#like it would make sense for him to notice and figure it out

[stargirlygirl]

some middle-aged creep whistles at you

lads li's (no raf; separate) x fem!reader

a self-indulgent drabble with hopefully a teaspoon of originality

⭑.ᐟ caleb

you just got your hair done and were ecstatic about showing caleb. in fact, you were on your way to his apartment when you stop in at the grocery store to pick up some snacks.

parking your car, you step out and start walking up to the building. this fuck ass forty-something year old is striding toward you, bags in his hands and tattoos snaking up his arms. he makes eye contact with you and does the only reasonable thing some jackass would do.

he winks and clicks his tongue you.

the interaction lasts no more than a few seconds. but once you make it into the shop, you swear you're about hurl your guts up. you can barely conceal the disgust on your face as you grab a basket and beeline for the snacks aisle.

what the...?! like, you know you're hot. okay, well, you know you're not too bad to look at. but what-what on earth possesses someone to do something like that? especially when you're like half his age?

your stomach feels hollow, this sick feeling swirling and taking hold of your senses.

the aisle is like colour overload. all of these chip packets and chockies compete for your attention, puffing out their chests and giving it their all to win a trip into your shopping basket. bright lights bounce off the packaging, straight into your eyes. you're blinded by their need for attention; your appetite is gone.

sighing, you trudge to the self-help checkouts and stow your basket before exiting the grocery store.

the drive to caleb's elapses in seconds. you're so out of it, you blink in shock as you gaze around you; your car is silent and waiting to be abandoned.

taking the elevator up, you don't even have to knock as the colonel is swinging open his door the second you step in front of it. his phone is in his hand, and those violet eyes are trained on you. they roam over you, assessing for any damages.

and while there's none physically, he notices the slump in your shoulders and dimming of your spirits.

he exhales, "had me so worried, pips. d'you need help with the groceries or—?"

"no," you mumble, shaking your head. your perfect curls bounce as you shuffle inside. no words are necessary as you wrap your arms around caleb's meaty torso and bury your face in his cream jumper.

you can't even be mad about him tracking your location, you're so mentally exhausted.

your husband holds you tightly, squeezing you reassuringly before settling back into a firm embrace. he walks you backwards to the couch and pulls you down with him. those plump lips press a sweet kiss on top of your head, and he takes a whiff of your hair. as beautiful as it looks, he prefers the scent of your shampoo.

"i like your hair, pretty," he murmurs.

"yeah," you say, the sound muffled by his top.

"wanna tell me what happened, honey?" he coos while rubbing your back soothingly. you don't respond for a little while, trying to figure out the best way to break the news.

finally, you explain quietly, "so, i was going to the grocery store, right?"

"mhmm," he hums, fingers threading through your shiny locks.

"and i was walking, right?" caleb hums again, his fingernails lightly scratching your scalp.

"and this man—"

"man?!" he interrupts, his arms automatically locking around you and pushing you flush against his toned body.

your husband asks, "what man? what did he do to you, pipsqueak?"

"nothing! nothing, well..." you trail off, the words getting stuck in your throat. tension stiffens caleb's body, putting you on edge. it's like he can sense your apprehension.

slowly, he softens and resumes playing with your hair.

he insists, "you can tell me, pips. let me be here for you." you nuzzle his pec with your nose, his warmth making you snuggle into him.

you admit, "he, like, winked at me, and clicked his tongue at me. and it was so gross, baby. i couldn't even buy any snacks." with your mood-ruiner aired, a weight falls from your chest. your husband carries the burden now, taking all of it so you don't have to hurt anymore.

if only things were so simple.

"please don't... do anything, caleb." you lift your head from his chest, your fists bunching up the fabric of his jumper. your eyes search his, and find that familiar coldness of the colonel.

"caleb—"

"no one gets to treat my partner like that n' get away with it," he mutters, a vein popping in his tense jaw. you cup his cheeks and shake your head.

"please—"

"pips—" he starts.

your voice becomes smaller toward the end as you plead, "please, just... just stay with me." caleb sighs as his long fingers find your nape. guiding you forward, your foreheads rest against each other; an unspoken agreement.

your husband steadies you through the waves of your emotions, remaining ever-present as you process and come to terms with what's happened. so much worse has happened to other women, you know that. this is nothing compared to the tyranny men can unleash when they choose to.

nonetheless, caleb bears witness to your pain. he reminds you that no matter how small or insignificant this hiccup might seem, if it hurts you, then he'll be here to support you.

"i'll do better to protect you next time, pipsqueak. i promise." he seals his oath with a loving kiss to your forehead and a squeeze of your body.

little do you know who he's paying a visit to the next day. and caleb doesn't intend for you to find out.

⭑.ᐟ zayne

when you get home, your apartment is empty as per usual at 6pm. and it remains only filled by you and dinner's aroma until 8pm when zayne gets home.

he could feel it as soon as he stepped inside and shed his coat. this chill in the air; one not of his own doing. maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. he has had a long day after all.

zayne exchanges his dress shoes for slippers and rolls up his sleeves, revealing those drool-worthy, veiny forearms. after washing his hands, he sneaks up behind you and grasps your waist. you flinch, jumping from the sudden spook and staring at him like he's a predator.

"oh," you mumble, clutching your wildly beating heart.

shaking your head, you apologise, "sorry. sorry, zayne, baby. i was just, uh, thinking."

"i see," he says quietly, those shrewd hazels sweeping over you.

"did something happen?" he asks, observing how wide your eyes are despite the slight distance between you.

his voice is underscored by concern as he entertains the thought, "did i do something wrong?"

"no! no, baby, you didn't. i just..." glimpsing down at the bubbling pasta sauce, you busy yourself with stirring it.

you change the topic with, "how was work? busy?" your husband remains quiet as he does another once-over. you seem to be okay. but he knows you're not. you never flinch around him like that unless something has got you on edge. he knows it. and you wish he would dang forget it.

"fine," he delivers clinically, moving to set the table before washing the dishes. you eat your spaghetti in thick silence. it's gnawing at you from the inside out, the minor incident that happened earlier today when you were purchasing tonight's ingredients.

"how long do you intend to pick at your meatballs for, my love?" zayne sighs. your fork clanks against your plate as you drop it, again stunned by his sudden interruption.

you laugh awkwardly, reflexively scratching your neck even though it's not itchy just to busy yourself.

"what do you mean, babe? i'm not picking at my meatballs," you defend yourself, huffing at the end there.

"and i like carrots," he counters.

"oh, you! fine, okay? fine. i was at the supermarket when this middle age loser whistled at me, and it's been bugging me all day. happy now?" you blurt out. zayne's brow pinches, and from the sudden tension in his shoulders, you can tell he's anything but happy.

"a middle aged loser whistled at you?" he clarifies.

"yes! it was just so... ugh! i feel so gross thinking about it, to be honest," you admit.

placing his cutlery down, your husband gives you his undivided attention. it's overwhelming, his intense gaze and the thoughts spiralling in your mind, the memory on replay. you stare at the table cloth like it has something interesting to add to your conversation.

"dear, please look at me," he murmurs. exhaling, you glance up and meet his eyes.

zayne's tone is soft as he reminds you, "you shouldn't keep these kinds of matters to yourself, remember?"

"i know, i just... didn't wanna bother you," you mumble. your husband shakes his head slightly.

"you never bother me, dear," he reassures you. you hum quietly, words feeling heavy on your tongue and stuck between your teeth.

he continues, "i'm sorry this happened to you. i can only imagine how upset you must feel." you nod, a pout on your lips. right now, all you want is to be in your husband's arms.

you sniffle, "after dinner, can we cuddle?" zayne nods and resumes eating his delicious meal. those sleep-deprived eyes watch you closely as you take small bites of your meatballs, wrestling with the lump in your throat to swallow.

later that night, your husband holds you tight and reassures you that he'll do whatever he can to prevent something like this from happening again.

⭑.ᐟ xavier

"xav," you call tentatively while poking his cheek. he's been out like a light since you came home a few hours ago, and the disgust has finally eaten away at your resolve.

"xaaa-aaav," you coo, your pitch shifting higher with the later part of his nickname. still, nothing. this man could sleep through a war, you swear.

"xavier!" you exclaim, rocking his body from side to side. he groans, his eyelids fluttering open and brilliant eyes settling on you.

he blinks sleepily and yawns, "what is it?" you shake your head and crawl into bed with him. your body melts into his, the warmth making you all gooey inside. your partner's lean arm wraps around your shoulders and pulls you in, nice n' snug.

"is this what you woke me up for? a cuddle," he asks softly, but you can hear the grin pulling at his lips.

"no," you mumble into his cosy long-sleeve. one of his hands cup your shoulder while his other rests on your low back.

he prompts, "then what did you wake me for?"

"can't a girl just wake her husband up?!" you snap. you didn't mean to. you really didn't. but it just came out.

xavier's quiet, his gaze curious as he takes in how tightly you're clutching his shirt. The hand on your back moves to cover your fist. he eases your clinging fingers off the crumpled fabric and holds your hand.

"everything, okay?" he murmurs, swiping his thumb over the back of your hand at a relaxing pace.

"no," you pout, curling into his body even more.

"did i snore?" he asks, his voice tinged with concern. you push off his chest and stare at him dead in the eye.

"no, xav. you didn't snore," you spit out.

"your period then? but i thought it was due next week." he says that last part to himself.

you groan, "no! god, xav, just—argh!" you start getting up, but he instantly pulls you back down. your body collides with his as those strong arms loop around you and hold on tight.

"what did i do?" his voice is gentle but worried.

you sigh, "nothing. 'm sorry. i didn't mean to get mad at you. just don't feel good right now." his fingertips dance along your spine, leaving pools of heat at every spot he encounters. vertebrae by vertebrae, you soften in his embrace.

at last, you say what's been on your mind, "i feel... violated almost. like, unsafe, repulsed. this guy like winked at me and made this noise, like, you know with your teeth? and it was just really off-putting like. if you wanna say i'm pretty then just say i'm pretty, don't embarrass me like that. and he was so fucking old. like he wasn't that old, but i swear he was doing drugs in his youth cause he looked rough."

xavier's silent for a heartbeat before muttering, "when did this happen?"

"earlier today when i was out. i was getting my hair done, remember?"

"yes, i remember," he affirms. his hold on you tightens a fraction, and you sigh as he kisses the top of your head.

"if i had been there, my dear, i can assure you, things would have played out differently," he states, an edge to his usually sweet voice.

tension coils and dissipates as he compliments you gently, "and your hair looks nice."

"thanks, glow worm," you exhale, kissing his heart through his sleep shirt.

for who knows how long, you two stay like that. pressed up against each other, xavier cooing reassurances laced with violence, and you giggling and rubbing your cheek against his chest.

⭑.ᐟ sylus

those crimson eyes are on you the second you stalk into his training room. ruby gloves coat fearsome fists that punch at the poor punching bag dangling from the ceiling. sweat beads down the crime boss's forehead and sumptuous arms.

he smirks, "miss me, kitten?" you nod, a dampness to your typically bright features. your husband straightens up and waltzes over to you.

"thanks, sweetie," he murmurs while taking the gym towel from your outstretched hands. wiping up his sweat and draping the towel behind his neck, he raises a silver brow at you.

"something the matter?" he asks, light and cocky as usual. you shake your head 'no' while shifting closer and hugging him.

he chuckles, "oh, you sure, kitten?"

"shut up," you mutter, earning you another rich laugh. sylus returns your embrace, his hands gently stroking your back and soft strands.

"i see you've made some changes. how refreshing," he remarks.

you grumble, "don't be a dick to me right now, sy. i'm not in the mood." leaning down, your husband presses a long kiss to the top of your head.

he mumbles into your hair, "my apologies, darling." but to you, it still doesn't read as genuine.

"do you know the definition of sincerity, sylus? for someone so charismatic, i didn't think you'd have the emotional capacity of a laptop charger. my teddy bear could do a better job than you."

instant regret washes over you as those words fall from your lips. you pull back, chin tilted up as you gaze into his eyes. he's unfazed, smirking even more haughtily now.

you apologise anyway, "i'm sorry! i didn't mean that! i just... something bad happened and now i feel awful because of it."

"mhmm, go on, sweetie," he encourages you.

drawing closer, his voice drops slightly lower as he says, "it must be something significant if you're comparing your husband to a laptop charger."

you're torn between telling him where he can stick it, and babbling about what just happened after your trip to the salon. you choose the latter (unfortunately).

"this old creep whistled at me. like he checked me out and whistled at me! can you believe it?! i-i need to take a shower i feel so defiled and angry and grossed out." sylus is quiet for a few seconds, undeniably processing your words and selecting the best course of action.

"wasn't mephisto with you, kitten?" he asks.

you shrug, "i don't know. maybe he needed to go potty or something."

sylus sighs, "i know you're a comedian at heart, but now is not the time for your jokes, dearest."

he continues with, "did anything else happen? did he approach you?"

"no! not at all, baby. he just really freaked me out," you insist. your husband hums, the sound gravelly. he makes a mental note to reconvene with his crow after comforting you.

if mephisto witnessed this unsettling encounter, sylus could have a word with the man who's sent his kitten running into his arms.

and if mephisto wasn't there... well, not like it mattered. onychinus's leader has many ways of finding people. and that "old creep" better prepare himself for what's coming when sylus gets his hands on—

"sy," you coo. he gazes down at you, his sweet wife, looking up at him with those big eyes and pouty lips.

your husband sighs, "don't worry, kitten. that won't happen again." you nod, understanding his deeper meaning. despite your protests, you know he'll do what he sees fit. so you keep your mouth shut and relax into his heat and sweat instead.

me trying to not swear during this drabble^

haha so this happened to me today and this is me processing what happened😁 i had such a nice afternoon planned for myself. my caleb wip was going to receive SO MUCH love and attention, but then inspiration just had to strike.

for raf, i think he would suggest running you a bubble bath and soaking in the tub together to comfort you. i also think he'd be raising the tides and unleashing hell upon mankind for what's just happened to you. or maybe both.

[nephynes]

To everyone else, you’re Jake’s girlfriend and picture of innocence—soft spoken, always with a smile, the type to bake cookies and kiss him goodbye on the cheek. His friends are sure he’s not getting what he needs, and they don’t hold back their advice for him to cheat, flirt, find someone who’ll actually put out. Jake doesn’t even bother correcting them, cause not only are they wrong, they’re wildly off the mark.

nsfw warnings: SMUT, toxic male friendship dynamics, back-talking, gaslighting, multiple rounds of sex, overstimulation, oral (m & f receiving), creampie, fingering, light breathplay, praise kink, mild degradation, anal play (established dynamic), light powerplay, hair pulling, dirty talk, cockwarming, light possessiveness, squirting, soft dom/sub elements, and begging.

7.9k

Jake Sim is...hard to explain.

If you ask around, you'll hear a thousand different versions. Jake Sim is hot. Jake Sim is an asshole. Jake Sim is the sweetest guy you'll ever meet. Jake Sim is the guy who'll flirt with you all night, fuck you into the mattress, and then forget your name before the sun even rises. Jake Sim is a player, a charmer, he's the guy everyone warns everyone about always a little too late.

And to be honest? they're not exactly wrong. Jake is the kind of guy who makes a mess just to see if someone else will clean it up. The kind who smiles like he knows all the answers to everything and doesn't care to share them. Jake's never had to try hard for anything—not attention, not girls, not the kind of casual popularity that clings to people like him for no reason other than sheer gravity.

He floats through life on charm and instinct, making trouble look too effortless.

Well, not until you.

You never belonged in Jake's world, like not even a little bit. You didn't chase parties or post thirst traps. You weren't loud, or flashy, or easy to figure out. But you were soft spoken and self contained, always in those oversized knit sweaters and delicate little necklaces. You said "pardon?" instead of "what," and you never once looked at Jake like you wanted anything from him. In fact you never looked at him at all.

Maybe that's why he couldn't stop staring, because you didn't orbit around him like everyone else did. You truly just existed in your own world and you didn't give a toss that he was attractive in the way that made people act stupid. You were genuinely kind, irritatingly kind Jake would say, and it made him feel like a walking glitch in your perfect little universe.

He was the kind to ghost girls. You were the kind to remember everyone's birthdays. He blew off midterms sometimes. You sent people your notes when you noticed they weren't in class.

You weren't his type in any sense and he sure as hell wasn't yours. But that didn't stop him from going after you anyway.

It didn't stop the way he'd linger outside the library when he knew you were in there, with his eyes low and his fingers twitching. It didn't stop him from getting your number from someone he'd never even spoken to in his life but he saw them speak to you once and that was enough for him. It didn't stop whatever this became—this quietly consuming, slow burn kind of obsession that made Jake Sim, the most unserious, nonchalant boy in the world, go dead serious when it came to you.

So dead serious that he made you his girlfriend quicker than you could think to even consider saying no, and goddamn if you didn't love him and the intensity of it all too.

The promise ring he asked you to be his girlfriend with was the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen. You remember how red in the face he was, a little awkward too, holding out a tiny velvet box.

You'd slipped it on without hesitation, and now it lives on your finger, always warm from your skin and twirled endlessly whenever you're anxious or shy or thinking a little too hard. Jake watches you do it sometimes when you're talking to him, or even when you're not. It makes his chest tight in the best way possible.

You're still not officially living with him. But your things are everywhere, all over his apartment. Your makeup clutters the edge of his bathroom sin, your slippers sit beside his sneakers at the front door, your clothes even hang in his closet, slowly but surely taking over, and your lacey panties end up in his laundry pile more often than not—a discovery Jake reacts to every time like it's Christmas morning.

He swears he loves it, all of it, all of you.

He loves the way you hum to yourself when you cook, loves how you taste everything off the spoon and make him do the same thing. He loves waking up to the smell of something sweet in the oven, loves hearing you sing along to songs you think he can't hear from the other room. He loves the softness you bring into his space, it’s like his whole apartment exhales when you're in it.

And right now, he's trying not to smile like an idiot as you leave the tray of cookies fresh from the oven on the coffee table for him and his friends, they’re still warm and rich with the scent of vanilla and browned butter. The boys dive in immediately, tearing into them like they've been starving all day.

"Dude," Sunghoon mumbles with his mouth full. "What does she put in these?"

"Crack," Heeseung says, reaching for another. "Crack cocaine, I’m so damn sure."

Jake just smirks, watching you tidy up in the kitchen with your hair pulled back, phone in hand before heading toward the living room again, eyes already on him.

"I'm heading to the mall with my friends," you tell him sweetly, swinging your purse over your shoulder and leaning down to kiss one cheek, then the other. "Don't eat all the cookies before I get back." You tell them even though you know it’ll all be gone by the time you’re back.

Jake smiles up at you. "No promises."

You glance at the guys. "Enjoy, boys."

"Thanks, sweetheart," Sunghoon replies automatically, and Heeseung raises his cookie in salute.

The door to the apartment shuts behind you and the silence gets loaded.

Jake barely has time to reach for another cookie before Heeseung squints at him over the edge of his glass and says, "Okay but like...how often do you jerk off?"

Jake blinks. "What?"

"You know," Heeseung gestures vaguely. "When she's not around. Or even when she is. Like, how bad's the drought?"

Jake frowns. "What are you even—"

"Come on dude. She bakes, she cleans, she kisses your cheeks like a fucking disney character," Sunghoon says, shaking his head like he's genuinely concerned. "And she's got you wearing a promise ring, bro. Be serious."

Jake raises an eyebrow.

"She's your girlfriend, not your chastity coach," Heeseung adds, mouth full. "It's okay to like her, man. Be whipped or whatever, but every guy's got needs." He does air quotes with his fingers at whipped.

"Exactly," Sunghoon nods. "You're telling us you haven't cracked once? Eight months and she's still playing house instead of playing with your dick?"

Jake laughs.

It's low and easy as he tosses a cookie up in air, catching it in his mouth like he doesn't have a care in the world. "You guys don't know what the fuck you're talking about."

"Oh, come on—"

He doesn't let them finish.

Just shrugs, wipes a crumb off his jeans, and leans back against the couch cushions with that same frustratingly calm grin. Not confirming anything or denying either and definitely not offering a damn thing more.

And maybe that's what gets them most. Sunghoon is about to continue with his drilling but the apartment door bangs open and Jay barrels in like he was trying to break the door open.

"I had to park three fucking blocks away—why are there so many delivery trucks on your str—" He stops question when he spots the half empty cookie tray and Jake's face. "Ah. What’s going on?"

Heeseung and Sunghoon exchange a look that says perfect timing.

Sunghoon jerks a thumb toward Jake. "We're staging an intervention. Lover boy here claims he hasn't touched himself for eight months because little miss betty boop apparently doesn't—"

"Dude," Jake warns, voice flat.

Heeseung dives in anyway. "We're just saying every guy's got needs, and she's not exactly—" he twirls a hand, searching for a polite word and failing—"open access."

Jay slumps into the couch slowly, suddenly wary. "Okay, first? Why is this our business? Second, she literally did my laundry when I was half dead with the flu last month. She's an angel—"

"Exactly," Sunghoon interrupts, irritated that Jay isn't backing him. "She's too angelic. Jake's basically wasting away. I know a girl who wouldn't care that you’re taken—she'll rock your fucking world, no strings."

Jay's eyebrows shoot up. "Bro, are you actually telling him to cheat? That's fucked up."

Heeseung waves him off. "Look, pastor Jay, spare us the sermon. We’re being practical."

Jay crosses his arms. "Practical? Or fucking sleazy?"

Sunghoon's jaw tics. "Fine, keep your halo. I'm trying to help our boy here."

"Help?" Jay snorts. "You're insinuating his girlfriend's a prude and pushing him toward some side piece because you can't fathom a relationship that isn't twenty-four/seven fucking."

Heeseung lets out a low laugh. "Prude? She's sweet, yeah—but let's be real, she's a little stuck-up. Bet she makes him say please and thank you before he even—"

"Enough."

His voice isn't loud, but it's close to lethal and it make the room still. He leans forward, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on Heeseung. "Don't talk about my girlfriend like that."

The silence is as thick as caramel.

Heeseung opens his mouth, thinks better of it and just shrugs instead. Sunghoon raises both hands in a mock surrender. "All right, all right. We're just looking out for you, man."

Jake sits back, expression unmoving except for the tight belt of muscle along his jaw. "Appreciate the concern but drop it."

Jay exhales, tension easing from his shoulders as he snags a cookie. "Cool. Crisis averted. Let's talk about literally anything else—basketball, stocks, the weather—"

But the mood has unfortunately shifted too far. Under the warm scent of sugar and butter, something colder threads the air, like a line drawn or a warning given.

Jake breaks off a crumb, flicks it onto the tray, and doesn't say another word.

The hangout's pretty much dead, even though they try to shift the conversation, try to joke but nothing lands. Not with Jake sitting there, stiff as a statue, jaw tight, barely looking up. Heeseung's chewing slower, the cookies don't taste as good anymore, and Sunghoon keeps checking his phone like there's somewhere else he needs to be.

Because there is.

Anywhere but here that’s for sure.

Jake's not even yelling, but does he have to? The way he's gone quiet should be enough. He's not laughing at their dumb jokes, not biting back with sarcasm like usual. He’s just sitting there on his own couch like he doesn't even recognize it.

Jay finally clears his throat. "Uh...I should probably get going. Early shift tomorrow."

Heeseung stands. "Yeah. Same." He doesn’t even have a job.

Sunghoon mumbles something about traffic, already halfway to the door. No one says it, but they all feel it, feel the vibe shot and Jake's silence holding the smoking gun.

Jay lingers a little longer near the door. He glances back, eyes softer than before. "Hey...sorry, man. I’m sure they didn't mean for it to go there."

Jake doesn't look at him. Just rubs the heel of his palm into one eye. "Yeah. Whatever."

Jay nods once and doesn't push. The door clicks shut behind them, and Jake's left alone in the quiet. He slumps back on the couch, eyes drifting to the half empty cookie tray on the coffee table.

You made those for them.

And they still had the audacity to talk about you like that. To reduce you to some outdated stereotype of some sweet, doting, sexless girlfriend he must clearly be suffering through.

The door creaks open a moment later, and you waltz bouncing with happiness, arms overflowing with shopping bags. You toe off your shoes at the door, grin still plastered on your face as you make your way inside, the scent of your perfume trailing behind you like sunshine.

"Babyyy," you call out cheerfully. "You will not believe the sale I hit today."

You find him on the couch, slouched deep into the cushions, hoodie up, face shadowed by the TV glow and a silence that immediately makes you feel like something is wrong.

Your grin falters. "Jake?"

He turns his head toward you, offers a weak smile that’s just a twitch of his lips, not the real one that crinkles his eyes and melts your stomach.

You pause at the edge of the couch, looking at him, then the table, at the cookie tray that’s half full. There’s not a crumb in sight on the cushions or floor, which is odd because the boys always devour them like wolves.

Your heart sinks a little.

Something is wrong.

Without a word, you gently set your shopping bags down and crawl into his lap, settling your weight carefully over him, but his hands stay limp at his sides. He doesn't even tuck them around your waist like he always does. Doesn't nose into your neck or murmur a "missed you."

You touch his face, frown deepening. "Jakey..." you whisper, brushing his hair off his forehead. "Talk to me. What happened? You were fine when I left."

He shrugs once and his eyes stay distant, so you lean in and kiss his cheek, then the other, then his forehead, then the corner of his mouth but still nothing.

You press a soft slow kiss to his lips and his eyes flutter shut for a second.

He finally breathes out a sigh at that, like you've loosened something that was wrapped too tight in his chest.

"Just..." he mumbles, pulling you in by the waist now, finally holding you, finally here with you. "Some stupid shit with the boys."

You lean your forehead against his. "Hmm…what kind of stupid?"

He shakes his head, exhaling through his nose, jaw still ticking. "Doesn't matter."

"It matters if it makes this face," you say, gently pinching his pout. "Talk to me, baby."

He sighs again, but this time it's softer and a little less bitter. For a second, he just holds you, arms snug around your waist, your fingers in his hair, the scent of fresh cookies and the ghost of something ugly lingering in the air between you.

But at least you're here now and he’s already starting to feel better.

"They were just..." He swallows, jaw clenched. "Saying shit. About you. About us."

You pull back just a little, just enough to look into his eyes, head tilting softly. "Like what?"

He doesn't answer at first, he just presses his lips together like the words taste unpleasant on his tongue.

"That you're too sweet," he says finally. "Too innocent. That I must be struggling. That I'm not getting...what I need." He can't even say the rest while looking at you so his gaze drops to your collarbone. "Sunghoon even suggested that I should cheat. That he knew some girl who wouldn't care if I had a girlfriend."

“Jay was different though, he wasn’t having any of it.”

Your breath stutters just a little, but it’s enough that he notices and enough that it makes his stomach drop.

There it is—your face crumpling, it’s not dramatic, it’s like your heart folded in on itself for a second, and you're working quickly to iron it flat again.

Jake hates himself for putting that look there.

But then—God, your smile. It comes immediately after and it’s soft and unshaken.

"That's really shitty," you say, brushing your thumb across his cheekbone. "But it doesn't matter what they think."

Jake's eyes flick up, searching yours for any signs of insincerity.

"You know that's not true," you continue. "Right?"

He nods, slowly. "Of course I do."

"Then that's all that matters," you whisper. You lean in and kiss his forehead again, warm and reassuring. "Maybe you just need to reevaluate your little bro club. Pick the ones who don't suggest cheating on your girlfriend over cookies she baked for them."

Jake exhales a breath of a laugh, tension starting to ease from his shoulders.

You smile again, a little sly this time. "Honestly, I always liked Jay more than the rest, anyway."

Jake huffs through his nose. "Yeah?"

You nod. "He defended my honor. What a man."

Jake finally smiles, real and wide and completely helpless. "I love you."

"I know, baby. I love you too." You kiss the corner of his mouth. "Now help me carry in all my bags. I got new panties." You say and push off him and that shuts him up fast, he’s already standing and following you into the bedroom like a possessed man, with eyes that gleam and hands that twitch, absolutely thrilled to see what you spent his money on.

You're already pulling out bags, giggling as you place each one on the bed like a dramatic little fashion show.

"Okay, ready?" you ask, grinning as you kneel on the mattress, surrounded by tissue paper, paper bags and receipts.

He flops down beside you, eyes wide, nodding like this is the first time you’ve done this, it’s not.

You hold up a dainty little silk top. "Cute, right?"

"That’s so hot, princess."

Followed by a miniskirt. "Too short?"

"No such thing."

He leans back on the bed, hands behind his head, watching you with an easy smile as you sift through your shopping bags, showing him more of what you got. He doesn't even bother hiding how proud he is watching you flaunt everything you bought.

You hold up a cute little white dress next. "This one was kinda expensive..."

Jake hums, eyes raking over you. "Worth every cent if you're wearing it."

You snort, but you're smiling as you slip it over your head. You smooth the fabric down and twirl once. "Do I look like someone's sugar baby?"

"You are someone's sugar baby," Jake grins, "you just cook too well for it to be obvious."

You giggle, tugging the hem down before sighing. "Okay, I'm not about to stain this with lipstick or lotion—hold on."

You casually peel the dress back off and toss it onto a nearby chair, standing fully naked in front of him without a second thought.

He lets his gaze drag slowly down your body, the same way it always does when you’re naked in his presence, so lazy but heated and familiar. Like he knows every inch of you by heart and never gets tired of seeing it.

"C'mere," he says, voice so deep, you already know what’s on his mind and you barely take a step before he's already got his hands on your waist, pulling you into his lap so he can have you straddling him, arms wrapping around his neck, and he just leans in, pressing his face into your skin, right at the curve of your neck.

"You always smell so fucking good," he tells you, lips brushing your collarbone. "And you're warm."

"I'm always warm," you murmur, threading your fingers through his hair.

He grins into your skin. "Yeah. Especially when you're on top of me like this, titties in my face and everything."

His lips trail along your collarbone, soft and slow, and his hands stay steady at your waist, thumbs pressing into the dip of your back, holding you in place

You sigh when he kisses your neck, just below your ear, and he feels the way your body softens in his lap, you're melting just for him.

He nips your jaw, then lower, moving his mouth down your throat, so warm and unhurried, open mouthed kisses skating down your chest until he reaches one of your breasts, wrapping his lips around it with a low groan like he's finally getting something he's been craving all day.

You arch into him instinctively, fingers curling in his hair as his tongue swirls around your nipple—lazy at first, then firmer and hungrier.

"Jake," you whisper, breath catching a little.

He hums against you, sucking slow and deep, one hand sliding up to cup the other side, thumb circling with the same rhythm his mouth sets.

Your hips shift without meaning to grind down unto him, and he catches that too, cock already hard beneath you.

"I’m so fucking in love with you," he mumbles into your skin, kissing across your chest to the other side.

His mouth stays wrapped tightly around your nipple, sucking on it so hard you moan a little, then he continues trailing wet kisses over your chest, his lips drag down your sternum before slipping one of his hands between your thighs. He's lazy about it at first, tracing idle circles against the inside of your thigh, like he's in no rush, or like he doesn't already feel how warm and wet you are sitting right on top of him.

You shift your hips, needing more, trying to grind down on him, but Jake just smiles against your skin. "Getting needy already, baby?" he murmurs, moving your panties to the side with two fingers, knuckles brushing deliberately light against your folds, teasing. "You're already wet," he mutters, almost to himself. His thumb grazes just barely over your clit, featherlight. "You know what that does to me?"

You whine and he grins like he's won something. But then his grin falters when you grab his wrist and hold it still.

Your voice is soft. "Jake."

He glances up at you.

"Stop teasing."

Before he can say anything back, you push firmly at his chest with both hands and he lets you. Lets himself fall back onto the mattress with a small gasp of surprise that turns into a breathless laugh.

"Shit," he laughs under his breath, one arm behind his head now, the other resting on your thigh. "You don't even let me pretend I'm in control anymore, huh?"

You raise a brow as you settle over him properly, your hands moving down his torso, nails dragging just enough to make him tense.

He bites his lip, eyes flicking between yours and your mouth, already drunk on the way you’re naked above him and so sure of what you want.

Jake's always had game. He's had his fun, knew what it meant to chase and win. But with you? With you, it's never been a game.

Your palm works him over his cock through his sweats, slow and deliberate, your thumb catching the outline of him through the fabric just right, and Jake's head tips back into the pillow with a strangled sound, breath hitching like he absolutely cannot help it.

"F–fuck," he whimpers, hips twitching up into your hand. "I love you. I'm so in love with you."

You lean down, nuzzling your nose against his cheek, voice soft and syrupy as you coo, "Yeah? You love me, Jakey?"

He nods fast, his chest rising and falling hard beneath you, completely gone for you already, and you hum sweetly like you're proud of him, almost like you're indulging a boy who's trying so hard to be good.

You tug at the waistband of his sweatpants, just enough to free his cock, and he lifts his hips obediently, still panting.

And when you finally pull him out, your eyes widen.

"Oh my god," you gasp, like you haven't seen him a hundred times before.

Jake lets out a breathless laugh, flushed and glowing with affection. "You do that every time," he grins.

You wrap your hand around him, giving one firm, languid stroke, eyes still fixed in reverence. "It shocks me every time."

Jake groans, both hands flying up to grip your hips now cause he needs to hold on to something, as if the worship in your voice is just as dangerous as your touch.

"Baby," he breathes, already dizzy, "please..."

His hands tighten on your hips. "My heart," he says, breathless but steady, "can you sit on it for me?"

Your brows lift in teasing surprise. "You asking nicely now?"

He leans up, kisses the swell of your breast before dragging his mouth to your neck. "Please," he murmurs against your skin.

You giggle, glancing down between your bodies where he's hard and leaking pre cum against your stomach. You drag your fingers over his tip and grin when he twitches. "Jakey, I don't know...it's so big. Not sure I can take it."

He lets out a full bodied groan and his hands shoot up to cover his face like your words physically broke something in him. "Fuck—don't say that."

You laugh, warm and wicked, and reach down to line him up with your pussy.

He peeks through his fingers at you, eyes dark and glassy. "You know what that does to me."

You lean in, kiss his jaw and whisper, "I do, baby." Slowly sinking yourself down on his cock, and Jake's mouth falls open around a gasp so needy it makes your stomach flip.

All his confidence and playboy charm melts into raw want for you. And you know he wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world, so when you settle fully on him with you clit nearly brushing his pubic bone, you gasp at the stretch like it's brand new, even though he's been inside you more times than you can count.

Jake watches with blown pupils, biting down on a groan as your walls flutter around him. You're breathless, clutching his shoulders, eyes glazed and already starting to tremble from how deep in your cunt he hits.

But it's still you who says it first, voice all sweet, whiny, and almost demanding. "Please fuck me, Jakey."

That’s truly all he needs and he doesn’t even hesitate, his hands lock under your thighs and he drives his cock up into you, fucking you from below with a pace so sharp it knocks the air from your lungs. The slap of skin on skin fills the room instantly, his hips pistoning up into yours like he's making up for every second he ever spent apart from you.

You cry out, nails digging into his shoulders, clinging to him as your head tips back. “Oh!—Just like that, baby!”

"You take me so well," he pants, staring up at you with so much love and adoration. "Always do. So fucking good for me."

You can't even answer cause with every snap of his hips, your body jerking helplessly every time he hits that spot inside you just right and you're jus too far gone, moaning as your thighs start to tremble,

Your moans get higher, needier, and Jake just holds you tighter, fucking you harder like he knows you're getting close. “Ah—Shit! I love this pussy—I love you.”

And the you whimper his name in that high pitched tone, he already knows what’s coming.

"Jake...Jake, please..." He groans, lifting his whole body and head to kiss you through it, breath hot and desperate against your mouth.

His hand slips between your bodies without thinking too much, fingers finding that sensitive little clit and the moment he starts rubbing tight, practiced circles into it, your whole body jolts, your hips stutter as well as your breath.

"Jake—" you cry out, the sound thin and wrecked as your orgasm nears.

"I've got you," he says, voice husky and strained as he keeps thrusting up into you. "Come on, baby. Cum for me."

Your eyes roll back, mouth falling open as your walls clamp down hard around his cock. You never had a shot, not with his cock so deep and thick inside you, not with his fingers rubbing so deliciously at your clit.

Your orgasm slams into you with a force that makes your back arch and your nails dig into his shoulders, shaking as pleasure floods your veins. “Oh my—F-Fuck! Jake! I’m cumming! I’m cumming for you!”

You're moaning his name like it's the only word you know, clenching around him so tight he practically growls.

"Fuck—you're so tight—" Jake's hands grip your hips, fingers digging in. "Gonna cum, baby—gonna fill you up—"

He snaps his hips up one, two, three more times before burying himself deep with a sharp gasp, thick ropes of cum spilling inside you as he lets out a low, trembling groan against your shoulder. “Just like that, take it baby.”

His whole body tenses, as he continues to fuck his cum deeper into your pussy, before melting beneath you and wrapping his arms around your waist cause he needs to come back to earth.

You sit there on his cock, fucked out with your body is still twitching from aftershocks, then he sits up presses a soft kiss to your collarbone and speaks, almost dazed, "I love you. You know that right?."

Your chest heaves just like his as you try to catch your breath as well, your skin is dewy and flushed, thighs still trembling slightly where they cradle his hips. Jake lies beneath you, hair stuck to his forehead and completely ruined and glowing in the aftermath.

His cock stays buried inside you, still thick but it’s starting soften and warm from his and your cum.

Jake's eyes are barely open when you start to move again, just with slow and lazy rolls of your hips, like you're testing him, like you already miss the stretch. His eyes snap up to meet yours, wide and glassy.

"Baby..." he rasps, voice rough with the tail end of his orgasm. "Again?"

You nod, bottom lip between your teeth, hands planted firmly on his chest as you grind your hips just right. He twitches inside you, not fully hard yet again, but your walls squeeze around him like you're coaxing him back to life.

"Need you hard again, baby." You whisper, a little whine slipping into your voice. "Want more."

Jake actually groans but his hands flying to your waist regardless, it’s not to stop you, it’s to anchor himself.

"You're insatiable," he mutters, head dropping back on the pillow. "You know that?"

You giggle breathlessly, grinding down again. "But you like it, don’t you?"

He laughs, weak but wrecked, already feeling himself swell inside you again. "Fuck, of course I do, you know I do."

He’s already giving in, letting you use him, letting you move how you want, letting you chase what you need. Because you always take what you want from him and Jake fucking lives for it.

His finger squeeze your waist as your hips keep rocking against him, slow but hungry and so greedy, so fucking sweet about it, whining for more when he's still soft and sensitive. It has his head spinning.

"God, you're gonna kill me," he groans, voice low and shaky.

But you just smile down at him, hips grinding insistently, eyes all sparkly with mischief and need.

That's what does it.

He sits up with a sudden growl and grabs your thighs, flipping you onto your back in one smooth quick motion that makes you squeal and giggle. Before you can protest, he's sliding your leg up, hooking it over his shoulder and settling between your thighs again, his cock already twitching back to life as it presses against your slick pussy.

"Since you don't know when to stop..." he mutters, leaning over you, forehead pressed to yours, breath hot against your lips, "guess I'll have to fuck it out of you."

You gasp, fingers digging into his arms as he ruts forward slowly, stretching you out and you're still so wet and swollen around him from your first orgasm that he slips right back in. A shaky moan tumbles from your lips as he bottoms out, and Jake watches your face melt with satisfaction.

"There she is," he breathes, cupping your jaw. "Always so ready for me."

You try to sass him, you open your mouth with something smug, but then he draws his hips back and slams back in deep, and all you can do is cry out and clutch at his arms. “Jake! Fuck!”

He grins. "Yeah? You like that, baby?"

With your leg slung over his shoulder, every thrust drives his cock in at a perfect, punishing angle, he’s so deep it punches the air from your lungs, makes your head tilt back and your fingers claw down his back.

"Yes Jake—"

He groans low at the sound of his name from your lips, fucking in harder and rougher now, one hand gripping your thigh, the other pressing down beside your head.

"Fuck, baby," he pants, voice wrecked and breathless. "You feel so good—so tight, still?"

You're barely holding on, moaning so high and needy with your eyes fluttering. "Because I want you all the time," you whisper, drunk on the stretch and the rhythm of him. "Wanna fuck all the time."

Jake curses, a deep groan rumbling from his chest. "That's fucking insane," he gasps, his hips jerking for a moment. "You're—Fuck."

You hold him tighter, wrapping your arms around his shoulders as your leg slips from his grip, both feet now planted flat so you can rock up to meet every thrust. Your mouths meet in a messy kiss, full of panting breaths and whispered "I love you"s between the moans as he fucks you into the sheets.

You gasp, "Oh baby, please don't stop," he just nods frantically, already lost in you all over again.

His thrusts slow as he feels your body start to tighten again, that telltale tremble of both your orgasms building. You're gasping his name, legs shaking on either side of his hips, hands gripping at his arms so hard he’s sure you’re gonna leave marks.

"That's it, baby," he pants, breath hot against your cheek as he presses his forehead to yours. "You gonna cum for me again? I can feel it—fuck, you're squeezing me so tight—"

Your nails dig into his shoulders and your voice breaks. "Jake—Jake—I'm—"

He doesn't let up his thrust, he continues to fuck his cock into your cunt deeper and faster. "Make you cum for me. Let me feel it."

Your back arches, mouth falling open in a soundless cry, and then it hits again and your whole body jolts as you gush your release around him, warmth flooding between your legs. Jake groans, deep and raw, watching you as it happens.

"Holy shit, baby—look at you," he breathes, eyes glued to where your bodies meet. His fingers slip down instinctively, sliding through the mess of cum and squirt and pushing two inside you with ease, curling them so deep, you jerk under him, overstimulated, crying out, but he's grinning like he's the one being worshipped.

"Yeah baby," he rasps, fucking his fingers into your cunt so fast and deep, he's coaxing out every last tremble, every aftershock. "You're so fucking perfect—fuck, I love when you do that."

You're whining, twitching beneath him, but not stopping him either and he knows you won't, especially when you don't even pause to catch your breath. You're already pushing up, hands slipping against his sweat-slick skin, eyes glassy and blown wide with lust.

"Baby—" he starts, but you're pushing him on his back again and wrapping your mouth around his cock in one desperate and hungry motion.

Jake chokes on a moan, his head falling back with a thud against the pillow. "F—fuck, baby..."

You're still shaking from your own orgasm, but your mouth sucks him so good with your lips stretched wide and your eyes fluttering shut as you take his cock deeper in your throat that tightens around him. He's still wet from you, slick and throbbing on your tongue, and the mix of it all makes your head spin.

"Jesus—shit," Jake growls, both hands fisting in your hair as he begins thrusting into your throat, fast and controlled, his hips twitching as he groans through his teeth.

"You're—fuck—you're gonna make me cum," he breathes, voice strained, eyes locked on the obscene sight of you between his legs with your cheeks hollowed, looking so fucking pretty even now.

You hum around him, fingers digging into his thighs for balance, tears prickling at your lashes as he hits the back of your throat again and again. He swears under his breath, tightening his grip in your hair, one hand cupping the back of your head as he starts to move a little rougher, chasing that high you're dragging out of him like it's yours.

"Fuck—just like that—don't stop—don't—"

"Y/n��Baby." He groans, jerking into your mouth as he cums hard, hips stuttering, holding your head down on him while he spills down your throat.

His hands fall away, and you finally pull back, swallowing his cum with a soft gasp. Your lips are swollen and your cheeks are flushed but you're smiling up at him cause to you, you've done nothing out of the ordinary.

"Holy shit," he whispers, grinning up as you flop half on top of him and on the bed.

His skin is warm, still damp from sweat, and his voice is soft and sweet when he starts talking.

"We should go to the farmer's market tomorrow," he says through breaths, turning his face toward you with a sleepy smile. "Get that jelly you like. Maybe brunch after...or just come back and stay in bed all day."

You hum in agreement, eyes half-lidded as you turn to face him. "Mhm. That sounds perfect."

He's still talking, "We could also check out that new restaurant you wanted to try—" Then he feels your leg slides over his, bare skin gliding against his thigh as you spread yourself open beside him. His voice stutters, pauses, but he doesn't think much of it until your hand finds his.

Still speaking so sweetly, like he doesn't even notice what's happening, Jake continues, "And maybe get stuff for dinner too. We could try that new reci—"

You take his hand and slowly guide it down your stomach, between your thighs...but instead of stopping on your pussy like he expects, you slide his fingers just a little further back.

He stops talking and his brows knit. "Wait..." he breathes, lifting himself onto one elbow to look down at where you're gently positioning him, not quite shy, but quiet.

"Oh?" His voice lifts a little, soft and surprised, fingers frozen in place.

"Here?" he asks, tilting his head, eyes searching your face.

You nod, biting your lip, pupils wide, cheeks heated, just the tiniest bit nervous but far more excited. Jake's heart patters at the sight.

He blinks, then lets out the softest, most reverent little, "Fuck," as his fingers twitch against your hole.

He goes still for a second before glancing down at you with a lazy smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Jake huffs a soft laugh, rubbing his fingers gently where you've placed him. "You really want that again?"

Your lips part in a quiet sigh. "Mhm. Haven't stopped thinking about it."

He grunts in his throat, already adjusting his position to hover over you, his hand still between your thighs. "God, baby...you're unbelievable."

"Please," you whisper.

Jake leans down, kissing your neck with a grin. "Okay, baby."

Jake does exactly what you ask without question, without teasing this time, without dragging it out. Just the steady glide of his fingers, slick with you, working your hole open with practiced care. He knows what you like now. Knows how to curve them just right, how much pressure to apply, when to slow down and when to ruin you.

You're shaking under him, body arching, fists gripping at the sheets. Your eyes flutter back and your mouth falls open but no real words are coming out, just breathy, broken sounds that melt into helpless little moans.

"Fuck, princess," Jake breathes, watching your face like he's obsessed. "Look at you."

You're drooling and you don't even care. Your brain's gone soft and syrupy, babbling nonsense, hiccupping between whines. "So full...s'too good, Jake— I—"

"You can," he murmurs, curling his fingers deeper. "You asked for it, baby."

You whimper hard at that, thighs squeezing around his hand.

Jake leans down, kissing your jaw, your ear, whispering all the filth you crave like praise. "My pretty girl. So greedy for me, huh? Couldn't even wait. Got your fill twice and now you want more."

"Need it," you mewl, "need you— please, please—"

"You have me," he says, voice thick devout as he strokes his own cock back to life, and pushes it in your hole just enough to have you gasping again, moaning as your body clenches hard around his cock.

His thrusts start slow, so deep into you and deliberate, loving the way you squeeze around him and trying not to lose it too fast. Every push forward is a grind of his hips and a filthy exhale against your skin.

But then he hears that sweet little whine you make and he feels your fingers dig into his back, he loses all his patience.

"That's it, baby," His voice is shaking. "Doing so good."

Then his pace starts to speed up, his hips snap harder and sharper. Each thrust makes the pressure mount, your breath hitching as your body rocks forward with every stroke. He holds you firmly, one hand pressing into the mattress, the other one at your hip—dragging you down so his cock can slide deeper and deeper into your ass.

The drag of him against your walls is so intense, even his hips are starting to jerk erratically in their movements, his body slick with sweat, every nerve in him frayed and completely on fire, but he doesn't stop. He can't. Not when you're shaking like this beneath him with tears in your eyes from how good he’s fucking you, so good that you're clawing at him.

He's already come twice and his body sore and overstimulated, but none of it matters cause he has to make you cum one time.

"C'mon, princess," he pants into your neck, his voice is bordering on a little whimper now, "need you to cum for me—give it to me, yeah?"

You nod, your fingers digging into his back. "Jake—I'm—I'm close—"

"I know," he says, sliding a hand between your bodies, thumb immediately circling your clit just the way he knows you like it as he continues to fuck your ass faster and harder, his rhythm never faltering even when his whole body twitches from the overstimulation.

"Fuck—!" you cry out, eyes squeezing shut, thighs locking around him.

Jake moans when he feels you start to clench again, the grip of your body making him curse into your skin. "That's it. Just like that. Be good for me, baby—cum for me."

Your body listens to him and you cum so hard and loud, you’re nearly sobbing through it, your whole body shaking as you gush your release around him again.

Jake groans like he's in pain and pleasure all at once, overstimulated out of his mind but still working his thumb through your orgasm, riding it out with you, whispering, "That's my girl. So good for me. So good."

He's trembling too, face buried in your neck, still inside you, still twitching, but all he cares about is the way you're still falling apart in his arms.

"You've got one more in you," Jake whispers, lips brushing your cheek. "I know you do. Be good for me, baby. Just one more, yeah?"

You're still shaking with how hard your third orgasm just rocked you, but you nod, because you know he knows exactly how to touch you that’ll have that fourth orgasm he wants dragged it out of you.

"You know," he says, lips curling into something darker, "the guys still think you're some sweet little thing who doesn't even let me touch her."

Your eyes snap open.

"They really think I'm suffering over here. Poor Jake, dating the world's most innocent girl," he chuckles in your ear, his fingers pressing harder, cock thrusting faster and faster just the way you need. "Wonder what they'd say if they saw you like this."

"Jake—" you gasp, nails raking down his back. "Don't— don't say that—"

"Why not?" he groans, barely holding on himself. "Look at you. Fucking soaked for me. Begging me to fuck your ass. Taking my cock like this—over and over."

You're gone, completely unraveling under him with your hips bucking, your back arching and a scream caught in your throat as you fall apart, wet and messy and uncontrollable.

Jake watches it all with a dark, fucked out smile, his lips on your cheek as he whispers, "Yeah...real fucking innocent, huh?" His words slam into you like a wave. You arch off the bed, fingers tangling in the sheets, mouth falling open in an enraptured cry.

"Fuck!" you sob, hips bucking involuntarily around his hand and his cock. "Oh god—Jake—"

You're shuddering and everything going white at the edges, and then you cum again, for the fourth time. You squirt around his fingers and cock again, every muscle spasming as you cry out his name again and again, lost in the release.

Jake drops his mouth right where you’re squirting so he can get some into his mouth and suck down on your clit, to guide you through each quaking wave. One of his hands trails back to finger your ass while the other one strokes his cock until he cums into the sheets.

“Yes baby—Oh shit!”

His tongue keeps tracing delicate patterns over your clit and your whole pussy that keep you teetering on the edge even as you ride out your climax before pulling back and looking down at you.

When you look up at him, he looks like he’s on the verge of passing out, then he drapes himself over you, chest slick against yours, breath heavy and shallow as he nuzzles into the crook of your neck.

"Baby..." he starts, boneless and spent. "You're insane."

You giggle, tracing lazy circles along the curve of his spine, still catching your own breath.

He gave you everything, held you down and pulled you apart until your body trembled under his, until he had nothing left to give. And now he's here, lips brushing your collarbone with every exhale, trying to hang on to consciousness.

"We should try double penetration." You say, running your fingers through his hair and feeling his body stiffen at your words as his head lifts slightly to look into your eyes.

"What?"

You grin. "You know. Your cock and a dildo. Just once."

Jake's eyes flutter close and open again, the look he gives you is somewhere between bewilderment and disbelief. His mouth opens like maybe he wants to say something, but doesn't even know where to start.

"Princess," he breathes, collapsing back down on top of you with a dramatic groan. "You might actually kill me one day."

You hum sweetly, threading your fingers through his damp hair. "You'd like it."

"I know I would. That's the problem." He grins against your skin. "Let me survive tonight first."

You laugh, soft and warm beneath him, already thinking about which toy you'll pick and feeling his breathing go even.

He falls asleep like that, with his arms wrapped around you, utterly spent, murmuring something about needing to train for you like it's a sport. And as you run your fingers through his hair, smiling to yourself, one thing's crystal clear.

Jake's friends have no idea just how completely undone he is by you.

➺ a/n: who wants a boyfriend like jake? MEEEEE!!!!

[sapphiccup]

Burning Blue...

Word count: 12k plus

Pairing: Abby x reader

Cw: Slow burn <3 series…. //light panic attacks descriptions, awkward conversation, highly suggestive, combat sparing, PTSD, use of cannabis, Abby's a perv, warning there will be nsfw in later chapters, flames, Malnourished Abby for the first few chapters, trust issues, anxiety, gay awakening for Abby? Did I say angst? yep, gay stuff. MDNI AND CIS MEN -> DNI!

Summary: This rose has thorns, yet she still grew from the cracks of the earth, only you take the step to water her roots, and pluck her weeds. Pricked again and again, and.. again. Until she finally lets you in on one condition: keep an eye on him.

Dc!:@/mmadeinheavenn

Song: Burning blue by Mariah the Scientist🧪💎

Chapter 1…ᖭི༏ᖫྀ

Nursing you Back to life

Over time there was one thing Abby took notice of when it came to you. Other than you nagging her to go out and mingle with people. Especially teaming up with Lev to encourage this... But this one thing overpowered those situations. You had a scent about you that she doesn’t come across often, this scent of yours twirled its way up her nostrils, it’ll cling onto her clothes, and best of all it lingered. It was as if you owned perfume. Real perfume, like it was the old times, but it wasn’t perfume. Spinning her head in all the right ways. It stirred up emotions that she thought she killed off for everyone; from how warm it would make her feel a sense of safety to be around you. No matter what time it was or where you guys were, the scent you carried helped so much. This constant call she would dial in her mind, finally being answered silently. Sometimes she thought she was weird for thinking a scent could hold so much power over a human being. Before she would have said that this is a myth, but.. It’s not. Dreams of her dad, flashes, noises, even scents now.. she gets it; she understands it.  Certain scents remind her of what she did, and it twists and squoze her stomach in ways that tell her  ‘remember when you did this’ . To a point where she could kneel and hold herself until the thoughts stopped berating her. Until you. Until you show up, it’s a breath. A long breath that she does not have to hold. A simple deep in and out. It danced slowly with her, just as with you and her relationship. Slow and steady. You never grabbed her hand and pulled her in the deep end like a whirlpool, in fact you were teaching  her how to swim again. And right now, she’s in deep waters. The kind of waters that you don’t try to swim towards. The deep dark abyssal zone. Her demons wrapped around her as if their arms were the heaviest of chains made of osmium. Her heart ached deep, like the water passing through her, barely able to take those freeing breaths. It was simply lonely.. No spark, no fire, no wood, nothing. The numb of it all consumed her. Reciting to her that ‘ this IS what you deserve.’  What hurt the most for her is that she never questioned it, only accepted it as it was.

Like what’s the point?  As she took another drag from her joint. We don’t question the deep, we only let ourselves drown in it until it suffocates us enough to swim back up only to breathe a moment of air. The cycle of once was tainted by experience, tainted by the memories that you tunnel vision on. And Abby was painted in blue, injected her blood stream with every drag of her strain that she picked up from some passing travelers. Traded for a necklace that they apparently needed to make up for something … ridiculous. Not that Abby remembers she just didn’t care enough to know the whole story as that man rambled on and on of his issue to her. She figured it would distract her. It’ll help her in this time of need however. Weed only expands the current emotion of a living being.  Her hypothesis of a distraction quickly underestimated that strength of this particular strain. Her heart rate, pedaled, her mind– scattered, her strength, brittled. Gathering locks of her hair from her scalp, as little as it may be now, enough for her to pull. Eyes shut, scared to open to go back to the shadows of her stained in red decisions. The heart she carried heavy— - with drums playing for the world and her trying to shut it up.  To break those sticks and burn them with any light she had, yet she not understands her light has been put out by many things, and many phases of she. 

One leg close to her chest, the other laid flat on the hard cold gray maple. Abby sat in a corner of her home that the village had given to her, enough space for Lev and herself. She sat there telling herself she does not deserve the luxury of a home. However, Lev being there reminds her she needs to provide for him, his home taken from him from the same place she used to think was home. Though, he isn’t here today, staying over at a friends house tonight. 

Abby is overjoyed that he made a friend. At least he has something after you took away his only family from him, a  thought chimed in her mind, and then another, Yeah- Abby at least they have friends, not like how you scattered us towards the beyond for your selfish obsession of a choice to kill Joe Miller., Another jab at herself imagining that her friend is spitting at her. How dare you have a family after mine was destroyed by your fire of a forest, pulling me along with your shit. You’re a fucking monster Abby, a monster!, a cannon in Mel’s voice  directly hitting her in the gut. Another long drag from the joint, wrapping her lips around the brown rolled leaf, deeply inhaling its addictive concoction.  – Hoping, wishing, praying,  that these thoughts will stop, but they just keep going. Festering her like an open wound with hundreds of maggots chewing the flesh, and decaying the veins of her despair.  Abby, I loved you. wh-  , Owen's voice was the last straw. Her jaw twitched with swift irritation passing by.

 Her joint now forgotten– - as she cried out a scream so loud her body rattled, gripping on to her locks harder with both hands on either side of her head. An extermination to the noise in her mind. Screaming until she unraveled, screaming until she felt a tiny bit of warmth, then hot… Really hot..? Extremely hot! Her nose scrunched by the scent of smoke, too much smoke.

“ABBY!?” a shout was near, but not near enough. Boom, her door went, BOOM– BOOM- again and again, and crashed, the door swung open, hinges bent, weeping from the force. 

Your eyes round, in shock that the house you’d visit from time to time was now  surrounded by the colors of yellow and red flames. 

Abby’s head whipped towards you, her face panicked, eyebrows finding purchase of higher than usual, her eyes shot out, her fist clenched. Though, when she realized it was you, she settled. Like a broken down shed  with a rusty roof, settling after a storm. When you entered her house, Hareton Salvanini- Quarto de Hotel immediately started playing, heavens gates were opened, with each step you took, a note played, in sync. Of course, her record player burned from the expansion of these conjured flames. Coughing, and nearly blind by smoke, yet you manage to walk through it all.

You found Abby in a corner, she cradled herself as if she was a child, a child with torment welled up inside…The curtains, aflame, a joint laid at the hem of the curtain, you beelined for it and stomped it out. Didn’t do much but, taking it and stuffing it into your pocket  does much more grace for Abby than she’d think later. The council would have a field day with this news, so why not help her a bit, or a lot – as you drag her by the under of her arms out the damn house. Abby's face was in a daze as if she was here but not here, in the space between hell and heaven, yet not earth. Her jaw slightly slacked, taking the tiniest bits of breath, eyelids half opened, she was gone. 

-

Abby was greeted by bright lights, birds chirped their automatic song, other birds chiming in. 

She laid on an unfamiliar bed, her ears were red like roses, her stomach fell inside of her, sunken, like an anchor, setting down in her vast deep memories recalling what happened, your face, your welled up tears, and then darkness. Ashamed of herself not from the lack of her being alive, no— from you seeing her in that state of wreckage. 

“Of course you’d see me like this..” she said groggily, sucking her teeth, scrubbing down  her face, heaving a long sigh already exhausted from another lie she will probably have to come up with to tell you again. Her hand rested on her face, not parting from her own warmth. Yet, you disregarded that comment she made. Forget any protest she has, you're just happy she’s alive and maybe … Maybe she’s okay. But, that image..  That image of her and her expression of pure fear back at her amber lit home.. in your mind. it doesn’t disappear – no – it stays, and places itself in a mural for your museum of a brain. 

“Abby..  ” 

“I know.-I .. I know there’s something you’re not— telling me,”You contended, your throat feels close to dry as you try to speak. She laid there, eyes baggy, lips red, her nose puffy, she carried tired and sad like a basket full of whatever could fit. More like an overstuffed duffle bag with a beaten up strap barely hanging on. Your body leaned in towards her, and there it was, that scent that Abby could never forget even if she wanted to. 

“Never mind me..” she said groggily, as she slowly rose up from the bed, and you abruptly stopped her. Guiding her to lay back down again, and of course Abby tried to force herself up, but your touch melts her to just give in and lay back down.

“Never mind you? Um— Abby.. do you not realize what situation just transpired? I’m minding the hell out of you.” A stifled laugh trespasses her nostrils, shaking her head at your statement. She knows you mean it, especially from the way you furrowed your brow just now. You never heard her laugh before, you didn’t think she could, and that’s when it hit you. Whatever mask Abby has been wearing around you.. It’s finally cracking, you sat there in a chair watching it pick itself apart. 

“Wow.. I really hit the deep end,” she began, as her trembling hand traveled up to her forehead, it was wet, some sweat and the other substance was– water..? Her sight cuts to the corner of her eye, seeing a nightstand with a metal kidney bowl sitting on top of it, there's a wet towel in it… her sight cuts back to you, and she’s shocked. Why would you take care of me? 

How could you not though? You were worried therefore you acted, did whatever you could, and figured.. You should help in any way you can. Not only to wipe the sweat from her forehead ( and did not want to wipe her whole body down because… that would just be too odd.. And you really don’t want to ruin her safety with you) but you have been wiping her face down for hours to prevent any hot flashes. 

Abby’s teeth dragged across her quivered lip. “I fucked up again..” 

You wondered, what did she mean by that.. However you choose not to interrupt. “I shouldn’t be surprised but I did.. I fucked up, and you– you  saw me. You— shouldn’t have seen me like that. That’s not how I–”

“Fuck..” She grunted out, her eyebrows drawing together mulling over what she thought happened, not yet really understanding how she ended up here, but she just doesn’t care, she’s being seen in a vulnerable state of being. That information, enough, makes her want to grind her teeth in annoyance. Her arm found purchase over her eyes.  “Before I even came here I promised myself that I would get my act together.. I promised. I- I-.. I thought. I thought I could do this. —--I’m like sisyphus.” she lets out, voice breaking her words ever so often.

You let out a little jortle, not meaning to. Which definitely caught Abby’s attention. Removing her arm back to her side, deadpan mounted her face. “I’m sorry.. It’s just.. Only you would make that reference.”  you said, slightly teasing her from past jokes she’s made before,  waving yourself off, silently telling her don’t mind you. Yeah, she’s definitely minding it. 

“Corny?” she asks you with a playful smirk. 

“A bit.. “ you answered honestly, rocking your body side to side, crinkling your nose. She rolled her eyes, giving you a light tap from the back of her hand “You’re such a prick..” 

“I’m sorry? Am I the one spiraling while also making references about greeks?” 

“Yeah whatever.---Got you to laugh.”

“And that you did” 

“Where are we?” She inquired, It’s not the medical center, with the lack of a doctor coming in letting her know what’s what. “ A friends house. One of the twins from the village; it was the best decision because I figured you wouldn’t want everyone in your business.” Even though Abby has become a little out of place, hearing that from you grounded her.

-

Laughs and slight hiccups soon faded and turned for the serious after Abby recovered. You may have been able to conceal some things, but that house can never be tucked under a blanket.  A council meeting was needed to be held. They never had such a big hiccup in the Village for an extensive amount of time . Plus, with Abby being new and all, this was bound to be had… rules needed to be established. Though, this rule frustrated the both of you. 

The ceiling was far above 16 feet, the sun beaming its way through the multiple windows, groups of people gathered in certain areas murmuring amongst each other. This place you both were in resembled what they would call a courtroom though it was a simple middle school gym now transformed into the main area for parliament. A jury was set, of course the real deciders  are the several councilmen that sat before the both of you. You both stood with hands behind  your back, posture straightened out, head held high, ready to hear whatever will come next. 

A suggestion was thrown at the pair of you, hitting you both right in the back of your heads. The suggestion was so ridiculous there was no way in hell that it would just be agreed upon. No absolutely not– this will not bode well especially with the way you’re about to spill buckets of sweat from such a suggestion. Rubbing your hands together, feeling the increased heart beats rattling against your chest as you tried making sense of all of these decisions, and protocols. It felt like a losing game to even try to protest further. Yet, you still opened your mouth to nip this issue in the bud. However, Abby beat you to the punch.

“What do you mean.. I’m moving in with her?” Abby questioned, her tone sewn with shakey waver, gesturing towards you with a single hand, heightening your psyche alerting your ears to burn, and your eyes to steal a glance of her. Of course, you are happy, but also scared, but also what the hell is wrong with her being upset about it? You being upset about it is one thing, but wow. You’ve been the main one she’s regularly spoken to. At least have some kind of filter.. Or at least not sound so repugnant over the decision.

“According to your recent fiasco of a situation, while also housing a child–”

“He wasn’t present for that situation!” she parried back loudly, thunderous voice echoed in the room, which only made the jur murmured more. She already knows where this discussion will lead to. Her heart sank lower than it already has. The feelings churned in her stomach, as her throat bobbed from the next anticipated words that will come out of this councilman.

“Regardless– you have a child, and since you burnt down your home. You will be living with one of our residents, a trusted resident at that. You will be sepreat-” 

“No fucking way!”

“Abby, be reasonable here, the best we can do is to seperat-’

“That’s not fucking happening.” she crossed her arms, stood her ground, like they were going to blow her away with their words. Was she trying to look intimidating? If she was… it’s not working, from the way her foot is slightly shaking. Anyone could tell she stuffed all her nerves into that one area. 

“Chief please, I can’t babysit this grown woman..” You tried making an excuse, even if it was harsh, maybe that comment will set the reality that this rehabilitation at your abode is unnecessary. Maybe just maybe it will set in. 

“Yes you can, and you will. By the order of the council, you will be taking care of Abby Anderson, until she is confirmed healthy, and until we rebuild the house, which should take,. 4-6 months”

“Half a year, are you serious?!” You shouted, 

“We are working to expand this Village. However we need to clear the infected, and make sure we aren’t trespassing or any one else is trespassing. Lots of things need to be prepared before we just go willy-nilly on what to do. So yes, 4-6 months.. probably…. Okay. Meeting adjourned” 

The councilman was just about to slam their gavel on the block, until “ Wait!--”

“Lev and Abby, cannot be separated,” you stated, taking a step forward.

“They’re family, they came here together, they’ll be here together. I.. I have an entire lower basement where it can basically be a second home. There’s a room, a living room, a mini kitchen with no stove! And it’s plenty of room for Lev to not only have their own space, but no fire hazards near them.” You elaborated your argument, even pulled out as much information they could swim around in their minds IF it’s a good idea.

“You know the rules..”

“Screw the rules, this is a child we’re talking about!” You dared, taking another step forward, hands out to the crowd. 

“We don’t separate families in this village. We never have. And won’t start now.” 

The councilmen shared glances with each other, and took a final nod. “ Fine, prove to us that she can recover, and you’re able to take care of Lev.”

With two slams of their gavel, the meeting was finally over. 

-

On the way back to your house, the air was muggy, and hot, however opening your door was like a breeze of fresh cool air, yet at the same time it was thick, hard to slice through between you and Abby.

As she entered your abode, she was welcomed with bursts of your pheromones; your scent that gave a high for her nerves. All 500 nerves– in her nose, were all alerted that you’ve been in every inch of this house. Like a hungry hound dog, she wanted to keep inhaling you in until she f- She shook her head at the thought. Why would I think of doing.. –I never had this feeling  with– nor these thoughts..Oh god..

Pinching the bridge of her nose, swallowing those thoughts down with a heavy gulp. Regaining her focus once more, trying to keep it together is more like it. 

She saunters her way inside the house, following you, however it felt like she was walking through mud with how suddenly aware she was of herself and.. you..--- her eyes followed down the ivories of your spine, crossing steadily down to your hips.. Traveling further below to your arse.Those jeans on you look especially good today, the way they hugged you like a nice sized glove . She blinked twice, telling herself in her head to–

 Abs, get it together, the last thing you need in your life right now is to discover how perverted you could be. And to a friend? I should just crawl myself into a hole. 

“Sit.” you commanded, gesturing towards the kitchen. it was as if your personality switched. Abby’s eyebrows favored to be knit together for this click of a button you just pulled. For a while now, she noted you to be kind, and warm, but as soon as she was ordered to even be in your space, you’ve been acting.. abnormal. 

Abby sighed deeply as she obliged to your stern command, taking a seat at your kitchen's barstool. 

You took a long pause before speaking, and Abby took in your surprisingly expansive kitchen. It was a black themed rustic kitchen, you had a new range hood, You took a glass from your matte black cabinets shutting it so hard, that she winced from the noise. Oh yeah she’s suuuuper pissed.

 An island of a counter where she sat, and tapped her finger along the hardwood. It was as if your home was furnished like one of the old worlds catalogues that you almost could find in some places. Obviously not a lot of people were picking those up; more than likely you’d see more people scavenge for food or books. 

Speaking about books, Abby could have sworn she saw you have a bookshelf full of something… familiar but not quite.. normal for books that she would usually see. This whole situation was not normal. You apparently were not normal. In fact you were probably better in status for the village.. To which Abby had no knowledge of because the both of you don’t talk about this kind of stuff—– hell if she knew from the mountains and back you could be some kind of.. Whatever you were. It was weird, this is weird, you having all of this was weird.  As she stared behind you, as you curved your lip, thinking the best way to say.. With whatever you were pondering on, but forget that , you had had a fucking knife set, like a good one for cooking. ( She hoped). The kitchen was just… beyond the expectations Abby had before,  It was better than hers, before– burning it down, of course   

The longer you took to speak the more Abby became more in her head about: this house, this kitchen, your attitude…. Right..your attitude, this new too good for Abby to be in your space attitude?

Abby immediately gave fuel to her furnace of a mind.  Ah, she doesn’t want me to ruin her little set up she has. Wow.. I mean you burn one house and– well. Fuck I didn’t make them do this?

Tons of gasoline had just spilled all over the furnace. 

ARE they really that uppity that– I can’t even not be expected to damage their goods.. I mean.. It’s  not…. Tha—at great– oh who am I kidding I would have killed for this back when… well.. Yeah I probably would have.. 

And just like that a switch went off for Abby as well, that furnace was ready to explode, thinking she was being perceived in a bad light, and the thoughts that climbed on her as if she was the tiniest mountain, and laid putrid virus bringing fungus.  She felt disgusted with herself, with you, and this over the top house… 

She hated this, and you know what? Seeing how you’re taking so long to just fucking say shes a fuck up, is pissing her off even more so why doesn’t she just rip the bandaid off instead?

“You mad at me or something?”  She confronted, her face twisted with frustration, laced with abashment.

You popped your head back up to look straight at her, taking a step back. You could feel how angry she was steadily becoming.. You thought maybe she just–  needs some time to understand that some things are different for you at your house. On top of that… You actually were mad at her, you just didn’t know how to say it. Without.. Telling her too much. 

“Abby.. I- .. “  You balled your fist for only just a second, then wiping your hands on your pants, soothing yourself, before you popped your bubbles of words.

“I gotta take a shower. Please, –” A second mester of a pause, before sighing out a breath.

“Don’t touch anything, Kay?” your voice swaddled her brain, there you go, back to the person she knows, the person Abby grew fond of, but at this point, she barely knew you anyway. Why trust this is how you are now? When you’ll be different later, or the next second, who knows. 

“Hey, I didn’t ask for this shit either- -okay?” she grumbled, only to receive a petty response, you sucking your teeth as you walked away from her, retreating to your bathroom on quick feet.

 Great, I just can’t stop.. Messing up. I made her run away.. To the bathroom, now she’s gonna treat me even more differently, like I’m the psycho in her house, trespassing her shit! FUCK!

Meanwhile, you're in the bathroom clutching at your chest, sliding down the wooden door. Your heart raced so fast it mirrored a woodpecker, poking at your rib cage. 

Abby.. is in my fucking house, holy shit… holy fuck?! Why the fuck would they set me up like this?! I can’t have her in my house.. I already was trying my best to be normal around her. Now… she’s in my kitchen. Sitting on my barstool.. 

Damn did I even clean today?

You were too busy gay panicking in the 4 walls of a room to even think why you were mad in the first place. It was too much. You’ve slowly been building a friendship with her as stated before. Did you expect these feelings to expand, of course not. Abby was new, and different, and a little scary, but you liked that! Everyone in your Village was okay, but not okay. And Abby —definitely peeked your interest to more than JUST an okay. At first, it was bumpy, awkward; You would often see Abby take a few steps back away from you, or even the conversations would be surface level, and at that point– in your mind at the time you cleared out the blossoming friendship. You hate vague conversations, or more like people pleaser convo’s. Saying all the things that anyone else would say or like to hear; tip-toeing around invisible non-existent mines. All for you to just sigh then give out a soft “yeah, that is cool”. You were already used to that here in the village. It was dragged out and tired. You had enough, and confessed to her  “I cannot keep having these conversations with you anymore. I understand that you’re new, but.. Me personally. I cannot fathom myself speaking to another person who just wants clean responses.”

“Clean responses?” she parroted, a question that knitted her brows together

“Yes! Clean responses. I can’t see myself, being friends with someone who is too afraid to speak to me like a real person. I mean c’mon Abby, I only know your name. I don’t know you other than that..”

“Yeah, you know what..? This is bullshit.”

“I agree, so let’s just sto-”

“I used to be a part of the fireflies…”  and after that she would bread crumb information about her, and it was enough. You understood that Abby was truly different, an entire backstory she can’t even speak casually about. And you were willing to wait, as long as she just continue being herself.

-

You came back from upstairs, quick on your feet, the thumps going on in your house could only be your footsteps. When Abby swerved her attention towards you, her cheeks became appled, delicious red apples took form in her cheeks. You were in a tank top, your tits bounced with every step, and shorts, nicely fitted, and could make many take a large gulp as Abby just did, her eyes scattered around your physique, not knowing where to exactly land. Your nipples appeared bitten by the cold or.. Silken with arousal… Who knows. But, what Abby knows, is that you just got out of the shower. Your split ends sticking to parts of your face, the glow of your skin marveling in her eyes. Once again blinking twice to cut the entrancing spell of a hold you just had her under. Her heart raced, and her mind jumbled with thoughts on why she’s becoming flustered from just seeing you in your relaxed state. She has seen Mel, and many of past friends that came and went in the same attire. Why are you different?    

 A quick adventure to get, a piece of paper, and a pencil. You took notice of Abby’s curled hand, assuming she is still upset, even after taking a break between each other. Which prompts you to remember all over again why you were pissed at Abby in the first place.

 A groan milked out of your throat, pouring over to Abby, she took heed to your noise. Her shoulders tensed, and wrinkles molded on her forehead by her bushy brows.

You slam down a piece of paper and pencil.

“What is this?“  Abby wondered, darting her eyes straight to the piece of paper.

“Write a bucket list” 

“Huh?” 

“Write. A. Bucket. List” , your voice was molten with frustration, your voice also hinted rigged from the shake of your hands. Your eyes glossy from fighting back tears out of the heavy amounts of whiplashes of emotions you’ve been put through for the past week. 

“You know, you try to hide it even though I can see through all of this shit. You think you can just up and leave off of the face of the earth? Lev needs you, and I-” 

“--I don’t think you want to be in that kind of situation again..” you said, tugging on a loose string from your shorts, tending to it, like it’s something interesting. But in reality you can’t seem to look Abby directly in her eyes at the moment. 

She nods slowly with a soured lip, letting that comment marinate in her mind. Abby didn’t intend to take her life that day, nor did she even notice that her fate almost ended as swift as stepping on a cigarette. Her attention dragged from the piece of paper, to the counter, then finally to you. She could tell you were truly upset with her. Not because of the thought of her taking her life.. But, not caring about it to a point that she put herself in danger. The danger scared you, and it most definitely scared Abby, she doesn’t want to die. Maybe wallow in sadness with guilt, but dying? That’s her worst nightmare (literally). 

“Write a damn bucket list before you croak”  Abby ruminated on this proposal… it was the weirdest suggestion she’d ever seen but.. what is even normal nowadays? In actuality maybe this could help actually see her life is more precious and want to keep going without being lost on what to do next. It’ll keep her busy, keep her sane, she’d hope.

- 

You both decided to sit down and really speak about the issue at hand. Abby felt it was important to discuss these things with you. Regardless, it was heavy. She obviously didn’t tell you everything, but she did let you know: She’s going through a lot. She said her past was  very unsettling, hoping you can understand that these parts of her are..not too much for you. She was vague about some things, yet you understood. You understood that if she was not ready to talk, then she’s not ready. Her forcing herself wouldn’t be the right thing to do. And you forcing her would be down right throat ripping. So, you kept your head high, nodded and told her. 

“I’m ready whenever you are ready. And when you are, don’t hold back. I can take it.”

The way Abby’s eyes glinted in the light, you could tell she wanted to burst into tears right then and there. Those words, little as they are to some, but big as planets for her.  Yet, she held it in by biting her lip – 

hard.

Moments past as you both tried to get a feel for each other with conversations about the counsel meeting, and talking a little shit about how the jury wouldn’t stop gossiping  than judging a verdict. It felt freeing having to just treat each other as friends again, the fear of taking several steps back only faded away with each smile shared, and poke at how you got so serious to save her and Lev’d family. Though, even Abby can’t deny that, it was sweet on how you stepped in for them.

“Also… since your house has been.. Deleted–”

She scoffed through her nose  at that line,  shaking her head. “uh-huh”

“You should sleep in my bed from now on.”

As soon as you said that, her hypothetical tail wagged so hard, her eyes went round, her cheeks bloomed roses, and yours bloomed various flowers right back. “I- i WAIT! I meant um. I meant uhh- I m-meant y-you can sleep there.. By yourself! I mean yeah..” 

“Oh..” her words trail off, as her eyes shot down to the floor, like a nervous tick she rubbed the back of her neck, swiping off any lingering thought. She sounded as if disappointed. You may have caught it but swung that inkling of a maybe back to the trash. In denial that it was just something else. No way Abby would be thinking about cuddling you in bed right? … right?

“Actually– I’m okay with sleeping on the couch.” Her fingers intertwined with each other, not knowing what to do with her hands.

“Oh come on, Abby” You whined, rolling your eyes. Here she goes again trying not to be in the way, and you only trying to make sure your guest is comfortable. Besides, one day she’s going to have to switch with you, giving the 4-6 month repairs which is highly unlikely. The council is definitely going to just move her into another house, most likely the cleared space ones, after  the infected are carved out of those zones. Not only that but, your proposition to the council was genuine, you do have a lower space below your house for Lev, just lev.. For the rest of your house… It's mostly occupied. You didn’t think you’d ever have to invest in 2 guest bedrooms, 1 yes but 2? This is going to be interesting. 

“No– noo… You come on.”  Abby replied, with a playful push to your side, and you pushing right back, snickering out loud. 

“I’m in your.. Fancy ass house, because I fucked around and obviously found out. You already didn’t want to house me while.. Y'know, babysitting me until I’m good.. Up here” She points at her head. “I’m not going to take your bed too.. So— don’t even worry about it”

“Ab-” You tried to explain that’s not exactly what you meant, you wanted to tell her: The council could have taken you more seriously if I reminded them that you are a grown capable person, and it came out that way so they’d see that it’s not fair to you or to me, to be pushed together like this. 

“Nope. Mm-mm” she shook her head pointing a finger that hovered your warm supple lips “We’re not arguing over this. Take your bed, keep it, I’m taking the couch. ‘Kay?” Her voice was so stern.. And sooooo hot, god, how you wished she’d get in real close to your ears and talk to you like that all day. Voice so addicting you could swear that angels played the harp everytime she shared a word. 

“Ahem, Well okay. Fine. I will cease my.. Insistence about you sleeping in my bed.”

“Good” Her smirk, showed some teeth, and damn you were getting hotter by the second, and not from just the hot weather. “O-Okay, I’m gonna… yeah I’m gonna go to bed now. Covers, pillows, anything you need.. Is in the closet in the hallway, right around the corner straight down away from the kitchen”

“Got it. Sweet dreams” 

Fuck you wanted to melt like frosty the snowman. 

“Mhm!” your response was high pitched and you quickly scurried away, up to your room, which in fact didn’t help Abby. Your butt looked so good in those shorts, your ass quaked from how fast you walked away. She  shook her head again, blinking twice. Maybe I'm just hot.. It has been a very hot day today…

-

A bird tapped on your window, waking you up, with tired sleepy eyes you stretched within your bed already knowing who sent this. You squinted at the bird's leg from afar, a small rolled up piece of paper attached to it. You took a deep breath, and sighed, getting out of your comfy covers, sauntering towards your window to open it. Sadly there was no cool breeze that smacked you in the face for tonight, just a bunch of hot air blown into your eyes, nearly drying them out. You carefully tweeted to the bird to come closer to you, the bird listened to your call, pidgeting its way to you,”Such a good bird, come on.”  you cooed, until it stood in your hands. Taking the wrapped piece of papers showing a yellow circle, your eyes bulged at the color.  “Okay fly on home,” There was no time to alert back with your usual signature, only time to act immediately. Lots of mucking about around your house, stirring  Abby while sleeping, it was like 4AM, and a loud shut from the door startled Abby, but I guess this is just another thing she has to get used to.  You would never do this for anything else but that letter was plastered on your forehead, before caring about anyone's comfort.

Where were you going though at such a random time of the day? When will you be back? Did you think Abby just wouldn’t notice you leaving the house? Is everything okay? Or are you trying to be petty?

These questions infected her brain, over and over again.

I wonder what her room looks like..

This thought came out of nowhere, like a driveby just to directly shoot into her cerebrum. Her eyes lingered on the staircase,only cascaded by moonlight, hitting each step like it was calling her to make a choice. It was crazy, why would she even think this is something  she should explore, this ridiculous thought. However, this thought was like a song you couldn’t get out of your head no matter how many times you tried to divert from it. Abby's pink muscle gliding over her quivered bottom lip. It’s a stupid idea..  She couldn’t keep herself laid down on her back anymore, she needed to sit up. Laying down only gave her pins and needles with these stained thoughts.

Once I cross this line I can’t go back..

She slouched, forearms on her knees, still not removing her eyes off of your staircase, her mind replayed you walking upstairs before going to bed. Her breath became unsteady, the house was filled with your scent which made things even worse for her. She wishes she could hate your scent, but it’s got her wrapped around a golden finger. Her mind is full of you, her nose is familiar with you, every part of her is being attacked by you. And you weren’t even there.  Her foot tapped against your beige carpet, she interlocked her fingers, fiddling her thumbs together. 

Her jaw twitched, the more she ruminated on these thoughts. Just take a quick peek. No harm in just a quick one. No- no.. I should not invade her space, I've done enough of that.

What if she has secrets too..?

What IF she has secrets too.. ?

What if….?

The resolve was just as easy as a slice of iron with a plastic knife, In other news, Abby obviously picked being nosey over being respectful. She had to know if she was in danger of someone that was more than what she assumed. I mean that’s what she kept telling herself with each heavy step up those stairs that she kept having eye sex with. 

Sneaking off with light steps, upwards the stairs she went. Opening doors, upon doors, in search of your room, and boom. She finds it. “Let’s see who you really are…” she lets out to herself, as she slides a finger across your furniture, until it hits a dresser. “ People always hide stuff in there dressers, especially how Manny used t-” 

Tight lipped she became, sighing deeply through her nose before opening your drawers, digging deep within your clothes. First drawer, nothing but shirts, the next pants, then.. Granted how organized you were she’d expect “Yup panties… really.. Cute ones? Huh.. oh. Some lacey ones wow! Someone’s getting freaky.” 

She digs through it, feeling a paper like substance, she nods with a smile. “ found it.” 

She tried telling herself that if there is nothing to prove that you are dangerous then.. She just wanted something to tease you with, or proof that you weren’t as perfect as she thought. To prove you're not really someone that she can trust. She holds the thin piece objects in between her fingers, lifts it up with a tight hold, and… to her surprise.. a photo of you.. in 

Poses and lingerie and some nud- 

She stuffs them back into the drawer. Pink cheeks, and jaw dropped to hell. All she found out is that: “I need to mind my business sometimes…” She comments aloud to herself.Placing everything back with her good memory, cursed or a blessing ? She has no idea which one is the answer, as she slowly pushes your drawers back into their rightful places. Careening out of your room, and stalking down the stairs. But before laying back down on the couch to drift off to sleep once again.. Mostly too forget about what just transpired. Her eyes shifted to the paper and pencil you’ve left on the counter. Guilt mounted her face, for two reasons, and for those very reasons she had to remove it. 

-

Heavy footing came entering the door, it was you lumbering about, tired from the business you had to handle, more like demands that needed to be made. “Sorry about that, I know I woke you up.. “ you had started off but no response, now you know full and damn well you shut that door hard after coming to your senses, you expected her to react with worry or irritation but no response was not on your bingo card. 

“Abby?” you called out to her but was interrupted by a loud snore, your attention whipped to her, sleeping with her tummy out, hand pressed against it, hiding her belly button. Sleep on her face, looks good. You’ve never seen her relaxed before, and it’s– peaceful.  You noticed there's no blanket on her, so, you grab one, and lay it upon her. And as soon as you turn around, so does she, knowing  from the noise she made, shifting herself around to face her back towards you.  Ignorance befallen you, not knowing Abby.. hasn’t been able to relax in quite some time, not even guessing twice that she was awake the whole time. Her heart never ceased racing, not from hiding from you catching her awake. No.. The fact she can’t rid her thoughts of you in those poses, in that attire, the face you had.. One of desire. 

-

Birds chirped, dogs barked, and of course someone is mowing their lawn in the beaming hot sun. Abby stirred, and rolled her shoulder around, tightening the cover over her body. There was a groan that couldn’t bear to be stuck in her throat, growling out a moan. A line of yellowed light streaked over her face, she subconsciously rubbed her forehead, and eyes, as if she could remove it off of her. 

“Fine, fine, forget it— -I’m getting up.”  She mumbled to herself, toned hushed for only her to hear, grabbing an edge of the couch  to help her rise up. She sat there, on your couch, manspreading, slouched, head hung downwards. Abby did not feel like getting up at all. The last thing she felt like doing was roaming around in an unfamiliar setting, only getting 3 hours of sleep. Partly from her secret mission, seeing you in such a risque … set, and the other, trauma. Though she craves it, she cannot risk having another smoke session with herself after last time. Pretty sure, you’d get on her ass for doing it again, and in your home no less.

With no noise in the house currently, it is safe to assume that you’re sleeping peacefully in your snuggled up bedroom, from Abby’s recollection, you had these gray sheets, fluffy pillows, some regular knitted blankets, and some silk pillowcases. Not to mention  a double black door that she could only guess is your extra closet full of who knows what. She’s not going to try and find out again, well.. Not the way she would have.. At first. 

“I don’t even think I ever dressed up for Owen like tha– I gotta stop thinking about that shit.” 

Her ears perked up as soon as she heard a yawn, and there you were. Right across from her, hair a mess, a piece of your tank top strap fallen over your shoulder, tits.. very.. cleavagy.. Fuck, you were just sitting there as if you weren’t in company. She even spotted a mole on your right tit-

“Stop thinking about what?” you asked with a dragged out yawn, as Abby stared up at you, your nipple still protruding through that thin fabric,”Stop.. Stop thinking about  my— my joints. M-my blunts.” She creates a half truth and half lie on the spot. Your nose scrunched at the mention of her brown leafed escape. “Yea—h not gonna happen Abby. You are officially taking a break from that.”  

“You’re right, don’t want me burning down your house too right?”

“N-no? That’s not what I mea-” You staggered to hold on to any sentence that would come out, only rushed and clumsy, you stood up as if you could physically stop her mind from going to a place you don’t mean to create in her world.

“No I get it, I fucked up. So.. y’know, don’t worry about it”

“Abby…” you said softly, like she’ll runaway if you make any sudden movements, so instead you moved slow and precise, taking a seat on the armrest of the couch, crossing your leg over the other. Near her but not suffocating her. Okay, you might be trying to come off as gentle but for Abby… in here scattered mind of multiple projections about you, definitely mostly from those pictures that she had no business gawking at. To her, you might as well shoot her with multiple memories of how you are just dripping with natural charm. Seeing you like this, straight out of bed should not make someone yearn this bad. You were like Eve's apple, close to touch, but never to be, and if  you were allowed to taste or even hold it, it still would be a sin. Fucking hell give her a break, Abby’s face was getting so hot  that even the A.C in your house couldn’t convince you she wasn’t blushing over you. But nope,  you think she’s embarrassed about some stupid ass joint that started a fire in her home. Or even embarrassed for craving one again after the fact. 

“Mm.. What?” She asks, trying her best to take interest in the floor, fake stretching her arms to block her sight from you.

“Weed– can enhance your initial emotion.” 

“Excuse me but.. Huh?”  Her eyes ticked up back to your face, it was glowing, regardless of your dark circles under your eyes from whatever you were doing last night, it still couldn’t falter any beauty you had in your face. Distraction had to be your middle name.  Please.. If there is a god.. Help me focus on this conversation.

“When you smoke, people say, get in the right headspace before doing so. You–”

Okay.. that– ok God, has a funny way for answering that..  She gripped on her pants leg, giving you slow nods that she’s ready to hear for you to finish, but is she really ready?

“I wasn’t in the right headspace..” Abby finished the sentence before those words dribbled down your tongue. No– She’s not ready, not ready to hear it from you.

She takes a minute to process these pieces you gave her to put together.

“Get dressed, we’re gonna do something.”  You said with a clap of your hand a lazy grin, you don’t want Abby to think about that, but she has every right to know about what weed can do and can’t do. You don’t care if she does smoke, but not for the reason she’s puffing out though.

Abby quirked an eyebrow at the sudden task. What you have in mind could be the pick me up that Abby should need. It’s the very thing that helped you be able to maneuver around with the requirements of your skills, has asked of you.  Of course, if she chooses to back out of this, then so be it, there’s nothing you can do until you can spot something that she enjoys.  And maybe something you both can enjoy together, to remove all of this tension, unwanted tension that started in the first place. You wouldn’t have guessed that the ice would have to be broken once more, though it’s too late now. 

Abby was just about to turn her heel and move on, but before she got dressed, she stood up from the couch, walking back to you. “This is going to bother me if I don’t fix this now.” 

“Hm?”

She fixed the hanging strap of your tank top, back over to your shoulder, and only a bit of her finger tips grazed it, your brain permanently taking a note that her hands are calloused, rough, her momentarily touch  felt good for only a second before withering away. Your heart ached from how quick a single touch can leave you. You tell yourself just suppress it.. Push that feeling all the way down.

-

You both changed, walking outside with a brisk air from the summer's morning, nipping at your skin, the weather was truly weird in this area of the world, at one time its hot as hell itself, then cool the next. luckily you wore a pair of sweats, a long sleeved shirt, and a pair of some old yet good sneakers, while Abby wore something you whipped up together ( more like she insisted on wearing vs what you picked out)  A muscle tee, Shorts, with black leggings, she chose to keep wearing the same shoes she had on before, a good pair that hasn’t failed her since moving into the village.  She followed your lead toward another garage? House like place… Abby figured this was like an unused building for someone to move in  or, maybe a public building for the community. Apparently not.. This was another building that you owned. Abby couldn’t take it anymore, the festering question on why and how the hell did you even acquire a majority of these items, titles, and more?

“What the hell do you even do?” She let out, stepping in front of you cutting off your path towards the buildings, the crunch of pebbled rocks under her feet. There was clearly a pathway connected to your house to the next building. Doubt mounted your face, you took another step towards her expecting she’d move out the way. Abby didn’t move. She wouldn’t not until she gets some answers, and she better get them today.

“Now what is it?” you inquired, shrugging your shoulders, and a hand rest on your hip. Your keys jingled in your free hand.

“This.. life of yours, this comfort, the big house?! You know, how? Why, for what? Do you do hardcore missions or..?”

She was exaggerating her movements, gesturing back to the house, and to the glassed building, It was kind of funny. Seeing her move around like she was playing charades. When she mentioned the hardcore missions, it perked your eyebrows. That was fast of her to catch on. Maybe too fast… You pondered if she possibly went into your room and saw that  piece of paper, but according to you checking twice, it seemed like everything in there was never tampered.

“Ah–, “

“What gave it away?”

“Everything.” She replied with a hand on her hip.

“Well, I do not do hardcore missions… anymore. I’ll just cut right to the chase, and I can’t answer all of your questions right now but I will tell you this. I  can make poisons, and I put up a pretty good fight.”

“Poisons..” She parroted letting that statement simmer in her mind. You nodded, folding your arms as you went on to explain further.

“The problem is that I try to intertwine both skills together, and that gets me in trouble.”

Her brow twitched at the mention of you possibly being danger, Abby couldn’t even imagine you hurting a fly. Emotionally? Hell yes, but physically? Come on now.  “Trouble like how? You purposefully put yourself in danger or just happen to be in places at the wrong time?”

“Eh, no–” you answer with puckered lips, you place a hand on your chest, opening your mouth to speak again.

“Me being able to make and decipher poisons is reliable, and if people were to find out that I’m the village's master key— then I would be kidnapped… or killed for this knowledge.” And it’s not like no one can acquire this knowledge, but it's the fact that you would even try to dabble in something so dangerous. It’s too risky for a lot of people to try. So they don’t, and probably don’t want anyone walking around with such dangerous information, especially in today's world.

“Oh” Abby faced dropped just like the oh that slipped from her lips. “Oh indeed” you said with a nod, moving around her, continuing your walk towards the building. Abby, faced the back of your head, watching you unlock the door as you continued speaking.

“For my efforts, knowledge, and more I have been gifted many things as thanks for keeping the village safe as long as I have”

“How lon-”

“17” you interrupted, admitting you’ve been at this poison game since 17. That’s kinda rough finding out you had to grow so fast, it kind of reminds her of Lev. They’re so many things she wishes she could protect him from, to even have a bit of innocence within him. That’s exactly why she let him hang out with his friend.

“I’m 24 nearing 25 now”

“Oh, that's so young..” 

“You figured me older?”

“I… Yeah at least 29.. Not from the looks, but the amount of time it should have taken to make your house..Well– houses–”  They mirror grand, as if you took time and major effort just so it can look normal. There’s no physical evidence of worry or doubt that the house wouldn’t last, in fact the house appears to have a promise that it will continue standing.

“I mean you’re like a year older than me..”

“Mhm,” 

The conversation fell silent, as you both entered this gym, Abby was amazed that you had all of this to yourself. Then again.. Is she sure that this is only from being able to make poisons, and identify them. She knows this is a fucked up thought, however thinking back to those photos.. Were you doing more than you led on?

“What else you got in that pretty little head of yours?” Abby meant this as a tease but, when it came out, her ears were hot, and yours mimicked the fire. 

“Uh.. Pretty.. Thanks. Um.. wow.. Okay..”

“Where do you wanna start?” you asked, passing her a water bottle, Abby catching it with ease.

“All of it..” 

You both talked as you stretched together before exercising: about how long you’ve studied poisons, herbs, different things and such picked up along the journey it took to get to this village. Abby shares that she knows how to craft some things for infected, or even supplies in case of high risk emergencies. You take notice how her shoulders dropped talking about infected versus people, this is another skill that you have picked up along the way. Of course, in this day in age, you must understand body language, charisma, and a personal skill that you can gradually upgrade. Your eyes were gravitating to her scars on her arm,  you hadn’t noticed that there’s so many on her back, her shoulders, usually in the place of this situation you’d trace those scars. You would have been nursing her until her skin came back to its original form, even if it was only a bit. 

As you both prepared yourselves for more stretches, you found it a bit funny that some of the flexible stretches were hard for Abby, given her physique she should have no problem. That hinted for you to understand that your previous theory of her being more on the muscle mass side, to be more true as she struggled to put a leg over her head, but as with you, you’ve done it without much effort. Abby was amazed, and a little nauseous that you could bend in ways that she didn’t even know humans could. Until, you had  put both of your legs behind your head, you hadn’t notice but she could see you fully display yourself to her… Your pretty pussy formed perfectly under those sweats.. She took a big gulp that you mistaken for her to be quite shocked that you chose this position. 

“Cat got your tongue?” 

“ H-huh, uh.. You know lets, stop stretching and um, actually get started with whatever.. Yeah?”

Her cheeks were flushed, and her wording tripped and fell , You nodded in agreement. 

“You said you put up a good fight.. Prove it” Abby challenged, this was something she knew that would force her out of her thoughts, and if you both exercise with each other instead of individually, Abby wouldn’t struggle completing her reps with you in the same room. Getting out of your complex position, you stood up, stretching your limbs, cracking your arms. “Lets begin” you told her, and she gave you a quick nod.

Both of you circled each other, mirroring two hawks circling one another, sizing each other up. Anything that was friendly has left the door, your eyes became focused with each breath you took, as the same with Abby. For as long as you knew Abby was like this hermit that would only come out if Lev begged her, or she felt she needed to get some air from her old house, the assessment was easy for you to see how to make this match quick and easy. The hard part was a single question: is Abby easy to take down? 

You sent a playful smirk, try getting into her head maybe? 

Only to receive a click from her mouth, giving you a wink, so nope… getting into her head was definitely not ideal.. Not from the way your ears became inflamed with something fierce, and you can’t blame the heat outside for this. No.. she’ll find out everything if she’s going to be this close to you. 

As light as as you were on your feet,  Abby didn’t anticipate how fast you could be, let alone being able to get behind her blind spot, but of course Abby is sharp when it come to these things, being apart of the fireflies, and WLF, she’s had plenty of time to understand how to block this attack  yet-

You manage to lock your arm under her armpit, a strong grip? A strong grip indeed, you may not look it but you’ve done your own studying beyond poisons. You understand that you must over power her.. Use her weight against her, throw her off her game quick and fast.  A gasp leaves from Abby’s supple lips, not only from shock but the flash back with that girl, that scrawny girl that followed her all the way to the driest of places. Abby was going through currents of multiple waves back and forth of her mind as you proceeded, swiping your foot on the blue mat connecting the back of her leg, her balance no longer strong and still, launching her on her back. A  thud echoed, and silence soon followed.  A beat passed, and grumbles came from under you, A scowled face Abby was met with your eyes, colder than you're used to.. “Lucky”  she spat out like venom, under her breath, “Lucky or am I just that good?”  you replied leaning closer to her, smug face and all.

Abby forced a laugh out, pushing your face out of hers, but snatching it back  when she felt your lips on her fingers.. “ Just. Luck-key.” Abby was pissed. Her ass being handed to her so many times, her veins on her arms pulsed, as she gripped hard, nails digging into her skin, her fist ached to punch something. I want my control back. 

Not only did she want that but she is tired of you coming up in her thoughts so much, and that person, the reminder of her mistakes, all of it came back to her. It was too much for her to handle right now. It’s either she keeps fighting to regain her control or her downfall. She knew her body isn’t the same as it once was, she knew she used to be a full blown tank with how her assets of a body plowed through people bigger than you. This was just embarrassing, and losing a simple sparring with some girl she only met a few months ago, Absolutely not. Especially not the person who finds it embarrassing that they have to take care of a grown woman, is what Abby tells herself, only to get even more enraged.

“Again.” She ordered.

“Abby.. we’re just sparring no hard feelings..”

“Yeah sure whatever, Again”

You saw her as something else right then and there, determination, and sizzling rage. Maybe the adrenaline will help her? Or… will it only make her lose again. You didn’t wanna see how she’d react if she’d lose however, her little pout right now is just too adorable. And to be able to know that Abby, this lone wolf, is just a competitive pouty faced girl— kinda worth it.  “Alright, you asked for th-”

She rolled her neck cracking it, with a satisfying pop, that sent shivers down your back.”Just fucking, square up..” She snapped, her tone low and rumbled, you bit your lip at the shift in her voice. It was kinda scary.. Yet, you stood your ground, centering yourself, waiting for her to make the first move. Her chest rose and fell with every fired breath she took.

Round after round you kept mopping the floor with her, beads of sweat drenched the both of you. Of course, you didn’t actually want to go this far, but Abby could tell that you were going easy on her, which would lead her to being a little more hot headed, until you gave in and fully gave her your strength. For Abby, she was mind boggled that she kept losing, she had no idea how out of shape she’s become, and it irk the hell out of her.  It was hard for her to see you as you… You slowly turned into the images she long thought she had buried, yet they're all coming back up like guizers. That fucking brunette.. 

“Should have got rid of you… that day” She stated under her breath, it threw you off, you could barely hear her, but you could tell something was off about Abby. Something strange.  She beelined towards you faster, coming at you like a full force one manned army, throwing wild punches, punches that you found easy to catch now harder, uncontrolled, unpredictable. Blocking her was impossible. You had to stop this, wrapping around her lifting one of your legs to add some needed weight, falling with a loud bang to the floor. Her landing on top of you, was too fucking close for you to hide rapid heart beats. Both of you groaning from the impact, though Abby refuses to lose, she holds onto you like a damn rattlesnake, squeezing you hard within her arms and legs. With barely any strength left you put your all in into one swift move by picking her up slightly gaining your fierce return to be back on top. Rising up, putting more weight onto Abby,that she has no choice but to react instinctively to leg go of you-- for only a second to free yourself from her ached grip. Only her arms break from the hold, her legs still tight on you like a trapped iron cage.  She’s isolating you from getting any leverage from this round. The hell even happened before? Was she trying to tire you out? To wait to pull this move out on you? 

Fuck it at this point. Abby’s mumbling to herself, you’re exhausted, this fight has been long overdue to just end. You catch a moment of vulnerability, a flash in her eyes that said  ‘I want to stop’ and you knew from just arguing with her from earlier, the insistent ‘ i’m fines’ from the hospital.Your mind focused on that inkling of passage of who Abby really is, a person who doesn’t give up, and does not want people to worry about her, regardless if she's truly suffering. You had to make her stop. Knowing she smokes only gives you another advantage. You put all your strength into separating her legs from you, while pinning both of her hands above her head. Using your free arm to press into a muscle that can’t handle pressure against it, a groan escaped Abby’s lips, she tried to hang on regardless of how painful it was, so you pressed deeper. You didn’t want to do this, but something is not right, and it had to stop now. Her pained leg lost it’s grip and you acted fast as a animal in the savanna. Your eyes were so focus and zoned in on a quick maneuver. This wasn’t to win anymore. You place your knee on her stomach until she fully stops floundering around.  Tapping your leg 3 times, you remove yourself off of her, getting up and looking down at her. 

Her chest rising and falling. Face red and frustrated.  

“Next time creed, you just might get me.” 

You offer a hand but she smacks it away “I can at least help myself.” 

-

Abby swishes her hand in the tub, checking the temperature before getting in. Her muscles are sore, so sore that she’s amazed you have her aching like this. Usually a workout like that wouldn’t affect her like that. She turns on her heal to face the mirror, observing her physique. It’s been a while since she’s checked herself out, and boy… is she upset. Like yes she knows she looks somewhat good, but.. She grew accustomed to the body she had before. It was like a natural shield for her, a confident boost for not only around people, but around the infected. She’s done some kind of soul searching, understanding that she built that body out of rage, out of… obsession. But, now she’s pissed that she got her ass handed by you. And you’re nowhere near how her previous body was built, nor like those really built seraphites. You knocked her ass down, with strength and logic. She could tell you have a good eye for seeing through people, even through fighting. That’s dangerous. Really dangerous.. So dangerous that it has the corners of her mouth turned up.

You made her excited, and that is something she hasn’t felt in a while… In fact she wants to spar again, just to see if she can pick up a few things from you. Maybe even bulk up again, because if she gets her ass handed to you once more.. She just might pull her hair out. The competitive side of her eating at her like a steady starving hawk. Those memories though— she doesn’t want to think about it. She hated that she got so mixed up with what was real and what wasn’t.  Luckily it wasn’t too bad of an episode today.. She doesn’t even feel like screaming into the water like how she usually would. 

Whirling herself back around to face the tub, she takes a step in, warm and pinched slightly at her skin, then fully emerging herself in the waters, “Oh hell yes… Who cares if she’s bougie, this is nice..” Her voice echoing in the large bathroom. 

A knock at the door, signals her senses  “You forgot your towel..” you said in a meeked tone, “oh yeah? Hand it to me.” 

You slowly opened the door, as it creaked as loud as your heart was beating against your cage. Trying your best not to fully come in, trying– to hand her the towel, yet… it’s barely reaching her.

“Um.. You can come in, you know?” Abby reassured, and your cheeks got hotter by the second, but you sucked it up and pushed through, regardless of how anxious you were about Abby being able to hear how hard your heart rattled. Abby faced forward to another wall, not even tempting to stare at you, of course not after that spar session. Honestly, the more she got to know you the more her heart also began starting its own rapture; thunderous weather could have confused anyone if they laid their head on Abby’s chest.  You dragged your feet over to her, trying your best to still not look, covering your eyes with your hand, however you heard a snicker. “Are you that scared of seeing me naked?” she asks,with a chuckle.

“Scared? No- no?”

“ You’re totally scared! Look at how nervous your hand is, it’s quaking”

“Shut u—p” you stretched out with a groan, laced with a high pitched whine. “Well you’re going to have to open those peepers,  I still can’t grab the towel without exposing myself”

“F-fine!” You slowly moved your hand out the way, and there it was.. Her back, even though she hasn’t gotten her full strength back, her back was toned, and scared. Old scars, you wanted to trace them just like before in your gym, gliding your touch ever so carefully, and ask her what stories do those scars hold. “Here..” 

“Thanks! Now get out you perv”

“I!? WHA? YOU! You told me that I could come-”

“I’m just fucking with out haha!” 

“

“Look at you ‘splode with sooo much passion. So embarrassed, so flustered, ha!” 

“You’re an ass hole.. “

“Yeah, and you handed me mine earlier, gotta get my lick back somehow” 

You rolled your eyes, softly laughing to yourself with her childish play thrown at you like a curve ball. You’d walk out, shutting the door behind you, pressing your back against the wooden door. “We’re gonna go grocery shopping after you’re done.”

“Alright, Give me a second” she said and you could hear the water splashing, moving with her. All you could do was imagine her bare back again, the droplets that designed it so meticulously, and not taking the shine away from her cute freckles. You’d pinch your thigh to regain some kind of composure. 

“N-no t-take your time” 

You tell her squeaked voice, as you shakily hold up a piece of paper that Abby wrote for you. Now this piece of paper was supposed to only be about her taking life into her own hands and controlling what she can. It is, but then again there’s this section she wrote for you: ‘Lev is not coming back until Sunday morning, I will explain to them what happened, do not interfere. If Lev and I will be a part of this household with you, then there’s something I need you to do… Keep an eye on him. He thinks this Village will allow him to just be able to go off on missions, sometimes he’s snuck off out of the Village to do his own thing. I could never catch him on my own. And I don’t know exactly where or what he does with his “personal” missions. Promise me by wrapping your pinky around mine, when you finish reading this.. And also,  Thanks, for.. Not ratting me out to the Council.’ If you thought Abby was going to be a handful, well you got another thing coming…. You took a deep sigh, pinching the wrinkle in between your brows. “And now,, I have an emotional, hormone raging, and I can do it myself, teen..  In my house. Great.” you let out under your breath like a secret only for you to hear. Until suddenly a creak from the door opens, and you fall right into Abby while she’s only in her towel.

Prologue||continue?->

Tags: @saturnhas82moons ((let me know if you want to be tagged for the next chapter dear readers ❣️//ageless blogs will not be tagged. if you do not have your age in your profile, please include it in your comment.))

A/n: Hello! I hope you enjoyed the story! 💋

[queencard0]

BREAD AND LOVE — SALESMAN

salesman x reader — 1.6k words — warnings: none — no use of y/n

disclaimer: english is not my first language!

You catch your husband stomping on innocent bread.

Masterlist

Calmly, you walked through Tapgol Park.

You still had some time before your husband would come home, so you wanted to enjoy the nice weather a little longer. You were getting closer and closer to the pavilion in the middle of the park. It was actually quite beautiful, but at some point, the homeless had taken it over and declared it their new home. Their belongings were scattered everywhere, and they themselves could be found—mostly sleeping—in every corner. The closer you got to the pavilion, the more it smelled of alcohol and sweat.

You didn’t want to think badly of these people—after all, many of them had no other choice. Once someone ends up homeless, it’s hard to get out again. Capitalism doesn’t offer a quick way up once you’re at the very bottom.

By now, you had reached the pavilion and lowered your head in shame as you noticed all the poor people from afar. But then another familiar face caught your eye.

Kiyong—your husband—appeared in your field of vision.

Startled, you stopped walking. That couldn’t be. Why would he be here? But it was definitely him: the perfectly ironed suit and slicked-back hair were unmistakably your husband.

In one hand he held his well-known briefcase, and in the other, two large brown paper bags. Kiyong stood with his back to you in front of the pavilion, placing his briefcase on the ground beside him. Some of the homeless got up and stared at him—just as confused as you were. He looked entirely out of place in the scene, with his expensive suit and polished dress shoes.

Suddenly, he bent down and grabbed one of the bags. Without hesitation, he emptied its contents onto the ground. Now you could see what was inside.

It was bread.

If you had already been confused before, your brain now completely shut down. What was he doing?

As if it were the most normal thing in the world, he emptied the second bag as well, and more bread joined the others in the dirt. To say you were appalled would be an understatement. Why did he have so much bread? And why was he throwing it away—right in front of people for whom it was so valuable?

One of the homeless approached your husband, staring in disbelief at him and the bread.

“Why are you throwing away good food?”

You were asking yourself the same question. You crossed your arms indignantly.

You already knew your husband had an illegal job—he never wanted to tell you what exactly he did, supposedly to protect you. You thought you had seen the weirdest thing when you caught him playing Ddakji with strangers in the subway a few years ago, slapping them every time they lost. Back then, he had told you it was “part of his job,” but never had he mentioned anything about throwing away bread.

The homeless man who had approached him bent down to pick up a piece of bread—but Kiyong was quicker.

His polished shoe slammed down on the bread, crushing it completely.

Your mouth dropped open. You must’ve looked incredibly stupid just standing there, but at this point, you didn’t care. You just wanted to know what on earth was wrong with your husband.

Kiyong said something to the homeless man, but you were too far away to hear.

“I’m not the one throwing away the bread,” he suddenly shouted. “You are.”

Baffled, you tried to make sense of what he meant. The whole situation was absurd. One thing was certain: you were going to confront him about it.

Before you could figure out how angry you were going to get, Kiyong moved on to the next unbelievable act.

Suddenly, he began stomping on the bread—so violently that he started jumping.

Like a madman, he bounced around, trampling the bread.

Paralyzed, you stared at the scene unfolding before you. As strange as the subway Ddakji incident had been, this easily topped it. More and more aggressively, your husband stomped on the bread, kicking it across the plaza with his feet. You couldn’t make sense of what you were seeing.

When Kiyong finally decided he was done, he stood still, smoothed out his suit, slicked back his hair, and adjusted his tie as if nothing had happened. He gave a nod to the shocked homeless crowd, grabbed his briefcase, and walked toward the park’s exit.

You stared at him, motionless, as he calmly strolled past you with a blissful smile on his face—completely unaware that you had been watching the entire time.

Outraged, you followed him. Just before he could leave the park and call a cab, you cleared your throat loudly behind him.

Kiyong stopped and turned around with a forced, fake smile—the kind he always gave strangers. But his expression fell the moment he recognized you.

Arms crossed, you glared at him.

Kiyong’s shoulders slumped, and he looked utterly miserable. He clearly understood you had witnessed his bizarre performance.

“You could’ve just told me you hated bread. Then I wouldn’t have kept buying it, and you wouldn’t need to take out your frustrations somewhere else,” you began, scolding him. Kiyong looked down, clearly embarrassed.

“What are you doing here?” he mumbled, glancing up at you with big, dark puppy eyes.

“Same question to you,” you shot back, making him shrink even more.

“I asked first,” he muttered, forcing you to hold back an eye roll.

“Gynecologist appointment. Took the path through the park.”

Now you weren’t sure whether that had been a good idea, or if you should’ve just parked directly at the clinic.

Kiyong nodded.

“I’m working.”

You stared at him in disbelief. You had assumed it was part of his job—but you still had no idea what his job even was.

“In case you didn’t notice—the subway is over there,” you said, nodding toward the station.

“I’m not always in the subway,” he tried to explain.

“Let me sum this up,” you hissed.

“You can’t tell me what your job is because it might put me in danger. But what I do know is: you slap strangers in the subway while playing Ddakji, and now you stomp on perfectly good bread in front of homeless people.”

Kiyong looked down again, like a scolded dog.

“Technically, I didn’t throw the bread away—they did,” he tried to defend himself.

“I know. I heard you,” you snapped.

You sighed and rubbed the bridge of your nose.

“Are you done working?”

Kiyong nodded.

“Good. The car’s in the parking lot. Let’s go.”

Without waiting, you stomped past him, out of the park. Kiyong, of course, followed close behind.

“I don’t hate bread,” he said after a while.

“Oh really? Then why did you just put so much effort into destroying it?” you replied coldly.

“I already said—it wasn’t technically my fault,” he whined.

“Wasn’t it? All I saw was you—like a lunatic—jumping on fresh bread. In front of homeless people!”

“You didn’t see everything,” he said proudly.

“I think I saw more than enough.”

“Look. I bought scratch-off lottery tickets,” Kiyong said, pulling one from his suit pocket.

You stared at the little blue card, completely overwhelmed.

“Then I gave the homeless a choice: bread or gambling. Almost all of them chose the ticket,” he beamed.

“Excuse me?” you gasped.

“Kiyong, what does that even accomplish?” you asked, horrified.

He quickly shoved the ticket back in his pocket.

“It’s part of my job.”

“You know what? I’m not even going to question it anymore.”

Luckily, you both reached the parking lot at that moment. You opened the trunk to put your bag inside.

“I’m sorry,” Kiyong squeaked as he placed his briefcase next to your bag. You nodded in understanding. But before he could close the trunk, you stopped him.

“If I ever see you throwing away good bread again…”

You glared at him, and he swallowed hard.

“Understood.”

“Good,” you smiled and walked around to the driver’s side.

“I’ll drive—”

“No,” you interrupted, getting into the driver’s seat. Kiyong usually insisted on driving, so this was your way of punishing him.

He sighed and slumped into the passenger seat. Flipping down the sun visor, he checked the mirror to fix the strands of hair that had come loose from his slicked-back style while he was jumping.

A grin spread across your face, and before you knew it, laughter burst out of you.

“What?” Kiyong stared at you, confused.

But you couldn’t even answer—waves of laughter shook your body.

“The way you were jumping on the bread—” you gasped, holding your stomach.

Kiyong groaned in embarrassment and covered his face with his hand. But a tender smile also crept across his lips.

“I should drive. Otherwise, we’ll crash into a tree,” he chuckled.

But you snatched the keys right from under his nose.

“No, I’ve got it,” you managed to say, still giggling.

“Ugh, shut up,” Kiyong groaned and gently shoved your arm.

But you still couldn’t stop laughing.

Your husband had no better idea than to lean over and press his lips to yours, hoping to finally shut you up. And it worked—almost. The laughter stopped, but a wide smile stayed on your face as you kissed.

Kiyong deepened the kiss and cupped your cheek with one hand. Even then, you couldn’t stop being amused. As best as you could, you returned his kiss while soft giggles still shook your chest.

Eventually—after what felt like forever to Kiyong—you finally calmed down enough to properly kiss him back.

“Come on, it’s late. We still have to make dinner,” Kiyong said as he pulled away and leaned back in his seat.

Before you could stop yourself, a new laugh escaped your lips.

“Why? We’ve already got bread for dinner.”

[jamieroyjamieroy]

Following on from here

Tommy sits beside Evan, never letting him go, as his cries and sobs turn silent yet no less heartbreaking. It’s the type of silent cries that come from deep within and shakes your bones, the type of cries that only a fractured soul release. Tommy never wants to hear this type of silence ever again. He holds Evan closer - tighter - likely the only thing keeping Evan from shattering into a million pieces. They could’ve sat like this for minutes or hours or days, Tommy isn’t sure, the only thing he is certain of is that he won’t let go. Not until Evan decides he doesn’t want Tommy to be the one who holds him together, even then Tommy will still be here for Evan.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Evan finally breaks the silence but remains within Tommy’s hold. “I didn’t mean, I shouldn’t have, I’m sorry I fell apart like that on you. I woke you up and then cried on you, way to make things about me again right?” Evan tries to move away from Tommy, Tommy holds him a second longer than lets Evan move. His heart stutters when Evan doesn’t go far, just turns to look at Tommy. The words finally registering in Tommy’s ears. The content not making sense to him.

“I meant it when I said you don’t need to say sorry. And what do you mean making things about you?” Tommy asks the words seeming to shrink Evan further into the couch.

“It’s something Eddie pointed out that I do. I make every situation about me and I don’t think about how other people are feeling. Like coming here because I have no where to go and then breaking down in your arms, regardless of how tired you are and how brutal your shift must have been if you were still wearing your boots.” Evan gestures down at the boots Tommy didn’t even realise he still wore. Evan’s words once again bring Tommy’s attention back to the nagging feeling that something had gone very wrong since the last time Tommy saw Evan. More than the loss of Bobby.

“Wait a minute I need you to say that again, not about me or my boots” Tommy cuts Evan off sensing that is what he would hear about. The chagrined look Evan tries to hide confirms his thoughts. “Tell me what Diaz said and why you have no where to go.” Tommy bites out Eddie’s name, sensing the control on his temper is about to be tested. Tommy strokes a hand over Evan’s knee, more to ground himself than Evan. “Please?” Tommy asks softly.

On a sigh Evan tells Tommy everything. How Bobby told him the others would need him. How he has been trying to understand how everyone is coping with their grief. Chim’s survivors guilt. Maddie’s complicated feelings of relief and guilt because of that relief. Hen’s resistance to take the captains position. Athena’s anger. May and Harry’s grief and protectiveness of Athena. Ravi’s too quiet demeanour. Then there was Eddie. The part of the story Tommy felt was the hardest for Evan to talk about. Evan had fidgeted throughout the time he talked, drawing on Tommy’s hand idly with a finger, bouncing a knee to a tune only Evan could hear, picking at a hole in his worn jeans. Now that he was talking about Eddie, Evan had gone incredibly still. Still in a way Tommy had never seen before from Evan. Even in his sleep Evan was never still.

Not that Tommy stayed awake watching Evan sleep. He wasn’t a creep or a hundred year old vampire. It’s just one of those things you noticed when you shared a bed with someone.

Tommy’s mind was wandering to keep his temper under control. When Evan began to describe the altercation in his kitchen, Tommy had to bite his tongue. Figuratively. Literally he was pressing his too short nails into his palm and focusing on the pain there to stop him voicing his thoughts. Evan told him every detail in a monotone, almost disassociating way. From the way Eddie described how Evan made it about himself while bemoaning his own selfish feelings about the matter. To throwing Chris at Evan as a way to apologise without apologising. Even after all that Evan had had a worse shift than Tommy. No wonder Evan needed to cry when he got to Tommy’s place.

“Chim gave a speech about nobody going anywhere and we are getting through this together. I thought maybe I’d pull my transfer, you know. Stick it out. Try to get everything back to normal, well close to normal but then Eddie asked if he could use my furniture when I moved out this weekend because all of his is in El Paso and I just left.” Evan shrugged out “I didn’t even realise I had driven here until I was in your drive way. I’m sorry I dumped all this on you, I just. I’m lost without Bobby because I’m not ok and none of them need me. I don’t know what I’m doing Tommy.” Evan says leaning into Tommy as tears silently begin to fall again.

Tommy’s heart breaks for the man before him. For the little boy within that is still looking to be loved and constantly told he is too much. And by the people he considers family. It breaks Tommy in a way that his own horrible childhood never could.

Tagging those that have shown interest

@leashybebes @loulou-land @wee-fuckin-woo @ceeceekayblog @hubcaphalo @racerchix21 @dashing-disaster @hcrm @monstream @cliophilyra @harmonic-intervention @eosfog-btsideblog @adian-ua @chococara25 @sherlockismarvelous9-1-1 @fenrirscarsback @betterthanfakemouthstatic @mrhappyjavaman @tommylovingho @bigsoftiejunkie @lissa612 @eliotwaughdeservesbetter @bidisasterevankinard @fuk-it-i-tried @tevantarlos @itsnourm @manifestingchaoticvibes @o0anapher0o @dashing-disaster @percyjackson-winchester @911coded @mubsterstuff @daedalusthearchitect @theotherbuckley @iloverosetyler @thuperrah @crimsonwildcat-blog

[yerimacoustic]

𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 ♡ jeonghan x reader

❝ i eagerly await your permission to taste you, as long as that may take ❞ 🥀 ﹒⊹

plot summary : you can’t decide if it’s the worst or perfect time for a vampire to whisk you away from the life you’re all too familiar with.

content warnings : jeonghan x reader, vampire au, regency/dark fantasy au, vampire!jeonghan x princess!reader, featuring wonwoo and joshua, love at first sight, might be kinda rushed (sorry), suggestive scenes/making out but no smut, mentions of blood because duh, wonwoo is a bit of an ass but only for drama/entertaining purposes, angst, yearning, cursing, betrayal, cheating, 14.2k wc!

author note : i’m running for the hills after posting, this is my first time writing a vampire fic i’m so sorry if it’s cringey 😭 not proofread

it was like waking up from an unfathomable nightmare and immediately searching for a single flicker of light to bring you even a semblance of comfort. of reality. but when he woke up that day, his chest felt empty, his entire body felt cold.. it was nauseating, nerve-wracking, to say the least. for a moment, he wondered if he was stuck in some sort of cruel purgatory.

his home was much darker than he remembered. not a single sliver of sunlight was permitted to peek through the windows, the curtains now bolted to every corner of the large windows. he knew it was daytime, somehow, but he felt a strange sense of exhaustion. 

then his friend walked through the door.. but he wasn’t as happy to see him as he had expected. somehow, at a single glance, his friend looked different, his usual friendly countenance diminished. his friend parted his lips but remained silence, as if the two of them shared an unspoken sense of dread. it confused him, made him wonder just how much had changed when he was asleep.. 

in a brief passing, just as he was pushing the quilts forward, he saw it. a flash of painful memories nearly sent him falling back against the pillows again- and suddenly it all became too clear. he stared again at the marks on his wrist in a fit of rage and came to realize this new life ahead of him was anything but a cruel purgatory. 

for at least, for some, purgatory would eventually come to an end. 

–

the chandelier shone bright above the crowd, the polished marbled floor beneath your feet somehow glistening even more so than usual. even with hundreds of guests dancing gleefully through the room, there wasn’t so much of a scratch on the tile. though you were hardly interested to find out what went into cleaning your fiance’s ballroom floor.

you stared down at your pasteled tulle skirts in a daze, wondering how you’d come to let a perfectly good outfit go to waste. across the room, wonwoo discussed business, finance, strategy.. anything he figured you couldn’t be bothered to hear. especially on the night your engagement was to be formally announced.

you should have been happier. it was a momentous occasion, an important milestone for many, not just royalty. strangers from both yours and wonwoo’s kingdoms joined together to celebrate your future union. you weren’t just promised to him but a life of stability, comfort.. yet you should have been happier.   

one thing that would have made you happier, for example, was if your fiance shared even one dance with you. it seemed that the two of you went through the motions of your speedy engagement in different ways, with him evidently viewing it only as a transaction. which, in all fairness, it was exactly that.

you soon came to find out there was only so much you could take. you managed to sneak out of the ballroom without anyone noticing, furthering away from the crowd until all you could hear was the echoed tapping of your heels against the floor. 

there was nothing like a breath of fresh, night air, especially after hours of suffocation. the crisp autumn air was refreshing, rejuvenating, almost- even if you had left your shawl inside. you chased the wonderful feeling of freedom the further you stepped into the unfamiliar gardens, the full moon high above your head mistifying, to say the least.

“it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” 

a cool, low voice not two feet behind you startled you out of your daze. you turned around, only to find the culprit was just as handsome as he sounded. fluffy blonde hair, elegant and striking features, dark eyes that shone beautifully in the moonlight.. he wore elegant black robes, covering every inch of his skin. incredible- you had barely shared any words, yet he seemed to be the most elusive figure you had and ever would lay your eyes on. 

“yes,” you suddenly coughed out, a short chuckle leaving your lips soon after. “yes. it is..”

the man, noticing your flustered state, chuckled knowingly and took a single step closer. “my apologies. i didn’t mean to startle the queen-to-be.”

you tilted your head, finally noticing the crimson in his eyes. his irises were the deepest shade of red imaginable, just like rubies.. it was unlike anything you’d ever seen before. “how do you know who i am?” 

he chuckled again, sending a chill down your spine. “i saw your tiara and took a leap of faith. besides.. everyone in the kingdom knows who you are.” 

“maybe you’re right. even so.. it’s unfair,” you started, struggling to speak as eloquently as he did. “that you know who i am, yet i don’t even know your name.”

“jeonghan.” he spoke without hesitation, seemingly carrying enough confidence for the two of you. especially considering the skillful way he took your hand in his and pressed a kiss against your knuckles. his fingers were cold as they wrapped around yours, as if you’d plunged your hand in ice cold water, yet you couldn’t bring yourself to pull away. “it’s a pleasure to finally put a face to the name. such a gorgeous face, i might add.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, puzzled. “didn’t you-”

“gossiping remarks in the town square hardly do your beauty justice.” he smirked, as if he knew the flattering remark was more than a satisfactory explanation. after all, you were doing a terrible job masking just how flustered you felt.. 

“thank you,” you finally whispered, avoiding his gaze. a never ending sea of tall oak trees marked a plunge into darkness, one you had since been contemplating diving head first into. 

his gaze followed yours into the forest several feet ahead and he raised an eyebrow. “forgive me for sounding invasive, but shouldn’t you be inside? with your fiance?”   

“i suppose i should be,” you sighed, making no attempt to hide your apprehension. “but.. it’s a little suffocating in there at the moment. i just needed a moment to decompress, collect my thoughts.”

he smiled to himself, as if to be taking pride in the fact you had placed confidence in him. “that’s understandable,” he started, releasing a long breath. “you’re starting a new chapter in your life. that doesn’t always come easy.”

“i don’t mind change, not really,” you shrugged. “and i know how lucky i am. i just..wish i had more of a say in these types of arrangements.”

jeonghan nodded, briefly humming in contemplation. “so now, you’re just.. inattentively going through the motions of a life you didn’t sign up for. i know a little about what that’s like.”

“you do?” disbelief filled your tone as you raised an eyebrow.

he chuckled at your phrasing, stepping closer to you until one breath could have pressed your shoulder against his own. “yes. i may not be of noble blood.. but that does not mean i cannot try to understand those who are.”

his words were so vague, his tone so alluring, yet you couldn’t bring yourself to ask him to elaborate. especially once you were met with his beautiful crimson eyes again and ultimately left speechless- this stranger puzzled you in many more ways than one. his eloquent way of speaking was a perfect match for his beauty, positively alluring…

“i suppose.. i better go back inside. before the prince starts to suspect something,” you chuckled sheepishly, still struggling to hide your bashfulness. 

he watched you take a few steps towards the staircase before calling out to you, “so soon?”

you turn to him with a gentle smile, “well.. yes. it’s rather rude to keep my intended waiting, whether we’re in good spirits or not. wouldn’t you agree?”

he smirked broadly, twisting his lips in a way that made your heart race. “i do. but he doesn’t seem to pay you any mind, does he?” 

something rather dark clouded your mind and there was an unmistakable pang in your heart, whether it was brought on by confusion or something else entirely, you didn’t know. was the mysterious jeonghan a mind reader, or was he simply more intuitive than most? 

he continued, “otherwise he wouldn’t have left you out here, all alone. especially near a dangerous forest.. whether you’re in good spirits or not.” 

you couldn’t stop the smirk pulling at your lips as he repeated your words. “will you join me inside, then? i can’t, in good conscience, leave you out by this ‘dangerous forest.’”

his eyes briefly widened as he stared past your shoulder for a moment, the light from the lanterns illuminating his dark irises. it was a terrifyingly alluring sight, disappearing in a flash of lightning. he spoke coyly, “very well, if you insist.”

maybe you were imagining things, but the flames in the tiny candles throughout the hall seemed to expand from the moment he stepped past the doorway. there was a shift in the air, one that you couldn’t conjure the words to explain. and yet, you made a conscious effort to take his hand in yours the moment the two of you were in the ballroom. he seemed puzzled at first, as if you had caught him in a flustered state.

“share a dance with me?” you offered, admiring the depth of his fluffy white hair. 

he tilted his head briefly, giving rise to another devilish smirk. “i would be honored.”

it was an undoubtedly puzzling sight, the princess sharing a dance with a dazzling stranger on the night of her engagement party. you did your best to shrug off the judgemental glances and inquisitive stares, focusing only on the beautiful man leading you in circles around the dance floor. like everything he did, he led the waltz with skillful precision..and charm. for the knowing smile never left his lips. 

it felt strange trying to avoid his gaze when his chest lay nearly a breath away from yours. you quickly caught on to the cunning nature in his smile, chuckling to yourself. “you smile like you know something no one else in the room does,” you noted quietly. 

he laughed softly at your words and you could have sworn you saw the lanterns flicker one more time. “maybe i do,” he replied coyly.

you scoffed, “very well.. do you mind enlightening me?” 

he merely shook his head, the loose curls near his eyes shaking with the impact. he laughed again and it seemed to overshadow any other sound in the room. “no.. no i don’t think i will,” he finally answered with a snicker.

“you’re no fun,” you teased just before he twirled you under his arm. 

“on the contrary,” he whispered, just before his grip on your waist tightened ever so slightly. it seemed as though he spoke not to argue with you, but to make a promise..

the song eventually reached its end with the orchestra drawing on the last few notes. applause scattered throughout the room, prompting you to take two steps back from jeonghan and draw in a deep breath to collect yourself. something about the look of intrigue in his dark eyes pulled you in like a moth to the flame. 

you watched him part his lips and mentally asked yourself what he was about to say. run away with me? in a heartbeat.. 

“get away from her,” a deep voice not two feet behind your shoulder demanded. 

you, recognizing it immediately, whipped your head back. “wonwoo.. we were just-”

wonwoo ignored you, quickly reiterating his words in a much louder tone. “get away from her. i won’t ask again.”

jeonghan’s smile never faltered, giving rise to a new level of darkness in his eyes. “and why would i do that? i was under the impression we were to share another dance.”

wonwoo’s hand fell to his side to circle around the silver detailed hilt of his sword. unmistakable anger filled his narrowed eyes as he stared at jeonghan with nothing less than the deepest form of hatred. but why…? “you have no business being here. how did you even manage to get in here? you weren-”

“weren’t invited?” jeonghan offered with a snicker. “your lovely fiance was gracious enough to invite me in, actually.”

jeonghan’s words were filled with venom, leaving a sour taste in your mouth. you looked back and forth between the two of them with furrowed eyebrows. “i don’t understand..” you started dryly. “wonwoo, will you just tell me wh-”

“there’s no need for that,” wonwoo cut you off once again and gripped tighter to his sword, threatening to release it from its sheath at any moment. “jeonghan, leave. there’s no need to cause a scene.”

he took a single step backwards and hummed, as if in contemplation. although he could easily overpower anyone stupid enough to get in his way, there was no use in dealing with collateral damage. as boring as his night was turning out to be.. “very well. just remember.. you can’t get rid of me that easily now.”

he disappeared in the blink of an eye, a blur.. not even a cloud of mysterious smoke signalled his departure. a collective gasp filled the room and you, at a loss for words, released a heavy sigh as a pit formed in your stomach. your suspicions from the beginning had been confirmed: there was more to the beautiful stranger than met the eye.

not only were you frightened, confused about your encounter with the strange man, but you felt like a fundamental piece of information was missing. you turned to wonwoo, demanding, “how did you know his name? what is he?”

he appeared dejected, his frame slightly shrinking under your gaze. there was no excuse for him to ignore you now. “that, my darling,” he started in a weary tone, just as a light pattern of rainfall began to tap against the windows. “was a vampire.”

–

“you do realize how foolish your actions were tonight?”

your fiance, always the monotonous one, stood near your doorframe with his arms folded across his chest. you chuckled bitterly at the reflection in your vanity mirror; how fitting, it seemed, that the first time he bothered to visit your quarters was in order to scold you. nonchalantly, you brushed through your hair without bothering to focus on his eyes, even in the mirror. 

you argued, your tone slightly harsher than anticipated, “how was i supposed to know what he is?” 

“that’s besides the point; it’s the principle. you can’t just invite people into my-” he paused, clearing his throat. “-our castle without even discussing it with me first.”

you finally turned around to face him, your eyebrows furrowed. “maybe i would have taken better care to heed your request if i knew your kingdom was overrun with.. with vampires. i don’t remember you mentioning that at all in the arrangement, by the way.”

his shoulders noticeably stiffened at your words, the horrible notion of the monsters bringing a shiver down his spine. it was true; his kingdom, like many, had been crawling with vampires for centuries. but as far as you were concerned, none of your subjects had reported so much as a sighting of the terrifying creatures. you felt barely equipped to handle what would undoubtedly be a catastrophic attack, now that you had invited one in..

wonwoo stood in silence with his jaw clenched for a moment, pondering his next choice of words carefully. defending oneself against a vampire was bad enough, but an entire castle? how could someone be so foolish… “and if i remember correctly, the only concern your family had was the promise of more land and soil.” 

you clenched your jaw in an effort to hold your tongue. his words, however poisonous, had a hint of truth to them; your marriage was an arranged transaction. and it was becoming increasingly clear that wonwoo wanted desperately to remind you of it every day..

“so what happens now?” you finally asked, your voice slightly strained.

“there are two guards sanctioned outside your door. just.. stay in here for the night and you should be safe. and don’t leave this room unless permitted,” he instructed you without an ounce of sympathy in his tone. 

“good night,” was your acknowledgement as you turned back around to stare in the mirror. the moment you heard the door click shut several feet behind, a heavy, weary sight left your lips. knowing there was no chance of you getting any sleep that night, you took to studying the details of your reflection and wondering how you’d been paired with the most apathetic man in the realm. 

outside, the wind was getting harsher and harsher, blowing through the large trees planted near your balcony and seemingly knocking at the french doors and windows. the full moon shone brightly directly above the castle, casting shadows into your bedroom. not for the first time, you wished you weren’t a night owl. 

 it felt like you were waiting. waiting for something, or more accurately, for someone. although the windows were closed, you felt a chill run down your spine, giving rise to goosebumps that would form along your arms. your bright blue dressing gown was only a few steps away, draped over the dressing screen. yet.. you felt glued to your chair. 

hours must have passed before the wind all but ripped the balcony doors off their hinges, sending a harsh wave of frosty air through your bedroom. although you felt the effects of the cold, goosefleshed skin and slightly shaky hands.. it didn’t feel unwelcomed. actually it felt oddly comfortable. 

and then lightning struck, a flash of blinding light piercing through the space of your bedroom. yet, you might as well have welcomed the storm with open arms; the rain had always brought you comfort, after all. especially during sleepless nights.

“i do apologize for the interruption,” a clear voice behind you spoke smoothly, prompting your shoulders to stiffen. you could hear jeonghan, feel his presence directly behind the small vanity chair, yet he did not appear in the mirror in front of you. even so, you stared straight ahead, as if to make eye contact with his reflection.

“is it true, then?” you asked him while tugging at a loose thread on your sleeve.

he let out another chuckle, the sound going straight to your racing heart. “it seems like you already know.”

you drew in a breath as he rested his hands on your shoulders, his thumb brushing lightly against your collarbone. “i should have seen the signs,” you thought out loud. maybe you were as foolish as wonwoo claimed, for you made no effort to push jeonghan away..

he hummed, “are you sure you weren’t just ignoring the obvious?” 

you furrowed your eyebrows gently in contemplation, reflecting on the first time you saw his deep red eyes, felt his cold hand against yours.. suddenly, you let out a halfhearted chuckle, “maybe you’re right.”  

although you couldn’t see his reflection, you could feel his gaze piercing into yours. you swore you could hear him smirk as he spoke lowly, “don’t beat yourself up, princess. based on what i now know about you, it seems as if you’re craving a little more of.. an adventure.”

“adventure?” you quickly shook your head, snickering. “i wouldn’t say that.”

“i would,” he countered gently. “you’re bored, princess. and who could blame you, with the man you’re expected to marry?”

you paused, watching your hair fall behind your shoulder in the mirror. although it appeared to move on its own, jeonghan’s fingers brushing gently through your achingly soft locks pulled you back into reassurance. “you think you can give me what i really want?” you asked him lowly, the faintest hint of amusement in your voice. 

he paused, leaning down just a little bit. you felt his breath brush gently against the shell of your ear, effectively sending yet another shiver down your spine. “i know i can.”

a soft breath barely left your lips before his own were on your neck, leaving a trail of feathery kisses in their wake. you tilted your head back, your eyelids falling shut with ease as you bore your throat to him. for a moment, he was cool, calm and collected, releasing a gentle sigh against your skin. he was determined to savor the moment for as long as possible, even if your pulse racing beneath his lips was louder to him than the thunder outside. his eyes were screwed shut as he fought with everything inside him to ignore his instincts, to let his sharp teeth only lightly graze the surface..   

the gentle prick prompted your eyes to open and you sat upright again, finally turning to face him. his pupils were dilated, his gaze intense.. but he seemed to immediately understand the place of unease you were coming from. 

“don’t worry,” he assured you with a gentle smile. “i’ll only take a bite if you really want me to.”

a gentle sigh left your lips after he spoke, loving nothing more than the thought of allowing him a taste. the collected way in which he spoke, the flushed look in his eyes, all of it almost tempted you to tilt your head back for him all over again. “while i like the sound of that,” you started breathlessly. “i’m not sure how wonwoo would feel about seeing the marks in the morning.”

he nodded while doing his best not to showcase his disappointment at the mention of your fiance. here you were, desperate to appease a man who paid such little attention to you.. “as you wish,” he whispered.

you shifted in your seat to face him better as he knelt upon the floor. he was now eye level with you, yet not nearly close enough, in his mind. you finally asked him quietly, “what are you really doing here?” 

“can i not pay a visit to a new friend of mine?” he asked, his eyes locked intently on yours. 

you scoffed lightly, tilting your head. “considering your teeth were almost in my neck, i’d be willing to guess your visits come with ulterior motives.”

he shook his head, his tone nowhere near as defensive as you expected. “as i told you; i eagerly await your permission to taste you, as long as that may take.”

you bit the inside of your cheek, trying not to let the promising notion go to your head; whether he intended the double entendre or not, you weren’t entirely sure. “you have a lot of restraint for a vampire.”

he laughed at your words, his eyes filling with amusement. “not all vampires are as vicious as they are in the fairytales, princess. some of them are just-”

“going through the motions of a life they didn’t sign up for?” you offered with a smirk. 

he paused, his expression filled with surprise. maybe it was all in his head, but the two of you seemed to understand each other much faster than anticipated. “yes,” he finally chuckled. “yes, you could say that.”

“be that as it may, wonwoo, the guards, they’re all preparing to take extra security members. it's dangerous for you here.”

he sighed, almost in defeat, before nodding his head. “i thought of that. that’s why i’m offering to take you somewhere with me.”

you chuckled, taken off guard by his words. “where?”

“for a drink, perhaps?” 

“i thought you only drank blood.”

he snickered again, shaking his head. “again, so quick to judge. i happen to enjoy red and white wines just as much as blood.”

as a quiet apology, you chuckled and sheepishly looked at your lap. “very well, where are we going for this drink?” 

he paused, lifting his hand to cup your chin between his thumb and index finger. his eyes immediately searched for yours as if he couldn’t stand a second being denied the sight. “my home, of course.”

—

soaring through the sky in the arms of a vampire was something that you’d never even dreamed about. he could have easily teleported back to the mansion while holding you tightly to his figure, but holding patience as a virtue, he opted instead for an extended flight above the forest. the rain seemed to disappear magically and for a moment, you wondered if he had something to do with it. 

the kingdom from several feet above was beautiful, tall trees scattered around open plains and tiny houses keeping their distances from each other- all the while, the cold wind blowing against your face remained gladly welcomed. suddenly, flying didn’t seem so unnatural. 

you weren’t expecting the vampire’s home to be a large, magnificent mansion. although its several towers were dark, looming, and slightly offputting to any onlooker and it appeared more worn down than wonwoo’s castle, you found it quite alluring. soft candlelight poured out of a handful of windows, signalling a comforting safe haven inside. 

he still cradled you close to his chest, one arm around your waist while the other relaxed under your knees, when his feet finally landed on the ground. although he wouldn’t admit it out loud, he suddenly felt unconfident about the outward appearance of his home. “it’s not much,” he started quietly. “but it’s home.”

“it looks lovely,” you assured him, smoothing your hand over his covered shoulder.

“well, then i’m glad it holds up to your standards.”

when he carried you gracefully to the large front door, it dawned on you that the sight of the two of you must be hilariously misleading to any potential onlooker. after all, you were still in your white nightgown with only a small dressing robe to shield you from the cold. and with the way he held you so close, you looked almost like his bride. for a brief moment, you wondered if he wrestled with the same thought process.

just as you suspected, the interior of his mansion was much more welcoming than the exterior. plush scarlet furniture at every corner, dimly lit candles and lanterns upon the walls and tables, pitch black curtains hanging from the windows, a bearskin rug in the center of the drawing room.. it was oddly..cozy.

you tightened your arms around his shoulders while taking in all of your surroundings. you’d never seen that much red in your entire life. a cold breeze coursed through the hall, prompting you to shiver in his grasp. he only chuckled, bringing you closer to his chest. “it gets a bit drafty in here sometimes.. but i’ll keep you warm.”

he set you down in favor of holding onto your hand and leading you near the fireplace. as he briefly left you to place a drink order with one of his servants, it dawned on you: although you were in enemy territory, you couldn’t remember a time in which you’d felt safer. 

he seemed to rejoin you as quickly as he left, sitting down next to you on the bear skin rug. you watched the flames flicker in his eyes, accentuating their redness.. “have you lived here for a long time?” you asked.

“my whole life,” he replied lowly. “this mansion has been passed down among my family from generation to generation.”

you took another look around, taking note of just how high the vaulted ceilings were.. yes, it appeared old, very lived in.. but you sensed that if those walls could have talked, there were many secrets yet to be shared. “it’s beautiful,” you reiterated, unsure of what else to say.

“thank you,” he chuckled, endearment in his tone.

only a few minutes passed before the drinks were finally delivered in exquisite black chalices. you grasped the goblet delicately, taking a look inside and staring deeply at its deep red contents..

“i promise its nothing more than ordinary red wine,” jeonghan assured you, taking the smallest sip from his own cup.

you chuckled, keeping your eyes locked with his own while taking a gentle sip, aiming to savor the taste. it was the richest red wine you had ever tasted, a sweet undertone proving to be more addicting than you could have imagined.. how fitting, it seemed, that the vampire knew were to find the perfect brands of red wine. 

“this is far from ordinary,” you noted, setting your goblet a few inches away on the floor. “where did you find it?”

he licked his bottom lip, the sight doing more to your heartbeat than it should have. “aren’t i allowed to at least have a few secrets?”

“very well.”

he set his chalice down near yours, using it as a less than discreet excuse to inch his way closer to you. for a moment, he said nothing, the gentle crackling of the fire before you filling the silence. his eyes remained fixed upon your figure, most notably your neck and jawline. he yearned for even the smallest taste, knowing you were most likely just as sweet on the inside as you were on the outside.. 

you, of course, feeling his intense gaze on you, turned to him with a small smirk. the fact that a real, living vampire was so clearly fixated on you was more flattering and ego-feeding than it should have been. “you have a history with wonwoo, don’t you?” you asked, effectively catching him off guard.

“yes,” he answered without hesitation. 

so your suspicions were correct. there was something concerning about the way wonwoo addressed him without even a flicker of fear in his eye. and of course, the fact that your fiance couldn’t have been bothered to tell you how he had come to know and despise the vampire. “will you tell me about it?” 

“no,” he replied, his tone just as sharp and quick as before.

you tilted your head, eyebrows knitting together as you tried not to showcase your annoyance outright. “and why is that?”

“because i’d much rather focus on you tonight, darling princess.”

just like that, your brief shift of annoyance melted away. how could it be possible that a man you’d met only hours ago proved to be more attentive than your own intended? were you really this starved for attention that you would allow yourself to venture inside a vampire’s home, territory that you were frighteningly unfamiliar with? 

you did your best to push those silly questions to the back of your mind, mirroring his actions and inching closer to him. but once his shoulder was pressed against yours, the breath seemed to be snatched from your lungs.. “why.. do i feel so drawn to you?”

he paused, lifting his hand once more to let his fingers graze against your jaw. the longer you stared in his deep red eyes, it only became more apparent that the vampire was insistent on devoting every ounce of his attention to you and only you. he soon whispered, “i could easily ask you the same thing.”

once his hand cupped your cheek, effectively reeling you in closer to him, you abandoned any sense of guilt preventing you from kissing the beautiful vampire in front of you. the last thing you thought about in depth before his lips met yours was the fact that your engagement was purely a transaction, it was anything but love. after that, your mind felt hazy, foggy, focusing only on the feeling of his lips against yours.

he kissed you slowly, deeply, as if determined to memorize you on every intimate level. your gentle sighs, the patterns in which your addicting lips, the feeling of your skin against his.. your nose briefly brushed against his as you tilted your head to kiss him at a better angle and he nearly saw stars. 

his hand glided down to your neck and he, too, felt as if the air had been snatched from his lungs. for he felt your blood rushing underneath his fingertips, he heard your heartbeat echo in his ears again, the effect of a mere kiss proving to excite you and intimidate you all at the same time. it was too tempting, too alluring.. yet he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. in fact, he only cupped your neck tighter with the one hand.   

the two of you were quickly snapped out of your collective daze when a tiny prick on your bottom lip prompted you to break the kiss. you were breathless, feeling a shockwave run down your arms as a result of the tiny little nibble he’d allowed himself, yet you couldn’t bring yourself to break away from him completely. 

“was that-” you whispered, taking a mental note of the way his pupils dilated once again. 

he only smirked faintly, allowing you the tiniest glimpse of his sharp, gleaming fangs. the hand on your neck slid into your hair, tangling themselves in the strands. “do you want me to stop?” 

you couldn’t deny how strangely alluring the sight of his fangs were. in an instant, he could change his mind and show his true colors, prove himself to be exactly what you were always warned about.. and yet, they weren’t so terrifying now that you were seeing them for yourself. and he made no attempt to catch you in a bad moment and drain your blood..

as soon as you saw him gently swipe his tongue across his bottom lip and inadvertently bare his fangs once again, your decision was made.

“no.” 

you moved your own hand to the back of his neck, pulling his lips right back onto yours. you quickly got lost in the kiss again, this one more passionate, more desperate than the last.

jeonghan smirked against your lips, doing his best to keep his hunger and desire at bay. it was too soon, too fast to steal from you just yet. for he had you exactly where he wanted you and he was going to take his time, enjoy every second of his attempt at retaliation. even if his patience was wearing incredibly thin..

–

you were back in your private room before the sun rose. although there was some falsehood to the legends and rumors about vampires, they did, apparently, avoid sunlight at any cost. you slept peacefully for about.. two hours before being abruptly awoken by your new handmaidens. they were nothing if not punctual, you’d soon come to realize. 

immediately upon waking up in your new home, you were filled with a sense of dread and longing.. jeonghan’s home was a perfect escape from your responsibilities. everything about the vampire himself was fantastical in every good sense of the word; every second with him felt like a dream. naturally, it was much preferred to waking up to your cold-hearted fiance.

even sharing a meal together felt like a formality. the two of you kept great distance as you ate in silence and avoided eye contact at any available opportunity. it was torture. 

“i trust you slept well?” wonwoo finally spoke up, though his voice suggested disinterest.

you paused before slowly nodding your head. you couldn’t tell if the lack of sleep or the memory of your shared night with jeonghan was the bigger issue playing in your distraction. “yes, partially. and you?”

“partially,” he replied dryly.

you nodded again, making no attempt to hide your own disinterest. your gaze fell to the large grandfather clock in the corner of the room- nightfall had never seemed so far away..

“i need you to do some studying today,” wonwoo abruptly spoke, once again pulling you out of your daze for better or for worse. “if you are to live here, you must learn to defend yourself against those.. monsters. especially now that we are forced to potentially coexist with one in this castle, no thanks to you.”

while pushing his scolding remarks to the back of your mind, you glared softly at him. “why can’t we just find someone to bless the castle? or move to a safe house, for that matter.”

“it’s not that simple,” he sighed in annoyance. “once you invite a vampire into your home, the only way to uninvite them is to transfer ownership of the property. which i do not intend to do. or.. to kill them.”

“which you.. do intend to do?” you asked hesitantly.

he paused, clenching his jaw as his gaze briefly fell to his plate. “i will do whatever’s necessary.” his narrowed eyes met yours. “if he comes after what’s mine, i’m afraid i’ll have no other choice. let’s hope, for everyone’s sake, that he makes the right decision and keeps to himself.”

‘what’s mine..’ for whatever reason, you hated the way those two words sounded. you realized quickly that he could have been talking about anything; his home, his jewels, his throne.. maybe even you. suddenly, you bit back a chuckle- there you were, thinking that he couldn’t have cared less what became of you. could he have proved you wrong? 

yet, you felt no ounce of regret or shame. in fact, you were wrestling with the temptation to tell him he was wrong about jeonghan more than the temptation to confess your secret affair. if that was even the correct word to use..

“will you ever tell me what happened between the two of you?” you asked, though deep down, you already knew the answer. especially as he rose to his feet and took a step back in avoidance.

“all you need to know is that he’s a monster. and you would do well to keep your distance from him.”

seeing nothing better to do after your shared meal, you took to the study to comply with wonwoo’s request. he had a surprising volume of books on vampire folklore and legends, making you wonder if any of them were filled with facts. you settled comfortably against the sofa near the lit fireplace; you had a feeling you would be in there for a while..

meanwhile, as sunlight poured through one study’s window in abundance, another room was filled with darkness. the curtains completely shielded the glass in jeonghan’s study, preventing even a tiny sliver of sunlight from sneaking into the room. he, too, felt simultaneously exhausted and restless somehow. 

as he paced back and forth, tossing a ripe green apple from one hand to the other, he sighed heavily. he should have known that exacting revenge on the would-be king would be no easy feat. he expected complications, maybe some curveballs.. but he never expected to fall for someone so quickly. and so intensely, at that.

his nervous state of mind was not lost on joshua, a man whom he’d always called his brother. joshua’s understandable fear of the sun prevented him from getting any sleep during the day, provoking him to keep a cautious, watchful eye around the castle. that particular day, his pattern seemed to come in handy.

“what’s troubling you? you are usually hard to find during daylight,” joshua noted, sitting comfortably on the dark red loveseat in front of jeonghan.  

“it’s all going according to plan,” jeonghan started, pausing his steps in favor of standing directly before his closest friend. “some parts are proving to be.. a little too easy. i can go inside the castle as i please. thanks to his bride-to-be.”

joshua furrowed his eyebrows, evidently confused. “i don’t understand-”

jeonghan sighed, his avoidant gaze drifting to the apple in his hand. the words felt heavy on his tongue, embarrassment flooding his veins and preventing him from replying straight away. “i can’t deny that i.. find her incredibly charming. alluring. in all honesty, i can’t even put it into words. a small part of me even feels guilty for using her blind trust in me to my advantage.”

“you’re.. in love with her?” joshua stiffened slightly on the couch, the confusion evident within his features. “that’s impossible. you haven’t even known her for an entire day.”

jeonghan lifted his chin with a tiny smirk, “really, joshua. after all we’ve seen, after all we’ve done.. you’re skeptical of a tiny thing like love at first sight?”

“you sound incredibly delusional.”

jeonghan turned his back on the other man with a heavy sigh, hunching his shoulders ever so slightly. “i knew you wouldn’t get it. i don’t know why i bother to tell you these things anymore.”

joshua laughed in disbelief, much to his friend’s annoyance. “i’m trying to be the sensible one here. you’ve waited for years, plotting every last detail.. you want to throw it all away for.. for what? a princess you have no chance with?” 

“i’m not saying i want to throw all my plans away,” jeonghan countered. “i..can have it both ways. i know i can.”

“you can’t,” joshua replied with another chuckle, rising to his feet. just as he reached the doorway, he sighed, turning back with his hand still on the cold doorknob. “for your own sake..i urge you to get your priorities in order. or you’ll spend the rest of eternity regretting it.” 

jeonghan chose to stay silent, allowing the door clicking shut to fill in the silence. he didn’t plan for this. he didn’t plan to fall so quickly, to let the hopeless romantic deep inside him take over.. he didn’t plan for you to be so beautiful and charming, and he definitely didn’t expect to feel guilty on your behalf. of course wonwoo never knew to appreciate a wonderful thing when he had it.

then of course, he wondered if he was telling joshua the truth. if he really could have it both ways.

–

within a few days, security measures around the castle had somehow heightened. the two guards never left your bedroom door, standing stoically in the hallway day after day. while you were weary of the two of them staying just outside your bedroom twenty four hours a day, you knew it was futile to request them to leave you alone. 

for wonwoo was growing more and more anxious by the day. the only time he didn’t have someone watching closely over you was at night time, when you were presumably asleep. you had a feeling it would only get worse after the wedding, which was only a few weeks away. naturally, it felt best to enjoy what little nights you had left with jeonghan, even if it did drastically ruin your sleep schedule.  

one night, you sat crosslegged on the vampire’s large, four poster bed with him only a few inches away from you. he let his gaze slowly drift all the way from your eyes to the bright pink dress you wore. what a light you were in his darkened home, a light that he suddenly didn’t want to dim. 

he wore a white, fluffy shirt that almost appeared as velvety as his blonde hair. his collarbones peeked from under the fabric, revealing more of his skin than you’d seen. you weren’t sure exactly why, but it begged the question, “is it..strange? not having any heartbeat.” 

“you’ve been studying.” he chuckled before shaking his head. “no. not entirely. just..feels a little empty.”

naturally, there were so many questions you wanted to ask him every time you came face to face with him. he could easily prove all of the books you’d been forced to read wrong. but there seemed to be no delicate way to approach any of them. 

“can i..” you started, your eyes falling to the ruffles in his shirt near his chest.

he didn’t waste a single breath before replying in a cool tone, “please.”

with his permission, you tentatively reached out to place your palm flat against his covered chest. sure enough, there was nothing there.. nothing but cold. you wondered how he could stand it. “you’re right,” you whispered. “how can you stand the cold?”

“you get used to it after a while,” he replied, and you soon realized how foolish it was to ask him such a question. you forgot all about the brief embarrassment, however, when he moved a hand to rest on your shoulder, just above your collarbone. you watched his lips part as he seemed hyperfocused on that area of skin, all of the blood beneath seeming to gather under his fingertips like a magnet. 

“you can hear it, can’t you?” you finally asked him, feeling your own heart race as his eyes seemed to cloud over with hunger. that action, alone, may have been enough of an answer for you.. but you simply loved to hear him speak. 

he nodded stiffly, “you’re so reactive. your heartbeat.. it’s like a thousand drums.”

you bit back the smirk tugging at your lips, his words shamelessly feeding your ego. “that’s just what you do to me.”

he sighed in return at your words, crimson eyes flicking back up to yours. “honestly..?”

“honestly,” you nodded with sincerity, tugging him closer by the ruffles on his shirt and chasing his lips with your own. the kiss lasted ten, maybe twelve seconds before he pulled away slowly, leaving you feeling strangely empty as the cold left you.

you never would have known he was wrestling with several dilemmas in his own mind. he remained focused entirely on you, as if to be wondering if you were truly sitting before him.. “you’re so.. enchanting.”

the breathless way in which he spoke, the way his gaze absentmindedly fell to your lips.. it could easily have made you faint. you instead moved your hand slowly up to his cheek, pulling a gasp from his lips as the warmth of your palm met his skin. “i’m not the one with powers.” 

he chuckled even though your words brought him back into reality all too quickly, and he lowered his chin ever so slightly. “i’ve enjoyed these nights with you very much. i just.. want to ensure that you are, too.”

you chuckled, his words sounding almost absurd to you. “of course i am. don’t you think i would have turned you away by now if i didn’t enjoy your company?” 

“fair point,” he nodded. “however.. with the matter of your engagement-”

“wonwoo and i are not in love, if that’s what you’re wondering,” you gently cut him off. really, the last thing you wanted was to talk about your fiance with him, but you complied, knowing it must have at least brought him a little comfort. “our engagement is purely out of obligation to our kingdoms. though i assumed you, the intuitive vampire, already knew that.”

of course.. he should have known the stoic prince carried no romantic feelings towards you. his only question was, would it complicate his own plans? would wonwoo really be so unbothered by the loss of a most precious princess?  

“well, i knew he was inattentive,” he started.

“but you didn’t know the details?”

“i can’t read people’s minds, princess, not fully. it’s more like i can read emotions. i know wonwoo to be cold, dismissive, and.. in turn i knew you to be deeply upset and lonely.” as the words left jeonghan’s lips, he felt a strange pang of guilt in his chest for the first time. it was unfamiliar to him, who had no heartbeat- clearly, he hadn’t planned this far ahead.

“and bored,” a half hearted chuckle left your lips just before your eyes searched for his again. suddenly, you wanted to push any notion of your life just outside his window to the back of your mind. “you say you can’t read people’s minds.. but could you read other vampire’s minds?”

he tilted his head to the side for a moment, biting back a beautifully knowing smile. “well.. it’s different for everyone. but i could, potentially, read the mind of a vampire that i’ve turned.”

his words stuck with you for a moment, his tone almost promising. although it felt, sometimes, that he understood you on many levels you hadn’t expected him too, there was a possibility he could come to learn even more about you. but would it feel invasive? or would it feel especially intimate? 

“at least, at that point, we’d be fully transparent with each other,” you hinted with a smirk. 

he immediately flashed a smile, finding delight in your words. it was almost too easy.. “i like your way of thinking.”

“there’s plenty more where that came from.”

with an arm around your waist, he pulled you closer, your words igniting a fire within him. the knowledge that you were so willing to even consider becoming like him was too much to bare, the thought of sharing eternity with you too tantalizing to ignore. even if it wasn’t originally his plan.. 

a sigh left his pouty lips before they were back on yours. he had no words in that moment, all of his thoughts fighting to the death in his own mind as he kissed you with every ounce of strength he had left. only a knock at the door pulled him out of his confusing trance and prompted him to break the kiss, his hand remaining on your cheek. 

“yes?” he sighed out in annoyance, pulling a chuckle from your lips.

joshua pushed the door open, his eyes filled with disapproval as he saw the two of you in such a tight embrace. yet, jeonghan couldn’t bring himself to pull away and even mask his dignity. “it’s nearly dawn. the princess should be on her way home soon.”

“yes, joshua, i’ll take care of it,” he replied dismissively, nearly making you laugh again.

joshua, however, was not amused. the distasteful look never left his eyes, his otherwise neutral gaze speaking louder than words. you felt slightly judged, realizing how compromising your position appeared to be.. although, the fact that  jeonghan didn’t seem to care less provided a small amount of comfort. 

“well, take care quickly,” joshua finally spoke, his tone low. as your eyes flicked back and forth between the two vampires, you wondered if they’d shared some sort of secret conversation you had no part of in the brief, passing silence. “we don’t need her fiance knowing who she really spends her nights with.”

he left the room before jeonghan could bite back with a rebuttal. instead, he turned to you with a remorseful, slightly reluctant gaze. you swore his grip on your waist grew tighter as he whispered, “i’d spend all my days and nights with you in a heartbeat.” 

you felt foolish for falling in love with someone so quickly, abandoning any sense of logic in favor of connecting with a phantom. speaking with him about the promise of a shared eternity felt almost childish.. yet incredibly tempting. “it sounds..truly wonderful.”

he must have sensed your hesitance for he slowly pulled back, studying your thoughtful gaze. “i know it’s fast..” he started, his hand soon finding your own. “why don’t you consider it carefully?”

“i will,” you promised, quickly bringing his hand to your lips and pressing a kiss against his knuckles. it was, truthfully, an empty promise- you knew you would have an answer by the end of the week. in all honesty, you had your answer as soon as he left you by your bedroom window. you knew you were hopelessly in love with him as you began to miss him from the second he left your side.

before the sun began to rise and you were within the security of your own chambers, jeonghan came to realize he would be remiss if he didn’t take a few extra peeks inside the castle. the castle that was technically his, in a round about way. soon, he was hidden near the large window in wonwoo’s office, where the crown prince worked tirelessly. 

jeonghan watched him in bitterness, realizing that he hated sharing with this man. he hated sharing the castle, the princess; it was never his plan. suddenly he remembered his vow, that he would rip everything away from wonwoo in a satisfying movement. and he rationalized that no matter how his own plans would change, the ending would be the same. 

for he was purely giving the prince the same treatment he, himself, had been given. 

–

“you’ve been acting strange lately.” 

you weren’t expecting a confrontation from wonwoo, of all people. you were certain that he was the last person in the castle that paid enough attention to you, therefore he would be the last to realize a shift in your behavior. yet there were some things even wonwoo couldn’t help but notice; you were notably sleepy during the day, skipping meals, mostly unable and unwilling to participate in simple conversation..

he couldn’t help but wonder if the upcoming wedding was a contributing factor. he was no stranger to experiencing cold feet, the feeling of unease only heightening now that it was more than a few days away. yet in his mind, you could have done a better job of hiding your apprehension.

you were quick to brush off his words, sighing, “i’m just tired. i haven’t been sleeping very well lately.”

this was odd; as far as wonwoo was aware, you barely participated in any of the wedding planning. granted, neither did he- “is the guest room not to your satisfaction?” he asked, his voice slightly strained.

“no, it’s perfectly fine,” you did your best to assure him, your tone slightly dry.

he paused, distracting himself with the scattered papers on his desk for a moment. he couldn’t let his confusion or his intrigue get the best of him, or worse, become blatantly obvious to you. the last thing he wanted was to give you the impression he cared a great deal about your feelings towards him, or your courtship in general- maybe it was a horrible tactic, but it stopped the lines from becoming too blurred.

yet, there was one question burning a hole in the back of his mind. he cleared his throat after a moment, crossing his arms over his desk. “have you.. by chance witnessed anything odd in the castle lately?”

you knew what (or better yet, who) he spoke of even with the lack of details. you leaned your head back against the arm chair, feigning contemplation. “not that i recall.. in all honesty, i’ve never felt safer in my life than i have during these last few weeks.”

“good,” he muttered in that all too familiar dismissive tone. though he was still unconvinced..

“have you?” you countered, raising an eyebrow.

“nothing worth noting,” he replied without taking his eyes away from the paperwork.

you chuckled, “if we are to be married, though, i think most things would be worth noting. if there’s something you wish to tell me, please say so at once.”

“it’s nothing, i swear it,” he replied a little too quickly. as always, though, he was quick to compose himself and momentarily hide his disdain. “i’m sure that if there’s anything amiss within these walls, it will present itself in its own way.”

you weren’t a fool; you knew that was his own way of hinting at you to tell him whatever secrets you may have buried within. but you remained silent; there was no definite way of telling your fiance that you were planning on leaving him for a vampire you barely knew. 

to leave wonwoo was to leave an agreement, a transaction, at the risk of bringing corruption to your kingdom. to leave the world you knew behind in favor of an eternity of unfamiliarity.. yet you couldn’t get the promise of eternity with someone as attentive and enchanting as jeonghan out of your mind. especially with every moment you sat silently in the library with said fiance..

you wished you could read wonwoo’s mind as you watched him slump over his desk, devote his entire attention to his work. did he truly suspect you of something? or did he have a confession of his own that he was harboring?

–

it was particularly cold that night, even with jeonghan’s large black cloak draped over your figure. he walked slowly by your side, clearly unbothered by the icy breeze even as it blew against his thin white blouse. for a moment you envied him; even if a part of you had always enjoyed the fall and winter time, you wished there was an easier way of walking through it completely unbothered.

“why did you take me out here, again?” you asked, tugging the heavy material of the coat closer to your chest. 

he chuckled a little bit, draping his arm around your shoulders after hearing the slight warble in your tone. it was a wonderful distraction, however brief it was. “i wanted to show you something. it’ll only take a minute.”

true to his word, it wasn’t long before he led you to the back of the small gardens. much to your surprise, they were kept very well.. almost too well, considering the state of the weather. yet near the back corner lay a large bush of vibrant red roses, the scarlet petals appearing to be made from the finest silk, itself. 

“how..how are they-” you stumbled over your words, enchanted by the deep red flowers. something about the specific shade of red was strangely alluring, pulling you closer and closer to the bushes.

“alive?” he finished, noticing your fixation on the flowers and snickering. “there’s a lot more about this house that you don’t know about. strange magic courses through the entire property, magic that even i can’t wrap my head around at times.”

he stepped forward, extending his hand slowly to pluck a single red rose from the bush. he turned to you with a smile ghosting over his lips, his eyes practically piercing into yours. slowly, you reached your own hand out to take the rose from him, unsure if the whisper of gratitude actually left your lips. 

“it’s beautiful,” you sighed gently, treating the stem with delicacy and care.

“isn’t it?” he chuckled, watching you carefully in admiration.

you rotated the rose between your fingers, wanting to study it from every angle. it truly was magical, especially with the knowledge it had suffered through harsh winters.. there was something so beautiful about its resilience. suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through your finger, brought upon by a prick of a thorn. the rose fell into your other hand as you examined the small wound, the tiniest drop of blood falling down your index finger..

you chuckled, caught off guard by the prick of the large thorn. while you were opting to forget about it, though, jeonghan seemed fixated on it, his eyes glued to your finger. he watched the soft pool of blood trail down your hand while you searched your pockets for a handkerchief. he drew in a deep breath, one that called to you. 

briefly, you were alarmed by the intense daze he fell into. you’d never seen such intensity in his eyes. you wiped your hand off on your skirts, making a mental note to wash it off later, before tapping his shoulder. “jeonghan-” 

he blinked repeatedly once the gentle trail had been washed away, any evidence of the incident wiped clean. though the smell of iron still filled the air between the two of you, tempting him, taunting him.. he cleared his throat, avoiding your gaze for a moment. “my apologies, princess.” 

“it’s not your fault,” you started, offering a gentle smile of reassurance. “i should have been more careful.”

“no-” he paused, distracted by the tiny dried marks of blood on your skirt. although his fixation was slowly melting away, the sight puzzled him, raising too many questions and prompting him once again to battle with his impatience. he lifted his chin to meet your gaze, “no. i should have known-”

you held your hand behind your back; although the wound was small, there was no shame in being cautious. “it’s.. killing you, isn’t it?” 

he held eye contact, his intense gaze softening as your words echoed in his mind. he still couldn’t wrap his head around how his mood had shifted within only a few weeks of knowing you; yes, he yearned and hungered for you.. but he had grown concerned for your wellbeing. your readiness. 

“it is..” he slowly admitted.

you sighed deeply; at least the two of you shared a certain hunger. you moved a hand to his cheek, the other now gripping a little more timidly onto the rose. “then just..” you paused, unsure how to state your plea. “i swear i can handle it.”

he sighed in frustration, taking a step back and letting you withdraw your hand from his face.  “you know i can’t do that. not yet.”

“but why?” 

he paused, turning his back on you. he didn’t want you to witness his expression change as he contemplated his piling dilemmas.. “because..” he started, his tone vague and unsure. “you have to be sure that you’re absolutely ready. and i mean.. absolutely ready, without question.”

“i’ll be fine, i swear- i know that you must be suffering-”

he shook his head quickly, gripping gently onto your upper arm. he spoke lowly, as if to share a secret with you alone, “you know how patient i can be, princess; i can wait for just a little while longer. we have to find the perfect moment.” 

you tilted your head back to get a better look at the moon directly above the two of you, shining like a spotlight and providing the perfect ambience. in your mind, there couldn’t have been a better opportunity; the garden was perfectly secluded, cold, the two of you in your own little world.. meanwhile, as jeonghan was allowed a better view of your neck, the intense hunger pooled in his stomach again, his mind going fuzzy.. 

you, of course, did nothing to help him out of his daze as you spoke, “this seems like as good an opportunity as any.”

“no, no-” he started, shaking his head before his gaze fell to the grass. maybe he was being selfish, but he was aiming for a perfectly satisfying moment to taste you, to take you into his world. a time when it would torture wonwoo the most.. “trust me. the wait will be worth it, i promise you.”

you let out a heavy sigh of defeat, knowing there was no use trying to convince him. maybe there was a small truth to what jeonghan said, maybe there was something special about waiting.. ultimately, you complied with his request and agreed to wait. although, you hoped the right opportunity would present itself sooner rather than later. 

–

when you arrived home, however, you wished you’d spent at least a few more minutes trying to convince him. 

“i was wondering where you’d been running off to.”

you recognized wonwoo’s voice from across the room immediately. he leaned back against your bedroom door with his arms folded across his chest and much to your surprise, there was no anger in his expression. more like.. intrigue. a knowing smirk twisted at his lips, hitting you like a slap in the face.

“so you have kept in contact with that.. new friend of ours.”

you hopelessly feigned innocence, your eyebrows knitting together in such a vain attempt. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

he scoffed, the sound of mockery sending a pang through your heart. “don’t lie. tell me, where else would someone go during the night time?” 

you felt your throat run dry as he spoke, knowing that he had effectively backed you into a corner. knowing that your act of innocence had come to a close, you let your shoulders slump as you asked him, “why do you care, anyways? it’s not like you were planning on putting any effort in this marriage outside of the trading agreements.”

he shrugged his shoulders, pushing off of the wall to take a step closer. “maybe you’re right. but i simply won’t allow that horrid monster anywhere near what’s mine. not anymore.”

“but don’t you see? he couldn’t care less about your castle. he has a home of his own, he lives comfortably. he doesn’t need to steal anything from you. you.. you judge him too harshly.”

“then why would he try to worm his way into gaining partial ownership of the castle?”

“you tell me,” you countered after a bitter scoff left your lips. “for god’s sake, just tell me what really happened between the two of you! why are you so convinced he’s hyperfixated on ruining your life?” 

his shoulders stiffened, his eyes quickly leaving yours. for a moment, he seemed to be vaguely tempted to tell you the truth, with you standing before him, on the edge of your seat.. “from this moment on, you are not to see him any longer.”

you felt your face grow hot with rage as he quickly turned his back on you. you yelled, “you don’t get to decide that for me!” 

“i’m doing this for your own good,” he bit back, whipping around to face you with a harsh stare. “i thought your studies would have brought you some much needed clarity but apparently not. you either can’t see jeonghan for what he truly is or you simply refuse to. he’s a demon. he’ll feed on you and drain you for all you’re worth as soon as he gets the opportunity.”

“you don’t know that! you don’t know anything about him, he’s gentle and.. beautiful and kind.. whatever version of him you thought you knew, it’s not him!” 

“that’s exactly my point!” he snapped. “how can you not see that he’s putting on a facade for you?”

you hated how blunt and cold his words sounded, how they drove into your heart like a stake. most of all, you hated how even for a brief second, you wondered if there was any truth to his statement. was the vampire truly so magnetic and alluring to a fault? did he truly have a certain power over you that you couldn’t begin to comprehend?

“you’re wrong about him,” you finally muttered, your voice silent yet filled with anger. if only the sunlight wasn’t peeking through your curtains; you would have relied on the vampire of the hour to conveniently whisk you away.

wonwoo huffed, opening the door for two more guards to step inside your quarters. “they’re to watch over your balcony every evening,” he explained, only fueling the raging fire of anger inside you. “it’s not up for debate; it’s unsafe for you at night, otherwise.”

you were quick to follow him as he stepped into the hallway, hurriedly making his way to the spiral staircase. it was as if his words meant nothing, as if they had no consequence.. “so i’m a prisoner? my privacy is to be thrown out the window?”

“it’s for your protection,” he bit back, the monotony in his tone doing little to reassure you. “i won’t argue with you on this matter for a second longer. not when there’s endless amounts of work to be done.”

you stopped in place, your hand clutching tightly onto the railing.. how did you keep managing to forget about your own wedding? 

–

as the days passed, you considered again and again what may have become of you if you’d begged and pleaded with jeonghan to let you stay with him. at least for a little while longer. after hours and hours of meticulous wedding planning and rehearsals, you were heartbroken to find that the vampire made no attempt to approach your balcony. the two guards, unassuming as they may have been to a being like himself, were still a nuisance he wasn’t willing to deal with.

it was the evening before your wedding. even when you were surrounded by family members, servants, and several members of the court alike, you had never felt so isolated. final preparations were being made but you couldn’t bring yourself to focus on anything except for the dancing flames in the wall’s tiny opening before you. 

although jeonghan had remained absent for a few days, you could still feel his presence somehow. a brief gust of cold wind, for example, resembling a whisper in your ear.. it prompted you to wonder if beyond the stacking differences between the two of you as individuals, he had found a way to communicate with you.

soon wonwoo stood before the rest of the crowd, gathering their attention. as he spoke, it was the happiest he had ever sounded for as long as you knew him, which, truthfully was not saying much. “today marks a momentous occasion- the eve before two kingdoms with many differences on paper, put them aside and unite as one.”

modest applause rang through the hall and brought a discomforting tingling to your ears. they seemed to be celebrating your hopelessness and wonwoo seemed to catch on, for his eyes immediately landed on you before he spoke again. “my dear princess-” the words unfamiliar and unwelcome, “let us celebrate the beginning of a new chapter together.”

together.

one thing was for certain; you two were to stay at arm’s length as you navigated the new chapter he spoke of. neither of you had any intention to embrace a possible connection.

the two of you would, however, do whatever necessary to keep up appearances. hence why you slowly approached him with the fakest, loveliest smile you could plaster upon your lips.. and as you faced the crowd with him, hand in hand, either of your parents’ proud smiles forcing your stomach to twist in knots, it all felt too alarmingly real.

it was clear your audience was expecting something, maybe a little kiss.. which neither of you would give them the pleasure of witnessing. both of you were determined to save that agony for the wedding..

as suspense seemed to fill the room, however, thunder began to rumble on an otherwise clear night sky and rattle the windows. while no one else in the room seemed to think much of it, you were puzzled- could it be-

“now don’t stop on my account.”  

a collective gasp filled the room as jeonghan stood merely a few feet away from the reluctant couple with a shit eating grin. his gray suit made his fluffy blonde hair that you had missed so dearly pop, not to mention his deep red eyes. you had to laugh; it truly felt like centuries since you had been forced to commit the vampire’s beautiful features to memory.

“jeonghan,” wonwoo sighed through gritted teeth. “i’m getting a strange sense of deja vu.”

“as am i,” he chuckled, taking a single step closer to you. he barely had time to blink in your direction before wonwoo unsheathed his sword, the sharp tip nearly inches away from the vampire’s jaw. his smirk merely deepened as his eyes flicked to the blade. “c’mon. you know that won’t do a thing.”

“true,” wonwoo nodded. “but it could distract you.”

you furrowed your eyebrows in questioning merely seconds before jeonghan quickly reached behind and plucked the pointed wooden stake from the guard’s hand. he laughed and you hated how beautiful the sound was leaving his pouty, addicting lips.. “i don’t get distracted, old friend. not anymore.”

wonwoo huffed, making no further attempt to mask his anger. “get out of my castle at once.”

“with pleasure.” his voice was sharp and cool as he reached towards you, dodging the sword and grabbing your forearm. his grip was firm but gentle, his cold fingers locked around your arm as he brought you into his cold embrace. the last thing you saw before he draped his dark cloak over your figure was wonwoo waving the sword in jeonghan’s direction to no avail. for in the blink of an eye, you were in the center of the vampire’s drawing room. 

you were breathless. your chest heaved against his as you gripped tightly onto his shoulders, not wanting to part from him for even a moment. “thank you..” you whispered. “how did you..”

“i had a feeling,” he replied, his hands slowly inching closer to your lower back. 

“why didn’t you come back?” you asked him with desperation, your grip on his shoulders subconsciously growing tighter.

he stayed silent for a moment, his expression turning somber. “there were a few complications. and i.. well, truthfully i needed some time to myself. please forgive me, princess, i should have told you-”

“no,” you interrupted, moving your hands to cup his cheek and prompt him to look in your eyes again. “what matters is that we’re together now.” it took everything within you to hold back from adding a tiny ‘forever’ to the end of your sentence. you could only hope that the look in your eyes spoke for itself.

he let out a gentle sigh, which was laced with nothing but affection, before bringing you closer to his large window. now that he was allowed a proper view of you in the moonlight, a peaceful resolve within his features. his hands remained glued to your waist as he brought you impossibly close to him, barely allowing either of you room to breathe. though, it was the way you preferred it.

“i’m sorry princess,” he spoke again, guilt filling his crimson irises to the brim. “i failed you.”

you shook your head immediately, seeing no need for another apology. “no. not yet. you came just in the nick of time.”

he leaned down, letting his forehead rest against yours. thanks to the close, breathless proximity, he could perfectly hear your heart racing in your chest. the sound, as always, was like music to his ears, prompting a familiar ache in the emptiness in his chest- “as did you.”

you pondered the gravity of his words as a warmth spread throughout your body. it washed away all of the dread, hopelessness you had felt not even an hour earlier. and for that- you were eternally grateful to him. you pulled away just enough to meet his gaze again, your voice filled with sentimentality that finally made him smile, “we both found each other at the perfect time.”

he had no words. he hoped his actions would speak louder as he brought a cold hand up to the back of your neck, pulling you in for a deep and slow kiss. he poured everything into it: love, adoration, and most notably, hunger. that familiar sharp, chilling wave of surprise washed throughout your body the moment his fangs grazed your bottom lip. 

your lips were only a single breath away from his when you paused, whispering to him emotionally, “i’m ready.”

he paused, pulling his head back just enough to meet your gaze. but you could tell his patience was wearing extremely thin, judging by the way his fingers had tangled themselves into your hair. “are you absolutely sure?” 

he barely asked the question before you nodded your head, your fingers wrapped around the lapel of his jacket. “positive. please-”

he flashed a smile of relief, the moonlight giving rise to a glint of his pure white fangs merely a millisecond before he leaned in. hoping to help you relax, he left a trail of hungry yet soothing kisses from your jawline to the area where your neck and shoulder met, right above your jugular. 

this was it. this was the moment. all the horrible, tortuous waiting on his end was drawing to a close. he felt you stiffen in his arms as you drew in a deep breath and released it, unable to completely eradicate your subtle fears. your sigh was like a mystical breeze, filling his ears like the sweetest music.. 

he parted his lips, barely letting the sharp edge of his fangs graze the surface of your skin. you quickly responded by gasping and gripping on tighter to his biceps, whispering to him and pleading, “don’t let me go.”

upon hearing your words, he stopped, guilt coursing through his cold body upon impact. you couldn’t fool him; as much as you tried to hide it, you were scared. understandably so. and he couldn’t bare to see it. especially when you had no idea what lay in store..

he stumbled out of your grip, taking two clumsy steps backward. “i.. i can’t-”

you opened your eyes to see him with his chest heaving, his fangs disappearing from view. then you gently pressed, “why?”

“i can’t do this-” he repeated, his voice worn and shaky as he avoided your gaze. “i can’t do this to you.”

“no-” you gasped, raising your voice without fully realizing. “no, jeonghan, i want this. i want you. for eternity, just like you promised-”

“no, you don’t-” he reiterated firmly, turning his back on you. you watched as he practically shrunk under your gaze, picturing the sunken look in his beautiful eyes.. a horrible air of confusion and uncertainty filled the tense air before he finally spoke, “you know.. i wasn’t always like this.”

you furrowed your eyebrows, confused. “what do you mean?” 

he chuckled, but it wasn’t his usual light, airy laugh. no it was filled with an unmistakable sadness that nearly snapped your heart in two. 

“i worked in the palace once. a few years ago. i grew up with the prince, we were good friends- hence why i was able to join the ranks of his knights so quickly. the army, being sworn to secrecy, were tasked with hunting and killing vampires. wonwoo, of course, led all of us fearlessly, determined to put an end to the generational battle.

“but i made the mistake of trusting in him too much. i misjudged him.. so i told him the truth. that i had befriended one. that he was reclusive, that he meant no harm- that perhaps, these were deeply misunderstood creatures. obviously, he didn’t take too kindly to my confession and when i refused to tell him who and where this vampire was, he took an unexpected approach. he promoted me to the general leader of his army.”

he noticed your confused expression but continued to stare out the window, eyes falling to the gardens below. “the next excursion the army took was to a notoriously violent family of vampires’ home. he and i took the lead.. but we were dangerously outnumbered and underprepared. but you see.. he had made sure of that.”

you froze, asking him quietly, “what do you mean by that?”

he drew in a deep breath before releasing it, his cold breath casting a cloud upon the window in front of him. “after commanding the rest of his men to escape, he left me inside. for dead. but i suffered a much, much worse fate than death.” 

suddenly he pulled back the sleeve of his silky shirt and you gasped, finally being allowed a glimpse of a tiny scar from none other than “fangs..”

he nodded, dropping his arm to his side. “joshua rescued me and brought me back here, to his home. the only thing worse than the nightmare of being bitten was waking up from it. waking up without a heart, without a running pulse, with a terrible, terrible hunger-” he paused, his eyes finally finding yours. “and to think.. i thought about subjecting you, darling princess, to the same horror.”

it was too much to handle, all at once. you actually stumbled backwards, your hand barely clutching onto the curtain to stop you from falling.. 

“it.. it can’t be true-”

“but it is.”

you felt your heart shatter in your chest and brought a hand to soothe the aching area. “so you were going to use me.. for revenge?” 

once again, he was unable to look in your eyes. he bit on his lower lip, hard enough to draw blood, before shamefully nodding his head. “i was.” 

“was any of it true?” you asked, raising your voice again. you couldn’t help it, you were hurt, angry- angry with both of them, somehow. 

he stepped closer immediately upon hearing the tiny warble in your voice. his hand fell to yours and he pressed a kiss to your knuckles before explaining, “listen to me.. falling for you was never part of the plan. i wanted to take his life from him, everything he knew and loved, just as he’d done to me. but… i never stopped to think about what could become of you. the one who cast their own little spell on me, princess.”

tears fell from your eyes like a dam breaking and you bowed your head down, allowing a small cry to leave your lips. all your hopes, all your ambitions were suddenly dashed with the confession. you brought your hand to your lips in a vain attempt to muffle the heart wrenching cries that left your lips. 

for a moment, you struggled to speak, struggled to voice to jeonghan how.. confused you were. how hurt you were on his behalf. how even then, you couldn’t bring yourself to stop caring so deeply for him. that beyond your initial hurt and anger, you believed him. 

“you don’t have to say anything,” he whispered, his fingers brushing along your jawline. “i know.”

although there was a small comfort to those two simple words, it couldn’t silence your cries. not completely. you looked up to him, and much to his (and truthfully, your own) surprise, you sobbed, “i want to stay with you.”

“no you don’t,” he shook his head, letting his hand fall into your hair. 

“i do,” you sobbed, anger and desperation in your tone. 

“no. you-”

“i do!” you cried out, the edge in your voice breaking his own spirit. “i don’t want to go back now, i.. jeonghan, i can’t go back now-”

he sighed gently, sorrow filling his eyes once more. “princess, pl-”

“i can’t! i can’t, i won’t!” you buried your face in his chest, despite how angry you felt with him in that moment. “you can’t make me!” “listen,” he spoke gently, yet with confidence that brought you to briefly silence your tears. he cradled your head in his hands, fingers weaving through your hair. “even after the pain begins to dull.. you will be hunted. you will never stop living in fear. he will never stop searching for his princess.”

you knew he was right. but you refused to acknowledge it. you cried desperately into his jacket, where he continued to hold you tightly.

“you’ll lose everything. everything you know and love,” he started, his voice finally beginning to shake. “you’ll even lose the sunlight.”

you would have cried out your protest again, had he not seemingly captured your words from you. instead, you felt dumbfounded, speechless.. and for the first time in forever, you felt like giving up. 

“i can’t do that to you. i won’t do that to you.” he captured your chin between his thumb and index finger, prompting you to look into his eyes again. you couldn’t resist, even if the devastation in his eyes was as clear as day. “please.. don’t ask me anymore.”

it pained you to speak, your voice lowering, “does that mean..” you sighed, gently closing your eyes to avoid the look of despair in his eyes. “is it over now?” 

he paused, hating to answer you straight away and potentially add salt to the wound. he seemed to carefully, mindfully craft his words before he spoke, “not completely, princess. i’ll be with you. you could hear me during our time apart, couldn’t you?”

his words brought you a sliver of hope, even if you weren’t fully satisfied. even if you were still preferring to abandon your life in favor of sharing blissful eternal moonlight with him.. “yes. i could.”

“then don’t stop listening for me,” he pleaded before pressing one last feathery kiss against your forehead. “alright? swear it.”

“i swear it,” you murmured, your voice threatening to give way once again. his lips found yours before he could hear the promise in its entirety and he kissed you passionately. the two of you poured your most heartbreaking (but not your last) goodbye into the kiss rather than using anymore hurtful words.

–

it was as if wonwoo was expecting you to come back home. as if he expected you to immediately regret your decision and come back to him.. and you would let him think that way, for now. there was no use in arguing with him and adding to the tense environment. at least he seemed to share the same sentiment, for he didn’t ask any questions or gloat- for jeonghan, in his eyes, had found defeat and that was more than enough for him. 

the morning of the wedding, you felt nauseous, as expected. you were less concerned about parading yourself in a ceremony with a man you couldn’t care less about and more concerned about what it meant for your future. a life filled with safety, security.. and as jeonghan put it, boredom. 

but it was better this way. as you sat at your vanity table, you felt as if you were reliving the memory of that first night in real time. your eyes flicked to the rose he had given you, laying across the table. it was still in full bloom, vibrant waves of red petals still as full of life as when you had first laid eyes on it. suddenly a cool breeze filled your room, even with the windows closed.. maybe a little bit of his magic would stay with you for the rest of your life, after all.

[the-saja-boys]

THANK YOU!!! I honestly spent so much time trying to match up the little details. Because we know, assuming this theory is correct, that when they became demons their appearances changed - the more noticeable things being hair shape and color, grayish skin, and the demon markings. But what else has changed? I figured that some of them, mainly Abby but the others might have as well, wished they had a different body. A hotter, better version of himself. Therefore, when the band made whatever demon deal, the “idealized body” was part of it. This change in appearances with the demon deal is one of the reasons why I think we need more than just appearances to figure out which boy is which in these photos. It’s why I focused on the significance of the signatures. It says a lot. Especially adding on little hearts or doodles to a signature, that gets put in muscle memory. And then with Mystery, I love him, but I doubt if this theory is correct that they would just give us his full face like that. It’s the little things like this that make me really believe this is real.

It also makes me wonder if Jinu was the first one to find them in the demon world and how he convinced them to go along with the whole demon boy band idea. They weren’t getting anything out of the deal that we know of, only Jinu was. Maybe it was so that they could finally preform again? That would make sense. Thoughts?

KPDH THEORY!

SO IF THE THEORY OF PEOPLE HAVE SAID WAS RIGHT ABOUT THE OTHER FOUR SAJA BOYS WERE YA KNOW THOSE FOUR GUYS IN THE PICTURE I DID THE NAMES IN THE BEST WAY I COULD READ THEM?

From left to right I’m guessing its MAYBE? Mystery? Romance? Romance and then Baby? I’M NOT SURE BUT I DID MY BEST plus whenever I see the theory that the saja boys (besides jinu) were the guys in this picture I wanna sob like genuinely. they looked so sweet before that little shit gwi-ma RUINED THEM. gwi-ma when I catch you bro WHEN I CATCH YOU OMG

I tried my best I hope this was alright I’m not the greatest at this stuff so like *Scadaddles away*

Names (In the best way I can Translate)

1st boy (far left): The signature looks like "Minji" or "Minseok" it’s a bit stylized, but seems to start with "M" and ends with an "i" or "k".

2nd boy (second from left): This one looks like "Eun", which matches the stylization of a soft cursive E and the looping u at the end.

3rd boy (middle): This signature is likely "Zyan" or possibly "Zayn", based on the Z-like shape at the beginning and short length.

4th boy (second from right): The signature here resembles "Min" short, clean strokes, and consistent with a simple name?

Meanings

1. Minji (민지)

민 (Min): clever, sharp, or people

지 (Ji): wisdom, intellect, or purpose

Meaning: "Wise and clever", "Sharp intellect", or "Person of purpose"

2. Eun (woo?) (은우)

은 (Eun): silver, kindness, grace

우 (Woo): help, excellence, or the universe

Meaning: "Graceful excellence", "Silver universe", or "Kind helper"

3. Zyan / Zayn (자얀 or 제인 – phonetic spellings)

Not a traditional Korean name; likely stylized or foreign-inspired

Possible origin meaning (Arabic): "Beauty", "Grace", or "Adornment"

In K-pop style: Cool, global flair with a unique vibe

4. Min (민)

민 (Min): clever, quick-minded, or sharp

Meaning: "Smart", "Sharp-witted", or "Quick thinker"

[vbecker10]

The Storm

Pairing: Steve Rogers x female reader (Y/N)

Summary: Your mission with Steve is at an end but a series of massive storms heading towards your location has grounded the jet. The two of you seek shelter in an abandoned cabin for the night and after a quick dinner of SHIELD rations, your focus shifts to pretending you're not terrified of the storm, barely noticing the super soldier is happy to finally have some alone time with you.

A/N: This was a pretty random idea... that I am not supposed to be working on but here we are🤦‍♀️ I hope you all like it! ❤️

"It's just a little further," you say over your shoulder, the super soldier nods in response as he follows you through the dense trees. The sky continues to darken as the wind howls around you, a shiver runs up your spine but it's not just from the gradual drop in temperature or the steadily falling rain. You can feel the slowly building panic you always sense when a storm gathers and you have no idea how you'll make it through the night without your teammate finding out your secret fear.

"You did really great finding this place, Y/N," he says with a proud smile when the cabin comes in to view a few minutes later.

"Thanks captain," you respond, thankful your cheeks are already red from the weather so he wouldn't be able to notice your blushing at such a minor compliment.

This isn't even close to your first field mission but his approval always makes you feel a bit excited. You've been with SHIELD for a little over two years and have been accompanying the Avengers for almost as long but this mission is different. It's the first time you and your long time crush have been sent together with no other backup. Most missions require five or six people but this mission was fairly straightforward and could be completed with just a team of two.

"Steve," he reminds you with a friendly smile as he climbs the three steps to the moss covered porch behind you.

"Steve, right, sorry," you grin awkwardly and look down, kicking a small rock off the porch to avoid eye contact with him.

You can feel his eyes on you but you don't look up until you hear him breaking the knob on the door to the cabin. "After you," he says politely, swinging the door open so you can get dry and hopefully warm.

"Well this is cozy," you say sarcastically as you step out of the driving rain and wind into the musty cabin. Your eyes try to adjust to the dim light as you move your flashlight slowly back and forth across the small space. Rain pounds on the metal roof overhead but thankfully there don't seem to be any leaks.

Steve walks in behind you, pulling the door shut and leaning his shield against it to keep it closed now that the lock is broken. "Didn't think that part through," he chuckles as he rubs the back of his neck.

"I wouldn't worry about it, it looks like the lock might have been the only thing in this place that works," you giggle in response.

Steve flicks on the light switch next to the door you missed and smirks as the cabin is illuminated, "Not the only thing."

You groan in embarrassment and put away your flashlight. "I would have figured that out," you tell him and he hums in response as you walk in opposite directions.

In the far corner stands what you hope is an empty refrigerator, a leaky sink and hot plate on the scratched and cracked butcher block counter. You head towards what was once a quaint little kitchen and place your pack down next to the hot plate without bothering to open the cabinets. If there is any food in there, you can already tell you wouldn't want to eat it. Who knows how long this place has been abandoned, you think

Steve walks to the large stone fireplace in the living room and his voice draws your attention from your thoughts of how romantic this place could have been years ago. "Firewood looks dry," he tells you, touching a few of the round logs that rest to the side of the fireplace.

"Oh great," you say cheerfully then your mouth falls open in amazement.

The super soldier picks up a piece of wood from the pile and tears in it half with his bear hands as easily as you would tear a piece of paper. He chuckles and you put your hand over your mouth when you realize you said, "Wow," outloud and not in your head. Thankfully, he doesn't turn to look at you, continuing to tear the next two logs then place them in the dusty hearth.

He runs his fingers through his damp blonde hair and looks around for a box of matches, smiling when he finds them on the mantle. Once the fire is lit, he stands up and undoes the brown leather harness he uses to secure his shield to his back. You can't help but watch as he pulls off the leather top of his blue stealth suit to reveal a white undershirt that clings to his muscles.

Steve looks at you over his shoulder and smirks when his eyes meet yours. You immediately flush at being caught watching him and focus on the bag you brought from the jet. You hear him walking towards you, the old wooden floorboards creaking under his heavy boots. Unzipping the bag you check the SHIELD issued rations.

"Anything good?" he asks, looking over your shoulder.

"Cream of onion soup or... cream of mushroom soup... or cream of chicken soup," you tell him as you pull out each can, unable to hide your disappointment by the selection.

"You pick first," he offers with a shrug.

"I guess I'll go with the one," you pick up the soup which you hate the least then groan, grabbing the broken bag of crackers at the bottom. A sudden loud clap of thunder cause you to jump, dropping the bag with a fearful gasp.

"You alright?" Steve asks, his voice full of concern at your reaction to the sound.

"Yeah, yep, fine," you say unconvincingly as your heart hammers in your chest.

The super soldier bends to pick up the now completely broken crackers and puts his hand gently on your shoulder. "You sure?"

You nod quickly and take the crackers back from him. "I'll heat up the soup," you change the topic, hoping he can't hear how much your voice is shaking. "Can you radio SHIELD and tell them where we are?"

"Yeah," he agrees but his gentle blue eyes remain on you. You keep your head down, setting up the portable stove that came with the kit from the jet. After a moment, Steve walks to the living area and calls Agent Hill to give her your location.

Your hands shake as you light the sterno, holding your breath to try and steady yourself when a flash of lightning illuminates the cabin. Please pass quickly, your silent prayer is interrupted by a crash of thunder that shakes the cabin.

You sit cross legged on the floor in front of the fireplace, finishing the last of your soup completely convinced that SHIELD just added random labels to each can. Although you checked the cans twice to make sure you had made yourself and Steve the correct ones you were sure in a blind tasting no one could tell the difference.

"Well, that was terrible," Steve jokes from his seat on the floor next to you.

You laugh and nod in agreement, your mood light since the thunder and lightning stopped just as you finished cooking. "I'm normally a way better cook than this, I promise," you tell him as he gets up, taking your empty bowl to clean up.

"Maybe when we get back, you can cook something for me that's not cream of leather soup," he suggests with a smile.

"Yeah, that would be fun," you answer eagerly, hoping he really means that. When he walks back towards you, you cover your mouth to hide a wide yawn.

"Tired?" Steve asks and you nod again. "I guess the bedroom is that one," he points to the only interior door in the cabin. You both walk towards the room, silently hoping for two beds or a least a bunk bed. He opens the door and you bite your lip at the sight of the single bed in the middle of the room. "I'll sleep on the couch," Steve offers without a pause like the gentleman he is.

"Are you sure? I don't mind sleeping out there," you insist. To be fair, the couch and bed were equally old and neither was likely to be comfortable.

"Yeah, I'll probably end up sleeping on the floor honestly," he laughs lightly and you smile.

"Okay," you look around the room, noticing only one small window and a dresser with two broken drawers.

"I'll see you in the morning," Steve says, his hand on the door handle. You tell him goodnight before he closes the door, almost hoping he'll leave it open at least a crack so he'll seem closer.

Rain falls heavily on the metal roof but that's not what wakes you from your light sleep. The room lights up as lightning flashes and thunder crashes almost instantly causing you to sit up, breathing heavily as your heart races. You look towards the window then check your watch, immediately wishing it was closer to morning but it's barely 2 AM.

You shiver, the sound of your rapid heartbeat in your ears drowned out momentarily by another clap of thunder. This is silly, you try to remind yourself. You're nearly thirty, you can't still be this scared of- your thought is interrupted by the howling wind throwing sticks and debris at your window. You curl up on the mattress and hold yourself, giving into your fear. Since you were a little kid, you've been terrified of storms and no amount of rational thinking has changed that. Not even becoming friends with the literal God of Thunder made you feel more comfortable when the rain fell in heavy sheets and the sky lit up with lightning followed by the deafening boom of thunder.

You groan and roll over, facing away from the window as if that will magically make the storm go away. Closing your eyes tightly, you can't help but wish the thin mattress came with a sheet or blanket you could hide under. Even with your eyes closed, you can see the room becoming lighter in a flash then let out a terrified scream as a nearby tree is struck and shatters loudly. You cover your mouth, hoping your scream was drowned out by the thunder that followed but the sound of the bedroom door creaking open tells you it wasn't.

Steve doesn't say a word but you can feel him standing at the edge of the bed, watching you. Your fear of the storm raging outside is stronger than your embarrassment and you are unable to pretend you're fine. The bed dips and squeaks but you keep your eyes closed, unsure of what's happening until you feel Steve's breath on your cheek lightly. He lays on his side facing you, his strong muscular arms wrap around your body as he gently pulls you towards his warm body.

He holds you silently, no hint of judgment, no treating you like a child promising everything will be alright or that you're okay. He doesn't say anything, he just holds. You squeeze your eyes shut tightly as the room lights up, your body tensing while you wait for the thunder that always follows. Steve's hand gently rubs your back in slow circles as he tries to calm you, his lips touch your forehead so lightly you're almost not sure it happened. Your fingers grip the back of his shirt tightly and you bury your face against his chest when the thunder crashes violently.

The rain falls heavily on the roof, the sound of the water hitting the metal seemingly in neverending waves but it's Steve you try to focus on. Pressing your ear to his chest, you force yourself to listen to the sound of his steady heartbeat, his chest rising and falling evenly as he remains unaffected by the storm that is terrifying you. His hand continues to rub your back and you feel your body relax under his smooth, repetitive touch. Gradually, you loosen the death grip you have on the back of his shirt but you keep your arm around him as you begin to feel safe. He breathes calmly despite the storm and you feel your eyelids growing heavy as your heart rate slows, your adrenaline fading.

Lightning flashes but you don't tense up, instead you keep your eyes closed and nuzzle against the super soldier's firm yet surprisingly comfortable chest. His hand rises to the back of your head, his fingers running through your hair and you can't help but let a sleepy smile slip free. You yawn against his body and Steve whispers, "Go to sleep Y/N, I've got you."

The morning sun filters through the only window in the bedroom as you open your eyes. You yawn and try to sit up but quickly realize you can't. Steve is laying on his back on the small mattress and your head is resting in his chest. One of his strong arms holds you around your waist and his other hand rests on your back.

You bite your lip, quickly filling with embarrassment not just at how scared you had been of the storm but at the fact that Steve saw you. You wrack your brain trying to come up with a valid excuse for how you acted while gently try to untangle yourself from his grasp.

He groans lightly when you twist and his hand falls from your back. "Stay," the super soldier mumbles without open his eyes, his hand moving back in place. Before you can come up with an excuse to move again he adds, "I just want to enjoy holding you a little longer before we have to go home."

You're silent, looking at him as you try to process what he said when his eyes open and his gaze finds you. "I'm really sorry about last night-" you immediately begin to apologize but he shakes his head and you stop.

His fingers run slowly through your hair the same way they had last night and you close your eyes, resting your head on his chest. "I'm sorry you were so scared," he says, his voice low and you can tell he's moments from falling asleep again.

"I don't like storms," you mumble the understatement of the century.

"I noticed," he chuckles lightly and you tense as a wave of embarrassment floods through you but then you feel him place a soft kiss to your forehead. You open your eyes, sitting up enough to look at him when you remember he had kissed you like that last night. He strokes your cheek gently, looking into your eyes and suddenly seeming much more awake. "I didn't mean to laugh," he tells you and you nod, believing him easily since he's never lied to you before.

A part of you still wants to pull free from his hold and never talk about last night again but then he smiles and you feel your heart race for a different reason. "I've wanted to cuddle you like this for so long," he admits causing you to wonder if this is all part of a very realistic dream. "I asked Agent Hill to assign you for this mission so we could have time together but I hadn't planned on the storms hitting or-"

"Or my ridiculously childish fear," you interrupt him, sitting up out of his grasp.

"That's not what I was going to say," he shakes his head and sits up against the wooden headboard. He sighs then looks away, "I had everything I wanted to say to you planned out in my head before you woke up but it's not coming out right." He lifts his head to look at you and you feel yourself fighting the urge to curl up in his arms again.

"Start over," you suggest with a small smile. "I won't say a word," you mime zipping your mouth shut and he laughs.

"I really enjoyed cuddling you last night and I hope I was able to make you feel safer," he says a bit more confidently. "When we get back, I'd love to take you up on your offer for dinner... preferably as a date."

You giggle when he adds the last bit and nod.

"Is that a yes to a date?" he asks, his voice more unsure.

In response to his question, you cuddle against his chest then look up, kissing his cheek. "Yes, and I promise not to make soup," you reassure him.

He laughs again, his arms wrapping around you comfortably then he leans down slightly to press his lips to yours. You kiss him back and can't help but groan when he pulls away before you want him to. He smirks at your reaction and reaches over to grab his radio which is blinking and beeping to get his attention. Steve doesn't let you move from his hold while he talks to Agent Hill and when he's done he kisses your cheek. "Time to go home," he releases you and you instantly miss being in his arms.

The sound of thunder rumbling in the distant causes you to freeze in the middle of the bedroom, your smile fading quickly. Almost as soon as the fear begins to set in, you feel Steve's arms around you. He presses his chest to your back and rests his chin on your shoulder when you place your hands on his arms. "I can tell Agent Hill we're going to stay here until the storm passes if you need?" he offers, his voice gentle but you shake your head.

"I'll be okay as long as you stay with me," you look up at him.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," he leans down, kissing you again as the thunder rumbles again.

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did ❤️❤️ Please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist!

(I wasn't really sure who to tag for this cause I don't really have a Steve list)

@soubi001 @mochie85 @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @multyunervisesuperfan @cabingrlandrandomcrap @lulubelle814 @goblingirlsarah @alexakeyloveloki @siconetribal @jiyascepter @eleniblue @muddyorbsblr @alyeskathewave @loz-3 @firedrakegirl @km-ffluv @biodegradable-glitter-fest @wolfsmom1 @hopefuldreamers-world @anukulee @trojanaurora @babygirl-panda19 @catsladen @stargazer-luna @gruftiela @bolontiku @scrumptious-finicky-illusion @crimson25 @lokiandbuckysdoll @holdmytesseract @wolfsmom1 @peaches1958 @michellewgrt @jaidenhawke @mochie85 @itscomplicatedx @motherofmischief @lethallyprotected @biaswreckedbybuckybarnes

[californiaahunny]

it means nothing , slash x fem!reader

☆ summary: slash’s concept of something being forbidden has never been very clear, especially when it comes to axl’s girl

☆ warnings: 18+ content, mdni. smut. infidelity ( sorry axl ). she’s a long one so buckle up.

☆ authors notes: did i get a little carried away? maybe. but it’s okay

there was a serene buzz after the gust of the storm that carried out the hotel door. a flurry of cologne, marlboros and sinister words falling from his snarl after an innocent message at the door from a manager — or someone not as entirely important as they were treated.

it wasn’t entirely clear where he was summoned; just a sweet peck to your forehead and a mumbled handful of words you didn’t comprehend but he was gone before you could question them.

a glossy magazine with posed models was spread across the floral duvet, occupying the unsaid minutes till axl returned back with the hurricane he kickstarted within him. you thumbed through the pages at your own pace, examining and taking insignificant mental notes that would be tossed when you weren’t trying to pass by.

the burnt colored curtains were draped shut, only the yellow hum of the flickering lamp on the bedside stand and the vintage film you weren’t familiar with provided you with some kind of life inside the room.

until the knock against the door — not heavy, intrusive but a small noticeable spark behind it. you didn’t jump, or even blink, just slid off the bed and padded a few steps in a drowning shirt of axl’s.

your hand twisted the cold metal in your palm gradually as you shielded the rest of you from the unknown in the corridor.

a cherry flame hanging from a pair of lips illuminated in the hall's amber light, disheveled curls fencing in features as he leaned against the doorframe. his pupils were dark and shot, untrained, but almost a crooked smile tugging at his pout.

“hi,” you spoke gently, inching the door open slightly with a curled hand at the familiar figure. there was hesitancy within you, not an overpowering sense or one filled with fear; just uncertain of the power within your decisions.

“hey,” he responded, cool as if he was the one behind the locks. the cigarette, nearly down to its filter, bobbed like a dashboard figure. you glanced down to it.

“you know you’re not supposed to be smoking in the hallway,” you flatly poke, referring to the disregarded sign in the lobby.

he chuckled, not sincerely at the minuscule joke but his clear rebellion, “yeah? arrest me.”

your feet stepped aside, pulling the door with you and opening it wider, “you’re drunk.”

he radiated jack daniels, glistening on his skin under his leather jacket and jeans. he walked in with no shame, none in his stature or his decisions. a state of mind you’ve seen all too well with him.

“not the worst i’ve been,” he mumbled, pride mixed with unwanted familiarity.

he moved with particular looseness — limbs heavy but his eyes sharp. he smelled like jack and smoke and something sharp beneath it, like worn leather catching flames.

you latched the door behind you — along with some sanity you let slip through the opening, joining slash’s in the lobby — as it shut within its hinges before you settled back on the bed.

“axl’s not here,” you flipped the magazine and tossed it to the side, curling your legs underneath you.

“i know,” he exhaled, smoke following, before sinking into a chair near the window. he didn’t ask if he could. just slightly bucked his hips forward, spreading his knees and tilted his head back.

you watched him there, weight back on your calf’s as he sprawled in the furniture like it was his throne; a fucked version of royalty. the smoke curled above his head, making little ghosts in the dim light.

he dragged the cigarette again between a thick thumb and a pointed finger with a silver ring slid down to his knuckles. his hazy, yet menacing gaze was set on you, running along your folded thighs clashing with the hem of axl’s tee.

“so…” he started, voice thick and husky, “you just in here… waiting for him all night?”

you lifted your chin slightly, “maybe.”

he scoffed, but the corner of his lips twitched like he wanted to grin. he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and you could hear the wood creak as he moved.

“don’t have to look so pure,” he chided, his eyes flicking over you like a match striking, “you’re in a fuckin’ rock band’s hotel room, baby.”

“m’not in the band,” you murmured, searching for some answer that wasn’t as puny as you felt while you pretended to pick invisible lint from the bedspread.

he chuckled low, leaning back again, smoke trailing out of his nose, “doesn’t mean you’re innocent.”

your eyes narrowed at him — not malicious, just thrown by his words — and you felt heat crawling up your chest despite the cool air in the room. you tried to steer it away, but his eyes pinned you, magnetic and cruel.

“you came here for something?” you asked, fingers twisting a corner of the duvet.

“mm,” he hummed, shrugging out of his jacket. his arms looked rough and roped with careless muscle as he tossed it over the back of the chair, “didn’t wanna drink alone. didn’t wanna be around the others either. too much noise. thought you might be… softer company.”

“i’m not that soft,” you replied, a desperate moral attempt to shoot down his claws pawing at your tail.

a smirk carved into his plump lips, teeth flashing, “no? that’s not what i heard.”

your breath hitched at his tut, quick and subtle, but he caught it, of course he did. slash leaned forward again, tapping ash into a chipped glass ashtray on the table, the one axl’s discarded one’s were in; a silent reminder. he slightly tilted his head, curls slipping over his cheekbones.

“i mean… he’s not here, is he?” he said, his voice sliding lower, “and you look so fuckin’ lonely sittin’ there.”

his words were cruel, short of attentive, “i’m not lonely,” you said soft, but it didn’t sound convincing, even to you.

then he watched you another moment, studying and processing before his dark eyes turned softer now, and his grin faded into something more thoughtful. his gaze dropped to your bare thighs and back up again, slow and deliberate.

“c’mere,” he said quietly.

you hesitated. you knew there was a heavy weight of stepping closer to him. you knew he’d smell even more like cigarettes and sweat and whiskey — more than he did when he slithered past you and into the room. no possibilities ran through your mind, they just ghosted.

but your feet touched the floor anyway. you padded over to him, your toes silent on the scratchy hotel carpet.

he flicked the last bit of cigarette into the ashtray and dipped back in the chair, spreading his bent knees even wider. he dragged his shot orbs up and down your skin, then hooked two fingers into the hem of axl’s shirt hanging off your frame.

“this looks better on you anyway,” he murmured, voice like worn velvet.

your lips parted, but no sound came out. your heart pounded against your ribs, drumming in your ears as if you were at the whiskey.

“tell me to leave if you want me to,” he said, and for a split second, there was something gentle there like he hadn’t just been circling you like a mischievous feline.

but his fingers still tugged lightly at the shirt, coaxing you closer between his knees.

you didn’t tell him anything, the tingle of the fire igniting within you engulfing every exit with flames. he almost grinned.

he was stronger this close — not necessarily physically, just overwhelming in every sense. your breath stuttered as his fingers toyed with the soft cotton draping your thighs.

“you gonna talk to me,” he murmured, voice low and smoky, “or just stand there looking like a deer in headlights?”

“i don’t know what to say to you,” you admitted, pulse hammering at your throat.

he let out a quiet laugh, but it wasn’t mocking. his thumb skimmed a few inches along your hip beneath the shirt, rough calluses catching your skin.

“you always talk plenty with him,” he said, eyes sharp as a blade, “why’s it different with me?”

“because…you’re you.”

his brow quirked, a tiny motion under his mess of curls, “what the fuck’s that mean?”

his finger moved up higher along your side, closer to your ribs. you almost shuddered under the trail of his touch, every bit of strength slipping right from your fingertips.

“slash…” you breathed, a warning in your tone, though it trembled.

“what?” he asked, pretending innocence, “i’m not touchin’ you anywhere bad.”

but the way his fingertips barely slipped beneath the hem of the shirt was anything but innocent. your thighs pressed closer together as he drew light circles against your skin.

“i shouldn’t,” you whispered, but you still didn’t back away.

“i know,” he said, “you’re axl’s girl. i fuckin’ know that.”

he tipped his head, studying you like he was deciding whether to press further or let you go. for a few seconds, he simply sat there, breathing quietly, his fingers stilled on your hip.

then his eyes flicked up, darker than before. his other hand came up, gently brushing a stray lock of hair off your cheek. his knuckles smelled of smoke and cold metal skimmed against your skin.

“i don’t want to fight with him,” you said, voice barely audible.

“neither do i,” he said, “but… fuck, sweetheart. you’re killing me standin’ there lookin’ like that.”

you swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the silence between you, the hush of the hotel room pressing in from all sides.

then his hand slid higher, resting lightly at the small of your back. he drew you closer, until your knees brushed his.

“let me just… taste you,” he murmured, eyes locked on yours, “not everything. just a little.”

your pulse thundered in your ears.

“and if i say no?” you managed to ask, though your body was already leaning in.

he exhaled, lips twitching in the faintest, rueful smile, “then i leave. and i try like hell not to think about it next time i’m on stage.”

your breath trembled. you felt the heat of him radiating through the thin shirt, the steady slide of his thumb stroking circles into your back.

you closed your eyes.

“just… a little,” you whispered.

he made a sound almost like relief — soft and raw — and before you could second-guess yourself, his mouth was on yours, hot and tasting of whiskey and smoke.

his lips were softer than you’d imagined, moving slowly, patient at first. his hands stayed polite, resting on your hips; an attempt of showing some sort of consideration toward your boyfriend, a twisted oxymoron. then he kissed you deeper, his tongue coaxing yours, his breath ragged as he tried to keep it gentle.

and you kissed him back, nails clinging onto his rigid biceps.

when he pulled away, his pupils were blown wide, his chest rising and falling fast.

“fuck,” he breathed, voice hoarse, thumbs brushing your sides, “that’s trouble.”

you nodded faintly, dizzy and warm all over.

“yeah,” you said, “i know.”

he pressed his forehead lightly to yours, eyes closing for a second as if trying to catch his breath.

“you want me to stop?” he asked, voice low but sincere.

and your silence was all the answer he needed. you pulse was loud enough to be the answer to his proposal.

he opened his eyes, studying your face. his thumbs brushed gentle arcs against your hips, “y’alright?”

his battered embraced tugged your figure gently — but insinuating something more — until you slowly swung a leg over his jeans, the other following into caging in his thighs. your lashes fluttered down where both of your materials clashed.

“yeah,” you whispered, though your voice trembled.

a faint grin tugged at his mouth, “good. i kinda like sittin’ here like this. not sure i wanna fuck that up yet.”

you blinked, thrown off by the honesty in his tone. there was no rush in him, no frantic need. even with the uncertainty of axl’s unpredictable arrival. just calm heat simmering beneath the surface, as if he was perfectly willing to wait you out forever.

his fingers slid along your sides again, moving a little higher this time. he let his hand rest beneath the curve of your breast, the heel of his palm pressing lightly into your ribs. but he didn’t squeeze. didn’t push. just held it there, like the thought of touching you was enough for him—for now.

the silence stretched between you, thick and charged. you let your hands wander up his chest, over the worn black tee, feeling the steady thud of his heart underneath. it was strong, but nowhere near calm.

you leaned forward a little more, until your nose brushed his.

he lifted his eyes to yours, relaxed but intent.

“you want me to move?” you asked quiet like you shouldn’t, breath catching.

a slow grin curved his lips, “nah. i like watchin’ you try to figure it out.”

you huffed, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, a mix of frustration and incredulous at his words.

you kissed him then—just a brief press of your mouth to his to see if he really meant what he said. testing. he kissed you back, slow and soft, but didn’t try to pull you closer or deepen it. he let it end, leaving you dizzy and wanting. not leaving his game of cat and mouse in the dust completely.

his hand stayed where it was, fingers splayed warm and steady under the hem of axl’s shirt.

“m’not gonna push you,” he murmured, voice quiet as a secret, “but you know where i am.”

and somehow, that felt more dangerous than if he’d tried to take anything at all.

your breath shivered out of you as his words hung in the space between you — his thumb traced slow circles just under your ribs, patient, like he could stay there all night if that’s what it took.

“slash…” you said, your voice soft but trembling.

“mm?” his eyes flicked up to yours, lashes casting shadows on his cheeks.

“i don’t know what to do with you,” it was a hesitant admittance.

he let out a quiet laugh, low and husky, “that’s alright. i know what to do with you.”

heat flared in your chest. you shifted in his lap, and even that small movement drew a sharp inhale from him, his fingers flexing gently against your side.

but he didn’t try to pull you closer. instead, he leaned back just enough to look at you properly.

“hey,” he murmured, a tiny tilt of his head, “breathe.”

you realized you’d been holding your breath and let it out in a shaky exhale. he smiled faintly, warm and patient.

“there you go,” his voice dropped, soft as velvet, “you don’t gotta do anything you don’t wanna do. m’good right here.”

he wasn’t trying to lay out a path of need or want for him from you, as if his desire was just to feel your flesh under his claws and to see your chest rise and fall.

he let you linger there, his breath warm against your lips, his curls brushing your cheeks.

his hand, still beneath the shirt, stroked the curve of your ribcage with gentle, patient fingers. It wasn’t possessive—it was exploratory. curious.

“you’re makin’ it real hard to stay still,” he confessed after a moment, his voice gone a bit rougher.

“so move,” you whispered.

he quirked an eyebrow, “yeah?”

you nodded, biting your lip.

he tilted his head, studying your face, “alright,” he murmured.

then, slowly, he eased you closer in his lap, adjusting the angle of your hips so you were sitting right over the hard length pressing against his jeans. a soft sound escaped you, helpless and surprised.

he sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth, jaw tightening for a second, but his voice stayed gentle as his hands slid down to grip your thighs.

“god… that’s it,” he murmured, “feel that?”

“yeah…”

“that’s how fuckin’ crazy you’re makin’ me.”

he rocked his hips up once, just enough for you to feel the weight and heat of him. it wasn’t rough, or rushed—just deliberate. showing.

your nails curled against his chest, eyes squeezed shut, “oh, fuck…”

“eyes on me,” he coaxed softly.

you blinked them open, finding his stare waiting for you—dark, intense, but steady.

“you wanna keep goin’?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

you nodded, breathless.

he leaned in, kissing the corner of your mouth, “then don’t be shy. ride me a little. just… slow.”

your mouth fell open, but no words came out.

“c’mon,” he murmured, voice silky but shaking at the edges, “i’ll help you.”

his hands gripped your hips and guided you in a gentle, rolling motion over him. the friction made your breath catch in your throat. he groaned low in his chest, forehead pressing into yours as he steadied you.

“that’s it, baby… fuck, that’s it…”

you moved again, emboldened, and he let out a shaky laugh.

“shit… i knew you’d be trouble…” he said, voice rough as gravel.

he rolled his hips up again, and you gasped, your fingers clutching the cloth underneath your fingertips. his grin faded into something softer as he watched your face.

“look at you,” he murmured, “so fuckin’ pretty like this.”

he brushed your hair back from your face, letting his fingers linger at your jaw.

“you want me to stop?” he asked again, gentle but intense.

you shook your head, “don’t.”

he huffed out a quiet laugh, leaning in to kiss you slow and deep.

and somehow, even as things threatened to tip over the edge, there was still nothing rushed in him. just quiet patience, as if he could keep you perched on this knife’s edge forever—and might actually enjoy it.

he kissed you deep, his tongue sliding against yours, slow and searching. but beneath the measured pace, there was a tremor in him now—a strain in his breath.

when he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, curls spilling around both your faces.

“fuck…” he breathed, “we keep goin’ like this, m’not stoppin’, baby.”

“then don’t,” you whispered.

he searched your eyes, his fingers tightening just slightly at your hips, “you sure?”

“yeah.”

a quiet, unsteady laugh broke from his chest, “fuckin’ hell.”

his hands slid under axl’s shirt and lifted it higher, revealing more of your bare skin. he paused, looking at you as though asking permission. you raised your arms, breath shaking, and he pulled the shirt over your head.

his eyes dropped, sweeping over your chest in the low light, “god… look at you…”

heat flooded your face, but before you could hide, he dipped his head and pressed a slow, open-mouthed kiss just above your breast.

your fingers tangled in his hair as he trailed kisses lower, his breath hot on your skin. his tongue flicked lightly over one nipple, making you gasp, your back arching.

he hummed against you, “been thinkin’ about this. a fuckin’ lot.”

you whined softly, your thighs pressing tighter around him. he chuckled low, glancing up at you.

“keep makin’ those sounds,” he murmured, “shit’s gonna be over real fast for me.”

his hands drifted down, hooking into the waistband of your panties. he paused again, looking up at you, “these stayin’ on, or what?”

you swallowed, then shook your head.

“good,” he said roughly, voice husky as he slid them down your thighs. he helped you lift one knee, then the other, peeling them away and tossing them aside.

he leaned back a little in the chair, eyes dark as midnight as he took you in, completely bare above him, “jesus fucking christ…” he whispered.

then his hand slipped between your legs, fingers stroking gently through the wetness there. you let out a choked sound, your head falling forward onto his shoulder.

“fuck, sweetheart…” he murmured, voice low and ragged, “you’re so fuckin’ wet for me.”

you couldn’t speak, only shuddered as he found your clit and circled it with careful, slow pressure.

“yeah…” he coaxed, his free hand stroking your back, “just like that. let me see you.”

“slash…”

he pressed a kiss to your temple, his lips curving in a small, trembling smile, “relax for me. wanna feel you come.”

your hips bucked helplessly as he kept circling you, his touch light but relentless.

he leaned close again, his voice warm and rough in your ear, “think you can come like this? just sittin’ here on me?”

“i—i don’t know…”

he rocked his hips upward, the thick heat of him rubbing right where you needed it.

“wanna try?” he murmured.

you whined, pressing closer.

“yeah… that’s it,” he growled softly, “come on, baby. ride my fuckin’ hand.”

your hands clutched his chest as you rocked against his fingers, your breath coming faster. his eyes were locked on yours, dark and blazing, his jaw clenched as he held himself back.

he kissed you again, deep and messy, groaning into your mouth as your movements grew more frantic.

“that’s it… fuck, that’s it…” he whispered against your lips, “c’mon. let me feel it.”

It hit you like a spark catching dry grass. you gasped, going rigid, then trembling as the pleasure broke through you in waves. he held you steady, murmuring praises as you rode it out, his lips brushing your cheek, your jaw, your ear.

“fuck, baby… that’s so fuckin’ hot…”

you slumped forward against his chest, trembling and breathless.

he chuckled softly, pressing his lips to your hair, “shit…i could watch that all night.”

you barely had time to catch your breath before his hands slid back to your hips, holding you steady in his lap. his eyes were molten dark as they roamed over your face, your bare chest, the flush still lingering on your skin.

“goddamn…” he murmured, almost to himself, “you’re fuckin’ gorgeous like this.”

Your heart was still racing, “slash…”

he leaned in, kissing the corner of your mouth, then your jaw, then your neck, teeth grazing lightly.

“you want me inside you?” he mumbled against your flesh, voice husky but even, like he was asking what drink you wanted at the bar.

your breath hitched. “y—yeah”

a small grin pulled at his lips, “yeah?”

“please,” you whispered.

he groaned, low and raw, his eyes fluttering shut for a second, “fuck”

he shifted under you, reaching down to unbutton his jeans. his fingers worked quick but clumsy with urgency, and you couldn’t help the way your breath caught watching the heavy length of him spring free, thick and flushed dark at the tip.

your eyes widened a little, and he caught the look, chuckling breathlessly. he teased, leaning in to brush your lips, “i’ll go slow.”

he curled a hand around himself, giving a few firm strokes, his jaw flexing as he swallowed a curse. then his free hand found your hip again, steadying you.

“lift up for me, baby,” he murmured.

you rose slightly on trembling thighs, gripping his shoulders for balance as he angled himself beneath you. he dragged the blunt head of his cock through your slick folds, groaning as he felt how wet you still were.

“shit… you’re drippin’…” he hissed.

“slash,” you whimpered.

“okay… okay…” he soothed, voice trembling now, “just slow. gonna go real fuckin’ slow.”

he pressed upward gently, the thick head stretching you inch by inch. you gasped, fingernails digging into his shoulders.

“jesus, baby… so fuckin’ tight…” he growled, head dropping forward so his curls brushed your chest.

you whimpered his name, half pain, half desperate need, your thighs trembling around his hips.

“shh.. i got you…” he murmured, kissing your sternum as he eased in deeper, holding back even though every muscle in him was shaking.

he finally bottomed out, hips flush against yours, his breath ragged in your ear.

“oh…” you choked out.

“fuck,” he whispered, voice shaking, “you feel… fuck… unreal.”

he stayed still a moment, letting you adjust. his hands rubbed soothing circles along your back, his lips pressing soft kisses over your collarbone.

“tell me if it’s too much, yeah?” he rasped.

“s’not,” you whispered, voice wrecked, “please… move…”

“yeah?” his eyes glinted as he pulled back an inch, then pushed back in, slow and deep.

your head fell back, a moan tearing from your throat.

“that’s it…” he breathed, repeating the slow thrust, savoring every inch.

you clenched around him and he hissed, jaw clenching as he forced himself to keep it measured.

“shit… you’re squeezin’ me so fuckin’ tight…”

he rocked you forward again, hitting that perfect spot inside you, and your cry was enough to rip a ragged groan from his chest.

“slash—”

“mhm, baby… ride me,” he murmured, voice breaking, “c’mon… show me how fuckin’ good it feels.”

you started moving, grinding your hips in small, desperate circles. his hands helped guide you, fingertips biting gently into your skin.

“fuck… that’s it… just like that…”

your moans grew higher, ragged, your whole body trembling as he met your rhythm with slow, rolling thrusts.

he dropped his head against your chest, panting, curls damp against your skin.

“m’not gonna last long if you keep doin’ that…” he rasped.

“don’t stop…” you begged.

he looked up at you then, eyes half-lidded but blazing.

“fuck, baby… you’re gonna make me come so fuckin’ hard…”

he snapped his hips up a little harder, and you cried out, clutching his hair.

“that’s it,” he groaned, voice wrecked, “take it… fuck…”

you felt it coiling again inside you, even stronger than before, and you barely managed to gasp out, “m’gonna—”

“mhm, baby… come with me,” he panted. “fuckin’ come with me…”

a few more hard, deep thrusts, and you shattered around him, crying out as pleasure tore through you. he felt you clamp down, his own rhythm stuttering as he gave a hoarse shout.

“fuck—fuck—”

he drove in deep and stayed there, pulsing hot inside you as he spilled himself, his hands gripping you tight enough to leave bruises.

he held you through the aftershocks, forehead pressed to yours, breathless curses spilling against your lips.

when the shaking finally subsided, he let out a low laugh, voice scratchy and worn.

“holy fuck…” he breathed, dropping his head against your shoulder, curls falling around your face like a curtain.

you were still trembling, your breath coming in shallow gasps. you tried to speak but only managed a soft, shaky sound that made him chuckle again.

“easy, baby,” he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to the slope of your neck, “you alright?”

“Yeah…” you whispered, your voice raw and lips parted.

he laughed again, quieter this time, and leaned back just enough to look at you. his pupils were blown wide, sweat glistening at his hairline, and his smile was small but genuine.

“you’re fuckin’ everything,” he said, voice husky.

heat crawled up your chest, your hands brushing absently over his shoulders as if to confirm he was still there.

he exhaled a shaky breath, “gimme a sec. gotta.. fuck… i gotta pull out, baby.”

he eased his hands under your thighs, holding you gently as he shifted his hips back. even that small motion made you wince and whimper, overstimulated.

“i know,” he soothed, pressing soft kisses across your chest and collarbone, “you did so fuckin’ good.”

once he slipped free of you, he let out a hiss between his teeth, glancing down at where your bodies had been joined. his thumb brushed tenderly over the inside of your thigh, like he couldn’t help himself.

“look at you,” he murmured, voice warm with a thread of awe, “fuckin’ ruined me.”

you buried your face in his hair, cheeks burning. he chuckled and pulled you closer, wrapping both arms around your waist.

for a while, you both just breathed, your body still trembling in the circle of his arms. the room was silent except for the low hum of the city beyond the hotel window, the faint rush of traffic.

finally, he tipped his chin up to look at you, eyes soft.

“hey.”

“mm?”

his thumb traced the line of your jaw, “you okay?”

“yeah,” you whispered, “just … can’t believe we did that.”

he gave a quiet laugh, brushing his lips lightly over yours, “me either. but fuck… m’glad we did.”

you opened your mouth, uncertain what to say, but he seemed to sense it and shook his head gently.

“don’t think too much right now,” he said, “just… stay here a minute.”

he leaned in, kissing you again—slow, languid, almost sweet despite the heat lingering between you.

when he pulled away, he pressed his forehead to yours, breath tickling your lips.

“m’gonna clean you up in a sec,” he murmured, “but i don’t wanna let go yet.”

you melted a little at the tenderness in his voice, “okay.”

he shifted in the chair, adjusting you so you were curled closer to his chest. his fingers traced slow, absent patterns over your spine as he breathed you in.

your eyes fluttered over to the bandana lazily tossed on a small table to the side, the one axl didn’t care to tie behind his locks before his dismissal.

you tensed, shame knotting in your stomach, but he only smirked and dropped a kiss to your shoulder.

“guess m’gonna have to fix that, huh?”

your breath caught, and you gave a shaky laugh, “slash…” it fell from your lips weary.

and though guilt still stirred deep in your chest, the weight of his arms around you made it easy—dangerously easy—to pretend there was nowhere else you’d rather be.

but you were still aware of everything—the dying pulse hammering in your ears, the smell of sex thick in the room, and the stark reality pressing in around the edges. this was axl’s hotel room.

slash drew in a deep breath, eyes darting briefly toward the door like he was remembering that fact too.

“shit,” he said softly, “we… should probably clean you up.”

you nodded faintly, trying to pull air into your lungs. he kissed you once—gentle, lingering—then eased you off his lap with hands steady at your waist. your legs felt like liquid, buckling a little, and he caught you quickly.

“hey—easy,” he glanced toward the door again, the tension creeping back into his shoulders, “fuck, this is… fuckin’ insane.”

you swallowed hard, “he could come back any second…”

“yeah,” he smirked faintly, even though his eyes were serious, “but he hasn’t yet.”

he hooked his jeans halfway up his hips but didn’t bother fastening them. instead, he swept you into his arms, carrying you the few steps into the bathroom.

inside, he set you gently on the counter, glancing warily back over his shoulder at the open door.

he didn’t say anything, just reached out and twisted the deadbolt. the click sounded deafening in the silence, saying more words than either of you could.

he turned back, grabbing a washcloth and running warm water over it. his hair hung forward in tangled curls, hiding his eyes as he wrung the cloth out. when he knelt in front of you, it was almost too intimate.

the first press of warm fabric between your thighs made you suck in a sharp breath. his eyes flicked up immediately, alert.

“too much?”

“no,” you whispered. “just… sensitive.”

he nodded and slowed his touch, wiping you clean with careful, patient strokes. his thumb brushed your hip, rings cool against your skin.

“there we go,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a hush, as though axl might somehow hear through the walls, “don’t want him walkin’ in on this part, huh?”

your stomach flipped, both at the idea and at how matter-of-factly he said it. like it was some sick inside joke between the two of you.

“slash… what the fuck are we gonna do?” you whispered.

he paused, still kneeling in front of you, cloth hanging limp in his fingers. his eyes searched yours, dark and uncertain for the first time that night.

“i dunno,” he admitted softly, “but i fuckin’ know I’d do it again.”

your breath caught.

he gave you a crooked, weary smile, then rose to his feet, “c’mon. arms up,” he mumbled.

you lifted your arms obediently, and he pulled one of axl’s shirts from the bathroom door hook, slipping it over your head. the fabric smelled like axl—cologne, stage sweat, a hint of stale cigarettes. the scent sent a pang of guilt twisting through your chest.

slash seemed to sense it. his hands cupped your jaw, thumbs stroking your cheeks, “don’t think about him right now. please.”

you opened your mouth to protest, but he kissed you softly, cutting off the words. when he pulled back, he was already scanning the room, eyes sharp.

“m’gonna check if the coast is clear,” he said, stepping into the doorway and peeking toward the hotel suite’s main door.

you slipped off the counter, legs still shaky.

“shit,” he whispered. “left the fuckin’ chain off. he could’ve—”

“slash.”

he turned, and you could see the war inside him—the fierce want, the regret, the calculation of how fast he could slip out if axl’s key jingled against the indent of the lock.

“relax,” you murmured, “it’s okay,” you tried to reassure, more yourself and the racing thoughts up above.

“no,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “it’s not okay. you’re axl’s fuckin’ girl. and m’standin’ here half-dressed in his hotel room.”

a laugh, short and breathless, bubbled out of you, “kinda late to worry about that, don’t you think?”

he gave a huff of exasperation, then let his forehead drop to yours.

“fuckin’ trouble, you are,” he murmured.

but his arms came around you anyway, holding you close.

for a few moments, you both just breathed, the hush of the room pressing in around you. somewhere down the hall, a door slammed. slash’s entire body went rigid.

“shit,” he leaned back and gently released you, “i—i gotta get outta here before he shows up.”

you blinked rapidly, panic flaring, “slash—”

he stroked your cheek, “hey. don’t look at me like that. m’not ditchin’ you. just… don’t wanna fuckin’ fight him. or worse.”

you hesitated, eyes stinging, “will you come back?”

a flicker of vulnerability crossed his face before he masked it with a crooked grin, “baby, you’ll be the only thing i’m thinkin’ about when i’m up there on that stage tomorrow night.”

he kissed you once more—slow, lingering—then finally stepped back, grabbing his shirt off the floor and pulling it on.

before he reached the door, he paused and turned, eyes locking onto yours.

“don’t tell me you regret it,” he said quietly, “not yet.”

you swallowed hard, “i dont.”

he nodded once, sharply, then cracked the door open, peeking out into the hallway. after a second, he slipped out without another word, the soft click of the door shutting behind him leaving the room feeling enormous—and suddenly very, very empty.

[frmeeden]

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ that's me in the corner... r.cameron

╰warnings┈➤ alcohol, drugs, swearing. angst (?) (idk what this is lol). mdni (18+) ╰word count┈➤ 931

Rafe invited you to this house party near the cut. He said that it was his close friend's birthday, and since your relationship was still new, you figured it was a good way to meet some of his friends, the people he grew up with. 

You already met Sarah; she was the one who introduced you to Rafe, but she wasn’t here, and this was a new crowd. A crowd full of Kooks, and as a visitor, you were proclaimed as “Rafe’s Touron Girlfriend.” You didn’t mind that, to be honest, since it was kind of true, you only visit during the summer, and this summer, the kook king took a liking to you. 

You were nursing a drink since the start of this evening because you aren’t really a fan of alcohol, knowing that he gets wild at parties. It was okay, sure, you were never one for drinking, but it would have been nice to not be the designated drunk driver for one night. 

Now, you ended up here. Alone. In the kitchen, looking at the living room where they were doing Karaoke. You looked to the crowd when a girl was waving at you, smiling and nodding for you to sit next to her. You, bored, shrugged and started walking to her. You sat down in the middle of her and another girl who was singing a pop song. 

“Hey! You’re new here, right? I’m Ruthie, Topper’s girlfriend,” she took her hand out to shake as she shouted over the music. 

You knew Topper from when Rafe dragged you to the Country Club and watched him play golf. You never interacted, but you could sense that Topper sometimes gives you the side eye when he feels like you’re not watching. 

“Hi, I’m Y/N, Rafe’s girl—”

“You’re so different from what I’ve heard! Aren’t you one of those half-Pogue half-Kook that his sister, Sarah, hangs around with?” she beams, cutting you off. Ruthie looks like one of those girls from those Fourth of July commercials that you see on television, all staged and shit.

“I’m not a Pogue or a Kook. I’m just visiting for the summer,” you corrected her, but you doubt that registers in her mind.

“Oh, a touron! I didn’t think Rafe would be into you guys.” She hums as she stands up, seeing a friend of hers, and starts talking to them. That conversation left a bitter taste on your tongue, but you paid no mind, thinking that she was already drunk.

You looked over to the projector to see that they were playing a song you knew. You started humming along when the girl next to you took a microphone and handed it to you. 

“You sound so nice! You should sing!” The girl beams, handing you the microphone she used a few songs ago.

“Oh, no, no! No, it’s okay, let other people sing,” you declined politely, pushing the microphone away. 

“Come on! Seems like you know the words to this,” she insisted, handing the microphone. 

You shook your head. “Fine, don’t blame me when you hear my singing voice,” you both laugh as you accept the microphone from her. 

As you start to sing the song, you see in the corner of your eye, Rafe and Topper, walking into the living room, staying behind the crowd. They were laughing at something on Topper’s phone. As he drank the beer he was holding, he smiled at you and nodded to the beat of the song. When you sang the chorus, you made eye contact with Rafe, serenading him. 

Smiling, nodding at the beat, and not minding everyone in the room. It was just you and him. His eyes never leaving yours as he drank, mindlessly smirking at Topper when his friend said something to him. 

As the song slows down to go to the bridge, you turn to the girl who handed you the microphone to give it back. When you turned back to Rafe, he was talking to Topper and his other friend, Kelce. He was looking around the room, noticeably not at you, and left.

You furrowed your eyebrows. You were just making heavy eye contact with him a few minutes ago, but now, when he leaves the room, he completely ignores you. He never leaves without you acknowledging it, so of course, you get curious. You stand and leave the room, following the path your boyfriend took. 

You knock on different doors to get varied results. Some doors were unlocked to see people asleep, some open on people puking on the floor, and some were locked, but you can distinctly hear people having sex. 

The last door was ajar, and you heard muffled voices of guys. This must be where Rafe went. You peek at the gap when you see Rafe snorting a line of white powder. Cocaine.

What the hell.

You didn’t know Rafe did—does—drugs. Alcohol, yes, but drugs? Never. He never talked about it, never mentioned it, not at all, but then again, you've only been together for two months—almost three months. But isn’t that a topic you tell your girlfriend? 

As you think more about it, you inadvertently step back and hit a drawer in the hall. The cans and cups clatter and some fall, but you didn’t care. You try to gather your thoughts. 

Am I being overdramatic? Maybe. Maybe this is normal here, but still. 

Why wouldn’t he tell you?

You had to leave. 

So, you did. 

You ran from the hallway, through waves of people, out of the house, and onto the street.

—requests are open ᝰ.ᐟ

╰a/n┈➤ heyy... heyyy... how yall doin... this is inspired by that one sebastian stan movie, endings & beginnings (2019)

[bewitched-hours]

hi!! so what if the reader was also adopted by 007n7 and ended up forsaken'd along with c00lkidd [making 007n7 think they're both missing]. then 007n7 eventually gets forsaken'd [yk how] and notices the reader after waking up [survivors side]. 007n7 is confused about where he is, but so happy to see one of his children again. after both went missing 😢 you can make the reader show up later on [a month?? idk] after 007n7 gets forsaken'd. up to you to decide ^u^ gender neutral reader :3 I hope this makes sense 💔 this is my first time ever requesting something ^^

Awww, hell yeah! More child!reader to have some cutesy stuff to write about!

They/Them Reader as requested~

How confusing...

One moment you were just playing with your brother, the next you were in a strange realm beyond your understanding. At least that's how you remembered it.

You were obviously upset, even outright crying as the survivors attempted to explain what was going on. They obviously felt bad, trying to comfort you and forgetting to check if they even knew your parents or anything. They all figured you were just some kid who was unfortunate enough to be thrown into this realm.

It started when your brother appeared as a killer and the survivors saw you trying desperately to get to him even though you knew better by now.

Guest 1337 had to pick you up and ignore your protests and squirming in his grip as you tried to make grabby motions towards your brother. "[Reader], what's gotten into you???" He asked as he attempted to catch his breath once you were both safe. "Who is he for you to disregard your own life?!"

Now, he didn't want to upset you but you understood that he was probably frustrated seeing you run to C00lkidd as if all your survivor knowledge was gone in an instant. Though you couldn't speak through your silent sobs, C00lkidd certainly managed to answer that question from afar.

"[Reader]! Come back! I missed you!" His voice was so cheerful as he ran past your hiding spot but Guest felt a shiver run down his spine at how close his voice even got.

He waited before giving you a pitiful but confused look. "Were you two friends...?" He asked quietly, taking note as you shook your head and tried with all your strength to calm down. Although, you could only blabber incoherent nonsense before the word "Brother" managed to reach Guest's ears and he understood why you basically threw yourself at deaths door back there.

That round had him just hold you as you were allowed to silently sob into the fabric of his uniform. C00lkidd never found your hiding spot but you always held onto Guest tighter when you heard his voice.

It was scary but your mind was screaming for your brother back.

It wasn't until 007n7 arrived that you regained some hope despite your constant smiles and playing.

The other survivors were surprised and cautious, not knowing how to exactly react besides giving him a civil explanation and allowing him to get used to the cabin.

You had been quietly drawing with Elliot at the time so you didn't notice anything off until you noticed Elliot seeming a little uncomfortable and looking way behind you.

But when you turned around, you could've sworn you had the biggest smile but also the thickest tears as you practically jumped to hug your dad.

"Papa!" You exclaimed happily, face pressed against the familiar fabric of his shirt as he held you in stunned silence, struggling to hold his tears while the other survivors were in shock.

But all questions died out as you clung to 007 like he was your last life-line, sobbing loudly and practically yelling about how you missed him and the fact your brother had been turned into a killer.

It was... A lot...

So, he decided to pick you up and take you to his cabin to comfort you and simultaneously let out his own emotions... He really needed it... And you both needed that little session of sobs and comforting words as you tried to assure each other everything would be okay...

But things were never going to be rosy again...

Anything you'd like to request/ask? Check out my pinned post first and I'll be happy to write up whatever you want!

[altocat]

The fire has gone down. Best to get moving again. Already, Sephiroth can make out the first tiny rays of violet speckling the early morning sky. It will be dawn soon, assuming Robio can even conceive of a proper change in atmosphere. The landscape has remained a consistent haunted gray throughout their travels. Sephiroth still has a headache. It hasn't gone away.

"We need to make haste."

"Yeah."

"I don't want us getting held up again."

"Right."

Sephiroth sighs, straightening up as he stretches, tips his head up to catch the feeble strands of fleeting sunlight. From across the pile of ashes, Angeal pauses and goggles at him, blinking slowly. He tilts his head to the side. Left. Then right. A silent study, his nose wrinkling in sudden surprised speculation.

"What?"

No response. Angeal only hums, squints. More tilting. More goggling. Angeal just furrows his brow, thoughtfully rubbing his chin.

"What?"

Sephiroth almost stumbles back when Angeal suddenly gets right up in his face, leaning forward and narrowing his eyes, staring directly at him. They're almost close enough to brush heads, though Sephiroth cannot imagine why he's even picturing such a thing. Very unlike him. The sudden flush of heat creeping across his cheeks, doubly so. He simply growls, shrinking back instinctively, arms held up defensively as if preparing for yet another one of their fights. 

"Your eyes...I just noticed in the light. Can't believe I didn't before."

Sephiroth growls again, annoyed, somewhat exasperated. Too predictable. He already knows what's coming. The same old nonsense. People always ask him about his eyes, why the pupils are so... animalistic. A rare condition he was born with. Or rather, cursed with. One more abnormal thing about himself. One more reminder that at the end of the day he is, of course, just a freak.

"Wh-what about my eyes?"

"Hm?"

"What ABOUT them?"

He braces himself. That familiar, fatal sting. Ever present. Ever nagging him. He grits his teeth, fists tightly clenched, glaring into Angeal's face, doubly infuriated at the way Angeal's own expression seems to soften.

"Well...they're...really beautiful."

Beautiful.

All at once, Sephiroth is completely taken aback.

Beautiful.

His eyes are beautiful.

Angeal thinks they are beautiful.

He blinks slowly, jaw working, the indignant spark of sudden anger igniting in his chest. Or perhaps that is his rising heartbeat. He's too distracted to make such distinctions. This has to be some sort of trick. A cruel bit of emotional manipulation designed to catch him off guard. Mind games. He ought to throttle Angeal for it. The nerve. Unexpectant, yes. But impertinent. What would Hojo even say?

But Angeal doesn't react. His air is casual, free and easy like always. He only shrugs, gently patting Sephiroth's shoulder and brushing past him, leaving Sephiroth steaming behind him, his pale face pink to the very tips of his ears. Sephiroth can feel his throat growing dry, watching the older boy's broad-shouldered figure vanishing ahead through the morning mist. He glares at the ashes, watches the fading embers. He silently curses Angeal, curses himself, curses the unfairness of this great black universe.

Beautiful.

Angeal had saved him once before. Saved HIM. Saved him after everything. Saved his life.

Beautiful.

Sephiroth wants to hate him for it. He doesn't understand. None of it makes any sense. Why Angeal would bother. Why he'd say...

Slowly, Sephiroth reaches up to brush the delicate skin beneath his eyes, fingertips softly brushing the dark slant of his long lashes. He holds them there for a moment, feeling himself blink, feeling the heat rising again in his cheeks, that angry indignation burning in his belly.

He curses again.

Sephiroth doesn't know where Banora is on the map. But he knows the locals would celebrate.

He curses them, too.

They sent their strongest warrior to test him.

[nilnether]

There are a lot of similarities between these two shots - from the room set up to the way Spider holds himself refusing to looks at Quaritch. But there are also a lot of differences - from the way Quaritch is presented (he doesn't loom over Spider in the second picture) to the setting itself.

@jeanniebug623 noticed Quaritch is sitting on something covered in material this time and this BTS shot of Cameron shows what it is - an examination bed. This is an examination room. There is actually some kind of lab set behind that window.

It may even be this lab below. I've seen it called lab in Bridgehead but it wasn't anything official so it can still be on the Factory Ship. I would expect Bridgehead to have bigger examination rooms. And that curvature. No need to do that in Bridgehead.

I've also seen this set be called Bridgehead lab but those are clearly the High Camp lab we saw in A2.

It's the same as in these A2 screenshots below

There is way more clutter here, especially around the tank and there are no thick pillars like you see behind the tank in the earlier photos. So the avatar tank Spider is looking at is unlikely to be here.

Especially, that is looks like they will clear some of this space to put a separate room inside the lab where they'll have Pandoran atmosphere. This photo shows JDM in the mask in a room inside the room that we know had Earth's air before. I bet they built that to examine Spider after he gets the upgrade. They try to figure out what's up with him.

I think this is where Spider is when Jake and Neytiri have their conversation about him.

What's interesting is that Spider would be in Pandora's air when in this lab but when we see him captured by RDA he doesn't need a rebreather with CO2.

He doesn't have it when he lands back in the NeuroSect room. It seems like Quaritch is with him and they are not staying the time.

Those white lights are on the side of the thing itself as we saw in A2.

Spider certainly doesn't have it in the A3 still they released but Quaritch does so they are in Earth's atmosphere.

Maybe Spider will actually get the upper hand even over the Na'vi with his new gift and is able to function in both atmospheres without any issues. This would make sense with the symbiont theory as it would probably be less sensitive to low CO2 than something complicated like a full Na'vi.

There is one more thing but it is pure speculation on my part. All I have is a guess but it is very spoilery of true.

It is possible that these photos with Spider looking into avatar tank and lying in it are in the same lab we see behind the window in the Empire Magazine still. It has thick pillars behind it that look very current RDA architecture and nothing like the thin supports of the High Camp lab.

People always said this is just BTS and Jack and JC are just playing with props but now I wonder that maybe Quaritch will actually be offering Spider and avatar. We don't know how long it actually takes to grow and avatar so it maight be possible in the few months Quaritch and Spider are apart.

On one hand it would just be Quaritch going back to his old ways. He has tendency to find what the other person wants the most and buy their loyalty this waay. For Jake it was his legs back. For Spider it would, of course, be something he wanted basically his whole life. Even now with his gift there are things that would be easier if he had Na'vi physiolgy and size.

Spider migh have to chose between trying to keep running from RDA for the forseeiable future as they want to have his gift for themselves. Or he can have what he always wanted but he would have to stay with Quaritch and abandon his friends.

On the other hand Quaritch is probably completely genuine with this gift and just wanting to give his kid all he ever wanted. No intention to ask him to change or betray anyone.

And yet this is still a manipulation because he's finding a way to get what he wants and keep Spider with him. And he puts Spider in complete turmoil. But then what's a deal with the devil if it's not truely tempting?

Maybe this is why Quaritch looks so pleading and excited in that still. Maybe that's why Spider is not happy at all.

[biocrafthero]

Right now my system Mafuyu thoughts are super messy and very much influenced by two of my mutuals (moonstandardtime and ros-sauce) but it looks smth like this

I don't know how to start this so I'll just begin this by saying that Mafuyu as a character has so much potential to be read as a system. I personally think that she experiences amnesia (severity varies between system members) but all of her alters lack proper distinction from one another. You can still tell them apart but a large portion of how they all function is being able to blend in and present as a singlet to the untrained eye. As time goes on, all of N25 knows how to tell them apart. The virtual singers catch on pretty fast (Meiko and/or Miku probably notice first)

Basically the whole system thing started for them way back when, shortly after the incident at Phoenix Wonderland where itty bitty Mafuyu got separated from her mom (this is shown in a flashback during Mafu3). From there there is basically Thing 1 (the Good Girl Persona™️) and Thing 2 (Mafuyu when she's not masking). Neither of them are aware of their systemhood yet and therefore haven't really picked out names or anything for themselves and also don't acknowledge the weird bouts of amnesia they occasionally get

The two of them probably only became properly aware of each other around the time of junior high/early high school, so when the mental illness in general really started kicking their ass. When they joined N25 that's when Thing 2 picked out the name Yuki and Thing 1 officially took the name Mafuyu. I know in my heart before this moment when they were deciding on names they just didn't bother even thinking about it for more than five minutes. They both respond to the name Mafuyu, the individual names just make it easier for them to talk about each other. Yuki likes her name because she picked it out and Mafuyu doesn't have a preference. There's also a secret Thing 3 that recently showed up but they don't address it

Anyways to nobody's surprise Thing 3 is OWN. OWN has been around since the syscovery but didn't actually start fronting and doing things until Main Story. They don't like people and prefer to be left alone for the most part. Kind of wild animal coded in the sense of not enjoying the company of human beings and is only really fine with the virtual singers (Hatsune Miku gets the privilege to actively spend time with OWN and not just exist within a 10m radius of them)

Yuki is basically how Mafuyu is in canon when she's not masking. I wish I had more to say about her other than like, give her a few years to figure out the whole gender thing. When Mizuki talked to everyone about being trans after the events of Ena5, Yuki kind of heard all of this and was like "hmm okay well hearing this in detail resonates and idk why". Yuki's gender is basically undetermined atm so if you asked they'd likely say "I'm a girl. I think." and not elaborate. Mild amnesia

Mafuyu, being the Persona™️, very much presents as cheerful to everyone who doesn't know the detail of the system's life. Her job is basically to be the shield that protects them all from the horrors by avoiding the possibility of the nightmare realm entirely. Personality is buried underneath all of the people-pleasing tendencies and conflict avoidance, but she's getting there. Very much leans towards femininity gender-wise but that's about it. Experiences the least amount of amnesia when switching. Also my mutual (ros-sauce in this case) got it 100% right with saying that Mafuyu's reaction to physical sensations like pain would be a solid zero

OWN is like a weird creature to me. Gender unspecified aside from being transmasc. If OWN fronted more often he'd probably act a lot like Empty SEKAI Kaito. Very perceptive, even compared to everyone else in the system. Fear turns to anger which causes them to lash out and others and himself. Amnesia varies depending on stress level. You could probably befriend him the way you befriend a former street cat by existing around it and acting relaxed and letting it approach you on its own terms

I've also had this one brief thought (influenced by moonstandardtime) of itty bitty Mafuyu (the child Mafuyu seen in flashbacks, notably in Mafu2, 3, and 5) also being a system member but I'm not sure yet. But I believe in my mutual's beliefs here. Itty bitty Mafuyu would probably experience mild amnesia but if a system member switches in from her the amnesia for that member is severe. I wish I had a better name to refer to her with but I don't

There's also this other random thought I have about the Empty SEKAI being super system-coded and idk how to explain it. But it makes sense to me. It makes So Much Sense to me

Also as time goes on I can imagine that the rest of N25 do get "hanging out with OWN" privileges. OWN tries not to be mean to them (emphasis on tries). OWN is never mean to Len it just makes him feel really bad (if this is a timeline with the itty bitty Mafuyu alter as well OWN isn't mean to her either for the same reason)

That's basically all my thoughts for now goodnight

[trentcrimminallybeautiful]

on one hand, it would be in-character and potentially plotty/useful plotwise for beard to figure out what's going on (at least to some degree) with ted and trent by himself. on the other hand, i'm picturing ted (finally realizing he doesn't feel entirely heterosexually about trent) going to the diamond dogs and when they're like "wait let's get trent--" he's like no actually it's kinda about trent? and they're all like oh? 👀 and ted reluctantly goes........yeah i'm . ok well to start with i'm. kinda. sleeping with him ? and right behind him. just. instantly. beard, who'd been taking a sip from his mug, sprays coffee everywhere

[nebulastarss]

My experience with being aroace:

Me at 13: I've never been good at telling the difference between romantic and platonic love, so I'll just say I'm pan till I figure it out

Me at 14 near the end of that same year, reading the asexual definition: Oh ok that makes sense. Haha, no wonder I think everyone's so overwhelmingly horny.

Me, later: there's different ones for romantic attraction?? Panromantic asexual till I figure that out too I guess.

Me, discovering aromantic: oh. Well, I should've guessed that really.