke were far more difficult to say than he had anticipated.

“If we are to err on the side of caution, then I would recommend replacing this timeline with a safer option.”

Diavolo’s strong jaw set in a stubborn jut, his gaze piercing.  “I did not ask for your recommendation, Barbatos. I asked for what you wanted.”

Barbatos frowned.  “Young master, what I want or don’t want is irrelevant. Not with so much at stake.”

“I am perfectly aware of what is at stake.  However, I don’t think this situation requires such drastic measures just yet.  You yourself stated the future is still possible, even if we may not know exactly how to get there.  And how this would impact you is very much relevant, at least to me.”

“You are letting sentiment cloud your judgment.”

“Perhaps...” Diavolo admitted. “But unlike you, I don’t see it as a bad thing.  The happiness of my citizens is my responsibility, and that includes you as well, Barbatos.”

“Your success is all the happiness I need, young master.”

Diavolo gave a wear sigh and broke his eye contact to stare down at his intertwined fingers.

“You say that, and yet... I know what this will cost you. It’s a loss that no one else will suffer once the changes are made, not even myself.  That hardly seems fair.  And since you are the only one who will pay that price, I think that what you want is a valid question.  So I ask you again, Barbatos.  What would you like to do?”

Diavolo knew everything there was to know about Barbatos’s abilities; he had to in order to be able to utilize the butler’s unique skills to their maximum potential.  It was a knowledge that Barbatos had shared willingly, once he knew the prince was ready for such responsibility. 

Never before had Barbatos regretted sharing the details of his powers... until now. 

Because Prince Diavolo was right.  Barbatos had gone through this many times, and yet the pain of each remained. And, he supposed, in some ways it wasn’t fair. But fairness was not something he sought for himself; not after the wrongs he’d done across so many lifetimes. 

The prince’s love for him felt undeserved, and yet he cherished it just the same.

Barbatos was silent for a long moment.  “You are far too soft, young master.”

“As you always tell me,” Diavolo smiled.

Barbatos couldn’t help but wonder what made the young prince so stubborn, his moral compass so resolute.  But for the first time in a long time, Barbatos allowed himself to reflect on his own desires, lured by the promise that what he wanted and what his prince wanted could be one and the same.

Barbatos sighed. “Very well. I would like to keep along this path and try to salvage the current situation.”

Diavolo’s smile went from wry amusement to beaming joy.  “Great! Then it’s settled-”

“Not quite,” Barbatos interrupted, his eyes narrowed.  “We must discuss what will happen if I should fail.”

Diavolo gave a roll of his eyes.  “I believe that goes without saying, but very well. If you do fail, then rest assured, we will remedy the situation by replacing this path with a different one. There. Does that help to ease your worries?”

Barbatos allowed himself a small smile.  “It does.”

“Splendid.  Because I don’t think you’ll fail anyway.”

“It flatters me that you hold me in such high regard, young master.”

“You are always the one with a plan, are you not?” Diavolo teased with a raise of his eyebrow.  Then his amusement faded briefly to reveal the worry beneath.  “You... do have a plan, yes?”

Now Barbatos did smile.  “Of course. As I said before, there are many branches ahead of us where my thread remains intertwined with hers for longer than expected.  However, this can mean many things.  It can mean that this false relationship goes on for some time, possibly even years.  Or, it could mean that we come to an end amicably, after which I remain heavily involved in her life on a platonic level until such a time that I can naturally fade myself back.  That would be the ideal outcome.”

Diavolo hummed. “End amicably... and how do you plan to do that?”

 “Time, young master.”

“Time?”

Barbatos nodded. “Yes. You know better than anyone how many responsibilities I carry.  It leaves very little room for much else. Add in the pressures of secrecy, and I’m certain she will grow weary of me soon enough once this initial phase of excitement ends.”

Diavolo’s golden eyes glittered. “I see. So you plan to run out the clock, so to speak, rather than putting an end to it directly.”

Barbatos nodded again in affirmation.  “The only way for this to end with minimal damage is if she is the one to end it. It must be her idea. It’s the best way to ensure her ability to move on and find someone more suited for her in the future.”

“Are you sure that will work? You know how stubborn she can be...”

“Yes... she can be quite patient, and persistent to boot.  However, humans’ lives are short.  I’m certain that at some point, she will recognize that her years are being wasted in a secret relationship that can never fully develop.  Not to any fault of our own, but to the cruelness of circumstance.”

The worry returned to Diavolo’s eyes as he stared at Barbatos.  “And if this plan of yours does take years? Or, worse, what if she never gives up? What then?”

“Then I will remain with her, whether it be a year or a human lifetime.  You may consider it my penance for my error. However, I don’t anticipate that it will last that long.”

“What makes you so sure?”

There was a quiet pause as Barbatos gathered his words carefully.  “I do not take joy in this deceit, young master.  In fact, I find it quite troubling.  I may not be able to return her feelings with the same ferocity, but I do value her and respect her.”

Something flashed in Diavolo’s eyes, but it was brief, gone in an instant. “You care for her.”

Barbatos found the look discomforting and averted his eyes to the fireplace where the flames danced.  “On a platonic level, yes.  As such, I will not take advantage of her. And I suspect she will only wait for so long before the lack of intimacy between us becomes a problem too big to ignore.”

Diavolo joined Barbatos in staring at the fire.  “I see. And you will use the excuse of your busy schedule and the danger of prying eyes as a way to avoid such situations.”

“Precisely.”

Diavolo gave a tired, drawn-out groan and slouched back into his chair, his eyes closed.  “It all sounds very complicated. It makes me exhausted just hearing about it.” His eyes opened and fresh mirth danced in them.  “I feel it would have almost been easier if you actually did have feelings for her. Then we’d only have to worry about keeping the relationship private from others, rather than lying to her as well.”

Barbatos’s expression soured.  “Do not joke of such things, young master.”

Diavolo barked a laugh. “You speak as if falling in love would be a bad thing!”

Barbatos could barely suppress the urge to roll his eyes.  “Political complications aside, such a thing would be more burden than blessing. It would distract from my duties and require time that I do not have.”

“Perhaps some distraction would be good for you,” the prince winked.

Barbatos’s smile turned icy.  “If this is your way of trying to get out of doing your paperwork, then it is a poor attempt indeed.  I assure you, young master. My loyalty and focus lies entirely with you.”

“Yes, I was afraid you’d say that...” Diavolo threw his arms up dramatically. “Very well, have it your way then. Keep yourself isolated and lonely forever.”

A bit of an exaggeration, considering how often Barbatos found himself in the company of others. A small, dry smile curled the corners of his lips, never reaching his eyes.

“Thank you, my lord.  Now, the hour is late.  I do believe it is time for me to prepare your bath.”

“Yes, please.”

Barbatos left the drawing room to begin preparations. As soon as he was out of earshot of Diavolo, he let out a deep sigh as the weight of dread eased slightly from his chest, no longer suffocating.  The knowledge that he would not have to replace this timeline just yet brought a sense of relief so strong that it unconsciously pulled his lips into a smile as he began to run the bathwater.

His prince was trusting him, giving him a chance to repair what he’d broken.  The gesture touched him deeply.

He only hoped he could deliver.

Tag List: @slayersins @doumadono @silverrings-n-prettythings

[icypenguin]

could I request a Tyler x reader who works out, is a track (+maybe basketball) athlete and just in general really toned? Like she seems kind of nerdy and stuff to most people but she’s actually really strong and all? Please 🫶🏽 no rush!

ᯓᡣ𐭩 running to your heart ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ

hiiiii! i tottaly love the ideaaaa and the fact that tyler loved baseball has its chemistry muahahahhaa but anyway, i’m a bit ignoring the whole phantom situation whoops but be fr noone wants that anyway right? and lucky for you i have two prompts for this and couldn’t pick one!..

cw: sweating, mention of kissing, a bit sexist i guess?

prompt 1: reader does track!!! btw guys i don’t know much about track and i’m a bit lazy to do research so i’m sorry if there’s anything wrong T-T

it was your usualy routine to practice for another track tournament next week. often, it was quiet, not even a single human being was there. and you enjoyed it, it’s nice to just focus on your practice and to not bother anyone. or so you thought

as you pulled out your bottle from your bag, you steadied your breathing to a normal tone. ofcourse, doing so, you looked around to predict the time as it is getting darker, when you noticed a boy (just your age) jogging laps through the track.

tt was… suprising yes. but it’s not like this place is yours afterall. just.. a bit embarrassed that the boy was probably watching you (NOT IN A WEIRD WAY OKAY) and it was only you two at the track. now, it was a bit awkward to continue running, but you tried to not mind him and actually use him as an opponent for your practice.

the next day, you were practicing for your competition again when suddenly, he was there first. now, you thought that he would come rarely but i guess now it’s also his daily to come here? for some reason, this second encounter, knowing he’s going to go here daily, pushes the feeling of wanting to get to know eachother. as far as you admired him, he looks like a pretty focused guy, you might not want to interrupt him…

third day you’ve been practicing with him without concious. the eagerness of wanting to know him or atleast know his name soon gets you.

fourth day and he brought someone.. who seems to be like this sister.

fifth day, you were going to take a break when he was already taking one. but, he didn’t seem to be drinking or gaining energy from anything except to just calm his breathing. knowing that he must be tired, it was your time to finally get to know him.

going closer to him on the seat, and handed the water bottle out for his reach “hey uhh.. do you need some water? i brought two…” you asked nervously, hoping for him to take the water so there wouldn’t be any awkward tension. “uh.. thanks i guess” he accepted the water and chugged it down. huh, he really needed it

not wanting to awkwardly stand there, you sat next to him and drank your water, finishing whenever he does. “uh.. i’ve noticed you practicing here before.. do you do track too?” you asked, trying to sound calm and relaxed even though nervous sweat was dripping from your neck. with the cold eye contact, somehow, the more you’re focused, the more charming he gets.

“um no.. just practicing for baseball ‘n stuffs” he answered back, trying to sound polite.

you were a bit confused since why would someone practice baseball on a track field? oh. oh yeah, they have to run to the thing blablabla

“oh cool, i’ve never met someone who can play baseball” you tried to lighten up the talk to ignore the sharp gaze upon you.

“um yeah..” not normally socializing with people, especially someone random who just gave you a spare water and is now asking stuffs, he was rather stiff about chit-chats. and you, disappointed by the dry answer, decided to just end the conversation.

“alright then, i guess i better get back to practice..” but before you leave “i’m y/n by the way, incase we ever meet again which i doubt we won’t” you joked a little, adding an extra chuckle at the end.

he, who was still processing everything, answered awkwardly “tyler, tyler hernandez”

“pleasure to meet you, tyler” you gave him a smile before walking back to the field and start focusing again. somehow, just as you tried to focus back, your mind keeps on sliding to him, even catching yourself stealing glances at him.

sooner or later, you both always practiced together and it almost started as a routine. even though you both barely interact, it still feels like you’re interacting somehow.

the day of your race has has arrived. suprisingly, when you went to the arena, he was there too. he was standing at the corner with his baseball members. you didn’t know this match would have a mix of other sports too. in some way, you felt a bit embarrassed since he’s probably going to watch you- okay- nevermind. you’re acting silly and he’s definitely not going to look at you like pfft- there’s other girls.. right?

well- anyway. at the end of the game, you both won each categories. sucking in all your guts and fear, you tapped his shoulder and congratulate him.

“congrats! guess your practice finally pays it, huh?” you placed your hands on your hips while giving a big smile and trying to look casual.

“thanks.. congrats to you too. it’s visible you’ve been trying hard” he congratulated you back and it’s back again to an awkward silence.

“thankyou.. well- alright then. you go and have some fun with your team” you bid him goodbye with a smile plastered on your face. but is it the smile of feeling to be a winner or the smile when you’ve successfully made a comversation with your crush?

- after that moment, you both still come to the track field where you practiced and indirectly practice together. you started warming up with eachother and from small conversations to conversations that you’d be having with your bestfriend.

- we can say you have a lot in common. one of the things are working out. you sometimes go to the gym with him, but you both prefer to be outside in the fresh air.

- since you both like to practice in the evening which means near sunset, you like to hang out somewhere after practice on an open space to watch the sunset.

- your status wasn’t clear. you two were close, close enough to be a couple, yet denies and go with the “close friend” trope.

- but one day, on a big day, a big competition for you, you won first place which was very shocking since it was international and you were expecting the least. but what you most didn’t expect is to earn a kiss from tyler himself. it was a bit sudden but definitely better than that gold medal you’ve earned. and there, he proposed of being girlfriend and boyfriend. what answer is there other than yes?

Prompt 2: i’m changing basketball into baseball sorry :( i couldn’t rlly think of anything with basketball so intead of writing trash i decided that this is better instead (?) so um yeah and tyler is the baseball captain here :p also i don’t know much about baseball ut all i know is you hit the ball and blablabla

it’s unusual and rare for a girl to join a baseball after-school class when it’s full of boys. though, rather than being a pickme and a burden to the team, the members find you really well-toned and strong, even not that bad at all as a baseball player.

they somehow usually pick her as a nerd, but this? it’s somehow impressing. all were grateful and chreeful that you’re part of them now.. all of them except tyler ofcourse.

“goodgame everyone, see you all tomorrow” the coach said as everyone started to pack their things. you were stuffing ur bag with ur shirt while getting your phone out. everyone was starting to exit the field to get picked up or either walk home. you were about to do that too, until you felt a tap on your shoulder.

“huh?” looking back towards who tapped you, tyler hernandez was standing behind with a somehow grumpy-like resting face.

“try not to try too hard mixing in with us, plus you need to hit the ball harder” he said with a monotone tone, not even bothering to introduce himself or even excuse himself.

“um… okay? sorry i guess?” you were a bit confused like.. what’s even the point??? and the fact that he just left after hearing your answer makes it seem to be more perplexed.

The next few days, you were getting more praised and soon became popular amongst the other baseball player; you were welcomed with warm open arms to the team. though, in the distance, someone seems to be sulking and frowning all day long.

“don’t try too hard to take the role as a captain leader, you're still a noobie” tyler suddenly spat his words before he left the building. it was normal for him to act rude and stuffs over to you after game, which you found a bit normal since you just joined and being a girl doesn’t help it.. but this time, you wanted to fight back.

“dude what’s your problem? just tell me or something???” he stopped his tracks and looked back.

“what’s MY problem? pft nothing, definitely nothing when someone has stolen my spot” he scoffed and turned around again. that’s when you realized that he may be true. i mean, he’s the captain but all what the members have been listening to is you.

“hey, i’m sorry, okay? i just.. i didn’t ask for it either.. i just wanted to play normal in the team…” you stopped for a bit before getting closer, clutching your bag strap as well as fidgeting with it. “but honestly.. i don’t think i would be able to beat you, you know? you’re a good captain and the team must be glad to have you as a captain.. they’re just.. giving me attentions since i’m a girl and stuff” you looked at him and gave him a smile to assure your words.

it was not normal for someone not close to him say that. it was a bit unbelievable but somehow, his could feel his heart warming by the words and your smile in addition.

you both just stood there in a somehow comfy silence.. until he broke it.

“um.. thanks, i didn’t know that” you both made eye contact for a bit.

suddenly, you got an idea. “hey um.. can you maybe teach me how to do that trick you did earlier? it’s really cool and i’ve never seen anyone do that before” you secretly let out a relieved breathe from saying that out loud.

“huh? really?” he couldn’t believe you really asked him, it felt unreal. “i mean- only if you keep it a secret and not tell anyone” he added “don’t want anyone to know my secret… just wanna show you ‘cause you’re a noobie” he excused, trying to not take it as something else but just a mere practice with a friend.

chuckling at it, you nodded your head and responded “ofcourse! why would i ever tell anyone else anyway?”

and soon from that time, you became closer.

- after finally teaching you that trick, you both started sharing tricks and hacks to eachother and giving tips too!!! practicing together are always.

- one day, it was raining and only he who bought an umbrella. ofcourse he accompanied you home. you both walked under the rain while sharing stories to eachother. after that incident, he sometimes walk you home again and again, sometimes stopping to get a scoop of icecream.

- after a big game of baseball late at night, you all had a small party afterwards, but you and tyler decided to go to a more secluded place and enjoy the feeling of winners. that’s when you confessed first (since he was a coward).

- then you became boyfriend and girlfriend!!! his mom and sister are very proud he chose you, you all get along really well.

- on his birthday, the gang (ashlyn, ben, aiden, taylor, logan) and you were chilling at the bus graveyard while singing happybirthday and giving gifts to the birthday boy. that’s when you gave him his first kiss as a gift. and, oh boy, someone should’ve brought a tomato so we can play spot the difference.

[cheynovak]

A new addiction - Encore

Jensen x F/reader Y/N

Warnings: none I guess?

English isn't my first language.

This idea came after hearing Jensen sing 'wondering why.' Just a little something something for those who liked the 'a new addiction' series.

--

Jensen and Y/N have been together for a little while now. Everything went smoothly after they finally chose to be with each other. But how will they cope with their first real fight?

--

As they sat across from each other in their cozy apartment, Y/N's excitement bubbled over as she shared her plans for a new job opportunity that had come her way. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, her words filled with dreams of new beginnings and adventure.

However, Jensen's reaction was not what she expected. He listened quietly at first, his brow furrowed in thought. As Y/N finished speaking, there was a noticeable tension in the air, the weight of his silence hanging heavily between them.

Finally, Jensen spoke, his voice laced with uncertainty. He expressed his concerns about the timing of Y/N's decision, pointing out the challenges it could pose for their relationship and his own career commitments.

What had begun as a conversation filled with hope and excitement quickly turned into a clash of priorities and fears.

Y/N felt a wave of frustration wash over her. She had hoped for Jensen's support and encouragement, but instead, she found herself facing resistance and doubt. Hurt by his lack of enthusiasm, she lashed out with words fueled by emotion rather than reason.

Their voices rose in a crescendo of anger and frustration, each word cutting deeper than the last. In the heat of the moment, they said things they didn't mean, wounds inflicted by the sharp edges of their own insecurities.

By the time their argument had reached its peak, the damage was done. Jensen's heart ached with regret as he watched Y/N retreat into herself, her eyes clouded with tears of frustration and disappointment.

But deep down, he knew he couldn't leave over seas while having this fight. And so, with a heavy heart and a determination to make things right, he suggested they take a trip together, hoping that a change of scenery would provide the space and perspective they needed to mend what had been broken.

And so, they found themselves in Rome, a city steeped in history and romance.

The Roman air felt charged with tension. Jensen had a convention to attend, and Y/N had insisted on accompanying him, hoping the change of scenery would help them reconnect.

Their first fight had left a bitter taste in their mouths, each word spoken in anger leaving scars on their hearts.

As the convention kicked off, Jensen took the stage, the spotlight bathing him in a warm glow. His eyes searched the crowd until they found Y/N, sitting in the back, her gaze a mixture of uncertainty and longing. With a deep breath, he began to sing, his voice carrying the weight of his emotions.

The melody was familiar to Y/N, a song she had heard countless times before, but not by him. Jensen poured his heart into each note, like always, but she realized that this time was different.

This time, the song was for her.

Tears welled up in her eyes as the lyrics washed over her, each word a promise of love and forgiveness. In that moment, all the hurt and anger melted away, leaving only the raw, unfiltered truth of their connection.

By the time Jensen finished his song, Y/N was already making her way to the backstage, her heart pounding in her chest.

After Jensen's heartfelt performance, he stepped down from the stage, his heart heavy with emotion. Y/N approached him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Without a word, she threw her arms around him, holding him close as if afraid he would disappear.

Feeling the warmth of his embrace and hearing the sincerity in his voice, Y/N's heart softened.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart, please let's never fight again."

"Never." she smiled softly.

She lifted her head to meet his gaze, and without hesitation, she pressed her lips to his, a silent reassurance of forgiveness and love.

In that kiss, they found a renewed sense of connection. As they pulled away, Jensen's eyes shone with gratitude, his hand reaching out to gently wipe away Y/N's tears.

"I love you, Jay."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

--

This is part of the ' a new addiction' series

Please check out my masterlist. And feel free to like comment or share.

Taglist:

@mayafatimakhan @anundyingfidelity 

@yvonneeeee @suckitands33

@mostlymarvelgirl

[auras-moonstone]

omg i love your ethan imagines so yk i have to request one!!! a gf!ethan x reader imagine based on the lines, “never was much of a romantic, i could never take the intimacy. and i know i did damage, cause the look in your eyes is killing me” from the song runaway by kayne west? (ignore that its a kayne west song i dont support his actions, and i do love taylor swift lolol) but its an angst where the reader and him are in like a complicated relationship where they both like each other but aren’t dating, and then the reader is their when he reveals himself in act 3? sorry if this request was long lol!! tysm 💖💖

hiii, i love your request and i love writing angst😫 i hope you enjoy it <3

hoax — ethan landry

word count: 1,686

pairing: gf!ethan landry x fem!reader

summary: y/n finds out the boy she loves is behind the killings, and thinks the love they had was a hoax.

warnings: angst. mention of death.

GROWING A LIKING TOWARDS Y/N HAD DEFINITELY NOT BEEN ON ETHAN LANDRY’S PLAN. He never even considered it a possibility, even though her dizzying smile and angelic laugh should’ve been enough warning signs. Ethan really thought it would be easy. Sure, Y/N was indeed super kind and funny—and she was lucky enough to have been out of Woodsboro during the murders, so the Kirsch family didn’t have a vendetta against her—, but the plan was the only thing on his mind so he never gave her a second thought outside of it.

Having juked the roommate lottery, he ended up sharing a dorm with Y/N, which meant spending most of his days with her as she was also his classmate. The plan was just to infiltrate the group through Y/N’s friendship. But her charm was inescapable, and soon enough Ethan’s eyes started to absentmindedly find her, his heart slowly began to pound faster whenever she was around, and his soul itched to maker her laugh, because he had grown addicted to that magical sound.

He didn’t have time to run, because he had fallen for her like an early spring snow—unexpectedly, shockingly but beautifully nonetheless. Y/N had swiftly entered his heart and mind to show him the romantic kind of love he had been missing his whole life.

No, they weren’t officially dating, but they both knew the feelings were reciprocated. They had difficult lives, and they couldn’t commit to a relationship yet. But neither of them minded that much, the mere presence of the other was enough. A simple etiquette wasn’t going to make any difference.

Ethan loved that Y/N wanted nothing from him, unlike his family—especially his dad, who forced him into a dark plan he never asked to be a part of. Ethan loved Richie, that was never in doubt, but he had it coming. His own decisions pushed him to his death. Was that the rest of the family’s destiny too? The thought of it paralysed Ethan, he didn’t want that to be his ending. He was just nineteen, he had a whole life ahead of him. But he also was terrified of hurting and disappointing his dad and sister, who were still a wreck after Richie’s death.

He had an internal war constantly going on inside his head and painted on his face. Y/N had noticed the anguish surrounding the boy for a couple of days now, and it worried her a lot.

“What’s going on in that pretty mind of yours?” she finally asked one day, wrapping his arms around his waist from behind as Ethan washed the dishes.

Her touch was as calming as a lullaby, and it was the only thing that could make him forget about what was going on in his life. “Family issues” he admitted.

“Everything okay?”

He turned around to face her “It’s just… they expect more from me” his answer was vague, but Y/N would never push him to tell her something he wasn’t ready to share. “They want me to focus more on the family business, and at first I was okay with it, but now I’m not so sure that’s what I want for my life.”

“Did you tell them that?” she asked softly.

He shook his head “I don’t want to disappoint them. This business is really really important to them.”

“I can’t tell you what you do, but you do know it’s your life, right? And you shouldn’t let yourself be miserable to keep someone else happy. If they don’t respect your wishes, why should you?”

Ethan hugged her to his chest and wished with all his strength for a future like this—with no revenge plans, with no fear of disappointing anyone, with not having to lie to the person he loved the most in the world. A future with her on his arms, without having to be constantly worried of losing her.

He knew better, but just for a moment, he let himself believe that future was possible. It was a little hoax that allowed him to keep going.

Y/N FELT LIKE HER BODY WAS GOING TO COLLAPSE FROM TIREDNESS AT ANY SECOND. She was exhausted, scared and tired of running for her life. Tara, Sam and Y/N were now cornered by not one, not two but by three Ghostfaces. Her feet hurt almost as much as her soul—they had just lost Chad, and there were no signs of Ethan and Mindy.

“Just quit the drama and show yourselves for fuck sake” Y/N said in irritation.

Officer Bailey looked at her, showing him a smirk she didn’t like at all. It was evil, secretive, the smirk of someone who knew something crucial that she didn’t. “Oh, kid, this is about to get more dramatic. Especially for you.”

When Ethan felt a pat on his chest, he knew it was time. He took off the mask. He had imagined that scene countless times, wondering what Y/N’s face would look like once she knew the truth. Yet no image could have prepared him for the immense amount of pain he was felt when his eyes met hers.

Y/N stood frozen, but her eyes said it all. They spelt betrayal, astonishment and above all, sadness. A hoax, a sleigh of hand, that’s what their bond had been. It had meant everything to her, and was just an strategic move for him. Ethan could read every thought on her mind, and he wanted nothing more than to cradle her into his arms and sweep all those ideas from her mind.

It all happened in a blur—one second her gaze and mind were focused on Ethan and the next one she was being dragged away by him.

“No!” she tried to fight him, her feet tried to stay firm on the ground but his strength was unbeatable. “Ethan, please.”

“I’m moving you to a safe place” he explained in a calm voice. But she didn’t trust him anymore, so fear crept into her body. Was this how she was going to die? At the hands of the boy she loved? “Here.”

The closet was dimly lit and narrow, their bodies were almost pressed against the other. “Let me go.”

“Y/N, it doesn’t matter to them if you had nothing to do with Richie’s death. They are going to kill you, you need to stay here.” he explained desperately.

Y/N’s eyes went to the knife held in his right hand, then she looked down at the stitches on her stomach, and she swore she heard the way her heart shattered like glass. Had Ethan—the one who had kissed the wound better, the one who had held her hand as the nurse stitched her up, the one who whispered reassuring sweet words on her ear as she looked down terrified at all the blood she had lost—been the one who inflicted that very same wound on her?

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what she was wondering, so Ethan grabbed her by the cheeks as if she was the most fragile thing in the world. The terrified look on her eyes didn’t go past him, and it killed him. “No, baby. No. I swear, I didn’t do that to you. I would never hurt you.”

“Don’t call me baby! And don’t you get it? You already did.” her lower lip trembled. The guy who she had trusted with her body and soul, the one that felt like home to her, was the person whom she should’ve been running away from all along. “Was I just some pawn in your game?”

Ethan’s eyes widened “What?”

“Was I just some kind of Trojan’s horse? The girl you used to get inside the group?”

The brunet wanted to say no, but they both knew it would be a lie. “Only at first…” when Y/N hid her face in her hands to sob, he couldn’t help but bring her into his arms. The action destroyed her, because his arms were the place she used to shelter herself in whenever she felt sad. And despite the fact that he was now the one piercing her soul, his embrace still quieted her pain. “But I fell for you, for real, Y/N. I hate myself for bringing you into this mess, you don’t deserve it. You’re… you’re the one who made me feel happy again after everything that happened last year.”

“Fuck you, Ethan. I hate you.” she cried in his chest. Y/N wanted to pull away almost as much as she wanted to lock her arms around his frame forever.

“I know, I’m sorry” he whispered. “I have to go.”

“No. No, please. Don’t leave me here, stay with me.” the panic in her voice was heavy.

“I’m going to come back for you, I promise. Don’t leave unless I come back, okay?”

What if you don’t come back? was the question that lingered on that small room. There was a high chance that he might not see her again, and that this was the last time she would see him alive.

“If you’re not back within ten minutes, I’ll go find you. And you better be alive, Ethan Landry.” the boy smiled, and pressed a short kiss to her lips. “Please come back to me, okay? I love you, please don’t make me live a life without you.”

“I will, Y/N. And then we’ll go home, and cuddle and everything will be okay. I love you.”

But that night, Y/N walked back to the apartment alone, leaving a part of her back in that shrine. She arrived to the place that stopped being a home and became a house instead. She tucked herself to bed and closed her eyes waiting for warm arms to hug her waist, but they never came. Instead, she had to hug the pillow that smelled like citrus—his shampoo—and let the salt tears fall freely.

She’s got a lot to live without now, and she’s never going to meet what a future with Ethan could’ve been. The battle was over, but the worse was yet to come. Now, she had to learn how to be without Ethan.

[outsideratheart]

Unstoppable (Leah Williamson x reader)

Based off this request. 

A/N: I really wasn’t in the writing mood but then i got this request and I wanted to celebrate today’s win. I hope you guys like it.

You had never doubted yourself more than you had in the past few weeks. You came back from an serious ankle injury the same game Beth tore her ACL and then Viv injured hers too. It lead to you been put back into the starting 11 ahead of plan and the pressure that the both you and the fans put on you was incredibly high. 

The international break was when things changed. The Arnold cup was a place to have fun and try new things. Sarina gave you the freedom to play how you liked and it payed off. You won top goal scorer and player of the tournament. You were proud of your performances and awards but it failed in comparison to the proudness your girlfriend felt. 

When Arsenal played Chelsea in the FA cup you felt like you were the only attacker that showed up, still you tried everything but AKB managed to save every single one of your shots. You left that game back to your old self doubting ways and it left only one option, brutal honesty. The next day you spent hours reviewing game tape and ignoring your girlfriend so when you arrived at Coloney the following morning Leah was not only in a mood with you but the rest of the forwards too because you gave them all your attention instead of her. After you explained what you’d learned from the tapes you worked with Stina, Caitlyn and a few of the coaching staff on ways you need to improve if you stand a chance against Chelsea in the Conti cup final. 

“You ready baby” Leah stood in between your legs after the team had emptied the locker room. 

“What if I can’t do it? You’ve seen the way I’ve been playing. What if I’ll never be the same as I was before the injury” 

The lack in confidence wasn’t something Leah could prepare herself for. You oozed the stuff when you played and it why you were the WSL’s top goal scorer. Lately she had seen the way you let people’s opinions get in your head whether it was from the media or reading fan comments on social media. Your head, which was once like Fort Knox, had become free entry for anyone who pleased. 

“Look at me” Leah uses her index finger to tilt your chin upwards. The forced movement meaning that you were now looking directly into the blue eyes you loved so much “I need you to go out there and have the same amount of faith in you as I do. We know how to beat Chelsea, you obsessed over the footage for hours, nobody knows more about this team than you. You are going to go out there and be unstoppable” 

Leah bends down slightly and placed a gentle kiss on your lips. An act which until this point never happen on game day but Leah knew you needed the reassurance which comes with the act of affection.

“Unstoppable” you mumble to yourself.

“That’s right baby and whilst you’re at it try to score a goal for me” She pulls you to your feet and together you enter the tunnel. As you walk out onto the pitch you have extra motivation to perform. Besides when your girlfriend asks for a goal you never disappoint and you wasn’t go to start today.

When Chelsea score within the first two minutes you feel the doubt and insecurities begin to rise but you ignore them and move on. It works because within ten minutes the ball finds its way into the back of the Chelsea net after you sent a rocket from outside the box. The goal itself was beautiful and your confident side is on full display. Leah is somehow the first one to you, whether that is because she was the closest or because your team mates knew how much this moment meant to you and Leah would be the person you wanted to celebrate with most.

The final whistle blows and you cannot believe you did it. Most of the world had written you and your team off for this game but you all proved them wrong and the look of the Chelsea player’s faces was the icing on the cake. You had a brief moment with Leah on the pitch but you knew better than to get to handsy with this many eyes watching. Jen passes you and Katie a small bottle of champagne, you being the responsible adult you are refused the drink but the Scottish defender tells you it was alcohol free. It passes the smell test so the three of the of you down most of the bottle then you read the label, you should have known better.

“We’re champions” Leah jumps on your back causes you to stumble a little “Are you drunk?” 

You never stumbled, not this much, so it was a giveaway that you had started the celebrations without her.

“I thought it was alcohol free” you reminded her of an innocent child and it was adorable. 

“Come on, we’ve got media to do with Alex” Leah grabbed your hand and together you walked towards the BBC stand.

The spotlight never came easy to you and once the final whistle was blown it didn’t take long for you to go back to your shy self. It was naive of you to think Alex and Farrah would only ask Leah questions seen as through you scored and won player of the match. After the first question, Katie comes out of nowhere and hands you another bottle of champagne, the two of your cheers and you drink more of it. The buzz you felt led to your first stage of intoxication, touchy. Leah answers her set of questions the best she could but you were out to make things more difficult. Your hand, which started by your side, found its way to the small of her back then ventured lower and lower until it rested comfortably on her bum. Alex chuckles when she catches you but you only raise your eyebrows in response, she had seen this side of you before and knew there was no stopping you.

You prove this point by pulling Leah to the locker room as soon as the interview is finished. 

“Whoah, what’s the rush?” Leah giggles as you quickly shut the locker room door.

“I don’t know how long i’ll have” you grab her hips her pull her close to you.

“For what?” 

“This” you crash your lips in Leah’s with passion. The way your body reacted when her lips were on yours amazed you. She had so much power over you and she didn’t even realise it. Your lips move in sync and with every kiss Leah take one step forward towards your locker. The back of you knees hit the seat making you sit down and Leah wastes no time in sitting on your lap with her legs either side of you. You hadn’t kissed her like this in weeks and your girlfriend was savouring every second. For a brief moment you forget about where you are. You let your hands roam her body before pulling her shirt over her head, she in suit does the same thing. She moves her attention to your neck, more specifically the spot she knows drives you wild.

“Eww” Beth says as she enters the locker room.

“This is a family event girls, we have kids present” Jen jokingly covers Gio’s eyes.

Leah, who is clearly more embarrassed than you, quickly gets up off your lap and makes herself presentable. You meanwhile sit back in frustration, only getting dressed when Leah throws a shirt at you.

With the two of you dressed the celebrations begin in the locker room. Jen passes you another bottle of champagne honestly stating that this one has alcohol in but given your new found frustrations down a few mouthfuls. 

Even though you won you still have notes on your performance and how you could have been better so you begin talking with a member of the coaching staff, diagrams are drawn on the board and the conversation gains the attention of Jonas who is intrigued by your strategies. He agrees to work on them when the team returns to training in two days time.

“This is great Y/N and today you proved everybody wrong” he hugged you and the praise was like music to your ears.

“Thanks gaffa” 

“Nice touch. Let me guess, it was Leah’s idea? she wanted the player of the matches shirt”

In a rush it seems Leah put your shirt on, leaving you to wear hers.

“Oh this” you pull at the shirt “Yes, you know how big of a fan she is” 

“Sure” It was clear he didn’t believe you but you didn’t care. 

You had waited 4 years for this moment. It had been a long silverware drought for Arsenal and you hoped that this win gave the team the confidence it needs to return to league football and challenge for the top spot. You were certainly ready for it and even though you were missing your injured team mates you know the team has what it takes to win.

“You two look good together”

Leah takes a quick photo of you with the trophy before taking a photo with both of you. She sends it to her mum followed by a message saying you’ll meet up with them soon.

The closeness in which Leah is sitting gives you the perfect opportunity to continue your mission from earlier. You pepper kisses on the back and side of her neck, smiling smugly when her head dips back in pleasure.

“I can’t wait till we are back in at the hotel” Leah turns and kiss you quickly.

“I don’t plan of waiting that long. You better tell your mum we will be late”