#like i haven’t been able to write that many fics for any other pairing or fandom because it’s just not the same
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backhurtyy · 1 year ago
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i miss zukka nation circa 2020
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fetusgooseandjuice · 11 months ago
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Trust Me
Pairing(s): Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader
Summary: You haven’t been able to sleep in a couple weeks, and Natasha knows just the way to get you to close your eyes.
Word Count: 1.5k
Warnings: None? (If anyone finds any feel free to message me!)
Author’s Note: Heyy guys! I know I haven’t posted a fic in like 6 months, but I got writers block and it just never really went away. I’m not sure when I’ll post again, but I’ve had the idea for this fic for a while and I finally got the motivation to write it. It might not be that good but I hope you enjoy it at least a little! Think of it as a little Christmas gift :)
Author’s Note Pt. 2: Also, this is not proofread because I just wanted to get it posted so there might be some spelling and grammar errors!
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You heavily sighed once again for probably the fifth time in the past five minutes. It’s been a few hours since you and Natasha had called it a night, and yet here you were at nearly three in the morning still lying wide awake.
Although it’s not as if you were surprised or expecting anything else. You’d been having trouble falling asleep since the first night you and Natasha arrived in Norway.
Despite not having gotten many hours of sleep lately, for some reason you still weren’t tired and still could not fall asleep.
When your girlfriend came to you a week and a half ago and told you she had no other choice but to leave the states in order to evade the government after the whole incident between Tony and Steve, you instantly decided you’d be going with her without a second thought and left no room for her to disagree.
After all she should’ve known you’d follow her anywhere, but you guess it’s taken a toll on you.
You wanted to sleep, and yet you weren’t sure what was keeping you up. Maybe you were worried about something happening to Natasha?
‘What if she gets caught? Or what if we both somehow get hurt?’ you thought.
But you knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself and keeping you safe at the same time.
Even with the amount of times you told yourself not to worry, your mind wouldn’t listen.
You eventually sighed and turned your head to look at the redhead behind you. Her arms were wrapped tightly around you and no matter how much she shifted throughout the night, she never let you go.
The mere thought of that would be enough to bring a smile to your face if you weren’t so frustrated with yourself.
Deciding you’d had enough of laying there awake, you carefully unraveled your girlfriend’s arms from around you and slid out of bed.
You almost shivered at the cool temperature of the trailer as your bare feet touched the floor and you made your way into the kitchen.
The random plastic bags on the counter rustled as you rummaged through them in search of something to snack on, finally coming across a bottle of water and a pack of chips you’d never heard of.
As you went to open the cap of the bottle, a pair of arms slipping around your waist startled you. The yelp you let out made the person behind you chuckle, and you relaxed recognizing the sound.
“Sorry, malysh (baby).” Natasha said and you turned to look at her to see the apologetic look she had on her face.
You gave her a slight smile before shaking your head, “It’s okay. But what’re you doing up right now, Nat? You should be asleep, you need to rest.”
She dipped her head down to press multiple kisses to the skin of your neck, “I could ask you the same question because so do you.”
You should’ve known you wouldn’t be able to leave the warmth of your shared bed without her noticing.
“I just couldn’t sleep.” you said, making her eyebrows furrow as you opened your water bottle and took a sip. “But I know you’re still tired so you should go back to bed, I’ll be there soon.”
“No, not without you.” Natasha was quick to disagree, “What’s going on, dorogaya (darlin)? You were yawning quite a bit before we went to bed. Why can’t you sleep?” she rested her chin on your shoulder, ready to listen to what you had to say.
You sighed realizing that you were going to have to have this conversation now. Your shoulders shrugged, “I don’t know.” was all you offered.
Natasha stayed quiet, giving you the floor for when you were ready to add on. A moment later, you did.
“I haven’t really gotten any decent sleep recently, so I’m not sure why I can’t fall asleep or why I’m not tired.”
Your girlfriend pecked your shoulder blade, acknowledging that she heard you.
“How long has this been going on for?” she asked.
For a second you went quiet, not exactly wanting to answer when you remembered that now that she knew, she wasn’t going to let it go until she made it better.
“Since we left the states.” you admitted.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Once again, you shrugged your shoulders, “I didn’t want to worry you.” you said. “You already have a lot on your plate with this whole situation and I didn’t want to add more to it.”
You heard Natasha sigh and now you appreciated that fact that you weren’t standing face to face at the moment.
“I guess I’m thinking too much.” you added. “At night I finally get the time to actually think about stuff, and I worry about you and if you’re going to be okay.”
Natasha was also glad you weren’t standing face to face right now because if you were, you would’ve seen the way her lips pulled into a smile.
“Well if you’re going to worry about me then I think I have every right to worry about you.” she chuckled and you fought back a smile at it.
“I’m sorry.” you said.
She didn’t say anything for a few moments until you heard her soft voice with that hint of rasp speak up.
“Look at me, krasivyy (beautiful).”
You craned your neck to see green eyes which were filled to the brim with love and tenderness staring at you, the singular warm light above the kitchen sink allowing her to see your sad ones.
The frustration that’d been building up in you beginning to melt away ever so slightly.
“I want you to talk to me about what you’re going through.” Natasha spoke. “I don’t care about what you think I might have going on, you’re always my first priority, okay?”
You nodded as she raised a hand to caress your cheek, brushing a hair behind your ear in the process.
“I love you too much to have you worrying that pretty little head of yours all alone when I’m always right here for you.” she pressed her lips to your temple to emphasize her point. “So promise me next time you’ll tell me if somethings wrong?”
“I promise, and I love you too, Nat.”
“Good,” Natasha smiled and leaned in to connect your lips in a loving kiss, pulling away shortly after and leaning her forehead against yours. “I’m going to be okay, so there’s no need to worry. We’re both gonna be okay, yeah?”
“Yeah,” you agreed. You knew Natasha would make sure of that.
“Alright, do you think you’re ready to head back to bed?”
You weren’t sure how to answer that. Even though you were relieved Natasha knew now and you talked about it, you still weren’t even close to being able to go to sleep.
“No,” you spoke quietly. “I’m still not really tired, and I honestly don’t know if I will be until this all blows over.”
Natasha went silent for a few moments, thinking. She turned you around to face her and moved your arms to wrap around her shoulders.
“Nat, what are you—”
“Shhh,” she interrupted your sentence, “Just trust me.”
So you did.
Her arms snaked back around your waist and pulled you into her. You weren’t exactly sure what she was doing until she began swaying with you from one side to the other.
You’d danced together before, but at Tony’s many parties. Not when you were trying to make yourself fall asleep.
“Nat, I don’t think—”
“You’re supposed to be trusting me. Do you not?”
“I do, but—”
“So shhh,” she said and you couldn’t help the little giggle you let out. “You said you were thinking too much, right?”
“Yeah.” you confirmed.
“So just relax and let me do all the thinking. I don’t want you to worry about anything except trusting me.”
“Okay.” you whispered, giving in and resting your cheek on her shoulder, allowing her to move you.
A few seconds later Natasha began humming. It wasn’t a song that you knew, but you recognized it as one of the many Russian lullabies she’s hummed and sometimes sang to you before.
The way she hummed them always made you feel relaxed and peace, and this time was no different. Because soon you started to lean into her more as you became more and more weary.
Your heavy eyelids fell shut and your head found security in her neck as you cuddled closer to it, happily letting her comforting scent soothe you.
After a couple of songs, Natasha finally looked at you to find you pretty much sound asleep.
She grinned to herself and pecked your head before lifting you into her arms, making her way back to your bedroom.
“Told you to trust me.”
~ end ~
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beomiracles · 6 months ago
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「 GREED 」
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DREAM RECALL your kind heart often led you down dangerous paths. So when there's a knock on your door and you find a beautiful man in dire need of your help, who are you to turn him down? Even if it may cost you your life.
pairings vampire!taehyun x afab!human reader warnings minor character death, descriptions of violence, descriptions of injury, DUB-CON (taehyun compels reader), blood drinking, oral (f. rec), vaginal fingering, unprotected sex, orgasm denial, breast play, marking, choking, manhandling, slight dumbification?, taehyun refers to reader only as 'human', prey/predator dynamics. please let me know if I missed any !!
wc -> 6.5k
#serene adds ✎... ahem the literal bible of warnings...anyway! guys I lowkey really like this one, it's my first ever vampire fic, which is crazy because I'm a diehard vampire fan (name any show/movie/book and I will know of it) so I'm surprised that I've managed to go this long without writing one. I really didn't intend for it to get this long and um like 1/3 is just smut... happy reading ! :3
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The radio of your old car made a bruising noise before giving up completely, your last bit of civilization diminishing to nothing. Sighing you glance toward your GPS, but even that seemed futile. “I guess it’s just you and me now, Lola”, you state as you peer at your dog in the rear view mirror. 
Ahead, the narrow road made for a bumpy ride as you dwelled deeper into the forest. Surrounding you were pine trees, standing tall and proud, looming over you in an almost menacing way, as if to say; you are not welcome here. With both your phone and radio cut off, you were beginning to think that maybe there lay something in the unspoken words of the trees. This was no place for humans, yet you recognized the way the road turned, if ever so slightly, not to mention the familiar large stone that you had climbed so many times before. 
Soon the small cottage comes into view, and it was just as you had remembered it, save for the overgrown lawn that reaches its way through the old wooden planks of the porch. Your vehicle comes to a stop and as you step outside, the earthy smell of the forest greets you. Lola, on the other hand, sems skeptical; she fuzzes for a moment before finally getting out as you opened the trunk for her. “Oh don’t be so quick to judge it, you haven’t even seen the inside yet”, you give your dog a few pats before retrieving your large bag from the car. 
The old wooden steps creak under your weight as you make your way toward the front door. Rust had formed around the lock and it took more than a few tries to get the darned thing opened. With the push of your shoulder, the old door finally budges and you step inside. Nostalgia immediately fills your senses, it smells stuffy and old yet exactly like your childhood. The many summers you had spent cooped up in the small house, plenty of your drawings remaining on the wallpapered walls. 
It had been years since the passing of your parents, years since the house became yours, and years since anyone had even bothered to acknowledge its existence. In a way, you supposed you felt bad for the place, yet you hadn’t been able to come here without the painful memories of your parents flooding your mind. Not up until recently had you felt ready, ready to return here and remember the good things, the good memories. You wanted this house to remain a happy place for you. 
“Well it could definitely use a sweep, what’d you say, Lola?” The dog lets out a gruff of agreement as she noses at the dust covered sofa with a displeased look. Most of the place had been drowned in layers upon layers of dust and spiderwebs, you were certain that all kinds of animals lingered around the old building, seeking shelter from the harsh conditions the outside world provided. 
You spend the rest of the day cleaning, going through old photographs and personal belongings of both you and your parents. The downs of being an only child you supposed, not having anyone to share your grief with. It would’ve been nice to not be completely alone in the mess that your parents left, from arranging their funeral to selling their house back in the city. The project that was this cabin had all become too much, and thus you had put it off, admittedly for longer than you had originally intended. Though now that you were finally getting around to it, it was with a light heart rather than a heavy. 
By nightfall you had finished off practically all of the first floor. Flopping down on the now very much clean couch, you let out a tired sigh. Lola was sleeping peacefully on the carpet nearby and you leaned to give her a few pats before reaching for your phone. The device had been in and out of signal throughout the day, you figured you could try your luck with a call. 
Bringing it up to your ear, your phone rings, once, twice, three times before there’s a shift in the audio. “Hello?” The voice of your friend calls out on the other line and a small sigh of relief escapes your lips. “Jjunie? Hii, it’s me! Can you hear me?” You ask as there’s a small disturbance in the quality of the call. 
“Dimples?” he asks and you giggle, “who else?” Yeonjun lets out a huff of air and you hear the rustling of his mattress as he sits up, “I’ve been texting you like crazy, where have you been all day?” he questions, a tone of fake hurt lingering in his words. “I know”, you mumble as you pick at your cuticle, “I’ve barely had any service all day, it’s a miracle that this call even went through.” 
“I guess you’re really living that outdoor mindfulness life now huh?” he teases and you could’ve sworn that you heard the shit eating grin on his face. “Ha-ha”, you muse, “careful or I’ll make you spend the next week here with me. You could use a detox from that phone of yours.” Your friend snorts, “as if. My followers need me.” You roll your eyes, “you sure it’s not the other way around?” you ask to which Yeonjun responds with a row of profanities. 
Aside from a few break ups here and there the call runs smoothly and you’re relieved to be having a conversation with another human being for the first time today. After about twenty minutes of catching up, the subject suddenly shifts as Yeonjun’s voice grows wary. “You’ve heard about the stuff that’s been happening right?” 
You frown, "No? What stuff?” On the other side of the line, Yeonjun hesitates. “Well c’mon and tell me”, you press as you sit up a little straighter. Drawing in a long sigh, he then exhales, “well there’s been, bodies…” “Bodies?” you repeat, “you mean like…?” — “Dead bodies, yeah.” 
A small silence lingers in the air as you process the words of your friend. “Hikers”, he then adds and you gnaw on your bottom lip. “Well there’s plenty of good hiking trails around”, you mumble. It wasn’t unusual for people to try their luck up in this forest, during your summers spent here you had seen plenty of tents indicating someone’s stay. “Some are quite dangerous though and-” —- “That’s not why they died.” Yeonjun interrupts with a solemn voice and you feel your throat go dry. 
“Right…” you murmur as your gaze flickers toward Lola, “then how did they die?” Once more, your friend on the other line hesitates. “Please, Jjunie, I need to know, and I don’t exactly have any other way of finding out, other than going out there myself.” Outside of your window, the forest seemed darker than it had all those years ago; something bad had happened here. 
“They think it was an animal of some kind…” Yeonjun whispers and suddenly you feel a slight glimmer of hope. “Jjunie, trust me I’ve encountered plenty of-” — “This one’s different, Dimples.” Your friend interrupts you again, though his voice is now uncertain, “this thing, it’s smarter, it…it lures its way inside.” 
You swallow, “what do you mean?” Though you weren’t certain that you wanted to know. “It…the bodies, they never left their tents. It came to them.” The silence that follows is palpable and a shiver runs down your spine, despite the fact that you were covered head to toe in blankets. 
That night, you barely got any sleep. Your mind kept shifting back toward your conversation with Yeonjun as your gaze flickered to the window. You got up to close the curtains, but it did little to help the uncanny feeling seeping through your veins. Lola seemed to notice it too, she barely made a move to go outside, if only to use the bathroom. As three days passed, your phone refused to work and you became increasingly paranoid. 
By your fourth night at the cabin a heavy storm rolled around. This would also mark your fourth night without any signal whatsoever, the events of the outside world remaining unknown to you. The thunder roared outside, and if it wasn’t for Lola’s sensitive hearing, you probably would have missed the light knock to your front door. 
The persistent barking of your dog turns your attention toward said door, “what is it, Lola?” you ask to which your dog lets out a small whine. There’s a brief pause and for a moment everything is quiet, even the merciless storm outside seemed to hold its breath. Another knock against the old wood sends your heartbeat into a small spiral. You knew better than to open the door for just any stranger, besides, what business did another human being have in the middle of this forest? Unless… They were a hiker. 
Soon a raspy voice echoes out from the other side of the door. “P-please…please help me...” Your eyes widened, were they hurt, had something happened, and why were they alone? “Are you hurt?” you question as you get up and slowly inch toward the door, Lola trails behind you worriedly. 
It takes a moment before the voice replies, ragged breaths and soft grunts are all that can be heard. “...yes.” Their answer makes you hesitate, there was something uncanny about the voice, it felt almost strained. Upon noticing your evident doubt the voice pleads to you once more. “Please, please let me in. It hurts…” The voice morphs from a quiet plea into one of sheer desperation. 
“Who hurt you?” you ask, still wary as you keep one hand on the doorknob. Behind you, Lola whines in protest as she pulls her tail between her legs. The person on the other side of the door draws in a sharp breath, “I…I don’t know, it…I couldn’t see it clearly but it’ll come back I’m certain.. Please, please let me in!” it begs. 
Suddenly, you recall your last conversation with Yeonjun, about the animal preying on hikers. Could this be another of its victims? Whoever was on the other side of the door were in dire need of your help. With one final deep breath you unlock it and turn the handle. 
On your doorstep, you find a young man, slightly hunched over as he maintains a tight grip on his left arm. His breathing is labored and his clothes torn. It is not until he glances up at you, a hesitant yet hopeful look on his face that you finally see him. He was beautiful. Big dark eyes stare up at your own, his skin was smooth and perfect, yet sickly pale, you supposed it had to do with being out in this weather. 
“Oh my goodness…” you quietly mumble as you take in the state of the man. “Come in.” 
Upon urging him inside and shutting the door tightly behind you, you guide him to sit on one of the chairs by the dining table. The man thanks you over and over for your kindness as you rush to get him a warm blanket. “What’s your name?” you wonder as you place the quilt over his shoulders. He silently thanks you before replying, “Taehyun.” 
Just when you’re about to tell him your own, Lola emits a loud bark as she growls toward the man. Taehyun gives her a questioning glance but doesn’t seem to pay her any further attention. “Lola! Quit that!” you scold, embarrassed over your dog's odd behavior. “She isn’t usually like this, I don’t know what’s gotten into her…” you apologize as you swat the dog away with your hand. 
Taehyun gives you a small smile, “it’s alright, I’m certainly not the most pleasant thing to gaze upon at this given moment.” You thought his statement to be debatable as your eyes trail across his well built frame; stopping as they reach the large gash on his left arm. “Oh my, your…your arm”, you exclaim as you watch the way blood trickles from the fresh wound. Following your horrified gaze, Taehyun winces as he flexes his arm slightly. 
“Stay here, I’ll get you something for the pain!” You say as you scurry out of the kitchen and to your bedroom where you kept most of your essential supplies. Thankfully you had thought to bring along a medical kit, in case of an emergency like this. Though you were rather unsure if your meek bandage and lacking surgical skills would do much good to the large gash on his arm. Before exiting, you make sure to shut Lola in, not wanting her to cause yet another scene, she whines in protest as you do but you pay it little mind. 
Hastily, you return to the kitchen, and as you set the medkit down you begin rummaging through it. “I should have some kind of disinfectant here..” you mumble without lifting your gaze. It wasn’t until you went to check on the severity of his injuries once more that you froze in your tracks. The once large wound on his arm was…gone. You frown, “what…but I could’ve sworn…” 
The quiet chuckle emitting from the man before you makes your blood run cold as you lift your gaze to meet his. Taehyun’s once pleading eyes were now peering at you in an almost predatorial way as he studied your perplexed expression. “But I…” your words fall short as Taehyun suddenly rises from the chair, without taking his gaze off of you, he reaches a hand up to his neck, it makes a cracking sound as he tilts his head to the side, a small sigh escaping his lips. 
“You humans are far too kind.” His voice is low and as he takes a step forward, you immediately falter backward. The back of your legs hit the table behind you and you wince as you fumble to move around it. “Inviting just anyone into your home like that.” Taehyun’s eyes never leave you as a smirk etches its way to his lips. “My, your gullibleness is quite endearing.” 
You cast a quick glance around the old kitchen, your gaze falling on one of the larger knives. All you had to do was move one step to the right, reach out and… Taehyun’s eyes follow your own and he cocks an eyebrow. “I admire your plan of strategy, but a mere human’s tool will bring little harm to my kind.” 
His kind? Just what exactly was this man. You swallow a gulp as your gaze flickers between him and the knife, your heartbeat working overtime as you grasp for a decision. Despite his words you end up reaching for the knife, grabbing it tightly with both hands, you aim it toward the intruding man. “What do you want from me?” you grit out as you steady your feet against the wooden floor. 
Taehyun inhales slowly, letting his eyes flutter closed for a brief moment; as if savoring a pleasant scent. When he opens them again they’re a swirling pool of crimson. “Now you’re asking the right questions”, his voice lingers with desire as he slowly makes his way around the dining table. 
Like a deer in headlights you immediately dart in the opposite direction. Tumbling out of your kitchen and into the open spaced living room. Behind you, Taehyun laughs, an almost sinister laugh. Frantically you search for anything to shield yourself with. Settling on one of the armchairs in the corner, you quickly dip behind it. With your knees to your chest and back pressed against the soft cushion; you cover your mouth with your free hand, the other maintaining a tight grip on the knife. 
The wooden floor creaks beneath him as Taehyun slowly emerges from the kitchen. “Your determination to live is surely fascinating” he muses, the sound of his voice only becoming louder as he slowly approaches your corner. “Foolish human, you forget that I can hear the delectable sound of your heart beating from miles away.” 
Biting down on your hand, you will the tears away as you screw your eyes shut. “The human’s weak body gives them away before they even become aware of the dangers surrounding them.” The sounds of his footsteps come to a stop and you hold your breath, you don’t dare open your eyes, prolonging the moment for as long as possible. 
It is not until you feel his cold breath on your face that they snap open. The smirk plastered on his beautiful face as he watches you with much intrigue is enough for you to finally act. Your arm works faster than your brain as you swing the knife toward him. Taehyun lets out a faint hiss as he pulls back, thick red liquid seeps from the small cut on his cheek and his expression soon turns from smug into a scowl. 
Seizing your opportunity, you scramble to your feet as you dart for your bedroom. Though you barely make it 10ft before something hard crashes into you from behind. With inhumane speed Taehyun slams you up against the nearest wall. A cold hand wraps around your neck as he lifts you without much trouble. 
Your feet kick at the wall behind you as your body trashes against his grip. With his free hand, Taehyun wipes the blood from his cheek, the wound closing up before your eyes. In your haste you realize that you’ve lost your knife, your only hope. Letting out a huff of air, Taehyun’s gaze locks onto yours, “the others did not struggle this much”, he mutters. 
The others? As realization slowly seeps in, your eyes widen — it wasn’t an animal that had killed all those hikers. It was him. His tight grip on your neck restricts your intake of air and you barely manage to gasp out the word, “y-you..” Taehyun tilts his head to the side, a glimmer of curiosity flashing before his eyes. The grip on your neck falters, if only for a moment, as he lets you regain your breath in order to continue. 
“It was you. You killed all those people”, you splutter as your chest rises and falls in a heavy manner. He smirks, and from this close you’re able to make out the sharp fangs that prod against his bottom lip. “I see I have earned myself quite a reputation amongst your kind”, he comments before leaning in closer, eyes glinting with intrigue, “pray tell, what else have you heard of me?” 
You part your lips to reply before you stop yourself. As Yeonjun’s words ring in your ears you suddenly realize your mistake. “It lures its way inside. They never left their tents. It came to them.” He had come to you, he had knocked on your door and you had let him in. You hadn’t even left your house and the next time you would it would be in a body bag. 
Everything aligned, the pale skin, his inhumane strength and speed, his ability to heal, the crimson eyes, his fangs. He was a vampire and you had willingly invited him inside your house, ultimately signing your own death. 
“I let you in…” you whisper, disbelief evident across your face. “Ah, you are finally connecting the dots”, he mumbles, “I must admit you differ from the rest.” Cold fingers trace the outline of your face before trailing down your collarbone. His touch causes shivers to ripple through your body and Taehyun’s smirk grows. “Had I not been so insatiably hungry right now, I might have kept you around for a bit.” 
His gaze shifts from your mortified expression down to your neck. Contradicting to his previous tight hold on you, he now gently brushes along the exposed veins. “This forest has been vacant for weeks, I thought my last meal here had long since passed.” He brings a strand of your hair to his nose, inhaling the scent. 
“But then came you. And you smell absolutely divine.” His voice is low as his eyes flicker back to yours once more. Horrified, you shake your head as you push against his chest, your meek attempts at breaking free drew a breathy laugh from him. 
“Let us not struggle now.” The once feathery touch along your neck is replaced by a harsh and cold hand against your chin as he holds your face in place. And as your eyes come level with his own, you suddenly find it hard to look away. Dark pools of crimson pull you in, entrancing you as Taehyun mutters something under his breath. You know that it is wrong, but the longer you stare into his eyes the more you feel like giving yourself to him. Despite every instinct in you screaming for you to shut your eyes and pull back, you instead find yourself going limp in his grasp. 
“Much better”, he whispers as he loosens his hold on your chin. Your feet softly hit the ground again and you glance up at him. Somewhere in the back of your head, the urge to run still exists. But you don’t move, you stay unblinking as you gaze at him with a clouded expression. “You humans are almost beautiful when you don’t fret”, he mumbles as his cold fingers brush your hair back to expose your neck fully. 
His tongue drags across one of his fangs as he eyes the skin of your neck with anticipation. “Don’t worry, your sacrifice will not go to waste”, he assures as he leans in to press his cold lips against your warm skin. The feeling of his sharp fangs piercing the flesh of your neck causes your body to feel as if it were on fire. Yet all but a soft gasp is what leaves your lips at the intrusion. 
Everything hurt and you wanted nothing more than to push him off, pry his teeth from your weakening body. But your limbs felt strangely heavy, unable to move, your vision threatens to give out as your knees wobble. What was going on, why weren’t you doing anything? Taehyun groans against your skin, his hands harshly tugging at your hips to keep you in place.
Soon the burning sensation faded before it morphed into something dangerously similar to pleasure. Your body felt tingly, sensitive, every gulp of blood he took sent minor shock waves surging through you and you let out a small sigh at the feeling. To think that this was how you were to die, as nothing more but the next meal of a hungry creature, and in your last moments you found pleasure in it? The thought alone was enough to have your eyes drooping shut.  
Realization slowly creeps its way into your foggy mind — you were actually going to die. No one was coming to save you, you were all alone and this was how your last moments would play out? It was hard to feel any emotion, your mind far too clouded to even keep your eyes open, but if you could feel something, you supposed it would be despair. 
Teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, you accept your lowly fate. Just as the darkness is about to consume you, everything suddenly stops. Was death really nothing? Was there no heaven, no hell? Just darkness? It takes you a moment to realize that you are in fact not dead, and that Taehyun has pulled himself away from your neck.  
Slowly, your eyes regain focus as you look at him, confused. You were certain that he was going to kill you, did he really intend to prolong your inevitable death, to make you suffer further? You thought him to be cruel but this was far worse than you had imagined. 
His eyes remain a dark crimson as they fixate on you, but they had lost their sharp edge, he no longer looked as if he was eyeing his next meal, but rather his gaze held something akin to desire. Taehyun’s tongue swipes across his lips, coated in your rich blood as he savors the remnants of it. His breath is shallow, though you wondered if vampires ever really became out of breath. 
“You taste…” he trails off, eyes fixating on the puncturers he’d previously caused on your neck, “...unlike any human I’ve ever had before.” He almost looked to be at a loss for words as he stared at you, you weren’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing, and you couldn’t find yourself to care. Your body felt weak, numb and not like your own anymore. Perhaps death had been the easy way out from your current situation. 
As his cold fingers brush along your exposed collarbone, your gaze flickers back up to his once more. The movements of your own limbs still felt restricted by the unknown force caused by Taehyun, and even if they weren’t, you were sure that your body wouldn’t be able to maintain an upright position, much less run away from the creature before you. 
“I wonder if the rest of you taste just as divine”, he murmurs. His peering gaze suddenly shifts toward your lips and before you have time to question his intentions further, he crashes his lips against your own. 
At first you remain unmoving, unblinking, Taehyun pays your unenthusiastic response little mind as he kisses you hungrily. The faint metallic taste of your own blood lingers on his tongue as he pushes it inside your mouth and your nose turns up in slight disgust. Suddenly your body jolts to life once more, as if the spell in which he had put you under was lifted the moment his lips pressed against your own. 
With newfound strength you push against his cold and hard chest in a desperate attempt to break free. Your fighting hands are met by his own as Taehyun pins them to your sides before taking the liberty to explore all of your body. Cold hands wandering beneath your loose t-shirt, earning him a small whimper from you. 
You can’t help the moan that escapes from your lips as his fingers rub over your perked nipples, squeezing the soft flesh of your breasts. His touch felt oddly enticing and your body suddenly craved more, a lot more. But as his lips found your neck, the memories of what had previously taken place, flashes before your eyes and suddenly it feels as if those sharp fangs pierced your skin all over again. You become dangerously aware of what is about to happen as one of Taehyun’s hands tug at the hem of your shorts and you immediately try to twist your body away from his invasive touch. 
“No! Wait- stop!” you shriek as your hands work to pry him off of you. There’s a brief pause as Taehyun once again pulls his lips from your neck. He doesn’t say anything as he looks at you, an impassive expression pending across his face. You swallow, “this- I, what’s happening? This isn’t…” The words fall from your lips in a hasty manner as you struggle to form coherent thoughts, afraid that he would grow impatient at your antics and just kill you off. Finally you settle on, “I don’t understand.” 
Taehyun looks at you as he cocks an eyebrow, an insatiable hunger swirling behind his eyes. “You do not understand the act of indulging in one's sexual desires?” He wonders as he studies you with a mix of apprehension and disbelief. Your mouth falls open as you blink, “...I, of course I do but…” 
“Then you must understand that a vampire’s hunger exceeds beyond just his thirst for blood”, he murmurs as his gaze returns to your lips. “You are a very pretty human.” He breathes, cold fingers trail along your chest, pushing your shirt up to reveal your soft stomach. His eyes twinkle in anticipation, “there are other ways for you to satiate me.” 
With that statement, he reconnects your lips in a kiss filled with yearning. You don’t have any time to react before you feel your feet lift from the ground. The surge that forms in your stomach at his rapid movements remind you of that when a roller coaster drops. Your back hits the soft cushion of the sofa as Taehyun swiftly takes place above you, his arms caging you in.  
With one harsh tug, he pulls your shirt up to reveal your breasts. The cool air causes goosebumps to bloom on your skin, Taehyun trails his fingers over the small bumps as his lips attach around one of your nipples. Sharp fangs graze over your sensitive skin and you shiver in a fear mixed arousal. “I can hear your blood rushing”, he groans against your breast before moving on to the next one, leaving red marks that would soon blossom into purple. Tongue swirling over the sensitive bud, he elicits a small moan from you. 
In a tantalizing slow manner he moves down your stomach, inhaling your scent before stopping above the hem of your shorts. He looks up at you, with that same expression that had terrified you not long ago, he looked ready to eat you whole. “Are you scared, human?” he asks, fingers dipping inside the waistband of your pajama shorts. Your gaze flickers between his hand and his eyes, you swallow, “no.” 
Taehyun smirks, “liar.” Without warning he pulls both your panties and shorts down, a small shriek leaving your lips at the action as your thighs instinctively squeeze together. “There is little point in denying me”, he grunts as his hand easily finds its way between your sealed legs. Upon reaching your already wet cunt, Taehyun’s smirk grows, “and in denying yourself.” You bite your lip, unable to hide the fact that his lips on your own had spurred you on further than you’d liked to. 
“My, are you pretty”, he mumbles as his crimson eyes fixate on the way his fingers glide against your folds. His subtle comment has blood rushing to your face and had it not been for the way your core ached to be touched, you would’ve probably even been embarrassed at the remark. Squirming beneath him, your hips buck in an attempt to seek any kind of relief. Taehyun’s gaze snaps to your face, “you humans are far too greedy”, he snarls, “never satisfied with what they have, you always want more.” 
Your back arches off the cushion as he pushes two fingers inside of you. “Is that what you want?” He curls his fingers, brushing them against that small bundle of nerves that never failed to make you go cross eyed whenever you pleasured yourself. “To be ruined to bits by a vampire, reduced to nothing at my mercy?”
You meekly nod, struggling to keep your eyes open at the intense waves of pleasure that overflow your senses. Taehyun huffs, “I knew that your kind was pathetic, but this sure takes the price.” His words barely register, you’re too lost in the way his fingers move inside of you, thumb pressing up against your clit in a menacing way. 
When he suddenly pulls his hand away, you cry out in displeasure as your eyes shoot open in search of his. You find him already looking at you intently, his gaze unwavering as he watches the steady rise and fall of your chest, the way blood rushes beneath your skin, listening to the supple beating of your heart. 
His hand glides across the soft flesh of your thighs, “I need to taste you again”, he says, his voice strained and hoarse as his stare drops to your glistening folds. Before you have the time to register his words, his head is between your legs and you let out a small yelp at the feel of his cold breath hovering over your sensitive cunt. 
The idea of him, his mouth, his fangs, so close to such a sensitive part of you was terrifying in itself, yet you couldn’t find it in you to push him away. A low groan rumbles from deep within his chest as Taehyun drags his tongue along your slit, leaving you gasping as your nails dig into the cushion of the sofa. 
He pulls back for a moment, his eyes never leaving your core as he licks his lips, as if he focused entirely on the taste of you. Then, without warning he dives back in and your thigh twitches as his lips latch onto your clit. Hungrily, he sucks and laps at your cunt and you wondered how this man had been close to killing you just moments prior. 
Pathetic whines leave your lips as his tongue pushes inside of you, the tip of his nose rubbing against your clit. The harsh grip of his hands holds your thighs down as they threaten to close around his head. Moans and pleas fall from your lips but he pays them little mind, too focused on the way you taste, the way your body reacts to his touch. 
Your stomach draws into knots as you feel your orgasm approaching. Taehyun lets out a sound of contentment as he feels you clench around his tongue. “F-fuck…I’m..” your words are swallowed by the whine that leaves you as he pulls his head from between your legs, robbing you of the high that was just within your reach. 
“Again, you humans are consumed by your greed”, he tsk’s as he watches the way you squirm, pathetically chasing after your desired orgasm. He leans back on his knees as one of his hands frees his cock from his pants. “Patience”, he grunts as his pale hand glides along his shaft, “comes naturally when living for centuries. You humans only live to see a fragment of what I experience, yet you greedily take and take.” 
You swallow as your eyes shift from his intense gaze toward the hand wrapped around his cock. Like the rest of him, it was beautiful, flushed at the tip and slick with precum that spilled from the slit. Your cunt throbbed at the sight and you bit your lip in anticipation. Above you, Taehyun’s expression turns into a sneer, “do not think that I am here to fulfill your bottomless greed, human.” A small gasp leaves your lips as you feel the head of his cock pushing against your folds. 
With one harsh thrust, he buries himself deep inside of you, drawing a small shriek from you at the burning intrusion. Taehyun lets out a groan of satisfaction as his lips return to suck at the mark on your neck, the still fresh wound causing a throbbing pain to flare through your body, mixing with the feel of his cock deep inside of you. 
He moves slowly, taking his time to feel the way your body wrapped around him. The warmth of something so full of life entangled with the very epitome of death. The rapid beating of your heart against his unmoving one filling his senses. Your mind feels hazy and that familiar feeling of pleasure you had felt when he drained you of blood returned. With each slow thrust you felt him graze along every inch of you, the tip of his cock caressing the bundle of nerves that had you clenching around him. You had never felt so full before. 
His lips reconnect with yours, the taste of blood completely gone and now replaced by the remnants of your own fluids. And while it was certainly not something you had let previous partners do, it somehow felt right with him. Your hands loosen their grip on the cushion as they move across his body; the body you had longed to touch since he first appeared on your doorstep. 
Taehyun inhales against your lips as your warm fingers wander beneath his shirt and over his cold chest. Perhaps he was right, perhaps you were greedy, even on the brink of death you had let your desires consume you. But did it really matter? Your life was bound to end anyway. Once more, just once, you would let yourself be greedy. 
His hands glide across your body, squeezing and groping at every part of flesh he could access, relishing in how alive you felt, how your blood pulsated under his hands. Your legs move on their own, wrapping around his waist as you drew him in closer, making him groan into your mouth. 
He breaks the kiss to look at you, watching your eyes roll back in pleasure as your lips part in a silent moan. Cold fingers dig into your cheeks as he keeps your head in place. “Foolish human”, he grunts, “I could kill you right now.” His thumb pulls your bottom lip down, “either you are too dumb to even comprehend the danger of your situation, or you’re just too fucking desperate to care.” 
Without warning he pushes his thumb inside your mouth, you respond eagerly by swirling your tongue around it. “Considering the way your pussy so desperately sucks me in, I would assume the latter”, he sneers before pulling his thumb from your mouth, smearing your saliva across your lips and cheek. 
His thrusts grow ragged as he presses his lips against yours. You know that he’s close, and you were too, if only you could… Your hand slides between your bodies and down your stomach, but before reaching where you need it the most, cold fingers wrap around your wrist. “Stupid human”, Taehyun groans as yanks your hand away. 
The whine that escapes your lips is soon replaced by a soft gasp as his fingers circle your clit. Your legs around his waist tremble as you finish around his cock, a cry of pleasure emitting from deep within your throat as your nails dig into his arms whilst you continuously clench around him. 
Taehyun’s lips travel down your neck, licking over the previous bruises he’d left before hovering above the sensitive bite marks. You’ve barely come down from your high when you feel his hips stutter, the warm liquid that shoots up inside of you makes you completely unguarded for when his fangs re-pierce your neck.
The shock only lasts a moment as Taehyun rocks his hips into you, all the while he takes gulp after gulp of your blood. As you lay there panting, you think that you might just actually die, but then you feel him pull back, the sensation of his fangs withdrawing makes you shiver. 
His tongue drags across the punctures, licking up the very last droplet of blood before he leans back to look at you. Despite everything, you still thought he was the most beautiful thing you had ever seen. Even as thick blood coated his lips and chin, his uncanny and red eyes peering at you; contrasting his sickly pale skin, you found yourself in awe. 
Taehyun’s gaze shifts from your neck to your eyes, no matter how hard you tried; you couldn’t possibly decipher a single thought going through his head. “Perhaps there is more to you than just your pretty face, human”, he murmurs as his tongue swipes across his lips. 
“I intend to keep you.”
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jazzthatonewriterchick · 3 months ago
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Ride ‘Em, Cowgirl! (Cowboy!Ace x Black!Fem!Reader 18+ One Shot)
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Pairing: Ace D. Portgas x Black!Fem!Reader (Strangers to FWBs to Lovers)
Synopsis: As the author of some famous smutty romance novels, you decide to take a vacation in the countryside for a while to get over your breakup and work on your new book but you suffer from writer’s block. However, a meet-cute situation with a sexy farmhand who lives next door might be able to help you kill two birds with one stone.
Warnings: Smutty Smut; 18+; Author!Reader; Cowboy!Ace; Sexual Tension; Highkey Flirting; Tongue Kissing; Oral (Giving & Receiving); Clit Stimulation; Doggystyle; Nipple Piercings; Cowgirl/Riding; Ace Puts His Hat on Your Head While You Take His Big D*ck; Dom!Ace/sub!Reader; Reader Cums 2x; Creampie; Strangers to FWBs to Lovers; Aftercare
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!
Writer’s Note: I’ve had a MAJOR cowboy brain rot all summer & decided to write something as the season is ending. I love me some Ace 🥺🥺 him & his big, silly, sexy ass…I miss him. He didn’t d*e in my universe. ENJOY LOVELIES!! 💋💋🫶🏾🫶🏾 -Jazz
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While the countryside is beautiful, the absence of reception is not.
You sit in the driver’s seat of your rental, the AC cranked up high though you’re still sweating from anxiety and panic. Your pits are perspiring despite the cute little sundress you threw on to match your sunhat and sunglasses. You felt like a movie star boarding the train here, but now, all of that feeling of glamor is gone.
A thrush forest and fields of land surround you on the dirt road you’ve been driving down for over fifteen minutes now since you got off the train that put you in the countryside. You had originally come out here to indulge in nature, thinking it would help clear your head for your new book and heal your heart over your recent breakup that caused your writer’s block.
You’re a city girl, born and raised miles away from here. Despite your cute little one-bedroom-one-bathroom studio apartment, you get tired of being surrounded by skyrise buildings and smoggy streets when you write. You thought a change of scenery would do you some good, especially to distract you from the sight of the same couch and bed where your ex used to make love to you on.
But now, after seeing nothing but trees, grass, and cows for the past five minutes since you got lost, you’re becoming sick of it. You haven’t seen a single person or building since the train station!
“Dammit,” you huff, begrudgingly tossing your phone into the passenger’s seat with your laptop case and suitcase. You hate getting lost! You must’ve taken a left instead of a right and then steered off the trail your GPS set for you.
You keep the AC and gas running as you get out of the car. The heat immediately slaps you in the face and the sun glares at you, causing you to slide your sunglasses on top of your head used to hold your braids back onto your eyes. You shield the hot rays with your hand and look down the road. Nothing. Not even a barn. You’re completely stranded.
No people. No reception. You were never going to make it to that sweet, quaint little Airbnb you rented. You were scrolling on Booking.com you’ve seen so many commercials for three weeks ago when you came across the little cabin with central air, a wine cellar, and a back patio overlooking a lake. It is only ten miles from town and near some hiking trails for running.
You booked it immediately and spoke to the owner, a sweet Southern widow who let you rent it for the entire week for a cut because of your books. “I love your work!” she gushed over the phone. “I’m so honored you’re choosin’ my little home to help you write a new book! I’ll stack more wine in the cellar just for you!”
You may never get to enjoy that wine, the lake, or some sunbathing on the patio. You lean against your carhood, hopeless and exhausted. Maybe this will be a good inspiration for your book: a city girl gets lost in the countryside and realizes that a change of scenery can’t fix heartbreak. Then she dies of a broken heart (and starvation) in her rental and when someone finally finds her, she’ll be nothing but bones because the cows ate her.
There your whacked-out mind goes. You tilt your head to the sunny, blue sky, hoping God can see you and have mercy on your soul. “God,” you groan. “Please just send me someone.”
“Hey, there!” a sudden cheery, male voice chirps from behind you. You shriek and jump, turning around to face the stranger. “Shit!” you gasp, putting a hand on your jumping heart. “You scared the hell outta me!”
When your heart finally settles down, you realize just how cute the stranger is. He is tall and fit judging by how tight his black V-neck is under his flannel. A cowboy hat hits low on his nest of black curls and an adorable smattering of freckles adorn his cheeks. His jeans are just as tight with a large belt buckle on the front of his leather belt and his cowboy boots are scuffed.
It’s like he stepped out of a girl’s wettest Western dream, especially with the dog tags hanging from his thick neck and the leather bracelet on his wrist. He is hotter than the sun you’re standing in.
“Apologies,” he says, stifling a chuckle with his hands up. “I promise I don’t mean no farm. I just happened to see you just sittin’ here on the road and couldn’t help but wonder if you’re stealin’ my job.” His brown eyes are filled with humor and playfulness.
“Job?” you parrot, confused. “What are you—“
Suddenly, the hot stranger places two fingers on each hand in his mouth and blows a loud, shrill whistle. Immediately, each of the cows grazing in the grass and wandering in the road gather together near him. “C’mon, y’all!” he shouts. “Over here by the pretty truck! Out of the pretty lady’s way!”
You flush at his compliment but don’t focus too much on it. You’re too busy focusing on the cherry red pickup truck with the muddy wheels that you now see some yards behind your rental. How did you not hear him drive up?
The cows follow the cowboy and surround his truck, mooing and chewing. He leaves them there and comes running back to you, panting. “Sorry ‘bout that. Them cows ain’t too bright sometimes. One left the farm down the road and all of ‘em followed, so I got sent out to get ‘em.”
“Oh,” you say. “Well, that takes care of one problem. Thanks.”
He raises one eyebrow, curious. “One problem?” he ponders aloud. “Anything I can help you with, miss? Tell me if I’m wrong but ya look kinda…” He pauses, looking for the right word.
“Lost?” you sigh. He sniggers, shaking his head. “Distressed.” You take a moment to think about this. You really shouldn’t tell him since he’s a total stranger despite his cute freckles and eyes that remind you of a puppy’s. “Well, I am,” you sigh. “But nothing I can’t handle. Thank you again, Mr. uh….”
The cowboy smiles brightly at you and it’s like a punch in the face. He is quite handsome. “Ace,” he replies. “Ace D. Portgas. No, ‘Mr’, please. Just Ace.”
He puts out one of his big ringed hands for a shake. You slowly take it in your smaller one, noticing how calloused and rough his palm is…and how warm and strong it is. “Ace then,” you say, quickly pulling away. “Nice to meet you. I’m Y/N L/N.”
Ace’s eyes fill with recognition immediately at the sound of your name. “The writer?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. You immediately break out into a smile, happy with the recognition. “So you’ve heard of me.”
He nods, shoving a hand in the pocket of his jeans. “Yeah, your stuff is pretty popular with the female population over here. I’ve seen some of your books in the town’s local bookstore before. Where ya from?”
“[City Name],” you reply, beaming from the newfound information You always love to hear about people loving and reading your work. Ace hums, nodding in understanding. “Ah, so you’re a city girl,” he draws, his Southern accent making a big appearance here. It makes something in your stomach grow warm.
You place your hands on your hips, pursing your lips. “Are you about to give me that ‘the country is better than the city’ crap?” you playfully scoff.
Ace gapes at you, playing into your mock disagreement. “What?! No way….except we’ve got better people.” You laugh, giving him that one. “Oh, that I agree with! Everyone here is so nice!”
Literally everyone. The train conductor, the workers at the train station, the nice man who held the door for you…maybe even this sexy cowboy. It must be the clean air and environment without the buildings, hustle, and crowds of people. “So what’s a talented gal like you doin’ all the way down here?” He curiously asks. “Ya got family here?”
Despite your situation, you find yourself enjoying conversing with Ace. It’s easy, unlike with your ex. “I’m writing a new book at the Airbnb I rented…which I’m no closer to getting to ‘cause I can’t follow directions.”
Ace’s smile fades. “Really? Where’s it at? Maybe I can help ya get there.” Your blood pressure rises as your brain begins to go through every possible reason to not give this man the address to your weekend home. “Um….”
Realization flickers in Ace’s eyes and he nods in understanding. “I get it: stranger danger. If ya want, I can tell you the directions and let ya drive off. Promise.” He puts his right hand up as if he’s on the stand at a trial. “I only wanna help a celebrity out.”
His friendly smile and nature seem genuine despite that twist in your stomach telling you differently. However, you don’t hear any warning signs blaring in your head and your gut isn’t giving you that kick of intuition. Throwing caution to the wind, you tell him: “It’s on 21 North Oakwood Lane.”
You watch as Ace’s eyes widen in excitement like a kid on Christmas. “Forreal?! That’s where my farm is at! I bet my neighbor is the one you’re rentin’ from! Mable Chestnut ring any bells?”
Your brain immediately reacts to the Airbnb owner’s name. “Yeah, that’s her!” you exclaim. “You live there too?” He nods, beaming brightly at you. “Yes, ma’am, and you’re a long way away from that, honey. You must’ve taken a wrong turn completely.”
You huff, feeling the stress return. Of course, you took a wrong turn. Unbeknownst to you, Ace feels bad for the pretty woman standing in front of him and instantly wants to make her feel better. So he clears his throat, gaining your attention. “I’ll tell ya what: if you want, I can hop in my pickup truck and lead you to your place. I know these trails like the back of my hand.”
“I’m sure you do,” you reply, laughing slightly. “You’re a cowboy, aren’t you?” His lips twist in a lopsided smirk that makes your insides curl. “Yes, ma’am. That and a farmhand. I wrangle horses, cows, bulls, anythin’ you can think of. My job requires that I know the ins and outs of my town.”
You can tell he’s telling the truth, but the logical part of you is still wary. “I dunno,” you admit, awkwardly playing with the hem of our dress. “I mean, you seem sweet and legit, but I barely know you and—“
“Oh, you found ‘em!” a voice rings out. You turn, seeing a blue truck with a wooden crate stopping next to Ace’s truck. An older couple with silver-white hair and matching boots come sliding out of the front, looking relieved to see their cows. The wife, in her flowery skirt, whistles at the cows. “My precious babies! Get y’all asses on that damn truck!”
She begins berating them as the animals climb up the wooden ramp to the cart, piling in one after the other. Her husband, wearing jeans, flannel, and a cowboy hat, helps her by whistling to them. Once they’re all in, he locks the crate and walks up to Ace with his wife, giving you a hello as they do. “Oh, Ace, what would I do without you?” The wife sighs, taking the young cowboy’s hand in her wrinkled ones. “I’ll have to bake you more of that apple pie to thank you.”
Ace smiles, tipping his hat at them. “It’s no problem, Mr. And Mrs. Phelps. Just doin’ my job.” Mr. Phelps pats him on the back, laughing. “Well, you prove to be fit for your job every time, young man.”
“I’ll deliver the pie tomorrow,” Mrs. Phelps says with a wink. “You still live at 20 Oakwood Lane?” Ace nods and thanks them before the old couple walk back to their truck, get in, and go driving off with their cows in the back.
He turns back to you, a smug smile on his face. With defeat, you give in to his proposal. “Okay, fine,” you sigh. “We’ll try it your way.”
He grins, bowing slightly in thanks, grateful for you putting your trust in him. But it ain’t like you’ve got a choice at this point. But if you had said no, maybe he would’ve called the cops or something to help you. He seems like a genuine, sweet type of man…but then again, you thought the same about your ex before he cheated. “I won’t letcha down, missy. Now let’s getcha to your luxury suite!”
He turns and races off to his truck. As he does, the back of his flannel floats up, giving you a peek of his backside. Your mouth waters at the sight of his plump, firm ass in those jeans. Maybe you will have a nice time here after all.
After getting in your car and following Ace’s truck down the road, he takes you in the right direction that your GPS states. You decided to turn it on just to make sure Ace wasn’t taking you somewhere else. The drive is only eight minutes and finally, trees fall away to a beautiful clearing of brick homes and farms down a dirt road.
You finally come to your Airbnb and it’s just as cute in real life as it was in its photos. The white tiled roof and window outline combined with the buttery yellow color of the outside of the house reminds you of a frosted cake as you park your car in front of it. The house is located on ten acres of land that the owner owns and tends to, including a fruit orchard that you most definitely will enjoy tomorrow.
You go up to the azalea bushes planted at the white picket fence surrounding the cobbled stone walkway and steps. Bending down, you move one of the stones–a gray one shaped like a heart–and take the house key from under it. Ms. Chestnut made sure to tell you where to find it before she left.
Clutching the key to your chest, you turn and find Ace lugging your bags out of the backseat of your car, including your laptop case. As he does, you watch as his arms flex enticingly so. He has taken off his flannel, probably too hot in the afternoon heat to wear even the lightest of long-sleeved tops.
��Aaaand here we are,” he announces, bringing the luggage up to you. You go to take your suitcase, feeling bad for his work. “Oh, you don’t have to—“
“Nonsense! It’s barely heavy for me.” He gives you a wink before nodding at the locked door, looking just as excited as you.
You snort and unlock the door, giving way to a gorgeous living room with hardwood floors and a sunroom that meets an expensive-looking dining room filled with fine China dishes. On the left is an older-looking kitchen with a cartoon cat cuckoo clock and an adorable fruit-shaped cooking set and a washroom that leads outside to the back patio.
Ace whistles approvingly, looking around the house. “Beautiful place. I can see why ya rented here to write your new book. What’s it about, if I may ask?” He runs his boots on the ‘Welcome’ rug at the door before coming in with your luggage. He hands you your laptop before placing your suitcase and bag down gently on the floor.
You don’t know why you tell him, but something inside you tells you that it’s okay to do so: “Heartbreak.”
You watch as the cowboy pauses and then slowly turns to stare at you. You clear your throat to appear neutral and blasè like your past relationship and how it ended don’t still sting. “I didn’t just come here to write,” you explain. “I also came here to clear my head over my recent breakup. Working helps.”
Ace’s expression is unreadable. He stands with his hands in his pockets, his jaw working slightly. You now can see that he’s chewing gum. “Long term?” he asks. You nod, fighting back tears. “Three years.”
Three years of what you thought was the beginning of forever for you. You had met his parents; took trips with him; moved him into your apartment a year after you started dating. It was so nice when he came home to you after his shifts as a lawyer, the both of you snuggling with takeout and puffing on some weed to calm the nerves. You loved those nights with him.
But then those nights became ones of loneliness and suspicion when he wouldn’t come home till the AM. You started fighting and growing more apart until one day, while he was showering, you answered his phone on a call meant for him. Clearly, because the girl on the other line was asking you if you were still on for her place that night thinking you were your man…who apparently wasn’t just your man.
After denying it, he admitted to sleeping with his coworker for two months. “You were so busy with your books!” he had argued. “I needed you too, Y/N!”
Of course, that didn’t fly with you. As a grown-ass man, he was more than capable of communicating with you and never did. So, after three years, you ended your relationship and he moved out within a week. Learning to live without him is more than hard, but you’re learning with every step.
Ace whistles as if winded by your answer. “I’m very sorry to hear that, but one thing I know is that you won’t get no clearin’ your head out in the city. No offense.” He gives you a joking smile that brightens the room. “None taken,” you giggle. “That’s why I came out here.”
He nods, crossing his arms over his chest. “That was a good idea. You may never wanna go home though.” He stands there like a tall, sexy tree you’d like to climb. His personality and energy only make your attraction to him much worse.
You don’t know if he feels the tension in the air too, but his smile fades and his eyes fill with a spark you think you just imagine. Finally, he clears his throat and plasters on a smile. “Well, I’ll leave ya to it then. If you ever need anythin’, just gimme a knock across the way.”
You walk him to the door and he points down the road at a small ranch with a red barn where you hear distant neighing horses. “That little ranch next to the red barn is me,” he explains. You could walk there with how close he is. Knowing that makes your stomach twirl.
All you can do is nod and he bids you farewell before walking down the steps in his boots. You watch him, eyeing his flexing back muscles, suntanned shoulders, and the dusting of freckles on his skin like star constellations. He is almost down the road when you give in to your urges.
“Ace, wait!” you call. He stops, turning to face you. “Do you have a CashApp? Or I can pay you in cash.”
But the cowboy shakes his head, smiling at you. “Keep it,” he says. “Just lookin’ out for a pretty woman.” He tips his hat at you, that spark returning in his eyes. “Enjoy your stay, Y/N.”
Then he turns and walks off, taking that beautiful back and juicy ass with him. You decide right then that you’ll definitely enjoy your stay here with that cowboy being just one knock away.
*********
“Fuck, Y/N, you are soooo lucky!” Nami whines into your ear. “I wish I was laying out in the sun by the wate with my tits out too!”
“My tits aren’t out,” you snort. “I’m just in a bikini top.” You take a sip of your Moscato chilling in a glass of ice cubes and sliced oranges, sighing peacefully at the crisp, fruity taste.
Placing it back on the small table with your laptop, you look down at your phone screen where your beautiful, redheaded friend’s face is. It is the next day of your writer’s vacay and you’re spending it stretched out on the back patio in your bikini and sunglasses, lounging on a beach chair near the lake that sparkles and shimmers in the summer sun.
“That still counts!” Nanami argues. “You’ll get a tan for days! Why couldn’t you take me with you?” You scoff, rolling your eyes behind your ray bans. “Girl, aren’t you on an anniversary trip up in the mountains with your woman? Your Airbnb is just as beautiful as mine, plus you got a great view!”
Nami, your best friend and soulmate, is out in the mountains with her long-term girlfriend and soon-to-be-fiance, Robin who is so beautiful that you swore you had a crush on her when you first met her.
Both, along with a couple of other friends you’ve made over the years, surrounded you with love and support during your breakup. Zoro and Sanji, the married couple you’ve been tight with since you moved into your complex, even told you they’d beat your ex up if you asked them to. Of course, you said no, but you fantasize about it to make you laugh.
“Yeah, but it’s raining here,” Nami sighs, laying back on a pillow. “We’ve been cooped up in the house all day, but we do have a dinner reservation at a five-star restaurant tonight that’ll make up for it. She knows how to make me happy.” She breaks out into a dreamy smile you know all too well about.
“You’re so lucky,” you sigh, envious of your friend’s love. “You guys have been together for a long time though. Five years! That’s crazy!”
Nami nods, still looking in love and happy. “And it takes a lot of work, but there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. You’ll find that again, too Y/N…with the right person, of course. That scummy ex of yours was just a closed door.”
You peer out over the water, seeing a sliver of Ace’s farm through the thrush, green forest. From this angle, you can see the wagging tails of horses in their shed and hear the crowing of roosters. “I guess,” you sigh.
As if reading your mind, Nami discusses the man who has been on your mind since yesterday. “Well, how ‘bout you do some practice on that cute cowboy you told me about?” she suggestively purrs. “You are there for a week. Why not use it to dust off that–”
“Don’t even finish that sentence,” you cut her off, putting up a hand. “I’m not having any kind of sex with a stranger, no matter how cute or sweet he is. Besides, I don’t even know how old he is! He could be a fuckin’ teenager for all I know.”
Despite you making logical excuses for not going over to his house and hopping on that man’s dick right now, you still can’t stop yourself from thinking about him. Yeste​​rday afternoon, you went out into town to shop for some cute dresses and groceries for meals (including the wine), thinking this would help distract you from nasty thoughts of him.
But alas, when night fell and you finished your glass of wine and your much-needed blunt to end the evening, you​​r dreams were all about him whispering dirty, sweet nothings to you in his Southern drawl while he bounced you on his cock. You were so pent up that you had to relieve yourself with the toy you packed and then take a cold shower…both did NOTHING to tame you.
You want him bad. You’ve never felt such an attraction to someone before. Not since your ​​ex, anyway. It’s exciting but also alarming. ​​Your plan wasn’t to use a man to get over your breakup or writer’s block. Speaking of which, you haven’t written much of a first draft for your book yet. You most that you’ve gotten is a plot outline and you feel even that is lackluster.
“Well, who is he?” Nami pushes. “You didn’t even tell me his name!” You once again roll your eyes and lower your voice as if the cowboy can hear you over the lake: “It’s Ace D. Portgas.”
Nami’s eyes widen and her jaw drops. “Omigod!” she squeals into your ears, making you jump. “Y/N, I know him! You remember my friend Luffy’s adopted older brother? The one who owns his own farm?”
Your mind traces back to the moment any of this was revealed to you and you realize that it was a year ago during a trip to the zoo where Luffy gushed over the horses and said his brother trains them. “Oh, my God, that’s him?!” you gasp, laughing in disbelief. “The wealthy one? What a small world!”
“Now you have a reason to talk to him, girl!” Nami encourages you. You go over to his place, ask him for a drink, and spend the rest of your trip in his bed…and then you’ll take me on a cruise when he cuffs you.” She winks at you, but you know she’s serious.
“That’s not gonna happen,” you chuckle. “He’s a nice guy, but I didn’t come here to hook up with no cowboy. I came here to relax and write my book.” The redhead pulls a look, rolling her eyes. “And what better way to do all of that than get with a country boy? Besides, that would make for a great story.” She wiggles her eyebrows at you suggestively.
“Whatever,” you scoff as she giggles. “Just go and tell Robin I said hi. And if I do happen to build a relationship with the cowboy, she’ll be the one I take on a cruise.” Nami, with her dramatic ass, gapes at you. “Take that back!”
“Love you, byeeee!” You blow her a kiss before ending the FaceTime call and lowering it facedown on the table to avoid the sun burning the screen. You take another sip of your wine and then hunker back down to your book that you’re no closer to outlining.
So far in the plot, a woman named Suzi has received notice of a house she has inherited from her deceased grandmother whom she realizes has many secrets, including setting her up to marry Johnson, a wealthy owner of a wine garden that her grandma somehow knows.
But all those ideas go down the drain when you happen to look up and see the man who has been haunting your frequent dreams. And he’s shirtless. Though his back is to you, that doesn’t mean Ace’s back doesn’t make your stomach flutter like it’s filled with butterflies. He is busy tending to his horses, filling their drinking station with fresh water and cleaning out bails of old hay. His arm and back muscles flex in the sun that glints off of the sweat dripping off of his tanned skin. “Oh, fuck,” you exhale.
He’s a beautiful, beautiful man. You can almost taste the sweat off of his skin as you lick up his skin and neck. His back is tatted with a purple skull with a bone caught between his teeth. Your body reacts just as your mind does, arousal making you throb. “Dammit,” you sigh, slamming your laptop closed. You definitely can’t write in this condition. This man is making everything too damn hard for you!
Now you know another distraction won’t do anything for you. You need to just swallow your pride and fear of rejection, and just go over there!
To not make it seem like you just came straight out the house to see him, you go inside to strip off your bikini and change into some sneakers, running shorts, and a sports bra that holds up your girls. You take your phone and house key with you before cutting through the woods for a short time towards Ace’s place, lightly jogging as you do. The sun glints through the trees and sweat begins to gather on your forehead and under your boobs.
Finally, you cut th​​rough the woods to the front of Ace’s house and nearly scream at the sudden sight of a caramel-colored horse galloping in front of you, nearly knocking you over. “Suzi!” Ace calls. “Dammit, don’t run in the street!” He whistles, causing the horse to stop before she gets any farther away and flips her tail.
You turn, finding the shirtless cowboy standing behind you. You nearly combust at the sight of his cut abs, the silver bars in his pink nipples, and the scattering of tattoos on his skin. One is of a skull engulfed in flames on his shoulder and the others are two names inked across his wrists.
“Oh, hey!” he chirps, looking happy to see you despite your short-circuiting brain. “What a surprise. You decided to take a break to come see little ol’ me?”
He puts his hands on his hips, drawing your eyes to his V-line. “I-I was just takin’ a jog,” you stammer. “And I just wanted to thank you again for helping me yesterday. Sorry I was so hesitant.” Ace looks happy nonetheless and you think you even see his eyes quickly trace over ​​your outfit. “Don’t even apologize. You enjoyin’ yourself so far?”
He snaps at Suzi who comes tottering up to him, her hooves clicking. You nod, admiring the pretty steed. “Yeah, you’ve got a nice little home here. Went out shopping yesterday and did some writing today.”
The cowboy nods, petting Suzi’s side. “Uh-huh, I saw you soakin’ up those rays earlier…n-not that I was starin’ at you! I just happened to look over and see you.” His face grows adorably red at his jumbled words. It only makes him more endearing to you.
“I get it,” you giggle. “I came over to pay you for yesterday, but if you still aren’t gonna take my money, maybe I can pay you back with lunch or a drink?”
The words just slip out, possibly because of how confident you feel over Ace’s blush and nervous blunder. You don’t know what you expect, but definitely not what he says next:
“Oh,” is all he replies with.
The silence that follows makes you want to die. “O-Or not if you’re busy,” you quickly add. “Or if you don’t want to! I just wanted to repay you.” You bite your lip to shut yourself up, feeling as if you never should’ve said anything. That damn Nami! Why did she have to encourage you to do this?
But as luck would have it, Ace agrees. “I was gonna say yes to lunch, but I’m a little booked right now with the farm. I’ve got people tourin’ my place tomorrow, so I need to make sure it sparkles. Does dinner work better for ya?”
The horse’s tail flips as if to say, ‘Say yes, stupid!’ and you nod, speechless. “Dinner ​​sounds great,” you reply, doing your best to not break out into a big, goofy smile. The caramel horse softly winnies and Ace snorts, patting the horse’s behind. “This is Suzi,” he chuckles. “She’s extremely dramatic. I got two other ones at the stable.”
You smile at the horse, admiring the way her blonde mane looks in the sun. “She’s beautiful.” Unbeknownst to you, Ace admires you admiring the horse. “You like horses?” You nod, gently patting Suzi’s soft fur. “Love ‘em. I wanted to be a cowgirl every Halloween.”
“You wanna see the others? I can give ya a tour of the farm, if ya want.”
“Alright, alright, we’re comin’!” he calls. “And these are my Stallions, Sam and Sabo, named after one of my brothers. He lives all the way in London workin’ as an actor.”
“That’s amazing.” “They look like they need a brush, poor things.”
“It’s the heat. They shed a lot in the summer.” “Why don’t you let me?” you ask. “You seem so tired. Don’t worry, I pick up fast.”
“Just slowly brush their sides,” he explains, motioning his hands as an example. “It relaxes them. And don’t worry about scarin’ em; they’re well-behaved and they love attention.” “Hey, there, boy,” you coo. “I’m just gonna brush you.”
“Not bad for a city girl,” he whispers in your ear. “Oh, so you got jokes now,” you scoff. “Well, your horses seem to like me more than their owner. I think that proves I’d make a great cowgirl.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asks. “You ever ridden one before?” “Uh…no,” you hesitantly answer. “Not since I was six at a petting zoo.”
Ace gives you a smile full of mirth and trust. “You wanna try now?”
You have no idea what propels you to say yes, but suddenly find yourself standing beside Sabo in the open field while Ace straps a leather saddle on his back. He then turns to you and opens his arms. “I’ll help ya up,” he says, flashing you a smile. “And if ya ever feel uncomfortable, I promise you we’ll cut the ride short.”
“There we go,” he huffs. “Now up I go.” With a grunt, he carefully hoists himself up on Sabo’s back and straddles the seat behind you. You bite your lip at the throb you feel between your thighs at the feeling of his strong arms coming around you to hold onto the reins with you. His thighs and chest brush against your back, the scent of sweat and pine rolling off of him.
“Now, gently tug on the reins twice and click your tongue,” he instructs. Nervously, you do as he says, his presence a comfort for you. You wouldn’t know what to do with this big-ass horse alone. Sabo slowly begins to walk in the field, taking a languid pace that is relaxing and not at all as scary​​ as you thought.
“See?” Ace laughs. “Not bad, right? You can use the reins to steer him or go faster, just like a car. If ya want him to stop, just tug on the reins once. If ya wanna go a little faster, just snap the reins so he’ll totter, like this.”
He helps you give them a slight snap and Sabo picks up the pace. You gasp as you feel his back jump with you and Ace on top, your body instantly tensing.
“Hang on,” he chuckles. “It’ll get a little bumpy.” You side-eye him, your heart about to explode out of your chest. “A little?” you scoff and that makes him laugh even harder.
His thumbs begin to stroke your knuckles, trying to calm you down. “You’re so sense, sweetie,” he coos. “I promise you’re okay. Just enjoy the ride.” His voice is soft and reassuring, only arousing you more.
However, despite the images of him fucking you stupid in your mind, you fight against your visceral reaction to change and relax. “Good, good!” he praises. “You really are a fast learner! Good boy, Sabo! Take us home!”
Sabo turns around and totters back to the farm, bouncing you on top. You giggle, feeling free with the sun and wind in your hair. When Sabo comes to a stop, Ace jumps off first.
He holds out his arms for you and you reach down, clinging yourself to him as he takes you off of the horse. Once your feet are on the ground, you sigh, relieved, but an underwhelming feeling descends upon you at ground level again. It was exciting being on Sabo’s back above ground, but you think most of the thrilling, excited feeling you got was from Ace being so close to you.
“Nicely done, city girl. I knew ya had it in ya to ride a horse.” “Well, it helps when I’ve got a great teacher, country boy,” you giggle, but it comes out way more seductive than you meant it to.
Thank goodness the splashing sounds of the horses slurping down their water stops you because who knows what would’ve happened? “Uh…drink?” he sheepishly asks. “I’ve got fresh lemonade in the fridge.”
But as soon as you’re in the house, Ace suddenly whirls you around to face him and grabs you before his lips finally mesh with yours. You make a small noise of surprise as he twirls you around, but it quickly melts into a soft moan as his soft, juicy lips press against yours. They are just as heavenly as you thought they’d be. The kiss is tentative and careful at first, but the more you press into him, the more passionate and open Ace becomes.
His tongue slowly licks your bottom lip and you part your lips, granting him access. The taste of whiskey on his tongue and the wet, sucking sounds of your heavy makeout make your shorts feel tighter and your nipples hard under your bra. Ace’s hands caress your back while your arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer until you’re sharing the same air.
When he pulls away, he is softly panting and his eyes are ablaze. “Sorry,” he pants. “I just couldn’t resist. I’ve been wantin’ to do that since yesterday.”
You smile, leaning in to peck his lips again. You can’t get enough of him now that you’ve had him. “Don’t apologize,” you whisper. “I have, too.” Oh, and have you!
Ace smiles, looking pleased to hear this. You’re just as happy to know that he’s been sweating over you the way you have been for him since yesterday. “You’re here for a week, right?” he huskily asks and you nod, too afraid to speak. You don’t want to ruin this.
His big hands slide down lower and lower until they meet your ass. Finally. “Then if it’s alright with you, darlin’, I’d like to make your first time out in the country one you’ll never forget. If this is just a summer fling to you then that’s cool. I just wanna make you feel good and make ya forget all about that asshole ex of yours back home.”
The passionate promise burning in his eyes is too tempting to resist. You run your hands down his chest, feeling him up and letting him know just how much you want this. “I’d love that,” you purr. “Now kiss me again, cowboy.”
Ace doesn’t need to be told twice. Immediately, his lips sweep yours up again as he grips you to him, his hands caressing your thighs. You’re so deep in his kiss that you barely feel the wall suddenly pressing against your back. You moan as Ace presses himself into you, his hard body like another wall squeezing you between the one behind you. He takes your arms and pins them over your head, stealing the air from your lungs.
He chuckles, smiling against your desperate lips. His hands move unde your thighs and he scoops you up with ease, making you feel oh-so little. He laughs at your little gasp as you find yourself hovering off of the floor in his arms. “Don’t worry, darlin’,” he says. “You’ll enjoy this ride. Bedroom?” You nod, wrapping your limbs around him like a koala bear, and away he goes with you in tow, thunking around in his cowboy boots and hat.
You get a tiny tour of his place when he goes upstairs and finally makes it to his bedroom that is filled with sunlight pouring in through the window. “Don’t close the blinds,” you purr as he kicks the door shut with his foot. “I wanna see you in the light.”
He smirks, loving your freakiness. “Yes, ma’am,” he murmurs, tasting your lips once more. “Now if it’s alright with you, I’d like to get these clothes off ya.”
You giggle as he sets you down on the bed before joining you. “The feelin’ is mutual, cowboy,” you sexily reply. “Just leave the hat and boots on…please.” You feel your face grow hot as Ace laughs at your request, taking your chin in his hand. “You’re a freaky one,” he purrs, biting his bottom lip. “I like that. You’re a woman who knows what she wants.”
Of course, you are! Any girl alone with a sexy cowboy would know what they want and right now, you want this man naked and to fuck you dumb. As you share heated, sloppy kisses, you help Ace strip off your bra, kicks, socks, and shorts, leaving you in on your panties. He takes a moment to ogle your body as you stand between his thighs.
“Fuck,” he huffs and you grow hot, realizing that this is the first time you’ve heard him cuss. “You’re a work of art, babydoll…is it okay if I call you that?” If it ain’t your hard nipples that give him a yes, it’s the kiss you give him. “Yes,” you whisper. Yes to everything. Ace grabs you and begins to kiss up your body, gently sucking on your nipples and licking your neck.
“I’m all sweaty,” you whine, slightly self-conscious. The cowboy raises a brow at you as if to say, ‘And?’ before scooping you up into his arms and tossing you onto the bed.
Now on your stomach, Ace takes advantage by bending your knees and hiking your ass up for him. “Stop,” he chortles. “I’m from the South, darlin’. A little sweat don’t mean nothin’ to me…now pipe down and let me enjoy you.”
You’ve never been with a man who loves eating pussy. You’ve never been with a man that eats pussy quite like Ace. But you should’ve known when he finally got your panties down and finally saw your exposed, glistening pussy all for him. “Goddamn,” he exhaled before spreading your asscheeks and giving right into the depths of your cunt.
His first few licks are gentle and slow as he gets to know your body. He asks you what you like and what you dislike. What makes you tick. The fact that he’s so interested in what you want and like makes you even wetter. Once you tell him and he gets right to work, it doesn’t take long for you to melt into the bed as his mouth works your pussy.
You grip the pillow now, your moans, whimpers, and whines falling onto Ace’s ears like a sweet symphony of music. “Ohhh, fuck, Ace!” you sing into the pillow, pushing your ass back into his face. He welcomes you, his hands gripping and smacking each cheek in time with his magical tongue lashes against your clit.
“That’s it, sing for me, darlin’,” he coos into your pussy, his words slightly muffled. “You sound so fuckin’ good.” He then pulls away from your pussy to slide his tongue up to your ass, much to your enjoyment. While he does this, he takes one finger and lightly glides it up and down your slit, sending shivers and sparks of pleasure throughout your body.
“Your ex ever do this for you?” he asks, pressing a kiss to your lowerback. “Did he ever take care of you like this?” He moves down to give an open-mouthed kiss to your pussy, emitting a loud moan from you. “Or this gorgeous girl?” he purrs against your clit. “Tell me.” Gently, his finger begins to prope your hole, sinking into your folds.
You gasp, gripping the pillow. “N-No,” you stammer. Ace makes a noise of approval. “I knew it. This cunt of yers is just too damn wet for me…not that I’m complainin’. You taste so, so good, little darlin’!” His tongue slides down your asscrack to your clit again, sucking on it while he fingers you.
You are a writhing, squirming mess, grinding your hips back into him, riding that wave of pleasure. The more he licks, sucks, and strokes, the more that knot in your core tightens, threatening to snap and cause you to spill all over his tongue. But his ministrations also cause something else: need. A desperate, blinding, unbridled need for him inside of you. “Stop, Ace!” you beg and he does, immediately. “I need you to fuck me. Please! I wanna cum around your ​​cock!”
Ace pauses, taken aback by your request. But then you hear the joyous, thrilling sound of his belt buckle jingling and his zipper coming down. “So naughty,” he chuckles. “How’d you know I like naughty girls? You must’ve come outta my wettest dreams, babydoll.” You feel his cock slide against your slit, warm, hard, and thick.
You both moan as he taps it against your clit, his head nudging against the little bundle of nerves. “And per your request,” he says, laughter in his voice, “I’ll keep the hat and boots on for ya. But I want ya to look at me while I’m inside you, okay?”
Slowly, you turn your head and behold your eyes to the sexy man sporting his cowboy hat, boots, and nipple piercings behind you, his eyes burning with want. Your eyes trail down his abs and V-line to his thick cock and heavy balls that are begging to be tasted. But later. Right now, you need him in you. “Yes, sir,” you purr. “Now please: fuck me.”
Wordlessly, Ace grasps your hip with one hand and fulfills your request by taking his cock and sinking himself inside of you. His head sinking between your soft, wet folds cause you both to gasp, the contact explosively pleasurable. Ace goes slow, filling you to the brim with every slow thrust of his hips. It’s unbearable, almost agonizing how slow he’s moving.
Ace senses your change in demeanor and gently pulls out, leaving only his cockhead in you. “You alright?” he whispers, worried. “You’re shakin’ like a leaf. Do you want me to stop?”
The very thought of losing this feeling makes you desperate. You turn to him, your hair a sexed-out mess and your eyes lidded. “No,” you exhale, giving him a smile. “You’re just goin’ too slow.”
Instantly, all of the worry and uncertainty in Ace’s eyes disappear, replaced with only lust. A slow smirk stretches across his lips at your naughty request. “Well, why didn’t ya say so, darlin’?”
He pushes himself back in and grips your hips before pistoning into you, giving you the deep dick that you’ve been craving for months. A loud whine leaves your lips as he fucks you like you belong to him, causing your body to shake even more and that arch in your back to wobble. “Fuck me back,” he demands, his voice rough and raspy. “Don’t make me do all the work here. Take what you want from me, baby, c’mon.”
You push yourself up on your forearms and push back into him, tossing your ass back into his mind-blowing, bed-shaking, orgasmic thrusts that make you see stars behind your eyelids. Ace’s dick strokes every part of your insides while his hands grip your hip and one of your tits, molding the globe of flesh and teasing the tight nipple between his fingers. “O-Oh, my God!” you moan, your voice bouncing off of the walls. “Yes, Ace, just like that! Fuck me just like that!”
“Like what?” Ace asks, a smile evident in his voice. “Like…this?” He rolls his hips in a way that glides against your G-spot, causing you to damn near scream in pleasure. You just about hit high notes that would put Mariah Carey’s career in the dirt as Ace loops a hand between your thighs to rub your clit. You keep grinding back into him, much to his enjoyment.
He loves watching you move, your body so enticing while you squeeze around him. “God, darlin’,” he groans. “I can’t get enough of these hips. You ride me so well. Can’t wait to see how you ride my cock.”
He leans down to whisper into your ear, still pounding your pussy like it’s his profession. “I bet you’d be so good at it. I bet you’d be my good little cowgirl, wouldn’t cha? Bet you’d make me cum deep inside this pussy.”
His tongue slips against your earlobe as he begins to suck on it. You loop an arm around his neck to bring him close to you, his sweat-sticky body pressed against yours as he ruts into you from behind.
When your orgasm begins to peak, you can’t stop it and you don’t want to. This feels too good.
“F-Fuck, Ace!” you gasp. “I’m gonna…gonna cum!” Ace hums in approval, moving harder and faster, frantically rubbing your clit with his thick fingers. “Do it,” he practically begs. “Cum for me. Give me what I need.”
When you cum, you cum hard. It is so intense that it takes you a minute to make any noise as the rush of pleasure hits you, but once it does, you let out the loudest moan you’ve ever heard yourself make as you gush all around Ace’s cock. He grunts as your pussy hugs him, squeezing him like a vice as you coat his shaft in your cum.
“Thatta girl,” he coos, pressing a kiss to your cheek. You softly whimper in acknowledgment, gripping the sheets as you ride your orgasm wave.
Once your high fades, Ace quickly pulls out as if you’ve burned him with your pussy, desperate to not cum yet. “Shit,” he hisses. “Look at how messy you made me, baby. You’ve gotta clean it up now.” He sticks his cock, shining in your juices, in your face, a lust-filled expression on his face.
The orgasm has done something to you, turning you into an insatiable, needy little slut. Suddenly feral and in need of him, you swallow his cock and slurp up all of your cum, even taking his balls in your mouth when you can. But when you’re too busy gagging all over his dick, you massage them in one hand with the other plays with his pierced nipples. Ace is enjoying himself immensely. He can’t believe his luck having such a beautiful woman in his bed, let alone a celebrity, sucking him off and teasing his overly-sensitive nipples.
“Fuck, darlin’,” he moans, tilting his head back at the feeling. “You keep doin’ all of that and I’ll cum. I still need more of ya.”
You hum in agreement, slipping off of his cock with a soft pop that your wet lips make. You look up at him through hooded eyes, making him so hard that it becomes painful. “If ya still want another round, I want you to ride me,” he huskily requests. “I wanna see this body bounce on top of me while I finally bust inside of you.”
You shiver, immediately soaked from the idea. Wordlessly, you stand on your knees and brace your hands on his chest before shoving him down onto the bed. He laughs, the sound making your heart melt, but it’s quickly replaced with a desperate moan as you climb on top of him, mounting him like he’s your own personal Stallion…or dildo. He doesn’t seem like he’d protest either.
But as you wrap a hand around his cock and bring it to meet your pussy, he stops you. “Wait, wait,” he protests. You stop, confused, until he takes his hat off and places it on your head. “Now ya look the part,” he comments, making you giggle. “Now ride me like a good little cowgirl.”
He doesn’t have to tell you twice. You come down to take his cock inside of you, drawing a moan out of both of you once your tight, wet walls squeeze around him. Bracing your feet on the bed as you straddle Ace, you place one hand on his chest and slowly begin bouncing, becoming used to how he feels in this position. He is so deep, touching every single part of you, stretching you out more than he did in doggy.
“O-Oh, my Go-o-od!” you gasp, each word punctuated by your bouncing. You tilt your head up to the ceiling as you roll your hips, grinding your clit against Ace’s pelvis. The pleasure makes you throw your head back and your eyes flutter closed, each delicious burst of pleasure taking you on a ride.
Ace is enjoying his ride as well, watching you bounce that perfect pussy and body on his cock. “That’s it, babydoll,” he groans, gripping your hips. Y
ou ride him like he’s stolen, your gorgeous titties jiggling in his face. His hat perched on top of your pretty head is just as yummy–it’s the cherry on top for him. Watching you makes him want to make you yours; make it so no man, whether in the country or city, can ever have you again.
“How’s it feel?” he asks, staring up at your pretty face. All you let out is a pathetic whimper that gives him the urge to burst inside of you. “I know it feels good, darlin’, but I need your words. Tell me how that dick feels.” He begins to rub your clit with his thumb, causing you to let out a loud whine.
“S-so…so good!” you gasp, alternating between bouncing and rolling your hips, giving him more and more of that pussy every single time. “You feel so good, Ace!”
Suddenly feral, the cowboy leans up and swoops you into his arms, pistoning his hips up into yours from below. “Tell me I’m the best you’ve ever had,” he pants in your ear, his voice low and tantalizing. “Tell me you love it.”
You’ll tell him whatever he wants to hear if it means he’ll keep doing this to you. “You’re the best, Ace!” you sob, gripping his shoulders. “You’re the fucking best I’ve ever had! I love the way you fuck me!”
That’s all it takes for the cowboy to keep fucking you stupid as you grind into him from above. The both of you fuck each other like you need it, the bed shaking and your moans echoing throughout the room. You kiss sloppily and messily, your tongues swirling with one another as your pussy squelches and gushes around his cock.
When your second orgasm comes, all you can do is let out a sob, your nails skating down Ace’s back and skull tattoo. He gets his nut just after you, letting out a loud “Oh, fuck!” along with a series of porn-worthy moans as he explodes inside of you. You gasp, feeling a gush of warmth flow into you as you cream all over his cock, your cum sliding down his balls that have completely emptied themselves inside of you.
The high is just as intense and as blissful as the first time, especially since Ace is joining you on this ride this time. You both share an exhausted, messy kiss before he exhaustedly falls back against the pillows, breathing heavily. You roll off him and fall beside him on the bed, his hat still on your head.
For a while, you both lie there in silence, panting heavily from the activity. The only sounds in the room are the birds chirping and the horses neighing outside, giving a very peaceful atmosphere after some good sex. Finally, Ace turns over to look at you. “So how ‘bout that dinner date?” he asks.
You burst into laughter and he follows, the both of you in a fit of giggles that feels just as freeing as the sex. “I could use a steak,” you reply once you calm yourself. “My treat.” Ace makes a face like he’s offended by the very idea. “My treat,” he corrects you. “You deserve it for that ride ya just gave me. You certainly knocked my boots.”
He wraps those big arms around you that you happily snuggle into, wrapping your own around him too. You feel so content and safe despite only knowing the man for two days. Maybe this is a sign. “Mine too,” you sigh. “Oh, and just so you know, I’m familiar with one of the names tatted on your wrists: Luffy. I know him.”
You watch as realization dawns in Ace’s eyes at the mention of his brother. “Oh, yeah?” he asks, excited. “You know my kid brother?” You nod, giggling. “He’s told me about you. Said your the brother that’s a cowboy, but I just forgot.”
He lets out a loud, belly laugh that makes you laugh with him, adoring his childlike personality. “Wow, what a small world!” he chuckles. “I guess in a way, maybe we were meant to meet each other.”
Though you wouldn’t have admitted it first, you think the same thing. If this blooms into something more, it could work. You could take the train to see him and vice versa…if he is interested. It isn’t just the sex you enjoy. You also enjoy talking to Ace. You love how he pushes you to try new things and is so in tune with your feelings. Most men aren’t, so whoever raised him did it well.
You also think about how great of a plot this would be in a book…and just like that, you have the sudden inspiration to write a new series filled with action, mystery, thrills, romance, and a lot of steamy sex with a cowboy who may or may not be inspired by the one you’re currently curled up with.
You look up at Ace, your muse, dreamboat, and possible summer-fling-to-not, with the same adoring, satisfied smile he gazes down at you with. “So steak dinner it is then?” he murmurs into your neck.
You nod, snuggling into his shoulder. “After round two,” you purr. “And a snuggle and shower….in either order.” You beam up at him, a hunger for him rising in the pit of your stomach. You don’t want to waste a minute of this week out in the countryside.
Evidently, neither does Ace judging by his hardening dick against your thigh. He takes your wrist and kisses it before rolling on top of you and grinding himself against your core.
“I can do all of that, little darlin’,” he murmurs. “You can even wear my boots this time.”
THE END.
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darkficsyouneveraskedfor · 1 year ago
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The Lost 3
Warnings: non/dubcon, mentions of loss, grieving, death, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.
Characters: nomad!Steve Rogers
Summary: You move into a shared flat and encounter a mysterious man.
My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.
As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.
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When your shift ends, you leave the shop, heading down the same way you came. You stop at the corner of Mason and think better of going that route. You take that man’s advice and go along Doxtator instead. It’s quieter, there aren’t as many businesses so not as many people loitering and tossing cigarette butts.
You come up to the shared house and enter through the side door as usual. You wouldn’t call it routine yet, you haven’t been there long enough, but a ripple of deja vu comes over you. You keep your head down as you enter the kitchen. As you do, there’s another person in there.
You don’t know if you should say hello. You haven’t seen this man before. He must be one of the others. He pulls a box of rice crackers out of the cupboard and ignores your presence. You follow his lead and don’t say a word as you set your bag on the counter and pull out the drawer. You write your name on the few items you got from the store before you left; a box of cereal, a carton of milk, and some packets of ramen.
You put it all away as the other resident traipses off down the hallway, shuffling footsteps reverberating off the shabby walls. You shut the fridge as you hear the outside door open and shut. As you turn, the other man enters; the big one with the shaggy hair. S as you think of him.
He nods at you as you fold up the paper bag and shove it in the bin. He goes to the cupboard and opens the door. He sighs and takes out the same box of crackers as the last man. He shakes it and tuts. You see then the S marked on the side.
You leave, not wanting to get involved. You feel bad that someone else took his food but you also don’t need the drama. You hate conflict. At least now, you know to watch your things. Maybe later you’ll sneak out and retrieve your ramen so you can preserve a few meals.
You’re not very hungry. Your appetite is sparse these days. Maybe it’s this place. You can’t quite settle in, maybe because you hope it’s only temporary. Yet, you can’t say if that’s because you’re holding onto hope that by some miracle you could go back to your former life or that you might even forge a new one.
You lock the door and turn on the standing lamp. You fold your coat over the metal frame of the bed and sit to untie your shoes and peel off your socks. You change into a loose pair of sweatpants and a plain tea with a Pepsi logo on it. Not your clothes, another set of charity tatters.
You lay down and stare at the wall. You used to have a television in your room. You’d watch the old sitcoms they replayed on the public access channel. Or you’d listen to music and knit something. You had at least a dozen scarves more than you needed. You might be able to afford some needles and yarn after your first pay.
The cone of light casts a low haze through the tight space. Your eyes slowly close as thoughts of shutting off the lamp fade into your subconscious. You’re asleep before you can feel yourself drift off.
🚪
You wake to a strange sound. Your eyes flick open to the yellow lamplight as you lay stiffly on your back. You groan as your cramped muscles tug. You stretch and the bed frame creaks with your movement.
The scratching continues. You’re not surprised. You would expect mice in a place like this. There were some at the shelter too. They mostly left you alone, just skittered by as they searched out crumbs.
It gets louder as you sit up, tilting your head as you try to loosen the knot between your shoulders. You stand slowly, daunted by the pang across your hips. The mattress is thin and you can feel the frame on the other side.
“I know you’re awake, sweetie,” the voice startles you as it slips beneath the door. You stop your arm midreach as you go to click off the lamp. You peek over and see the shadow shift under the door. “Sweetie? I can see your light’s still on, why don’t you open the door?”
You don’t know the voice. It’s pitchy and uneven. The sickening tune behind it makes your stomach wrench. You stay far from the door as the handle jiggles, the deadbolt keeping it from opening.
“Sweetie. I just wanna talk. You don’t have to open the door. Just talk to me…”
You hug yourself and gulp. There were men in the shelter who tried to talk to you, the ones who got too close, who would stand over you while you slept. You were lucky they went away when they were caught.
There’s another shift and the floorboards groan. You hear an odd scuff and see something slide beneath the door slowly. Little by little. It’s a hand mirror, just thin enough to fit. Oh my god.
“Sweetie, I wanna know your na–”
The click of a mechanism and the grind of hinges interrupt your unwanted visitor. The mirror stills and the floor creaks again. You chew your lip as you listen with bated breath.
“Oh, hi,” the same voice greets someone.
“Go,” the deep voice orders gruffly.
“You can’t make me–”
“What are you doing out here?” The other man asks. You recognise S’s timbre.
“N-nothing. I live here too. I can be in the halls,” the strange man responds.
“I’m trying to sleep.”
“I wasn’t making noise.”
There’s a pause. Footsteps follow, getting closer, and you hear the squeaky voice utter a ‘no’ as the mirror wiggles slightly then is kicked further inside, scuttling over the floor.
“What the hell?” S growls, “you leave her alone.”
“I wasn’t bothering her–”
“I know what you were doing. I know who you are. What you are. So go before I crush you like the worm you are,” S’s words make even you shrink in fear.
“Ha, you think you deserve her. Because you look like you do,” the other man accuses, “you don’t scare me.”
“I don’t care if I scare you, I’ll break you in half if I see you at her door again,” S sneers and there’s a thump on the door, followed by an ‘oomph’. “Got it?”
“Got… it,” the breathy hiss chokes out, “let me go.”
A sudden scramble of footsteps, as if thrown off balance, clatter across the floor. They continue, quicker and quicker until you can’t hear them. You hear a sniff, then a sigh. A shadow appears at the bottom of the door.
“Hope you’re okay in there,” S says, “I’ll keep an ear out for that creep.” He pauses as if waiting for an answer but you can’t find one past the hammer of your heartbeat, “have a good night.”
The floor groans with his weight as he retreats and his door gently clasps. You can’t move. You lean into the wall and let your legs fold as you slide down onto your bottom. You’ll leave the light on for tonight. You don’t think you can face the dark.
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shycoconutt · 7 months ago
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The Fallout
pairings: gojo satoru x reader (gojo pov)
synopsis: your best friend, gojo satoru, comes back from a mission to find out that nanami kento has resigned from being a sorcerer and has left you.
content: (2.5 k), SFW, comfort, fluff, and whole lot of angst. ex-boyfriend? nanami, best friend gojo, and brother geto. contains jjk anime spoilers.
a/n: and here we have the ripple effect series! this is the aftermath of this fic. i’m going to continuing writing this story over time so strap in y’all! staying away from chapters as we'll be jumping around the timeline.
<3
Although he would never be quick to admit it, Gojo Satoru loves being home. Even with all of the memories that flood his mind as he walks through familiar spaces — hallways, classrooms, the gymnasium, the sparing field, the courtyard — many are all too painful to think about for too long, but he can’t help but indulge in the familiarity. Satoru is not quite sure if he has ‘loved-ones’, but the people that are close to him, those that could potentially fill that void, he knows are here at Jujutsu Tech.
On his way home from a week-long mission, Satoru knew who to look for first, as he owed two specific sorcerers a very happy graduation. He didn’t know how exactly he was going to go about it at first. Obviously he would try to give Nanami a hug, no wait, maybe he will leap into his arms and shower his face with kisses. No, he wouldn’t be able to get that far before Nanami shoves him off. Maybe he shouldn’t scare him off, as it was highly likely that Nanami would become his right-hand man.
You, on the other hand, were a little different. Satoru couldn’t help but think about you every moment he was gone, as he couldn’t shake the guilt of him, your best friend, not being there for your graduation ceremony. The moment the mission paperwork was placed on his desk, he cursed the higher-ups for being so careless. The smile you gave him in reassurance that you understood only made him feel worse.
Making his way inside the main building, Satoru can’t help but notice the lack of cursed energy around. He feels you somewhere in the distance, in your dorm maybe? Are you alone?
He feels the familiar cursed energy of another quickly approaching, and turns to give Yaga a quick wave and a smile as he turns around the corner. Although Satoru’s eyes are currently covered in white wrapping, his six eyes allow him to see Yaga’s puzzled expression clearly.
“Gojo,” Yaga approaches him quickly, and Satoru begins to worry that he’s going to be sent out on a mission just as quickly as he returned, “you’re back, good.”
“What is it?” Satoru is worried, but his tone doesn’t reveal it, “You sound more serious than usual, I didn’t know that was possible.”
Satoru notices the way Yaga nervously pushes up his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and how his eyes are focused on the wood floor beneath their feet. Whatever this is, it’s not good.
“Some… events have transpired since you’ve been gone,” he starts, “have you heard the news?”
“I-uh.. no, I haven’t.” What on earth could this be about now? Satoru’s eyes widened slightly, a terrible thought crossing his mind, “Everyone is okay right?”
“Everyone is safe, Satoru, don’t worry about that.”
Satoru notices how he replaces the word okay with safe.
“I’m surprised she didn’t contact you,” Yaga begins, “I’m afraid I have some news about what transpired after graduation.”
Satoru stays silent, letting him continue.
Scratching the back of his head, Yaga lets out a deep sigh before speaking, “Nanami Kento has resigned. He is no longer a sorcerer and has vowed to not use any cursed energy any longer. He had a meeting with me before the ceremony, said that he would graduate, but his time with us would end there. He’s going to return to… normal life. We were told to not try and contact him, which includes you, Gojo.”
Instinctually, Satoru unravels the wrapping around his eyes, needing to be able to see everything, to absorb all the information. This couldn’t be.
He first looks for Nanami. No, he’s not here on campus, he’s somewhere else, he’s in… Kabutocho?
His eyes shift to you, pinpointing you more directly than he did before. Yes, you’re here. In your room, on your bed, in the fetal position, alone.
Alone.
Satoru feels a familiar pang in his chest. His grip tightens around the white fabric in his grasp, threatening to stain red.
Him. Yaga. In the hallway. A decision made without him, without considering what he’d have to say. What he could’ve done to make it better. How he could’ve helped. How he could have made him stay. Why didn’t he stay?
“I’m sorry, Gojo, but it was his decision, and he has the right to have the final say over his own life.” Yaga’s words are softer, trying to calm him down.
“To hell he does!”
-
Satoru slowly makes his way to your room, taking his time to gather his thoughts, not exactly sure what he plans to say to you. He tries to think back to before, the days and weeks after Suguru left. That situation was much different, so many layers, so many people affected by the loss. Although it’s hard to imagine, if anyone was hurt more than himself by Suguru's actions, it was you.
It was so much worse for you.
Suguru Geto, in an act of self righteousness, slaughtered his own parents, who were your own parents. A brother and sister who once shared the same home, the same beliefs and sentiments, the same blood, only to have one betray the other in one of the worst ways imaginable.
You tried to stop him, but you were weak then. When they found you, you were sprawled out on the floor unconscious in a pool of your parents blood. All of your limbs were broken, and you had severe head trauma. The only reason why you were still alive was because you were a sorcerer. Suguru would have finished the job otherwise.
When Satoru heard the news, and confronted Suguru on the street that day, all he had to say about the state he left you in had Satoru reeling.
“She’s a damn fool.”
Shoko spent days healing you, and you were in recovery for weeks. Satoru would visit, but no words would be exchanged. You already knew what the other was thinking. From then on, Satoru vowed to always take care of you, but he didn’t anticipate how close you two would become in the process.
Maybe it was a trauma bond, maybe it was just growing up, either way, he cherishes your friendship completely. You were like Suguru in so many ways, all of the good ones at least.
That’s probably why he was so quick to notice the way Nanami would look at you, the way he would act around you. How every word spoken to you was underlined with want. Much like the way he himself would act around Suguru.
So why? Why the hell would he leave you too?
Finally, he makes it to your door. Not sensing any movement, he figures it’s best to let himself in quietly.
It’s midday, but the room is so dark. Your curtains are drawn and the lights are off. Just a small sliver of light makes its way through, the line resting over your body on the bed in the corner of your room and up the wall of posters. Your eyes are closed, but Satoru’s gut tells him you’re not sleeping.
He steps closer, letting the door close behind him with a faint click. That’s when your eyes quickly snap open to find Satoru at the end of your bed.
Your eyes are bloodshot. There are black smudges over your eyelids, makeup probably. Your hair is a mess. And you're wearing… a dress?
Oh. Oh darling. It’s been days.
Satoru can’t help the way his head tilts to the side when he meets your gaze.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he speaks softly, trying his best not to let his despair for you seep through.
That’s when he sees it, the accumulation of the past three days, and maybe even a bit of your past, boils and bubbles out of you.
“Toru,” your nickname for him falls from your mouth in a gasp, then you start to sob. He watches as you curl into yourself more, gripping your sheets tighter to your chest.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Satoru moves around the bed and leans over you, fingers brushing the hair from your face to get a better look, “shhhhhhhhhh, hey, shhhhh, it’s alright, it’s going to be okay.”
His heart breaks for you. This world, being a sorcerer, is often so cruel. He just doesn’t understand why it always has to be you on the receiving end.
Satoru watches as you look up to meet his concerned stare, and he can’t help but notice how similar you two look. It’s not specifically your features that remind him of Suguru, it’s how you try so hard to hide your emotions behind your usual calm facade. When his eyes meet yours, he can tell how hard you're trying to shove your pain back inside you. For who’s sake? He’s still unsure.
Satoru was too dumb, too caught up in ensuring he became ‘the greatest’ to notice how far Suguru had fallen from grace. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
He doesn’t wait for you to explain. Kneeling down on the floor of your bedside, he rests his head on the mattress, face inches from yours. His fingers play with the ends of your hair as he looks in your eyes.
“Yaga told me what happened,” he starts, “I wish you would have called me, but I understand why you didn’t. I just got back not too long ago, I was expecting to find you two together.”
Finally, you speak again.
“Did he… did he say anything to you about leaving?” Your eyes leave Satoru’s as you ask this, probably afraid of what you might hear. Gojo smiles internally at the way you begin to fiddle with the end of his sleeve.
“No,” Satoru’s tone is unwavering, “he never said anything to me about leaving. I’m led to believe that this is a decision he made in his mind not too long ago.”
Satoru and Nanami were not close, per se. But Satoru knows him to be a good man, and he would have never strung you along like this if he knew he was leaving from the jump.
At least, that’s what he hopes.
He watches as your body relaxes a little, sinking deeper into your mattress. He knows that you’re probably not ready to talk about everything just yet, and that’s more than okay. What wasn’t okay was that state you’re in right now.
“I know this is the last thing you want to do, but how about I take you to the showers?” His hand comes up from the ends of your hair to cradle the top of your head.
“Do I really smell that bad?” you fake pout. Your lips curl up just enough to relieve just a little of Satoru’s worries.
“Ha, no, I just think it would make you feel better.”
“Hm, yeah okay.”
Satoru gives you space as you rise up from bed, walking to your drawers to pull out some new clothes to wear. He notices how you dig far down into the drawer, obviously looking for something specific. His heart sinks when you pull out a familiar pair of large black sweatpants and a white t-shirt.
How strange that we still find comfort in those who have hurt us the most.
Satoru walks with you to the communal showers, leading you just a step ahead with his hands in his pockets. His head hurts a little from having his blindfold off for so long, but he doesn’t want to put it on just yet. Maybe it’s his way of letting you know that you have the floor to be vulnerable with him, to look him in the eyes and know you have his undivided attention.
Satoru hears you softly clear your throat before speaking.
“What are you going to do now?” you ask timidly.
Please don’t leave me yet. That’s what Satoru knows you really mean.
He thinks for a moment.
“Well since I just got back, I think I’ll have a quick shower as well, get this curse stench off of me. Then, I'm going to take Megumi and Tsumiki out to dinner since I haven’t seen them in a week. Probably check up on their place too, restock the fridge and whatnot.”
Satoru watches as you shift in your stance a little, hugging your fresh clothes to your chest.
“Of course, they will want to see you. If you’re up for it.”
Your face lights up, just a little. Good.
The kids, especially Megumi, are absolutely smitten with you. Ever since Satoru told you that he became the benefactor of two young kids, one to be sold off to the Zenin, you asked him if you could tag along to visit them.
Saying yes was the best thing he’d ever done, because he quickly realized that he’s kind of a terrible parental figure. He handles the finances and the fun, you take care of everything else. You help them with their homework, brush their hair, pick out their clothes, cuddle them, read them stories, teach them how to cook, and so much more. Although you both are relatively young yourselves, you’re like their parents.
Heck, after this, Satoru thinks it might be best to get you out of living at Jujutsu High. He’ll buy a house for you and the kids, so you can all be together. Yeah, it might be weird in the future if you bring a romantic interest home, but you can cross that bridge when you get there.
“Yeah, I want to see them. It will help take my mind off things.”
“Then it’s settled,” Satoru playfully claps his hands together, “we’ll hit the showers, change, and head out of here.”
Satoru turns on his heels, but before he starts to walk away, he feels you grab him by the elbow. Turning his head back at you with a confused look, your eyes are shield by the hair fallen in front of your face. In one swift movement, you’re hugging him from behind, one arm wrapped around his torso, holding him close.
“Thank you, ‘Toru,” you mumble into the fabric of his jacket.
Satoru places his hand over yours.
“I’ll always be here for you, sweets.”
-
Both of you walk together in matching sweats, owned by the man who once was the only thing you had in common, towards the apartment. It is late afternoon, the sun now behind the mountains to the west. It’s warm with a light breeze in the air. If circumstances weren’t as they were, you’d be so happy right now.
The silence was nice, comforting. You look over to watch Satoru’s hair ruffle in the breeze, getting a whiff of his sickly, sugary-scented vanilla shampoo.
It crosses your mind for a moment how thankful you are that he’s here with you right now. Without him, you’d still be rotting in bed, picturing the back of Nanami’s head as he walked away from you in the courtyard that day.
Nanami.
Your heart lurches a little. You bring your hand up to your chest, clutching the fabric there.
As if on cue, you feel Satoru’s arm sling over your shoulders, holding you closer to him as you walk side by side.
Right, Satoru’s here and you’re content.
Content is all you need.
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wemustgatekeepwooyoung · 3 months ago
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Don’t be a stranger, stranger.
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synopsis: after being all closed up in the mole hole you call home for weeks, you decided, even though you declined your best friends’ (Choi San, Song Mingi) invitation some hours ago, to go out all by yourself for a drink. You in fact did not stay alone that night, as Jung Wooyoung, a complete stranger caught you in his eye. Two weeks after you still thought about the man that kissed you so nastily in the bar’s bathroom stalls and ,unluckily for you ,you did not have his number to repurchase anything. Unfortunately though, people are people and people know people so nobody’s a complete stranger in the end.
genre: romance (strangers to lovers?), fluff, smut, a bit of angst*
pairing: Jung Wooyoung (non idol) x Fem Reader
word count: 7,7k
content/warnings: *mentions of reader going through a tough period, pet names (dove,darling,beautiful,baby,lovebug...), alcohol consumption, switch!wooyoung/reader, oral sex (face riding-f receiving), bondage, sort of love confession?
author’s note: HELLO THERE! God this took me longer than I first expected, sorry about that! I had covid while writing most of it and I had to take a better look at it once I felt better :P I still am not sure if I like it, my friend made me post it as I kept ranting about it lol. Sorry again if there are any grammar mistakes as eng is not my first language! ALSO, as I posted some days ago already, I have many fic ideas that I haven't even started preparing yet. Truth is, I'm trying to get myself in uni, so it's exam season for me and I don't have the time nor the mental capacity to process anything. In addition, I won't be that active! Requests are still open and will probably stay open as it's a new challenge for me. Hope you enjoy this one, bye bye <3
“Oh come on Y/N! Stop fooling yourself by thinking that you’re having fun doing nothing all day and end up rotting in bed. You’re too pretty and young for that anyway. Come out with us instead! We’re best friends us three and we haven’t hang out for two full weeks for fuck’s sake ”
“Thanks Mingi but I’d rather rot in my own bed than be around anyone right now. Or at least around anyone I know and anyone that knows me. I get your frustration and I’m sorry. I promise I’ll make up for it to both you and San.”
“Okay, I won’t push you. I just hope this method you’re using is actually useful to you and that you don’t end up choking on your own misery again”
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. Have fun and drive carefully okay?”
“Okay. See you around, hopefully” Mingi commented and you couldn’t help it but laugh at his temper.
“Okay, bye then”
“Bye!” he said in a charming voice and you hung up
You’ve been going through it all lately, absorbing pressure from everything. Work’s been shitty and you keep grieving for your unaccomplished goals in life. Your parents still making a fuss about you not being a responsible adult, which you of course are, at the age of twenty two! If you weren’t you wouldn’t have been able to survive alone in this reality.
It is what it is and that’s been your motto for the past… Wait, how long has it been since you last went out? You don’t have a single clue. Did Mingi say two full weeks? Shit. You really do need to charge your social battery.
But what will it be? Charging your social battery or relaxing in the comforts your beloved bed provides you with? ‘Why’s life so hard?’, you thought and then you felt stupid that you felt that way over a stupid dilemma.
You’ve always been like that though. Always the dramatic one. Even in your friendship with Song Mingi and Choi San all these years. You’re like their little mature baby, as they’re both two years older than you. But you being mature generally doesn’t mean that you won’t make your own life feel like a kdrama series and ,like Mingi said, choke on your own misery to feel something.
You really do need to feel something though. Something other than tiredness from overworking yourself, other than empathy for the wrong people and to top it off, something definitely other than this big bulge in your heart caused by loneliness.
Mingi was right. You do need to go out and clear your head a bit. Maybe you should give him a call, they’re probably still out at your usual spot.
It’s been two hours since you thought about going out and you’re still clenching on the possibility of you doing it, instead of actually doing it. Why’s it so hard for you anyway?! You used to be every party’s favourite party animal, along with the other two of course. But why’s it so hard now? Is it because it’s late or because you’re just too bored to even get up?
And then, right when you thought that you’d never get up, you started missing it’s taste on your tongue. All you need right now is a very serious and dirty Martini. It’s just what will do the job perfectly and hopefully help you get yourself off.
So, now looking like a 90s elegant goddess with your plump lips, your slightly curly hair and your silky black dress, you called a cab and decided to be a bit extra with everything.
The bar you wanted to sit at is a bit too wild today but you won’t let that ruin your night as you already made too many compromises with yourself to get here. So, what you did was wander around in Seoul's streets for some time, searching for a new promising spot. The music was what led you to this specific one that you decided to enter right away.
After doing so, everyone started checking you out immediately. That didn’t annoy you one bit ,as it would normally, even though you absolutely hate those horndogs living around you. That’s probably because all your remaining mind space is covered with images of your order ready to be swallowed right in front of you.
Isn’t your lust for alcohol kind of sexual? Is our little dove horny other than lonely, or is it that your horniness was beclouded by the banner of ‘loneliness’ from the start? Damn, you really want to get dicked down, don’t you?
“Move! Let the lady sit!” a drunk man shouted and emptied a barstool for you to sit on, even though the one beside it was already unoccupied.
You thanked him with a smile and turned over to the barman that was already checking you out by the moment your eyes met his.
“What can I get you sunshine?”
“I’m not sure about the sunshine part, but I’d really like a Martini.”
“What kind?” he tried to specify as there are indeed many ways to enjoy a Martini.
“Well, there’s only one option to meet up with such hour’s demands, right?”
“Dirty it is then” he understood your statement and began the process of preparing it for you.
During that one minute that made up your order’s preparation time, you took your chance and started browsing the place. You never thought you’d ever visit a place like this in Seoul. It’s classy and really close to your taste in hang-out spots. It’s a nice jazz bar, filled with people your age and older dancing around, laughing, cheering and making toasts on their future which is something you and your two best friends always do.
You’ve missed them but you know they totally understand that where you stand now is only temporary. They both really respect and trust you and that’s two things that you can feel for certain when you’re with them.
But now is the time to relax and enjoy your time alone without having to rot in bed, exactly like Mingi said on the phone earlier. It’s your time to shine like the brightest color in this bar, just you and the company of your tasty dirty little friend.
“Here you go beautiful. Your beloved Martini’s on the guy over- Where’d he-“ the barman claimed and started looking for the man that spent money on your drink
Not even five seconds later, the barstool next to you got occupied by this stunning man and his sexy eyebrow piercing. He fixed his leather jacket and smiled at the barman before turning to look at you.
“Your drink and all the possible following are on me. Hope I didn’t scare ya”
“You didn't scare me at all. Thanks for the offer, I’m having this one today and no other.”
“Whatever pleases you” he said and took a delicate sip from his glass, what looks like to contain plain whiskey. Hot. “I liked the choice you made with it” he said and gave your glass a look-over.
“Really? I think it’s pretty ordinary”
“You can never go wrong with ordinary, right?”
“That’s right!...”
“You’re making it seem rare though cause I haven’t seen the combination of a good dirty martini and a pretty girl like you here before”
He does have a way with words, you can give him that. And he’s gorgeous too. His features are elegant and precise, just how you like it. He might even be the prettiest guy you’ve ever talked to, objectively speaking.
Maybe that's because of the bar’s lighting choice that seems to expose the uniqueness of his nose and the brightness of the sparkle in his cute button eyes. Or maybe it’s his charming smile that makes everything else feel blurry in this tight space you’re sitting and enjoying your night out.
“Well, you’re right. I haven’t been here before and dare I say I’ll surely come again.”
“How come? Your aura fits this place perfectly”
“My what? Can’t hear you well sorry!” you said and made him chuckle softly
Your heart almost skipped a beat by how close to you he got so that he made sure you heard him the second time.
“Your aura darling.”
“Oh! What about it?”
“It’s catchy” he said and made a cute little shake with his hands
“Catchy?” you wondered almost bursting in laughter after repeating his exact movement
“Yeah, you caught my eye from all the way back there and I can't even see that well without my glasses. You're glowing” he bluntly confessed and increased the tension in your eye contact.
''Do you say this to every girl you meet?''
''Almost, yeah. But the aura thing is the new adaptation I made just now on my usual script'' he affirmed your point and readjusted his sunglasses to hold back his front hair strands better
''Tell me about the next victim's reaction to it when you have it proposed for the first time, yeah?''
''So, you want to meet again?'' he asked and made you laugh while you were swallowing the slightly bitter sip you took from your drink
''I can’t say that that confidently but it depends.”
''On what?'' he asked and leaned closer to you, his elbow flat on the counter and his hand balancing the weight of his head.
''On how quickly you get me on my last nerve''
''And what if I manage not to?''
''Then we'll both enjoy our time together. Perhaps.''
''Sounds good to me! So, tell me more about you.''
''What is it that you want to know, Mr.-''
''It's Wooyoung''
''Fine.'' you said with a sigh, '' What is it that you want to know Mr. Wooyoung?''
''Just Wooyoung is fine. You didn't tell me your name though''
''I'll think about telling you when I assure your business with me, is that okay?''
''Sure thing, whatever has you feeling more comfortable''
''Right... So what'd you wanna know? If you don't answer this time either, I'm going to assume it was about getting my name on your list''
''That was one part of it but there is also another. Are you waiting for somebody?''
''No, luckily for you and unluckily for me that just wanted to enjoy my Martini alone, I'm not waiting and don't need to wait for anybody''
''Okay, I shall leave you alone then-'' he said confidently and stood up, ready to actually respect your solo night out, an action which made you see your interest in him clearer.
''Shouldn't you test my patience first since you took your chance already? Unless you want to give up on me that easily'' you suggested like you were pitying him but instead you were pitying your desperately horny self.
He smiled and sat back down before removing his jacket, all left with a plain black t-shirt covering his muscular torso. Once he carefully hang it on the side rail of his chair, you noticed the exposed and veiny skin on his arms. Shit, who is this man and how is he so good looking? Are you seriously thirsting over a stranger? Since when could you not resist your touch deprivation nor your imagination?
You closed your eyes and shook your head negatively, trying to control your hormones and hopefully shake them off too. You must not fuck with someone that you met just this night, you know that's not you! But you can't help but want to, I mean, who would judge you? Mingi and San would probably agree with you on the matter of Wooyoung being the most fuckable man you've ever held a conversation with. But holding just a convo with him isn't enough for you right now. You want him to hold you against the wall and ruin you like the little slut you are. You don't want to know about him nor him to know anything about you. Fuck actual words, you just want to speak in body language. What you also don't want on the other hand, is him getting your comfirmation to 'hit it' right away. You want to test him.
''Am I getting to you?''
''I wouldn't say that. I'm a hard person to please'' you said and you did not lie. You are a very hard person to please. Mingi and San have arranged several dates for you these past two weeks just to get you off your mind and finally out of your house. Numerous guys are head over heels for you but you always refuse the deal or never show up. And now? What the heck is happening to you now? Why's this random guy, Wooyoung, and his pretty little mole under his left eye so irresistible?
''Then guide me through it''
Oh he definetly knows what he's doing and you're letting him. Girl get your shit together and go play bunnies already. Besides from letting him, you're also making it clear that you're enjoying his boldness, even if that boldness has a taste of indirection in it, making the whole situation ironic. You're both dirty talking at this point but choose to go sideways. Maybe you like the tease and the slowburn, what can one say!?
''Why? Aren't you confident in your own skills?''
''You think I have skills?''
''I never said that but I don't doubt it either. I'm a physical learner''
''I thought so''
''So glad we're both making assumptions about each other in these fifteen minutes of talking.'' you said and took another sip of your martini
''Mhm, glad we're mutually glad about the thing you said you're glad about. Moreover, I have an interesting ,I'd say, proposal to make.''
''What could that be?'' you asked while staring at the ceilling, mocking Wooyoung that way. The familiar sound of his laughter followed your mockery and made you look at him, somewhat invested.
''It involves us two, voicing our assumptions out loud''
''Where?'' you clearly misunderstood what he had just said, lost in your own dirty thoughts.
A devilish smile was formed on his face, along with an eyebrow raise and a slight head tilt.
''Wow sugar, I thought you being hard to please would make this take longer but if you insist-''
''I didn't insist pfff- what was it again? Your name?''
''Wooyoung''
''Oh right that's the one! You think you have a way of getting things go your way but you're not the only brat in this bar, there's another one sitting right in front of you''
''Hm, someone will have to back down sooner or later though, won't he?''
''You're right on the male pronoun. I'm not familiar with backing down''
''What about bending down? Are you familiar with that?''
''Let's not go down that path right away. You haven't even finished your whiskey yet'' you teased and in just a blink of an eye, the remaining whiskey in his glass was consumed. He drank it all at once with a big swallow making his eyes tear a bit. Cute, you thought. He's as desperate for some pussy as you are for him to fuck you. That makes the situation more ideal and fair than it was before.
''Okay. What's the first assumption you made about me?'' he asked with a grin on his face, still wanting to give you the message that he's the one in charge of the wheel
''Hm, let's see. If I consider the fact that you're confident, a natural entertainer and that you value freedom and can’t stand being tied down, I'd assume and I think I'm rather correct, that you're a Sagittarius'' you said and ate the olive that had been soaking in your drink for so long without breaking eye contact
He got shy and scrached his nape in shock.
''You're right about all of it. Almost all of it”
''Oh my! Are you a Taurus?''
''No, you made no mistake in the zodiac part.''
''Then where was I in error?''
''Your error was found in the false fact considering me not enjoying being tied down''
''Oh c'mon! Do you really have to make everything sexual?''
''What can I say sweetheart, it's in my nature! And I think that's another thing we share''
''Maybe we do, I guess we won't be finding out soon as it's your turn to bring your first assumption about me to the table''
''I knew you'd like this game! Kinky. Mine was not as clever as yours was, I guess it was filled with more realism than cleverness. You see, what I assumed of you when I first saw your pretty figure from all the way back there, was that you surely had a partner. I still can't get my head wrapped around the fact that you're single''
''Single by choice!'' you exclaimed, surprising yourself
''I don't want to push you into saying something really personal. I'm sure you have your reasons to have acted this way. I'm also sure that there's also a reason behind you not wanting to get to know me personally, cause you haven't asked me a single question about myself yet. Again, there's no pressure, I'm really enjoying your company and our time together, we don't need to have it continue if you don't want to''
Damn. Did this man really figure your emotions out after knowing you for so little and with no content of you and your life at all? And that's when you realised... This is all you've been searching for since the night started! Someone to make the effort to understand you and actually do. What a miracle he is, truly. Is he majoring in psychology maybe? Are you suddently into getting to know more about him and his personal life or is one tripping?
''Another assumption I had about you was that you are a player and that you enjoy wilding out with random girls at bars. I don't think that's true anymore. What are you actually like Woo?'' you finally decided to be open about your interest in him and ask him a direct and personal question. You acting bratty-like isn't fit for all circumstances anyway.
His face lit up and he let out a big sigh that turned out forming into a loud chuckle.
''I'm honored by your question, really. I'm a simple guy, I enjoy making people laugh and I also love dancing''
''Do you make people laugh with your dance moves?'' you joked and he teased you by touching your nose gently
''You'd be surprised by my moves. Everyone loves Jung Wooyoung, the sexy performer.''
''I'll have to assess that myself, can't trust other people's opinions''
''Agreed, I'd also like to know about your opinion on 'em''
''Then what are you waiting for? Show me”
''Right now? I too had a question to ask y’know!''
''Save it for later then'' you said, implying that you're down for a 'get together' after today's night is over.
He smirked in understandment, got up, looked at you like he was about to devour you any moment and grabbed your hand. You laughed as he made you run your way to the bathroom stalls, making it easy for you to comprehend how badly he wanted you.
Once you reached the bathroom's doorstep and crossed it's border, he placed his hands directly on your hips and pushed a door open before attacking your lips.
Oh my! He's nasty! He surely know his ways around a woman and you're not God's strongest soldier. Of course you're mad he's stolen the wheel right from your claim, but his kisses have you so weak that you might as well let him keep it. You want him to keep it.
Another thing about him that you're now experiencing for the first time, is that him being bold is also shown in his sexual interactions. He's not shy to envelop the whole room with his filthy sounds and you absolutely love the melody they produce in conjunction with yours.
His embrace on your hips started to tighten before he reached his left hand behind and to lock the door. You broke the kiss to catch your breaths and both smiled while having your foreheads connected.
''May I?'' he asked while holding onto both your dress' shoulder straps. You nodded in agreement and he pushed them down right away, exposing your bare tits and having your dress fall on the ground, leaving you just with your pretty panties.
''Love the no bra look'' he joked and started to squeeze them, bringing your own beautiful moans on stage for him to welcome
''Slow down they'll hear us''
''Is there anyone you know out there?''
''No''
''Anyone you care about perhaps?''
''No''
''Then let's give them the concert of their lives baby, what do you say?'' he said and pinched your nipple, causing your volume to rise a couple of scales.
He pushed you further into the stall so that you were all helplessly stuck in it's corner, pressing onto you even more while sucking hard on your already aroused nipples. He got all the assurance he wanted by the way you told him how good it was in between your vocal escapisms. He then reached for your lower pleasure-seeking parts, therefore you felt his fingers trace your wet cunt above your soaked panties.
''I knew I got you good'' he said making you roll your eyes in disbelief of his still increasing confidence.
The worst part is that he has every right being confident, even on such a level. Nobody's ever made you that sexually frustrated before. It might just be that you possibly are under the Martini's spell ,but c’mon now, lying to yourself won’t work again.
You’re under Wooyoung's spell and you know it without minding at all, nor wanting him to stop. You're actually glad it's him and not some dude San and Mingi tried to hook you up with. And why is that? Because even though you trust them, you know that there's no other better judge of people than you. You were hesitant at first but now here you are not wanting to hesitate no more and wanting him to totally unravel you.
He rubbed steady circles on your clit, making it hard for you to hold still on your own. You wrapped one arm around his nape, pulling on his hair a bit, while the other slipped under his black t-shirt wanting to finally feel his muscles.
You both moaned, you on the feeling of his soft skin and his fingers pressing you harder down there and him with the way your pretty hands traced down his torso and went over to his waistline, ready to unbuckle his belt single handedly.
With a quick motion, he stopped everything he was doing and trapped both your hands momentarily in order to stop your incoming action. You looked at him full of confusion and his face got serious. He began to unbuckle his belt on his own, wrapped it around his hands and tightened it with his teeth. Finally, he sat down on the floor, head falling back on the toilet's closed seat.
He looks so pretty and slutty that you want to take a picture and keep it among your most precious jewelry. You smiled and put your hair behind your ears before bursting into laughter.
''What a good boy you are all tied up and sweeping the floor with your clothed ass! What for?''
''Sit on my face baby. Please''
Hold on. Have the tables turned already? Anyone would think that that's the case, he's begging for you to choke him with your pussy lips after all, how can it not be that?
''Please baby I need to taste you. Sit on it'' he repeated, looking absolutely stunning with his hands tied up like this and with the veins on his neck and arms becoming even more visible.
How could you say no to that nose? You absolutely adore that nose. You might as well have fallen deeply in love with it and the way it hits your clit while he sucks all your wetness off before reproducing it.
''Oh my god Wooyoung! Don't stop! So good-'' you managed to make up your sentence in between your loud moans and trying not to crush him under you, even though that's what he wants most.
His erection cannot be denied any longer if it ever could have been to begin with. His dick's so hard that it's now noticable ,not just on it's own but also by the way Woo's making slow and passionate thrusts in plain air.
It doesn't seem to cause a problem though, as his main goal is for you to cum on his face, tremble around him and choke him with your wet thighs that he so desperately wants to lay slaps on. Too bad he didn't think about it when he was tying himself up like the poor rope bunny he is.
Once he stopped tongue fucking you for a moment to catch his breath, you wrapped your fingers tightly on his hair and repositioned him, causing his glasses to fall from his head.
You're grinding on him, completely out of this world. His high pitched moans, his warm breath beneath you and his kitten licks while you're getting yourself off on him by rocking your hips in a slow and passionate rhythm, sends shivers down your spine and makes Wooyoung see stars. He's about to cum in his pants, untouched, just completely pussy drunk.
He didn't want to cum alone though, he wanted to share the experience, so he sped up the pace of his tongue on your clit. Your grip on his hair tightened, giving him the confirmation he needed that you were so close to finally letting go and reaching your highest with the stranger that paid for your Martini.
And that confirmation became a happening, an explosive one to be more precise. He twitched in his pants as you painted his ethereal face with your sweet liquids he so enjoyed devouring these past few minutes. You were both so high on pleasure that you didn't even notice the barman knocking on your bathroom stall's door.
''Hey there lovebirds, sorry to interrupt but the cops are to arrive soon due to the music being too loud apparently. I'll have to call it a night before they get here so-'' he said and placed Wooyoung's jacket on the door handle from outside ''Goodnight''
And on that note, he left and went back to his post. You looked at each other, both breathless, fucked up and dizzy.
Once you almost stabilized your system, you helped him up and freed him from his own enslavement. In return, he slapped your ass instinctively as you bent down to pick your dress.
''Holy fuck, I wanted to do that for some time now''
''Too bad you tied yourself, even though it was a pretty good sight''
''Glad you enjoyed it'' he said and smiled while helping you put your dress on.
When you crossed the bathroom's border for the second and last time this night, the barman blinked at the sight of you two and started applauding before waving goodbye. You bowed in reply and left the bar with Wooyoung accompanying you, contrary to how you first got there.
''So, I still got those questions I have to get answers out of you.''
''Yeah, I want to think of some questions to ask you too''
''I'll treat you to dinner, what do you say?'' he proposed, eyes focused on your lips again.
''I'd rather we prepared it together at my place. I'll send you the address''
''Yeah that sounds more convenient. See you around then beautiful'' he added his final line of the night and pecked your lips goodbye. “WAIT” he shouted abruptly breaking the street’s silence which almost made you piss yourself.
“Yeah?”
“What’s your name?”
“Oh. You’re right. It’s Y/N!”
“Okay! Goodnight Y/N”
“Goodnight Wooyoung.''
...
When you reached your appartment, it was like reality struck you down again. When you were accompanied by Wooyoung, all your problems seemed to have had drifted away.
“But now, looking back on the mountain of cigarette butts on my ashtray, I’m reminded that I can’t just keep avoiding all my problems. Instead, I have to take action and face them somehow. That’s what I’ll do starting from tomorrow!” you proudly announced and placed yet another such butt on that mountain.
“Good for you! But now that you’ve got all that figured out, will you finally let me, your favorite mountain, take some rest? It’s 5 a.m, how are you that energetic?” San let out his frustration in between sighs, since you woke him up just to state your philosophical thoughts on how life basically works.
“I’ll tell you another time. Goodnight sleepyhead, see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, that might happen if you stop clenching on your door handle”
“I will dummy, don’t worry. Sleep well” you said and he hung up without saying anything. You’re happy he even did you the favor and answered so you don’t mind at all. You need to get some sleep as well. It’s not an easy trip visiting and returning back from your highest point, heaven, anyway.
“Did your hair get longer?” Mingi looked at you surprised before sitting back down on his chair and handed your coffees over to you and San.
“Oh stop it you! Just because you haven’t seen me for a month doesn’t mean I changed that much!- Did I though? Is it bad?!”
“No, you’re the same small baby we love and cherish” San said and squeezed your cheek
“The same small SHITTY baby you mean” Mingi added in between coughs and received a death stare by San
“So… Any news?” San broke the ice and both you and Mingi laughed. For different reasons but you still laughed.
“How could she have any news to present when she was rotting in bed all day, going out only to empty her trashcan?”
“Actually… I’d like to talk about a certain topic…”
“Does it have to do with what you told me that night on the phone?” San remembered the conversation you had held two weeks ago, the night you last saw him.
It pains you and it’s been fucking your mood up for the past two weeks that you’ve had no contact at all. How could you have had any though, he didn’t even ask for your number! You really fooled yourself thinking you had saved it somewhere, that’s why you proposed dinner at your place that day. But he never tried sneaking it in your purse nor simply giving it to you directly.
You’ve been devastated and you couldn’t search for him as you don’t even know his last name. There were zero possibilities of you finding him and you thought that talking it through with your two favourite people would help you develop your new coping mechanism.
“Sort of”
“Are you going to fill me in? I have no idea what you’re talking about” Mingi said and took a disguising sip from his coffee cup, sharing a very loud noise with everyone sitting at the coffeeshop.
“Alright, remember that night you wanted to fuck that red head and then you found out that she was a lesbian?” San explained the timeline to Mingi based on their side of the story and Mingi nodded so that San would continue “Well, Y/N called me in the middle of that same night and woke me up to tell me about her remarkable life philosophies!”
“Wow! Y/N, I hate to break it to you but that that philosophical outburst wasn’t your ‘mc moment’. We all have those from time to time”
“Guys, my life philosophies are not what I want to talk to you about! Something else happened that night! Someone, to be completely honest”
“DID YOU CALL YOUR EX AGAIN?” they both shouted and stood up, forgetting about the fact that you’re having this conversation in public.
“Calm down! I did not call anyone. That’s the problem. I didn’t get his number”
“Whose number?! Do you have an imaginary boyfriend again? Are you in need of a prescription? Did loneliness turn you completely mad?!” Mingi asked angry and worried to the core but he didn’t even let you explain!
“Gosh Mingi, will you shut up and let me tell you about it?! If you want to be angry then go be angry by yourself, San will listen”
“San always listens” San said with a complaint hiding behind his wide smile
“Okay, go on. I will zip it”
“So, after I cancelled on you guys, I decided to go out by myself and I fucked this guy-“
“YOU FUCKED A GUY?!”
“She’s not a lesbian San, not everyone’s a lesbian. Only the girls I like apparently. Go on little one, I’m invested in your gossip”
You let a small sigh and got caught off guard by the waitress picking up your ashtray and emptying it in the plastic bag she was holding. You gave her a soft smile and when you turned back to look at your friends to continue your speech, you were greeted by a so greatly-missed choice of styling.
Fuck, you missed that eyebrow piercing so much as if it is your alleged husband coming back home from the military. He was already hugging San when you caught your eye on him. Thus, he had exceeded your notice on him right away, wasting no time to stare at you with that beautiful smile you rode like a total slut two weeks ago.
He was wearing the shop’s uniform and had his long hair tied in a small low ponytail, his strands falling in front of his face causing a problem for him again. Too bad he doesn’t have his glasses to hold them behind this time.You laughed at the plot line of your thoughts, catching all three’s attention. You two broke contact only to just reconnect it even stronger than it was before. The other two took turns in towards who to look at.
With a deep shy and some steps to get closer to you, he decided to speak up.
“How’s the coffee?”
“Tasty” you affirmed his currently questioning disposition “Did you make it?”
“That’s right. I would’ve been more artistic in it’s making if I knew that you’d be the one having it.”
“That’s okay, just the fact that you took the energy to make it does the job for me”
“Glad you’re enjoying it” he teasingly said, repeating his own words that had you stunned that night, right after his face riding session. On that note, he turned around and went back inside as his duties as a humanised coffee machine are calling him.
San and Mingi’s jaws were dropped on the floor because they could feel you two’s tension, without being updated on the context yet.
“Y/N honey, can you explain one thing to me?” Mingi’s face got all serious as he placed both hands on the table “How do you and my beloved mate Jung Wooyoung know each other?”
That's it! That’s His full name!
“Well… I kinda sat on his face two weeks ago in that bar’s bathroom stall...” you said bluntly and San’s laugh could probably be heard from really far away
“Of course you did” Mingi said trying to cope with this amusing new information he just received
“Well, I would too. Never had the chance to” San supported your horniness’ random spike, receiving wide stares from you and your other bestie because of it “What? I’m just being honest, he’s always been hot. So what now? What are you thinking of doing now?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“Go ask him to fuck during his break time. He’ll be more than pleased to”
“What? Why’d you think I’d want to fuck him again Mr. Song? And why now of all times?”
“Well, I talked about both of you, not just about you Y/N. You two seemed like you were ready to ruin each other right in front of us, right San?”
“That’s right” San added and crossed his legs “You have to get his number this time”
“I can’t just go and disturb him while he’s working to ask for his number! Besides, I’m sure you two can just give it to me. He’s your friend, isn’t he?”
“No. You’re not having it that easy! I’m sure he’ll give it to you without question. Just go and take it!”
“San, I haven’t seen him in two weeks and we were both drunk that night. We had just met too! It’ll look weird if I just go and ask for his number”
“So you riding his face with the view of a fucking bathroom stall isn’t weird? You passed through that phase I’m sure you can pass this one too and go fuck somewhere. Moreover, it’ll be a chance to get you out of your dump again” Mingi played dirty with that one
“Agreed.”
“Fuck stop getting me unnumbered guys!”
“What can I say, it’s duty calling us to help you get your shit together. Go claim your man before anyone else does” Mingi said and put his jacket on
You looked at San but he just gave you a little supportive push towards the door. You can’t go back now and lose this opportunity right? It’s the moment you’ve been looking forward to happening. He’s right here and you can use it to your advantage! What could possibly go wrong?
You’re just stressing over the possibility of him not have given you his number on purpose that day. Cause, how could he forget? How could he forget after leading you on so well? Were his intentions simply for a ‘one night stand’? Why’d he ensure you continuity though?
Nah, he’s not having it. You deserve an explanation, a really good one. He can’t just go and hit on you on a random Saturday, grab his portion and then not pay the deserved way.
With that on your mind, you walked towards him, watching his every move carefully as you approached his aspect.
“Missed me?” he said without even looking at you. He just so gently wiped a cup dry, your eyes focused on his grip.
Unbelievable. You’re unbelievable, so desperate for his attention that it’s making you angry. ‘He’s just another man, get your shit together Y/N’, you thought to yourself. But is he just ‘another man’ to you?
“Won’t you say anything? Not gonna ask me how I’ve been?”
“There’d be no reason to do that If you’d given me your number!” you mumbled
“What was that?” he said and finally did you the favour to look into your eyes
He completely melted in those five seconds of eye contact. He was ready to leave everything behind, grab your hand and go spend time with you, anywhere you told him to. But you, you were taken over by anger. You could feel the frustration caused by his absence drive you insane. You wanted to slap him for being so unbothered but you knew that’d turn both of you on. So what can you do?
“Huh?” he asked again as you seemed distracted and forgot to reply to his question or rather chose not to.
“Oh forget it Wooyoung. Good day” you said and sprang out of the cafeteria
Right when the air hit your hair, Mingi and San knew by the look on your face that something didn’t go according to plan. They ran after you only to be greeted goodbye as all you wanted then was to be alone and try to ‘fix yourself’ as you said.
You’re disappointed. Totally disappointed. Why? Oh, the answer’s simple. It’s that you should’ve accepted the fact that the acting in a movie is still acting, no matter how real it comes out. It’s not really life. So, what felt like a movie to you that night was fake from the start.
Hypocrisy was what bonded you and Jung Wooyoung together in your little head. What you do want is was felt real but isn’t. He was never really interested in getting to know you, he didn’t even look at you until you seemed frustrated! He just asked all these questions that day to light up the mood, that’s why he was sexualising everything. Wouldn’t he want to look at you if he’d truly missed you? You were the one who couldn’t take your eyes off of him, how could he not put the slightest effort after declaring his statement that time, that including him being so into you?
‘It’s just another man, you’ll be fine’, you thought to yourself again. On the other hand, there’s still this other part of you in your little head that keeps telling you to go back and ask him straight away, ‘Did you just want to have it served to you once and never again?’ but you won’t be doing that. Your ego’s too high to go this low with your actions.
You began to walk faster than before as you slapped yourself hard enough with your thoughts to want to have them erased.
You can’t believe it. How could he? No, the true question is ‘How could you Y/N?’. How could you let yet another man play with your feelings when you knew his intentions from the start? This one’s different. No, all he wanted was to get his portion and leave the rest to the table to rot. Fuck, how could I’ve been so stupid?
Footsteps and footsteps and footsteps and footsteps and-
“Fuck, why’d you run off like that? Do you not care about my lungs nor our situation at all??” he asked with his hand on your shoulder, breathless and with sweat dripping down his forehead.
You removed his hand from your shoulder and you turned around to do what you’ve been doing for the past five minutes, walking and avoiding your feelings.
“Oh c’mon Y/N! Are you really that apathetic?”
“Sorry? I was right there, you didn’t even look at me once and I’m the one called out for being apathetic? Please-“ you said and tried to walk away again before he sprang in front of you, stoping your motion “Will you please stop whatever you’re doing? Stop acting like you care so much to the point that you’ll get yourself in trouble, cause you don’t “
“How’d you come to that conclusion?”
“You’ve made it very clear Woo. You didn’t try to keep in touch, you just wanted your dose and that’s where you put your period when you got it.“
“I didn’t get my dose though”
“Oh, I see. Let’s blame the neighbours for calling the cops and interruptinh our private session now, that’s all we have left to blame and do anyway”
“No, we haven’t done everything yet. I haven’t asked you what I meant to ask you. That’s why I ran all this way, putting myself in trouble for doing so. I might lose my job for this but I don’t care. But for you, I do care. So, why’d you not give me your number since I didn’t? That’s the real question”
He’s got a great point there. Not once did you think about it, why’d you not do it? Were you scared? Were you humiliated? Were you anxious? Were you-
“I simply thought we’d exchanged it already”
“So how could you have the right to forget about it and forget about me so easily? I went mad all these days, waiting for you, at the bar. You never showed up. Why’d you not show up?”
You then could recognise the purity in his eyes that you fell in love with that night. That excessive desperation that made your insides tangle. You know you fell hard for him, that’s why you let it slide, that’s why he’s not in fact ‘just another man’ to you. How could one be mad at him?
“I don’t know… After thinking I’d never see you again, I got closed up in my house once more. I didn’t want to go out and meet someone else. I didn’t want to meet anyone to be completely honest.”
“You shouldn’t do that! You’re too pretty to be hiding yourself in there. It’s also unhealthy.“ he said and made you smile, finally. He looks so proud and relaxed, like he was waiting for this moment. Just seeing you smile felt like the sun finally showing up after being hidden in the clouds. In other words, you’re that small sparkle that brightened his shitty day. It worked as a confirmation for him, your smile, as he understood how much you actually lovestruck him.
“So it wasn’t just a ‘one time thing’ for you?”
“Do you think I’d sweat that much If it was just a ‘one time thing’ for me? My legs don’t work well, fuck, I have to exercise more frequently” and yet came another laugh that sounded like melody to his ears “Oh, by the way- This is for you” he said and put a small and cutely folded paper in your back pocket.
What a tease he truly is and how you love it.
“Was that our receipt?” you teased back while approaching him closer than you already were.
“It’s a surprise. I’ll tell you about it when we have that cooking session we talked about yeah?”
“Okay, I’ll call you. I promise.” you said as you knew exactly what that little billet doux contained.
“Okay lovebug, I’ll be waiting” he said and let himself completely loose once he felt your touch on his cheek, before your lips met in a tender kiss.
He really can’t control himself around you. Same problem as on your first encounter. He wrapped his arms around you and held you close, not seeming like he wanted to let go.
“I’m so glad I found you again Y/N. Would you have came to the bar to find me? Did you think about it?”
“I did but didn’t have the courage to. I’d probably meet you through Mingi and San though someday. I wish I knew sooner so that I’d keep in touch”
“Yeah, but we will now!”
“That’s right but for now, you need to go back. You’ll lose your job”
“Shit, I totally forgot about that.” he said and panicked. You smiled as he kissed your hand after hugging you. “So… I’ll be going now okay?”
“Of course.” you replied and waved him goodbye, him too.
You got lost in your own thoughts again, which this time were formed with his not probable urges. Your mindset is now set in a new theme, under the name ‘Jung Wooyoung’. Wow, you really are a lucky girl.
“Don’t be a stranger, stranger!” he shouted, blowed you kisses from afar and began to run towards the cafeteria’s direction.
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xoxo-surfergirl · 11 months ago
Text
A Very Targaryen Holiday - Dark!Aemond x Strong!Niece
Part I
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summary: Lucera and Aemond reunite with their families to spend the holidays together. Aemond wasn’t always nice to her when he was younger, but has he changed?
notes: the main pairing in this is aemond x strong niece, but I guess I did write it as aemond x fem!lucerys velaryon. Whichever floats your boat more! aemond is not the nicest in this, but this fic is a mix of fluff and smut (but none of the fluff comes from aemond, lol). Slight dubcon, rough oral sex, and attempts at humor. There are no physical descriptions of Lucera besides her having long hair. There is a second part, which I will be posting soon. I cross post on ao3, with essentially the same username (just without the hypen) xoxosurfergirl! I hope you enjoy!!!! <3
Lucera took a deep inhale, followed by a deep exhale. Indulging in her breath usually helped whenever her nerves began to get the best of her. Her suitcase was cracked open in front of her, waiting for her to stuff it.
A few fancy dresses. A few long sleeves—it could get cold there at night. Several pairs of pants. A tank top just in case. A swim suit for the hot tub. More underwear than she needed.
She ran back to her dresser to grab the last few items required to fulfill her trip, when her door swung open loudly. Baela was able to nearly leap from the door to the bed, causing her comforter and pillows to jump from impact.
Her curls splayed out onto the bed in a halo. “I’ve always loved your bed. It’s the softest out of all of ours, you know.”
Lucera looked at her, unease crawling its way through her stomach and up her throat. “Yeah, well. You can always ask mother for a new one.”
Baela softened her face. “Luce, I know this is weird for you.”
“No, no. It’s fine, really, it’s just been awhile.” Lucera folded her clothes to keep her hands focused.
“It’s not really fine. I know we haven’t talked about it for a long time, but I know how weird it must feel for you.”
Lucera sighed. “It’s just, everything might be completely normal you know? And I’m anxious about nothing.”
Baela sat up on the bed, making deep eye contact with Lucera. “Don’t discount your feelings. It’s been four years since we’ve seen them, and for very good reason. Let me remind you that after you accidentally maimed him, he did try to hurt you. On purpose.” Lucera looked away, but Baela continued. “The only reason why we haven’t celebrated Christmas with them is because there were so many close calls and mother noticed”
She remembered the “close calls”. If only they had known all of the times the calls weren’t so close, but no one was there to see it.
“I know, I just wonder sometimes if it’s all in my head. Nothing really happened,” Lie. “I’m the only one who actually hurt someone.” A deep sense of shame leaked through Lucera’s chest, one that she had been trying for years to tame.
But Baela wouldn’t let her stew. “It was an accident, Luce. It’s okay. I’ll tell you as many times as you need to understand it. But what he was doing was not an accident. Remember the year he locked you in Grandfather’s industrial freezer for half an hour? Any longer than that and you would have died. Remember last time he took an ornament and forced you to crush it with your hand so you’d get glass stuck in your skin? Remember when he tried to slam your arm in the oven but Jace stopped him? Remember that other year he almost drowned you in the hot tub? There are even more than this, Lucera. You are perfectly right to be nervous about seeing him again.”
The walls in her mind were crumbling with Baela’s narration of the past holidays. These were memories Lucera had done her best to stifle, but they always returned louder than ever. She would never tell Baela that she had let him do these things, or that there were several more incidents that no one else knew about, because she had always felt like he deserved some form of retribution for losing his eye at her hand.
Aemond had always taken a keen interest in her. He had always followed her, watched her intently. It wasn’t hard to take notice of it. Everyone had.
But everyone had written it up to be nothing beyond youth fascination. Children stare at each other all the time. There was nothing peculiar about Aemond’s behavior.
It was only after the accident that his attention on her took a slight new meaning. Although hesitant at first to resume the previous non-concern from the rest of her family, time had worn away the worry it had initially caused. It had allowed for much else between them to take place.
“Thank you, Bae. I am nervous, but part of me does think we’ve all changed a bit. I certainly have.” And she had. They are adults now. It would be weird if he was still into torture. Most kids grow out of it.
“Exactly. We were weird teenagers and now we’re actually older. I’m sure we’ve all changed a lot since then.”
------------
The snow crunched under their tires, a fresh coat not yet salted by the city. Lucera recognized the skyscrapers in the distance, and her face softened when she saw the telltale curves of the family company’s building peak around the corner. Although it had been some time since she had visited their family townhouse in the city, she remembered the streets like she had lived there her whole life. Happy Little Treats, the best bakery in the city. Blackie’s, the best diner on the East Side.
Her, Rhaena, Jace, and Baela had decided to drive separately from their parents, who also had Joanie with them, as well as little Aemma and Viserra. It was much easier to take two cars, especially when they knew they would probably want to go out at different times from their parents who had two little ones. Poor Joanie, too young to be with the older girls all the time, but also far too old to be stuck with Aemma and Viserra, was doomed to float between the two groups.
The radio was tuned to holiday music, and the girls delighted in singing along to every song that rang through the speakers.
As they were closing in on their destination, Baela intercepted the music with her normal speaking voice, the first to do so in over an hour. “What do you think they all look like now?”
Rhaena was the first to answer. “I’m not sure about Aegon or Aemond, but Helaena and I see each other at uni. She’s radiant and beautiful, as she always has been.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot you've mentioned seeing her around.” Baela replied.
Rhaena smiled, and shook her head down. “Yeah, she’s the coolest, honestly.”
Baela laughed. “Out of those three? It’s no competition.”
Jacaera’s breath fogged up the window as she spoke. “I’ve seen Aegon and Aemond in passing at uni as well. They seem alright. Aegon is no longer the tall one.”
Lucera perked at this. Aemond? Tall?  She shook her head. “I swear I forget we all go to the same school sometimes. There’s just so many people I never see them.”
“Aemond is tall now? Wow. I’ll have to see it to believe it.” Baela jeered.
Jacaera drew a heart in the fogged glass before turning and facing the rest of her sisters. “Yes! It was honestly shocking at first. I barely recognized him, but I saw the eyepatch and knew immediately.”
Oh right. The eye patch. Lucera sighed. Baela moved her hand to sit atop hers in acknowledgement.
A right turn here, a left turn there, and the chateaux-style massive townhouse came into view. The four stories were gaudily embellished by baroque trim, with a massive oak door calling attention to its center. Wreaths were attached to the base of every windowsill, and a candle placed in each window. They watched as Rhaenyra and Daemon pulled Aemma and Viserra out of their carseats, having arrived a few moments before they did. Joanie was looking up at the mass of the townhouse, most likely counting how many windows there were, trying to remember which room was what.
Two men Lucera didn’t recognize dressed in all black greeted her parents, and Daemon smiled and gave him his car keys.
Rhaena twisted the steering wheel to pull up right behind them, and the other man dressed in black immediately jumped to open all of their car doors. Lucera felt like she was moving in slow motion the way the man was everywhere at once, and by the time she had stepped onto the sidewalk, he already had the trunk thrown open and was lifting their suitcases next to her.
“Thank you!” Lucera said enthusiastically, trying to cut through his quickness.
The house—if it could be called such a humble thing, loomed above her. She felt as if she was stepping into all holidays past, where he lingered with the bitter taste of sadism.
The large doors eased open, beckoning them inside. When she peaked in, she saw Daemon’s black trench coat deep in the arms of her grandfather, Rhaenyra to his side, buried in Alicent with a beaming smile of delight. They let go, embracing one another in turn. Viserys could barely contain his excitement at the sight of the little ones, having crouched down to greet them. Lucera noticed the exact moment he caught sight of the rest of her and her sisters, and his joy multiplied ten times over.
“Oh, my girls! My girls.” He said, reaching in to hug each one of them. “I couldn’t be more happy to have all of my family in one place again.”
Greetings were further extended to Alicent. It must have been an exhausting process for Viserys and Alicent, she guessed, since there were so many of them.
Alicent addressed the group. “I was just telling your parents, the rest of them are lost in the house somewhere. I’m sure you’ll see them shortly.”
The girls nodded, and Joanie said something about being excited to see Daeron. The flurry of movement divided as everyone was sent to their rooms to unpack.
Alicent nodded to a staircase on her left. “I put you girls up in the kid’s wing.”
Jacaera laughed, playfulness in her voice. “Only some of us are still kids.”
“Oh don’t be ridiculous,” Alicent waved her hand downwards. “You’ll always be children to me.”
Climbing up three floors was exhausting without the bag, and Lucera could hardly imagine doing it with the extra weight in tow. She looked at the house staff carrying her and her sisters bags, and felt a bit sorry for them.
After reaching her rooms, she was delighted to see that she had a window overlooking the front sidewalk. There were fresh winter roses placed delicately in an opaque white vase on her bedside table, the blue jumping out against the walls of her bedroom.
Her nerves were reaching an all time high. She still hadn’t seen Aemond, yet he was here. But her thoughts were interrupted when Baela swung open her door.
Lucera turned to look at her. “Do you ever knock?”
Baela spun around and leaned exaggeratingly against the door frame before saying, “Not with you, I don’t. All of us girls are going to the hot tub. Put your bathing suit on.”
Lucera smiled, and unzipped her suitcase. “I’ll be ready in five. Wait for me?”
------------
The hot tub was roiling, jets pumping near blistering water against their backs. It was heavenly. Their hair was tied up in variations of buns and pony tails, the ends tickling their necks.
Rhaena had been intently looking at the back of the townhouse. “It’s so crazy to be back here after all these years.”
“It’s hardly changed since then. It feels like I’m stepping into a place frozen in time.” Jacaera marveled.
Helaena chuckled at their insight. “I’m sure it feels that way. I haven’t been to Dragonstone in forever either.”
Jacaera turned to her in revelation. “Gods that’s right! You should come stay with us for the summer. The beach is so warm then.”
“Yeah! Maybe when we all finish up our finals Helaena can just come home with us?” Rhaena said in agreement.
“I’d be happy if you had me,” Helaena replied. “What are all you studying anyways?”
Baela went first. “I’m studying business, with a concentration on finance.”
Lucera seconded her. “Me as well.”
Jacaera tagged at the end of Lucera's agreement. “Also me.”
Helaena laughed. “All you three planning to work for the family business, then?”
“Something like that. Jacaera, Baela, and I will take over after Rhaenyra and Daemon.” Lucera answered. “After Viserys passes, of course. It will be awhile, but there’s a lot to learn anyways.”
“Aemond’s going to do the same. Aegon isn’t interested in being a part of Hightower Associates, and neither am I, but Aemond is preparing to take over after our grandfather. Have you seen him around uni?”
Baela chuckled. “We were just talking about that,” she looked at Jacaera. “Only Jace has, really.”
“Hm. That’s funny considering he’s also in your department.” Helaena remarked.
“Right? I mean the library is huge, but it can’t be that large. I’m there all the time.” Jacaera pondered.
“Knowing him, he probably found a secret room and lives out of it”. Helaena sighed. “He doesn’t go out too much, and he’s really focused on his work.”
Lucera thought about the growing man Aemond had morphed into. One who was deeply integrated and committed to his family business, just as she. It only meant he had gotten more cutthroat. It’s the only way to survive in the world of finance they were thrust into. None of the top hedge fund managers, heads of banking families, or titans of brokers reached and stayed where they were because they were the most virtuous. To survive in this world meant being vicious at times.
A trait that ran in the family, clearly.
“We’ll probably run into him one of these days.” Baela acquiesced. “What are you studying again Helaena?”
“Studio art, concentrating on painting. Aegon is doing the same, but focusing on photography. We both much prefer it to the chaos of the family business.” She said proudly, until she realized the context of the conversation. “Not that I’m putting you down for choosing it, or anything.”
Jacaera giggled. “No, we get it. It is pretty chaotic.”
The hot tub had gone from the initial burn, to comfortable, to boiling again as the conversations ebbed and flowed through several different interests of theirs, such as their love lives and the semester's hook-ups, with extra time spent on the more embarrassing ones. It was truly Baela dominating the bulk of the conversation, hardly anyone else had anything to add apart from a meager makeout here and there.
Baela was also newly introduced to the term “situationship”, as the rest of them deduced she was most certainly in one with Adam Hull.
“Just because we sleep in the same bed most nights doesn’t mean we’re together.” She objected.
Helaena was set on getting her to admit it. “And does he stay in the morning? Do you do any other activities together?”
Baela scoffed. “We get dinner sometimes. And go to the movies every Tuesday, but that’s only because tickets are half-off on Tuesdays. And we go to the gym together. But it’s nothing, really.”
Helaena tried to ease her into it. “You do realize that is essentially a relationship, besides you have no direct commitment or any expectations? Someone is going to get hurt eventually.”
Lucera rolled her eyes. “And it’s probably him. Gods Baela, the man is probably in love with you and you are too daft to see it.”
All eyes on her, Baela was lost in the processing of this new information, until she remembered who and where she was, and quickly found a way to deflect it. “Oh shut up. Says you, you’re like the genuine version of a pick-me girl. Every man who looks at you falls in love with you.”
Lucera rolled her eyes. “You’re exaggerating.”
A smile crept across Baela’s lips, successfully removing the attention away from her situationship. “Um, no I’m not. What of Tyrek Lannister? Gerrick Greyjoy? Dorren Stark? And that’s only from this quarter.” She used her hands to prove her point, counting them on her fingers.
Lucera threw up her arms. “I can’t help it! Honestly! Besides, I don’t lead anyone on, just have maybe a kiss or two.” The rest of the girls sang a chorus of oos, bringing a blush through her cheeks.
“And who was the best out of them?” Jacaera coaxed.
“It hardly matters,” Lucera drawled, “but, it was Gerrick.”
“Hm. I’m surprised it wasn’t Stark.” Rhaena gave a side-long glance at Jacaera. “I’ve heard good things about Stark men.”
Jacaera’s face flushed, praying the heat from the tub would conceal her thoughts. Naturally, everyone noticed, but chose to spare their easily flustered sister.
Helaena looked her in the eyes, and threw her a trusting wink.
------------
As the day wore on, Lucera’s anticipation of seeing Aemond waxed and waned. She thought it would have happened by now—if they were still kids, it surely would have, being at the age where presence around the family was required. She thought of the many places he could be, the things he could be doing, but it was difficult to imagine someone she hadn’t seen in several years. It was nearly impossible to conceive of it, and it only raised her nerves.
Dinner passed along quietly, winter soup and charcuterie being served on a come-and-go basis in the parlor to account for the rush of her family’s arrival and the need for a little bit of flexibility in their schedule. Afterall, there was still much planned for the day: they were going to the ballet, and everyone would be attending.
In front of her vanity, Lucera examined herself in the mirror. She lifted the delicate silver chain to secure it around her neck, the deep crescent moon in its center sitting in the joint of her collarbones. She didn’t try to examine her reasonings for being extra fickle about what she wore, but it was hard to escape his presence in them. It had been so long, and she didn’t want him to think her ugly. He either had changed for the better and would no longer say his cruel thoughts aloud, hadn’t changed and would say that and so much more, or he had gotten worse. A shudder rippled through her as she tried to imagine how that could be possible, but what if it was?
She wanted him to look at her and see how much she had changed, that she was no longer a girl anymore. And perhaps, if he had any lingering thoughts of resentment, that could lend him to realizing that she was no longer deserving of his hostility.
Her nerves from earlier had thawed, and amongst the remains was a newfound confidence. Her mary janes clicked on the sidewalk, her self-assuredness carrying through her legs. She reached into the SUV where her family was waiting for her.
Rhaenyra, holding Aemma on her left leg, reached over and grabbed her hand. “You look radiant, darling.”
Jacaera patted the seat next to her. “Something got your spirits up?”
“Nothing in particular, just had a good day.” And it was true. The day had been knotless. She had been surprised by its ease, and delighted just the same.
Once the tires slowed and the doors slid open, she reached her hand around to grab the frame, the other taking Daemon’s hand to step out of the car. The marquee hung gaudily above them, its essence of performance steeped in its display. She looked around for the Hightowers, who had pulled in ahead of them. She found Alicent’s thick calico fur shawl, trailing to Helaena’s platinum hanging down her back, to…
Her throat seized. Was that really him? His back was set against her, but she could see Aegon’s side profile, meaning the other one must be him.
Jacaera was right, he is tall. She had never pictured him with his hair long. Her sisters poured out of the car to stand alongside her.
Baela was the first to acknowledge it aloud. “Gods, I hardly recognize them.”
The slamming of the car doors must have carried, and he turned around from his mother to face the rest of them.
His hair swung gently, and she caught the moment his eye landed on her. His eyepatch looked menacing, scar tracing just outside of it. While holding her gaze, he upturned his lips into a tight smirk.
Their families approached each other, not too far away to begin with.
Aegon looked delighted to see his cousins, endearing them each. His face had filled out on the edges, and he hadn’t grown an inch. Aemond upheld his apathetic image, looking slightly uninterested, but they knew him better—-he simply always looked that way. Her sisters took turns pulling each of them into hugs with their greetings.
When Aemond reached her, he regarded her for several moments, his dark smile returning. “You’ve changed, Luce.”
She straightened her back, ignoring the way he was openly sliding his eye across her from head to toe. “So have you.”
He surprised her by pulling her deep in his chest, bending his neck down to whisper in her ear. “I haven’t forgotten our little games.” Before she could respond, he released her.
Baela had witnessed the interaction from a few paces away, her eyes still on Aemond, who had gone to greet Rhaenyra. Lucera walked up to her.
She fell into step beside Baela, through the doors, tickets in hand. “What did he say to you?”
Back and forth, she contemplated telling her the truth. Through her childhood, she had never been fully honest through the extent to which he hurt her. Rhaenyra had questioned, Daemon had asked, and her sisters had pushed after her wellbeing once the accidents had been exposed as something more purposeful. Lucera knew her parents were smarter than she, but they also didn’t push the subject when she refused to yield.
She didn’t quite know why, though she supposed it was because she felt she owed Aemond her pain. It was the least she could do for taking his sight. He hadn’t permanently damaged her, afterall. Even though he got close, she reminded herself.
Her mind completed its process, and Lucera would continue her pattern with conflict as she always had. “Just that we all look older now.”
“Hm.” She grabbed Lucera’s arm, looping it in hers, voice quieting. “He looks like a fucking super villian.”
Lucera couldn’t bite back her amusement. “He really does, doesn’t he?”
She didn’t want to think about what else he looked like. Attractive, for one. It felt like a sin to even say it in her mind. Lucera was startled by how menacing he looked, but it suited him. His face was lined in hardness and brutality, his lone purple eye allowing for expression.
His walk bled dominance, something she could do without recognizing. But it was hard to ignore the complex grace in his movements, how every turn of his head and lift of his hand was controlled and measured.
Her eyes kept finding him unwillingly, absorbing the man he had become. Lucera couldn’t help herself, needing to remind herself to keep her gaze anywhere but him. He would notice. Baela would notice. Daemon would notice.
After getting their tickets scanned, she and Baela followed their entourage to their seats. The gilded plasterwork came alive from the walls, creating deep shadows, brightening the jewel tones that sat there. The lattice work was interladened with cherubs holding glowing sconces and foliated candelabras. Figurative and floral murals and abstracts curled and jumped from the ceilings, each framed by golden trim. The proscenium arch jutted out gently from the stage, red curtain dropped to hide the rest of the stage.
Their seats were hoisted on the second floor in the box on stage right. Lucera smiled to herself. She knew whoever had bought their tickets did so knowing that the best view would be from above, so they could see the aerial perspective of the dancer’s intricate formations. If she had to guess, it was probably Alicent.
She had sat in the first row of seats, between Jacaera and Baela, while he sat in the second, off to the side, closer to the stage. The curvature of the seats allowed for her to see him out of the corner of her eye, his side profile unmistakable. As she gauged where he was in relation to her, he caught her eye. He brazenly smirked towards her, and then looked away. She ran her fingers over the front of her dress, needing the movement to keep her grounded. Shortly after, the curtains opened and she breathed relief at the comfort that she would have something else to focus on.
It wasn’t as easy as she had hoped.
As they progressed through the suites, Lucera was trying to tame her gaze, pulling and forcing it to remain ahead on anything but him. There was so much to look at, too—the dancer’s tutus and tights, skin and hair was alight with glitter catching every ray of stage light. The way they moved, their arms pouring up and down, their legs fluttering across the stage. Glissade en arriere to arabesque. The live orchestra in the pit, the sliding of their bows, the dancing of their fingers. She had so much to choose from. And it worked for a time, until she remembered his presence, and she had to pull her gaze forward again.
He caught her once or twice, and returned her wandering eyes with the same haughty smile.
She didn’t know if it should scare her, but it definitely made her feel something. Like she wanted to push the button to reveal a secret. Perhaps it was curiosity; she was a woman now, and can’t possibly be pushed around like she used to. He wouldn’t kill her. Not now at least. It would have had to happen years ago, when he was still a child and could get away with “accidental” murder. At present, he’d go to prison for manslaughter. Right? He has to know that. And he himself is a man grown, who has risen above such ideas. Right?
The curtains were drawn, they stood from their seats, her family quickly ushering everyone to get back to the house as fast as possible.
Once alone in the comforts of her bedroom, she unzipped, unlaced, and undid every button and tie on her clothing, releasing more than just the tension it had held on her skin. The whirlwind of their evening had finally come to an end. She had seen him, and it had been somewhat eventful, but she had expected nothing less.
------------
The next morning after an uneventful breakfast, Viserys had called all of his grandchildren to the kitchens. He ensured they knew their presence was mandatory.
“You kids haven’t seen each other in so long. It’s time you bond again.” It was hard to tell what the room-wide cringe was from: being called kids, or being told they must bond over something of Viserys’ choosing.
Lucera looked around the massive kitchen, and knew immediately what they were going to be doing.
Viserys waved his hand. “I dismissed the staff early today. Instead, you all are going to be making our family’s holiday cookies!”
Joanie squealed in excitement, diverting the attention away from Aemond and Aegon, who both rolled their eyes louder than she’d ever seen it done.
“Why not. I love baking!” Rhaena perked.
Viserys stepped out to be more directly in front of them, looking at each of them intently. “Here’s what’s going to happen. Aegon and Jacaera, you two will do our peanut butter kisses. Aemond and Lucera, I want you two doing our sugar cut-outs. Daeron and Joanie, you two are in charge of snowballs. Rhaena, Helaena, and Baela, you three will do our gingerbread cookies. You’ll need the extra person since they’re a lot of work.” He gestured towards the back wall. “I’ve had the cooks set out all the ingredients, and there should be plenty of room for all of you.”
Lucera didn’t know quite what to do. Her intimidation of him was preventing her from moving her feet. Let alone, she didn’t know if Aemond hated this idea, and she didn’t want to feel his rejection. But then again, very little sounded better than fresh cookies.
Joanie and Daeron had practically run across the kitchen, as if it was a race to see who could finish the fastest. Lucera smiled at her youthful enthusiasm.
“Are you going to just stand there and look dumb?” Aemond’s voice cut through her thoughts.
She looked up at him. “No, no of course.”
“Of course you’re going to stand there and look dumb?”
Lucera grumbled. “You know what I meant.”
They walked over to the corner of the kitchen. Lucera knew this recipe by heart, having made it many times the past several years at Dragonstone.
“We need to work the butter, first. Cream it up a bit.”
She began unfolding the wax off of the butter.
“They’re quite simple. I don’t know why he wants the two of us to do it. A child could make these by themselves.”
Lucera took the flat end of the spatula and smashed the butter into smaller pieces in the bowl. “You know why he wants us to do it together.”
Aemond pulled out the bag of flour, dipping the cup deep in the bag. “I suppose. Funny thing for him to act like he cares so much about bonding time.” He swiped a knife off of the top of the measuring cup. “So this is what bonding looks like?”
Lucera scoffed. “It could be, if you actually acted like you wanted to be here.”
Across the kitchen, she could hear Jacaera scolding Aegon over the bag of hershey’s kisses. “You do realize we need some of those to actually make the cookies? Save some for the rest of us.”
Aemond paused, mulling over his next words carefully. “I could be doing something else.”
Lucera looked over at Baela, Rhaena, and Helaena, who were giggling over the molasses and brown sugar.
“And what might that be?” She questioned mockingly. While he poured in the sugar and flour, she began mixing in the butter.
“Working.” He turned to face her, dipping his head to look down at her from their close proximity. Sarcasm sat between his next words. “Ever heard of it?”
Lucera was slightly ruffled by this, and even though she caught on to his tone, wasn’t willing to go along with the act. “You don’t know the slightest thing about me.”
He stood behind her to grab something on the other side, and whether it was for stability or otherwise, he put his hand on her waist. She tried not to make any sudden movements to imply she was thrown off or affected by this gesture, and could not say if she was successful or not. His hand was large, fingers stretching across the right side of her lower back. Just breathe. She tried to tamper down her blush, not wanting him to know that he flustered her. It would only make her more of a target.
“Twas just a joke, Lucie.” He smirked, pulling away, and warping his fingers to the newly formed dough in the bowl.
She tried not to watch the way his deft hands worked the dough into a ball. Needing to prove she was not in fact bothered, she replied, “Regardless, I will have you know that I’m in the line of succession. Me, Jacaera, and Baela are all going to uphold Targaryen International Banking after Rhaenyra and Daemon.”
To her surprise, Aemond showed her possibly the first form of respect she had ever received from him. “It’s an honor to not only be a part of our family, but also uphold its greatness.”
Lucera pulled out the various cookie cutters, clearing her throat. They had been apart all this time, their secret torture games known truly just between them. She knew she should hate him, but she didn’t. And the unfortunate circumstances had decided that he must grow into a desirable devil. But she can’t think about that right now. Looking at her cookie shape options, she decided her favorite was the Christmas tree. “I heard you’re inheriting Hightower Associates.”
He smiled, and even though it was tight lipped, she could tell it meant something to him. “Yes. Otto most likely has another decade in him to run it, but it will be mine once he is no longer fit for it. Thank the gods, Aegon and Helaena would destroy it.”
Lucera looked over at her sister and Aegon. He looked at her with light in his eyes, while she double checked each dough ball to ensure they were the same size. As nice as the scene was, his momentary calm was deceiving. She laughed quietly in her throat imagining him being put in charge.
Their own dough had been rolled out, and they began stamping it with the cookie cutter. “I’m sure you will do the business much good. You can be…” Lucera looked for the right words, and wondered if it was even a good idea to remind him of his nature in the first place. “Quite intense. And cutthroat.”
He paused at her implicit acknowledgement of the past, looking at her directly once again. His chest was at her eye level, even though she pried her eyes upwards to meet his. The soap on his neck had a clean, sharp scent. “Yes. I suppose I haven’t changed much.” He waited for any kind of reaction, but she figured it best to not give him any. Lest he get any real ideas.
Lucera slid the cookies into the oven, the warmth heating up her arms. She vaguely recalled when Aemond had tried to shut her arms in the frame of the oven, and startled herself with his proximity.
He noticed her pulling away from the oven with fear in her eyes. “Relax. My days of trying to scar you are over.” Aemond poured a small stream of milk over the powdered sugar on the stove. “Besides, my hands are busy. And there’s people here.”
It wasn’t until she finished sliding the tray in the oven and closed the door that she processed his meaning.
She looked up at him, eyes widened. “You’re not going to…?” Lucera didn’t say it out loud, for she didn’t want anyone else to hear.
He continued stirring, the smell of the heated sugar between them. “We’re both adults now. I wouldn’t be so senseless.”
The tension she had been holding around him had faded, filled in with relief. “I don’t know why,” she chuckled, “I just didn’t know what to expect.”
His side-eye landed on her, but he was playing lighthearted. “You wound me Lucera. Surely I would hope you think higher of me than that.”
“Hm.” She smirked at him, wanting to joke with him as he had to her. “You’ll just have to prove how smart you are then.”
His face held an unreadable expression, but she still counted anything besides scowling as progress.
The butter, sugar, and flour were melding together in the oven, releasing a heavenly smell. Lucera released some of the tension she had held around him. Perhaps this new chapter of their lives could strengthen their family, instead of tearing it apart as their childhood had.
Reading the golden edges of the cookies, Lucera determined they were finished and removed them out of the oven without fear of Aemond shutting her arm in. The royal icing was ready, and she put them in the refrigerator so the cookies were able to cool before they could put the icing on.
A large guffaw of laughter exploded from the other side of the kitchen, where Joanie and Daeron were saddled with powdered sugar. It had lodged itself in the creases of their faces, deepening their smile lines. In their attempt to brush it off their faces, they only served to spread the sugary dust to every surface in their vicinity.
Daeron, upon realizing the blessing this was, ran to Aegon with his snowy sugared hands and started furiously wiping them on the back of Aegon’s sweater.
Having been attacked by the enemy in a blind spot, Aegon was initially at the disadvantage. But, once he turned around, he used his height and weight to throw Daeron to the ground.
This move might have deterred many from another attack, but Daeron was a Targaryen, afterall. He grabbed onto Aegon’s leg, not letting go. It was an advanced move, leaving the victim—Aegon—unable to do much else than furiously try to peel him away.
Joanie made a jump to his other leg despite Aegon’s protests for her to not get involved. The two clung to his calves, anchoring him to the floor, giggling in victory. Aegon ceased his complaining and sighed in defeat.
“Anyone want to help me?” Aegon moaned.
Jacaera was busy pressing what was left of the hershey’s kisses into the cookies. She shrugged. “I can’t, I have to do this while they’re fresh out of the oven.” Besides, she was too amused by the situation.
“Sorry, I don’t want to get powdered sugar all over my new pants.” Baela shouted from across the kitchen.
Aemond was also pleased by his brothers, and after hesitating a few moments too long, began long strides towards the scene.
He had nearly reached Aegon, but once Daeron had peeked his head around Aegon’s knee to see the long legs of his other brother coming towards them, he flung himself off of Aegon and skittered across the floor. Joanie was quick to follow.
Once the cookies were all primed and pretty—to the best of their ability, at least—Lucera padded up the steps with a giggling Jacaera. In the parlor, Rhaenyra was drinking tea with Alicent. They must have heard of Viserys’ plan, as they looked at Lucera with concern, subtly checking over her limbs and face for any signs of harm as they had done when she was younger.
Alicent leaned over with furrowed brows and express interest, Rhaenyra had worry in her eyes. “How was baking my darlings?”
Knowing that they truly wished to know of her wellbeing, Lucera was relieved that for once around the holidays, she could tell them the truth. “It was good! No unlucky burns or anything! Just tasty cookies.”
They brought a plate over with all of their treats.
Rhaenyra beamed at her daughters. “I see gingerbreads, sugar cut-outs, and—?”
Jacaera leaned forward. “Peanut butter kisses. Aegon ate half of the hershey’s chocolates, so we didn’t have enough to put on top of all of them. Those ones are just plain peanut butter cookies.”
Alicent rolled her eyes through her smile, lovingly joking. “Of course he did, the little twat. I’m sure they’re still delicious.”
“Once he stopped eating the candy and started participating, he really enjoyed baking. Does he ever go down to the kitchens to bake?”
Lucera raised her eyebrows. She knew exactly what made Aegon so interested in baking earlier, and it wasn’t the sweets.
“He’s never thought it interesting before. Perhaps he was just happy to see everyone.” Alicent had toned down her surprise at the idea that he enjoyed the experience, having a mother’s sense of what was really at play. Her and Lucera shared a knowing glance, Jacaera none the wiser.
“And you Lucera?” Alicent had turned to face her.
“Oh yes! Aemond and I got along quite well. He’s an arse, but it suits him.” The sense of relief she glimpsed earlier had returned, and the weight of lying no longer chained to her. She was able to be genuine without having to pretend. It was a welcome feeling.
“He’s a proud man, that’s for sure. I still don’t know where he inherited his arrogance.” Alicent chimed.
Rhaenyra was put at ease with the grace of her features, always knowing the truth of her daughter. A shadow of skepticism remained, but she was optimistic that their maturation had changed things. “I’m glad you had a good time, darling.”
At least for the time being, any fears she had could be put to rest.
It had been a hard period of time when she had lied to her, both of them knowing that there was something much deeper to her words. It had been why, without too much evidence, Rhaenyra had decided it best that they spend a few holidays alone at Dragonstone. Viserys had insisted that they return each year, believing that it best for the family to be together when there was tension. Namely, after the accident where Aemond lost his eye, and his consequent aggression towards Lucera. Rhaenyra could only look at the truth in her daughter’s eyes for so long.
He hadn’t done anything out in the open, but he was occasionally sloppy. He was only a child after all, and was still learning how to keep a victim silent. He was lucky it was Lucera, who in her docility and self-blaming from the accident, let him act as he saw fit.
Her least favorite memory was when he held her head over the tub in the basement filled with water. He had grabbed her hair and held her face under water, keeping it there until her squirms softened to near limpness. He would then pull her up again, allowing for her to catch her breath before repeating the cycle. She had silently trusted him to let her live. It didn’t make the moments she spent choked underwater any less terrifying.
That had been the last time she saw him. Rhaenyra had remembered her coming up the stairs, face flushed, edges of her hair wet. Lucera recalled telling her that she slipped and fell in the snow outside, but her eyes had given her away. Even after much pressure, Rhaenyra still wasn’t sure what had happened, but she knew Aemond was involved and that Lucera looked like she had been through a torture sequence. Which, of course, she had.
But those days were behind them. He had said it himself.
------------
Later in the evening, after a light dinner, a particularly competitive game of Scrabble that nearly ended with Daemon’s knife at Aemond’s throat, and a Hallmark movie that Viserys claimed would “calm everyone down” (which it hadn’t—not entirely—although the two had slowly united across the one hour and thirty five minute screen time against their hatred for such movies), the family had dispersed and found their ways to bed.
Lucera was tucked in, nearly drowning in the comforter, just how she liked it. There was just one thing—she needed water. Her eyes had closed, her body tired and unwilling to go downstairs. But her throat was scratching for relief, and no amount of willing herself to sleep had changed it.
She skimpered down the steps, her long fuzzy socks lightening the blow of her feet. All of the lights had been turned off, and she relied on the underlights of the cabinets to light her way.
Under the fridge light, she filled up her cup.
The silence was broken by the stream coming from the fridge, and then by footsteps coming near. Lucera tried to cover up what little she could, as a simple t-shirt and underwear had been all she needed in the privacy of her room. She hoped whoever it was wouldn’t look too closely or scold her for being so indecent.
She would be gone in a moment anyway.
Putting her water glass in the sink, she turned to go down the hallway when she saw the illumination of platinum hair in the dark.
“Aemond.” And even though she whispered, the surprise was not lacking in her voice.
“Lucera. It’s getting late.” He was stepping closer to her, his voice soft.
“I was just a bit thirsty. I’m going back to bed now.” She tried to step around him, but he blocked her way with his arm against the wall.
“You know, before I saw you I wondered if I’d continue our little games.” He glazed his eye over her near-nakedness. “I thought I might not. And then I saw you, this pretty little thing, and I realized that we can have so much more fun together.”
She knew what he meant by it, but tried to ignore it for the moment. “But I thought you said you wouldn’t—”
“I said I wouldn’t scar you. I never said I wouldn’t do other things.” He grabbed a lock of her hair, twisting it between his fingers. “Oh how you’ve grown, Lucera.”
She tried to grab at the wrist of his hand in her hair, but he only grabbed onto her wrists instead, pushing her backwards towards a door in the hallway. He fumbled with the knob before throwing her in, the force of it landing her on the floor.
Lucera pulled her hair out of her face and stood up. “You didn’t need to be so rough with me.”
He grabbed her chin domineeringly soft. “Look at me, Lucera.”
Her lip quivered and she looked up at him, her large doe eyes unable to prevent her from looking nothing but innocent.
He looked deep in her eyes, commanding her submission with nothing but a look. “You always let me torture you, sweet little thing.”
All breath in her body halted, every movement, every beat of blood. The silence around her grew louder, unsure if she had heard him correctly.
“But now I want to do other things to you. I’m still using your body, of course, just in a different way. And you’re still going to listen to me, just like you always have?” Aemond tilted her jaw upwards to the right, then moved it to the left, as if he was examining her face from every angle.
The blood moving through her veins got thicker, her heart quickening its pace. Lucera quietly admitted to herself that she was excited at the idea that he could want her that way. Did he really think her attractive enough to want? He couldn’t mean what she thought he meant. Did he? Surely he didn’t want her like that.
He sneered in her face, clearly finding her dumbfoundedness amusing. “Look at you. Big eyes just looking up at me, waiting for validation. I knew you’d do anything I’d ask. Hells, you’ll probably enjoy it too.”
Lucera didn’t know how he had such a hold on her. How could he get away with talking to her like this? Why did she let him? Why was her belly aching with heat? She could feel her arousal dripping along her slit, sitting warm in her panties.
She pulled every last string of dignity together and tightened her hold to say, “No, Aemond. You’re not allowed to treat me this way.” and tried her hardest to turn away from him.
But, he was quick to react, and immediately pulled her backside flush against him, arms locked across her neck and midsection. “Squirm all you want. I see how your eyes hold nothing but submission for me, they always have. Is it guilt? Or something else?” He leaned down to whisper in her ear. “I don’t believe you wouldn’t enjoy every last drop of anything I give you. I’ll prove it to you right now.”
He moved his hand knowingly across her hip bones, giving them a hearty squeeze before sliding his fingers down her thigh to hike up her skirt. Her panic was felt immediately as she put her back and shoulders into every push and shove she gave him. “No, no no no, don’t—”
“Why? Are you worried about what I’ll find?” She wasn’t able to break out of the cage that was his strength, and his fingers gently trailed across the thin fabric hiding her entrance. What little barrier she had did a poor job of concealing her heated wetness.
He began lightly circling her clit, bending his face into her neck. “Tsk tsk tsk. Just as I thought, Lucie.”
She whimpered. “I just, I just am confused.”
“Hmm? I don’t think your body is confused. Your body wants me, Lucie. It wants me inside you. It’s all soaking and ready to take me.”
“You’re just so mean to me. I can’t let you do this if you’re mean to me.”
Aemond chuckled, feeling her melt into his touch as his deft fingers pleasured her. “You’ve always been so good at letting me take out my frustrations on you. This is no different, Lucie.”
She whimpered in his arms, unable to control the profound pleasure he was thrusting upon her. And it was him. There was something so enrapturing about his presence. She wanted to be engulfed in it, to feed off of it. But he had too much power—it wasn’t fair, he had always had the upper hand.
He slipped his fingers underneath the constraints of her underwear, immediately finding her slick folds. He gathered some of the wetness he found there and brought it up to her clit, where he rubbed gentle circles against her. “You’re soaking for me Lucie. I want to hear you submit to me. Your body is begging you.”
She whimpered again. The pleasure was too great, his weight pressed against her from all sides. Lucera needed more. Her resolve and rationality were slipping, disintegrating into a state of utter obedience, the teasing becoming too much to bear. It was like he was drowning her again.
“Anything, I’ll do anything, Aemond. I need this,” her voice squeaked from under his arm.
He laughed darkly in her ear before licking it, the warm sensation filling out through the rest of her body. “You will listen and do as I say, yes?”
“Yes. I swear it.” She cried.
“Good. On your knees, sweet girl.”
Her eyes got even bigger as she received his command. Lucera hesitated, looking up at him in his utter assertiveness. The look in his eye alone made her knees buckle.
Softly finding the most comfortable position she could on her knees, she tilted up her chin, attempting to hold as much dignity as possible. He grabbed both of her cheeks with each hand, fat pudging out between his thumbs and forefingers.
“You’re going to swallow my cock, do you understand? And when I decide I want to fuck your throat, I will.” He moved his right thumb down to her chin. “And if you bite, we can play one of our old games.”
She wouldn’t have bit him, but she was old enough to realize he got off on the power he had over her. And yet, she didn’t have to fake her submission. It was real, and it soaked her through.
With that, he let go of her face and gave her a playful slap on the cheek.
His hands remained at his sides, and she took that to mean that she must be the one to remove his pants.
Lucera tried to conceal the hesitation to approach his cock, but she couldn’t help herself. The bulge reaching across his leg was considerable, and she was unsure about trying to stuff something so large in her throat.
When she finally collected the courage to pull down the flannel in her fingertips, she was truly faced with the reality of such an act.
He was beautiful. Of course, even his cock has to be perfect. She took her hand, and worked the warm skin up and down, twisting her palm ever so slightly.
“Suck.” He said bluntly. 
“I’ll try, but I don’t know how I’m going to—”
“If you can’t figure it out, I think pounding your throat will do the trick.” He interjected, his hand landing in her hair firmly.
This drove her to action, as she wanted to maintain as much control in the situation as possible. She pushed the head past her lips, his salty precum landing on her tongue. Her jaw expanded as much as it could, and she pushed herself to swallow his length.
Lucera could already feel the sides of her mouth being triggered to wetness by the intrusion, and she was thankful for it. She held onto the base to steady herself, and she began slowly moving back and forth, lathing her tongue on the bottom of his cock.
She could feel his hands shift in her hair as he played with it gently, combing his fingers through.
“You’re such a good girl, Lucera”
His voice felt like pure encouragement, and his validation was something she had never felt before. Lucera decided she liked that feeling.
She pushed herself deeper on him as her throat warmed up, but was still unable to fit it all. She tried using her hand to make up for what she couldn’t reach, and although she wished she could deep throat him, she was proud that she had made it this far.
He grabbed her hair a bit more assertively, and guided her up and down with a touch more of force. “You’re taking it so well, your throat wraps around me perfectly.”
Her eyes had begun to slightly water, but she still tried to connect their eyes. She had read in a magazine that boys liked that.
He began to move her head even more strongly, and pushed her throat further on his cock. She gagged, but he only moaned in his chest, the sensation squeezing his cock in her throat.
Lucera could hardly see, her tears clouding her vision. Her saliva gathered around her lips and slopped down her chin as she felt him push deep into her throat.
“Look at you, on your knees for me. This is where you belong.” He thrust into her mouth, holding her by the back of her head. As rough as he was, Lucera found that she just wanted to impress him. To show him that she wasn’t weak, and that she was capable.
“Fuck, Lucera.” He moaned above her, his breath deepening. With animalistic impulse, he worked her throat with lewd hunger, before pulling her as hard as he could towards his hips.
She knew what was about to happen, and although she was still choking on his cock, braced herself. Lucera felt his length throb in her mouth as he unloaded down her gullet and straight to her belly.
Having ceased his brutal thrusts, Aemond brushed her hair gently. “Swallow all of it, Lucie.”
She subconsciously tried to swallow around it, but it was difficult to move much of anything.
After holding her there for a few more moments, he released her. She stuttered backwards slightly, coughing and gulping for air.
He tucked himself back beneath his waistband, and bent down next to her. He took her shirt and wiped off the excess spit that had gathered around her chin, and then moved it up to wipe her eyes.
“You’re gorgeous on your knees, you know that?” His hand dragged languidly against her inner thigh, towards her underwear. She inhaled deeply at his movements, canting her hips to meet his hand.
“You’re so needy, aren’t you?” He tilted his head, looking down at her below him devilishly. “My cock down your throat only made you more soaked, hmm?”
His words burned into her pleasure, and Lucera couldn’t help but whimper. His fingers on her moved in light circles on her clit, warping the pleasure building inside her.
“Tell me how it felt in your throat.” His voice poured over her. She drank in each syllable of every lewd word spitting out of his mouth like ambrosia. 
“You felt heavy on my tongue,” Lucera said, her breathing erratic. “I didn’t know how I was going to take it.”
“Hmm, that’s right.” He drawled. “It’s not easy taking a thick down your throat is it?”
“N-no.” She mewled.
“But you did a good job,” he brushed his thumb above her stomach. “You didn’t miss a drop.”
She panted as he loomed above her, playing her body like an instrument. She had already been so worked up, so much ache already inside her, that she knew her orgasm was coming. Aemond must have noticed too, for he picked up his pacing to the exact tempo she needed.
“Cum on my fingers, Lucie.”
She didn’t need anything further than his voice to send her over the edge as her eyes rolled back in her head, orgasmic pleasure bursting deep in her belly. She did her best to hold back the amplitude of the cries in her throat lest someone hear her.
The euphoria rippled through her body, and she could feel his satisfaction at her pleasure. After a few more moments, the lingering contentment was joined by a new wave of drowsiness.
It was late.
Lucera opened her eyes. Aemond stood up, pulling her up with him.
“Sleep well, Lucie.” He opened the door, gave her a quick slap on her ass, and walked towards the kitchen.
Her haze carried her to bed, where she unceremoniously slung herself under the covers, half-unconscious already. 
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oldmannapping · 9 months ago
Text
Fic: Bodyswap (Part 2)
Part One
Based on my own prompt about wanting a body-swap fic that dealt with the gross embarrassing parts.
This has expanded into something more than I intended, but I can't stop writing.
It's a Dick-Jason, Tim-Steph bodyswap. There is literally no plot. They're body-swapped and trying to deal with it, that's it. No pairings, past Steph/Tim.
It's crack treated like crack. It's two parts for now but I might add more. Warnings for language, discussions of menstruation, discussions of sexuality.
EXCERPT:
“This isn’t just PMS,” Tim continues blithely. “This is definitely something more.”
Bruce and Dick take sizeable steps backwards. Jason cackles.
Steph flares Tim’s nostrils and opens her mouth. Far too late, Tim realises that he’s in danger.
“Timothy.” Somehow, she makes Tim’s voice growl almost as low as Batman’s. “PMS is not JUST anything. When women say that they are tired. Sad. Having cravings. Not themselves. We are not just making excuses to lie in bed and let the patriarchy win.”
Oh no, she said “patriarchy”. Tim’s fucked.
Bruce rubs his forehead, eyes pinched closed. He’s only been in the Cave for six minutes and he’s already regretting every life choice that led to this moment.
“So you can read each other’s minds?” he clarifies, still not opening his eyes.
“No,” Jason snaps derisively.
“Not really,” says Dick dick-lomatically. (Duke used that word ONE TIME and no one has ever let it go.) “It’s more like… familiar thought patterns? I’m still me, with my memories and thoughts, but I’ve got Jason’s… knee jerk reactions. His instincts. It’s hard to describe.”
“I haven’t noticed anything like that,” says Tim, peering at the older men with curiosity. “I haven’t run too many experiments yet though. I’m planning all sorts of cognitive testing and brain scans but I’ve been really foggy-headed and haven’t been able to put it together like I normally would.”
He frowns. “Now that I think about it, maybe that’s a symptom in itself. Could it be that the spell actively smothers attempts to break it? I was writing a program to analyse the results of some basic nerve conduction studies yesterday and I got so tired I had to have a nap. When I woke up, I was ravenous and completely forgot about the studies. This is fascinating. Bruce, is there any precedent for spells that are self-protecting like that? This could be something we should consult Zatanna about, or maybe even Constantine…”
“Yo, Boy Genius,” interrupts Steph, clicking Tim’s fingers in front of her own face. “That wasn’t the spell. Brain fog, fatigue, increased appetite? Congratulations, you’ve just discovered PMS.”
Tim is aghast. Jason has barked a surprised laugh and Dick and Bruce seem baffled.
“That, that can’t be right,” Tim insists. “You don’t understand Steph, I was operating WAY below my usual capacity. This wasn’t just a little brain fog. I was having a hard time with codes that I’d normally be able to do in my sleep. I forgot the word for “synthesise”. I took a two-hour nap then ate half a rotisserie chicken. I threw my keyboard across the room and then cried when it broke.”
“That was my chicken,” says Dick in a small, sad voice. Jason’s body needs a LOT of protein.
“This isn’t just PMS,” Tim continues blithely. “This is definitely something more.”
Bruce and Dick take sizeable steps backwards. Jason cackles.
Steph flares Tim’s nostrils and opens her mouth. Far too late, Tim realises that he’s in danger.
“Timothy.” Somehow, she makes Tim’s voice growl almost as low as Batman’s. “PMS is not JUST anything. When women say that they are tired. Sad. Having cravings. Not themselves. We are not just making excuses to lie in bed and let the patriarchy win.”
Oh no, she said “patriarchy”. Tim’s fucked.
Steph’s not done. “We are not weak. We are not hysterical, moody hypochondriacs with wandering wombs. We are experiencing the VERY REAL mental and physical and emotional effects of our bodies preparing to have a BABY and then overhauling itself by EJECTING AN ENTIRE BABY HOUSE out of our vaginas.”
She’s still not done. Tim’s trying not to breathe in case that makes her angrier.
“I’ve gone on patrol with a heat pack strapped under my costume. I’ve sat exams on days when I can’t remember which bus I usually take. I’ve cried in the bathroom at work and wiped my eyes, reapplied my mascara, and gone back out there because I’m a fucking woman and that’s what we’re doing every single freaking day while you assholes are telling us that we’re biologically designed to earn 35% less than you.”
Tim opens Steph’s mouth and all the other men in the room know that whatever he's about to say is going to be a mistake. “I don’t think women should earn less than men,” is what he lands on.
Bruce decides to speak up before Steph can reply. He's very brave. “So we can reasonably assume that the spell isn’t actively trying to prevent anyone from breaking it,” he says, clearing his throat. “And it doesn’t transfer thoughts and memories, but engrained thought patterns and autonomous reactions.”
Dick is very happy to be back on topic. “Yeah, basically.”
“What are some examples?” asks Bruce, walking to the Batcomputer and pulling up a spreadsheet.
Jason and Dick glower at each other silently, not wanting a rehash of their previous argument. This whole situation was dignity-shattering enough.
Dick coughs. “Jason and I have noticed,” he says carefully, “that we have each other’s automatic reflexes to situations. I’ve noticed that my aggression levels are up. I’m always wanting to scan the room for a threat. Jason’s noticed similar things about my body’s reactions.” He hopes that’s enough detail.
Bruce hums thoughtfully. “I don’t think it’s just your bodies,” he muses, typing rapidly. “It could be your brains – your actual, physical brains, not your consciousness or whatever’s been transferred by the spell. Brains like patterns and routines. It makes them effective. It seems that while your consciousnesses have been transplanted, the structure of each of your brains has remained unchanged.”
“Has anyone studied this before?” asks Tim, pulling up his phone and tapping away. “It makes sense but I’ve never heard of body-swapping having this particular wrinkle before.”
“It sounds like your bodies’ hormone levels remained the same too,” says Bruce awkwardly, glancing at Tim-in-Steph’s-body’s abdomen with faint alarm. “Of course, we’ll need to run further tests but that shouldn’t be too difficult since we’ve already been taking daily bloods…” He hums again and opens several more browsers, muttering to himself.
-_-
“TESTING!” booms Bruce’s voice suddenly, two hours later. He looks around. He is alone in the Cave. He presses the intercom. “Alfred, could you gather the kids and tell them- Dammit!” He misses Alfred so much. Bruce sighs and dials Dick’s phone, calling his children back to the Cave.
Once they’re assembled, he starts again.
“TESTING.”
They’re standing in a circle on the mats. Jason’s pointedly holding his phone where Dick can see the screen as he scrolls through nipple piercing and tattoo websites. Dick is trying to focus politely on Bruce. Tim and Steph are glowering grumpily next to each other.
Bruce ignores their moods. He claps his hands. He’s excited for testing. Testing is one of his favourite parts of weird magic times.
“Dick!” he says, pointing. “Unlock Jason’s phone.”
Rolling his eyes, Jason locks his phone and hands it off to Dick. Dick starts to hold it up to his/Jason’s face when Bruce says, “No, with the PIN. Don’t think about it, just see if you can do it with muscle memory.”
Dick looks back to the phone and stares for a beat. Then, his thumbs move rapidly to swipe through a nine-digit code. The phone unlocks.
“Motherfucker,” Jason swears, grabbing his phone back.
“You didn’t know the code before now?” confirms Bruce. Dick shakes his head. “What is it?”
Dick frowns, then shrugs. “I have no idea. My thumbs just-“ He mimes typing on a phone. “It was too quick for me to catch all the numbers.”
“Fascinating.” Bruce is so excited to add to his spreadsheet. He pulls something out of his pocket and throws it to Steph.
She catches it automatically. “Okay? We know we all have good reflexes?”
“You caught it with your left hand,” points out Bruce. “Even though that meant you had to reach across your body. Even though you, Stephanie, are right-handed, this body is not. This body’s brain and mind are still wired to have Tim’s reflexes even if you’re the one in conscious control.”
The four affected youths eye each other warily.
Bruce pulls out a folder. “I’ve printed some pictures to show you. I want you to give me your automatic reactions to these images, don’t overthink it.”
He goes through both benign and personal pictures. It turns out that seeing Dick’s favourite food makes Jason’s mouth water. Seeing Steph’s old childhood toy gives Tim, in her body, a jolt of nostalgic nausea even though he’s never seen the tatty bear before. (“How do you even have a picture of Mr Huggins?” asks Steph. “Creeper.”) Seeing a playground makes Tim’s body anxious and Jason’s body prickle with protective anticipation.
They all thoroughly agree that Bruce is weird for making them do all of this and then immediately disband to run secret individual experiments on their own.
-_-
“This body!” snaps Jason. “This body is so NEEDY!”
Dick groans. “What now?”
Jason paces restlessly. “First it needs to move all the damn time. I always thought you were fidgeting and doing handstands off tables and shit to be annoying, but you really can’t help it.”
Dick shrugs. “It’s been kinda weird to be in your body and not feel like that. I keep thinking I’m forgetting something but it’s just that I haven’t moved in a while and usually that’s a problem. No wonder you don’t mind long stakeouts.”
“No wonder you hate them,” Jason agrees. “It’s not even that this time. It’s this weird, like, almost itching. Like a shortness of breath. You’re not allergic to anything are you?”
He stalks over to his own body and frowns up at his own face. “Huh,” he says. “You’re not afraid of me. Zero fear response. You’re an idiot.”
Dick rolls Jason’s eyes. “Yeah yeah, you’ve very scary and edgy. Such an ambiguous anti-hero. Dear me, I hope he doesn’t snap one day. Etcetera.”
Jason shoulder-checks him (ineffectively) and storms over to where Tim and Steph are sending each other triggering images over text to see who will break first. Steph’s just sent Tim a picture of a happy family on vacation with the caption “not u lol” when Jason reaches them.
They stare at Jason blankly as he gets up in their personal space. They’re used to Dick being close to them so it doesn’t feel weird, but they know it’s JASON, so it IS weird. Jason grabs Steph-as-Tim’s arm and holds it for a moment. He grunts and releases it. He turns to Tim-in-Steph, an odd look on his face. He reaches for Tim’s arm but the movement seems to get away from him and he ends up grabbing Tim around the shoulders with one arm, holding him in close.
“What are you doing?” yelps Tim, struggling briefly.
“I have no idea,” says Jason, who seems equally baffled but isn’t letting go.
“Holy moly,” says Steph. “You two are tragic. Dick’s body needs a HUG, morons.”
Jason and Tim freeze. They simultaneously realise that this isn’t a strange new grappling move. This is a hug. Oh no they’re hugging. They don’t hug. They’re not huggers.
Dick snickers, coming over to view the scene. “I could have told you that,” he informs Jason.
“It’s not allergies?” says Jason, shuffling around to look at Dick without letting go of Tim. “Your body wanted a HUG? What are you, a toddler?”
“Hugs aren’t childish,” scolds Steph mildly, taking photos on her phone even though they will never capture the true awkwardness of a Tim-and-Jason hug. “Heaps of people need touch to feel good. Hugs, cuddles, patting a pet, whatever. Dick’s a hugger, you already knew that.”
“I knew he liked hugging, I didn’t know he needed it to live,” bites Jason, trying to appear nonchalant and cool while embracing Tim to his chest like a doll. “Why is this body hugging you? Steph, I mean. Why not just go for the closest person?”
Steph and Dick roll their eyes. “Jason, when was the last time you and I hugged?” Dick asks. Jason glowers.
Steph nods. “Dick and I hug all the time, dude. You two aren’t cuddly. That’s cool. Whatever. Tim lets me use him as a pillow at movie night so I’m happy. Dick’s body probably feels more comfortable with mine than the others here.”
“Plus, girls are so nice for hugs,” Dick adds. “So nice and soft. So snuggly and safe.”
That does it. Tim and Jason break apart and swiftly put eight feet of space between them. The incident is swiftly added to the Never To Be Spoken About Again list, which is growing longer by the day.
-_-
The end? To be continued? Who even knows.
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seventeenpins · 1 year ago
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violet pairing: older qz!joel x f!reader
word count: 5.8k
summary: follow-up to forget-me-not. it's been seven years since you last saw joel in the boston qz, and a lot has changed. you find yourselves reunited in jackson.
warnings: smut, actually contains a lot of plot (sorry), tommy, maria & ellie all exist, allusions to/discussion of abortion, reader has a kid, joel is insecure about being an old man (you're only 63, it's ok buddy), reader is mid-thirties to early 40s, lil bit of daddy kink, face sitting, multiple orgasms.
a/n: okay first -- header or no header? like, it's a bit ridiculous but i also kinda love it? instead of packing up for a move, i've been writing this 🤷 thanks for all the continued love on my fics, it's so sweet and means a whole lot. working on a few other stories, and i hope to have more out soon!
this chapter is dedicated to the dumbass at the club who didn't quite manage to ruin a first date i was on by asking us what we thought about gay rights (as two fem-perceived folks caught smoochin) and then telling us "you're clearly so in love, i respect that" before yeeting off in the moonlight.
you could have sworn the terrain had been totally empty only moments before, but now in the blink of an eye, you’re surrounded by a small group of riders, armed, their horses huffing down at you. 
“shit,” you gasp, trying to shield your girl, but realising there was little use. can’t put your body in front of hers when there’s people on every side of you. instead, your hands grip tighter on the shoulders of your daughter and you take a breath, trying to steady your breathing.
“you been near infected?” a man calls down at you, and his accent reminds you of joel, so much so that your heart flutters for a moment at the memory. you’ve met lots of people on your travels, a few of them from austin, too, and every time you think of him.
“no,” you call back, “last we saw them was back in the dakotas and there weren’t many there. that was weeks ago, haven’t encountered any since.”
the man nods, and you’re not sure what he’s thinking under his stetson, but the fact you’re not shot yet seems like a good sign. hopefully.
"frankly, we've had much more trouble from people than from infected on our way. but we've been able to take care of ourselves," you say, and you're hoping your words have an underlying edge of danger, but you're pretty sure you just come off as scared and defensive.
the man nods, and looks you up and down. “well, we've gotta make sure,” he says, almost apologetic, and you tense. it takes a moment before you see the dog, but then a dark blur comes bounding towards you, snarling. You tense and pull your girl close, but after a few moments of incredibly stressful sniffing, the dog leaves you alone and trods back to his owner, panting happily.
“good,” the man says, “now we've got that cleared up, what’s your business here?”
it's a good fuckin question, but not one you have a direct answer to.
"we came from boston," you tell him, "it was okay for a while, but the qz changed--got worse. more bombings. more hangings. if it was just me i might have stayed put, but i have my daughter."
there's so much you could say, but you're pretty sure you're advocating for your own life right now, so you keep it short and simple.
"we're just trying to find... somewhere better. travelling through all the places i've ever known people, to see if there's somewhere safe out there at all."
he nods, and the group surrounding you seems to back down a little.
"come with us. i think we might have what you're looking for," he tells you, and then one rider jumps down from their horse, mounts another, and the first man helps you and your daughter onto the vacated horse.
you follow the group, cantering along, and the man keeps an eye on you, and a woman in the group rides up next to you.
"so, you're from the boston qz? that's quite a journey," the man says, and nods his head towards the young woman, "she and i both travelled here from boston, years ago. i left back in, oof, '13? remind me, when did you leave?"
the woman nods, "left when i was fourteen, in '23."
"oh wow," you say, "i honestly didn't expect to meet anyone from boston round here"
there's a pause.
"what did you say your name was?" he asks, and you tell him.
"and this is violet," you say, giving your daughter's shoulder a squeeze, and she nestles back into your chest, ever shy around strangers.
"nice to meet you both," the woman grins, "i'm ellie"
"and i'm tommy," the man says. you're sure it's just a weird coincidence, a common name, just cos he happens to share the same name as joel's brother it doesn't mean anything, but you can't help but ask-
"this is probably silly, but you're not tommy miller are you?"
both tommy and ellie halt, so you do to, as they communicate something through quick glances and furrowed brows.
"wait," you say, "are you? tommy miller?"
he stares you down, and all of a sudden, you see it in his eyes. joel's eyes. violet's eyes.
"i-" your heart is pounding now with the realisation, "i knew your brother. i knew joel. he was a-" you hesitate for only a split second, "friend."
"well shit," tommy says. he caught the hesitation when you landed on friend, and he's looking at you, brows furrowed. "when was the last time you saw him?"
you shrug. "guess it was seven years ago." you look at your daughter, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, and then back up at tommy. "it was when he'd stopped hearing from you, actually. he came out to find you. did... did he find you?"
tommy doesn't answer, his eyes widening, and you can see him put the pieces together as he looks at you and then at your daughter, to you, and to her again.
"how old did you say she was?" he nods at violet but keeps his gaze fixed on you.
"i didn't."
"humor me."
"she's six."
"huh," he says, and ellie's looking between you two now and you can see realisation dawning on her, too.
"wait a second--holy shit," ellie cackles, "joel's gonna lose his fuckin' mind."
a sudden flare of panic and excitement floods through you. "wait, you know him too? he's nearby? i'm sorry- he lives around here? he made it?"
ellie snorts and tommy lets out a noise that's almost like a cross between a deep exhale and a strangled moan.
"yep, he lives in town. made it here with ellie a few years back. been living here a while now."
you don't know if you're thrilled or terrified. to be honest, your brain suddenly feels like it's filled to the brim with bees that were muffling out any thought more complex than AAAAHHHHHHHH.. you'd always hoped you might see joel again, but it wasn't till now you realised you never really believed you would.
he's alive. he actually made it.
as if sensing your racing thoughts, tommy pulls up beside you and claps a strong hand on your shoulder.
"one step at a time, sweetheart. seems like y'all have a whole lotta catchin' up to do."
after you're brought through the gate and finish up at the dining hall for a bite to eat, tommy and ellie take you both on a tour of jackson. you'd seen lots of things in the time you'd travelled, but this is the first real community you'd seen. it made you think of the old days, or rather, your ideas of the old days. you were too young when the world ended, but the idea of people living together and supporting one another without bombs going off on street corners and scheduled hangings was something else.
"we've been workin' on makin' a functioning society here. we get energy from the dam, so actual, non-fedra electricity." tommy points along the main street at the street lighting (actual street lighting!!)
"most of the shops are along here," he continues, pointing out each place as he lists them off, "necessities, like a cobbler and a tailor over in that space. greenhouses and farms over in that direction as well as a clinic. we've got a bar, a couple o' bakeries, house of worship, stables back that way- couple fellas opening a barbershop in that space over there pretty soon. and, of course, the residential area just down here. we've got a lotta houses, and we're working on refurbishing a whole lot, too. most families have their own homes. you're welcome to take some time to decide if you would like to stay here, but y'all seem like decent people and at the very least, we can put you up in some of our temporary housing 'til we have a better grasp on what you need. we got families of all configurations here. we did that a whole lot better after the world ended. and this is a home for a lotta people."
"oh-!" ellie says, suddenly excited, "and the school's over there, if you guys wanna stay. fedra school fucking sucked but this one was actually pretty cool. we actually got to learn stuff!"
violet giggles a little, and ellie shoots her a bright smile that makes her giggle little more. it feels safe here. you don't remember the last time things have felt safe. you're trying to take it all in, memorise every storefront, every person, every moment, when the aroma of fresh-baked pastries suddenly assaults your nostrils and you let out an involuntary moan.
"been a while, huh?" ellie asks and snorts, and you nod. "i grew up in the qz so i never had one of these till the shop opened up a couple years ago. but i hear it's just like the old days!"
"mama, it smells really good," violet says, and it's the first thing she's said since you've come through the gates.
"it does, doesn't it?" you ask her, "and look at all these shops. see those clothes in the window there?"
her eyes are as wide as saucers, and you're so overwhelmed with joy that she gets to experience this that you don't notice ellie bounding up the steps to the bakery and running back a minute later with a paper wrapped something in hand.
she holds it out to you and you take it from her gingerly. you kneel down to let violet unwrap the paper and inside is a perfect strawberry danish. you're stunned.
"that's cream cheese and butter from our cows," tommy tells you, "strawberries and wheat grown here, too. all fresh. all cordyceps free. we don't risk using any of the old stuff that might be contaminated"
that's amazing. that's fucking amazing.
"here, baby," you tear off a piece for violet, and she clutches it carefully and sniffs at it warily before popping it into her mouth, chewing with furrowed brows, and breaking out into a grin.
"welcome to jackson," ellie says, and now you're laughing too.
by the evening, tommy's given you a tour of the whole settlement and left you, ellie, and violet at the tipsy bison with an invitation to join him and his family for dinner. there was a strong likelihood that joel would be there and you were shitting bricks.
what if he's totally different from how you remember him? what if he isn't?
what if he wants nothing to do with you? what if he wants nothing to do with violet?
what if he's forgotten you?
you pinch yourself to pull out of your spiral. ellie winks at violet, who's sipping at her juice, and clinks her glass against yours. together, you take large swigs of your beer.
she tells you a bit about herself. she's vague about how she and joel met, and you're not sure if it's because she doesn't want to talk about it or if she's trying to spare the gory details around violet, but she speaks of him fondly and blushed a little when she mentioned i've kinda become, like, a surrogate daughter to him. and he's my old man.
before you could gather your thoughts and ask any follow-ups, she's already blowing through different topics, grinning as she tells you about her girlfriend, about her tattoo and how she wants another one, about her favorite horse, and the way patrols worked around here, and you relax into the conversation. into the peace. into taking a break.
before you know it, the three of you are walking towards tommy's house and right as you're about to knock at the door, ellie barrels past and swings the door open with a bellowed "we're here!" reverberating off the walls.
as you step through the door, delicious food smells waft through the hallway and you hear laughter and music coming from the kitchen. ellie makes a beeline through the door on your right and you take it all in for a moment.
"you coming?" ellie calls, and you follow her.
and stop dead in your tracks.
illuminated in the light of an antique shaded lamp, sat on a rocking chair, was joel.
he's greyer and more tired, but he also looks- happy? and he's got reading glasses on as he peers at what looks to be a picture book as he points out the illustrations to the kid on his lap. your jaw drops.
the kid's probably around the same age as violet.
ellie is stood in the corner of the room, half-heartedly pretending to examine a bookshelf while she blatantly eavesdrops.
joel looks up and smiles in a way that you've only seen a few times before. it's... unguarded. he extends a hand, "hi there, you must be our guests, i'm jo-"
and then recognition flickers over his face and he stops. stares at you, wide eyed, and then his eyes flick over to violet, and back to you.
"hi joel," you say.
if you're honest, you're expecting him to be the asshole you remember. grouchy. closed off. sweet only in private, intimate, brief moments.
what you don't expect is for him to gently call over to ellie with a "we need a minute here, could you take your cousin and see if tommy and maria need a hand?"
cousin, he'd said, and you can feel your heart slow down a notch, calming down a little. oof. one step at a time, you remind yourself, one step at a time.
"sure thing," ellie nods and helps the kid down from joel's lap, holding his hand as they walk through to the kitchen.
you're stood, frozen, as joel takes off his readers, rubs his eyes, and stands up. you've forgotten how imposing he can be, but even now, he just feels like a big shield between you and the rest of the world. you stare at each other for just a moment, and then strong arms are wrapping around you and joel is laughing?
"fuck," he snorts, "i can't believe it's you. after all this time!"
he pulls back but keeps his hands on your shoulders, looking you up and down, studying you.
and then he looks back down at violet and you see his face contort from joy to something almost like fear. maybe dread, even? or anticipation.
"mama, who is this man?" violet asks, tugging at your sleeve, and you kneel down to her.
you meet eyes with joel one more time before answering her, and you see building panic behind them.
this was, admittedly, a lot. one step at a time. "his name is joel, he was a friend of mine. i knew him before you were born!"
violet extends her little hand out towards joel. "my name is violet, it's a kind of flower. i like your hair. it's sooo silvery."
you snort involuntarily, and joel gulps audibly, wide-eyed, before taking her small hand in his large palm, cradling it as if holding something precious, and shakes it. "i'm joel. it's nice to meet you."
you all have dinner and it's actually a pretty good time, as long as you don't make too much eye contact with joel, who looks as though he has an electric current running through him, keeping him wide eyed and twitchy. he's clearly trying to appear unfazed, but he's jumpy and not at all subtle, to the point that the kid who'd been on joel's lap earlier, rowan you'd learned, prods at joel at one point in the meal. joel jumps a mile and rowan furrows his brow asking why are you being so weird, uncle joel?
despite the tension, it's so domestic. this was a joel who folded his napkin on his lap before starting to eat, who minded his manners, and obviously pressed ellie to mind hers, too. the joel you patched up when he came to you bloodied and bruised felt like a shadow long since past.
after dinner, when you've made it through unscathed, tommy's watching the little ones as they conk out on the couch. maria's going over paperwork, and ellie's tuning a guitar.
joel pops his head into the room and makes a vague gesture indicating outside. "wanna chat on the porch?" he asks, and you nod and follow him.
there are a pair of handsome adirondack chairs and you each take a seat. you don't say anything, don't even look at one another. you just sit there in comfortable silence.
but then joel takes a deep breath and you know the question that's coming.
"violet?" he asks, "is she mine?"
you smile sadly.
"yeah," you say, "you're her daddy."
he chokes out a strangled noise and tries to cover it with a cough, badly.
he doesn't seem like he's gonna say anything, and you reckon he's not gonna, so you try and breeze past it.
"i know- i know it wasn't part of the plan." you exhale, "but it's okay, joel. she's only known one parent her whole life and it's common enough these days that she doesn't think it's strange. and i don't know if you ever want her to know that you're her dad, but i'm not ready for her to know. i'll tell her, but i want her to settle in here before any big life revelations come up for her. jackson's enough of a change as it is."
he nods slowly, coughs out a low "i understand. and i respect it. i just never thought-"
"neither did i," you cut him off, "and when i realized i was pregnant i didn't intend to keep it, but fedra had raided the last underground clinics that i knew about. most of the staff got hanged, and i was out of options."
he lets out a sharp exhale.
you're silent for another minute before joel speaks again.
"i'm sorry-" he says, "i'm sorry that your choice was taken from you. and i'm so sorry i wasn't there for you."
he still doesn't look at you, but he rests a hand on your knee.
"i can't believe- all this time and i have another daughter and i had no idea."
"she's such a cool kid," you tell him, "and don't get me wrong, i felt like the worst person in the world, bringing a kid into that fuckin'- fedra plague world," you admit, "but she's so funny, shy when you first meet her, but she has so much personality. every day, she's more and more of a tiny person! and she's just started doing this thing where i'll tell her something and she'll just scowl at me and she looks just like you-"
"hey, i don't scowl that much-" joel argues, scowling, and there's the joel you remember. all of a sudden you're hysterical with laughter, and then joel cracks too and he's laughing with you.
after a while, you fall into another comfortable silence. it gets later and later, and then joel's standing up and offering you a hand.
"'fraid i've got patrol in the morning, so i'd best be going to bed soon, and i'm guessing y'all are exhausted?"
you nod, feeling as if acknowledgement of it suddenly made it true. good god you were tired.
"you know what house you're staying in tonight?" he asked, and you tell him the number.
"sounds good," he nods, "can i walk ya home?"
"sure," you smile.
you head back inside, scoop up violet, and then the three of you are heading towards your temporary lodgings.
when you arrive, joel bids you goodnight at your doorstep and bobs his head a little as though he was about to lean in to kiss your cheek but then thought better of it, and instead takes your hand for a moment and mutters without looking directly at you, "it's really great to see you, baby. glad you made it here safe."
you go to bed. an actual bed, mind you.
you dreamed of joel miller.
you'd pretty much decided you and violet would stay here in jackson from the first minute you walked down the main street, but you gave it a few days before letting the council know. this is what you've been looking for, though. a home. a community. safety.
violet starts going to school. she's in the same year as rowan and apparently thrilled about it, so you're at tommy and maria's home more often than you'd imagined. you start patrolling, too. just short routes to begin with, but you didn't make it through this much without knowing how to survive, and you're good at it.
and then there's joel.
he's different.
he's aged, but he still looks great. the salt and pepper of his hair has turned more salt than pepper, and the crinkles by his eyes are deeper. you're still attracted to him, so attracted to him, but you don't wanna make any rash decisions. he seems lighter, clearly taken by ellie, and cautiously friendly towards you and violet.
he's made it clear he'd like to get to know her, but is happy to take his time, waiting until you're more comfortable with it. which is so beautifully, frustratingly thoughtful.
you never expected that cold, angry joel could be so warm and open, but he seems like such a doting family man, keeping an eye out for ellie, always there for tommy, being a good uncle for rowan. there was clearly some tension between him and his sister-in-law, too, but one evening you walked in on them doing dishes together, singing along to some old dolly parton cd. you slipped out the door before either of them saw you'd seen.
one night, violet and rowan are having a sleepover, supervised by tommy, and you have a rare night to yourself. you make your way over to the tipsy bison and relax at the bar, letting the whiskey warm you.
you chat with the bartender, and decide to put a song on the jukebox, but as you get up from your stool you knock the whiskey bottle over and watch tumble seemingly in slow motion before being caught by- "joel?"
"easy now," joel smiles, "don't want a repeat of last time."
it takes you aback for a moment, and then your face is burning with the memory.
"can't believe you remember that," you say, and he snorts.
"course i do. that was the last night i saw you."
he pulls out a stool and sits down next to you. gestures at the bartender for a glass, and pours himself a healthy finger of whiskey.
"how do you remember that night going?" you ask.
joel scratches at his cheek for a moment, pondering, and smiles, sipping his whiskey. "i was gonna be leavin' town, and i wanted to say goodbye so i checked out all your usual spots. walked in to see you smash a bottle and then try and flirt your way out of it with that weedy little bartender."
"i remember that bit, too," you say, "though on my end, i'll remind you, i was drinking because i was preemptively missing you and didn't realise you were leaving so soon."
"i do remember you saying that," joel nods, "and i was so mad because i'd spent so much time that night trying to find you, and that was time we wouldn't get back."
your eyes widen at his words. you didn't know this part. suddenly, you feel a warmth rising in you that you hadn't expected.
"do you remember what happened next?" he asks.
you nod. "yeah, you yelled at me a little, implied i was a whore, yelled at me more, and then told me you were leaving in the morning."
"jesus, i'm an asshole," joel says, and you smile.
"yeah, you are. neither of us were at our best though. but then we had one last night."
"one last night," he echoes.
neither of you say anything for a minute, and then joel breaks the silence.
"i'd be lying if i said i hadn't replayed that night over and over again in my head."
you smile. "me too," you admit, "it's honestly been a while since i've been with anyone, and when it's just me and my hand, that night's the first thing that i think of."
joel inadvertently chokes and splutters, dabbing at his mouth as he tries to collect himself. he's flushed a beautiful shade of pink and it makes you giggle.
"shit, girl, i forgot how blunt you can be."
"i think this might be the first wholly honest conversation we've had since i got to town," you ponder, still smiling, "we're always dancing around each other. in orbit but never colliding."
he looks at you with a curious expression on his face, like he's enjoying the task of trying to parse you almost as much as he's seeking an understanding.
you pour yourself another glass of whiskey and knock it back in one. you're gathering your courage. you're plotting plots now, and sure it's been a long time, but you figure it's worth a shot.
"i've been thinking, joel," you tell him, and his eyes are so focused on you, "i wanna say up front i don't have any expectations, and i won't be offended if you'd rather not-"
he raises an eyebrow at you and you could swear you see flirtation behind it.
"but, if you wanted-"
"spit it out"
"that last night doesn't have to be the last night."
your eyes are locked and don't speak, don't move, don't breathe.
and then joel miller's lips are crashing into yours, and you moan into him, one hand clutching at your shoulders, the other cupping your chin, and you melt into it.
"my place," you tell him, "violet's with her cousin tonight."
you realise that's the first time you said those words like that, so casual and normal, and you know you'll need to unpack that later but joel, shockingly, takes it in stride.
before you know it, you're walking up the porch steps with joel right on your heels and unlocking the front door.
you've barely gotten the door open before you're on the other side of it and it's slamming shut, joel pressing you against the threshold and kissing you deeply. one of his thighs presses between your legs and without thinking you rub up against it.
"shit, i've missed you baby," he says, and you're moaning against him as he helps you pull off your shirt, and you start to unbutton his. he continues, bashful, "didn't think you'd want an old man like me, anymore."
you scoff, "you've aged well, joel, and more than that, you've aged. you're still here and i can't even begin to tell you how much that means."
you tug the flannel from his shoulders, letting it drop to the floor behind him before you pull off his undershirt.
"besides," you tell him, "you're the best lay i've ever had and i don't believe for a minute you've lost your touch."
he snorts, but then he's kissing on your neck again and you know you'll need to talk about things properly at some point. for now, though, you'll get lost in the feeling of him.
you're lost in the dizzy haze of touch. joel's hands are all over you, grabbing, stroking, caressing. you stumble to your bedroom, stepping out of your jeans and helping him shuck off his pants along the way. then he's laid out on your bed, bare except for his boxer shorts, chest heaving and cock straining.
you yank off your panties and climb on top of him, straddling him so your bare pussy rubs up against his hardness. he groans and grabs you by the hips, rocking you up and down his length.
"feel so good, baby," he breathes, and his eyes are fluttering closed in pleasure. "come here," he tells you, and he pulls you down for a kiss.
you take him in. look at his body. his chest hair has greyed, and he's got more scars than you remember including a nasty-looking one that must've been a close call. you run a thumb over the one on the side of his chest, still pearly but less pink these days, from the time you patched him up.
joel watches you watch him. "i never thanked you properly for that, sweetheart," he says, "but thank you. you saved my ass that night."
"of course," you tell him, as you dip down and lick a stripe up from his happy trail, all the way to his throat.
"fuck," he whines, and you shut him up with a kiss.
when you finally break, he strokes your cheek. "sit on my face," he tells you, and you don't need him to ask you twice.
you hobble up on your knees and then rest your cunt on his open mouth. he lets out a strangled moan and hmmms into you, the vibrations hitting your clit deliciously, before grabbing onto your hips and eating you like a man starved.
his clever tongue finds your aching clit and flicks against it, hard. once you're nearly overstimulated, he senses it and starts to lick long strokes, back and forth, dipping into your drooling pussy with each pass.
it's heavenly. addictive. you've hooked with old flames before, years after you'd slept with them last, and not only does joel not disappoint? he blows your fucking mind.
you come on his tongue and instead of pulling away, he pulls you closer. licks you deep. takes a breath and tells you "one more, baby, gimme another one."
you do, using his face to get yourself off, taking your time to build back up, rocking your hips over him, his nose covered with your slick, his cheeks, lips, and chin glistening so pretty when you finally shudder and spasm all over him.
"taste so good, baby," he tells you, "i wanna make you come on my tongue all night long."
"as much as i'd love that," you say, "i need that cock in me right fucking now. it's been seven years, joel."
he smirks, but doesn't need persuading.
he flips you over and presses his cock head at your entrance. before he slides in, though, he takes a moment to look you over.
you know you look older, and your hair has a few grey strands throughout. you've got more wrinkles, and stretch marks, and more than a few new scars.
before you can second-guess yourself, though, joel is stroking a hand along all of your perceived imperfections, adoring.
"so fuckin' beautiful", he whispers, "after all this time- i can't believe-"
you let your hand lace through the hair at his nape and give it a gentle tug. he closes his eyes, focusing only on the sensation, before opening them again. looking directly at you.
you're already so wet and worked up, he slides into you easily in one stroke, making you both gasp, and he just rests there for a moment, fully sheathed in you.
you clutch one another as he starts to thrust into you, pressing you open in a delicious stretch.
he fucks into you and then pauses and readjusts. moves your legs so they're on his shoulders, rather than wrapped round his waist. then he presses into you again, tentative, and your eyes practically roll back. it's the deepest thing you've felt.
"takin' me so good," he praises, "i feel how wet and ready you are, you've been needing this a while, huh?"
you can barely speak, only enough to breath out a whiny uh-huh that makes him chuckle.
"touch me", you beg, and he does, rubbing his thumbs over your nipples, gripping your waist, your hips. he grabs at your ass and jiggles it before giving it a swat that makes you giggle, but he looks positively feral.
"this fuckin' body," he groans, and you squeak as you take a particularly deep thrust and he eases up just a little.
you reach up to grab his jaw and kiss him, and he kisses you back, deep and lovely. you drag your tongue along his jawline and pepper kisses down his neck, trace your fingertips along his pearlescent scars.
"god, joel," you moan, "so fuckin big, you feel so good."
"you even feel better than i remember, too."
"don't you dare stop, don't you dare stop fucking me-"
"never, baby. wanna have you like this always."
you can feel your eyes fill with tears, overwhelmed with the sensation, with the tenderness and the care and the big cock fucking deep into you, it's all so good.
"yes baby," he grunts, "keep it open for me, good girl, letting me fuck you so nice."
you can see how his eyes are glittering and know he's emotional, too. he's staring at you with reverential awe that might embarrass you if it didn't feel so right. this isn't the rough, hair pulling, choking, biting sex you remember from him. he presses a hand over your belly and rubs gentle circles against it. his touch is electric.
"can't believe you made it," joel whispers, "made it all the way here, and you still want me. we've got a kid, and i left you all alone, and you still want me."
"always, joel," you tell him, and you realise it's the truth. whatever life you make for yourself, you want joel miller in it.
he lets out a growl and starts fucking you harder, deeper.
your orgasm builds quickly and soon you're clutching at his shoulder, leaving half moon crescents in his skin where your nails dig in, holding on for dear life.
"i'm gonna come," you tell him, and he holds you through it, his pace steady as your walls clench around his cock.
his hips begin to stutter as he loses his rhythm, nearing his own climax. he chokes out, "where do you want it?"
"my chest," you say, "come all over my tits."
he pulls out and strokes himself twice before spilling out on your chest, his cum landing on you in hot ropes.
after you catch your breath, he gently cleans you up and then pulls you into the crook of his arm, holding you close. you lay there together, just breathing.
"so gorgeous, momma," he says.
"not too bad yourself, daddy," you tell him, and he snorts.
you know you have a lot of things to talk about. the past seven years. the future. loss and love. violet getting to know her father.
for now, though, joel miller is in your bed and you're going to cherish every minute of it. it's more than enough.
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xomakara · 4 months ago
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Forever Lost, Forever Found
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(re-posting from my old account seulrinnie-rinrin/xomakara-secondary)
SUMMARY | You're cursed to live an immortal life since you had broken the rules of the Celestial Realm. You're banished to live the life of a mortal but cursed to live forever and watch everyone die around you. It's the modern time and you meet Choi Jongho, a man that resembles someone you fell in love with many centuries ago. PAIRING | Jongho x Reader GENRE/CONTENT | mortal!Jongho, goddess!Reader, non-idol au, fantasy, romance, angst, fluff,slight suggestive (not really, more implied lol) WARNINGS | It’s a fantasy setting so…like exile, betrayal, etc. I mean not really any warnings I don’t think. RATING | SFW LENGTH | 6,230 words TAGLIST | -- NETWORKS | AUTHOR’S NOTE | I think this took me like a few days to write…more like a few hours haha. This concept/idea was so fresh in my mind that I had to write this. And look! My first SFW fic in a very, very long time (not including my dad!Wooyoung fic out there lol). Thank you for all the love and support and please reblog, comment and like. Much love~
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Transcending time and eternal life.
You’ve been alive for a long time - too long. You’re a divine being, a high goddess, cursed to live an immortal life ever since you broke the rules of the Celestial Realm because you fell in love with a mortal. You were banished to live the life of a mortal, but cursed to live forever and watch everyone die around you.
You’ve seen empires rise and fall, watched civilizations crumble to dust. You’ve loved and lost more times than you can count. And each time, the pain is just as fresh as the first.
But there’s something different about this man. The first time that Choi Jongho walked into the cafe that you were working at in this time period, you felt something inside you stir and awaken. He reminds you so much of the man that you loved in your last life, so much like him that it takes your breath away when he looks at you. He reminds you of your first husband that you fell in love with many centuries ago. The husband that made you broke the rules of heaven and sealed your eternal fate.
You know that you can’t get too close to him. If you do, he’ll just end up like all the others. But you can’t help yourself. You’re drawn to him in a way that you’ve never been drawn to anyone else before. There’s no logic behind it, but the second you laid eyes on him, you knew deep down in your heart that you were meant to be together… even if it was just for a little while.
The day he asked you out, you should have said no. Should have pushed him away. Your life has always been doomed to failure after all, hasn’t it? Who knows how long you’ll be able to keep him in the dark? What happens when he finds out that you’re a divine being?
’Just one date,’ you tell yourself. ’If it doesn’t work out, then I won’t see him again.’
That’s what your rational mind tells you, anyway. So you go on that date with him. One date turns into another. Another turn leads to another date. Then another. Before you know it, you’ve fallen head over heels for him. Because he makes you feel things that you haven’t felt in ages. Feelings that are not just from lust. He makes you laugh. And he brings back memories of better days.
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. You promised yourself that you would never allow yourself to get close to someone again. Never allow them to break your heart or make you feel things that you’ve grown numb to.
All those promises flew right out the window when you saw Jongho. When he looked at you. When he touched you. Every single time, your insides tingle and your blood runs hot. No matter how hard you try, you can’t stop yourself from falling deeper and deeper into him. Soon enough, you’ve found yourself completely enamored by him.
He’s helped you forget for a while. And when he kissed you for the first time, you’d forgotten all of your worries. All of your pain. For just that moment. Nothing else mattered except that his lips were pressed against yours, holding you tightly. Kissing you softly. Holding you close. And making sure that you didn’t go anywhere without him.
That kiss set off a spark inside of you that had been dormant for a very long time. It awoke a hunger inside of you that you thought was long dead. Jongho’s slowly drawing you back out of the darkness. Bringing back the person that you once were, the person that you used to be when you were with your first husband. He shows you a glimpse of the future, and it looks bright. For just a few moments, you let yourself dream about what could be. About how happy you might be. How good it feels to finally be loved again.
Every single night, you fall asleep with a smile on your face. Falling asleep next to him is even better. His arms wrapped around you, holding you tight. Feeling his warm breath against your neck. The feel of his chest rising and falling next to you.
And every morning, you wake up with the same smile on your face. Even though you’re broken. Even though you’ve been hurt again and again, you find comfort in the fact that you still have hope for a brighter tomorrow.
A future with him.
Tonight you watched Jongho as he slept. He moved restlessly, rolling around on his side, making small noises every now and then. His dark hair covered his forehead, framing his delicate features and you wanted to run your fingers through them. To stroke the side of his face. Touch him in ways you hadn’t been able to touch your husband in all these centuries.
When he shifted slightly, you realized that he was awake, his eyes fluttering open slowly. “Babe?” he whispered, his voice rough from sleep.
“Mmm?” you replied quietly.
He glanced at you, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “How long have I been asleep?”
You turned away quickly. “Not long.”
“Are you okay?��
“I’m fine.”
“Did I wake you up?”
“No. No.” Your face burned red with embarrassment. “I was just thinking.”
Jongho turned onto his back again and put his arm over his eyes. “About what?”
“Nothing important.” You ducked your head. “Just my mind wandering. You don’t need to worry about me.”
He lifted his hand and lightly stroked your hair. “If you ever need to talk…”
You smiled softly. “I know.”
You laid there in silence, staring at the shadows dancing across the ceiling, remembering all the times you were alone in your bed, wishing for someone to come in and comfort you.
You’re no longer alone.
You opened your mouth to say something, to tell him how much you appreciated him, but before you could say anything, his fingers traced their way along your collarbone, eliciting a shiver. “Why do you look so beautiful while you’re sleeping?”
You laughed nervously. “Do I? Why?”
“Because you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
With each word he spoke, your body felt like it was going numb. You reached for him, wanting desperately to hold him, to kiss him, but instead you simply laid your head against his chest, letting your fingers trail through his hair. You listened to the sound of his heartbeat, comforting and steady. The only sounds you heard were your own breath and Jongho’s quiet breathing. It was blissful in its simplicity, yet it felt like everything you needed to be happy.
Eventually, you fell asleep.
When you woke up again, it was still dark outside. Your eyelids were heavy and you could barely keep them open, but you knew you wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep if you waited any longer. So you stretched and got up from the bed, looking around the room for something to wear. All you could find was a white robe draped over a chair near the foot of the bed. Sheathing yourself in it, you went downstairs to see Jongho sitting on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV. He gave you a smile when he saw you. “Good morning.”
You walked over to him and leaned down to kiss his cheek. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“I slept well.” His cheeks flushed and he looked away, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. He patted the seat next to him. “Come here, babe.”
Feeling like you couldn’t turn down an invitation like that, you slid into the seat beside him. Jongho wrapped an arm around you, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. You laid your head against his shoulder, closing your eyes. “Are you okay? You just seem out of sorts lately.”
“I’m fine,” you murmured. “It’s just been a long day.”
He nodded and kissed your head again. “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
“Maybe some coffee would be nice. And a kiss too.”
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, I guess that would be alright.”
Jongho kissed your cheek once more and got up off the couch, heading towards the kitchen. You watched him go, the sun peeking out from behind the clouds casting a warm glow on his handsome face.
His black hair framed his features, brushing his eyebrows. He caught you staring and blushed, turning around. As he poured you a cup of coffee, you admired his broad shoulders, admiring the muscles flexing as he lifted the kettle. He turned around again, holding two cups of steaming hot liquid in his hands. One for himself and one for you.
“Here you go.” He sat the cups down on the table in front of you. Settling back in his seat, he softly kissed your lips. “Feel better?”
“Better.” You murmured against his lips. “So much better.”
He kissed you again and you leaned into his embrace, enjoying the warmth of his arms surrounding you. After several minutes, he pulled away, looking at his watch. “Oh, it’s that time already. I need to head out to work.”
“Can’t you skip work today?” You pouted.
“As much as I want to stay home with you, it isn’t possible. Sorry, baby.” Jongho leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to your lips. “I’ll be home as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay.” You smiled, leaning in to kiss him again.
As he headed out the door, you lingered in the doorway, watching him walk down the steps. “Have a good day.”
“Bye, babe.” He waved as he stepped outside. The door closed and you found yourself all alone again. Looking around the room, you noticed a notepad sitting on the countertop of the kitchen. Glancing down, you saw Jongho’s neat handwriting scribbled across the page. You smiled, picking it up and opening it. A simple message that told you that he loves you and that he hopes you’ll have a good day.
The perfect reminder of why you fell in love with him.
You heard a ’whoosh’ from behind you and you didn’t even have to turn around to know what, or rather who, it was.
“Greetings, General Seonghwa.” You turned to look at the person that had magically popped into your living room. General Seonghwa, a divine being that you have known for centuries, stood silently in the middle of the room. He looked exactly as he did the last time you saw him, save for the fact that he seemed a little tired. “Thank you for gracing me with your presence and not showing up when he was still here.”
“This new mortal looks like the one that you fell in love with. The same one that you broke the rules for. The same one that got you banished.” Seonghwa walked towards you slowly, stopping right in front of you. You could see the concern in his eyes as he gazed down at you. “The Heavenly Emperor is worried about you.”
“If the Heavenly Emperor was worried about me, why did he banish me in the first place?” You asked, your voice trembling. “He banished me, General. His own daughter.”
Seonghwa shook his head sadly. “Even gods make mistakes.”
“Was it a mistake to fall in love?” You asked. “All the lesser gods and goddesses and other divine beings that cultivated into an immortal can fall in love. But a high goddess…no, the heavenly princess, the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, can’t? That was my mistake, wasn’t it? That was my punishment.”
Seonghwa raised an eyebrow. “For being brave enough to show your true feelings? Being so stubborn that you’d risk everything for a mortal man?” He frowned. “There are worse things than getting banished by the Heavenly Emperor. Believe me, Princess Y/N. Your father did you a favor.”
“You think so?” You asked. “That’s all you have to say?”
Seonghwa stared down at you. “We were lovers once, weren’t we?”
You sighed heavily. “Yes. We were. But that was so long ago. It doesn’t matter anymore.”
“I suppose not.” He shrugged. “Still, I’m worried about you.”
“Why should you be?”
“Because you’ve fallen for this mortal.” Seonghwa said simply. “The mortal that looks like your first husband.”
You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “Why exactly are you here, Seonghwa?”
“The Heavenly Emperor has lifted your banishment. He wants you to return home.”
“After a hundred, no, a thousand years after he banished me, he decides that he wants me back?” You snorted derisively. “Sure, that makes sense.”
“Perhaps he feels bad for banishing you.” Seonghwa shrugged. “Regardless, he sent me to ask you to come back.”
You sighed. “Fine. Tell my father that I will be in the Celestial Realm shortly.”
Seonghwa nodded. “Will do, Princess.”
After you said your goodbyes, Seonghwa vanished without a trace. You looked at the clock that adorned the wall above the mantelpiece. There were still hours before Jongho got home from work. Going up to your bedroom to get changed, you knew that you had to go to the Celestial Realm sooner rather than later. To get everything over and done with.
You went back downstairs and looked at the notepad that was on the countertop. You scribbled a small message to Jongho just in case he came home early, saying that you’d be running errands and that you loved him.
You took a step back and knowing that your banishment was lifted, you felt your spiritual energy return to your body and then you found yourself walking into the Celestial Realm once more.
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“Welcome home, Princess Y/N!” The heavenly guards shouted as you stared at the city of the Celestial Realm. Bright lights and colors danced and fluttered throughout the sky, bathing the city in a golden light. The buildings in the distance glistened in the sunlight, reflecting the brilliance of the heavenly moon. To the untrained eye, it appeared as though they were glowing from within.
You saw the other gods, goddesses, immortals and even dignities from each of the three realms: Celestial, Earthly and Underworld. Each of them were happy to see you return and as you made your way towards the Jade Palace, you were greeted with cheers and applause.
You held no emotion on your face. These were the same entities that exiled you in the first place. You still hated them, and their attitude still pissed you off.
But you didn’t care anymore. In the beginning, you had hoped that you could prove to your father that mortals are worthy of being treated as equals. That love between humans and immortals could flourish and bloom into a beautiful flower. That love conquers all, and those sentiments remain unchanged. Even after everything that happened to you, you still believed in the human heart and its ability to open up to others, to accept others, regardless of their differences.
And now you had Jongho. The mortal that opened your heart and healed the wounds that had lingered inside of you for a millennium. The mortal that showed you what unconditional love really meant.
When you reached the Jade Palace, you followed the servants through the lavish halls and up the stairs until you finally arrived at the top floor. There sat the Heavenly Emperor, your father, imposingly on his throne. With his long, graying hair tied into a topknot and secured with an intricate gold ornament, he sat tall and proud, his white robe billowing out behind him.
Beside him was Empress Jihyun, your mother, clad in luxurious white robes. “Welcome home, my daughter. We have missed you.” Her face broke into a smile as she beckoned for you to join her. She wrapped her arms around you in a tight hug. “It’s good to have you home again.”
“Likewise, Mother.” You returned her hug and glanced at the other members of the court.
They bowed deeply to you, grateful that you were back. The emperor raised his hand and the entire Jade Palace came to a halt. All eyes turned to him.
“My dearest daughter, you have been gone for far too long. I thought I would never see you again.” His deep voice boomed throughout the palace. “Are you well?”
“I am fine, Father.” You replied.
His gaze softened and a gentle smile appeared on his face. “I have waited for this moment for many, many years.” He chuckled softly. “So I hope you understand why I feel relieved to have you back under my roof.”
He stood up and clasped your hand in his. “Come, let us retire to my private chambers. There, I shall tell you of how your banishment ended and how you came to be summoned back here.”
You stayed rooted to your spot, the other members of the court leaving. You took a deep breath and looked at your father. “Father, I can’t stay long.”
“Why not?” Your mother asked, looking at your father. “You just got back home.”
“You know why. I can’t just leave Jongho there waiting for me.” You said, looking down at the floor. “Time works differently between here and the Earthly Realm. What could be hours or days here are like years…I can’t do that to him. He needs me.”
“You wish to go back?” Your father asked. “Return to the Earthly Realm?”
You looked at your father. You couldn’t lie to him. Could you?
“Yes.” You breathed. “I wish to go back.”
Your father sighed. “You’d throw away your second chance at godhood, to finally be home, for a mortal man?”
“Yes, Father. Yes, I would. And I would do it all over again if I had to.” You let out a deep breath. “After thousands of years loving different mortals, Jongho is different. I don’t want to keep going through the motions. After everything that happened to me, he helped heal my heart. He gave me hope that things could be different. He gives me strength to move forward and find happiness again. I love him. Father, don’t you care about my happiness? Don’t you care about your daughter?”
Your father remained silent, thinking. Finally, he lowered his head and sighed. “You have become much stronger since you left, child. Much more compassionate and caring. You have shown me what unconditional love truly means. And while I may not agree with your decision, I cannot deny that you love him dearly. But you also need to realize that this decision won’t be easy. You’re a goddess and he’s a mortal. He will grow old and die, but you…you’ll remain young and vibrant forever. Your world will always be upside down and chaotic. Why put yourself through such hardship?”
“You haven’t seen how beautiful our relationship is. Our ups and downs, our joys and sorrows. Even when times are rough, we pull through. We’re better together.” You smiled sadly. “And if we could be together forever, wouldn’t you want that too?”
“Of course I would.” Your father replied. “I only want what’s best for you.”
“My love,” your mother laid a hand on your father’s arm. “I know that it’s unheard of, but why don’t we grant this man that our daughter is in love with, immortality? Give him an eternal life with her, as your son.”
Your father stiffened. “Impossible.”
“If you do that, perhaps you could persuade her to stay.” Your mother pleaded. “Don’t you want her to be happy?”
“Do you really love this man?” Your father demanded.
“I love him with all of my heart.” You answered simply. “And I promise that he loves me just as much. If I have to be banished by the heavens to keep him, then I would gladly do it all over again.”
“How do you know that he will even accept this?” Your father pressed. “What if he refuses? What happens then?”
“Then let me go back so that I can tell him. At least then, I’ll have tried.” You crossed your arms over your chest stubbornly. “I refuse to spend another day living this miserable existence alone. I am tired of watching people I care about die around me. Living a life without love. So please, let me try. Let me take this chance.”
“Alright.” Your father nodded slowly. “If this is what you truly want, then we will give it to you.” He patted your shoulder lightly and kissed your forehead gently. “However, there is one condition.”
“Name it.” You sighed.
“If he decides to become an immortal to be with you, then he will marry you. The marriage will be binding in all worlds, mortal and divine.”
“Thank you, Father. Thank you, Mother.” You smiled and threw your arms around them both. They hugged you back tightly. “Jongho and I will make sure to show you that our love will last a lifetime.”
“We look forward to seeing that.” You father waved you off. “Now go before I change my mind.”
“We look forward to meeting our future son-in-law.” Your mother laughed.
“Go and tell him.” Your father urged. “We await his reply.”
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You let out a sigh as you plopped on the couch once you returned home from the Celestial Realm. You leaned against the cushions and closed your eyes.
This was a good start. Things seemed to have gone well, considering your fate.
That didn’t mean that things were completely rosy though. You still had to convince Jongho that he should choose to live an eternity with you, instead of continuing his earthly existence. Even though you wanted to stay by his side, you knew that the decision rested solely on his shoulders.
“I’m home!”
You blinked your eyes open. Jongho entered the room with a bright smile on his face. “Hi, babe.”
You wrapped your arms around him and gave him a kiss. “How was work?”
“Tiring.” He replied with a yawn. “I’m exhausted.”
“You must be drained.” You stroked his hair affectionately. “Why don’t you rest for a bit and I’ll fix dinner?”
“Okay, baby.” He leaned down to peck your lips again. “I’ll be right back.”
He ran off towards the bedroom, and soon you heard the water running in the bathroom. Once the bathroom door closed, you hurried into the kitchen and began cooking.
The aroma of food wafted through the house, and soon the delicious smell of sweet potatoes filled the air. Jongho walked in wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He wrapped his arms around, placing his chin on your shoulder as he watched you cook.
“It smells amazing, babe.” He murmured, kissing your cheek.
“Go get dressed.” You giggled. “You’re being a distraction.”
“What about you?” He cocked his head curiously. “You look hot enough to eat.”
“Jongho!” You blushed furiously and swatted him playfully. “Later. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“I’ll be right back.” He grinned, winking at you before exiting the room.
Once you finished preparing the meal, you called Jongho into the dining room where you had prepared two plates. “Here.” You handed him the plate and watched as he sat down across from you.
“Thank you, babe.” He smiled at you gratefully.
“Anything for you.” You winked and tucked some strands of hair behind your ear. “Eat up.”
Jongho picked up his fork and started eating. When he was halfway through his meal, you decided to ask him a question that had been weighing heavily on your mind. “Jongho?”
“Hmm?”
“Would you believe me if I told you that I’m not of this world?”
“Y/N, I know that you’re not of this world.” He reached across the table to grab your hand in his. “I’ve always known that. Ever since we met.”
“You have?” You asked, surprised.
“Yeah.” He nodded his head. “I knew there was something special about you when I first walked into that cafe for the very first time. There was something…magical about you. Something that drew me in. That made me forget about everything else and fall hopelessly in love with you.”
A warm feeling settled in your stomach as you felt Jongho squeeze your hand.
“Before I met you, every night I would have these dreams of you and I. Wearing clothes from ancient civilizations.” He brushed the back of your hand with his thumb. “Dreams of you and I walking through lush green fields of flowers, at the marketplace eating honey roasted nuts and candied fruits. The scent of jasmine drifting through the air as we walk along the shore of a crystal clear lake. Dreams of holding you in my arms while we danced together under the moonlight. It was magical and felt so real.”
“Oh Jongho…” You squeezed his hand harder.
“Then you showed up.” He swallowed hard. “When I walked into that café, my heart stopped beating for a moment. A whole eternity passed inside of that instant. I knew that you were real and not just some dream. You were real and so beautiful.”
His words melted your heart. How did you get so lucky? How did you ever deserve this? 
“I thought I was going crazy.” He took a deep breath. “Falling for someone whom I just met. But it felt like I’ve known you forever. Like I’ve always known you. All those strange dreams that I’ve been having finally made sense. Every dream of us together was a memory. Memories of us being together long ago. Before this modern age. Back in a time when the world was full of magic and mystery. Memories of our past lives, where we were lovers and soulmates.”
“Really?” You let out a small sob. “You remember all of that? Our memories? Our lives?”
“Yes, baby.” He breathed deeply. “I remember every second of it. Everything about you. I can’t imagine how lonely you must have felt without me. For centuries to pass without knowing if my reincarnated soul would find its way back to you. To see your soulmate being taken away from you because of that damned curse…”
He looked down at the plate in front of him.
“I promised myself that no matter what happened, I would find a way to save you.” He raised his head to stare into your eyes. “No matter what it takes, no matter how impossible it may seem, I will save you. No matter how much pain it brings upon myself. I will fight against the gods until the end of time if I have to. And I will never let anything or anyone separate us. Not even death itself.”
“Even if it means becoming an immortal yourself? Getting rid of your earthly existence?”
“There’s nothing I won’t sacrifice to be with you.” His voice shook. “To be able to wake up next to you every morning, and to lay my head down next to yours every night. To hold you in my arms and feel your heartbeat beneath my fingers. I will risk it all to have a life with you.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” You spoke softly. “And neither are you.”
“I’m sorry.” Jongho sniffed, wiping the tears away from your eyes. “For everything you had to go through. For breaking the rules of heaven because of me. For falling in love with a mortal like me. For not being able to grow old with me.”
You pulled him closer and buried your face into his chest. “It’s okay.” You said with a smile. “I don’t regret loving you. You were the only man I ever loved, and you were the only one I ever needed. My heart belonged to you from the beginning. From the moment I laid eyes on you. I always knew that you would come back to me someday. It’s just that you got lost in the midst of our journey. But now that you found your way back, it feels like everything is coming full circle.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” Jongho mumbled, his chin resting on the top of your head as he held you close. “But no matter what happens between us, even if this cycle continues, my soul belongs to you. You alone. Nothing will ever be able to take that away. You are my everything. I will always belong to you, my goddess. My heavenly princess. My eternal love.”
Your heart soared as he uttered those precious words to you. Words that you had always longed to hear from him. Words that your heart craved to hear over and over again. Now that you could finally hear them, you vowed to treasure them forever.
“Jongho…I…” You hesitated, trying to find the right words to say.
“Don’t worry, my love.” He cupped your face in his hands. “I know exactly what you want to say. You want me to marry you. Right?”
“Right.” You smiled and nodded.
Jongho reached into his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring. You gasped as you stared at it in awe.
“Oh Jongho, this is-”
“Shh.” He silenced you with a finger to your lips. “You’re supposed to be speechless.”
“Oops.” You cleared your throat, letting out a light laugh.
“Y/N, I will do anything and everything to be with you. Even if I have to become an immortal myself. As long as I have a chance to spend an eternity with you, then I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. You are the reason for my existence. The reason why I continue to exist after my death. So I promise to never leave you alone. Not even for a single day. Not even for a single moment. Forever and always, my love. You will always be the center of my universe.”
You stared at the ring in his palm. So elegant and exquisite. A shining reminder of your undying love for each other. A perfect symbol of your unbreakable bond.
“Marry me.” He whispered softly. “Become my wife. Be my everything. My eternal love.”
You couldn’t speak. Your throat had gone dry. You had never wanted anything more than to spend the rest of your life with Jongho by your side.
“Say yes.” He urged gently. “Please, baby. Please, say yes.”
Slowly, you nodded your head. “Yes, Jongho. I will be your wife. Your eternal love.”
Jongho smiled as he slipped the ring onto your finger.
“Now that we’ve gotten that settled, let’s celebrate.” He chuckled, pulling you into his arms. “Let me love you in ways that I have never done before.”
You moaned as you felt him lean forward and kiss you tenderly. You wrapped your arms around his neck and ran your hands through his hair, bringing him closer to you. Jongho kissed your lips passionately, devouring you with every kiss.
After several minutes, you broke the kiss. “Is this how you want to celebrate?” You asked with a smirk.
“Of course.” Jongho chuckled. “This is the best way to celebrate. Celebrating with you, celebrating our everlasting love.”
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Jongho held his breath as you led him up the stairs of the Jade Palace and towards the Great Hall. Never in his entire life had he been so nervous.
“Are you nervous?” You asked him as you took his hand in yours.
“Nervous? What am I supposed to be nervous about?” He laughed nervously. “Baby, of course I’m nervous. I’m meeting your parents. You know, the ones that are the Heavenly Emperor and Empress?”
“I guess that makes sense.” You laughed. “Jongho, I’m right here with you. We’ll be fine.”
He sighed as he glanced down at your hand. Saw the way the diamond ring glistened against your skin.
“I just want you to know that I’m really happy that you’re here with me.” He said softly. “Because Y/N, without you, I wouldn’t be able to deal with meeting your parents. At least not alone.”
You smiled softly as you leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “You’re welcome.”
Jongho watched as you walked ahead of him. Taking in every step that you took, every movement that you made. Feeling as though he was entranced by you. Every time you took a step forward, he felt like his legs grew weaker. And every time you turned to look at him, he lost control of himself. Seeing you in your robes of white and gold silk, looking so ethereal and majestic as you walked ahead of him, left him speechless.
“You are the most beautiful woman in the world.” He whispered to himself as he followed you. “I love you so much, Y/N. More than anything else in this world.”
You smiled as you glanced over your shoulder and saw him watching you. Walking behind you slowly, unable to stop staring at your figure. The way your hair flowed gracefully behind you. The gentle sway of your hips as you walked. Each step sent waves of lust coursing through his veins. Making him ache for you. Make him crave you with every ounce of his being.
You couldn’t help but turn around to see if he was still following you. If he was thinking about you too.
“Come on, husband-to-be. Hurry up.” You called out, laughing quietly as he tried to adjust the white robes he originally hesitated to wear but wore them anyway to please you.
Jongho chuckled as he continued walking after you. Focusing his attention on you instead of the path in front of him. Just like how you used to walk ahead of him, stealing glances at him whenever he was near you. Always catching him off guard whenever he turned to look at you. Leaving him speechless and weak. You were so wonderful, so breathtaking, so intoxicating. And you made him want to surrender his very soul to you. Completely. Without hesitation.
A gentle breeze blew past your ears as you stood in the middle of the Jade Palace. The soft chirping of birds echoed throughout the palace. Flowers bloomed along the path, surrounding you with their sweet fragrance. Jongho smiled as he gazed at you, standing there so serenely. A vision of beauty that stole his heart away. You could easily pass for an angel if he didn’t know any better. But he did know better. He knew the truth. That you were far more than an angel. Far more than he could ever dream of.
You were his goddess, his heavenly princess. His eternal love.
You turned to look at him and giggled softly as he looked like he was having a hard time walking. The Jongho of centuries past would have had no problem in these clothes. He’d simply stride forward confidently. But this Jongho was slightly awkward in his white and gold robes. So clumsy and shy. So cute. You couldn’t help but giggle. This version of Jongho was quite endearing. A completely different person than the version you had fallen in love with years ago. And yet, you knew deep inside that this Jongho was the same man that you had fallen in love with from the start.
“Ready?” You asked, gently nudging him with your elbow.
Jongho gave you a sheepish grin. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
You laughed as you led him into the Great Hall, entwining your fingers with his. You were glad that there was no else present apart from your parents. Just you and him. And you hoped that they liked him. Because you loved him with all of your heart. And he was the first man that you ever truly cared about.
“My lovely daughter, my soon to be son-in-law.” Empress Jihyun smiled warmly as she stood in front of you. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at you with love.
“Mother. Father.” You greeted respectfully before turning to look at Jongho. You squeezed his hand in reassurance, silently telling him that you were here with him. “This is the man that I love, Jongho. I lost him once, and now I’ve found him again. And I don’t intend to lose him again. He’s my life.”
The Heavenly Emperor, your father, nodded. Taking yours and Jongho’s hands in his own, he patted them reassuringly. “It has been far too long since I have seen my daughter smile like this. Welcome to our family, my son-in-law.”
You turned to gaze at Jongho, eyes filled with happiness from the words that your father had spoken. To hear that your father was accepting of him. With tears of joy streaming down your cheeks, you wrapped your arms around him tightly. Hugging him tightly as you let go of all the pain and anguish that had consumed you over the years. All those times that you cried yourself to sleep because of the mistakes that you had made in the past. All the times that you wondered if you would ever find true love again. But now, with the return of your Jongho, you knew that you were finally home.
In just a few days, Jongho will become an immortal and live forever. You won’t need to worry about losing him anymore. Because you’ll be together forever. Together with your soul mate, and the one that you both had waited for your whole lives.
Your beloved Jongho.
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kiwiana-writes · 7 months ago
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20 Questions for Fic Writers
Thanks @cha-melodius and @stereopticons for the tags! I know I’ve done this in the past, but it’s been a hot minute…
How many works do you have on ao3?
239!
What's your total ao3 word count?
822,937—but that’s a collaboration-boosted lie. Per my writing tracker, words that I have personally written and published on AO3 is 693,613
What fandoms do you write for?
Mostly RWRB these days, but the majority of my back catalogue is Schitt’s Creek, with a few others sprinkled in for fun. The Pairing definitely made my brain whirr… we’ll see.
Top five fics by kudos:
With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest), RWRB, 65.5k, the Much Ado About Nothing stage actor AU
Kinda think that I might be his type, RWRB, 12.8k, Alex and Bea fake date and Alex gets a little distracted by Bea’s brother
We were supposed to find this, RWRB, 3.3k, soulmate AU
We always walked a very thin line, Happiest Season, 2.7k, Riley character study/alternate ending
All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers, RWRB, 5.8k, barista Henry repeatedly putting his foot in his mouth in front of his coworker crush
(This is how I learned Puck It has been knocked out of my top five 😭)
Do you respond to comments?
Yes! And absent a Schitt’s Creek resurgence of some kind that sees me absolutely inundated I don’t see that changing.
What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
Five ways it could have ended (and one way it still could), Schitt’s Creek, 1.2k, for the love of god read the tags
What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
Like… most of them? I love to end on a good HEA haha. For sheer joy, though, it’s probably With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest)
Do you get hate on fics?
From time to time. I’m very free with the delete button. Weirdly, it occasionally pops up in the AO3 comments but mostly seems to come to me via anons on tumblr??? I have no idea why.
Do you write smut?
It’s been known to happen, I guess 👀
Craziest crossover:
I haven’t written any AO3-era crossovers! A few fusions/media AUs, but no crossovers.
Have you ever had a fic stolen?
Not to my knowledge.
Have you ever had a fic translated?
Nope. I’ve only been asked once, and they wanted to post off AO3 which is a big heck nope for me (and my permissions statement has now been updated to reflect that)
Have you ever co-written a fic before?
Heck yeah I have. I’ve done several anthology-type collaborations where we each wrote a chapter in a fic, and I’ve fully cowritten fics with @ships-to-sail several times. We have another collab coming up for @aroyallybigbangrwrb and I’m also cowriting The Big Secret AU with @indestructibleheart which is essentially us one-upping each other on emotionally devastating ideas until someone writes them down. Good system 😂
All time favorite ship?
Stop making pansexuals choose things.
What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?
Look, the chances of kinktober 2021 being finished at this point are slim 😂
Schitt’s Creek kinkverse… I don’t know. I have little snippets written of future fics and they’re great but… idk. Maybe I’ll write one vignette-y wrap up fic one day.
What are your writing strengths?
Narrative POV, dialogue that feels like the characters, epistolary bullshit, smut apparently.
What are your writing weaknesses?
Coming up with actual plot lmao. Visual descriptors — I’m not even remotely a visual person so I really really struggle with writing the sorts of things people can visualise. Also like… the passage of time? A scam.
Thoughts on dialogue in another language?
Love it. I’ll shoulder tap a fluent speaker if I need an actual sentence/anything Google isn’t super reliable for. Forever heartbroken that there are no fics in my second language in AO3 and no reason for me to be able to sprinkle it into my own writing (though one of the subscriber shindig prompts might be about to change that 👀)
First fandom you wrote in?
HP
Favorite fic you've written?
Stop! Asking! Pansexuals! To! Choose! Things!
I don’t know there are 239 of the bloody things 😂 I’m far more interested in what other people’s favourites are than what my own is!
I have no sense of who’s done this already so apologies if this is a double up but tagging @agame-writes @affectionatelyrs @anincompletelist @cricketnationrise @getmehighonmagic
@happiness-of-the-pursuit @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @indestructibleheart @inexplicablymine @nontoxic-writes
@read-and-write- @rmd-writes @sparklepocalypse @welcometololaland @whimsymanaged and, as always, anyone who wants to play!
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imaginarylungfish · 9 months ago
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AUDHD 👏 GOJO 👏
I’m right there with you so, in true AuDHD style, I’m zooming into your inbox to infodump because I’m ALWAYS desperate to scream about this (shout out to @ellionwrites for patiently and compassionately listening to my unpolished rambles about a lot of this stuff in private)!
I actually have a LOT of thoughts about 236 and how it’s Gojo’s “unmasking”. That chapter is really emotional for me because of how well it articulates my personal experience of navigating the world as an autistic person. This post (and especially its tags) from right after it came out says it in a much more concise way, but Gojo’s upset pout breaks my heart because, to me, that's evidence of “no matter how much you try, people will misunderstand you” and damn… that hits a little close to home 🥲
It’s why his death had such a strong impact on me, especially when it felt like half the internet was ignoring the actual words Gojo said to claim “he never cared about that stuff, he was arrogant from the start and you just misread him". In combination with “it was the best ending for a character like Gojo" — right after we find out how deeply lonely he’s been, never able to truly connect with anyone after Geto left? Well, it was mindblowingly meta and, therefore, pretty painful to read.
I wrote an analysis of Gojo’s character in 236 and, even though I wasn’t viewing him through an autistic lens for that particular post, I think my words under the cut still read that way — that’s how baked into his character I think this stuff is! I genuinely think the two pairs of sorcerers sitting with their backs to each other is a visual representation of the double empathy problem. I'm not sure autistic and allistic people can ever arrive at a place where we fully understand each other, but that doesn’t mean autistic people have to carry all the burden and remain isolated. That’s why it’s meaningful that Gege makes it clear that all the characters care about each other, even if they don’t see eye-to-eye.
Glad to see you shouting about this reading of his character, because I haven’t seen many people talking about it. Some people are very hostile to ND headcanons, especially for characters as popular as Gojo, which is why I haven’t really talked about it much myself. However, I feel like any fellow AuDHDers who read my fic must be side-eying me constantly because I don’t think I’m subtle about how I write Gojo’s character at ALL 🤪
Maybe it’s time to be brave and publicly share my 236 AuDHD!Gojo manifesto for the five of us who are standing in a circle screaming about this! Cheering you on and sending lots of love ♥️
Ahhhhh thank you so much for this infodump!!!! I was on a AuDHD!Gojo rampage last night as my brain worm hit right as I should have been going to sleep. But such are things....
Like idk why it didn't truly hit me until now, but I can't unseen Gojo as AuDHD. (It was probably because I re-watched "Everything's Gonna be Okay" with some AuDHD representation and then I started thinking of other AuDHD characters and immediately thought of Gojo.) I did play with the idea a few months back, but it hit me with full force yesterday.
Idk like I get a little annoyed with people who think I or others like Gojo just because "he's hot" because like okay fine yes (but also I think I just have gender envy but that's a whole other can of worms). But also, no no no that's not it! My love for Gojo is more than that! He speaks to me as a character. He's misunderstood. He's seen as something he isn't. In my eyes, he's neurodivergent (and queer). And Geto was the only other person who ever saw him for who he really was.
Gojo's death was really hard on me. I remember exactly where I was when I read that chapter. And then the airport. Fuck. EmOtIOns. At first, I tried understanding Nanami's words. I really did. But really, I just didn't if I'm honest. Those words were a shock to me. Like yeah okay he's selfish (but like aren't all humans?). He also helps though! Isn't that obvious? And at the end? He wanted to have an equal to go all out with in a fight. Again, why was that bad? He was also helping! What's the issue? He's a fallible human. Like you said in your analysis, he contains multitudes. What's wrong with that?
So, like many others, I thought maybe I misread Gojo. But no. Now I think the missing piece was that Gojo is AuDHD and Nanami didn't quite get that. He didn't understand Gojo's actions. (And ahh god that lil pout. Gojo was just living his life and people saw him but they never ~saw~ him.)
I think the visual of the sorcerers back-to-back is a great metaphor for the double empathy problem. I never saw it that way, but I see it now and like it! And I think you're so right with the fact that the characters still respect and support each other even if they don't understand each other fully. I think that's a theme woven throughout the story.
Blahhh I feel like there is so much textual support for AuDHD Gojo. Like him being blindsided by Geto's defection because he didn't see Geto's decline (and don't get me started about Autistic!Geto with his strict black-and-white thinking), him just blabbing about sweets when he meets up with Megumi before fighting one-finger Sukuna at the beginning, the fact he thought revealing Yuuji to his classmates at the exchange event would be funny (cause hey, I thought it would too until it happened and I saw oh hey, it wasn't), etc. Plus, his blindfold. His overall personality. Like, it's such a heavy mask. Now I see that.
I feel like people either love Gojo or they hate him. (I immediately gobbled up your analysis and 100% agree. And I think people's reactions to his death are pretty telling.)
So, thank you for the yummy AuDHD!Gojo content. Please feel free to send me more/link me to things. I feel like I have a million more things to say but my brain is jumping all over the place and I've already spent 40 minutes this morning on this when I should have been getting ready for work. Hehe, whoops.
Gojo is AuDHD. I will die on this hill. Let's keep staring and screaming at each other about this. Sending you good vibes and love as well 🤍
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jazzthatonewriterchick · 10 days ago
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Hit ‘Em Up! (18+ Fic)
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Pairing: Cowboy!Gojo Satoru x Cowboy!Geto Suguru x Black!Cowgirl!Reader (Slow Burn/Enemies to Lovers)
Synopsis: You get to meet Geto & Gojo the Gunslingers, the notorious outlaws that have every town and law enforcement in a twist, when your bum-ass BF offers you as payment to avoid going to prison. Little do they know that this is only a part of your plan to get what you desire. But when you realize that the infamous gun-slinging, smooth-talking cowboys could be everything you want and more when they offer you a deal to team up with them, will you successfully be able to go through with it? 
Warnings: Smutty Smut; 18+ (MINOS GTFO); poly!SatouSugu; Reader is Black & Fem; Mention of other JJK characters; Porn with Plot; Tragic Backstories; T/W for Childhood Trauma, Parental Death, Violence, Panic Attacks & Torture; Angst/Hurt/Comfort; Hand Kink; Masturbation; Voyeurism; Gay Sex; Polyamorous; Double Deepthroat; Mutual Oral; Fingering; CMNF; Spitroast; Riding; Unprotected PiV Sex; Creampies; Outside/Public Sex; Shotgunning; Multiple Positions; Spit Kink; Facials; MDom/fsub Undertones; Aftercare
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters mentioned in this fic. However, as this is my writing, I do not give permission for my work to be reposted on any other sites that are not from my own accounts. Thank you!
Writer’s Note: LMAOOO I haven’t written action sequences in a minute so this one took me at least 5 days to write. I had to stop, come back to it, stop again & then come back when I came up with something good. Writing action shit is HARD. I hope it’s not too terrible tho 🥺🥺 pls be nice to me -Jazz 
Chapters: One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen PT I & II. Nineteen. Twenty. Twenty-One. Twenty-Two. Twenty-Three. Twenty-Four. Epilogue + Soundtrack.
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TWENTY-THREE: THE III MOST WANTED.
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You awaken to a splitting headache.  
It is by far the worst headache you have ever experienced in your life. You’ve been drunk many, many times and had the misfortunes of waking up to horrible hangovers, but nothing this bad. Your entire brain feels like it’s throbbing.
You groan, furrowing your brows and squeezing your eyes shut tight against the God-awful sensation. 
But you don’t get a chance to focus on it for long. Not when you’re feeling your body rock back and forth like you’re on a ship. Your eyes open and adjust to the new world around you….which is really nothing at all. Nothing but wood, anyway, and a small sliver of light that nearly blinds you as you raise your head. 
It’s quiet. Too quiet. 
All you hear are wheels creaking and the sound of hooves against stone. 
Suddenly, you hear a horse whiny and the wooden world you’re in violently shakes. Your head slams against the wooden floor and your temple explodes with pain. “Whoa!” Someone exclaims to the whining horse. “Relax, beast. We need to get there alive.” 
Through squinted eyes, you peer up through the little window where the light is pouring in from. A stranger’s legs and the back of their brown jacket is all you can see, but you can also see that they’re sitting on a bench and holding leather straps that are obviously attached to a horse. 
You’re in a carriage. And not one of those nice, fancy ones with cushioned seats. You’re in a wooden box, being hauled away like a prisoner. Pain explodes in your temple, flared by the stress. “Ah, shit,” you hiss, pressing a hand to your temple. 
“Oh,” the stranger says, acknowledging you. “You’re awake. Good. Now shut up so I can focus on gettin’ you where you need to be.” 
You don’t even know if you can talk anymore. Your mouth feels like it’s full of cotton. Your body feels stiff and you can also feel something stick at the back of your head. You already know that it’s blood. All you can remember is talking to Valentine, holding his dead body, and then confronting a disguised Benji the Bandit. 
Despite your foggy memory, you know he hit you and somehow you ended up here. Maybe this stranger is taking you to your death now. 
Pressing your hands against the wall, you try to lift yourself up onto your side and peer out the opening. “Where am I?” you ask the stranger. “Where are you takin’ me?” 
The stranger sighs, sounding exhausted more than irritated. “Didn’t I tell you to shut the fuck up?” he growls. 
You decide to probe him a little more, trying to size him up. Maybe he’s stupid enough that he’ll fall for your trap. “Well, ‘scuuuuse me,” you scoff. “It ain’t like I just woke up with a splittin’ headache and no idea how the fuck I got here! The least you could do is enlighten me.” 
“En-what?” he grumbles, confused. Yeah. Definitely a sure thing. “Tell me where I am and where I’m goin’,” you sigh, rolling your eyes. 
The stranger is silent for a few long seconds as he steers the horse down a bumpy road that you pay the price for. The wooden box shakes and trembles with you—its precious cargo—in it. You do your best to stay perfectly still to avoid hitting your head again. 
“You’re lucky the Boss told me he needs you alive,” he huffs. “You’re in Cherrywood and about to meet your maker once I getcha to the Boss. He’s got some unfinished business witcha.” 
“Boss?” you gasp. “You mean Benji?” The stranger falls silent, ignoring you again, but he’s given you all the information you need. You know this is one of Benji’s goons about to ship you off right to his boss’ doorstep. Perhaps Gojo and Geto are there too? Stupid hope blooms in your gut even when you feel the looming threat of certain death overtake you. 
The rest of the ride is bumpy and quiet. So quiet that you can hear your own breathing and the horse’s hooves click-clacking along the road. You don’t even hear birds chirp. Where are you? Are you really in Cherrywood? Where are you being taken? 
You get your answer when the horse comes to an abrupt stop, causing you to bump your forehead against the wall. “Ow!” you exclaim, rubbing away the growing bump. You hear the goon grunt as he jumps down from the bench and his boots thudding in the dirt as he gets closer to your wooden hideaway. 
You shrink into the corner, your heart thumping wildly. You already know you have no weapons. Maybe you can fight him off? Kick him? Punch him? But that could be your end if he has a gun which seems like a fact since he’s one of Benji’s men. 
You don’t have anymore time to contemplate fighting back when the door to the carriage is yanked open. You squint into the sunlight at the goon, his long brown hair, and yellow teeth. He has a tatted skull on his right hand, confirming what you already know. He is of Benji’s gang. He pulls out a pistol and aims it at your eyes. “Get out,” he barks. “And if you even think about runnin’, you’ll be dead.” 
Despite your thundering heart and fight or flight kicking in, you slowly scoot to the end of the cart and climb out into the blinding sun. You squint at your new surroundings, trying to make sense of where you are. All you see is foliage and patches of grass stretching across red dirt. Are you going to be killed out here? 
You stand as still as a statue as the goon grabs something from underneath the carriage. Rope. He gives you a sharp look and you continue to hold still, biting the inside of your cheek. You can’t make any sudden movements. You watch as the goon ties your wrists together in the front before he presses a gun into your back. “Walk,” he demands. “Don’t stop till I say so. “And if ya try any funny business, I’m blowin’ them brains sky high.”  
You swallow hard and begin to walk, albeit stiffly. But it’s enough for the goon. He follows behind you, his gun still aimed at your head. Though your feet feel heavy and sluggish, you continue to walk, watching as the environment begins to change around you. While it’s still sparse and no living thing is present except for foliage, you notice the steel railings of a railroad track as you walk up to it immediately. 
‘Oh, no,’ you immediately think. You’re being led beneath a railroad bridge. No good ever comes from that. Is Benji going to kill you and leave you to rot beneath the bridge? Is he going to use you as a pawn to rob a train and then kill you? You think of Geto and Gojo, remembering that they were framed and would’ve died if not survived that train wreck Benji and Valentine’s goons caused. 
You fumble slightly, nearly tripping onto the dirt. The goon grunts in irritation, cocking the gun. “Over here,” he snaps, grabbing your arm and aiming you left towards the tunnel that the metal railings have formed. “Keep walkin’.” 
Despite your fear, you walk, traveling farther and farther under the bridge. As you do, you start to see a black cord snaking up the road, guiding you and the goon. Once you make it to the end of the cord, you find that it leads to a mysterious burlap sack. Hovering above that sack is Benji digging a hole, looking haggard and dirty in a jacket, riding pants, boots, and a hat. 
And beyond him are two familiar faces you thought you’d never see again. Your beautiful outlaws sit back to back, tied up in rope and bond with bandanas tied around their mouths. Both of their handsome faces are dark with bruises and caked in blood. Their eyes widen in shock at the sight of you, looking horrified to see you there. “Oh, my God!” you cry out, overcome with all kinds of strong emotions.
You try to go to them, but the goon pistol whips you and sends you careening onto your knees. Benji uncovers the sack, revealing a makeshift pile of dynamite. Your heart lurches into your throat as he slides a box of matches out of his pocket. “Don’t move,” he growls. “Or they and every single person in this shit town gets blown to bits.” 
You stop, seized with fear. Benji grins, knowing he’s got you. 
“Boss!” his goon shouts, grinning his sun-yellow teeth at the bandit. “I got her here alive just like ya said! Took her out of that prison as soon as ya gave me a call, ya see? Not a scratch on her!” He yanks you over by your belt, nearly making you tumble and all. 
Benji doesn’t look the least bit proud as he covers the dynamite back up. “Yeah,” he grumbles, turning back around to dig. “I see it. Anybody see ya?” 
The goon frantically shakes his head and you almost feel bad for him. “Oh, no, Boss,” he chuckles. “Even if they did, the whole town is scared of ya! Everybody was snugged up in their homes with the curtains drawn and the doors locked when I rode through.” That explains why Cherrywood seemed so quiet when you rode in. Everyone knows Benji is in town. 
The goon then pushes you aside so you’re behind him, respectfully taking off his hat. “So do I get my reward now?” he asks, hope in his voice. He takes a step forward, holding his hands out as if Benji will deliver him a sack of gold. 
Benji stops shoveling but doesn’t drop the shovel. Instead, he turns to his goon with the hopeful, sparkling eyes. “Yeah,” he cooly replies. “Here’s your reward.” You watch as his hand shoots to his belt, pulls out his gun, and aims at his goon in one blink of an eye. 
BOOM! 
You let out a shriek as blood splatters on your clothes, several red dots staining your riding pants and shirt. The goon staggers on his feet for a moment, his mouth parted in shock as if he can’t believe there’s a hole in his stomach. He coughs, blood spilling from his lips. You and the Gunslingers watch on, shocked and horrified. 
Benji, however, is cold. His face is completely void of emotion even when his faithful goon stumbles backwards and then falls. You jump back as he tumbles onto his back, lying sprawled out on the dirt. As he sputters and coughs up more blood, Benji comes over to stand above him. “B-Boss,” he rasps, staring up at the bandit. “W-Why?” 
Benji looks down at the human being as if he is no more than a bug. “‘Cause I have to,” he replies. “And ‘cause I can. Thank you for your service.” He cocks his gun again and then shoots, aiming straight at the goon’s heart. The goon’s body shudders for a moment and then he immediately goes slack. 
Silence, defeating and terrifying, descends around you. “Y-You killed him,” you whisper. 
Benji aims his gun at you, making you stagger backwards. “And I’ll kill you too if you don’t shut yer mouth,” he growls. “Ya speak when spoken to, ya hear me, bitch? You’re lucky I ain’t bust a cap in ya as soon as this idiot came here witcha.” He aims his gun down to the ground, motioning for you to sit. 
You do as he says, slowly folding your knees below you to sit with your wrists still tied in front of you. Benji keeps his gun aimed at you as he walks over to the hole and the makeshift bomb. The Gunslingers watch you, looking wounded at the sight of you. You feel the same. Despite the bruises and the situation at hand, you’re so happy to see them alive. 
“Ya want some water?” Benji suddenly asks. He returns to you, standing over you with a canteen. You stare up at him wearily, silent. “It ain’t poison, if that’s what ya thinkin’,” he chuckles. He shows you by taking a sip himself, his Adam’s Apple bobbing as he drinks. “See? I’m just bein’ nice considerin’ this hole is for you.” 
He motions towards his masterpiece sitting between you and your Gunslingers Tentatively, you lean forward as he brings the canteen up to your lips, allowing you a sip. The cool water feels like heaven on your parched throat. His eyes, one a milky white and the other brown, bore into yours. 
“You’re probably wonderin’ why I’m doin’ this,” he says. “Go ahead…ask me.” He takes the canteen away and wipes a dribble of water away from your chin. “Why are you doin’ this?” you whisper, fighting back your fear. 
Benji is happy to explain, grinning at you. “Well, I was originally just goin’ to skip the country and go overseas, but you and your love boats just haaaad to start snoopin’ around. First I caught wind of the Gunslingers comin’ to find me and then here you come.” 
He gives you a look that could kill. Your eyes roam over his dirty face and disheveled, black hair. This man has been through it, probably hiding out for weeks. 
“I didn’t know you survived that night on the tracks,” he continues. “Was hopin’ ya didn’t, but I would’ve definitely had read about your demise in the paper. I had hoped you three would’ve disappeared for good, but then I caught up with these two on the road out South.” He nods at Geto and Gojo. “So you brought ‘em here?” you question, confused. 
He stands up, groaning over his old knees. “To the same place they should’ve died at. Poetic, ain’t it?” His grin widens, showing off his golden tooth. “I own this fuckin’ town. Got it wrapped around my finger…includin’ the law.” 
You would think so. As many people as he’s killed, as many towns as he’s destroyed, you would think Benji has the whole West shaking in their boots. “So you plan to kill us and put us in that hole?” you spit. “We don’t even get a fair fight?” 
The bandit tosses his canteen aside, replacing his drink with a flask of whiskey he unhooks from his belt. He smirks at you, chuckling. “Dontcha see how a fight went for ya loverboys?” He motions his flask towards Geto and Gojo who both look like they want to rip out of their binds and choke him. 
Benji takes a swig of his whiskey and wipes his lips with the back of his hand. He glares daggers at you, his eyes slightly unsteady. “You think I wanna do this shit?” he cooly asks. “Ya couldn’t have just stayed to yourself and let me go on my way.” 
Now you’re irked. He’s toying with you. “Don’t do that. Don’t act like ya wouldn’t have come back to kill us. You already killed your man!” You nod at the dead goon lying on the ground in front of you. 
Benji grips the shovel and continues shoveling away, tossing piles of dirt aside. His back is to you as he speaks. “I killed ‘em all,” he states, his voice cold as Arctic ice. “When yer about to split from the country, ya find ya can’t trust your own no more. These two are a fine example.” 
He nods at the bleeding and silently fuming, hog-tied Gunslingers. “I had to make damn sure they wouldn’t flap their gums if the law tried to shake ‘em down.” 
“That’s why you killed Valentine,” you realize. 
Benji ignores you, continuing to shovel, muttering to himself as he does. You begin to look around, taking in the environment you’ll be buried in. With its red dirt and patches of grass and jagged rocks. You pause, staring at one rocky wall in particular near you that stretches up to the train tracks above. Jagged, sharp peaks to each rock stick out to you. 
‘Maybe…’ You turn to Benji who is still shoveling away. Biting your lip, you begin to quickly scoot away from your spot, keeping an eye on the belligerent bandit. Geto and Gojo watch you, silent yet visibly panicked. You keep moving until you’re pressed against the wall. There, you press your tied wrists to one of the sharp rocks and begin to slowly yet roughly saw away. 
To distract Benji, you talk, trying to appease him. “We’re not gonna talk,” you softly say. “We don’t even know where you’re—“ 
“Bullshit!” He bellows, his booming voice echoing across the land. Luckily, he doesn’t turn around so you continue to work. “Ya think you can lie your way outta this one, bitch? I know ya came here to bring me in if not kill me yourself.” 
“I came here to find them!” you protest, throwing in some fake sobbing. “And I did! All I wanted was to make sure they’re still alive. I don’t care about you or what you do, Benji.” 
Finally, he turns around and you abruptly stop. He tosses the shovel away and points his gun at you, sending your heart into a frenzy. “Yer lyin’,” he snarls. “You’re a big, fat motherfuckin’ liar. Everyone cares about me. Why do ya think the law is still after me? That my operation is so fuckin’ big? That the entire Wild West and the whole fuckin’ country is afraid of me?” 
You don’t answer. How can you? This man is losing his mind, but you suppose a life on the run does that to you. “I’ve got this town shakin’ in their boots after my raids,” he rambles on. “I have the East. The North. The South—“ 
“South?” you parrot, stuck on that one part. The bandit stops, scowling at you. “What towns have you raided?” you softly ask. The Gunslingers look at you curiously while Benji looks at you like you just grew another head. “What?” he asks, confused. “How the fuck should I remember that? I’ve been doin’ this shit for years.” 
Suddenly, you feel as if you can’t breathe. Your mind is flooded with memories of that event so long ago: burning homes; your mother crying; her murderers’ tattooed hands. You see two roses reflecting back at you on their knuckles. 
For so long, you’ve wondered who those men worked for. Who was in charge of destroying your home. And now you know. “You,” you breathe, staring at Benji. “Your men destroyed my home. You…you killed my mother.” You whisper the last word as a tear falls down your cheek. You have completely reverted back to that little girl who lost everything. 
Benji just stands there, perplexed and looking irritated. “Pinewood,” you spit. “Do you remember now?” 
“Shut up!” he snaps and shoots his gun right above your head. The bullet zooms past you, reminding you of your place. “I don’t remember and even if I did, I can’t do nothin’ ‘bout it now. It ain’t my fault your mama was in the way of my work!” 
Suddenly, something snaps in you and all you see is red. You can’t stop your body from rising on wobbly legs and charging at Benji despite his gun. He is so shocked (and drunk) that he doesn’t even shoot. With a grunt, you shoulder shove him as hard as you can, aiming for the hole. 
Instead, he falls flat on his back on the ground. His gun falls out of his hand and lands near Geto’s foot. Quickly, he edges it close to you and you quickly attempt to pick it up with your tied wrists. But Benji is quicker. He grabs your ankle and makes you fall, smacking your face hard into the dirt. Pain explodes behind your skull and nose, white and hot. 
You lift your face up, spitting out dirt, just as Benji presses a foot on the small of your back. “Oh, you done fucked up now,” he growls. “Now I’m gonna make sure your lovers die nice an’ slow.” He picks up his gun, aiming at the Gunslingers. “Then I’m gon’ kill you to keep your big mouth quiet.” 
He cocks the gun, aims, and—
“Wait!” you shout, so loud and hard that it makes your throat raw. The bandit stops, looking down at you. “If you’re gonna kill me, at least offer me a deal.” Benji blinks at you, not expecting this. 
The Gunslingers watch the tense scene unfold, their eyes rapidly switching between you and Benji. “We have a drawin’ contest, fair and square,” you pant. “Whoever wins…wins. I know you’ve been dyin’ to put a bullet in me yourself.” 
You keep your eyes locked on Benji and his pistol, hoping that he’ll agree. “Just give me a minute to talk to them,” you plead. “Please.” 
Benji is silent, contemplating this. Finally, he takes his foot off of you. “Anythin’ funny and I’ll shoot you right here,” he growls. He stands off to the side, letting you struggle to hoist yourself up onto your knees. Quickly, you then begin to crawl over to your Gunslingers, awkwardly using your fingers to scoot yourself along. 
You start with Gojo first, taking his gag out of his mouth. “What the fuck are you doin’ here?” he demands, his blue eyes enraged. “How’d you find us?” 
“I went to Valentine,” you explain, stroking his soft, slightly-stubbled cheek. “Then I ran into your boss and got delivered right to you.” You practically laugh, happy and delirious at the irony. 
Geto begins to mumble through his gag, wanting to talk, so you move over to him and take his out as well. He, too, is growing a beard. “Why did you leave Willow Springs?” he asks, his eyes sad and tired. “You should’ve stayed, Y/N. We told you to stay.” 
Now the sobs that leave your body are real. You begin to cry, unable to keep the loneliness and worry you felt at bay anymore. “I couldn’t,” you sob. “I tried, but I couldn’t. My home ain’t a home without either of you.” 
You lean your head against Geto’s chest, hearing his heartbeat against your ear. You close your eyes against the sound, salty tears trailing down your dirty face. 
“You are my home,” you whisper. 
You hear Geto exhale as if he has been keeping the air in his lungs for too long now and your confession has freed him. “Y/N,” he gruffly says. You look up at him, staring into his pleading eyes “Don’t do this. Please don’t.” 
Gojo turns to look at you. He, too, looks gutted, his handsome face distraught at the idea of losing you right when he got you back. “Everything’s gonna be alright,” you promise. But even you know that it’s not. 
Both men open their mouths to say more, but Benji harshly snatches you up by your arm. “Get up,” he grunts, making you cry out as his fingers dig into your arm. 
Geto’s facial expression darkens, rage in his eyes. “Get your fuckin’ hands off her,” he says in a voice you’ve never heard before. It is as if he truly possessed with anger. 
But Benji just laughs. “Or what?” he chuckles. “You shut up or I’ll kill her right here. I think it’s nice she wants to die with some dignity.” He pauses, smiling deviously at you. “So it’s only right that we do this the correct way.” 
*********** 
You’ve never heard a crowd be so quiet. 
That is a joke because there is no crowd…or not one you can see anyway. As Benji rides into Cherrywood on the cart his goon rode you in on, there is nothing but silence and the sound of the horse’s hooves clicking against the ground. 
You sit next to him on the bench, arms and legs tied, while the Gunslingers are forced to walk behind the cart with their wrists tied to the moving cart and mouths gagged. You know the two poor men are exhausted. Getting pulled along by a moving cart and horse is torture if not humiliating…which is why Benji did it. He wouldn’t have it any other way. 
As he whistles to himself, joyful and drunk, you look around the town square, taking in how barren it seems. Despite the cute boutiques, shops, and homes lining the street, there isn’t a soul out and about. You only manage to see some signs of life: a twitch of a curtain here, a cracked door there. 
People are noticing and gathering, but refuse to expose themselves. You can’t blame them. Especially when Benji starts yelling. “Come on out, y’all!” he bellows to the empty town. “Don’t just hide in yer yellow-bellied selves in yer houses! Come out and witness the sight of a lifetime: yer wanted outlaws about to face their deaths.” 
He harshly snaps the reins of the cart, forcing the horse to come to an abrupt stop. You nearly fall off of the bench and hear Gojo swear in the back, probably damn near losing his arms. Benji jumps off of the bench first before coming around to hoist you off by your arm. “First, we have the Fatale Femme.” He practically tosses you to the ground like you’re dirt. “Facin’ off with me in a Mexican stand-off.” 
You cough out the dirt that spilled into your mouth, panting heavily. The sound of a creaking door makes you crane your neck up. There, you see doors and windows being opened and faces. People coming to watch. 
Benji storms over to the cart to tend to the Gunslingers…which means kicking them in the insides of their knees, bringing them to the ground. “And then we have the most-wanted Gunslingers themselves about to bite my bullet once I kill their love right in front of ‘em. What a sight!” 
The bandit cackles like a happy kid as he pats his holsters where two guns are. One for him and one for you. 
All around you, people begin to gather. Families; shop owners standing outside of their businesses; drunks stumbling out of tavern and saloons. None of them look excited. Each one wears an expression of weariness, shock, and sorrow. You weren’t exactly scared earlier, but now that you see the faces of all of these human beings who will witness your death, you’re terrified. This is real now. 
Benji’s big paw suddenly grabs your chin, forcing you to keep looking at the townsfolk. “Look at all of their faces,” he whispers. “This is what you deserve for even thinkin’ about facin’ off against me. Now the last thing you’ll ever remember about your miserable life is pure humiliation.” 
He snatches his hand away and hoists you up, forcing you onto your feet. Looking into the eyes of all of these people, you see empathy. Sorrow. Sadness. You don’t see the hot-blooded excitement that one might get at seeing two outlaws go at it. You’re not the spectacle that Benji is trying to make you. 
With a clenched jaw, you snatch your arm away from him. “No,” you reply. “It’s the last thing you will ever remember.” 
Benji’s scarred eye twitches, a sign of his irritation at your defiance. But then he smiles which is much worse. Together, you stand facing each other, the crowd watching with bated breath. 
“One bullet for each gun,” Benji explains, his eyes hard and terrifying. Empty, even. Death is just another thing for him. “We’ll turn our backs to each other, walk ten paces, and whoever turns first…” His wicked smile grows across his lips. “Turns first.” 
You swallow hard, your heart hammering in your chest. You turn to face Geto and Gojo off to the side, kneeling in the dirt and still tied to the back of the cart. They both stare at you, eyes wide with fear and anger. You understand that they want you to refuse….but you can’t.
“You have a deal, Benji,” you boldly say. 
Benji’s smile fades. He is all business now. Taking a sharp knife out of his belt, he cuts the rope binding your wrists. You don’t focus on how much they burn and ache, especially when Benji hands you one of his guns. 
You weigh it in your palm, focusing on how it feels. You can tell that there is only one bullet. It’s too light for the clip to be filled all of the way, so Benji is telling the truth. He must really mean business here. 
“Y’know, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry ‘bout your mother,” he whispers. “And about your town…but if ya think about it, if she hadn’t died and you didn’t run away that night, you wouldn’t be here about to face me. So if ya think about it, I’m the reason you became who you are.” 
Your body reacts to his words before your brain does. Tears fill your eyes and when you blink, they fall down your cheeks. Benji doesn’t react. He doesn’t smile nor does he frown. His expression is blank. 
You stand together facing each other, eyes locked on one another. You see yourself in his eyes and he sees himself in yours. You always saw him as such a monstrous figure. A villain in your story that you needed to defeat. 
But as you stare him in the eye, you see nothing but a man. A human just like you. You are two sides of the same dirty coin. Slowly, you slide his gun into your holster at your right hip. 
“Turn,” he growls and you do, the both of you now facing away from each other. You steal a glance at Geto and Gojo who look absolutely gutted as they watch you, unable to do anything much but that. 
“One!” Benji bellows. “Two!” 
You begin to walk as he counts, your movements stiff and robot. You keep your eyes trained forward and refuse to look at anyone, counting in your head with Benji. 
“Three. Four.” 
Your breathing picks up the space, moving in time with your rapidly-beating heart. 
“Five. Six.” 
Your mind races, your body becoming shaky. What if he turns before ten? What if you’re already doomed? 
“Seven.” 
You begin to silently sob to yourself, not feeling strong anymore. You pray to God, to your mother, for the strength you feel like you don’t possess. And to be in a place better than here if you happen to die today. 
“Eight.” Then, suddenly, you feel nothing but peace. It washes over you like a warm light shining on you, embracing you. Your body calms, your heartbeat slows, and your right hand itches for a pistol. 
“Eight ½.” 
There is a laugh in Benji’s voice. He’s playing with you at this point. The sadistic fuck!
“Nine.” 
You keep walking, your eyes closed, as you exhale deeply. 
“Nine ½.” 
“Just do it already, for fuck’s sake!” someone shouts. A distraction. 
You hear Benji’s boots come to a halt. “You shut the fuck up!” He explodes. 
“Ten!” you exclaim and turn at the same time he does. Benji’s hand shoots to his holster at his hip at the same time yours does. He is fast…but you’re faster. Without even opening your eyes, you rip his gun from your belt, cock, aim, and shoot. 
The crack of the bullet leaving the gun barrel causes your eyes to shoot up, just in time to see the bullet lodge itself into Benji’s right foot. 
The man begins to curse and grunt, jumping onto his unfounded foot which causes him to fall to his knees. 
His gun drops to the ground right in arm’s reach. You stalk towards him, his empty gun in your hand. “Urgh, goddammit, you bitch!” he snaps. “You shot my goddamn foot! That was a low blow!” 
“No, it wasn’t,” you argue. “This is.” 
You raise his gun overhead and bring it down across his temple. Benji falls backwards from the blow as a welt begins to form at his temple. 
You stand over him, dropping his empty gun to your feet. “Y’know, I didn’t agree with you at first you said that you’re the reason I’m the person I am…but now I realize that you were right.” 
The bandit scowls, confused. “I’m not happy about what happened and I ain’t proud of a lot of the things I’ve done, but if you hadn’t snatched my childhood away, I wouldn’t have gained it back with my adopted parents. I wouldn’t have made the friends I’ve made. I wouldn’t have met the loves of my life.” 
You bend down to pick up Benji’s loaded gun that he tries and fails to get for himself. “So thank you for that,” you say, genuinely grateful…in some weird, twisted way. “But you are wrong about one thing: yes, we both seek revenge, but unlike you, I only hunt the uninnocent.” 
You cock the gun, your finger on the trigger, and aim it at Benji’s head. 
“And I don’t miss,” you whisper. You watch the bandit squeeze his eyes shut, his nostrils flaring from the harsh breaths he takes. The man who has killed and had others kill for him is afraid of death himself 
Despite all of that, you drop the gun, causing Benji’s eyes to open and the crowd to gasp. “But you deserve prison more than you do death,” you whisper. 
That’s all Benji needs to get you. Leaning up, he backhands you in the face at the speed of light, causing your head to fly back from the blow. With a roar of rage, he grabs you by your pants and tosses you down into the dirt. You let out a scream as he pulls himself on top of you and wraps a hand around your throat. 
“You little bitch,” he angrily growls. “Nobody disrespects me like that.” He grabs his gun, his finger on the trigger. “Ya made a big mistake not killin’ me when ya had the chance, little girl.” 
He sits on top of you and aims the gun between your eyes so you can see nothing but the barrel and darkness before the bullet comes. You close your eyes, waiting for your end, and flinch when you hear a cracking sound…
But nothing happens. You don’t feel pain. You don’t feel anything. When you open your eyes, Benji is still on top of you, but his face is red and his eyes are wide. He’s choking. Probably from the leather whip wrapped around his neck. 
Not to mention the bullet lodged in his back. Your eyes widen at the bloody hole in his chest, some blood splattered onto you, and the whip choking his thick neck. His eyes bulge so extremely that you’re afraid they’ll pop out of his skull. 
Benji finally rocks to the side and falls into the dirt, unmoving. Dead. Standing before you, Gojo quickly snatches his whip back from around Benji’s neck while Geto twirls his Rainbow Dragon around his fingers, the barrel billowing with smoke. 
They saved you. Your heroes. Wordlessly, they rush to you and help you off of the ground. You don’t say anything for at least a few seconds, but it feels like an entire eternity. Finally, you let out a sob and throw yourselves at them. 
Geto uses one hand to pocket his gun while he cups your head to his chest with the other. “It’s okay,” he whispers. “We’re here now. We’ve got you, darlin’.” 
Gojo hugs you from behind, wrapping his arms around both you and Geto. You sniffle and sob, gripping Geto for dear life and pressing yourself back into Gojo. You want to feel them. You need to know that this is real. 
Finally, after minutes of embracing, you finally pull away. Gojo turns you to face him and gently wipes your tears away. “H-How’d y’all break free?” you manage to stammer out. 
He smiles at you, his blue eyes twinkling despite the exhaustion in them. “We got a little hand.” 
At the sound of a whinnying horse, you turn to see a familiar, handsome blonde standing at the cart with his own horse. He holds the rope the Gunslingers’ wrists were tied with and his own cowboy hat. 
Nanami!” you shout, overjoyed. You break free from the Gunslingers and run over to the doctor, wrapping your arms around his neck. Nanami staggers back, shocked by your surprise embrace. “You followed me here?” 
He nods, blushing wildly despite his smile. “I couldn’t let ya come out here alone. I got here just in time to see your and Benji’s face-off.” 
He nods off into the distance, along the horizon where you just see a group of men on horses riding in. “I brought along some help too.” You can only hope that this “help” is the law. You turn to Nanami, grinning with joy and gratitude, but your smile fades at the grim look on his face. 
You suddenly realize why. Slowly, but surely, the townsfolk begin to exit from their hiding spots and fill the space you, Nanami, and the Gunslingers (including a dead Benji) occupy. Women, children, and men all venture out to gaze upon the dead outlaw, their faces filled with bewilderment and shock. 
An older man with overalls and boots leaves his family of a wife and little son off on the sidelines with the crowd. He carefully walks over to Benji and kneels down, pressing two fingers to his neck. Benji stares up at the sky, unseeing, forever staring at the sun. The man looks up at you, Gojo, and Geto. “He….he’s dead,” he quietly announces, astounded. “You killed him.” 
The three of you stand there, silent, ogled by the rest of the crowd. The sudden pounding of horse hooves grabs everyone’s attention and you startle, now facing the sheriff and his posse. “Halt!” the Sheriff Jo Black shouts. “Nobody move!” 
Nobody dares, frozen in place as he jumps off of his horse along with one of his men. He kneels beside Benji, presses two fingers to his neck, and listens for a beat. You watch with bated breath, almost expecting the outlaw to suddenly lurch back to life…but he doesn’t. The cop looks up at the sheriff and shakes his head, his lips a tight line. 
The sheriff turns to no other but you and the Gunslingers. “Which one of you did this?” he demands, pointing at Benji as if he’s a jar of spilled jam and you, Geto, and Gojo are the naughty kids who did it. 
You don’t even get a chance to reply because the Gunslingers are already stepping up to the sheriff, completely blocking you from his view. “We did,” Geto boldly responds. 
The sheriff presses a hand to his face, running it down his chest in pure frustration. “Goddammit,” he angrily huffs. “I specifically told you two NOT to kill him! I wanted him alive!” 
“But it wasn’t their fault!” you protest, stepping between Black and the Gunslingers. “I would’ve been killed if they hadn’t done anythin’. They didn’t want to, but—“ 
“But they did,” Black interrupts, glaring at you. “They went against my rules and the law of this county.” He stares up at the Gunslingers and goes for his cuffs hanging from his belt. “I have no choice but to—“ 
“With all due respect, sir, you will do no such thang!” the farmer firmly says. He suddenly steps in, grabbing everyone’s attention. Joe stares at him, stunned into silence.
The farmer turns to you, Geto, and Gojo, his eyes watery with tears. “Thank you,” he sobs. He grabs Geto’s hand, shaking it vigorously much to the outlaw’s confusion. ““Thank you so, so much! This man stole my farm from me. He left me an’ my family poor. He’s been keepin’ this town under lock an’ key for years, threatenin’ to destroy our homes an’ kill us all if we didn’t comply.” 
He glares at Benji’s body, cursing him even in death. His wife, in her flowery dress and bonnet, steps to you with her blonde-haired son in tow. “You saved us,” she says through teary eyes. “All of you did.” She smiles at you, Nanami, and the Gunslingers, her eyes filled with gratitude. You four stand there, unsure of what to do or how to feel. 
The farmer’s wife turns to Black and angrily points at Benji’s body. “We’ve been terrorized an’ controlled by this beast since that train massacre when all those poor passengers perished. Now when these three do your job, you wanna throw ‘em in jail?” 
Black keeps his face stern, but you see his lip twitch at the obvious anger on the woman’s face. Another man—a priest judging by his clothes and cross necklace —steps forward too. “We’ve heard about what they’ve done,” he says. “They’ve gotten rid of crooked folk—people who kill the innocent and steal from the poor. They take out the trash, so to speak…the thing you and your group should be doing.” 
He squints so hard at Black and his posse that the men visibly cringe. “And though I still believe that murder is a sin, I also believe that if neither of them put a bullet in Benji, we all would’ve been dead.” 
That is all the validation you need to hear. “And y’all would’ve,” you say, turning to the crowd. “Benji had a makeshift planted beneath the train tracks. He himself even admitted that he framed Geto and Gojo for the train massacre!” The crowd begins to mutter and whisper at the newfound information, already seeing the gun-slinging duo in a new light. 
But Black’s men don’t look like they believe you about anything or care, still scowling at you. But the sheriff just looks tired. He sighs, placing his hands on his hips. “I understand that you may have felt threatened and that’s why ya killed him.” He takes out another pair of cuffs, passing them to a partner. “But under the law, I have to bring y’all in for questionin’.” 
You feel your heart leap into your throat, but you don’t show that you’re afraid. You’ve been dodging jail for so long now and the idea of going now is almost comical. The crowd react in outrage while Nanami steps forward to talk to the sheriff. “But—“ 
One of Black’s partners gently pushes him back away from you (which Nanami doesn’t look too happy about). “Sir, please,” the sheriff firmly says. “This don’t concern you none. I’m just doin’ my job.” He looks at you, hoping you’ll understand and won’t do anything stupid. 
But you're not the one he should be worried about. Gojo’s handsome face brightens into a smile, still fine despite the bruises. “And we’d be happy to help you with that, sheriff,” he chirps. “After some much needed time to catch up with our favorite outlaw.” 
He turns to you and winks before putting two fingers in his mouth. A shrill whistle escapes his mouth, making you and the crowd cringe. Almost immediately, two Broncos are running at full speed towards you. Geto and Gojo’s horses. You grin seeing them, already knowing what is in store. 
“Sorry to depart so soon,” Geto says, shaking Black’s hand, “but this is necessary. We’ll be in touch, sir.” He then turns towards you, yanks you toward him, and tosses you over his shoulder like you weigh nothing. You shriek with happiness, gripping Geto’s muscular back as he takes off with you, Gojo in tow. The crowd cheers as you depart, even moving around Black and his men to stop them from getting to you. 
Once he gets to his horse, Geto gently sets you down on the saddle before hiking himself up in front of you. “Hold on tight, doll,” he whispers. You laugh, wrapping your arms tight around his waist and leaning your head onto his shoulder, breathing in his scent. 
“Hey, wait!” the sheriff shouts after you. “You can’t do that! Y’all are breakin’ the law!” 
Gojo turns to him with a shit-eating grin and tips his hat. “Don’t we always?” he chuckles. “Sorry, sir, but we’ve gotta steal her away for awhile. You understand, dontcha?” He bows at the Cherrywood citizens, drinking in the cheers and applause, ever the attention whore. 
You blow Nanami a kiss as he watches on smiling, standing among the cheering crowd. And off you go, escaping into the sunset with your lovers as the three most wanted, leaving everyone in the dust.
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odetodilfs · 2 years ago
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hello i was wondering if i could request male reader x any of pedro’s characters tbh i don’t really care which one so i’ll leave that up to u. the request would be a fic based on snooze by sza. not really a song fic more like just writing a story based on the song. if you don’t know the song it’s mostly about trying to live in the moment and in love with ur partner. some of the lyrics are
“I don't got nobody, just with you right now
Tell the truth, I look better under you
I can't lose when I'm with you
How can I snooze and miss the moment?
You just too important
Nobody do body like you do”
if you choose to do this request you can make the story fluff, angst, smut or whatever u want i don’t really mind.
We've got each other
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Hey anon!! Love the request, I chose Javier for this fanfic cause of his job being dangerous and reader and him being 2 men in love in the 80s :)
Pairing: Javier Peña x m!reader
Warnings: It's SFW fluff, but there's a mention of sex and reader getting disowned by his family for being queer
Spanish is spoken so translations at the end!!
You knew that you and Javier wouldn’t be seen as a real couple, two men together “didn’t work”, Javier swung both ways, he could perfectly just marry a woman and live a normal life, but he didn’t. He loved you too much to be able to even think of being with anyone else, he would’ve loved to be able to hold your hand in the street, allowing everyone to see that he was yours, but society wasn’t ready for you two.
But you had both learnt to cuddle at home, love each other as much as possible behind closed doors, in a way, it taught you to be grateful for each other. You’d eternally thank him for pulling you out of your misery, your family had recently disowned you after they had caught you with a man, and after a few months of confessions and being friends you eventually fell for each other. Javier’s job was dangerous, that was no secret, so you constantly tried to live the moment with him, you knew it was unlikely, but in case fate ever decided to take him from you, you had to live the moment with him, he was what kept you going. You  had been together for so many nights, you’d moved in with him by that point, he was always next to you when he could, be it just watching a movie or on sex-filled nights, he never left you.
Today he came home and he had a bruise on his eye, “No es para tanto amor” he claimed, but it was no use, you were already taking out the ice packs to put on his eye to make the swelling go down, “You… didn’t need to-” he kept saying as he finally let you take care of him. He was always like this, putting up walls and being stoic when in reality he just needed to be taken care of, even like this, bruised and almost beat up, you thought he was the most beautiful man alive.
“¿Necesitas algo?” you asked him, “Water would be good” he smiled, “I’ll go get it then” you said as you got up to the kitchen to get a glass of water, “Here” you said, giving him the glass, he looked so vulnerable, “Why do you even bother being with me? We’re a same sex couple and my job can get me killed any time,” he said, he always tried to protect you, even if being a couple implied a risk, “Because I live to enjoy the moment, and so far, you haven’t been killed, and living in this moment, in love with you had been the happiest I’ve been in my whole life” you said as you looked him in the eye.
“Well, every time I walked into work before I met you I just said “If I die, no big deal, not like anyone would care” but now… but now I try to be careful, you’re the only thing I’m holding onto” he confessed, allowing his walls to come down, you roped him into a hug, “Mi Javier, mi hermoso Javier…” you said as you kissed his hair, “My life has all the ingredients for it to be shit, but you make it enjoyable” he said as he sobbed into your shoulder, you were now on the bed, holding Javier, “You’re too important to me for you to not have a good time in life,” you reassured him.
“Tengo una propuesta” he said, wiping tears off of his eyes, “Tell me” you said, smiling at him and helping him wipe his tears, “When my eye looks better, let’s go to a restaurant,” he said, “and if anyone says shit about us, I’ll kick their ass” he said half jokingly, half serious, you almost said that was too risky, but… “live the moment” was what you said, and you hated contradicting yourself, “sounds like a plan” you chuckled, “Come here” he said as he kissed your lips softly, “You have such soft lips” you complimented him, “You’re in for an evening full of kisses” “Mmm but Javi-” you started “Hey, I’m the injured one” he joked as he returned to kissing you, yup, you wanted to live the moment.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Translations: "No es para tanto" - "It's not that bad" "¿Necesitas algo?" - "Do you need anything??" "Tengo una propuesta" - "I have a proposal"
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shadecrux · 1 year ago
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On The Wing - Chapter 1
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https://open.spotify.com/track/0RLwgks1gHQzXeIkaJIpHr
Next Chapter ┃
˚ * •̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙* ˚*------💜 💚 💜------** •̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙ *
°•★Pairing: Bucky Barnes x femaleartist!reader
°•★Rating: NSFW (this chapter is SFW future ones won’t be)
°•★Tags: strangers to lovers, fluff, angst, first meetings, romantic tension, flirting, pet names (doll, sweetheart), brief homophobia mentions, bisexual reader
°•★ Words: 1755
°•★ Notes: It’s me, ya girl back with some more x y/n fanfic!! This is gonna be 6 chapters altogether, already written, all based on a song I haven’t been able to get out of my head for weeks now.  I hope you enjoy!! I had a lot of fun with this AU.   No beta, literally just finished writing it, all mistakes are mine. 
//CW FOR THIS CHAPTER// There is a brief mention of y/n being disowned by her family for being bisexual. 
~All writing unless otherwise noted is my own. Please do not post or reupload my work to other websites without my express consent. I do not consent for my fics to be used in AI creations. I do not own any of the characters featured in my works unless they are stated to be OCs.~
All of my fanworks are intended for adults aged 18 and up only! Minors please DNI. ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/48744160
˚ * •̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙* ˚*------💜 💚 💜------** •̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙ *
 Breathe and ill carry you away
Into the velvet sky 
And we’ll stir the stars around
And watch them fall away 
Into the Hudson Bay 
And plummet out of sight and sound 
The open summer breeze 
Will sweep you through the hills 
Where I live in the alpine heights 
Below the northern lights 
I spend my coldest nights 
Alone awake and thinking of 
The weekend we were in love
—------------------------------------------------
Unpacking. You always hated unpacking, hated everything to do with moving into a place, for that matter. You never intended on staying for long, and it felt like such a chore. Often, you would choose to simply live out of suitcases, but you had always had somewhere else to go, some next destination in mind. But not this time.  Things had been going well when you arrived in Calgary. Your paintings were selling, your busking was lucrative enough to afford you a nice little studio apartment in the city. You didn’t need much after all. A place to stay, food in your belly, and your art supplies - you would rather save your money for experiences, and for getting you to that next destination.  For years, you were living your dream, traveling the world, making art. You got by mostly via selling your wares at fairs and on streetcorners - paintings, jewelry, pottery when you could access a studio to use.  Sometimes you did custom work on commission. It was amazing how many people wanted portraits of their cats and dogs, you always thought. Then the recession hit. Unemployment spiked, wages stagnated, and layoffs were sweeping their way through the Americas, leaving many struggling just to make ends meet. People weren’t buying luxury goods the way they used to, and before you knew it, you were struggling too.  There was nothing else for it, so you found whatever jobs you could - which, as a person who had spent the last seven years of their life as a transient artist, traveling the world with no real work history or credentials, relegated you mostly to minimum wage work, or labor jobs that weren’t as picky about the people they hired. 
You had to move out of the city and found a small town up in the mountains and an even smaller one-bedroom house that was being rented out at a ridiculously low price due to it being relatively isolated - a 20-minute drive from the town proper, surrounded by deep forests.  Dirt road, no cell service, satellite TV, and internet - for most it would be undesirable at best. For you, it was a respite from a world that no longer seemed to have a place for you.  
It never really felt like it did - you grew up as a military brat, constantly moving from place to place, never setting down roots, never making lasting friendships. You were the black sheep - of your family as well as every school you had ever gone to. The weird girl, the one nobody really understood.  But you had your art, and you had your dreams - you wanted to see the world, to drink in life and put it on a canvas. You were counting the days until you turned 18 and could leave, but you didn’t get that far. 
Your family had kicked you out, disowned you at the age of 17, after catching you and your at-the-time girlfriend, holding hands and smooching on the back porch when you thought no one was home. Her family would have done the same to her if they had found out - so with nowhere else to go, you struck out on your own. And it had gone well - until the financial crash sent the world into a tailspin, that is.
There wasn’t much to unpack, all told. Three suitcases and an oversized canvas bag into which you stuffed your entire life - clothes, art supplies, rolled-up canvases pulled from their frames to make it easy to travel. Some sparse camping supplies for those nights you couldn’t find a better place to sleep. You had been doing this long enough that you had it down to a science, and you were very efficient.  
Clothes were stuffed into drawers, toiletries into the bathroom, and the metal cups and plates and cutlery you traveled with barely taking up any space in the kitchen. You had little in the ways of personal effects, save for the photographs you took and the small handful of trinkets you had collected in your journeys. Stones, little sculptures, silly magnets and keychains, and shot glasses documenting all the cities and countries you had been to. 
You laid them out on top of the dresser in the bedroom and, with a wistful sigh, flopped down onto the bed with your back against the headboard, stacks of little plastic envelopes, and started flipping through the pictures you had taken, reminiscing on those better, brighter days.  It was a pleasant enough way to pass the time, and it brought a small smile to your face, gave you a way to forget your current circumstances - for a while at least. Until you landed on the album that you usually avoided looking at - New York City. The place where you had met, and lost, the only man you had ever loved. 
—------------------------------------------------
You were at Coney Island one bright and beautiful day - it had been a lucrative few days so you decided to reward yourself.  It was early, and Luna Park was just beginning to fill up with guests, shouts and laughter, and excitement buzzing in the air around you. As you walked along the midway, only some of the game stands were up and running, while others had workers bustling around them, still setting up.  As you passed nearby one of those, a group of children rushed past, knocking into you, the nearest employee, and one of the legs of the awning that the employee had been about to secure.  It buckled at one of the joints as he fell, and the entire metal sheet came crashing down. You screamed and tried to scramble away when a strong set of arms wrapped around your waist and yanked you, forcefully out of the path of the falling awning just in time.  Whoever it was had grabbed you from behind, setting you down gently on your feet and taking hold of your forearms as he did so to make sure you were steady before letting you go.  “That was a close one… you alright there, doll?” Something about the gentleness of that voice and the soft, gravelly undertone struck you, and your stomach did a little jump as you turned around to face your rescuer only to be left momentarily speechless at the sight of him. He was tall, handsome, with bright blue eyes that seemed to pierce right through yours. “... I- I think so.” You stammered, your mouth suddenly feeling very dry. You saw over his shoulder the employees now battling with the awning, which had bent badly in its impact against the side of the building, and the building itself now bearing deep dents in the surface where the edges had collided with it.  “God, if you hadn’t been here…” You looked up at him in shock, a shudder running through your body. Adrenaline still flooded your system as you realized just how much danger you had been in moments before. “That thing might have killed me…” “Right place, right time I guess.” He grinned, the smile slipping from his face as he noticed the way you were shivering as shock set in. “Oh hey…sweetheart, you’re shaking. Here… let’s find a place to sit down.” You mutely nodded and took his offered arm, letting the man lead you over to a nearby outdoor dining area and guide you to one of the unoccupied tables.  “Here - can I get you anything? Maybe some water?” he asked gently. Chewing on your lip for a moment of indecision, you eventually nodded sheepishly. “Yes, please…” “Say no more.” 
Before you could formulate any words of protest he was off, leaving you with a few moments to catch your breath and reorient yourself while he waited in line. By the time he returned your heart rate had calmed at least slightly, and he slid the little plastic cup across the table to you to drink. Your hands were still shaking as you raised the cup to your lips - the water certainly helped with your dry throat, though you still weren’t sure if that was the fault of the scare or the absolutely gorgeous man sitting across from you at the small metal table. “I don’t think I got a chance to properly introduce myself back there.” The man said with a crooked grin, extending a hand across the table to shake yours. Calloused fingertips slid over your knuckles as you clasped his hand, sending a spark of electricity up your arm. “James Buchanan Barnes, at your service. You can call me Bucky, though. All my friends do.”  Giving him your name in turn you raised a brow at him, managing to not sound like a babbling idiot. “Are we friends now, then? We have only just met…”  “Well, I saved your life back there.” He flashed you a charming smile in return. “I think that makes us something. Dunno what quite yet.” 
That smile. You thought your knees might actually buckle, the way he smiled at you, the way his hand lingered a bit too long on yours before he dropped it back onto the table. Here you were, in the most glamorous city in the United States, surrounded by beautiful, successful people… and the most gorgeous man you had ever met was making eyes at you. Was this real life? 
“So, are you here with anyone?” you hedged. “I don’t want to be holding you hostage here. I think I’ll be alright.” “Nah, my buddy was supposed to join me but he couldn’t make it. So it’s just me. I’m all yours, for as long as you want to tolerate me.” He grinned. A shy smile split your lips then, and you replied, “I think I’d like to tolerate you for a while longer… if you want to stick around, that is.” The way his eyes lit up made you feel slightly faint, a fluttering in your chest that heated your cheeks and warmed you from the inside.  
Soon the two of you were walking together, side by side through the park. And if you kept straying a little too close to him, brushing your arm against his, it was only to make sure you stayed close to your personal guardian angel.
And if he took your hand a bit too often, helping you up and down some stairs, maneuvering you out of the way of crowds, well… he was looking out for you, after all. The carnival structures had already proven themselves to be dangerous, and he took his duty guarding you very seriously. 
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