#its the language that gets me why is it like that

[ohnoitstbskyen]

What are your thoughts on the argument that the ending of Arcane was NOT intended to be a happy one? Like, the idea is that the show is a tragedy, and we're MEANT to feel upset that nothing changed between the Twin Cities and that Zaun didn't get its independence. (I can see the argument-especially since the show places so much emphasis on the Cycle of Violence and how difficult it is to break-but I also get why people might not like that take. Your thoughts?)

To borrow a phrase from a better critic: framing and aesthetic supercedes the rest of the text, always, always, always.

The ending is framed as a moment of hopeful progress brought about by the unifying pressure of an outside threat. It's bright, it's airy, it's a liiiiittle tense but it is framed in the visual language as a clear positive, a mark of progress, an olive branch and a moment of change. It is framed in positive visual aesthetics.

If it was meant to be tragic, they failed to present it that way, giving preference to attempting to create a feeling of resolution. This is exemplified most clearly with the bookend of the airship that opens the series, and which Powder says "one day I will ride one of those." In the very final shot that same ship sails out into the blue, beautiful sky absent of storm clouds, implying that that is how Jinx "walks away," thus resolving her arc (please don't get me started on how I feel about Ghost Silco's "I was so wrong to be resentful of my oppressor, the smart move is just to leave my community and fuck off for my own peace of mind" speech.)

[angelesca]

d d d d dddd d DATING ANAXA HEADCANONS 🗣️🗣️🗣️ bc im proper insane, bonkers even (oh blimey she escaped the asylum again)

full art plug here😎

did i draw this and imagine a million scenarios during it? yes. yes idid. this post is the result. btw havent played 3.1 so here are my wrong headcanons (more mischaracterisation? love that) (w/ gnreader as usual!) bc i love my men bratty and smart. WARNING!! i broke my sfw rules for anaxa LMAOOO💔💔mix of sfw + NSFW ahead guys look OUT ITS NOT A DRILL THIS IS HAPPENING AAAAA😭🙏

starting off strong. i ant hold it in anymore ANAXA'S EROGENOUS ZONE IS UNDER HIS EYEPATCH🗣️🗣️🗣️ I HAVE SPOKEN MY TRUTH‼️THIS IS WHAT MADE ME QUESTION MY SFW STATUS I CAN FINALLY RELEASEMY DEMONS

i imagine he lowkey loves it when you have your finger under his eyepatch and. penetrate it. into his cosmos space thingy. and like he breathes really heavy, flushed cheeks, some tears, def some stifled moaning, and will hold your wrist to nudge your finger further in. basically bro is getting off to it. will clean your finger with his tongue after the session, but you have to help him walk around since his legs are deffo jelly after that DO YOU GUYS SEE WHAT IM SEEING PLEEEEASEEE SOMEONE WRITE THIS DONT MAMKE ME DO ITTT😭😭😭😭😭🙏🙏

EDIT: ANAXA HAS A "G-SPOT"/PROSTATE IN HIS SPACE CHEST🗣🗣🗣

WILL TAKE OFF HIS RINGS AND PUT IT ON YOUR FINGERS RAAAAAAAAAAH and he def teases you by sliding it on your ring finger, gauging your reaction as he smirks (that sly sod omggg)

"hmm, this finger looks a little lonely... i could change that."

interlaces his hand with yours to stretch it, like a massage. knows all the pressure points to help de-stress you

uses his wind powers to do fun magic tricks and play with you like imagine he only has to flick his finger and the wind pulls you closer to him HUUUUUUUUUUU SICKCCKKKK. will also blow a calm, soft breeze if you need to relax and take your mind off things.

literally gets a kick off of flustering you (it's his love language) every time you ask him why his response is: "so? don't like it?" mans not embarassed💔

if you have any texting habits, like sending cute stickers or kaomojis, anaxa will copy it bc he thinks its cute and amusing. always replying to your messages, although the same can't be said with the chrysos heirs who nag at him for ignoring theirs

anaxa: where are you? i've been waiting for ages ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴ you: ??? that's my kaomoji??? anaxa: ours now anaxa: (҂` ﾛ ´)︻デ═一 you: ＼(º □ º l|l)/

idk why i feel this so strongly but anaxa just does many smaller kisses, like pecks to the cheek. kinda playful, fleeting but always returning. i also feel like he's a neck kinda guy, always brushing his fingers along it or placing kisses. will secure you in place with a hug just to kiss the nape.

even though you two are together, anaxa will still give you stinky side eyes. loves to hear your gossip for sure, he doesn't say it but he loves chatting shit about others. will be the quietest ever when you have juicy stories.

will flame anyone who has made you upset to bits and pieces. bro's mouth is like a machine gun

likes to tilt your chin, moving it so you face him whenever he wants your attention.

he likes it when you take control, that brat taming typa shiii brooo00 he likes it when you rough him up, always a cheeky grin on his face. prods you as well, like "is that it?", "c'mon, harder my love..."

loves when you give him hickeys, or any markings like scratches. its like staking your claim on him and he fw with that😎

one sure way to get him flustered is straight up telling him "i love you". it forces him to confront his feelings head on and anaxa can't deal with that. will lightly flick your forehead, or anything to stop you from staring at his reddened face.

a/n: so. this is what happens whne im menstruating. how we feeling guys. it was jsut a few very insane headcanons tbh, the rest were fine, bit of an overreaction looool this is tame in comparison to my ao3 works. my god i need my daily cuppa where is it. this reminds me of when i was a wee teenager and experienced akechi from p5 for the first time. changed my trajectory fr. thanks akechi goro u saved ruined me

[wonkizz]

blossom of a flower

in which: you post yourself doing a sexy choreo for the first time ever and it makes enhypen feel…hot and heavy.

엔하이픈 x fem reader genre: highly suggestive warn: very suggestive language, flirting, usage of pet names, cursing, reader can be picked up in riki’s

now playing ▶️ : dance for you by beyoncé

희승

you had posted it on purpose, knowing your boyfriend had your post notifications on. no caption, just the video alone.

you were currently apart, you at your own practice while heeseung was at his. although it wasn’t long before he called you.

“hello,” you answered, trying not to giggle as you heard his harsh breathing on the other end of the phone.

“you’re fucking crazy, you know that?” he says, not even waiting for you to answer before going on a spiel.

“i know you and i know you did that on purpose, knowing we’d be apart. im not there to tease you. not there to tell you how well you did, how good you looked. i can only imagine what was going through your head doing that. was it me? were you thinking of me, baby?”

“i’m always thinking of you hee,” you respond, feeling the temperature in the room get 10x hotter than it already was.

“just wait until later, i’ll give you all the attention you’re probably craving right now.”

종성

your background in hip hop made the genre of dance very easy for you to do and accomplish. jay always praised you whenever you posted a new video of you doing choreo, complimenting you moves. though you had never done something like this.

you decided you wanted to expand your horizons and give another type of dance a try. you didn’t tell jay, wanting it to be a surprise for him as well as your fans.

when you posted it with him right next to you, watching as he got the notification, you gauged his reaction. his eyes widened hearing the song and its lyrics, but his eyes followed you on the screen, watching you move across it in ways he didn’t know you could move.

as the video finished, jay didn’t move nor speak for a moment.

you finally chose to break the ice, “so, what’d you think?”

“i think i have a problem and only you can solve it,” he says, tossing his phone aside, grabbing your hand and leading you to the bedroom.

재윤

jake was your biggest hype man. nobody did it for you like him.

whenever you posted a new video showcasing your talents, he’d be the first one to text you, complimenting you on how good you are.

this time though, when you posted, your phone was eerily dry in terms of texts from him.

you sat on your shared couch, confused as to why he hadn’t texted. did he not like it? was he angry you had posted something like that?

the door suddenly swung open, showing an out of breath jake, sweating like he’d just ran a marathon.

“what’s wrong?” you ask, immediately concerned.

you get up, vying for the kitchen to get him some water when a hand grabs you from behind, turns you around and lips crash onto yours.

the kiss is heated and you can barely keep up as jake moves hurriedly, discarding every piece of clothing he can reach.

“do you know how fucking crazy it drove me seeing you move like that. i had to run out of practice before anyone saw how hard i was.”

성훈

sunghoon was in the dorm when you sent him the link.

“tell me what you think 😘” you had said.

and he watched it, not knowing what to expect.

but the way he immediately got hard was astronomical. he had to use a pillow to cover himself before anyone could see.

“get over here immediately.” he texted back.

you arrived 10 minutes later, jolly with yourself.

the others had thankfully retreated to their rooms, not there to witness sunghoon’s embarrassment. he practically dragged you to his room, throwing you onto his bed and locking the door.

“you think you’re so fucking funny huh?”

you laid there, pleased with yourself if the smile on your face said anything, “i think i’m pretty much a comedian.”

sunghoon started undoing the tie on his sweats, “i’ll show you funny, sweetheart.”

선우

sunoo was also very big on supporting you. he always did his best to show you love and affection, cheering you on with everything you did. this time was no different. he texted you almost immediately after you had posted the video, giving you a live reaction.

“omg im watching it now.”

“okay, love the song choice”

“ohhh this is different for you!!”

“how do you move like that, seriously??”

and then it was quiet for a few minutes.

“are you okay?” you had texted, worried something had happened.

the text bubble popped up immediately and you couldn’t help but laugh at his next text.

“i’m okay, but im hard and horny now :( how could you do this to me?”

“do you need me to come help you?”

“yes please.”

정원

you and jungwon danced together frequently.

today you decided to show him a new choreo you had learned with your choreographer. he was excited of course, always ready to see whatever it was you wanted to show him.

what he wasn’t expecting was the loud bass and slow melody to come out of the speakers.

nor was he expecting the way you moved to the floor. the way you moved…how else could he describe it other than enticing and absolutely beautiful? by the time you finished, he had to wipe the drool that had escaped his mouth.

you walked up to him, laughing at his shocked face, knowing this was something you’d never done before. something he’d never seen before.

“so, what’d you think?”

jungwon had to take a second to think about his next words. he got up, going to the door of the practice room, locking it.

he came back to you, “i think i need you right now and i can’t wait until we’re back home.”

니키

riki was in the bedroom, getting ready to go out with the guys while you were sat in the living room.

you posted the video on purpose of course, your intention to make him stay home with you, without words of course.

within seconds, you could heard the video playing from the bedroom. you giggled to yourself, praying your plan worked.

you thought it would end after one play, but then you heard it play three more times.

is he good? you thought to yourself, but not getting up to check on him.

suddenly, he came out of the bedroom, phone in hand, video playing again for a fourth time, half dressed by the way.

“if you wanted me to stay home, you could’ve just asked,” he said, smirking at you.

you shrugged your shoulders, “maybe i just needed a reason to post the video.”

riki suddenly ditched his phone in favor of picking you up off the couch and carrying you to the bedroom as you laughed.

“we’ll see how much you’re laughing by time i’m done with you.”

WONKIZZ 2025

note: i got kinda lazy as we went so pls ignore that :/ i hope u enjoy anyway andddd yeah hehe

[aeribbon]

runway star | kim mingyu (seventeen)

summary; when you catch someone’s eye on the runway and find the love of your life at the same time

pairing; idol!kim mingyu x model!reader

fc; yasmin wijnaldum

warnings; english isn’t my first language, some innuendos ? + i tried to write something at the end but its my first time so 🙈

an; hi i'm back ahaha 😅 taking requests if you guys ever have an idea :) + like and reblog are appreciated

navigation / masterlist

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min9yu_k

liked by dior, vernonline and 3,4M others !

min9yu_k great show ! thank you dior and paris 🖤 #fw

username hes actually so fine its insane

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username "thank you dior for giving us more paris mingyu" we say in unison

username oh to wake up next to him every morning

sound_of_coups hope you’re having fun

▮ min9yu_k you guys were missing :(

username BOOMSHAKALA

username and the crowd is in love

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username streets are saying he was on a date in paris

▮ username none of our business if we’re being fr

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username both lips are smiling

username sometime you just gotta like and say damn

yourusername

liked by yourbestfriend, alexconsani, min9yu_k and 347k others !

yourusername and that’s a wrap on paris fashion week, thanks to everyone i’m really grateful now vacations are calling

yourbestfriend i’m so proud of you

▮ yourusername 🩷

alexconsani the hottest girl on the runway

▮ yourusername it’s you tho

username she has such a captivating aura it’s crazy

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username model of the year

▮ username fr if she doesn’t get that award, blood will bleed

username ugh

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bellahadid girl hmu before milan we need to hang out

▮ yourusername i miss you

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▮ username lmaoo that’s what im saying what is mingyu doing here

username OMG

imnotningning you’re so fine it hurts

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username basic

▮ username we sure do see you on the runway 😂

deuxmoi

liked by minwonshu, mwinstic and 128k others !

deuxmoi kpop idol and model kim mingyu from the group seventeen was seen on a supposed date in paris during fashionweek, any ideas who could this mystery woman be ?

username we can’t even see if it’s actually mingyu

▮ deuxmoi our source has clearly seen his face but didn’t want to be seen talking pictures

▮ username ofc y’all are violating their privacy

username NOOOOOOO JUST FELL DOWN ON MY KNEES

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username probably a gold digger

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username omg stop taking pic of me and my bf this is not cool

▮ username lmao girl something is wrong cause that’s actually my man

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username you mean lucky mystery woman

▮ username FR !! that girl is on a date with thee mingyu

username girl must have manifested hard for her to end up on a date with mingyu

username i really wonder who is she

min9yu_k

liked by yourusername, dk_is_dokyeom and 4,6M others !

min9yu_k italy salute

username CRAZY PICS

username what are we mingyu ?

username oh this post is going down in the books

username girl breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner

username he’s so husband in this post wow

username just one chance

dk_is_dokyeom enjoying once again without us

▮ min9yu_k had my priorities

▮ vernonline priorities 👀

▮ username oh

username mingyu the man that you are

username born to ride forced to like and scroll

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▮ username something really shifted ahaha

username woof woof woof

yourusername

liked by bellahadid, min9yu_k and 235k others !

yourusername 🇮🇹

username such an icon

username serving on the runway and outside of it 🔥

username now hold on that dump is familiar

username IS THAT A MAN ?

▮ username no we can’t lose her

imnotningning omfg

▮ alexconsani i can’t believe she left us and disappeared a few days just for this

▮ imnotningning i fear we got replaced

▮ yourusername omg yall

username ok mother

username ik someone who is in italy too and look strangely like the guy in last pic

▮ username who ??

▮ username prob mingyu

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username that profile mogs

bellahadid is that who i think it is ?

▮ yourusername ahaha

username that first pic is everything

yournameupdates

liked by username, ynunsual and 23k others !

yournameupdates our girl was spotted by the italian coast with a guy that appears to be her boyfriend as they packed on pda a few moments before pictures were taken !

username i wish so bad to be that guy

username lucky bastard

username tea

username oh to be fully booked on shows and still go on vacations with my little bf

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username stop posting paparazzi pictures of her private life this isn’t cool

username look at her living for the cameras

▮ username is you dumb ?

▮ username you’re literally commenting on a fan page of yn ofc you’re gonna find pictures from paparazzi of her

username yn please take me on vacations with you

username i want to live her life so bad

yourusername

liked by min9yu_k, alexconsani and 456k others !

yourusername paris then where to next ?

username so pretty

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alexconsani girl wow

bellahadid mouth is drooling

imnotningning she isn’t hanging out with us anymore but at least she’s still serving

▮ yourusername i literally saw you girls last week ?

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username she looks so in love

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▮ username stoooppp yall are breaking my heart

username mid

username paris the infamous city of love (liked by creator)

▮ yourusername it sure is

username gorgeous

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username i can’t wait to see her back on the runway

▮ username fr i miss her

username i want her so badly

username we’ve been acting like it had become a habit to see mingyu lurking in the likes of

▮ username exactly ?? why is no one reacting anymore

min9yu_k

liked by yourusername, junhui_moon and 3,9M others !

min9yu_k paris then new york ?

username his posts have been looking like soft launches lately

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▮ username he is probably just eating with his manager all the time lol

▮ username nah you’re delusional we’ve got enough proofs the last months

username paris paris paris the city of love (liked by creator)

username he is so written by a teenage girl who has a dream man in mind

username i’d kill to have my mind erased and discover the existence of this fine man again

▮ username so real of you

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▮ username how do you know that lol

username i’ve feel like this caption is an answer to yourname’s latest post

username you’re onto something?

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▮ username idk but they've been camping in eo likes

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username raw

text messages between mingyu and minghao

text messages yn and bella, ningning and alex

instagram stories update from yourusername and min9yu_k

replies in the insta group between bella, ningning and alex

alexconsani y'all are so not discreet this is crazy

yourusername he wants to soft launch ahaha

imnotningning OMG FINALLY ???

bellahadid it was awaited after 7 months

alexconsani already ?? you never lasted that long before getting bored

yourusername idk he might be the one guys

imnotningning wow

instagram stories from yourusername and min9yu_k

replies to yourusername's stories

username he kinda looks familiar even with the blur

username pls tell me this is just a friend and not your bf

yourbestfriend finally soft launching

▮ yourusername yeah 😝

min9yu_k you should have waited for me to post ahaha are you in a rush to let them know

▮ yourusername guilty

▮ min9yu_k i love you

min9yu_k

liked by yourusername, feat.dino and 3,1M others !

min9yu_k new york with you or nowhere

username that caption ????

username guys it might be over for us

username that man is taken

username nooooooo

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feat.dino you're so cheesy

▮ min9yu_k yeah and ?

▮ username dino please tell us who is she

alexconsani new york isn't new york without some pizza

▮ min9yu_k fact

▮ username this interaction is so random what ??

▮ username yn is always lurking in his likes so she probably showed mingyu's account to alex as they're bestfriends

▮ username yeah you're right omg

▮ username SHUT UP ALEX and MINGYU ??

▮ username the duo we didnt know we needed

username everybody is falling in love and i'm falling behind 💔

yourusername

liked by imnotningning, min9yu_k and 635k others !

yourusername city never sleeps and neither do i

username bold to caption this while soft laughing your man

▮ username ahaha i love her

username so pretty

username 4rd picture so wow

username NOT THE MAN MAKING A COME BACK

username she was for us, the girls,...

▮ username i can't believe it

imnotningning nato being in the city too and only seeing you once

▮ alexconsani i'm really starting to dislike that man

▮ bellahadid we need to kidnap her guys

▮ yourusername y'all really know how to exaggerate i saw you guys for brunch two times and we did a whole shopping day

▮ alexconsani that's not enough 👹

username i love this friend group

▮ username they're so funny and they really love each other jsozjjqh

username this guy is so familiar but i can't put a name on the face

▮ username me too and it's slowly killing me

▮ username guys look at username's thread on twitter this is so mingyu !!!!

▮ username hold on let me take a look

username OH

username to be in my twenties and to travel with my bf

username thread on twitter

dispatch_english

liked username, username and 76k others !

dispatch_english latest tweets from the group of models known as ''nato'' on social medias after a thread is trending on x/twitter affirming that mingyu from seventeen and model yn are dating ! what do you think 👀 ?

username lmao they do know that tweeting that just adds fuel to the rumours

username bella is the only smart girl in this group i see

username they're totally right ! idk why our society allows that

username they do deserve privacy but they kinda chose to have the lights on them at any moments

▮ username fr i don't know why they're complaining ??? i wouldn't mind switching place if it only means that !

username did they lie tho ???

username i can't believe mingyu is really dating that

▮ username do you think you're qualified to chose mingyu should date lol ? bffr girl

username if my relationship was exposed on a twitter thread i'll burn everything down

username giving them 2 months and they'll break up lol she's a supermodel who travels and he's an idol 😂🙏

▮ username damn how jealous you must be to think AND comment this

username i wish them to do well so bad like you guys can't understand i'm so ready for the content of this powerful couple

▮ username their babies are going to mog everyone

yourusername

liked by min9yu_k, alexconsani and 1,2M others !

yourusername latest travel diaries

comments are limited

alexconsani proving our point, you spend all your time with him

▮ imnotningning she isn't even hiding anymore

▮ bellahadid the world is finally witnessing this betrayal

imnotningning but you guys are so hot

▮ alexconsani you better find a guy as hot as you

▮ yourusername who says she doesn't already have one ?

▮ alexconsani WHAT ??

▮ bellahadid you gotta keep up girl

min9yu_k where to next ? ;)

▮ yourusername wherever you go 🩷

▮ vernonline being cheesy on main is crazy ??

▮ min9yu_k you're going to be worse than this one day

min9yu_k

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min9yu_k 💋🌊🍔✈️❤️

comments are disabled

instagram story from alexconsani

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the sun is shining bright in your room as you open your eyes, feeling someone shifts beside you and hands wrapping around your waist.

''i had a bad dream'' mingyu whispers in your ear as he also wake up. ''oh yeah what did you dream about ?'' you ask, moving the bedsheets aside to finally face your boyfriend.

''i dreamt that you wasn't there at the fashion show where we first met, can you imagine my life without you ? i don't know how i would have survived without you, your smile, your humour, your eyes, your love.'' he presses soft kisses all over your face. ''i hope you know that i love you right ?'' he continues.

''oh trust me i know that ahaha but i think i love you more'' you tease, deciding to shower him in kisses too, ''i would have found you anyway ? i truly believe we're soulmates.'' you add, starting to feel a bit shy as the words leave your mouth.

''i'm gonna marry you one day'' he murmurs, and your cheeks grow even redder at his words. you erupt into shy laughter, your heart swelling with love.

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[justarkive]

TABLE 3 | JJK ch 3

“For good service, and cute waitresses”

pairing: premilitary!jk x secret fuckbuddy! oc

contents: mild language, no smut (yet), fluff, humour, celeb au, very mild angst, slowburn </3

wc: 6k

this fic is not meant to represent the real jungkook or any other characters mentioned!

taglist: if anyone wants to join pls comment!!

a/n: this fic is going so much better than id thought it would! i love it and cant wait to progress. Nari’s might also come across as mean, but know its in a best friend way and she truly does love oc. ENJOY MY LOVES <3 p.s, all interactions are much appreciated, pls dont be afraid to let me know what you think:)

masterlist | < previous | next >

You find yourself back at Nari’s apartment. These days, it’s the only place you feel like going to. Your own place feeling like a lost cause- clothes piling up, draped over your desk chair you could’ve sworn you cleaned up last week, dishes in the sink that you could’ve sworn you’d washed yesterday. Work has been exhausting, and when you’re not caught up in the bustle of the diner, you’re busy running errands and keeping up with side hobbies, using them as an excuse to avoid everything else.

At least at Nari’s, things feel a little less overwhelming, and it’s easier to forget everything else.

And Nari doesn’t mind, she’d never mind.

She’s in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a glass of wine, her free hand lazily scrolling through her phone. Her TV hums in the background, playing some trashy reality show neither of you are actually watching. You’re curled up on the couch, knees pulled to your chest, fingers absentmindedly picking at a loose thread on the throw pillow in your lap.

You’ve been quiet for way too long, and though you are a quiet person by nature. It’s never been truly quiet with you around Nari.

And Nari notices. Of course she does.

It’s not past a second before she side eyes you over her glass, pausing mid scroll. “Alright” She says, pushing off the counter. “What’s going on with you?”

You blink up at her. “Huh?”

“You look like you just got caught committing a crime,” she says, raising an eyebrow. “Spit it out.”

You shake your head quickly. “It’s nothing.”

Nari stares at you for a second longer, then sighs, putting her phone down on the counter. She’s walking over, the heels of her socks dragging slightly against the floor, and plops down next to you, pressing her shoulder against yours.

You hesitate, fingers tightening around the pillow. The words are there, right at the tip of your tongue, but saying them out loud makes it feel too real.

Nari doesn’t give you the chance to stall any longer. She sets her phone down and walks over, plopping down on the couch next to you. “You’ve been sitting there looking like you’re about to have a breakdown for the past twenty minutes,” she says. “Either you tell me what’s going on, or I start guessing, and you know I have no filter.”

You exhale sharply. “It’s not that serious.”

Nari just stares. “Yeah, okay. So why do you look like you’re about to throw up?”

You press your lips together, debating whether you should even bring it up. It’s stupid. It really is. But the anxiety has been eating away at you since he did it, and if anyone’s going to tell you if you’re being ridiculous, it’s Nari.

You reach into the pocket of your hoodie and pull out a small, crumpled piece of paper. For a second, you just hold it between your fingers, staring at it like it as if that would make it disappear. Then, finally, you place it on the coffee table between you and Nari.

She frowns. “What’s that?”

You swallow. “Jungkook left me his number.”

There’s a beat of silence. Nari blinks. Then she blinks again, leaning forward to get a better look at the paper, like she needs to confirm that you’re not messing with her.

“Wait—Jungkook?”

You nod, heart hammering against your ribs.

“As in the Jungkook?” You nod again, looking at her as if to say: yeah Nari, who else?

Nari lets out a sharp breath, eyes darting between you and the paper. “And you’re telling me this now?” She takes the paper from your hand “Saturday?! Seriously? It’s been 2 days and you’re only telling me now?” She whines, smacking your arm lightly.

You shrug, biting your lip, not trusting yourself to say anything.

Nari stares at you like you’ve lost your mind. “And what exactly is the problem here? Did you text him? Has he shown up to the diner again?”

You bite your lip. “What if it’s a joke?”

Her expression drops into something unimpressed. “What?”

“What if I actually message him, and he laughs in my face? What if this is just some silly game?” You cross your arms, shifting uncomfortably. “Imagine I actually text him, and it turns out he just left it to mess with me.”

Nari looks at you like you just suggested jumping into oncoming traffic for fun. “Are you stupid?”

You blink. “Yes! What- No. Ugh! I dont know?”

“Why the hell would he give you a fake number? Celebrities don’t just do that.” She picks up the paper, waving it in your face. “And Jungkook? He doesn’t seem like the type to waste his time playing games.”

“But—”

“But nothing,” she cuts you off. “I saw the way he was looking at you. That man is not out here giving his number to random women for fun.” She shakes her head. “And even if it was a joke—which it isn’t—you’d at least know. Right now, you’re just sitting here torturing yourself over something you haven’t even done yet.”

You press your lips together, stomach flipping. “I don’t know, Nari.”

“I do know.” She leans back against the couch, arms crossed. “And at the very least, now you can get a heads-up before he randomly shows up again and you dont have to shit your pants every time he does.”

You let out a laugh, chewing on the inside of your cheek. “Yeah, but you saw what happened last time…”

Nari rolls her eyes. “Listen I get that- Crazy fans and shit? Not it, but you could be missing out on something big here.” She shrugs, taking a slow sip of her wine, like this isn’t making your entire brain short-circuit. “Worst case scenario? He doesn’t respond. Best case scenario? Well.” She smirks. “I don’t think I need to spell it out for you.”

You stare at the number again, nerves buzzing under your skin.

Fuck it.

Your fingers twitch as you pick up your phone, opening your messages. You hesitate, heart in your throat.

The phone sits between you and Nari on the couch, untouched. You haven’t stopped staring at it since she made you unlock it, since she made you pull up Jungkook’s number and prove to her that it’s really there. His name isn’t saved, obviously—you’re not that delusional—but it’s there. Sitting at the top of your recents, right where you left it.

And you hate that it’s there.

Nari sighs. “Alright, I literally can’t take another second of this. Either you text him, or I’m throwing your phone out the fucking window.”

Your body jerks up immediately. “I can’t text him.”

She looks at you like you’ve personally offended her. “Yes, you can.”

“No, I actually can’t.” You grab a pillow and shove your face into it. “You do it.”

A scoff. “What? No.”

“Nari, please.” Your voice is muffled, desperate. “I’ll never ask you for anything ever again.”

“You literally will,” she deadpans. “Probably within the next hour.”

“I’m serious.” You peek at her from over the pillow. “Please, just send the first message.”

“You’re being ridiculous. He wouldn’t have given you his number if he didn’t want you to use it.”

“Or maybe he gave it to me as a joke.”

She groans, standing up and dragging a hand down her face. “Oh my fucking God. What is wrong with you?”

“If I message him, and he laughs at me, I’m never leaving this apartment again.”

She rolls her eyes, dropping back onto the couch beside you. “Yeah, because Jungkook has nothing better to do than sit around and make fun of random girls.”

“Exactly.”

Nari grabs your arm, shaking you. “You’re so stupid.”

You let out a strangled sound as she shakes harder, knocking you against the couch cushions. “Nari, stop—”

“No, because you’re actually so stupid. I saw the way he was looking at you.”

You groan extra loud.

Nari shoves you again, this time hard enough that you almost fall sideways. “You are so dramatic.”

“Okay, then you message him,” you whine, turning back to her with wide, pleading eyes. “Please. Just send one text, and then I’ll take over.”

She groans, leaning her head back against the couch. “Fine. But I’m not doing ‘Hi, this is YN.’ That’s lame.”

You nod immediately. “Yeah, no, that’s boring.”

She thinks for a second, then smirks. “What if we go with, ‘Hey, soldier, miss me?’”

You push her. “Stop.”

Nari just laughs. “Or, ooh!—‘I heard boys like you love discipline, so I waited a respectable amount of time before texting. 😉’”

“Im deleting his number.”

“You love me.”

“I don’t.”

She hums, tapping your phone screen. “Okay, what about this: ‘I promise I’m not a stalker, but I did just spend the past two days debating if this was actually your number.’”

You hesitate. “…Okay- Yeah, that’s actually kinda good.”

“Duh.” She types it out and, before you can stop her, presses send.

Your stomach drops. “Nari, what the fuck.”

She throws the phone onto your lap with a smug grin. “Too late.”

You gape at the screen, heart pounding as the message sits there. And keeps sitting there.

Jungkook doesn’t reply immediately.

Which—of course he doesn’t. He’s busy. He’s literally Jungkook. He’s probably off training or singing or whatever idols do in their free time.

Still.

You groan, throwing your head back. “This was a mistake.”

Beside you, Nari pats your head like a disapproving mother. “No, I made a mistake. I should’ve sent, ‘Hey, kookie~, miss me?’”

You nudge her away. “I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

You kind of do. But now, you’re stuck waiting for a reply.

And it’s already driving you insane.

—

Hours pass.

You and Nari don’t do much of anything—just exist in the same space, like always. The TV plays some random drama you’ve both seen a hundred times before, voices droning on in the background while you scroll through your phone and Nari flips through a magazine she doesn’t actually care about. The comfort of it is familiar, easy. This is why you come here. Why her apartment is the only place you really want to be these days.

But none of it stops your eyes from flicking back to your phone every two minutes.

Still nothing.

Nari notices. Of course, she does.

“Y/n.” She doesn’t even look up from her magazine. “Get it the fuck together.”

You huff. “I am together.”

“No, you’re not.” She turns a page, unimpressed. “You look like you’re waiting for an organ transplant.”

You make a face, shifting to sit on your hands so you physically can’t reach for your phone again. “I just—I don’t get why he hasn’t replied yet.”

“Because he’s Jungkook?” Nari deadpans. “You know, worldwide superstar, busy man, famous guy? Maybe, just maybe, he has other shit to do?”

You grumble, kicking at her leg. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Then what do you mean?”

You hesitate, chewing on the inside of your cheek. “What if he’s ignoring me?”

Nari groans. “Oh my God. I literally cannot do this with you right now.” She tosses the magazine onto the coffee table and sits up, jabbing a finger at you. “This is what we’re not gonna do, okay? We’re not gonna sit here and spiral. We’re not gonna create insane scenarios in our head. And we’re definitely not gonna act like Jungkook is some high school jock plotting to humiliate you in front of the whole cafeteria.”

You glare at her. “That was a very specific example.”

She shrugs. “I read a lot of Wattpad in my youth.”

“As you should.”

“Anyway.” She leans back, stretching her arms over her head. “Since you clearly can’t function like a normal person right now, I’m declaring a ban on all Jungkook-related thoughts for the next few hours.”

“You can’t ban thoughts.”

“I can in this household.”

You roll your eyes, but you don’t argue. Mostly because she’s right—this whole thing is driving you insane, and if you don’t stop obsessing over it, you’re going to lose your mind before Jungkook even gets a chance to reply.

So, you let it go. Or at least, you try to.

The night continues as it always does. You and Nari switch to watching trashy reality TV, taking turns talking shit about people you don’t know. You fight over the last slice of pizza, which Nari wins, but only because she threatens to lock you out of the apartment. You don’t think she’d actually do it, but you’re not willing to take the risk.

Time slips by unnoticed, and before you know it, the sky outside the window has darkened completely.

“You sleeping over?” Nari asks, stretching her legs across the couch.

You blink at her like she’s just asked something stupid. “Of course, I am. What do you think?”

She smirks. “Good. I was gonna make you stay even if you said no.”

You laugh, throwing a pillow at her. She dodges easily, flipping you off in the process.

And then—your phone buzzes.

Your whole body goes still.

Nari notices immediately, eyes snapping to your phone, and then to you.

“Oh my god,” she says slowly. “Tell me that’s who I think it is.”

You don’t answer. Just stare at the screen like it might disappear if you blink.

Another buzz.

Nari lunges forward, but you snatch the phone before she can grab it. Your hands are shaking.

She bounces impatiently beside you. “Well? Open it!”

Swallowing thickly, you finally unlock the screen.

[ iMessage:]

Unknown Number: Took you long enough.

Unknown Number: Was starting to think you weren’t interested.

You just stare. Your stomach does a weird little flip, your heart picking up speed.

Nari, practically vibrating beside you, grabs your arm. “WHAT DOES IT SAY!?”

You lift your head slowly, meeting her gaze with wide, horrified eyes.

“He’s flirting with me-“

Nari screams.

And just like that, everything is chaos again.

Your brain short-circuits.

Your hands tighten around your phone, fingers pressing into the edges like you’re afraid it might jump out of your grasp. Your breathing is uneven, and you’re pretty sure your heart is going to give out right here, on Nari’s couch, before you even get the chance to respond.

Nari grabs your wrist, shaking you violently. “WHAT THE FUCK?! REPLY.”

“I CAN’T.” You clutch the phone to your chest like it’s some kind of secret government file, eyes blown wide in panic. “OH MY GOD, WHAT DO I EVEN SAY?”

Nari looks at you like you’ve just spoken in an ancient language. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHAT DO YOU SAY? YOU SAY SOMETHING BACK. LITERALLY ANYTHING.”

“No, no, no, I—” You shake your head frantically, scrambling up onto your knees as if somehow getting higher up will help you think better. “If I reply too fast, it’s gonna look desperate.”

Nari throws her hands up. “Desperate for what? A conversation? Bitch, this is not high school! We are adults. We do not play fucking mind games over text like we’re waiting for our crush to message us back like we’re 15!”

You press your palms over your face, groaning into them. “Oh my God, what if this is a joke? What if he’s messing with me? What if—”

“WHAT IF HE’S NOT?” Nari yells, shoving at your shoulder. “What if he actually fucking likes you, you absolute dumbass?”

You glare at her, shoving her back. “DON’T CALL ME A DUMBASS, I’M HAVING A CRISIS.”

“IT’S A STUPID CRISIS.”

The two of you wrestle on the couch for a second, limbs flying, before she overpowers you and shoves you back into the cushions. You huff, staring up at the ceiling, trying to steady your heartbeat.

A few deep breaths. Then another. Okay. You’re fine. You’re cool.

You roll your head to the side, looking at Nari. “What do I say?”

She stares at you, completely done. “You say, ‘Hey, this is me responding to your text message.’”

You groan, throwing an arm over your face. “Be serious.”

“I am being serious.” She snatches your phone right out of your grip, dodging your grabby hands as she holds it above her head. “Look. You’re overthinking. You don’t have to send an essay, just flirt back.”

You peek at her through your arm. “How?”

“Oh my God.” She sighs dramatically, shifting so she’s sitting on her knees beside you. “Okay, let’s workshop this. He said, ‘Took you long enough. Was starting to think you weren’t interested.’” She pauses. “Ooh, that’s kinda sexy.”

“SHUT UP.”

“I’m just saying.”

You groan again, kicking your legs in frustration. “I hate this. Why am I like this? I should just block him.”

Nari slaps your thigh so hard you yelp.

“YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING.”

You whimper. “Fine. Just—help me.”

She grins, shuffling closer. “Okay. So, we’re going for playful, yeah? Something that keeps the same energy.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Like, oh? You were waiting for me? That’s kinda cute.”

Your entire body recoils. “EW, no, that sounds so corny.”

She cackles. “Okay, okay. What about, ‘Oh, were you hoping I’d text first? That’s adorable.’”

You blink. “Ugh why are you so good at this?”

“I know.” She flips her hair dramatically. “I am the queen of texting.”

You shake your head, snatching your phone back. “Fine. I’ll say something like that.”

“Good.” She pats your knee. “Now send it.”

Your thumbs hover over the keyboard. Your pulse pounds in your ears. You type the message. Delete it. Type it again. Delete it again. At this point, you’re just spamming letters on your keyboard.

“Nari,” you whisper.

She groans. “What now?”

“…Can you send it for me?”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT.”

You flinch at the volume of her voice. “But—”

“No buts.” She glares at you, unimpressed. “Send it. Now.”

You hesitate for one more agonizing second. And then, taking a deep breath, you hit send.

You both freeze, staring at the screen like it might explode.

The message sits there. Marked as delivered. Silent.

You toss your phone across the couch and bury your face in a pillow.

Nari gasps. “Bitch, what are you doing?”

“I CAN’T LOOK.”

“Oh my God.” She lunges for the phone. “What if he replies? What if he—”

Buzz.

Your whole body seizes up.

Nari screams.

You scream.

Neither of you move.

Buzz.

Another message.

You shoot up so fast your vision goes blurry, scrambling for your phone. Nari practically jumps onto your back, gripping your shoulders as she shrieks into your ear.

You unlock the screen, heart pounding, pulse hammering against your ribs. And then—

[ iMessage:]

Unknown number: Adorable? That’s a new one. You trying to flirt with me?

Your soul leaves your body.

Nari shrieks. “OH MY FUCKING GOD.”

You smack her. She smacks you back. You both devolve into incoherent screaming, kicking your legs and shaking each other like wild animals.

And somewhere in the chaos, it finally sinks in.

Jungkook is flirting back.

This is real.

What the fuck do you do now?

You’re still gripping your phone like it’s a lifeline, staring at Jungkook’s message like the words might rearrange themselves into something less terrifying.

Your brain is malfunctioning. Your hands are clammy. Your heart rate is somewhere near cardiac arrest levels.

“Nari,” you whisper, voice shaky. “What do I say?”

Nari, who has just spent the last five minutes screaming and shaking you like a maraca, suddenly changes tactics. She plops back against the couch, crossing her arms. “Nothing.”

You blink. “What?”

“Nothing,” she repeats, grabbing the remote and flipping through Netflix. “Let him wait.”

Your whole body jolts. “WAIT?”

“Yes.” She leans back smugly. “We’re watching a show. You’ll text him in the morning.”

You gape at her, horrified. “No. No, no, no, please—”

“Yes.”

“Nari, please!” You grab her arm, shaking her dramatically. “I will literally die. My soul will leave my body.”

“Okay, good,” she says, deadpan. “Then I’ll text Jungkook myself and tell him his little admirer died of thirst.”

You let out a strangled noise, throwing yourself back against the couch. “I hate you.”

“You love me.” She pats your knee like you’re a distressed child. “And you asked for my advice, so now you’re gonna take it. No texting until morning. Let him wonder.”

You stare at her, betrayed. “This is evil.”

She shrugs, putting on some random drama. “Welcome to the game, bitch.”

You sulk for a few more minutes, checking your phone every five seconds like a lovesick fool before Nari finally yanks it out of your hands and tosses it across the room.

“BED,” she orders, standing up. “Now.”

You groan but eventually drag yourself to your feet, trudging to her bedroom like a prisoner on death row. When you finally get under the covers, you let out a heavy sigh.

“This is torture.”

Nari snickers, turning off the light. “You’ll thank me in the morning.”

You highly doubt that.

—

The next morning, you wake up feeling… slightly less insane. Only slightly.

Nari is still dead to the world when you roll out of bed, stretching with a groan. You grab your phone off the nightstand and check your notifications.

No new messages from Jungkook.

You stare at the screen for a moment, heart sinking slightly. Not that you expected him to double-text you or anything, but still.

Shaking off the disappointment, you tiptoe out of Nari’s apartment and head home. It’s a busy day—you’ve got errands to run, places to be, things to do. You get caught up in it all for a while, hopping from one task to the next.

And then—

Buzz.

[ iMessage ]

Unknown number: So, am I getting a response, or did you decide flirting with me was a one-time thing?

[marie-swriting]

New Beginnings - Emily Prentiss

Masterlist

Summary : Emily discovers Andrew Mendoza, her boyfriend, wants to propose and as she thinks back to what you told her when you broke up years ago, she realises why she's so reluctant at the idea of marrying a man.

Warnings : set between s15 and s16, comphet, struggling with sexuality, lesbian Emily Prentiss, reader is queer but no label is used, mention of Emily's abortion and catholic guilt about it and her sexuality, angst, happy ending, maybe some grammatical mistakes as English is not my first language, tell me if you see some or if I missed any warnings.

Word count : 2.7k

French version

Song inspiration : Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan

Emily blankly stares at the ceiling, her brain working fast and slow at the same time. She thinks back on her life, more specifically her relationships and the more she thinks about it, the more she notices a similarity in all of them.

Andrew Mendoza’s arm wraps itself around her waist, interrupting her train of thoughts. Emily’s body stiffens while she turns her head and looks at his sleeping face. She can’t believe she didn’t do anything to stop herself from getting into this situation. Feeling like she’s suffocating, Emily gets out of Andrew’s grip and goes to the bathroom without making any sound. The door closed, Emily drinks some water and then wets her face before putting her hands on both sides of the sink and looking at her reflection in the mirror. While she’s gazing at herself, Emily reminisces about the discovery she did earlier in the day.

As she was searching for one of her sweaters, she went through the entire closet where she found a ring in a red box hidden among her boyfriend’s socks. Emily panicked the second she saw the jewel, all at once she put it back in its place. Since then, she can’t stop thinking about what this ring means; Andrew plans on proposing to her nonetheless. When? She doesn’t know, she can’t stay in this relationship. Her head in her hands, she’s looking for a way to announce the awful news to Andrew. While she thinks about what she could say, a sentence and a voice she hadn’t thought about for a few decades make their way to her mind: “if you stay in denial, you’ll find yourself in a relationship you won’t want and one night, you’ll wake up in panic, wondering why you were so adamant on being someone you’re not.” You had said this to her when you were both fifteen.

You and Emily had become friends as soon as she first arrived in your school in Rome. You were inseparable and you shared your deepest secrets; one of them being you were questioning your sexuality which brought you closer. For the first time in your life, you felt understood. At first, it was platonic. From time to time, you were talking about how you were feeling, your interrogations and depending on the day, you’d reassure one another.

However, one night when Emily had invited you over, your relationship shifted. You kissed, your first kiss with someone from the same gender. At first, it was just to try, to be sure you liked girls, then, after a few more tries, you confessed to Emily your kisses meant a lot to you. Consequently, you had accepted to discover this new side of your relationship. There wasn’t a label on it, though you would kiss whenever you could, get jealous and do everything together. You were just experimenting. Yet, you were more in it than Emily. You wanted more, but she was always reluctant. Understanding perfectly your best friend, you hadn’t insisted on being official even if you would have wanted to. You were just two best friends who kissed. For you, it was reason enough to not meet other people, for Emily, it was really not the same.

One day, while you were going to school, you found her kissing John Cooley, a friend you had in common. Your heart had shattered into a billion pieces for the first time in your life. Sure, you were still discovering who you were, nevertheless you weren’t expecting her to kiss someone else, let alone a guy. Looking at her from afar, you had seen her smile, though you knew she was faking it. You were so hurt you ignored Emily for a whole week. Noticing your change, Emily took you aside during break, away from all the ears.

“What’s wrong? Why are you avoiding me?” Emily asked you.

“When were you gonna tell me about you and John?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she denied, looking away.

“Sure, you don’t,” you laughed humorless. “I saw you kissing him last week. I can’t believe you did this to me.”

“We never agreed on being together.”

“Because you never wanted to label it! And I’m not mad at you for that, I just didn’t think you’d kiss other people. I knew I should have put an end to this a long time ago,” you sighed, your heart beating loudly in your chest. “So, is he your boyfriend?”

“If you absolutely want to know, yes, he is. Besides, me and you, it was more to experience things. It was never love.”

“Wow, I can’t believe it. Let’s see how it lasts between you two.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re wasting your time with him,” you replied, taking a step forward. “We both know you don’t like guys.”

“I can like boys and girls!”

“Sure you can, but you said it yourself several times, you’re not sure you love guys and you feel like you’re searching for their validation. I think that says a lot.”

“You don’t know how I feel. You’re not in my head,” Emily retorted, defensive.

“True, though I know you well enough. You can try to convince yourself all you want, it’s not gonna change who you are. But you know what? It’s not my problem. You took me for a fool for too long, I’m done, so go ahead, be with him,” you stated, tearing up. “Keep kissing him, go kiss other guys even, if it can make you feel better but if you stay in denial, you’ll find yourself in a relationship you won’t want and one night, you’ll wake up in panic, wondering why you were so adamant on being someone you’re not. And even if I don’t wish you an unfulfilling relationship, I will tell you ‘I told you so’. You’ll see. You can deny all you want, but we know the truth, so good luck, Emily.”

On those words, you walked away, leaving Emily alone with her denial, yet also her heartache. She might have been too proud to admit it, but losing you hurt her a lot purely and simply because she hadn’t just lost a best friend.

The following morning, Emily is exhausted. She only slept two hours as her dark circles under her eyes prove it. At the crack of dawn, Emily leaves the apartment she shares with Mendoza, leaving him alone, and goes to a café near the BAU headquarters. She orders a black coffee, hoping it’ll keep her awake. Her order ready, Emily is about to walk out from the place when a familiar face catches her attention. She does a double take, staring at the person sitting at a table away from her and once she’s sure she’s not mistaken, she walks towards them. At the table, Emily says your name out loud, making you look up. A surprise expression takes place on your face, realising who is in front of you.

“Emily Prentiss! What a surprise!” you exclaim with a big smile. “How long has it been? You know what, don’t tell me, I don’t want to feel old. I already struggle hiding my gray hair.”

“We're the same on this,” she laughs. “I didn’t know you were in D.C..”

“I moved here three months ago. What about you? You’ve been here for a long time? What do you do?”

“I moved about twenty years ago. I’m working for the FBI, at the Behavioral Analysis Unit, more specifically.”

“Wow, that’s something! It doesn’t surprise me, you’ve always been so intelligent,” you genuinely say and Emily’s cheeks start to heat up.

“What about you? Are you an English teacher, like you wanted?”

“Yes, I am. I work in a high school not too far from here. There’s a good team and the students are majorly nice.”

“That’s great. Sorry, one second,” Emily replies when her phone rings. She takes it and checks her notification. “I gotta go, duty calls, but I’m so happy I saw you. If you’re up for it, we could meet again? To make up for the lost time.”

“I’d love that,” you state before writing your number on a piece of paper. “Call me when you’re free.”

“I will. See you, then.”

“See you,” you say, waving at her.

Emily leaves the café, beaming in a way she didn’t expect to today. On the way to the BAU, Emily reminisces about your relationship and the cute moments, whether they’re from after or before your first kiss. However, the happy feeling stops once she remembers your last fight. She’s always regretted the way things ended between you two. She wishes she could have fixed things when you were still going to the same high school, however she wasn’t brave enough to do so. Now that she’s found you again, maybe it’s time to make amends? She doesn’t know if you’ll accept her apology but she has hope. After all, you didn’t push her away when she came to talk. And if you still hold a grudge, Emily will do everything to change that. She wants to make things better between you two, like she should have.

The following weeks, Emily spends them as much as she can at work - which isn’t complicated - so she can avoid Andrew. She knows she has to break up with him, nevertheless she doesn’t know how to do it. Though she can’t wait too long, Andrew might propose shortly; she has to end the relationship before it’s too late. Consequently, Emily decides it’s time to stop running away from the problem. She comes home earlier than expected as she thinks about what to say. The second she walks through the door, she finds Andrew sitting on the couch. She was hoping she’d have more time. Emily puts her bag down, next to the front door and walks towards him; she sits down beside him, though she keeps a small distance. Right away, Andrew notices something is wrong, Emily didn’t greet him with a kiss to say hello. Uncomfortable, Emily wets her lips before speaking.

“I found the ring,” she confesses, point blank. “It was an accident, I was looking for my sweater and I found it.”

“Oh, and judging by your face, you’re not excited about it,” Andrew says, embarrassed. 

“I spent most of my life hiding who I am and it’s time to stop. It’s better to stop now before our relationship passes this milestone,” Emily announces softly. “You’re a good man and you deserve better, a woman who will genuinely love you.”

“At least, you did it before I got down on one knee,” he nervously laughs. “I get it, Emily.”

“I’m sorry, I never wanted to hurt you.”

Emily and Andrew stay silent for a few seconds, the tension being heavy. Emily doesn’t know what to do to make the situation less difficult. Andrew ends up clearing his throat and standing up.

“I’m going to spend the night at a friend’s, I need to be alone if you don’t mind.”

“Of course.”

Andrew quickly packs a bag before getting out of the apartment. Hearing the door closing, Emily sighs in relief. Not being with Andrew anymore is like a weight being lifted off her shoulders, a weight she didn’t know was crushing her. Of course, she feels bad about breaking Andrew’s heart but it was the right thing to do and this feeling of being relieved is the proof of it. Emily can finally be free to be who she is. From now on, she won’t hide herself, she makes that promise to herself.

You end up meeting Emily two months later. Cases kept her occupied while final exams did the same to you. She told you to meet at a bar halfway between your two apartments. You arrived first so you settle down at a table and check your phone, waiting for her. Emily comes ten minutes later. As soon as she’s in front of you, you notice her hair is now gray. You find her even more beautiful.

“You changed your hair. I love it,” you remark with joy.

“Yeah, I was tired of dying it so I decided to accept my gray hair,” she says, nervously running a hand through it.

“You did the right thing. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

Before you begin to talk, a waiter comes to take your order then leaves. Once you’re alone, Emily tells you about when she moved to D.C. and you tell her about how you ended in the same city when the waiter comes back with your two glasses of red wine. The conversation flows naturally, as if you had never stopped talking, as if Emily hadn’t broken your heart years ago.

At one point, the infamous question about relationships comes. You simply answer by saying you’re single. You quickly talk about your last lover before asking her the same question.

“I noticed you don’t have a ring on your finger so either you’re like me and you haven’t found the perfect match or you divorced recently,” you suggest and Emily takes a large sip of her wine, trying to hide her uneasiness. 

“Well, I could have been engaged but I broke up two months ago,” she starts before clearing her throat. “I wasn’t in love with… him. You were right from the beginning. Come on, you can say ‘I told you so,’ I know you’ve been waiting for this since we were fifteen,” Emily adds and your heart tightens a little in your chest. 

“I’m not gonna lie, my fifteen-year-old self would have said it with a big smile on her face, but I won’t. It pains me to know you struggled so much with your sexuality,” you say, putting your hand on her wrist for a second.

“I wasn’t as brave as you when it comes to this.”

“I was only brave because you were with me. After our…,” you begin, looking for the right word, “fight, I took a step back. I could only talk about this with you so once we stopped talking, I struggled again. I had to wait until my third year of university to fully accept myself.”

“You were still quicker than me.”

“I was, yeah. I guess your faith didn’t help either,” you say, drinking.

“You have no idea. Especially when you get pregnant as a teenager and the priest tells you you can’t go back to church if you get an abortion. If he had this opinion about abortion, I don’t want to imagine what he thought about homosexuality,” Emily informs, casually, making you frown.

“I didn’t know you had an abortion.”

“It was after our fight. Only John and Matthew knew. The fact is, in the end, it was hard. Fortunately, I’ve accepted that I'm a lesbian. Better late than never like we say.”

“True.”

“You know, I’m really sorry for the way it ended between us. You were there for me and I only pushed you away and hurt you,” Emily says before taking a deep breath. “You were my first love and I ruined everything when you were nothing but patient with me, at least until I pushed it too far. Losing you is my biggest regret.”

Hearing Emily’s apology warms your heart. You moved on years ago though you’d be lying if you said hearing those words didn’t heal something in you.

“You were my first love, too, and because of this, I was mad for years,” you admit. “It’s true what they say about your first queer breakup, it hurts like hell. But growing up, I understood why you acted the way you did so I stopped being mad.”

“It doesn’t mean I should have done what I did. I knew I’d hurt you by dating John and maybe that's what I wanted,” she says, her eyebrows knitting together. “Hurting you so you’d leave me and I could reject who I was a bit longer.”

“You’re not in denial anymore and I’m not mad so let’s move on.”

“Does that mean you’d accept me being in your life again?” Emily asks, nervous.

“I came tonight, didn’t I?” you rhetorically answer. “Of course, I want you in my life again. I missed you, Emily,” you confess, raising your glass.

Emily does the same and you clink your glasses before drinking to new beginnings. You smile to each other, glad to finally have left the past behind you. You don’t know what the future holds for both of you, whether it’s platonic or romantic again, it doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t lose each other once more, that’s all that matters.

Masterlist

[petite-phthora]

Sometimes all you need is a little trust

[DP x DC fic]

[Love at first… murder? - part 21]

<< Prev | Next >>

Part 1

Ao3

---

They sit there in the dark for a while, in embrace. After a moment, Danny leans back, shifting to lay his head on Jason’s shoulder. The tears on their faces slowly dry as they are ignored.

Neither knows how long they sat there in quietude before Jason breaks the silence.

“Let’s… try this again…” He takes a deep breath before speaking up next. “I told you about the Pit, how it… how when I’m under its effects, I lose control.” He runs a trembling hand through his hair.

Danny doesn’t speak, letting Jason talk.

“It’s just that, whenever I feel the Pit, it’s usually accompanied by anger and rage but… Ever since you killed the Joker, ever since we met, it’s changed.

“Instead of anger, the Pit feels calm. Instead of throwing things and beating people up, I made chocolate fudge.

“And don’t get me wrong, I don’t miss the madness. But something made it change, and I’m not sure if I can trust that change… and I think that something… has to do with you.” He ends, looking at Danny.

“Well…” Danny puts his hand to his chin as he thinks “Ghosts are beings of emotion. It’s part of how we’re formed, it’s part of our language, and it’s part of our being. While your ecto has only ever been projecting rage to you before, I think I can at least theorize the reason behind the change.” He starts.

“I think a large part of why you came back in the first place was revenge, which initially made you a revenant. But that was before you were thrown into what I can only assume is some sort of pit with corrupted ectoplasm, which is what turned you or, well, tried to turn you, from revenant to halfa.

“The ecto stitched your undead body and soul together, brought back your mind, and tried to form a core within you, but the corruption prevented it from doing so. So it was only able to give you the beginnings of a proto-core, which is what made it difficult for me to sense you until we were close enough when we kissed.

“And this is currently keeping you in a constant state of being on the verge of core formation.” Danny takes a breath before continuing to hypothesise.

“You mentioned it was the Joker that killed you, and that the change in emotions happened after he died. To me, it seems like one of the reasons, if not the reason, you crawled out of that grave in the first place was to avenge your death and kill the Joker.

“As ectoplasm is largely emotion-based, the contaminated ectoplasm you gained from that pit probably latched onto this anger and want for revenge and held on to it. The contamination is what likely increases your feelings and what makes them able to overtake your actions, as it were.

“After he died, the major driving force behind you being undead, and behind the rage, was gone. As a revenant you should have gotten peace and gone back to being fully dead, your soul finally able to move on.

“But the ectoplasm within you that was left behind must’ve fused your soul back into your body again, not letting it escape as the revenant rage left you. This, paired with the beginnings of you becoming a halfa, is probably why you stayed.

“With the revenant rage gone, the pit likely can’t hold onto that specific emotional range any longer. So instead, it latches onto any emotion you currently feel in the moment, which again, since he died, is probably more peacefulness and happiness due to being avenged. So now the corruption will amplify those feelings instead.

“The amplified feelings might also lean more towards the happier side because of me being around. Either because I was the one to avenge you, or because your ecto could have recognised me as the same as you and been calmer because of it. Though…” Danny trails off for a bit.

“I have also heard from other ghosts, I sometimes just have that effect on people as crown prince” Danny says, rubbing the back of his neck a little sheepishly.

Jason had been vaguely following along until the last comment stunned him. “You’re a fucking prince?!”

Danny waves him off unconcerned. “That is something I’ll explain later. There is a lot of other context you’ll probably need before I’ll be able to explain any of… that…”

Jason lets out a breath and runs a hand through his hair once again. “Right, yeah, sure. We’ll come back to that.” As he’s trying to make sense of what he’s been told, Jason decides to get into some of the other concerning stuff Danny mentioned before.

“So… your parents… built an artificial Lazarus Pit?” He tries instead.

“Well, I guess? It’s more of a portal. It doesn’t exactly heal or harm anyone going inside, it just brings them into the Ghost Zone.”

“Right… Where’d they even put it that their children could easily access it?”

“Their lab in the basement of the house.”

“Their lab in the basement?!—”

“Yeah… Looking back on it, I guess the house was practically one big OSHA violation, huh…”

“There was more than just the lab basement?”

“Well, yeah, and I guess the dungeon and the Emergency Ops Center that can turn into the Fenton Blimp on top of the house are another big part of it”

Jason gives him an appalled look.

“A lab and a dungeon?! Why do your parents have a dungeon in their house? I thought parents were some kind of scientists, or like … ghost biologists?! ”

“Mhmm” Danny nods in confirmation. “Technically they’re ecto-biologists, but they also just call themselves ghost hunters.”

“And you’re a ghost?”

“Half ghost. And you are too. That’s what halfa stands for”

“Right, yes. We’ll come back to that in a bit. But first, did your parents know about… “

“About me being dead? Nah, they didn’t. Well, they do now, but not back then.”

“Have they ever hurt you?”

Danny turns his gaze to the side uncomfortably as he considers the question.

“Well…”

“Danny—”

“I guess, not really? I mean yeah, they’d chase after me with guns yelling about how they were going to rip me apart molecule by molecule—”

“They what—”

“But dad’s aim is shit and after a while I began getting better at dodging mom’s shots—”

“They shot at you?!” This seems to give Jason some kind of revelation “Don’t tell me that’s why—“

“But they’re really not that bad. They’ve never actually intentionally hurt me while knowing it was me, their son. But, they’re totally fine now! 

“Like yeah, before they knew they gave me a tough time sometimes, but to be fair they really didn’t know I wasn’t some evil ghost there to hurt and destroy.

“And at least they weren’t like the GIW, you know?”

“No, Danny. I don’t know. But please tell me you know this wasn’t okay?” Jason throws him a troubled look.

Danny frowns, shifting to sit up straighter. “They didn’t know—”

“Maybe not,” Jason cuts in, “But that doesn’t mean it was right or that it didn’t hurt you anyway. The fact that they didn’t know doesn’t make it any better.”

“They never hurt me seriously enough that I couldn’t recover—” He tries to protest.

“You shouldn’t have gotten hurt by them at all! Not physically, and not emotionally,”  Jason states, giving Danny a pointed look. “You shouldn’t have had to recover.”

Danny shifts his gaze towards the ground with a frown, picking at the grass a bit with one of his hands.

“You sound like Jazz,” He responds with a small grumble.

“This Jazz sounds like a wise individual to whom you should probably listen more often.”

“She is” Danny admits with a sigh. “And you’re right, I should…”

A beat, and then “I’m sorry for shooting you”

“It’s fine! It didn’t hurt me and it’s not like I haven’t been shot at before—” Danny tries to reassure, but Jason shakes his head.

“No, Danny. It is not fine. I shouldn’t have done it. And you shouldn’t be used to it.” He says decisively.

“But—”

“Nuh-uh, nope. It is not fine. I should not have done it. Period.”

“You likely had a good reason—”

“I did it because I wasn’t sure I could trust you,” Jason replies.

“I mean, you appeared out of nowhere, basically avenged my death, affected the Pit and made it act in ways it never has before, and then finding out you might have connections to the League?

“I just, it—It scared me” Jason confesses. “And I couldn’t deal with that fear.”

“So, I used my good old Red Hood interrogation techniques to try and get answers. You know? Shoot ‘em in the calf or thigh so it’ll be painful for them without being lethal and make it harder for them to get away.

“But while those are explanations for what I did, none of that is an excuse. There is no excuse.”

“That’s not true.” Danny tries to interject with a shake of the head.

“I’m a terrible person who has done terrible things.” Jason interrupts.

“Not just to you, but others as well. I’m dangerous. I’ve hurt innocent people. I’ve hurt my family. I’ve almost killed some of them— and not all of those times were because of the Pit, either!” Tears have formed in the corners of Jason’s eyes.

“Hey, I’ve killed someone too,” Danny objects, “The Joker counts, and I don’t have a Pit.” He tries.

“Danny, you did it on accident, and if anything the Joker definitely deserv—”

“Well, then I guess I must be a terrible person too” Danny cuts in. “For liking you despite all of that”

“Danny…”

Danny ignores Jason and grabs his hands in his own before looking him back in the eye.

“Maybe you’re not good for me. Maybe I’m not good for you. Perhaps we’re not good for each other, not good together. Terrible together“ Jason opens his mouth to say something but Danny quickly continues, not letting Jason get a word in “But I’d still like to give this a try. To give us a try.”

“Maybe it’ll end in disaster. Maybe it won’t, but… I’d be willing to take that chance… together… If you’d still have me?”

“Danny, I interrogated and shot you. Not just with bullets that didn’t hurt you, but also with a ray gun that you gave me that did hurt you. If anything, I should be asking you if you’d still have me despite all of that.” Jason says, clearly distressed, a few stray tears now rolling over his cheeks.

“And I doubt you’ll pull anything like that again, will you?” Danny asks with an eyebrow raise he learnt from the countless amount of times Jazz threw it at him.

“God no—”

“Then I don’t see the problem.”

“Danny—”

“We can go to couples therapy,” Danny states resolutely.

“Danny—”

“We can each go to normal therapy as well.” He adds on.

“Danny—”

“Jason Todd.” Danny interrupts. Jason stills. “Will you be my boyfriend?”

After a beat of silence, Danny adds on “On the condition we keep up clear communication between the two of us, and perhaps look into getting some form of therapy, of course”

Jason lets out a slightly exasperated huff and wipes the tears away, before giving Danny a soft look.

“You’re too trusting.”

Danny lets out a hum.

“And you don’t trust enough. But I’ve heard opposites attract, so…” Danny pauses. “What do you say?”

Jason gives him a small smile.

“If you’d still have me?”

The response is immediate.

“I do.”

Danny places his hand on Jason’s cheek.

“May I?”

Jason nods.

They both lean in, and they kiss.

---

Jason feels the Pit stir and resolutely ignores it and whatever feeling it brings with, keeping his eyes closed and gently pulling Danny in closer.

You’re not gonna ruin this for me.

---

Taglist:

@i-always-say-yea @uraniumwizard @why-must-i-be-like-this @griffinthing @i23432i @imsotiredfanficlovertm @jaguarthecat @arkita-shadow @noideawhatshappeninghelp @jaitwin5 @apple-juice16 @mossy-bonez @harvestandhearth

[4zahara]

02 | Let's Stay Home

←Previous. Masterlist. Next→

Word Count: +4k

A/N: English is not my first language. Please be patient with the grammar. I really tried to finish this chapter earlier. I had it written halfway but things happened and it arrived a week early! I think... my sense of time has left me and this ship.

His sister was weird.

Jason had no idea what, exactly, to pinpoint—other than her general demeanor made him reach the conclusion. It wasn’t just your eyes, which always seemed to search for a face on his head, or hair which looked like it had survived electrocution. Maybe it was your personality.

Whatever had been bothering him seemed to settle the longer he sat on the floor, however, processing his new situation.

He wasn't comfortable. He shifted onto the couch when (Name) returned with towels—actually clean ones. Jason placed a folded one on the cushions under him and sat down again, another draped over his shoulders to warm him up—you looked genuinely worried about him getting sick and needing a hospital visit neither of you could afford—the third was involuntarily forced over his head for good measure. He might as well cross "Halloween costume" off his to-do list. He'd be Casper the Friendly Ghost this year.

Although, he wiped the metallic taste of either blood or hunger with the back of his sleeve to speak again, a yawn won its way out. Swallowing saliva could only do so much for him the longer the night got.

"I have—" a voice called from the kitchen, about five feet from where he sat. "Pizza? There are some leftovers too, but I doubt you'll want that."

Jason's drifting attention focus for once and he perked up immediately.

"You have pizza?" he asked—not exactly excited.

Unlike most kids, Jason didn’t get excited at the mere thought of bread with things on top. Even if beloved for many the dish had long since lost its appeal to him. When had a large pizza not been cheaper than a bag of vegetables around here? Too much of anything was unhealthy—not that he really thought about that. He had eaten enough in a single week to make him want to avoid cheese altogether. Eating healthy was expensive. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out.

"What are the leftovers?" he asked, forcing a strained smile through gritted teeth.

"I'll heat it up for you. It's just rice, chicken, corn—basically a salad."

Jason quickly stood on shaky legs, his eyes never leaving the silhouette of you. Obviously there was lack of trust. Maybe—and just maybe—you reminded him too much of Catherine too.

Weirdly enough, the thought eased his sore chest. Something about seeing you, Jason didn’t want to think too hard about.

He missed his mom.

You looked like her.

Without another word from you, he trailed into the kitchen, dismissing the ache spreading everywhere.

"So... you came because of Mom? What happened?" You hesitated. "Did she and Dad got into another fight? Is that why he's arrested?"

A complicated look crossed his eyes just as he forced the noncommittal response.

"No, it wasn't like that. Willis went away for something else... Mom is—she's not taking it well and... needs you," he leaned against the counter, facing away but still watching you.

Ever since hearing you describe Catherine as unfit to be left alone—even if she not alone with Willis anymore but by herself—Jason’s worry skyrocketed. He kept telling himself she’d be fine without him for one night...

Now keeping his jaw clenched at the thought.

Willis could shove a rusty pipe up his ass.

As the stove flickered to life, heating up the so-called "salad", it was safe to say, a microwave-sized box was too big to hide and too heavy to run with, when you had none.

His sister glanced at him briefly then back to the stove—an action you repeated often. It was obvious you had questions enough for Jason to notice.

Even admitting it would be wishful thinking; to assume it was for his sake you were keeping all of them in.

His gaze flickered around the room to nothing in particular, as if wasn't even made aware of how restless his mind had become—grasping for anything to distract him.

Old bruises and burns on his skin layered with the fresh ones from getting mugged, started to ache. Random memories surfaced, each more unwelcome than the last. And then, the worst thought of all—what else was happening back home?

Dad was gone. But when he realized Jason had up and left, he would’ve been furious.

He’d probably have taken it out on Catherine.

Jason took a shaky breath, trying to suppress the anxiety clawing its way up his throat. He looked at the ceiling, at the stains there, forcing himself to focus. Trying to calm down.

Everything around him seemed to halt—until you placed a plate in front of him. Only then did Jason snap back to himself.

It took him a moment to pull out of his thoughts, and when he did, his eyes widened slightly. He stared down at the plate—rice, chicken, and whatever else you'd thrown in.

You didn’t have anything for yourself, but he caught you eyeing the pizza slices in the fridge.

“…Thanks,” he muttered before shoving a bite into his mouth. It wasn’t poisoned. And, surprisingly, it was good. Then again, maybe that was just the hunger talking.

It took him barely thirty seconds to finish half the plate. He wanted more—needed more—but forced himself to slow down. His body wouldn’t handle too much too soon.

You watched for a moment.

You handed him a glass of water.

Jason glanced at it, then back at you, silently studying your expression, trying to figure you out.

You were… kind. You’d taken him in, given him food—at the very least, you pitied him.

God knows why.

No.

Jason knew why. He knew exactly what he looked like. But he figured you had no business judging him, considering your own appearance.

Not that he was one to judge, either.

He reached out and gently grabbed the glass, taking a sip and letting the cool liquid soothe his dry throat. He would’ve thanked her, but he didn’t.

“What’s with the name on that mug?”

He asked, glancing beside her at a Christmas-themed cup with a name that definitely wasn’t yours.

"Ah. Dunno... I guess it’s the lady who’s supposed to be living here?"

"Someone lives with you?"

"If someone taller than you asks, then yes. Auntie—" She squinted, holding up the mug to read the name. "Gloria... Huh."

Yup. Definitely weird.

Jason knew it wasn’t true the second the name passed her lips because Catherine never mentioned a sister or an aunt. But Willis? That was a different story…

Jason blinked on edge again.

“Auntie Gloria?” he repeats, his eyebrows furrowed together as he tries to think of how to face a possible adult. The idea of an older relative living with you and him not noticing until now was confusing enough on its own, but the name was unfamiliar.

“Wait… she’s related to us?” Carefully adding himself to the mix, but for the sake of his mental health, he indulged for the first of many times to come in not asking about it again when you looked even slightly conflicted.

Ignorance was a blessing and you were underage, so it'll make sense you'll lie to adults about an imaginary aunt.

Jason couldn't risk slipping. You'd be everything he'd had to rely on when he manages to convince you to come with him back home to help with mom.

No doubt that he'll drag you home if he had to.

He had no choice.

He needed your help with Mom and he hated it. Hated how the air felt heavier the longer he stood there. Hated that his sister had chosen *this* place over home.

But mostly, he hated the gnawing fear in his chest—the one that had only grown stronger ever since he walked through that door.

"You need to come back," he said, voice tighter than he meant it to be. He’d practiced what he was going to say on the way here, but now it was all unraveling like the blocks he walked talking to himself under the rain meant nothing. "Mom’s sick, and I—I can’t do this alone, (Name)."

It was a rare admission for him.

You took a seat in front of him and his half eaten plate. Cross-legged under the table but changing your posture as if never truly settled. Probably why you didn’t look up right away. The dim light made your already hard to read face, harder than it was, casting sharp angles where softness used to be.

You exhaled through your nose. "Jason—"

"Please," he cut in, wanting to stand up, heart hammering against his ribs made his legs disobey. "I need you. She needs you."

Something flickered across your face then, quick and uncertain that made you chew on your bottom lip and your fingers tangle absentmindedly, and for a second—a brief, agonizing second—Jason thought you might refuse outright.

He readied himself and picked a counter argument of which he had a lot.

Instead, you sighed.

"Tomorrow," you said. "It’s dark. And it’s raining."

His breath caught. "So… you’ll come back?"

You hesitated. Just for a moment.

Then you nodded. "Tomorrow."

Relief crashed into him like a wave, but it didn’t settle right. There was something about the way you said it—vague, distant, reluctant.

Telling him what he wanted to hear. Just to soothe him.

Jason swallowed hard, pushing that thought down. Tomorrow. You said tomorrow. He'll only calm down once you are at home, but this was enough for now.

Even if something about the way you sat in that dit felt like you were slipping through his fingers.

══════════════ • ✧ • ══════════════

The rain hadn’t let up. If anything, it was getting worse—pounding against the windows, turning the city outside into a smear of dim streetlights and endless shadows.

Jason had refused the bed you so kindly offered him in favor of dozing off curled up awkwardly in the couch, exhaustion pulling him under despite the unease still crawling under his skin.

You sat by the window, knees drawn to your chest, eyes distant, not going to bed yourself because you'll feel guilty for sleeping comfortably while your baby brother struggled to sleep on the couch with a humid towel as a blanket.

And just maybe he thought you were weird for that.

The silence stretched, thick and heavy, until his voice—low from disuse but child-like pitched—broke through it.

"Is it bad to miss someone you can’t even remember?"

For a moment, you didn’t move.

Didn’t even breathe.

Then, slowly, you turned your head.

The words settled deep into your bones, curling around old wounds, reopening stitches sewed with dental floss you have been holding shut with both hands around the stretch marks simulating fingers.

It was not the time for an analogy but your unaware grip tightened slightly against the fabric of your sleeves.

"I missed you," words pushed through softly.

The rain kept falling.

No memory could fill the gap—it had been too long ago, and he had been too young. All he could do was piece together imagined scenarios, trying to soothe himself, only to shudder at the thought of them.

Maybe wanting a real family had been too much to ask for.

A home without a deadbeat dad. A mother who wasn’t drowning in addiction. A sister who never would have left him—never would have left him like you did. And maybe even a family dog.

But that wasn’t the life he got.

And you? You failed.

A bad sister to Jason. A bad daughter to Catherine. You left them with your father, and that truth weighed on you like an unshakable burden. The one absolute you carried on your shoulders.

You felt cold as the monster of your own making clawed at your ribcage from the inside, desperate to break free.

But the real problem—the one you couldn’t afford to face—was how much you missed home.

You couldn't do that to yourself. You couldn't want what you ran from.

Because nothing was more dangerous than the illusion of a family that never really existed.

Jason paused at your words, glancing up.

Normally, your carefree nature would have prompted some teasing remark about staring. But now, the silence stretched between you, heavy and unbroken.

Something he had to say without letting himself stutter.

"You missed… me?"

Almost wanting to brush it off as an empty platitude, something said out of obligation. But deep down, in the twisting knot of his gut, Jason knew you meant every single word. The weight of it had been steeping in years of regret and unspoken sorrow.

And then there was the very idea of you missing him—which was both baffling and, to his surprise, oddly comforting.

"A little weird, out of the blue. I know," you admitted, backpedaling. "I just don’t get why you hardly remember me… I wasn’t gone that long."

Yet weird was putting it lightly.

Jason swallowed hard, his heart clenching painfully under the weight of emotions he couldn’t fully name.

He wanted to remember. God, he wanted to remember you—everything about you. Whatever moments you’d shared, whatever time you'd had together before it all went to hell. He reached for those memories, clawed for them, but nothing surfaced. Nothing real.

His breath wavered as he forced himself to stay steady.

"I… I wish I did. Dammit." His voice was quiet, edged with frustration.

"It 's okay. I'll remember. It’s not enough, but it’s what we get."

Jason nodded slightly, but something about that statement stuck with him.

He couldn’t remember you. And he probably never would.

Other people got their warm family moments, their second chances. But not them.

He took another shaky breath, fighting the lump in his throat, while you turned away, staring blankly out the window.

"It sucks," he murmured, avoiding your gaze. There were no portraits on the walls, just a scattering of trinkets everywhere.

"Like Dad used to say—‘Life’s a bitch, and then you die.’"

Jason scoffed. Of course that was something Dad would say.

"Don’t do that, though..."

He looked up, meeting your tired expression as you side-eyed him.

“Don’t die…?” he echoed, lacing his words with sarcasm. “Yeah, okay… I’ll get right on that.”

"Good boy." You offered a thumbs-up.

Jason snorted in disbelief, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms.

Still… he appreciated it. Keeping himself alive had been hard, but something about the praise made his chest feel a little warmer. Not that he was about to acknowledge it.

"You talk like some old lady," he teased.

"You eat like a dog."

Jason gasped, feigning offense. "I do not eat like a dog," he argued, his voice dripping with exaggerated indignation. "I eat like a growing boy who’s going through puberty and also hadn’t eaten in days and was basically starving, thank you very much."

"What puberty could you possibly be going through? You're eight."

Jason huffed, rolling his eyes before responding, utterly insulted. "I’m turning eleven next month. Which means I’m almost twelve. And then thirteen."

He sounded genuinely offended.

"And I’ve already started growing," he added, even though it was painfully obvious he hadn’t—still a four-foot ball of snark.

"Oh? Growing roots or…?"

Jason groaned, pouting in annoyance. He clearly hated the teasing.

"I've grown, I’ll have you know," he insisted, trying his best to sound confident. "I can cook now and—and I found my way here alone, too."

"I can tell you did," you said, watching him carefully. "Can’t imagine what that must’ve been like."

It was subtle. A small probe, a quiet way of fishing for details.

Maybe Catherine had known you were here.

The smirk faltered—but Jason covered it with a scoff. Mouth opened to ask how you ended up here. But then he hesitated, remembering the promise you’d made him make earlier. He didn’t want to risk breaking it.

Still, it tugged at him.

He thought about asking anyway. But it could hurt.

“…Why here, anyway?” His voice held a tinge of curiosity. “Do you really live here alone?”

"You met the neighbor," you replied, lips curling into a squinting little smile.

Glasses. That had to be it. You probably needed glasses—that’s why your eyes looked so weird.

Focusing on that theory was a hundred times better than thinking about the kind of people who might live here. The kind that had you so scared before.

Because he’d already decided—he was going to believe you weren’t scary.

His gaze flickered around the abandoned building again. Yeah… still not convinced.

It was subtle, but Jason had a habit of checking his surroundings. Always. And you noticed.

“How bad is your vision?” he asked bluntly.

"My vision?" You raised an eyebrow. "I can see you just fine."

Jason rolled his eyes, smirking. "I’m not saying you’re completely blind. I’m asking if you need glasses."

He didn’t add that the squinting seemed suspicious. Instead, he flashed you an innocent smile before adding,

“You look like an owl when you do that, you know that, right?”

"Do what?"

You tilted your head slightly, just like a bird—clearly on purpose, just to mess with him.

Jason couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips.

"That." He motioned toward your head. "Stop that."

He wasn’t really annoyed, though. He was amused.

Something about the way you focused on him, how you responded to everything he said, how you kept looking at him—not just hearing him but listening…

It made his chest feel warm.

Jason shifted, reluctant to leave the warmth of the couch. Exhaustion clung to him, but something about the quiet moment pulled him up.

With a sluggish motion, he pushed himself upright, the towels draped over his shoulders slipping slightly. Instinctively he grabbed onto them, pulling as they were his armor against the lingering cold. The one on his head slid forward though, nearly covering his eyes, and he huffed. There had to be a reason why he tugged it back into place before letting out a quiet sigh when he could have just thrown them around.

Bare feet padding softly against the floor, made his way to your side. Towels rustling with every step. The warmth they held was fading, but he kept them wrapped around him anyway.

By the window, he didn’t say anything at first—just gave a little jump to sit on the counter with you, close enough that his shoulder nearly brushed yours, staring out at whatever had your attention.

Jason reached out, one hand wrapping around your arm while the other cupped your cheek, gently but firmly keeping your head still.

His eyes narrowed studying you—staring at you—his expression unreadable.

“Do you need glasses or something?” he asked bluntly.

"What?"

"You keep closing one eye like that. You look like an owl." He repeated.

"An owl? Like... hoot hoot?"

Jason scoffed at your lame attempt at an owl impression.

“Owls don’t even make that sound,” he shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm—but the amused smirk tugging at his lips betrayed any real annoyance.

"I tried," you defended with a small shrug. "I’ve never seen an owl in my life."

"Me neither. But I know they don't sound like that,"

With a sigh, Jason finally let go of your face and arm, but not before tapping the top of your head in some vague, brotherly gesture.

“Now answer me. Glasses—yes or no?”

"Probably?" You popped the *p* before hesitating, still smiling but uncertain.

"I can see…" Your eyes narrowed, focusing like it required actual effort. Finally, with newfound, almost forced optimism, you pointed.

"The couch," you declared with newfound optimism from somewhere.

Jason didn’t even bother holding back his expression—half unimpressed, half entertained.

You just couldn’t help it. Something about him was so amusing. If not a little annoying.

“You’re nearly blind, then,” Jason said, his eyes widening like he had just stumbled upon a groundbreaking discovery. Somehow, despite being as blunt as ever, he didn’t sound mean—just genuinely baffled.

“So, the door? You can barely see that behind me? And—and when you stared at me outside, it was because you couldn’t see me?"

“Yeaaaah, sure,” you drawled, dragging out the word. “That’s why I stared at you for so long…”

Jason didn’t catch the sarcasm. If anything, the idea only made him more fascinated, his eyes practically glowing with curiosity.

He turned his head away, trying (and failing) to hide the red creeping up his face behind a cough.

“Wait, wait, wait—you mean to tell me that you were just standing there, squinting at me like that because you couldn’t even tell it was me at the door?”

You didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth, not when he looked at you like that—like a kid uncovering some great mystery.

The truth was, you hadn’t recognized him at first. And then, when you did, you had hesitated for too many seconds, unwilling to acknowledge it.

So instead, you just stained your smile onto your face, squinted at him again, and shrugged.

“A bit.”

You’d rather let him think you were blind than admit to the real reason. And, to be fair, it wasn’t entirely a lie—your vision did blur every so often.

Jason let out a short laugh at your answer, shaking his head.

“A bit, you say? You straight up stared at me, and I thought you were just crazy or something.” He laughed again, but after a second, his expression shifted. His gaze flickered over the way your eyes kept narrowing and refocusing, and a small frown tugged at his lips.

“…You can’t see anything far away at all, can you?”

"Hey!”

Jason raised a brow, crossing his arms as he held up two fingers right in front of your face.

“You can see what… how many fingers am I holding up, then?”

Deciding to humor him, you rolled your eyes before deliberately answering wrong.

“Four.”

“Ha! Nope, wrong.” Jason waved the two fingers closer to your face, smirking as if he’d just won a game. “You really got that wrong? C’mon, try again.”

His grin was practically gleeful as he held up the same two fingers, waiting expectantly.

You squinted dramatically, leaning in like a grandma reading the fine print on a receipt.

“Oh! …Two!”

Jason narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Is that an actual answer or a guess, you blind bat?”

Before you could answer, he held up four fingers this time, wiggling them teasingly.

“How about this number?”

“Okay, okay, enough eye testing for tonight,” you dismissed, waving a hand.

Jason snickered, finally lowering his hand, but the playful spark in his eyes remained.

“But I was just getting to the fun part.”

Then, as his laughter faded, he leaned in slightly. His smirk stayed, but his expression turned more serious.

“Seriously, though. You’re basically blind,” he said, shaking his head. “You gotta get glasses.”

You shrugged, giving a half-smile. “Maybe one day.”

And why wouldn't he catch the way your voice dipped slightly? Or how your fingers twitched against the counter? Obviously something about the way you said it—too casual.

Jason was young, not stupid.

Of course you didn’t have glasses. Of course, you couldn't just get them. Just like how dinner was either pizza or leftovers. Just like how there was no microwave.

His stomach twisted uncomfortably.

“…You can’t get them, can you?” he asked, quieter this time.

You blinked at him, “I could if I wanted to.”

Jason stared.

You sighed, finally breaking on that front.

“No, I can’t.”

Surprising even if it shouldn't have been. And for some reason, it made his chest feel tight. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much—just one more thing neither of you could have. Jason nudged you lightly with his elbow, like he wasn’t about to say what he was about to say.

“…Guess I’ll just have to be your seeing-eye dog or something,” he muttered.

You snorted. “Oh, so now you admit you eat like a dog?”

He groaned, rolling his eyes. “Okay, no! That’s not what I meant.”

But when your expression had softened—not in pity, but in something almost grateful, so did he.

And Jason decided right then that until you could afford glasses, he’d just have to be your extra pair of eyes.

[starrseeker]

Sweet Smoke

Drug dealer!azriel. Modern AU. Fem! reader

Warnings: Drug useage. Drug dealer Azriel. Smut. Fingering. Oral F! Rec. praise kink. Dirty talk. slight degradation at the end. unprotected sex (wrap it up people). Explicit language. Not proofread.

A/N: I've had this idea for a while. Az just seems like he'd be a lowkey dealer tbh, atleast in my head. I haven't wrote smut in a while so hopefully it's not terrible. Please let me know if i missed any warnings, I did my best to include them all. Enjoy!

Why I had agreed to Tara bringing me to this party, I've got no fucking idea. She always knows how to get me to agree to shit last minute. The loud bass was beginning to hurt my ears as I tried squeezing past drunken idiots and people who really needed to find a room.

Finally I found a door that led outside. Stepping out onto the wooden porch, I pulled out the spliff I rolled before leaving the house. Exhaling the sweet smoke as I closed my eyes. Enjoying the break from people as I stood in the night breeze.

I'd lost track of where Tara went an hour ago. After a long hard day at work, I wasn't in the mood to babysit. I took another hit as I gazed up towards the stars. Night time was always my favorite. Especially when the moon was full and at its highest peak.

A cough startled me. I turned to my right, finding a man sitting on one of the lounge chairs. "Shit, sorry. Didn't realize someone else was out here." I lifted my shoe, ready to put out the ember on the sole. I hated leaving my ash on people's property. The velvety voice that spoke had me pausing,

"Nah, you're fine. I was getting ready to do the same. Care to join?" He offered as he had a fresh joint twirling in his hands. My eyes caught on the rugged scars that marred them. I averted my gaze quickly, holding up the burning substance between my fingers.

"I'll match you?" I offered. The stranger smirked at me before jutting his head towards the chair next to him. I took a puff as I walked over, settling in the chair. I handed him the spliff, his fingers just barely brushing against mine.

"Azriel" He said before inhaling a considerate drag. Glancing at me sideways.

"Y/N" I replied as I leaned my head back against the chair.

"Pretty name." He complimented as he handed it back. Smoke escaping his mouth as he spoke. The sight was one to behold. Even shrouded in the shadows, I could still make out dark soft curls. A glimpse of the tattoos that probably went up his arm whenever he reached over.

"You don't seem like you're interested in being here." He commented as I took another pull. I blew the smoke out before answering.

"Not particularly. Somehow my best friend managed to convince me though. No clue where she went though." I shrugged. Taking another drag before putting out the small roach that was left. I pocketed it, I hated wasting weed.

Azriel pulled out the joint that he stuck behind his ear. The flick of his lighter filling the air, the low glow of the flame lighting up his features. He was handsome. The light only giving his features an otherworldly glow. He exhaled once the joint was lit. It really shouldn't be so attractive for someone to smoke.

I took it from him when he offered. His eyes were hazy, heavy, red rimmed when he looked at me. The sight filled my mind with sinful thoughts before I shoved them away.

"So what brings you here then? Not many people come to a party just to sit outside by themselves." He chuckled at my question.

"Good thing I'm not technically alone then." He teased, i rolled my eyes playfully. He shrugged slightly. "Had a few deals here tonight. Parties are good money." My eyes widened slightly.

"So you're a dealer." I stated as I took a drag. My mind was already becoming clouded by the sweet smoke.

"That I am, princess." I could make out a faint grin tugging the corner of his mouth. His tongue darting out to wet his lips. Cotton mouth, it was the worst.

I handed him the joint. "I'm good on that." I muttered as I sank into the chair. I didn't want to get too faded. Especially with not knowing where Tara was. I'd probably be walking home.

My phone dinged from an incoming message. Speak of the devil.

"Heyyyyy. I'm going home with some hottie. Don't wait up."

I let out an annoyed huff. Of course she'd leave me here. I responded back with a simple okay before standing up. Brushing my pants from any lingering ash that may have fell on me.

"Well thanks for including me in your circle but I better get home. Gotta work in the morning." I was already dreading the walk back to my apartment. It was easily a twenty minute walk.

He raised a brow at me. "So soon huh? Need to take your friend home?"

"No. She actually left already. Something bout meeting a guy." I shrugged. "Anyways, I gotta go. Its a considerate walk."

He shook his head, standing. "Let me take you home. No reason for you to be walking in the dark at eleven at night. Just asking for problems." I opened my mouth to protest.

"Don't even. Lets go." He was already opening the door to walk back through the party. I let the argument die in my throat as I followed him. We didn't speak to anyone on the way out thankfully. Tara always took twenty minutes to tell everyone bye and I despised it. When I was ready to go, I was ready to go.

I was two steps behind him as we exited the house. He approached his car, opening the door for me. I slid into the leather seats as he shut the door. Leather and the lingering smell of his cologne hit me. It was oddly...comforting.

He slid into the driver seat before handing me his phone to type in my address. The engine turned over, the soft purr of it reverberating in my chest before he shifted into gear and drove off.

"So, you know my job. well my side business anyway." The side of his mouth twitched in a smirk. "What is it you do?"

My hands rubbed together, a nervous habit I had. "Uh, I work at a dealership. Parts specifically."

I could feel him look at me in the peripheral view. "Huh. Would not have guessed that one."

"Well if dealing is your side gig, whats your main one?" I shot back. Heat rushing to my cheeks for some odd reason.

"Tattooing." He stated plainly. I looked at him, my eyes roaming over him. Yeah, I guess I could see that.

He turned down my road. My apartment complex coming into view. A small part of me was disappointed our time had come to an end. Knowing my luck, I wouldn't see him again either.

He stopped infront of my building. "Thanks for the ride, and smoking with me." I said quietly before reaching for the door.

"Wait." His voice had me pausing. His hand was outstretched. "Let me give you my number." I debated it for a second before handing him my phone. He quickly typed before handing it back. "If you ever need grass, or maybe a smoke session, just send me a text. I'm free most of the time unless I've got an appointment set up."

I nodded before opening my door. "Thank you again, Azriel. I'll uh see you around." He gave me that smirk that made my heart flutter.

"Yes. you will."

I shut the door and watched him drive off. A small smile etched itself on my face and didn't leave even after I fell asleep.

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

A couple of days had passed since the party. I still had yet to text Azriel. I wasn't sure what to even say. Writing and deleting messages over and over until I'd eventually give up.

Until one day when I came home from work. I'd set my bag down on the kitchen island with a sigh. Pulling my hair out from updo I threw it in, in a hurry to get to work. Walking into my room to grab my rolling tray when I realized I was out of flower.

I let out a frustrated groan. Rubbing my hands over my face in irritation before sucking in a breath. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, finding his contact and hitting text messages.

Anxiety swirled in my gut as I typed.

"Hey, it's Y/N. Mind helping a girl out with some flower? I got cash."

My thumb hovered over the send button. Contemplating on whether this was a good idea or not. I hit the blue button before I could back out. Throwing my phone on the bed before standing to grab a change of clothes. After the day I'd had, I wanted a hot shower.

I stepped out of the steaming bathroom when I was done. Already feeling ten times better than before. Throwing on a oversized tshirt and spandez shorts. I grabbed my phone, a message from 5 minutes ago showing on my screen.

"Be over in 20."

It was simple and straight to the point. My eyes widened suddenly. Shit. I had 15 minutes before he was here. I scurried around my apartment. Double checking that everything was tidy and neat. My hands were clammy as the nervousness came back tenfold. Why was I acting like a teenage girl seeing her crush? I heard my phone ding again.

"Here."

My thumbs moved with lightning speed.

"Unit 101. Door's open."

I let out a breath, hoping to calm my fraying nerves. A knock sounded on my door shortly after. "It's open!" I called from the kitchen, trying to find anything to busy myself.

I grabbed a glass of water before turning around. I damn near dropped it. He seemed taller than I remembered. He shrugged his leather jacket off. His black t-shirt fit snuggly on his chiseled body. The muscles in his arm seemed to make the fabric stretch more than it could handle. Dark jeans and boots to match. I was right when I wondered if he had tattoos up his arms. Swirls of dark ink contrasted against his golden brow skin. An eyebrow piercing I somehow missed adorned his left brow. He looked absolutely delicious.

His deep voice drew me out of my thoughts. "Hey."

"Hey." I replied. Watching as he took in my apartment. It wasn't much. Simple couch with the coffee table. Small tv mounted on the wall. Pictures hung sporadically.

"Nice place. Just you here?" He questioned as he met my stare. It felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs.

"Yeah. Not particuarly into the thought of sharing my space with someone." I shrugged, feigning calmness. "You want anything to drink? I got water, tea, coffee, liqour?"

"Water's fine. Thanks." Azriel shifted on his feet before walking into the kitchen with me. Standing on the opposite side of the island, his toned forearms leaning against the surface.

I slid the glass over to him, ice clinking against the sides.

"So, how much are you wanting?" Azriel asked after taking a sip. I'd almost forgotten why he was here til then.

"Oh. An eigth would be fine. I can normally stretch it two weeks unless i have a terrible day." I reached for my purse, grabbing my wallet.

"Don't worry about it." He told me as he pulled a bag out of his pocket. "Consider it a first time buyer discount." That damned smirk pulled on his lips as he looked at me.

My brow furrowed slightly. "You sure?" It seemed wrong to not pay him, especially after he gave me a ride home a few nights ago. His shoiulders lifted into a shrug.

"Yeah. As long as you're willing to indulge me in a smoke session?" Azriel flashed me a smile then. My knees almost gave out right then and there.

"Oh, yeah. I can do that." A smile of my own appeared. I tilted my head towards the back patio door. "Go ahead. I'll grab my rolling tray and be right out." I scurried to my room. My mind racing with so many questions and thoughts. Was this a good idea?

The night air eased some of my nerves as I stepped out on the patio. Setting the tray down on the small table I had before lighting the citrus candle in the center.

Azriel grabbed the tray off, setting it in his lap as he started grinding flower up. I couldn't help but watch. His fingers prepping the paper before spreading out the flower. The motion was hotter than it should be. He brought it up to his mouth, darting his tongue along the seam. His eyes met mine as he did so and I thought my heart would stop right there.

I averted my gaze quickly, hoping the shadows hid the blush that covered my cheeks. Heat building in my lower gut. I heard the flick of the lighter once, twice before the flame came to life. Out of the corner of my eye I could see him sealing the seam.

"You're awfully quiet over there." His voice startled me slightly.

"Just thinking is all. I get into my head a lot." The air between us felt tense. Charged with something I couldn't put my finger on.

He sparked the joint to life. That musky sweet smoke hitting my nose. He took a drag before passing it to me. Our fingers brushed as I took it from him. The action making that heat return to me.

"Bad day at work?" I could feel his eyes on me as he asked. Taking a couple drags before nodding my head. Bad didn't even cover it. I passed the rolled flower back to him.

"That's an understatement. Sometimes I wish I'd never gone into the auto industry. Too many entitled assholes, people love to argue with me over things cause I'm a woman so that immediatley make me incompetant." A scoff left me at the memory of today. An older gentleman wanted to prove I was wrong until my manager had stepped in. The customer had quickly shut up when he realized I was right.

Azriel let out a hum of agreement. "Men love to tear a woman down whenever they can. I see it far too often to one of the girls at the tattoo shop. Most of the time we throw them out." Smoke escaped with each word he spoke.

Those amber eyes met mine then. "If I was your manager though, I probably would've socked the guy in his mouth."

His confession made me flush. He reached over to hand me the joint once again. My mind was already beginning to feel it, my eyelids becoming heavy and tingling. My breath caught when his touch lingered on my fingers for an extra second. His eyes never once straying from me. I took two puffs to calm down my erratic heart rate. The substance was almost burnt to the filter. I handed it back to him.

He used the ashtray to put it out. Leaving it on the side of the glass bowl. We sat in silence for a moment. Enjoying the calmness of the night as the candle casted a warm glow over us.

"Y/N?" He broke the silence.

"Hmm?" My eyes were heavy, and my mind was fuzzy.

"Mind if I go in and grab my water?" I turned my head to gaze at him.

"No, actually I'll go with you to get mine too."

We stood from the chairs. I blew the candle out before walking in with him. Suddenly feeling exposed in my shirt and shorts as I walked in front of him. Almost as if I could feel his eyes roaming over me.

The low lighting of the kitchen caught on his eyebrow piercing, catching my attention. He eyed me over the rim of his glass before taking a sip. I felt hot, extremely hot. Maybe it was the grass. Yeah It had to have been the grass. Definitely not the way his eyes roamed over my bare skin.

I took a sip of my water. The liquid doing nothing to satiate the heat building under my skin. I watched his adams apple move as he swallowed. Wondering how it would feel to skim my lips over it. Nipping at that golden skin with my teeth.

"See something you like Princess?" His eyes held amusement, catching me staring at him. My cheeks reddened at the pet name he'd used before.

"Oh I- uh." I stammered, unsure of what to say.

He chuckled lowly at my stumbling. "You know, I spent all four days after the party wondering when you'd grace me with a message." His bloodshot amber eyes met mine. Darkening when he saw the redness of my cheeks. His tongue darted out, wetting his lips. I couldn't stop myself from looking. Wondering how that tongue would move against me.

"Imagine my delight when you needed me. Though I can't lie, I was hoping it was for more than tree." He stepped around the island, coming up behind me. His hands grasped the edge of the island on either side of me, caging me in. I could feel the heat of him on my back. The hair on my neck standing up when his warm breath hit my skin.

"Tell me princess," His lips brushed against the shell of my ear, sending a chill down through my spine. "Is that all you wanted? Just some flower?"

I couldn't control the way my body instinctively leaned into him. My back hitting his chest. My eyes fluttering at the low octave of his voice. Desire building low in my belly.

"Need an answer darling." His voice was a hum as he leaned in closer. I could feel the ghost of his lips along the side of my neck.

"No." The word was quieter than I intended. I was almost afraid he didn't hear me.

"No what?" Azriel questioned, his right hand coming to rest on my hip.

"No, I didn't just want flower." His hand snaked to my stomach, pulling me flush against him. I leaned my head back against his shoulder, craning my head to the side for him.

"Thank fuck." Azriel placed a featherlight kiss on the side of my neck. The feeling sent sparks over the sensitive skin. His free hand came up to my neck, gently grasping it. He tilted my head back to look at him. My back slightly arching from the position. Those amber eyes seared right through me.

"Cause I've been thinking about all the things I could do to this pretty body since the party." The words dripped with pure sin. The heat in his eyes only serving his point. My thighs clenched together to satiate my growing need.

"That what you want princess? Want me to worship this body? Have you screaming and writhing in pleasure?” Wetness pooled between my thighs at his words. Images flashing in my mind of him being on top of me, back muscles flexing with each thrust.

My response was breathy, needy. I didn’t even hesitate with my answer. “Yes.”

He twirled me around quickly. My lower back against the edge of the counter. He pressed himself against me, one of his hands tangling into my hair. The other reached down to grip my backside as he captured my lips with his in a hungry kiss.

His hard cock pressing against my inner thigh as his tongue swiped my bottom lip. A silent request that I accepted when my tongue tangled with his. His lips dominating mine. The kiss was harsh, dominating, filled with hot desire. A muffled moan left me at the taste of him. Smoke, mint and something I couldn’t place. It was intoxicating.

He smirked against my lips as he pulled my bottom lip between his teeth. “You’ll be begging for mercy when I’m done with you sweetheart.” There was a dark promise in those words.

He untangled his hand from my hair before reaching down. Lifting me effortlessly in his arms before crashing his mouth onto mine again. I could feel the stickiness of my panties at this angle. The pure need that coursed through my veins.

He walked us to my room, kissing down my neck with each step. I was thankful that I didn’t have roommates in that moment. Azriel laid me on the plush surface before climbing over me. His pupils blown wide with primal desire, I’m sure mine mimicked his.

His hands found their way under my t-shirt, the ridges of his scars giving me goosebumps. He touch was gentle, caressing. A drastic change to the way he was just kissing me. Azriel let out a groan as he palmed my breast, realizing I wasn’t wearing a bra. His thumb skimmed over my hard nipple.

“No bra? Were you planning for this princess?” Azriel’s voice was gravelly, lust filled as he stared down at me. His other hand pushed my shirt up, up, up until my chest was bared to him. A low growl reverberated in his chest as his eyes roamed over me.

“Look at you.” He praised as he took both of my tits in his palms. Kneading them with a possessive grip. “All of this just for me.” He muttered, as if he wasn’t going to let another man touch me after this.

He leaned down, taking my right nipple into his mouth. His tongue flicking and swirling. “Azriel” I gasped when his teeth grazed the sensitive bud. My back arching off the bed, a silent plea for more. A deep chuckle left him before letting me go with a small popping sound.

“Oh I’m just getting started baby.” I had no doubt about that as he turned his attention to my other breast. His hand kneading the one he’d already teased. I could feel him leaving bruising marks with his mouth. Biting and sucking harshly. Claiming me with his mouth.

“My god, I could stay like this all day.” He groaned when he sat back to admire his work. Sure enough, hickies littered my chest. Different sizes and colors that told anyone who’d see that I was clearly taken, even if only for the night. The sight only made my thighs clench together again.

He pulled my shirt over my head, throwing it to somewhere in my room. He placed teasing soft kisses down my sternum, my belly, to the curve of my hips. Azriel’s teeth scraped along the bone that made a whimper escape my lips.

I tangled a hand into his hair. The dark strands felt like silk between my fingers. He let out a grunt of approval when I tugged gently. His teeth biting, actually biting, my hip when I did so. The action made me gasp from the harshness.

I could feel his hot breath hit my skin in a silent laugh. His hands toyed with the waist band of my shorts before slowly, so slowly dragging the spandex down my legs. Taunting, toying with me. Building the anticipation of what he’d do next.

Azriel’s hands rubbed up and down the outside of my thighs before spreading them. My lace black panties covering my drenched pussy. He swiped a teasing finger up my clothed core. “Fuck. I’ve barely touched you and you’re already drenched baby.” He muttered as he situated himself between my thighs, throwing a leg over each shoulder. His breath hitting my core as he looked up at me.

“What do you want?” The pad of his thumb replaced his finger, just barely pressing down on my clit as he waited for my answer. The pressure made my breath hitch. My hips bucking upwards. More, I needed more.

“I need words, babygirl. Otherwise I’ll stop.” He taunted. His thumb slowly retreating.

“You. I need you.” I panted out. My body felt like an inferno, aching for release at this point.

“Be specific. What part of me do you want?” He was drawing this out. Enjoying the fact he was making me wait for it.

“Your tongue. Azriel, please.” The words were a needy whine as his thumb pressed down on my clit again. Harder than before. The pressure was just enough to give me slight relief but that’s all he did.

“Yeah? Want me to eat this pussy? Make you come on my tongue over and over?” His filthy words only made the wetness worse. It was almost uncomfortable.

“Please!” I cried before I heard lace ripping. I couldn’t find myself to care about the fact those were my favorite panties.

“Who am I to deny you after you beg so prettily.” Azriel’s mouth descended on me before I could reply. His tongue flattening out to lick a stripe up my pussy. Flicking my clit perfectly that had my eyes rolling back. The hand in his hair tightening as he ate me like a man starved.

Those large hands holding my hips down. Not letting me escape from his brutal mouth. His tongue flicking and sucking on my clit. Teeth gently scraping against the bud that made a strained cry leave me. My vision clouded by stars as he drove me to my orgasm. “Azriel. Oh god. Just like that. Don’t stop.” I begged under him.

He pulled back for a moment. My juices glistening on his chin as he stared up at me. One of his hands released me, only to slip a finger into my pussy. The intrusion made me free hand grip the sheets. The ridges of his scars making it feel heavenly. “Oh trust me darling. Your pussy tastes so sweet, I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted.”

He dove back in. His tongue ten times more brutal than before. His finger plunging in and out of my tight hole before adding a second. I cried out as I raised my hips. Chasing that sweet release that threatened to snap in my belly. “Az- oh god…” the squelching sound of my pussy echoed in the room, only adding to my desire.

“No God here baby. Just me.” His mouth curved into a wicked grin as he watched me writhe beneath him. “Now be a good little girl and cum for me. I want your sweet juices on my tongue.” He sucked my clit between his teeth, his fingers curling in a come here motion. It was too much. “Azriel!” My back bowed off the bed as my orgasm hit me. Hot, white pleasure blinded me as he licked me through my release. My thighs were clamped around his head in an effort to make him stop but he didn’t care. Not until he lapped up every last drop of me, even licking me off of his fingers as he stared down at me. The sight was erotic.

“So good for me baby. Think you can give me one?” He pulled his shirt off. My eyes greedily took in his physique. The tattoos on his arms came up over his broad shoulders, dipping down onto his chiseled chest. Abs that I so badly wanted to run my tongue over. With harsh b lines that dipped beneath his jeans. I could feel myself salivating at the sight. I nodded eagerly at his question.

He gripped my chin between his index finger and thumb. His eyes sharp, dark with so many emotions. “Words, Princess. I wanna hear you.”

“Yes.” I whispered. Feeling like putty in his hands.

“Good girl. Now lay back and let me take care of you like I promised.”

I watched as he undid the button of his jeans. Anticipation clawing at my chest as I watched his every movement. One thing I’m learning about Azriel? He loved to take his time. Draw out every moment that he could, leaving me to want for more.

He stood up to kick off his jeans and boxers. His hard cock springing up to his belly button. My tongue darted out, licking my lips as I took him in. He was long, and girthy. The tip was an angry red as precum was beginning to build. I so badly wanted to taste him. Wanted to gag on him til I couldn’t breathe.

He must’ve seen the look in my eye. “As much as I’d love to feel those pretty lips wrapped around my cock,” he stalked forward to the bed, lowering himself on top of me. “I need to feel your pussy clenching around me.” My god where did this filthy mouth come from?

I spread my legs to welcome him. His chest rubbing against my hard sensitive nipples, sending a ripple of pleasure through me. His breath fanned across my face as he stared down at me. His cock pressed against my dripping pussy. My hole clenching around nothing as I waited.

“You sure you want this?” His tone had turned softer, his gaze searching mine for a hint of hesitation.

“Yes. Please Az. Wanna feel you.” His eyes flickered between mine for a moment, but when he didn’t find any hesitation that damn smirk came back. He reached between us, lining himself up with me.

“Good, cause I really don’t wanna go another minute without feeling this pussy.” With that, he plunged into me. The sudden action make my head fall back against the bed as a cry left me. The stretch of him was a little painful but nothing compared to the pure pleasure I was feeling.

My walls tightened around him, pulling a groan from him. “Princess, you keep squeezing me like that?” He panted for a moment. “I’m not going to be able to last.” He started moving then.

His cock dragging against my gummy walls before thrusting back in. He set a harsh pace. Hitting deep inside of me to that sweet spot that made me see stars. One of my hands tangled into his hair again, the other holding onto his shoulder.

“Fuck…” I whimpered as he angled his hips just right. Hitting the wall of my cervix.

“Yeah? Feels so good doesn’t it baby. God, you’re so fucking tight. Just clenching around that cock.” I cried out at his words, my pussy clamping down around him. Causing him to release a guttural groan.

That coil in my belly became tighter and tighter with each thrust. My eyes rolling back as i lost myself in him, his touch. “Eyes on me Princess. Wanna watch you lose yourself on my cock.” My eyes snapped to his. My vision fuzzy as I stared up at him.

He placed a hand on my neck, gently holding me in place. The action sent a thrill through me, he must’ve seen the look in my eye.

“You like this?” The tips of his fingers squeezed the sides of my throat. Cutting off my air just slightly, my body clamped around him in response. “Yeah, you like that. Naughty little thing aren’t you?” His thrusts were becoming harder and harder. I was so, so close.

“God I can feel you tightening around me. You gonna cum princess? Gonna make a mess all over my cock?” He grinned down at me, the look in his eye was absolutely feral. “Come on sweetness, cum for me. Be a good girl.”

The hand that wasn’t on my throat reached down, splaying across my lower stomach before pressing down. Adding pressure to where his cock slid in and out effortlessly. His thrusts came faster, driving me home.

“Azriel!” My scream echoed in the room, my head falling back as my mouth opened in a silent cry. My eyes rolling back as my orgasm rolled through me. Pressure in my lower abdomen built uncomfortably.

“God damn, look at you. Squirting all over me. Sucking my cock back in like a needy little slut.” His voice was rough, gravelly as his thrusts became needy. Chasing his own release.

“Fuck I’m gonna cum princess.” He groaned right before his body tensed. His muscles growing taught as he let out the most sinful moan I’d ever heard. His hot seed spilling into me as he kept dragging his cock against my walls, prolonging our pleasure.

Our heavy pants were the only sound for a while. Both of us too out of it to speak as we came down from the intense high.

He leaned down to press a kiss against my forehead. “You did so good for me.” He whispered against my skin. A tired smile tugged at my lips.

He slowly pulled out, wincing slightly from the loss of him. He laid next to me, pulling against his chest. I leaned my forehead against him, savoring the soft moment.

“We’ll have to do that again sometime.” My voice was raspy from over exertion. He chuckled before tilting my head back to look at him.

“Oh we’re definitely doing that again Princess. I just need a break.” His eyes gleamed with the promise that he wasn’t done with me just yet. “I still wanna feel those pretty lips around my cock.”

After he caught his breath, he ravished me until the sun peaked over the horizon. There was absolutely no way I was going into work now.

[thereoncewasagirlnamedjane]

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

PAIRING — tangerine x f!reader

CONTENTS — drabble; blind dates; tan’s a bit of a dick here; but so’s our reader; blood and implied violence; coarse language; reader is horny, okay? and i’m not sorry; one (1) brief reference to hate sex.

SUMMARY — your blind date is a walking red flag (he’s literally covered in blood), but you’re going through a dry spell and god damn it if he’s not the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen.

WORD COUNT — 958

NOTES — please excuse me, i am just obsessed with aaron taylor-johnson lately and i am in such a mood this friday night 😩 also, idk if i’ll write more for this guy solely because his codename is so damn dumb lmao! but i guess never say never 🤭

✩ masterlist ✩ a. taylor-johnson characters m.list ✩ library blog

This is the last time you ever say yes to a blind date, even if it has been ages since you were properly and thoroughly laid. Where the hell did your friend even find this guy?

The man sitting across from you in this quiet little cafe is certainly handsome—and definitely overdressed in his expensive-looking three piece suit that compliments the colour of his eyes… well, what’s left of the thing anyway… his jacket looks almost to be in tatters—but he’s all cagey and jittery. His eyes keep darting around the place, and he hasn’t made full eye contact with you once.

He didn’t even introduce himself when he arrived (nearly half an hour late), just slid into the seat on the other side of the table, draping his checkered coat over the back of the chair.

“Wanna tell me why you’re covered in blood?” You ask, arms folded over your chest. The tea you’d ordered for him has gone cold long ago, but he still lifts the cup by the handle and takes a careful sip. He grimaces, but shakes his head.

“You don’t wanna know, luv,” he says, signalling the barista to make him a fresh cup. You want to bury your fingers in his dishevelled hair and yank. At the unimpressed look on your face, he tuts and practically barks, “What? I should say that I came here straight after killin’ some poor bloke, then?”

“Fucking hell, you killed a guy?” You scoff, taking in the blood splattered all over his shirt and smeared on his skin. Some of it is his, you note, but he doesn’t seem phased—nor does anyone else as the barista comes around with a new steaming hot cup of tea. She casually places it on the table before walking away without another glance at either of you.

“No, darling,” he snarks, so condescendingly sarcastic you want to splash that tea right into his pretty face. He gestures to his crimson-stained collar, which lies open enough to give you a good view of his smooth upper chest, “I’m tryin’ to start a new trend. You think the designers will go for it?”

“Figures. Out of all the men I could’ve been set up with, I get set up with a murderer.” But that doesn’t stop you from wondering how that moustache would tickle if you kissed him. Or if he kissed you… in more unorthodox places.

“And yet you’re still fuckin’ sitting here, sweetheart,” he rolls his eyes, sighing when he takes a sip of his warm beverage before mumbling, “Mm, that’s more like it.”

“What’s your name then?” You huff, lifting your latte to your mouth, needing to do something to stop you from actually biting your lip, to calm the fire raging inside you. A fire that can surely only be extinguished by sinking your teeth into his neck—

“Well,” he seems to hesitate a bit here, “people call me Tangerine.”

“Tangerine?” You sneer, slamming your coffee cup back down onto its saucer with a loud clank, your latte sloshing over the rim and spilling onto the table. “Okay, that’s fucking ridiculous. I’m not calling you that.”

“Aw, come on, luv,” he tuts again in disapproval, grabbing some napkins from a nearby dispenser and wiping up the spill, muttering sarcastically about your lack of table manners. The sight of those clunky rings on his long, thick fingers makes you shiver. “Also, that’s bloody rude. Are you actually surprised you’re single?”

That’s the final straw, you can practically hear the camel’s back snapping. You stand up abruptly, the legs of your chair screeching loudly against the linoleum.

The guy finally looks right at you, cocking an eyebrow.

“Giant waste of time. Not gonna sit here and make small talk when we both know this isn’t going to work out,” you practically growl, winding your scarf around your neck and grabbing your coat. “Where’d you grow up? How many siblings do you have? Ugh, barf. I’d rather you fucking kill me.”

“I have a brother,” he offers casually, leaning back in his chair.

“Oh, really?” You ask, not believing him for a second as you grab your purse and loop your arm through the strap. “And what’s his name, Clementine?”

His neatly trimmed moustache twitches, one side of his mouth quirking up into something resembling a smile.

“We call him Lemon, actually,” he smirks as he pulls out a vibrating phone from his pocket. “Speaking of—” he presses the phone to his ear, “Lemme call you back.” Pause. “Tsk, sod off! I’m on a fuckin’ date, bruv. The job’s done, I can do whatever I want with my free time.”

Shit. You curse mentally at that smirk, both taunting and delicious in the worst ways possible, wondering why you haven’t marched out of the cafe yet. On top of everything, the moustached fucker takes a phone call from his brother, who is named Lemon, in the middle of you telling him off?

“Eh, she’s got a bit of a temper, to be honest.” And as a matter of fact, you’re about to blow a god damn gasket, but then his eyes slide to yours. His smirk widens. “But Jesus, Lem—”

You shake your head. No, don’t do it, you bastard. His eyes are positively gleaming.

“—why do I find it hot as hell?”

Damn it.

Yep, you heave a mental sigh. You’re totally gonna fuck him.

And the son of a bitch gives it to you so damn good, you only feel partly silly for repeatedly calling out the name “Tangerine” in the throes of heated bliss.

You make a mental note to send Beetle a thank-you care package. Y’know, later. When you can feel your legs again.

fin.

© 2025 by thereoncewasagirlnamedjane. do not repost, translate, or copy to third party sites. no part of this work may be fed into any AI software or websites. minors are asked not to interact with my blog; you are responsible for your own media consumption. followers with zero engagement, serial likers, and blank/ageless blogs will be blocked.

[mandy-asimp]

When She Calls

Lilia Calderu x Life!reader (she/her)

Warnings: language, deaths, sprinkles of angst, fluff, smut (but that's for waaay down the build up), whole lotta friendship, I'm like 87% sure that's it

Summary: when Life is asked to make a promise, she doesn't seem to be able to say no. But that promise was going to be served out so much longer than what she could see.

Chapter 4

Story masterlist

chapter 5

(Happy Friday, enjoy two (4+5) chapters :))

The trial had emptied out after Agatha, except Alice stood still there. Mortified by her own body. She turned to Rio…who seemed so much wickeder than seconds ago. “Wait..that’s it? That’s all the time I get?” Rio only eyed her in the moment. “B-But I finally broke the curse! I can finally do something with my life!” A slender finger pointed towards the right, a glowing white was suddenly known. Alice was so confused.

Tears rolled down Life’s cheeks. Mourning the loss of such a life. “I’m sorry, my wild ember…”

“You.. Why are you here?” Alice stared at Life, her white hood covering the cascading waves. 

“Before Death is Life…its a balance, and I’m here to see you over. You died protecting someone, that was what you were born to do. And I know it’s unfair that you finally beat your biggest monster, and now you don’t get to continue with that pride here.” Life was so precise with her words, knowing how to present each one to be comforting.

Rio sighed, not in any annoyed way, she just did. “You continue on in my realm though. It’s not as bad as people claim it to be. Some beings wouldn’t let me torture her lives.”

Alice felt warm for just one more second. “This entire time…”

Rio walked towards the door. “Are you ready?”

The protection witch glanced back to Death, then back to her body. Tears falling lightly from her eyes. Finally, she went to meet Life’s eyes. “Did you always know this would be it? Do you know everyone’s lives?”

Life stepped closer, a caring glint in those calm grey skies. A storm always lurked in them, ready to strike at any second. “My ember, it’s time to go…I promise Death will be good to you.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “She likes you anyways, you protected the one she cared about. She owes you peace there. So, go on.”

Alice had eyes glazed with a swarm of emotions, a look both natural beings were used to seeing in this moment. Reluctantly, she went. Following Death into the green void and leaving Life behind. Alice walked with, although she wanted to run back. To beg for more time from Life. This didn’t feel right. 

“Even if you did go back and beg her…she’s never made an exception. She’s unfair that way.” 

That didn’t stop the woman. She was sprinting back to the door, desperate for more time. Barging back in, Life still lingered, a knowing smile was her greeting. “Please. Please, I have more to do in this world…Just a little longer and if nothing has happened then I’ll go. Just, please.”

Death stood in the doorway, waiting to collect and be on her way. Life stood in the open area, eyes gleaming with joy. “And how much longer is longer? What is it that is still out there for you?” She radiated a lively warmth.

“No! You can’t do this!” Death exclaimed from her spot. “She’s supposed to be coming with me.”

Alice instantly picked up on what was being done. “I want to explore more, to know what else I can do with my magic…wait…will I get that back?”

Life blinked her joyous tears away as her smile turned into a blinding beam. “My wild ember, your new purpose for this life will be to be my wildest ember. Do good out there and then when your time comes again, you shall have lived the life you’ve always wanted.”

A shaky breath was all Alice could get out before she was lying on the floor gasping for oxygen. Tears streamed past her temples as she slowly got herself back up. Laughing slightly before rushing out after the coven. 

Meanwhile, Life and Death stood in the cabin staring at each other. “But you couldn’t help Nicky?” Rio’s voice came calm, yet a venomous vang was bared with it. “You hardly knew her.”

“Just because I didn’t give him the full life you wanted, doesn’t mean I never helped him.” Life didn’t have any bite in her words. She was being delicate and sincere. After all, that was Rio’s son just as much as Agatha’s. “He lived the life that was designed for him. Which was longer than the original 9 months that he was supposed to have.”

But Rio shook her head and felt anger bubbling in her. “You’re distributing the order. Just like Maximoff did.”

“How can I disturb an order that I start?” 

~

Billy stared at Alice, tears full of relief spilled carefully. “But..they all said you were unsaveable?! How? Oh…oh I’ve made a mistake then..” He had so much to think over so suddenly. “Ok, wait, how are you alive?”

“Life…Lilia’s cat was Life herself and Rio told me she wouldn't budge, but I couldn’t accept that that was all I had. She cried for me…” Alice thought it all over once more, turning back to the exit and giving a grateful smile. “She really didn’t mean any harm.”

Billy hugged the woman, squeezing her tightly. “I thought I’d never get to see you again…and I also kinda knew she was Life. She helped me into this one when I was in a crash a few years ago.” He let go and reluctantly backed up. “I may have lashed on everyone and thrown them off The Road.” He hung his head in shame. 

“Well…in your defense you defended Agatha for how long only for her to prove it to be meaningless.” Alice stepped closer and placed her hand on his shoulder. “You were upset. You had lost a friend.”

Life hummed, appearing from around the trees. “It’s a funny thing isn’t it? Life? Me? You two are special though. You have a different protection to you. One that keeps you on a steady path, of course a few bumps and potholes, but that’s just life for you.” She was so polite as the two crushed her in a hug. It warmed her to know that this was that human connection she had been searching for. 

It was the warmth of good friends bringing out this new fit of laughter. It was full of serotonin and soon the other two were laughing just as well. All growing rosy hues to their cheeks. “Is this your doing?” Billy chuckled out, his cheeks slightly starting to hurt. “Were you the one responsible for the tears?”

Life couldn't contain laughter at all. “I’m sorry!” She was trying to get them down to mere giggles, but it seemed useless. “Sometimes, when I understand and truly feel what you all do, I can't help but to want to infect every life around me.” She had finally managed to subside the dominating feeling. “If it makes you feel any better, Salem Seven also just broke out into a fit of laughter.”

“You don’t understand human emotions? But if you create us?” Alice furrowed her brows. How could Life not know what feelings…felt like?

Her shoulders raised to her ears, “I don’t exactly create you, you’re still created by your parents, but your very life is from me. I’m the first one to really know you and everything you’re destined for within this life. However, because I know all of your choices and next steps, I’m not allowed to interact with you all often. But I had once made a promise that took and forced me to break that. I’ve learned very little as a cat, mostly because as a cat I can’t understand humans.”

“What was the promise?” Both had curiosity, it twisted in the deep browns and shined under the rising light. 

Agatha however scoffed. “Does it matter? We’re walking The Road with Life herself. No doubt Death must be near.” The witch then saw Alice standing right alongside them. “And here I thought you had no heart.” The stab was deep.

“That’s funny coming from the witch killer.” Billy took the lead to argue. “At least she uses her magic for good unlike you.”

Her eyes narrowed onto the boy. Picking him apart bit by bit. “Same way it's funny that the son of The Scarlet Witch is on The Road? Tell me…how did you come across this vessel? How did you escape the grasp of the Hex?” 

“Ease up, Harkness.” Life flatly said. Eyes ready to throw daggers at her if she said anything out of line. Billy stayed silent on the matter, he knew the truth, and so did Life.

“Alright, fine. You dont wanna tell me. But don’t you dare feel guilty about your talents. You survived like witches have been doing for years!  You saw an opportunity, an empty vessel, and you moved in! So you broke a few rules and slipped past this one!” Her hand gestured to Life. “That's what kept you alive! That’s what makes you a witch. That’s what makes you special.” She stood toe-to-toe with him. She needed to make sure he knew that he did what anyone would do in his situation if given the chance. “It’s nice to see you again…Billy.”

He let out a subtle breath. “Billy…William…you can hear me now?”

“Everyone can, every witch with a beating heart.” Life hummed from next to Alice. Her tone was inviting, the same one she used to lure him to his second chance. She sent him a small wink. 

“But this doesn’t answer-” he let his complaint fall once he met those cool grey eyes that told him everything he needed to know for now. “It’s further down my path.”

“Well, if we want to finish thi-”

“We?” Billy interrupted Agatha. “I don’t think I even need you anymore. I don’t know if I ever did. And especially after the last trial…we,” he directed it towards the three facing the brunette witch. “We will finish this road without you.”

Her brow quirked high into the air, and then it fell into a teasing look. “Hmm…what could Billy Maximoff want from the road?” She crept closer, soon to start circling around the young witch. “Is it…find mama? No, she chose an entire town of strangers over her own flesh and wires! Is it…find Papa? No...we all know that robot is offline somewhere. So who does that leave?” Her index finger tapped against her chin as she slowed to be right in front. “Oh that's right! There's two of you! You’re after Toby!”

Even Alice winced at the clear usage of the wrong name. “Tommy.” Billy had corrected her.

“That’s what I said!” Agatha kept poking. “And let me guess, Life’s just unfair?” The blue eyes snapped over immediately. “She had to obviously let you slip past her. I’ve never known her to let one go by. Everyone is destined for Death. But to let only you slip by and not your twin brother? Doesn’t that make you wonder why she only saved one of you?” Life stood silent, intrigued with where she was going to take this. “I mean, if she has the ability to bring Alice back with all her power…why couldn’t she help him as well?”

Billy slowly spun, questioning eyes bored into the figure in white. He waited for the answer to come out on its own. Especially since her mind was so silent. “Tommy couldn’t hear me the way you could. I wanted you to hear my calls…but that doesn’t mean he’s gone for good.”

“So he’s still out there?!” Billy was instantly filled with this hope that this, all this chaos, wasn't going to a waste. “Then we finish this.” He shifted back to face Agatha, “but just know. I do not trust you. At all. I never have.” It was cold and distancing. 

Something Agatha was so used to already, all she did was let her smile fall and agree. “Fine. Let's move then. Last one to the next trial is a nice person.”

~

Chapter 6.

[sumeng-ovo]

Two strike

Evan Buckley x soft-hearted female reader

Warning: superstitious Buck, then only fluff I guess, no real move or being interrupted

hi it's my first time post fanfic here, English is not my first language so I used translating app to help. Let me know if there's any problem! If you are willing to comment to help me improve I'd be very grateful! <3 I wrote two version, one was Buck's POV and one was Reader's, I'm not sure which one is better. This one is Buck's POV. It's a series actually but the first chapter is so different from the following so I post this one alone, you can take it as a separate short story.

Next pare here.

Enjoy!

Evan "Buck" Buckley wasn’t looking for anything special that morning. It was a quiet shift at Station 118, the kind where you could actually hear the hum of the city outside the bay doors instead of the usual chaos. He was halfway through wiping down the engine, the cloth in his hand streaked with grime, when something caught his eye. Not you, not at first. It was the dog.

A golden retriever, big and scruffy with a tail that wagged like it was powered by pure joy, stood just beyond the station’s open doors. Buck squinted, pausing mid-swipe, and watched as the dog nosed at a little brown paper bag on the sidewalk. Its ears flopped as it scarfed down whatever was inside, clearly delighted. That’s when he saw you.

You were crouched low, knees tucked under a flowy skirt that brushed the pavement. A soft gray cardigan hung loose on your frame, the sleeves slipping past your wrists as you reached out to scratch the dog’s ears. Your voice drifted over, gentle and warm, though Buck couldn’t quite make out the words. Something about the way you smiled at the dog, like it was the only thing in the world that mattered, made him stop altogether. He leaned against the rig, cloth forgotten, and just watched.

You weren’t loud or flashy. You didn’t demand attention like the women who usually turned his head. You were… soft. Kind. The kind of cute that sneaks up on him, unassuming and real. Your hair caught the morning light as you stood, brushing your hands on your skirt, and Buck realized he was smiling. He didn’t even know why.

Eddie’s voice jolted him out of it. “What’s with the grin?” He stepped up beside Buck, following his gaze across the street. “Oh. Stray dog girl?”

Buck straightened up, tossing the rag over his shoulder. “She’s feeding it again. She’s always feeding it.”

Eddie smirked, crossing his arms. “Yeah, well, maybe she’s why that dog keeps hanging around. You gonna say hi, or just keep staring like a creep?”

“I’m not staring,” Buck said, a little too quickly. “I’m observing.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

But Eddie’s teasing hit a nerve, and Buck made up his mind right then. Why not? She was just a girl feeding a dog. He could say hi, maybe crack a joke about the retriever getting spoiled. He took two steps toward the sidewalk, rehearsing something casual in his head: “Hey, that dog’s gonna get too fat to run with you around.” Simple. Easy. He could do this.

The alarm chose that exact moment to blare. Sharp, shrill, and perfectly timed to ruin everything. Chimney shouted something incoherent from upstairs, and Buck groaned, his momentum faltering. He turned back, grabbing his gear as the team spilled into the bay. By the time the truck rolled out, lights flashing, You were gone. Just you and the golden retriever, vanished like a mirage.

...

He couldn’t stop thinking about it all week. It wasn’t even a big deal—she was just some girl, right? But every time he walked past the bay doors, he found himself glancing at the sidewalk, half-expecting to see you there. He kicked himself for not moving faster, for letting the call steal his shot. So when he saw you again a few days later, he didn’t hesitate.

It was late afternoon, the sun dipping low and casting long shadows across the station. You were back, same spot, same dog. That little paper bag crinkled as you pulled out a treat, and the golden retriever’s tail went wild. Buck watched you laugh, soft and unguarded, and something flipped in his chest. This time, he wasn’t waiting. He jogged out of the bay, ignoring Eddie’s raised eyebrow from the kitchen window, and made it halfway across the pavement before the universe intervened again.

The alarm screeched, cutting through the quiet like a knife. A car wreck on Wilshire, three injured, Bobby’s voice already barking orders over the radio. Buck froze, one foot on the curb, and cursed under his breath. You looked up, startled by the noise, and for half a second, your eyes met. Yours were wide, curious, framed by that soft hair he couldn’t stop noticing. His stomach did a ridiculous little flip, but then Bobby’s voice crackled again.

“Buck, you coming or what?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, forcing himself to turn back. He stole one last glance over his shoulder as he reached the truck, but you were already walking away, the dog trotting happily at your heels. Two chances, two interruptions. That wasn’t a coincidence—it was a pattern.

That night, Buck sprawled across his couch, a beer balanced on his knee that he barely touched. The TV flickered in the background, some mindless reality show he wasn’t really watching. He kept replaying those moments—the smile you gave the dog, the way you’d looked up at him just before he’d had to run. Two swings, two misses. He wasn’t that superstitious. Not too much, at least he wouldn't admit. But come on. The universe was practically screaming at him. 

Maybe it was a sign. Maybe chasing this, whatever it was, was a bad idea. He’d seen enough weird calls—freak accidents, impossible odds—to know better than to tempt fate a third time. “Better off leaving it alone,” he told himself, flipping the channel to drown out the thought. But even as the TV blared, he couldn’t shake the image of your smile or the golden retriever’s wagging tail. Two strikes. He wasn’t sure he could stop himself from stepping up to the plate again.

[lila-lou]

✨Cuffed - Part 4/4✨

Summary: Dean reluctantly tags along to a Halloween party, but things take an unexpected turn when he meets you. What starts as playful teasing quickly turns into undeniable chemistry, leaving Dean caught off guard in the best way.

-Halloween-Special-

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Warnings: Language

Word Count: 6381

A/N: English isn’t my first language, please be lenient. 💛

Within seconds, you were both tangled in the backseat of the Impala, Dean already fumbling with his belt, his breathing heavy with anticipation. He glanced at you, a teasing grin on his lips as he worked to free himself. “You just gonna sit there, sweetheart? Don’t wanna help?”, he asked, his tone light but laced with heat.

You smirked, knowing exactly what he meant, getting undressed yourself, but not needing to bother. Leaning back slightly, you raised an eyebrow, letting him catch the glint of mischief in your eyes. “Why would I need to help, Dean?”, you asked innocently, your voice soft but dripping with suggestion.

Dean paused for a split second, his eyes darkening as they drifted down to your legs. He tilted his head, realization hitting him. “Wait… you’re not wearing any panties, are you?”. His voice was rough, thick with desire, as his fingers momentarily stilled on his belt.

You bit your lip, shaking your head slowly, enjoying the reaction you were drawing out of him. “Nope. Figured it’d save us some time”, you teased, leaning forward slightly, your eyes never leaving his.

Dean let out a low groan, his voice dropping as he muttered, “You’re gonna kill me, you know that?”.

You watched as he finally managed to pull his belt free, undoing his jeans and pushing them down along with his boxers. He wasted no time, and when you glanced down, you could see he was already hard, his arousal clear and ready.

He shifted beneath you, his hands moving to grip your hips firmly. “Well, now that you’ve made it so damn easy…”. His voice trailed off as he pulled you closer, his lips brushing against yours in a teasing, heated kiss.

Dean's breath hitched as he eased himself into you, the warmth and tightness enveloping him completely. His head fell back slightly before resting against your collarbone, a deep groan escaping his lips as he felt every inch of contact between your bodies. The sensation was overwhelming, intense in a way that seemed to pause the rest of the world.

"You feel… so damn good, baby", Dean murmured against your skin, his voice strained with the effort to maintain control. His hands tightened on your hips, guiding you to meet his slow, deliberate movements. The car creaked slightly with each motion, the leather of the seats squeaking softly in the quiet night.

You wrapped your arms around him, your fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt at his back. "Dean…", you breathed out, the sensation of him moving inside you sending waves of pleasure through your body. You moved together in a rhythm that was both new and familiar, a dance you had come to know well but that never lost its thrill.

Dean lifted his head to look into your eyes, his expression filled with a mix of lust and something deeper, more vulnerable. "I could stay like this forever", he confessed, his thrusts picking up pace, each one driving deeper, pulling a moan from deep within you.

The intimacy of the moment, combined with the raw physical pleasure, was intoxicating. You held his gaze, lost in the depths of his eyes, feeling as though you were seeing into a part of him that few ever did. "Dean", you whispered, your voice a mixture of desire and emotion, "don't stop".

His response was to kiss you deeply, passionately, his movements becoming more urgent. The kiss was a perfect echo of his physical movements, deep, consuming, and relentless. You responded with equal fervor, your body arching against his, craving more of the connection that seemed to transcend the physical.

As Dean’s body moved against yours, slow and deliberate, you could feel something deeper unfurling inside you. It wasn’t just the physical connection—though that alone was enough to send waves of pleasure through you with every deliberate thrust. It was more than that, something that had been quietly growing between the two of you over the past few weeks, in the moments when his guard dropped, in the way he looked at you when he thought you weren’t paying attention.

You could feel it now, more than ever. The way he touched you, his hands gentle but firm, like he was savoring every moment, memorizing every part of you. His lips brushed your skin—your collarbone, your neck, your jaw—with a tenderness that was in stark contrast to the rough, hardened persona he wore like armor most of the time. And with every touch, every breathless kiss, you felt yourself sinking deeper into him, into this moment.

As his hands guided your hips, pulling you closer, deeper, the intensity of it wasn’t just in the pleasure; it was in the way he held you like you were something fragile, something he wanted to protect. That thought alone made your heart ache in a way that was both beautiful and terrifying. You were falling for him, you realized, in a way that went far beyond the surface-level attraction that had brought you together.

Dean’s forehead rested against yours, his breaths coming in ragged bursts as he moved inside you, slow and steady, his rhythm perfectly attuned to yours. His eyes flickered open, catching yours in a way that made the world seem to slow down. He didn’t say anything, but the look in his eyes spoke volumes. There was something there, something raw and real, and it made your heart pound in your chest.

You bit your lip, your hands sliding up his back, fingers tracing the lines of his muscles as you whispered, “Dean…”. Your voice was soft, filled with a mix of emotions that you couldn’t quite put into words, but you knew he felt it. You could see it in the way his eyes softened, in the way his grip on you tightened just slightly, like he didn’t want to let you go.

He responded by kissing you, slow and tender, as if he was trying to tell you something without using words. His lips moved against yours in a way that made your entire body shiver with warmth, a warmth that spread from your chest down to your very core. Every touch, every movement felt like a promise, like he was letting you in just a little bit more, letting you see the parts of him that he kept hidden from the world.

And you wanted to know those parts. You wanted to understand every facet of him, the good and the bad, the light and the dark.

As his pace quickened slightly, the heat building between you, you felt your heart swell with the realization that you were falling in love with him. It wasn’t just the physical pleasure that made this moment so intense—it was the way you felt about him. The way he made you feel, safe and wanted, but also seen.

Your body moved in sync with his, the slow burn of pleasure building with each thrust, but your mind was lost in the thoughts of him, of what this was turning into. You had never felt this way before, this undeniable pull toward someone, this connection that seemed to go beyond anything you had experienced before. And it scared you a little, how much you cared, how much you were starting to need him in ways you hadn’t expected.

Dean’s breath was hot against your skin as he whispered your name, his voice low and rough with need, but there was something more behind it, something that made your heart skip a beat. He wasn’t just calling out to you; he was grounding himself in you, in this moment. And you realized that he might be feeling something similar, something he wasn’t quite ready to admit but was there nonetheless.

As Dean pushed deeper inside you, the world around you faded even further away, leaving just the two of you in that intimate cocoon of pleasure. The way he held you, slightly lifting you by your hips, created an exquisite tension that heightened every sensation. You could feel every inch of him, every thrust igniting a fire that spread through your body like electricity.

“You feel so good”, he breathed, his voice thick with desire as he watched your face, looking for any sign of what you were feeling. He pushed one more time, deeper and harder, and that’s when everything seemed to explode inside you.

The wave hit you with a force you weren’t prepared for. It crashed over you, leaving you breathless as the pleasure spiraled out in a dizzying rush. You cried out his name, the sound echoing in the enclosed space of the Impala, and with every pulse, you felt yourself tighten around him, your body instinctively responding to the intensity of the moment.

Dean’s grip on your hips tightened, his eyes dark with passion and admiration as he watched you come undone beneath him. “That’s it, sweetheart”, he urged, his voice low and rough. “Let go for me”.

You couldn’t hold back, the sensations crashing over you in waves, each one more intense than the last. The heat between you was all-consuming, and with every thrust, every movement, you felt closer to him than ever before. It was as if he was reaching into your soul, pulling out everything you were and wrapping it around him.

“Dean”, you gasped, your fingers gripping his shoulders as you rode out the last waves of your orgasm.

You felt every pulse of him inside you, each throb sending electric shocks through your body as he reached his peak. His breath hitched, and with one final thrust, Dean groaned deeply against your neck.

“Fuck”, he murmured, the word a mix of pleasure and disbelief, as he released inside you. The sensation sent another wave of pleasure coursing through you, amplifying the aftershocks of your own climax. You could feel the warmth of him, how intimately connected you both were in that moment.

Dean’s head fell against your shoulder, his breaths coming in heavy, ragged gasps as he tried to regain his composure. You wrapped your arms around him, holding him close, feeling the heat radiate from his body. It felt safe, comforting, and utterly intoxicating.

“Shit”, he finally breathed out, lifting his head slightly to look at you, his eyes still heavy with desire but also filled with a softness that made your heart flutter. “I didn’t expect that”.

You chuckled lightly. “Neither did I. But I’m definitely not complaining”.

Dean’s lips curled into a satisfied smile, his fingers tracing patterns along your waist, as if he was still trying to memorize every inch of you. “You’re something else, you know that?”, he said, his voice low and genuine.

You bit your lip, a blush creeping across your cheeks at his compliment. The warmth of his gaze sent butterflies dancing in your stomach as you felt a mix of pride and shyness at the intimacy you had just shared.

As Dean adjusted himself, you reached into the middle console and fished out a tissue, your fingers shaking slightly from the residual excitement. You took a moment to clean yourself up. Your heart raced, and the aftershocks of pleasure were still pulsing through your body, making the mundane act of tidying feel electric.

Dean watched you, his expression softening as he took in the sight of you—glowing, a little breathless, and undeniably beautiful.

“Need any help with that?”, he teased, a playful glint in his eye as he leaned back against the seat, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the view.

You laughed, rolling your eyes playfully as you finished up. “I think I’ve got it under control, but thanks for the offer”.

As Dean reached out to help you back into the front seat, his strong hands guiding you gently, he chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I didn’t plan for that tonight, you know”, he mumbled, a hint of amusement in his voice. “I actually just wanted to talk”.

You smiled, settling into the seat and adjusting your dress. “Oh, really?”, you teased, glancing at him with a playful glint in your eyes. “Because it sure didn’t feel like ‘just talking’ back there”.

Dean laughed, running a hand through his hair as he buckled himself in. “Yeah, well, things escalated… quickly”, he admitted, smirking as he shot you a sideways glance.

You could feel the warmth between you again, but it wasn’t just the heat of the moment—it was something deeper, a connection that had begun to grow beyond the physical. As he started the engine and the familiar rumble of the Impala filled the air, you felt a sense of calm wash over you, content in the knowledge that this thing between you wasn’t just about the heat.

“Honestly”, Dean continued, his voice a little quieter now, “I just wanted to spend time with you. Get to know you more. We always seem to jump to the fun stuff, but I like talking to you. I just… didn’t expect tonight to end like that”.

You hesitated for a moment, feeling the weight of what you were about to say. The night had already been unexpected, intense, but something inside you didn’t want it to end just yet. You glanced at Dean, who was focused on the road, his profile bathed in the dim glow of the dashboard lights. His words about wanting to get to know you more lingered in your mind, and you decided to take a leap.

“The night doesn’t have to end here”, you said softly, your voice cutting through the comfortable silence between you.

Dean turned his head slightly, curious. “Oh?”. There was a hint of surprise in his voice, but also that playful spark you had come to love.

You bit your lip, feeling a little nervous but pushing through it. “Lina’s out with Sam tonight… so I was thinking… maybe you could come over? No backseat this time”, you added with a smirk, trying to keep things light even though your heart was pounding in your chest.

“No backseat, huh?”, he teased, but there was something deeper behind the humor—something that told you he was just as intrigued by the invitation as you were nervous to give it.

“Yeah”, you replied, your heart racing a little faster now. “I figured we could actually talk… or, you know, see where the night takes us”.

Dean glanced over at you again, his gaze softening. He reached over and gave your knee a gentle squeeze. “I like the sound of that”, he said quietly, the playful edge in his voice dropping, replaced by a sincerity that made your chest tighten in the best way.

As the Impala purred beneath you, the drive toward your place felt like it stretched on forever, the air between you thick with unspoken anticipation. Dean’s hand stayed resting on your leg, the warmth of his touch grounding you in the moment as your nerves settled into excitement.

When you finally pulled up to your house, the familiar sight of the front porch light flickering in the cool night air, you felt a mix of comfort and excitement. You could hear your heartbeat in your ears as you stepped out of the car, and as Dean rounded the front of the Impala to meet you, you felt a sense of calm wash over you. There was something about him being here with you, outside the usual rush of your encounters, that made it feel like a new beginning.

Dean held the door open for you, his usual smirk tugging at his lips as he watched you unlock the door. “So”, he said as he stepped inside, glancing around the quiet space, “no Sam, no Lina. Just you and me”.

“Yep”, you replied, turning to him with a grin as you kicked off your shoes and flicked on the living room light. “Just you and me”.

Dean shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the back of a chair, his eyes never leaving yours.

The house was peaceful, the air still, and the sense that you had all the time in the world made the moment feel different—like you could actually take your time, explore this thing between you.

“You want a drink?”, you asked, gesturing toward the kitchen. “Beer, maybe?”.

Dean smiled, nodding. “Yeah, sure. Beer sounds good”.

As you disappeared into the kitchen, grabbing two bottles from the fridge, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement bubbling up inside you. This wasn’t like your usual whirlwind moments with Dean—there was something softer about it, something more meaningful. When you returned to the living room, handing him a bottle, Dean was already sitting on the couch, looking comfortable, at ease.

“Thanks”, he said, taking the beer from your hand and cracking it open. He took a sip, his eyes never leaving yours, and for a moment, you both just stood there, the weight of the evening settling in.

“What now? Am I supposed to be on my best behavior since we’re out of the car?”, Dean said, breaking the silence with a playful glint in his eye.

You laughed, sitting down beside him, feeling the warmth of his presence next to you. “I don’t know”, you teased. “I guess that depends on whether you can behave”.

Dean raised an eyebrow, setting his beer down on the coffee table. “I think I can manage… for a little while”. His voice was lower now, that teasing edge fading as he turned to face you more fully.

An hour later, you found yourself lying in your bed, the room bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight streaming through the curtains. The air around you was still and peaceful, a stark contrast to the passion that had filled the space just moments ago. Your head rested on Dean’s chest, your body fully relaxed, completely spent in the best way possible. His strong, steady heartbeat echoed beneath your ear, grounding you in the quiet aftermath of your time together.

For the first time, you were completely naked with him—both physically and emotionally. It felt intimate, like the walls you both had kept up were gone now, leaving only raw honesty between you. You had never felt more vulnerable or more comfortable at the same time.

Your fingertips lazily traced along the defined muscles of his stomach, brushing lightly over the sharp lines of his V-line. Each soft stroke sent gentle shivers through Dean’s body, and you could feel his chest rise and fall as he let out a soft, content sigh.

Dean’s arm was wrapped around you, his hand resting on the small of your back, his thumb moving in slow, absentminded circles. It was such a simple gesture, but it felt incredibly intimate. His fingers occasionally tightened their grip on your skin, pulling you just a little closer to him, as if the nearness wasn’t enough.

“You okay?”. Dean’s voice rumbled through his chest, low and soft, his tone a mix of concern and tenderness. He tilted his head slightly to look down at you, his eyes half-lidded but still filled with that undeniable warmth that made your heart flutter.

You smiled against his skin, pressing a soft kiss to his chest before answering. “I’m more than okay”, you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this good”.

Dean chuckled, the sound deep and warm, vibrating through your body. His hand slid up to your shoulder, tracing soft patterns across your skin. “Good”, he said softly, his lips brushing the top of your head. “I was worried I might’ve worn you out”.

You laughed quietly, the sound muffled by the comforter wrapped around the two of you. “You did”, you admitted, your fingers still tracing over his skin, earning another slight shiver from him. “But in the best possible way”.

Dean’s grip on you tightened for a moment, a quiet satisfaction settling into the room. You could feel the tension from the past few weeks—those unspoken moments between you—begin to melt away. This wasn’t just another fleeting connection, something physical that would burn out as quickly as it started. It was something more, something deeper, and you both knew it.

For a while, the two of you lay in comfortable silence, your bodies intertwined in the most natural way, the quiet rhythm of your breathing syncing as you both came down from the high of the night. Every so often, Dean would run his hand down your back, his touch soothing and reassuring.

You shifted slightly, resting your chin on his chest as you looked up at him, your fingers still dancing lazily along his stomach. “You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”, you said, a soft smile playing on your lips.

Dean looked down at you, a hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth. “I’ve been told that once or twice”, he teased lightly, though there was something genuine in his eyes that told you he appreciated the compliment.

You rolled your eyes, but the smile never left your face. “I’m serious”, you said softly, your tone more sincere now. “You make me feel… safe".

Dean’s expression softened, and for a moment, the teasing was gone, replaced by something more real, more vulnerable. He lifted a hand, brushing a strand of hair away from your face. “You’re safe with me”.

You pressed another soft kiss to his chest, closing your eyes as you let the moment wash over you. “I’m glad you’re here”, you whispered, your voice barely audible but filled with all the emotion you hadn’t quite been able to put into words yet.

Dean’s arm wrapped around you tighter, pulling you closer to him as he pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “I’m glad I’m here too”, he murmured, his voice low and tender.

You stayed like that for a while, just basking in the warmth of each other’s presence. There was no rush, no need to fill the silence with words. Everything felt right—comfortable, easy. It was like you had found a place where you both belonged, together.

After a while, the peaceful silence between you and Dean naturally gave way to soft conversation. It was easy, comfortable, and though Dean was careful not to reveal too much about his real life—the hunting, the supernatural world—he still shared little parts of himself, fragments of his past and his relationship with Sam, moments that made you feel like you were getting a glimpse behind the armor he usually wore so tightly.

You talked about everything and nothing, from favorite bands and childhood memories to the little quirks that made each of you laugh. You learned that he had a soft spot for old movies and classic rock, things that reminded him of simpler times, and he learned more about your life, your hopes, and dreams. Every now and then, his fingers would absently trace over your skin, and you found yourself doing the same, the quiet intimacy between you deepening with each passing minute.

Before you knew it, hours had passed, the clock ticking toward the early hours of the morning. Dean’s voice was a little hoarse from talking, and he laughed softly, rubbing a hand over his face. “Man, I didn’t realize how thirsty I am”, he said, shifting slightly beneath you.

You smiled, your cheek still resting on his chest, and looked up at him. “I guess all that talking does that to you”.

Dean chuckled, gently untangling himself from you as he slid out of the bed. “Yeah, I’ll grab us some water”. He pressed a kiss to your forehead before he stood up, pulling on his jeans and heading toward the kitchen.

As he left the room, you curled up into the warm cocoon of the blanket, sighing contentedly as the night replayed in your mind. There was something special about this, something different. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but it felt real in a way you hadn’t expected.

Just as you were settling deeper into the comfort of your thoughts, you heard a soft knock on your bedroom door. Before you could respond, the door opened slowly, and Lina peeked her head in, her face lit with curiosity and a playful smile. She was wrapped in a robe, clearly having just slipped out of her own bed.

“Hey”, she whispered, tiptoeing into the room, her eyes wide with amusement. “Are you awake?”.

You blinked in surprise, sitting up slightly in the bed. “Lina?”, you whispered back, pulling the blanket up to cover yourself. “Yeah, I’m awake. What’s up?”.

She raised an eyebrow, her grin widening as she crossed the room. “Oh, nothing… just wanted to see how your night was going”. She plopped down on the edge of your bed, her eyes scanning the room as if she could read every detail of what had happened.

You flushed slightly, knowing Lina had a pretty good idea of how your night had gone. “It’s… been good”, you admitted with a soft smile, trying not to give too much away.

Lina chuckled, her eyes gleaming. “Just good, huh? I saw Dean’s car outside, so I’m guessing it was a little more than good”. She wiggled her eyebrows, teasing you.

You laughed softly, shaking your head. “Fine, okay… it was amazing”.

Lina grinned, clearly pleased with your answer. “I knew it”. She leaned back slightly, crossing her legs.

You eyed Lina, raising a brow, sensing there was more she was holding back. Before you could ask, Lina’s face broke into a wide grin, and in a high-pitched voice, she blurted, “Sam’s here!”.

Her tone—and the way her face flushed—immediately gave it away. You didn’t even need to ask for clarification. Your eyes widened as a grin of your own spread across your face, and you leaned in closer to her, playfully pushing her shoulder.

“Oh my…”, you whispered, eyes twinkling with excitement. “You guys finally did it, didn’t you?”.

Lina bit her lip and nodded, clearly trying to suppress her excitement, but it was obvious she couldn’t hold it back. “Yeah”, she whispered, practically bouncing in place, “it finally happened. I don’t even know what to say… It was amazing. He’s just… so sweet, you know?”.

You laughed, shaking your head. “Sweet? That’s not what I was expecting to hear”.

Lina rolled her eyes, but the smile didn’t fade from her face. “Oh, trust me, he’s definitely got that sweet, caring side. But let’s just say… there’s more to him than that”.

Your laughter bubbled up again, and Lina giggled too, the two of you momentarily caught up in the joy of sharing your stories.

“So, are you guys like… a thing now?”, you asked, your voice softening as you took in the shift in her demeanor. It was clear there was something more behind her words, just like there was something more growing between you and Dean.

Lina paused for a moment, her gaze softening. “I think so”, she said quietly. “I mean, we didn’t have any big talk or anything, but it feels different now. Like, more real. And I think he feels the same way”.

You nodded, understanding exactly what she meant. “Yeah, I get that”.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Dean stepped in, only to stop short when he saw Sam leaning against the kitchen counter, similarly dressed in nothing but his jeans, sipping from a glass of water. The two brothers locked eyes for a moment, both visibly surprised to see each other there in such a situation.

Sam raised an eyebrow, lowering his glass and letting out a low chuckle. “Well, this is unexpected”, he said, the humor barely contained in his voice. “Didn’t think I’d run into you here”.

Dean’s mouth quirked into a grin as he leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. “I could say the same, Sammy”, he teased, shaking his head. “Didn’t expect you to be out here… looking like you just rolled out of bed”.

Sam shrugged, clearly unbothered, and set his glass down on the counter. “Same goes for you. Didn’t think you’d be spending the night”.

Dean smirked, walking over to the fridge to grab a bottle of water for himself. “Yeah, well, plans change”. He twisted the cap off the bottle and took a swig, his eyes flicking toward Sam, who was trying—and failing—not to grin too widely. “So… you and Lina, huh?”.

Sam’s expression shifted slightly, turning a little more serious but still relaxed. “Yeah”, he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess things are… progressing. It just kind of happened”.

Dean let out a small laugh, leaning back against the counter. “Yeah, I know that feeling”. He took another drink of water before looking at Sam again, his usual teasing tone gone. “You good with all of it? I mean, things moving forward with her?”.

Sam nodded, his expression softening. “Yeah, I am. I really like her, Dean. She’s different, you know? It feels… real”.

Dean studied his brother for a moment, the protective older sibling in him flickering to the surface. “Good”, he said after a pause. “I’m happy for you, man. Lina seems like a solid girl”.

Sam smiled, visibly relieved that Dean approved. “Thanks. And you?”, Sam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Dean, the question hanging in the air. “You and her? Is this… serious?”.

Dean staring down at it for a moment as he mulled over Sam’s question. The quiet in the kitchen stretched between them, the soft hum of the refrigerator the only sound breaking the silence. Dean took a slow drink, buying himself a few more seconds before finally answering.

“I don’t know”, he mumbled, his voice lower than usual. His eyes flicked up to meet Sam’s, then quickly darted away again. He wasn’t used to talking about his feelings, especially not when it came to relationships. This was unfamiliar territory for him.

Sam could tell this wasn’t an easy conversation for his brother. “What do you mean you don’t know? I’ve seen the way you look at her, Dean. And she’s… well, she’s different. You don’t usually stick around like this unless it means something”.

Dean shrugged, trying to play it off, but even he knew it wasn’t working. “Yeah, she’s different. I don’t know, man, it’s just… it’s complicated. You know how my life is. Our life. The hunting, the moving around. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you bring someone into”.

Sam nodded, understanding but not ready to let Dean off the hook that easily. “You ever think maybe it doesn’t have to be like that? You don’t have to keep everyone at arm’s length, Dean. Maybe she could handle it. Maybe she could handle you”.

Dean sighed, his fingers tightening around the bottle. He wanted to believe that—part of him did. But the other part, the part that had been burned too many times, wasn’t so sure. “I don’t know if I can drag her into this, Sam. She doesn’t know about any of it. And I’m not exactly a great guy to get involved with, you know? I’m not… I’m not the type of guy who does the whole ‘serious relationship’ thing”.

Sam smiled softly, pushing off from the counter and stepping closer to Dean. “You’re better than you think you are, Dean. And if you really like her—if this feels real—maybe it’s worth taking a chance”.

Dean looked at his brother, searching his face for some kind of reassurance. He wasn’t used to this kind of vulnerability, and the idea of opening up to someone, really letting them in, scared the hell out of him. But at the same time, he couldn’t shake the feeling he had when he was with you. Like you saw through the walls he’d built, and somehow, you still wanted to be with him.

“I guess I’ll have to figure that out”, Dean muttered, running a hand through his hair, his thoughts still conflicted. “I just don’t want to screw it up”.

Sam chuckled softly, giving Dean a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You won’t. Just be honest with her. Let her in”.

Dean nodded, though he wasn’t entirely convinced. He took another sip of water, staring at the floor for a moment before finally pushing off the counter. “Yeah, well, enough of this talk. We both need to get back before the girls come looking for us”.

Sam smirked, grabbing his glass and heading toward the door. “Yeah, don’t want them thinking we ran off on them”.

Dean chuckled, the tension easing a little. “Yeah, let’s not give them any ideas”.

The brothers exchanged a brief, knowing look before heading back down the hall. As Dean made his way back to your room, Sam disappeared into Lina’s, and the house returned to its peaceful quiet.

When Dean reentered the room, he found you sitting up in bed, the soft glow of the moonlight casting a gentle light across your face. You smiled when you saw him, and just like that, the uncertainty that had been swirling in his mind seemed to settle a little. He didn’t have all the answers, but he knew one thing—being with you felt right.

He climbed back into bed beside you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you close. “Sorry about that”, he muttered, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Got caught up with Sam in the kitchen”.

You chuckled softly, resting your head against his chest. “Everything okay?”.

Dean nodded, though his mind was still turning. “Yeah, everything’s good”. He paused for a moment, then added, “Just… thinking”.

You lifted your head slightly, looking up at him. “About what?”.

Dean handed you the bottle of water, his fingers brushing lightly against yours as he shook his head with a little smile. “Nothing”, he murmured, his voice soft but with a hint of distraction.

You took the bottle, watching him carefully, sensing there was more on his mind than he was letting on. There was something about the way his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes that told you he was still thinking about whatever had gone on between him and Sam in the kitchen.

You took a sip of the water, then set it on the nightstand, deciding to give him a moment. “Doesn’t seem like nothing”, you said softly, your voice gentle but curious.

Dean let out a quiet sigh, leaning back against the headboard and running a hand through his hair. His gaze flicked toward the window, the moonlight casting soft shadows across the room. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice quieter than usual.

“I just…”. He hesitated, his brow furrowing slightly. “I don’t usually do this, you know? The whole ‘relationship’ thing. I mean, not like this”.

You stayed quiet, giving him the space to gather his thoughts, feeling your heart start to race a little as he continued.

“I’ve never been good at… letting people in”, he admitted, his gaze dropping to the blanket as his fingers absentmindedly traced patterns along the fabric. “But with you… it’s different. It feels different”.

You felt a lump form in your throat at his words, your heart swelling with emotion. You could tell this was hard for him—letting down his guard like this, letting you see the vulnerability he usually kept hidden.

Reaching out, you gently placed a hand on his arm, offering a soft smile. “Dean, I get it. It doesn’t have to be easy, and I’m not expecting you to have it all figured out. I just… I want to be here with you. Wherever this goes”.

Dean’s eyes met yours, the uncertainty still lingering in his expression, but there was also a flicker of relief. “You’re good with that?”, he asked, his voice quiet, as if he was still wrapping his head around the idea that someone might actually want to stick around.

You nodded, your hand moving to gently cup his cheek. “Yeah, I’m good with that. I’m good with figuring it out as we go”.

He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I don’t want to mess this up”, he whispered, his voice barely audible.

You shook your head gently, your thumb brushing over his cheek. “You’re not going to mess this up, Dean. We’ll figure it out together”.

For a moment, the room was filled with nothing but the soft hum of the night outside, the two of you wrapped in the quiet comfort of each other’s presence. Dean leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead, and you could feel the tension in his body start to ease.

“Okay", he murmured against your skin, his voice low and filled with gratitude.

You smiled, resting your head on his chest once more as his arms wrapped around you, pulling you close.

As the quiet wrapped around you both, Dean's hand traced absent patterns along your back, the conversation lingering in the air but no longer heavy. He didn’t have all the answers, and neither did you—but for now, being together, right here in this moment, was enough.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

-

Taglist: @blackcherrywhiskey @baby19sthings @suckitands33 @spnfamily-j2 @lyarr24 @deans-baby-momma @reignsboy19 @kawaii-arfid-memes @mekkencspony @lovziy @artemys-ackles @fitxgrld @libby99hb @lovelyvirtualperson @a-lil-pr1ncess @nancymcl @the-last-ry @spndeanwinchesterlvr @hobby27 @themarebarroww @kr804573 @impala67rollingthroughtown @deans-queen @deadlymistletoe @selfdestructionandrhum @utyblyn @winchesterwild78 @jackles010378 @chirazsstuff @foxyjwls007 @smoothdogsgirl @woooonau @whimsyfinny @freyabear @laaadygisbooornex3 @quietgirll75 @perpetualabsurdity @pughsexual @berryblues46 @deanwinchestersgirl8734 @kr804573 @spxideyver

[mrstellmeafuckingsecret]

I wsa thinking abt mary x walburga and then had a Thought pandora x walburga

omg yes i saw m x w n i was like nooo but p x w WORKS . (+ pandora's likeolder than evan here like 5-6 yrs older)

uhh tws: mention of blood & teensy bit of incest

evan & regulus & barty are besties since foreverr and they're all weird and Not Good Enough and obsessed with sirius so she keeps sirius away from him which means she sits in his room the entire time they're there and sirius talks to her abt them a lot and she asks why evan's sister never comes ovr and sirius is like idk regulus said she's sick or smth and walburga is nosey so she goes digging

pandoras like manic bur the ww doesn't understnad that so they just lock her up in a room n so walburga can't get to her which pisses her off so next time lady rosier comes to drop evan off she's like next time let's meet up at urs 😸😸 and lady rosier is horny for walburga so she's like sure 😽😽

n so reg goes to rosier manor and walburga goes too and at night she sneaks out and finds the room pandora's in and its SCARY bcz theres blood n bugs everywhere n she was like 672 journals full of rambling in some ancient language and all types of weird shit and walburga is soo curious shes like bitch wtaf is this and pandora's chanting in fucking idk latin to raise the dead and the only thing walburga focuses on is that she speaks latin and shes like "omg finallyy some1 who speaks it it's so annoying tht no1 teaches their kids anymore 🙄" & pandoras like what bcz she hasnt had any1 talk to her in 3 months (she js wakes up 2 food somtimmes &only talks 2 hreself)

so they start talking a lott and walburga sneaks out evry night for her and pandora's obsesseddd w her bcz 1) omg human 2) shes perf and so walburgas obv like omg stawpp 😻 (dont really) and yeah

then lady rosier catches walburga n walburga has to bribe her w sex to keep seeing her daughter (theyre not fucking yet) & tells pandora like 3 months latr and pandoras like fym u let HER see u naked when i cant >:/ & wlabugas like its not proper 2 let u c me nake d!!! and pandoras like okay fuck u & walburgas like okay no wait & then they fuck nasty mayb even have a threesome w lady rosier where LR hatesss being w pandora n pandora is jealous evrytime walburga even looks at LR and walburga has 2 girls eating her out n dies frm how good it is

regulus finds out and cries & sirius finds out and dies & evan finds out and thinks it's soo hot

[emilys-bangs]

Plant mom Prentiss strikes again! I can't stop thinking about her 🥺 How much she learns about then and start to appreciate every plant you've gifted her. I think she'd realize gift giving is sort of your love language and maybe, just maybe you'd like her.

Would she invest in some of those special lamps which help plants to grow and set couple in her office? Would she rant about Bailey or another annoying person to her plants because you said one day that plants supposedly like it when you talk to them. It could be bullshit for all Emily knows but she loves you so she'll listen to everything you say and would do anything you say. Would you walk by her office and hear her talking to an especially stubborn plant who looks like it's on the verge of death but yet persist?

It dies. But you replace it with a new one when Emily's on a case with the others (knowing Emily really liked that one and would have been upset) and you're stuck with Penelope in DC. Good thing is you get to play plant mom to Emily's growing plant collection.

One day when you're visiting Emily's apartment you noice how there are more plants than last time. You're sure there were none the last time you came over.

Would you consider writing a fic about plants mom Prentiss?

-🔮

Same!! Plant mom Prentiss is canon to me now idc. When she started off with taking care of them it was really only to oblige you, but along the way she started getting interested in them on her own! She starts adding to her collection that you've gifted her; I think she’d be particularly interested in herbs and growing her own—mint and basil and rosemary to include in her cooking (Dave has been telling her to for YEARS and she always ignored him, wonder why she’s finally getting on it now?). She has them all lined up on her kitchen counter, and they’re lush and green and fragrant, her kitchen smells heavenly.

I’m dying at the visual of her ranting to a plant about Bailey, she’d TOTALLY do that 😭😭😭 (with the blinds closed ofc, but sometimes her voice carries). When you teasingly tell her she's supposed to tell the plants nice things she rolls her eyes, but then she sees the wilting plant and whispers to its dying leaves that she thinks you've bewitched her—there's no other explanation, because she realizes that this is borderline insane. A tiny part of her hates herself for talking to freaking plants, but eventually it feels like talking to Sergio, although she never does either in anyone's presence. The thought idly registers to her that she's not only a cat mom now, but a plant mom, too (what even is her life?). She's already subjected to so much teasing from the team now that her office has become a greenhouse, but maybe she would have a grow lamp or two at home🤔 she'd keep them safe in her home office to keep Sergio from destroying them. Speaking of Sergio! When Emily learns more about all of the plants you've gifted her, and more specifically the fact that they're all non-toxic to cats, she goes all mushy on the inside and decides that's it, it's time to ask you out on a date (the bau breathes out a collective sigh of relief). (But the plants don't go away.)

Honestly I think a plant momily fic is inevitable at this point....with pa!reader, too....anon you really cooked with this one

[helps-the-writing-brain-go]

Skibidi

A/N: why would you do this to me /j Thanks for the word!

Spell-Making

Soft scritching of quill on parchment fills the momentary silence of the room covered ceiling to floor in an eclectic mix of past and present.

Papyrus rolls neatly stacked next to wire bound notebooks stuffed with sheafs of notes - post-its, paper scraps and bits of leaf.

Pots of ink precariously left open, hovering aloft in a nebulae of crayons, pencils (colored or otherwise) and glitter gel pens.

Dusty books in a range of languages helpfully circle the centre of the chaos:

3 children with varying writing implements squinting at a Waynepad.

"Okay, then what does skibidi mean?"

Freddy asks, his question garbling around the pencap in his mouth. His eyes haven't left the screen staring down the bug-eyed battling toilet heads and the inattention leaves a smear of blue glitter on his cheek.

"Toilets? I guess." Mary offers absently, tongue sticking out a little focused on her work.

"Toilet fights...?" Billy agrees uncertainly, and having finished his own version of the previous spell they had been working on, and stuck on translating the meme into a new useable one, he turns to peek over Mary's shoulder for inspiration.

A surprisingly accurate rendition of the character is coming to life under her deft fingers, only limited by the confines of the magic circle she is working in.

Her previous successes of unicorn sketches that heal small wounds and hipocammpi watercolors that produce (admittedly seaweed flavoured) water lay neatly besides her and the practice had served her well here as well, the unfinished picture glowing faintly as proof of her being on the right track.

"That's nice." He says, "What's it do?"

Mary shrugs.

"With luck, summon a toilet golem. If not?" She hesitates, pencil drumming on the paper. " ...Shoot toilet water at us."

Billy shares her grimace, shifting behind her a little just in case.

"Great."

"What about yours?"

Billy obliging tilts his parchment her way. Lines of scribbled out text clash with glowing golden squiggles, translating whatever he's written in real time.

"When I break it up, I get something like snow movement, through, and then nonsense- but it's not really the spirit of the thing."

Freddy finally pulls himself away from the screen to add his two cents.

"That's so skibidi, bro." He says solemnly, sliging his arm round Billy's shoulders.

One of the books decides its the perfect moment to fall on his head.