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sihtricfedaraaahvicius · 1 month ago

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One Night, One Chance.

note: I won't lie, this is my first fic in nearly two months and I'm shitting myself to release this. Thank you to everyone who is still around and gave me time to find my way back to writing again. I'm not entirely there yet, but I did feel good creating this one and I hope you'll enjoy reading it too. A thank you to @andakth for her encouraging messages which kickstarted me to write again.

warnings: 18+! lowkey enemies to lovers with some smut and some light angst. Mention of alcohol and dead bodies.

pairing: Modern!Sihtric x Reader (f) (no use of Y/N)

extra note: The Danish word Skat is used a few times in this fic, which means honey/sweetie/treasure.

summary: Being the younger sister of two hitmen was the reason for you to live a secluded life, being kept prisoner in your own home out of brotherly love. Until you snuck out one night and ran into Sihtric, the man you had been secretly dreaming of for years, who was also one of your brothers' shady employees.

word count: 7,1k

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Reblogs & comments are immensely appreciated.

Being the little sister of two infamous men wasn't pleasant. Erik and Sigefrid were harmless to you, for the most part at least, instead they were extremely overprotective to the point it embarrassed and frustrated you. All your life you had missed out on school parties and fun nights with friends, as you grew up in their secluded bubble after your parents had died. Your brothers were always afraid something would happen to you, and the list of somethings that could happen to you was seemingly endless. All because your brothers were well known hitmen in the underworld. They were equally feared and hated by most of those who knew them, and being the innocent sister to the deadly duo meant you'd make for good ransom.

You were heavily shielded from their dirty work; the people they dealt with and the shady worlds they dabbled in, but you weren't blind nor stupid. You knew exactly what they did to earn their money, which was partly used to take care of you and give you basically everything you desired, except for one thing; a normal life. You loved your brothers dearly and you understood the need to be kept safe, even if you had nothing directly to do with their business. But being a grown lady and still trapped under their protection was truly taking its toll. You craved to go out and explore the world, to have fun and make stupid drunken mistakes, to fall in love and to have all your desires come true. But you knew your chances of ever experiencing true freedom like that were slim.

Although you were sheltered but not a stranger to the world entirely. You had some close friends and even had some boyfriends through the years, although no relationship ever lasted very long because those boys always ran away. Literally, by moving to different towns and cutting all forms of communication with you. You had been heartbroken so many times, and although your brothers would never admit it, you knew it was always their doing. Because 'no man will ever be good enough for you,' as Erik once said. And Sigefrid's 'I will gut the bastard who even thinks of proposing to you,' wasn't very reassuring of a happy love life in your future either.

Nonetheless, you had gone to public schools and volunteered at animal shelters and care homes as you grew up, which you always loved because you got to talk to people that weren't your two short-sentenced brothers. But after those scheduled hours were over, you were always picked up by one of your security guards to escort you home.

Even now, when you were old enough to look after yourself you still weren't able to escape your brothers' grasp on your life. You weren't even allowed to get a real job. Sure, your brothers made fortunes by taking out people, so you didn't even need a job, but you just wanted a life of your own instead of being trapped in a prison that was built with brotherly love and concern.

And you were sick of it. For once you just wanted to have fun with your friends, who you barely saw. You knew your friends were well aware of why you had such a restricted life, but they also couldn't stop themselves from trying to get you out every now and then. So when your friend Eadith texted you about a party that was happening downtown the upcoming weekend, while your brothers were out of town for a job, you set up a plan to sneak out of the house, being well aware of the consequences if your brothers found out.

Saturday night.

You checked yourself in your bedroom mirror, pushing a hand through your hair while your navy blue cocktail dress hugged your figure. Your knee high black heel boots finished the look, with your make-up simple but on point and matching your outfit. You were ready for a party. Eadith had texted you the address after she nearly cried on the phone out of happiness when you told her you were coming. You felt bad about the little white lie you told her though, because she fully believed your brothers had given you permission to leave the house. If you were to get caught, you weren't dragging her down with you. She didn't need to know you were about to climb out of your window and duck from the multiple security cameras which covered the property, not to mention the handful of guards who patrolled the lands around your castle of a home.

You awkwardly jogged away from your house, marching through the bushes and trees before climbing over the brick wall, and you landed smoothly like a cat on the opposite side. You quickly booked an uber after you managed to sneak out successfully. Well, successfully apart from that moment when you tumbled over in your heels after jumping from your window, and landed nearly face first into a flower bed. Luckily your dress was dark enough that if any dirt stuck to it you'd have to squint to see it. And besides, the party was at Ragnar's house, so everyone would be drunk off their face anyway and wouldn't care or even notice if you smelled like freshly watered lavender and moist soil.

You had never been to Ragnar's place, but you had heard of his parties and that the amount of alcohol served there was downright insane. Something you were dying to see for yourself. Your brothers were on decent terms with Ragnar, who was also into some shady business you didn't know the details about. But you knew enough to figure that Erik and Sigefrid would be livid when they'd find out you had been over at Ragnar's. Your brothers did whatever they could to keep you away from any bad guys, Ragnar included, and they had succeeded… for the most part. The only teeny tiny problem being that you had a massive crush on one of those guys your brothers wanted you to stay clear of. His name was Sihtric, and you had been head over heels for him for years now.

You had first seen him years ago when he came over with Uhtred, Finan and Osferth, some guys your brothers did business with from time to time, and you had been nearly obsessed with Sihtric ever since. In the years that followed, Sihtric always subtly gazed at you whenever he came around to meet your brothers, and he always flashed you a sweet smile before looking away, and he always departed with a wink that made you blush and run up the stairs to your bedroom. You basically stalked his social media daily ever since and swooned over his selfies. And although he didn't post a whole lot, it had kept the fire inside you for him roaring all this time.

When you first met Sihtric he was at the end of his teen years, like you. He had been rather shy but was already incredibly well built and criminally handsome, the two latter facts still remain to be true now. Quite some years had passed since your first encounter, and you knew he was a confident and matured man now, who did shady shit too for a living and was seemingly successful and respected too. You weren't sure exactly what he did, but you suspected he had something to do with getting rid of the bodies of those who were killed by your brothers. Which didn't exactly make Sihtric one of the good guys. So needless to say, Sihtric would most likely never get permission from your brothers to propose to you, or even take you out on a date. But a girl can dream, right?

And dreaming you surely did when you found yourself at Ragnar's party, downing a shot with Eadith and turning around only to see Sihtric, the one and only man of your dreams, descending the grand marble stairs of Ragnar's home. Uhtred was next to him and they seemed in deep conversation, with Finan and Osferth following behind them after Ragnar had shook their hands before they departed. Your heart nearly stopped as you stared at Sihtric while he came down. His dark hair was short and shaved on the sides, he was dressed in all black with a leather jacket on top, and he had some rather fresh busted up knuckles. Sihtric looked like the stereotypical bad guy your brothers wanted you to stay clear of. But hey, you couldn't help that you had a type. Because you knew that your brothers were considered to be bad guys too, and you also knew how big their hearts were and how they would do anything to keep you safe. And you did long for that feeling of safety, just not from your brothers.

You held your drink tightly, nearly squashing the red plastic cup as your hands trembled upon seeing Sihtric, and you tried to be as invisible as you could. You weren't a fool. You knew that if any of those guys would see you they'd alert your brothers, because they'd figure you weren't supposed to be there, and they wanted no beef with your family in case something were to happen to you and they'd turned a blind eye to your presence. So it would be in everyone's best interest to bring you home, and that was the last thing you wanted, which made everything even worse. Because you desperately wanted to approach Sihtric, to talk to him and just be in his presence. He was so magnetic, you couldn't keep your eyes off him and your feet wanted to shuffle closer and closer to him. Especially after Eadith, your only friend at the party, had left your side to take shots with Finan and eventually wandered off with the Irish man. But you knew that talking to Sihtric would end up with him either calling your brothers on the spot, which would most likely cause some chaos, or him taking you to your home and informing your brothers of where he found you. Neither of those options would have a happy ending, and so you avoided him while you lurked from a distance, because he was too handsome to ignore, and your heart ached too much for him to turn away.

You had a couple more drinks but made sure you weren't drunk or even tipsy, you needed to stay clear of Sihtric and anyone else who may recognise you. You still hadn't found Eadith, and it had been at least an hour already. You assumed she was somewhere having fun with Finan or Uhtred, or maybe both, and it was best to just give up on her. You knew those guys would make sure she'd get home safely, so you texted her that you were going to leave soon. The party was fun, but the effort to keep yourself mainly hidden all night had become exhausting. Also knowing that your friend was most likely having the time of her life with one or two guys made you a little jealous. You hated feeling like that, but you couldn't help the slight envy you felt towards her. She lived that life you longed for, that life of freedom and fun with cute guys. You wished you could just have one night like that with Sihtric, and that thought made your eyes blurry with stinging tears.

On top of all your emotions, the loud music and the amount of people at the party made you feel rather anxious too. You really had been living quite isolated for far too long if a simple house party was already too much for you, but you couldn't help it either and wish you felt different. You somewhat had a good time while it lasted, but it was time to at least take a breather before calling an uber to get you home. You snuck outside the house and into the massive yard. You crossed the rather empty terrace and walked down the impressive stairs that led to the huge field of well kept grass which surrounded the place. You nearly tripped in your heels as you walked around the corner of the stairs, the cobblestones making you lose your balance. It was best to sneak out of the property here too, you figured, so you wouldn't walk into anyone at the front door. You ventured further into the almost pitch black shadows as the music faded in the night, and you came to an abrupt halt when you suddenly walked into a brick wall. You yelped but quickly realised you hadn't actually run into a brick wall. Instead you had walked into a person who was simply built like a brick wall, and felt like one too. The collision made you stumble backwards, but a big and warm hand grabbed your wrist before you could land harshly on your behind.

'Woah, there,' a smooth male voice sounded. 'Careful, darling,' he chuckled as he stabilised you, 'you should always be aware of the monsters that lurk in the shadows and will knock pretty ladies off their feet.'

'What the hell?' you breathed and quickly adjusted your dress, which had crept up your thighs during the collision. 'I'm sorry,' you blurted out when you forgot you were supposed to be invisible tonight.

You wanted to run and hide when the one lantern above you lit up your appearance, but it was already too late for that as you suddenly stared up into Sihtric's duo-coloured eyes, and they widened upon seeing you.

'What the fuck?' Sihtric hissed and grabbed your wrist again, pulling you back into the shadows with him. The smooth playfulness in his voice from before entirely disappeared when he snarled, 'What are you doing here?!'

You knew Sihtric had recognized you immediately, and you panicked.

'I… I'm with my brothers,' you lied quickly.

'Bullshit,' Sihtric snapped, his grip on your wrist becoming tighter, 'they are on a job this weekend.'

Well, fuck. How did Sihtric know of your brothers' whereabouts? And as if he could read your mind, he said, 'I work for them, remember? I know their schedules and am actually meeting them tomorrow night to deal with their aftermath. And therefore I know you are lying through your teeth right now, miss. So you better get straight with me before I call them.'

He shoved his free hand into the pocket of his jacket to grab his phone, and you gasped.

'No! Please!' you begged. 'Please don't call them! I was about to go home, I swear!'

'How convenient you were on your way out after bumping into me, huh? Tell that to your brothers-'

'I'm telling you the truth! I was about to call an uber! Please, don't call my brothers, you know what they are like.'

'Exactly,' Sihtric agreed, 'and I know how they will be if something happens to you. How did you get here in the first place?'

'I snuck out of the house,' you confessed immediately, 'a friend texted me-'

'A friend?' Sihtric scowled. 'Who? A guy? Are you here with a guy?' Fire seemed to burn in his eyes. He was going to have a field day telling your brothers about all this.

'No! I'm not here with a guy, I swear! My friend Eadith, she texted me! And I knew my brothers were out of town, so I snuck out of my bedroom window and avoided the cameras and the guards. And then I ran out of my street, and I called an uber to pick me up.'

You groaned. Shit. Why were you such a mess around him? A simple look in his eyes made you spill all your secrets to him, it was pathetic. You'd almost let him rat you out to your brothers if that meant you could be in his presence a little longer.

'You snuck out?' Sihtric repeated and shook his head, then sighed, 'Skat, do you have a death wish?'

'I know it was stupid!' you hissed and finally pulled away from his grasp, rubbing your wrist which still burned with his touch. Just like his term of endearment burned in your mind. 'But…but I'm going home now, and they won't have to know I was out here.'

Sihtric's eyes became furious as he stepped closer again and towered over you.

'Hell if you think I-,' he stopped talking abruptly when he heard people descend the stairs, and he pulled you with him further into the dark corner.

He pushed your back against the cool wall and trapped you with his body, shielding you from whoever walked past as he knew your presence could unchain a war between Ragnar and your brothers. A war nobody wanted, a war that could come with a high cost. The cost of your life.

'Listen to me,' he said, his voice low and threatening while still setting your insides on fire, 'if you really think I'm not letting your brothers know you are here, then you are insane. If anyone here sees you tonight, the peace between all our families will be over, and you know that!'

His warm body pressed firmly against yours, and you smelled his minty cologne along with the scent of his leather jacket. He was so close, his lips nearly touched yours when he spoke, and he didn't back away from you. Not even when the other party goers had long passed without even noticing the two of you.

'I didn't mean any trouble,' you almost whispered, fully aware of the deep shit you were in.

'You are trouble,' Sihtric sighed, calmer now. 'You know there's a price on your head because of your brothers. And the wrong person seeing you here today can cause a lot of trouble. People will know you are either roaming freely now, which will unleash an army of hungry men chasing after you, believe me. Or people will think your brothers have lost their authority over you, which will make them look like fools. And we both know that's not good for their line of work, and they will punish you accordingly to show their power. Who knows what could have happened to you if I hadn't found you.'

'Just let me go,' your voice was suddenly hoarse, 'please. I'll go home-'

'And do what? You're just going to sneak back inside your house? Well, if you don't get kidnapped on your way home that is. Look, you do realise there is no way you can get back inside your room undetected, right?'

'What do you mean?' you scoffed, 'I'll just take the same way-'

'You can jump out of your window, yes,' Sihtric interrupted again, then finally took a step back from you as he groaned softly. You immediately missed his warmth and scent, and you almost whined at the loss. But it was what he said next that snapped you out of your foolish thoughts again. 'You can't climb back in that way,' he said.

You frowned, but dread washed over you when you suddenly realised he was right. Fuck. Your window was indeed too high to climb up to, and you really hadn't thought about that before. How embarrassing. An employee of your brothers knew your house better than you did. You didn't even know the tower you were trapped in. You exhaled defeatedly when you let that fact soak in. You stared silently at your feet, not wanting to look Sihtric in his eyes, and the silence was suffocating. You suddenly shivered, the adrenaline of the whole night had left your body and you were freezing. Sihtric took off his jacket and draped it around your shoulders, and after that he began to write a text to your brothers.

'Okay,' Sihtric muttered after a moment and shoved his phone in his back pocket, and he took your arm again, 'let's go. You're getting out of here.'

His grip was firm again as he somewhat dragged you across the large field and to his car, avoiding as many people as possible. There was no point arguing anymore, you knew you weren't going to win this, and so you stumbled behind him as he pulled you with him. Sihtric opened the car door for you and put the seatbelt on for you as well. He locked the car doors after slamming yours shut, as if afraid you'd make a run for it while he walked over to the driver's side. You felt so stupid and embarrassed that you still couldn't look at him when he sat next to you in the driver's seat, and you felt your lower lip tremble as tears welled up in your eyes. You figured he had texted your brothers, and you'd never leave the house ever again. The thought was overwhelming and you couldn't hold it in anymore.

Sihtric started his car but froze in his place when he heard some kind of screeching noise as his engine roared to life.

'What the fuck!' he said, 'that didn't sound right,' he muttered, concerned about the noise his car just made. But he then realised the sound was actually you.

You had bursted into tears. Full on ugly crying with shaky shoulders, while the man of your dreams just stared at you with horror on his face and his hands wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. This went on for a very long minute, until Sihtric finally cleared his throat awkwardly while you still sobbed and blubbered next to him.

'Are… you okay?' he asked hesitantly, and he internally groaned at the stupidity of his question.

Of course you weren't okay, he could see that too, but what else was he supposed to say? This was the first time a girl in his car had a full on mental breakdown. And not just any girl, but the little sister of his two bosses. And he was never told what to do in a situation like this.

'I'm fine,' you bawled and sucked in a breath, but immediately broke down again as you looked at him and said, 'no, I'm not.'

You inhaled sharply again before you unleashed your entire issues on the poor man next to you. 'I just wanted a night out, a night of fun. I can never go anywhere or meet anyone. My brothers control every move I make and I understand they do it because they love me but it's suffocating me! I want to live and be free, but I can't go anywhere. All because they have some stupid ass alpha male job that forces them to trap the women in their lives behind doors and guards! I am trapped in a damn mansion and it's hell! I just wanted one night!'

Sihtric stared at you, barely able to understand what you were saying because of your high pitched voice and loudly gross sobs in between it all. But he did understand that you felt trapped because of your brothers, and he felt for you. He knew what it was like to be trapped in your own home, as he hadn't known much freedom himself when his father was still alive. He felt like a jerk now, for threatening to rat you out to your brothers when all you wanted was to just… have a normal night.

'I… I'm sorry,' Sihtric whispered when your rant was over and you somewhat calmed down. He then hesitantly took your hand in his. 'You may not believe me, but I understand how you feel. I wish I could make it better for you, but I can't change the way your brothers treat you. You are right, they do it because they love you, but that doesn't make it any less suffocating and I get that. I'm sorry, darling, I really wish I could help,' he said and wiped away your tears.

'I just wanted one night,' you sniffled, 'one chance to have fun.'

Sihtric looked at you while his heart broke in his chest. He never told anyone, but he had loved you ever since he first met you, but he also knew better than to chase after you. He understood your brothers didn't want you near the dark worlds they roamed around in, but that didn't make his longing for you any easier. He was shattered to pieces every time he saw you, knowing you would never be his because for all he knew you weren't even into him. If you were, then maybe there was a shot at being with you, because your brothers trusted him.

He knew the right thing to do would be to bring you back home now, but he also knew that just driving up to the security at your home to drop you off wasn't going to work. You were in trouble either way, so he might just as well give you that chance of freedom tonight, before you would be locked away for who knows how long.

'You know,' he said carefully, 'the night is not quite over yet.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' you said and dried your eyes, 'you already texted my brothers.'

'I didn't,' he confessed, 'I never pressed send. And I meant that we can still have fun,' he shrugged lightly and took his chance, 'well, if you want to spend the night with me, at least.'

Hope blossomed in your eyes and your heart skipped a few beats as you looked at him. Was he really asking you to spend the night with him? Was this actually happening?

'I do,' you smiled faintly, 'believe me, Sihtric, I do want to spend the night with you.'

You watched Sihtric drive as he toured the dark and almost deserted city for a while. He looked so handsome driving, his hawk eyes fully focused on the road and his jaw slightly clenched while he sat back rather relaxed, one hand on the wheel and the other resting on your knee. He had stopped by a gas station to get you some water and snacks, and you felt so much better already that you had almost forgotten about your emotional breakdown earlier. And luckily Sihtric wasn't weird about it and also acted as if none of that had ever happened.

Sihtric was mainly quiet, but his silence was comforting and you felt at ease. You weren't sure why his tattooed fingers were faintly caressing your knee though, but you were too melted in your seat to even care. Whether he was actually into you or just wanted to give you a comfortable night, it was all the same to you anyway because you knew nothing could ever become of you and him. Not while your brothers lived, at least.

'You smell nice,' Sihtric said, snapping you out of your dazed state, 'like… lavender and fresh earth or something, it's nice.'

'Oh,' you blushed heavily, remembering when you fell into your garden, 'yeah, it's, uh… natural.'

'Hm,' he hummed and squeezed your knee slightly as his eyes remained on the road.

You tensed, hating that you lied to him again, and before you could stop yourself you told him what had happened.

'Actually,' you blurted out, 'after I climbed out my window I fell into the flower bed. I'm pretty sure my dress is stained, but it's too dark to really tell. I probably crushed the lavender though.'

'You… fell into the flowers?' Sihtric frowned and looked at you for a moment, then a smile fought its way on his face.

'What?' you half snarled, embarrassed, 'god forbid a girl trips in her heels.'

'Gods forbid a girl covered those tracks on her way out too?' Sihtric chuckled, 'I'm starting to see why your brothers shield you from the world, Skat, you're too clumsy and impulsive.'

'Shut up!' you slapped his bicep but couldn't fight your own chuckle either.

You knew you had been reckless, and in hindsight it was kind of funny. Until you remembered the consequences that would follow.

'As if you aren't impulsive,' you then shrugged.

'What do you mean?'

'You dragged me to your car, remember? Rather harshly too. I'm sure that's on camera somewhere. How do you think my brothers would feel about that?'

'As if you would show them,' Sihtric rolled his eyes.

'I might,' you bluffed.

'You won't,' he said sternly and halted at a red light, then looked at you with those intense eyes again, 'you'll be telling on yourself too if you did, and getting Ragnar involved too.'

'I could tell them I snuck out but then got kidnapped by you.'

'I kidnapped you to a party?'

'No, you kidnapped me after the party.'

'Hey,' he laughed and took his hand off your knee, 'you are free to leave whenever you want, princess, but you know the risks. I just wanted to give you that one night, but if you don't want to be around me...'

'I appreciate the snacks,' you said, almost whimpering at the loss of his touch, 'but driving me around town for an hour isn't exactly what I had in mind for my one night.'

'Who said this is it? Who said I'm not taking you home?'

'Jesus,' you scoffed, angrily, 'you really are going to take me back home and rat me out after buying me some food, huh? What a night.'

'No, not your home, darling,' Sihtric shook his head and laughed, 'my home.'

Sihtric was right. He took you home, to his home. It was a long drive indeed, because he lived a few towns further to keep 'business and pleasure separated,' as he said.

'You don't shit where you eat, or whatever the saying is,' he said as he pulled up to the parking garage under his apartment building, 'I mainly do business with people in your town, and I have no desire to walk into them when I'm not working.'

'Why?'

'In my line of work people always need a favour or ask stupid questions,' he sighed, then continued in a mocking tone, 'can you get rid of this body for me? In how many pieces do you chop someone up? What tools do you use? Where do you dispose of them? If I vomit on the body, is my DNA in there?'

'Oh,' you said, a little startled, 'so… you… really do get rid of the bodies.'

'I thought you knew?'

'Well, I had a hunch.'

'Well now you know for sure,' Sihtric said and leaned in to release your seatbelt.

'Yeah,' you breathed as he leaned further to open your door, 'I- I guess so.'

You followed him out of the garage, into a fancy lift, and only in the bright lights and surrounding mirrors did you realise how trashy you looked. Your make-up was waterproof but couldn't hide your slightly puffy eyes from all the crying, and your dress was dark, but not dark enough to blend the mud stains in from your clumsy fall. To make it worse, your hair was messy too and a thread of your skirt had caught on something, and it had started to unravel at the seam, causing half a split in your dress which ran up the side of your thigh, exposing half of your lace panties, which you hadn't realised up until this very moment.

'Fucking hell,' you blushed, desperately clawing at your skirt to cover the lingerie underneath, 'I'm a fucking disaster.'

'A perfect fucking disaster,' Sihtric mumbled as he leaned back against a mirrored wall and looked at you.

He smiled lazily as he eyed you up and down and subtly bit down on his lower lip.

'What did you say?' you gasped and turned to face him.

'You heard me,' he said as the lift dinged, and he brushed past you when the doors opened.

You took off your heels and ran after him, through the long hallway with only a few doors left and right, until you were caught up as he opened the door to his penthouse. He took your shoes and held the door open for you.

'After you,' he said.

You fought the blush on your face and stepped into his apartment, finding a tidy and cosy place despite the size of it. He gave you a quick tour and offered you a drink in his kitchen, but he did ask if you wanted to freshen up first by taking a shower before you made yourself more comfortable.

'I do not wish to remove mud stains from my couch,' Sihtric chuckled and looked at your ruined dress.

'I understand,' you laughed, eyeing the pristine looking white couch in his living room.

He handed you a few towels and a clean shirt, which was so oversized on you that it was hardly any longer than your cocktail dress had been. You took a quick shower and then found Sihtric standing in his living room, staring out his massive windows overlooking the darkened city while he sipped a drink, wearing nothing but black sweats which hung low on his hips. You took in the sight of his bare back as you tiptoed into the dimly lit room. His back was perfectly muscular but scarred, gruesome tales of both his past and line of work decorating his skin.

He turned as he heard you approach, and so revealed that his chest was equally as impressive and scarred as his back was. He smiled when he saw how perfect his black shirt looked on you. It looked even better on you than it looked on him, he thought. He held his hand out when you were in reach, and he intertwined his fingers with yours to pull you in his arms. He wrapped his arms around your waist, your back pressed against his chest, and you both looked out of the window in silence for a moment.

'Tell me what you want, angel,' Sihtric whispered in your ear, his lips grazing your skin lightly, 'tell me what you want tonight and I'll give it to you. Anything.'

'Anything?' you said softly, your fingers trailing mindlessly over his arms around you.

'Anything, darling.'

'You,' you breathed and turned to face him, 'I just want you, Sihtric. I've always wanted you. From the moment I first saw you, the only thing I've ever wanted more than maybe my freedom was to have you. To be yours. Or… or to have one night with you.'

'Why did you never tell me?' he cupped your cheeks as he stared down into your eyes.

'How could I?' you whispered, your hands slowly sliding up his bare chest, 'we both know I'm doomed to live alone. My brothers chase away any guy that I'm interested in, and they chase away every guy who is considered a bad guy.'

'Your brothers won't chase me away if you are really interested in me,' Sihtric murmured against your lips, 'believe me.'

'Are you a good guy then?'

'No, I'm not a good guy,' he whispered, then lightly pinched your lower lip between his teeth before he flicked his tongue over it, 'shadows live with me, just like they live with your brothers.'

Knowing that you wanted him changed everything. Sihtric knew he had no chance with you if you weren't into him, your brothers would never approve. But if you were serious about him and truly wanted to be with him, then there might be a way for Sihtric to persuade your brothers. But that was a conversation for later. Now, all he wanted was to make your night worth the hassle you had gone through.

'I'm not afraid of your shadows,' you whispered against his lips.

'Are you sure?' Sihtric asked, his voice low while his hand snuck up to wrap around your throat, holding you gently but firm enough to get his point across, 'are you sure you're not afraid of my shadows? Not afraid of me? Your brothers call me the butcher, you know?'

'I'm not scared of you,' you said, enjoying the way he held you close and pressed your back up against the window, 'I don't know what will happen to me after tonight, but I do know that I don't want the last remaining light in me to die out before I know what you feel like. I might never see you again after tonight, Siht,' you breathed, 'and I don't want this moment to go to waste. I want you, shadows and all. I want all of you.'

Sihtric's breathing was heavy, his chest heaving up and down with slow in- and exhales, and then he pulled you in by your throat to crash his lips against yours. Your hands flew into his hair, pulling him closer with each stroke of his tongue against yours while he kissed you slow and deep. His kiss was drugging, making you crave more and more with each second that passed. You rolled your hips against his, feeling his hardened arousal poking against your panties and desperately needing more friction. He hooked his arms under your knees to lift you up, and he carried you into his bedroom while you kissed him like you needed it to breathe. You got lost in each other quickly, while continuing the slow kisses as you undressed each other until you were both naked and under the warm covers.

Rain tapped lightly against the bedroom windows while Sihtric lazily kissed his way down your body in between his murmurs of sweet nothings. He was taking his time, making you nearly tremble with anticipation. He wouldn't rush this moment, and he wanted you to enjoy it as much as he did while he savoured it. Sihtric had longed for you for years too, silently, secretly. And now that you were at the tip of his fingers and in his bed, completely at his mercy, he was going to worship you and prove to you that he was the one and only man for you. He'd make you forget every other guy who ever touched you, because from now on, it would only be him.

He kissed you wherever he could, wet and open-mouth kisses in between soft bites of his teeth and slow strokes of his tongue on your skin, and he only stopped when he was settled between your thighs, he slid off your panties and kissed your legs on his way back, leaving faint love bites all over. Once between your thighs, he didn't kiss you, instead he teased you for a moment with his facial hair and warm breath touching your core, almost ticklishly. He then hooked his arms around your thighs, keeping you in place as he slowly licked your wetted folds, before he gently devoured you with his mouth and tongue and brought you to your climax so fast you were almost embarrassed. But he didn't care that you hadn't lasted long, because he still had the rest of the night with you, and most likely the rest of his life too. And he would make love to you until you simply couldn't take it anymore, by denying your orgasm over and over again while thrusting into you so slowly and sweetly, hitting all those right spots while you cried out his name and raked your nails down his back.

He'd go on until you would beg for him to make you come.

You woke up when rays of sunshine crept up on your face, and for a moment you were completely disorientated. You didn't recognise the bed nor room you were in, until you felt Sihtric's arms around you. You smiled with your eyes closed and buried your face in his neck as he held you a little tighter, and you remembered all the things you had done the night before. It was worth it, you thought. Whatever happens today when you get home, it will be worth it. You had your night with him, your one chance. And even if it had been a one time thing only, it had been worth it, no matter how terrible your heartbreak would be in a few days. You just dreaded the moment to face your brothers. You dreaded that car ride, when Sihtric would take you back to your place and you dreaded losing him forever. You dreaded it all.

And as if Sihtric could sense what you were thinking, he mumbled, 'We'll figure it out, love.'

You fought a sudden urge to cry and turned to face him.

'But how?' you sighed, 'My brothers-'

'I know,' Sihtric hushed you. 'But I promise, darling, we can make this work. Your brothers need me to do a job for them, always. And the amount of shit I have on them,' he whistled and then chuckled, 'you wouldn't believe how I could blackmail them if I wanted to.'

'They'll just shoot you,' you groaned, knowing it wouldn't be this easy.

'They won't,' he grinned, 'because who is going to clean up their bloody mess when the guy who is supposed to do that has become their bloody mess? There is no replacement for me, no one as trusted and secure as me, and they know that. And if you are serious about me,' he said and kissed the tip of your nose, 'if you are as serious about me as I am about you, we can make a deal with your brothers. I know for a fact they'd rather have you with me, than with someone they don't know. All they want is for you to have someone who will treat you right. Someone who will protect you and provide for you. And they know what kind of a guy I am, they know I am all that and more. They can't get rid of me because of the work I do for them, and I'm not planning to get rid of you. So they'll have to accept us being together, there is no other way for them. So trust me, my love,' he smiled, 'we will make this work. If we'd get married then you'd take my name, so you'd be far less of an interesting target for your brothers' enemies. Soon, I will officially propose and then you'll come live with me… if you want all of this, of course.'

'I do!' you rushed to say, 'of course I do. I've always wanted you.'

'Then you're mine now, love,' Sihtric smiled and kissed your lips, 'you're mine, but your freedom will be yours, I promise.'

@mrsarnasdelicious @neonhairspray @sihtricsafin @errruvande @penumbrie @lexeirikrleif @diiickbrainn @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @bubblyabs @dixie-elocin @alexagirlie @stupiddarkkside @urmomsgirlfriend1 @gemini-mama @foxyanon @man-i-be-that-pretty-motherfuckr @thenameswinter99 @m-a-s-h-k-a @superblyzanynight @hernakedmuse @ewanmitchellfanatic @lady-targaryens-world @cosmosnkaz @stronger-than-steel @cheesesandwichsanto

#sihtric x reader #sihtric x you #sihtric kjartansson #the last kingdom #sihtric #tlk #sihtric fic #tlk fic #modern!sihtric #tlk au #sihtric au #fic #fics

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silentglassbreak · 10 months ago

Note

hi bestie is it too late to request? you said you liked writing angst, well, i love reading it 💔💔painfully unrequited love!!!!! gimme gimme

friends with benefits with (overly affectionate!!!!) Noah and reader who falls sick to her stomach head over heels in love with him. blurring the lines between sex and love.

going to a bad omens concert however long after and it’s like they’re strangers oOF rip my heart out and stomp on it idc. been listening to Novocaine on a loop all day. i’m not okay

feel to totally disregard if you’re not feeling it angel <33 thank you bby I love your writing 🥺🥺

Angst............. UGH I've been WAITING babes. My goal is to rip your heart out...fair fucking warning. MMMLOVEYOUUUUU. After Writing Notes: I'm the actual worst. I hope you don't hate it!

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: smut, heartbreak, lots and lots of angst

Can You Feel My Heart

Love languages are such a strange concept, aren't they? That seems to be a fairly new idea that someone came up with in the last decade or so?

If you like to buy love...your love language is gifting.

If you can't communicate well...your love language is affection.

If the only way you know how to show feelings is with sex...your love language is intimacy.

At what point are we allowed to call someone out for being a dick? At what point are we allowed to confront the fact that someone is skipping around the idea of commitment, and ask them to just admit what they really want?

This wasn't the first time these thoughts had danced around my head, in the wee hours of the morning, while Noah's arm laid heavy across my waist, him snoozing behind me.

Noah and I had been friends since we were seven years old. We met on the playground at the park in the center of the neighborhood of our small town in West Virginia. He told me he liked my butterfly hair clips, and I let him have the blue one. He wore it in his hair every day for three weeks.

He grew up in a broken home, only his Mom around most of his years, and even then - that relationship was...strained. So many nights he had snuck into my bedroom window, curling up next to me, tears free falling down his cheeks. We never talked about why, but it didn't take a psychic to figure it out.

He moved in with his Grandmother when he was fourteen, and even though he lived in the next town over, he still made it a point to take the city bus to me every day after school, even when he dropped out.

We were never more than twin flames, incapable of existing without each other, moral support for the other during any type of hardship. Looking back, I guess that was what built our serious dependence issues.

"I can't live without you, Y/N. I'll die if I ever lose you."

"No you won't Noah, don't be stupid."

He was stupid. As stupid as they come, because when I turned eighteen, and started college, he had paid one of his friends to drive him all the way up to Columbus to see me. He showed up at the door of my dorm, drunk and broken, blathering on about how only having been away from me for a week had killed him, and he needed to see me.

That was the first night he kissed me, and I let him.

As most people do when having grown up with someone so closely, I had developed an attachment to Noah very early on. I first recognized it when he turned twelve, and started skateboarding. He would insist on trying to teach me how, despite my undeniable clumsiness. His hands would grip my hips, his face so close to my ear, and his chest pressed to my back. He would talk in this deep voice, his puberty hitting early. I was awe-struck.

He was my best friend, sure. But he belonged to me, that's what he always said.

Even when he had girlfriends, I always came first. Dates would get cancelled for me; plans changed. Hell, he even blew off one girl whose birthday fell on the same day as mine. I was his priority. I was his person.

So when he leaned in to me, sitting on the edge of my mattress in the dorm, liquor stained-breath against my face, I just closed my eyes and let it happen.

He spent the night with me, and had to leave early. Vowing to come back, he never broke his word.

There he was the following weekend, sober this time, with snacks, DVDs, and a week’s worth of clothes. I managed to hide him in my room for four days before the dorm advisor caught him.

The second day he was there was the first time we had sex. I was a virgin, and he was not. That hurt me, sure. Not enough to deny him what was rightfully his. I belonged to Noah, body and soul. He took his time, walked me through it, and gave me the best possible experience I could expect. It hurt, and it was weird, but a sense of relief washed over me.

We had finally crossed that threshold. We had sex three times that week, until he was forced to leave.

That's when the words left his mouth.

"We need to talk."

That conversation broke something inside of me. He loved me, but he didn't love me. He was honored to have been allowed to give me something so meaningful, but he could never see me as more than his best friend. Our friendship was too important, and he wouldn't even allow himself to entertain the idea of jeopardizing that. He had made up his mind, and he couldn't have feelings for me.

It was with the heaviest heart imaginable, I sucked back my tears, painted an easy smile on my face, and held his hands in mine.

"I totally understand, Noah. No worries! We can just have fun, you know?"

And that was it. We were stuck in this sick, frozen place for the last two years. I was about to finish my Associates in Columbus, and hoped to become pre-med at Boston U, but Noah didn't know that yet. I could never figure out how to tell him.

Noah Davis was this heavy, bright flame that I was desperately afraid to extinguish. He had formed a band right after our arrangement began, and he was twenty-four hours away from leaving on their first major tour that would take him around the entire country, and then across the Atlantic to Europe.

How could I tell him that while he was gone, I was likely moving even further, and starting my life without him?

I didn't want to live without him, but he was leaving, and I couldn't sit and wait forever...

I breathed out a sigh, the light beginning to stream in the window of my one-bedroom apartment. He needed to wake up, drive home, and make sure he was ready to leave tomorrow. It was only 6AM, so I knew he'd be cranky, but I couldn't put this off any longer.

“Noah?” I breathed out his name. He groaned in response. “You’ve got to get up. You have to get ready to head home.”

"Mm, ten more minutes." I rolled my eyes, and began sliding out from underneath him.

His arm locked, and held me in place. I giggled, and saw as he turned his face, one eye cracking open. "Don't get up. It's too early."

I narrowed my eyes. "I have class at 8AM."

Noah used his strength against me, pulling my body to him and holding me tight so I couldn't get up. This only made me laugh louder.

"You don't need to get up for another hour."

"Not if I want to shower."

He sighed into the pillow. "So crazy, cause I don't think you do."

I rolled my eyes. "Dude, you've got to get home. Nick will kill us both if you're not ready in time."

"I'm not scared of her." He smirked, and I smacked his arm.

"Shut up. And get off me!"

He stuck his bottom lip out, pouting heavily.

"Not going to work. C'mon." I wriggled hard enough to break his grip, and sat up, stretching my arms over my head. He sat up as well, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

I pulled a robe over myself, turning to look at him as he scrolled through his phone, checking messages.

"Coffee?" I asked, and he threw a thumbs up at me.

I left the room, headed for the kitchen, trying to keep my breathing even. I had very little time left.

Filling the pot with water, I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, his face burying in my neck.

"I don't want to go. I'm going to miss you so much."

I leaned into the touch, taking anything I could at this point. "I know. I'll miss you more."

He scoffed. "Not a chance."

Holding me for a few more moments, he let go to head to the fridge, pulling out the bagels and cream cheese, and plopping down at the dining table. I continued my work of preparing our coffee.

"Hey, uh," I started, keeping my voice as calm as I could. "there's something I wanted to chat with you about."

I turned around, two hot mugs in my hand. He was spreading the cream on a bagel, already having prepared one for me. I sat next to him at the table.

"What's up?" He didn't look up at me.

"I told you I had been trying to decide where to start medical school?" He just nodded in response. "Well, I find out today if I got into Boston."

He halted, his eyes snapping up to me. "Boston?"

I took a sip of coffee. "They've got the best med program on the East coast-"

He cut me off. "Since when were you looking on the East coast?"

His tone was darkening. This was going to go about as well as I expected.

"Since I realized I had a chance. Noah, my GPA and scholar program gives me a real shot."

He grit his teeth, setting his bagel down. "Boston is far, Y/N."

I kept calm, setting my mug down as well. "I know."

"So, why would you want to be so far away?"

"Well, you're going far too, Noah. Your first show is in San Diego."

He sat back in his chair. "Yeah, but the last one puts me right back here in Columbus for a month before I go overseas."

I nodded. "I know. I'll still be here, then. You get back six weeks before the end of the semester."

He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You can't go to Boston."

There was a finality to his tone, and something about it made my insides flinch with irritation.

"Oh no? And if I do?"

"You can't."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Can't? And since when do you tell me what I can and can't do?"

He rolled his eyes, standing from the table and walking over to the trash, binning the half of his bagel he didn't eat. "We can't be that far away from each other."

Lifting my eyebrows, I stood as well, crossing my arms. "And why is that, Noah?"

He leaned back against the counter. "Y/N, you know why."

"What? So you have someone to fuck whenever you want? Whenever one of your little groupies isn't around?"

His eyes popped open, then. "What?"

"You heard me." My tone was deadly, matching my stare at him.

"You really think the only reason I want you close is because of the sex?" He seemed truly stunned.

"Well, why else would you want me around?" I threw my hands up, walking back down the hallway toward my bedroom. I could hear his footfall behind me. I just continued, stepping into the closet to get dressed.

"What is that supposed to mean? I always want you around."

Rolling my eyes, I clasped my bra on and popped my head out to look at him. "Noah, I'm convenient for you. Unless you have any other valid reasons to keep coming over, I don't know why else it matters."

His jaw dropped open. "That is not true."

Pulling my shirt on, I scoffed. "Please, dude. Spare me the act, okay?"

"What act?"

I pulled my jeans on, buttoning them before stepping out to face him again. "The 'you're my person, and I can't lose you' act." I quoted myself. Something about that pissed him off, because he crossed his own arms and stared me down.

"The fuck are you getting at, Y/N?"

I shook my head, brushing past him, and walked toward the bathroom.

"Noah," I turned to look directly at him. "we've been at this for years. It's kind of old, don't you think?"

His face softened slightly. "We had an agreement."

I nodded. "You're right, we did. Just sex, for the sake of our friendship. That's what you wanted."

"I thought that's what we wanted."

Waving a hand between us, I took a step toward him. "Oh no, Noah. That's what you wanted. Not me."

He was silent, then.

"I wanted more. I always have. I thought that had become clear over the years, but I fucking guess not." I could hear my voice raising a few octaves. "You didn't give me a choice. You came in, broke that boundary, and then put it right back up again. And I stayed, just so I wouldn't lose you."

I could feel the tears beginning to well in my eyes.

His voice came out small, then, his hands now buried in his pockets.

"What do you want from me, Y/N?"

I sighed, letting one tear escape. "I want you to love me."

He pulled his hands out, stepping toward me and taking one of mine. I let him.

"I do love you!"

I stared at him, my teeth ground together. "Do you? The way I love you?"

Noah was a lot of things. He was brilliant, funny, generous, dedicated. He had the most redeeming qualities of anyone I knew.

And sure, he could be stupid. But not that stupid.

He had known how I felt about him. Of course he did. That was why I kissed him every chance I got. Why I always let him in. Why I never dated anyone else. Why I stayed all this time.

But here? In this moment? He was the biggest idiot I knew, because he dropped my hand, his eyes falling with it, and took a step backward.

"I..." He huffed out a breath, looking back up at my tear-stained face. "I can't. I'm sorry."

I averted my eyes, then. I could feel myself breaking, crumbling right before him.

"You need to leave, Noah."

I could feel he wanted to pull back to me, like a moon in orbit of a planet. Gravity. But he didn't. He just stepped back toward the doorway.

"What does this mean?" I heard his voice, but wouldn't meet his eyes.

I sniffed hard, trying like hell to keep myself upright.

"It means you go on tour. Be who you are, Noah. And I'll be who I am. Without each other."

His body shifted, but I was stone, unmoving.

"I can't lose you." I heard him let out a light, sarcastic laugh. "I'll die."

I let myself laugh at that.

"No you won't, Noah. Don't be stupid."

7 Years Later

Residency is going to kill me. I may actually die in pursuit of this God awful career I've chosen. I was three years in to a five year program, intending to finish in General Practice, but until that time, I was just an idiotic twenty-seven year-old with no life, no sleep, and no clean fucking clothes to wear.

Every resident gets exactly forty-eight hours of paid time off every three months, and I had not taken mine in over a year. I finally had taken all of my hours - six days total - off of work, and after spending the entire first day sleeping, I was due to meet with Raylene in an hour.

Ray and I met at the beginning of residency, and quickly gotten close. We managed to find an affordable apartment together within walking distance of the hospital, and spent any rare free time we had together. She was currently at her boyfriend's place, spending some much needed time with him, before we went out for the evening.

I was digging through my unfolded laundry, trying to find something not too wrinkled or stained to wear tonight. Ray had told me we were going to a concert for a band she had recently discovered, but she didn't tell me who it was. I didn't care, to be honest. Existing somewhere other than the Emergency Room or my own bed sounded heavenly.

Finally settling on a deep red cropped t-shirt, black skinny jeans, and the Vans I rarely got to wear, I straightened my hair and applied what little makeup I could. I set out of the building to the waiting vehicle downstairs, Ray practically hanging from the passenger window.

"You look so fine!"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Sure. Like I might've slept in the last two weeks?"

She chortled back at me, leaning in her seat once I was in the car. I waved hello to her boyfriend Sean, and gazed at Ray.

"So, Tyler isn't coming."

She frowned at me. "Why not?"

I shrugged. "Said he had a case he was working on, and he really couldn't spare the time."

She rolled her eyes. "Typical lawyer. Too busy for anyone but his clients."

Tyler and I had been dating for about six months now. Maintaining a relationship while having jobs as busy as ours was difficult, but he somehow managed to work it out. He would pop in when he knew I had breaks to bring me food, or have me spend nights off at his place, massaging my neck and helping me get caught up on my favorite series. He was an honest man. A good man.

I liked him.

Right?

It's so hard to tell what's like and what's convenient when you live your life exhausted and overworked, so I didn't have a lot of time to question it.

"Bummer for him. I'm so excited to see this show!" Ray was beaming in the front seat.

"Yeah, who are we seeing, anyway?"

"A band called ERRA. They're opening for a bigger headliner, who I've heard are pretty good too."

I nodded. "I've never heard them."

"It's rock. Metal, really." Sean chimed in, and I acknowledged him silently, looking out of the window.

My mind zoned out while we drove to the House of Blues. Ray and Sean chatted idly up front, but I was just enjoying the fact that I was finally out of the house for once.

That is, until we walked into the venue. The banner poster stared at me, the photographs of the band mocking me...

Bad Omens...they were the headliner.

Memories flooded back to my brain, my insides clenching at the visions.

I hadn't spoken to him since that day...that last day in my apartment. When he left, and never looked back. I didn't even keep in touch with the rest of the guys, for fear that I would be sucked back into the maelstrom that was Noah Davis...

“Y/N?” I turned to see Ray stood behind me, noticing my reaction. “You okay?”

My mind wasn’t comprehending what I was seeing. There’s no way that was them? The last time I had heard of the band, they were one-of-four supporting bands on much larger headliners. Now, they were selling out tickets at their own tour? Seven years was a long time…but how had they gotten this popular?

I wondered this, as if I didn’t know how wildly talented those boys were. Aside from Noah, Nicky, Jolly, and Nick Folio were some of the most intelligent and creative minds I had known. They all brought something special to that band, but I would have never expected this.

Huh. Guess he could live without me after all?

Something bitter crept into the back of my throat, but I swallowed it down, staring at his photograph on the poster.

“Yeah,” I tore my eyes away for a second to look at Raylene. “sorry, I’m fine. Just didn’t realize Bad Omens was the headliner.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You’ve heard of them?”

I pulled my lips to the side. Did I want to tell her?

“Long time ago.”

I couldn’t get past how different he looked in the picture. Last time I saw Noah, his hair was halfway down his back, he was skinny, and he had the thinnest little mustache growing on his upper lip.

In these promo pictures, however, his hair was short, not even reaching his ears, he looked much more muscular, and he had no facial hair. He also had many more tattoos than I remembered. That wasn’t surprising. Noah was a tattoo addict from a very young age.

Jolly had let his hair grow and had the cutest goatee on his chin. Nicky looked almost exactly the same. And Nick, bless his heart, had grown into such a handsome guy. They all looked so grown, so serious and broody. It almost made me giggle, knowing how goofy these guys were in real life.

Noah looked the most stunningly different from the rest. Not only did his entire appearance change, but his eyes…something in them was just so much darker. That harsh flame I had once known was so dim. It almost hurt to see. Almost.

We were making our way out to the pit of the GA floor. I had decided to get myself a cocktail to take the edge off. I didn't plan to come face-to-face with him, and likely wouldn't even get the opportunity to get a good look at him period, but still...just knowing we were in the same room made my throat tighten. I washed it down with Vodka and cranberry juice, hoping the warmth of the liquor would unfreeze my nerves.

The first band, Invent Animate, was entertaining enough. Very interactive with the crowd and high-energy. I found it pleasant, but couldn't get myself to focus long enough to notice what they were singing about. I struggled to breathe, the set ending, and knowing I was one hour closer to seeing his face.

During the intermission, Ray excused herself to the restroom, and I stood with Sean, feeling dizzier as the moments passed.

"Hey, I think I'm going to step out for a second. Get some air."

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "You okay? Want me to come with?"

I shook my head. "Nah, don't want you to miss the band you guys came to see. I'll be back."

He nodded, patting me on the shoulder before I weaved in and out of the crowd. I discarded my plastic cup in a trash can before exiting out into the main lobby. I found a spot on the wall near the doors that was unoccupied, and leaned against it, letting my eyes close and my breathing even out.

When I opened my eyes, I searched the room, looking for nothing specific. I landed on the merch tables, and saw someone oddly familiar talking to the lead singer of the last band we had watched...

The liquid courage is what carried me in that direction, smiling to myself.

He stood with his hair pulled back, as usual, and was talking with his hands. Same as he always did.

"Nicky Ruffilo..." I said loud enough to hopefully catch his attention, my hands now grasping the edge of the table.

His head snapped over to look at me, his brows knit together curiously. I could tell he was putting it together.

"No fucking way..." His voice sounded the same as it always had. "Y/N?!"

My teeth flashed at him, and he circled the table to approach me, his arms pulling me into a tight hug.

"Jesus Christ, I didn't recognize you!" That was fair.

Since the last time I had seen any of the guys, I had bleached my hair a pale blonde, lost twenty-five pounds, and had grown two cup sizes. I was, for all intents and purposes, an entirely different person.

"Yeah, well I absolutely recognized you." I said as I gripped his shirt, squeezing him tight.

"How long has it been?" He asked, pulling back to look at me.

"Uh," I thought for a moment. "seven-ish years?"

Nick's eyes were in disbelief, an amazed leer on his face. "God damn, girl. I can't believe it."

I pointed to the banner above his head. "Headlining now, huh? That's amazing!"

He smiled, proudly. "Yeah, we've worked really hard. A lot's changed."

My eyes fell on Noah's face on the poster. "I can see that."

I could tell he was pondering, a question hanging on the edge of his tongue. It was the most obvious question, so I answered for him.

"He doesn't know I'm here."

He nodded, leaning an arm on the table comfortably. "Ah, okay. You didn't want him to?"

I snorted. "I didn't even know I'd be here. My friends came to see ERRA, and that's when I realized you guys were here."

"Makes sense." He had crossed his arms. "Do you want him to know?"

Contemplating this, I let my face fall to get away from his gaze. I wasn't certain how to answer that, but it seemed like the answer was clear regardless.

"No." I sighed hard. "It's probably for the best that he doesn't, right?"

I couldn't read Nick's face, if he was disappointed or relieved. He seemed to be pretty satisfied with my answer, but I could tell he had more he wished he could say.

"Fair enough." Was all he gave me, before letting out a breath. "So, you still live up here?"

I let my muscles relax for a second. "Yeah, doing a residency at Brigham right now."

"Residency? Does that mean you're a doctor?" He asked, clearly confused.

I cackled at this. "Yeah, full blown doctor. Got the little 'MD' after my name and everything."

He beamed at me. "That's so great! Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Nicky." It fell quiet between us once again, and I could hear ERRA's set beginning. "Well, I should probably-"

He spoke over me. "Yeah! Those guys put on a great show. Don't miss it!"

I gave him another hug, reveling in how warm he still felt.

Turning to walk away, I stopped, needing one last thing...

"Nick?"

His face turned back to me.

"How is he?"

I could see the sadness fall over his tan features, and I instantly regretted asking.

"He's..." He trailed off, taking in a large breath. "He's different, Y/N. I doubt you'd recognize him."

"How so?"

Something about my question almost seemed to annoy him. Odd?

"Like I said, a lot has changed. He's changed. He had to." He gestured to me. "Same way you did."

I accepted this, not wanting to press any further. "Thanks, Nick."

He pointed a finger at me. "Hey, we're going to be back here in the fall for a couple days. Don't be a stranger, okay?" I grinned at this. "I know Jolly and Folio would kill to see you."

I just nodded, turning and walking away. My eyes met with Ray's, who was standing, watching my interaction. How much had she seen? Did she hear anything?

"Hey, what are you doing? You're missing ERRA!"

Her brows were pulled up suspiciously. "Who was that?" She pointed after Nick, who had now disappeared from the merch table.

I shook my head. "Oh, that guy? He's the bassist in the headliner band."

This wasn't good enough for her, I could tell by the way she pursed her lips. "Uh-huh. And...you just decided to chat him up like old friends?"

I groaned. "Ugh, how long were you standing there?"

She put all her weight on one hip. "Long enough to see you two talking like you've known each other before. Care to explain?"

Raylene was so nosey. She came by it honestly, her father being a police detective. But still, why did this matter?

"It's not a big deal, Ray. I'll tell you later."

I pulled on her arm, trying to lead her back to the concert hall, but she stood firm, eyeing me. I sucked my teeth in frustration.

"Damn it, alright, come here."

She followed me to the doors leading outside, and we stepped into the cool air.

"Alright, look, I've known Nick since I was ten."

Her eyes jumped. "Oh? Back in West Virginia?"

I nodded. "Exactly. I had no idea their band was going to be here."

"Do you know anyone else in the band?"

I glanced around, feeling wildly uncomfortable by the conversation.

"I may know the entire band."

Her eyes exploded, nearly shooting out of her face cartoonistically.

"What?! The whole band?" I just nodded. "Jesus, Y/N. That's insane!"

I giggled. "I guess. It's just a coincidence."

She smiled at me. "Well that's awesome! Do you want to see the rest of them after? They're doing a free merch signing."

Panic filled my chest, and I put a hand out to grab her shoulder. "No, no. I don't, uh..." I tried to keep my voice solid. "I don't keep in touch with them anymore."

Her eyes narrowed. "Oh? Okay, if you're sure." Something in my voice must have made her feel my anxiety.

We turned, ready to make our way back inside.

"It is too bad. The lead singer's a real looker. I heard one of the girls in the crowd say his name was Noah Sebastian? He's pretty cute."

I almost walked straight into the door, my foot banging off of the pillar. Ray turned around to see me, and something about the look on my face made realization flash over her.

"Oh my God, are you ok-" She stopped dead, eyes widening again. "Wait..."

"Ray, don't." I knew what she had figured out.

"Noah..." I put my hands up, glancing around to ensure no one was looking at us. "As in...Noah? Your old best friend?!"

I shushed her harshly. "Please, Ray. I don't want to think about this."

"That's the guy?! Noah Sebastian is the guy that broke your heart?!"

I was going to actually vomit at that.

"Fuck! Can we not?!" I raised my voice, which made her snap her mouth closed. "Besides, I don't know a Noah Sebastian."

She looked confused. "Is that not his real name?"

I rolled my eyes, turning to walk back in. "It's his middle name."

I spaced out most of what was left of ERRA's set, just trying to put the pieces back together in my brain. This night had not turned into what I had hoped.

I just wanted one night, an easy night, to take a deep breath away from my hectic life. Instead, I was reliving some of my most painful memories, and had a headache to go right along with it from the alcohol. My chest vibrated, the bass just making it so much more difficult to focus.

I stood off of the GA floor, near the bar area, not even realizing the band had finished, and people were swarming to grab drinks and use the restrooms before the men of the evening appeared. Ray approached me, another Vodka cran in her hand, and pushed it into mine.

"Here my love, drink this." I took a long gulp of it. "Do you want us to go? We don't have to stay..."

My eyes were fixed on the stage, where I could see people setting up the equipment. "No." I huffed out a breath, and squeezed my cup. "No, I want to see them play, I think."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're sure? This can't be easy for you."

My eyes burned into her face, which almost made her flinch. "I may never get to see him again, Ray. I have to."

She just nodded, arm linking with mine. "You want to watch from up here?"

I nodded, crunching on a piece of ice from my drink. "No chance of him spotting me back here."

She affirmed my request, and leaned back against the wall with me.

I felt my phone vibrate, and I pulled it from my pocket to see Tyler's name on the screen.

Tyler: Hey beautiful! How's the show?

I held my breath. What kind of a question was that?

Me: Fine. Almost over, just one band left.

He didn't take but a minute to respond.

Tyler: Having fun?

Ha, what a joke.

Me: Yeah. I've had some drinks, so it's helping.

Tyler: Well, enjoy it baby! You deserve it.

That wasn't fair. None of it was. Having to see Noah? The fact that I had an amazing guy, who genuinely liked me, who waited for me. But I still couldn't get my mind off of that irritatingly beautiful face about to take the stage.

The lights went down, and I felt myself tense, throwing back the rest of my drink. My teeth were numb, if that made any sense at all. Ray's hand gripped mine tight, holding me up.

A cinematic scene played on the screens, but I wasn't watching, eyes hastily searching the stage.

A tall man, who I instantly recognized as Jolly, stepped center-stage, a guitar in his hand playing the opening riff to the song. It was heavy, deep and soul shaking.

Folio came out next, his face, like Jolly's, covered in a black ski mask.

Nick took his spot, playing his bass tones.

And then, as the opening crescendoed, a voice rang through the speakers.

A voice I'd never forget.

"Can you hear me through the white noise?"

He blasted onto the stage, glory and all, face covered and thick black jacket on his shoulders.

He sounded different. Angry. Raw, Aggressive. The feeling that sank in my stomach pulled me back further against the wall.

The song played through, his words pulsing through my veins.

As quick as it had started, it was over, and we were on to the next.

The next track was calmer, red lights glowing all throughout the stage.

They had all removed their masks, and I saw his face for the first time. He looked so much older, making it difficult for me to believe he was the same person.

The words of the song resonated deep in my thoughts.

"I don't want to know all your secrets, cause I'll tell. It's hard enough being alone with myself. I don't know how long I'll be holding on..."

Breathing deeply, I watched as the crowd moved with the music, electrifying the energy in the room. It was intoxicating.

Noah had changed...

The set played on without hitch, the entire time I caught myself holding in breaths until I felt my lungs nearly bursting. I couldn't take my eyes off of him, feeling the familiar ache beginning to creep back in.

The music stopped, and a bunch of lights came up. By this time, Noah had discarded his jacket, button-up, and only stood in a black tank top, hands wrapped in what looked like boxing wraps?

"Alright, Boston, how we feeling?" His speaking voice even sounded different...

The crowd erupted.

"We are Bad Omens, and we sincerely appreciate you all being here tonight. The next song we are going to play for you all has been the biggest turning point this band has ever seen." I heard the screams, and did my best to tune them out so I could hear his words. "Is anyone familiar with a song called Just Pretend?"

The room rocked with the cheers and chants of the crowd.

"That volume that I just heard? That's the volume I want to hear you sing this with me, okay? Don't worry about trying to hit the perfect note or get all of the words right. It's about us all, being here together tonight."

The music played softly behind him when his lips reached the microphone.

"I can wait for you at the bottom. I can stay away if you want me to. I can wait for years if I gotta. Heaven knows I ain't getting over you..."

My heart twisted in my chest.

"I'm not afraid, of the war you've come to wage against my sins. I'm not okay, but I can try my best to just pretend. So will you wait me out? Or will you drown me out?"

The tears pooled in my eyes. No fucking way. The song played on, mocking me with the lyrics.

"I know the pain that you hide behind the smile on your face. And not a day goes by where I don't think I feel the same."

"We'll try again, when we're not so different. We will make amends, till then I'll just pretend."

My hands came up to cover my face, my lip trembling hard.

"Weigh down on me. Stay till morning. Way down. Would you say I'm worthy?"

I choked on a sob, my legs pushing me forward, and I ran out of the room. I felt my stomach lurching, my mouth clamping closed as I ran toward the bathroom.

I heard Ray chasing behind me. "Y/N! Wait!"

Flying into the bathroom and finding the first open stall, I fell to my knees, emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet. My hands gripped my hair, tears falling hard down my face.

"Oh God, babe." Ray reached to grab my hair from me as I wretched all of the Vodka out of my stomach, my heart and soul pouring out with it.

When I finished, I let my chest heave with sobs, my hand covering my eyes in ebarrassment.

"Fuck, Ray." I said as I wiped my face with the tissue she handed me. "I've got to get the hell out of here."

She nodded. "Okay, my love. Let's do that."

After a solid twenty minutes of cleaning myself up in the bathroom, we stepped out, noticing the crowd now formed outside, waiting at the table for the band to come out for the signing. Ray was frantically dialing Sean, trying to find him among the sea of people. I just plopped myself down on the floor near the restroom, trying to relax as best as I could.

"Y/N?" I looked up at her. "I have to go find Sean. He isn't answering. Can you wait here for me?"

I just nodded, defeated. She was gone, lost within the abyss of people, and I sat, waiting, head in my hands.

I was pulled out of my stupor by the sound of cheering. The band had come out, all waving and smiling. I didn't even bother chancing a glance at him, for fear I may vomit again.

Ray had not come back yet, despite the four or five texts I had now sent her. I had been waiting for a solid thirty minutes, people watching the line and avoiding seeing his face. The ropes of the line were blocking my view of the faces sitting at the table.

After another fifteen, Ray finally bounded up to me, out of breath, Sean in tow.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry! That crowd is vicious!"

I stood slowly, the room only slightly spinning. I swallowed the dry, disgusting feeling in my throat, and began moving toward the exits that were now mostly clear.

"Let's go." She nodded at me, and took my arm. We had to wait behind several people trying to all get through the same revolving door. My skin felt spiky and cold.

"Hang on! Wait!"

A voice behind me made ice run through my veins, and I closed my eyes, begging whatever God existed to spare me in this moment.

A hand gripped my shoulder, and I tensed, turning my face, and my eyes looked straight at him.

He had spotted me, running from his table to catch me. He had to have been pretty damn sure it was me to chase after me like that. Fans began to crowd us, camera phones coming out, pictures snapping.

The look on his face was much less certain than I expected, as if he possibly made a mistake.

"I'm sorry..." His voice was unsteady. "Do I," He cleared his throat, eyes bouncing back and forth between my own. "know you?"

My eyebrows shot up. He really didn't recognize me?

He thought he did, but now...

"No. I don't think so." I spit out my words, teeth grinding together. It felt exactly the same as the last time I had seen him.

He dropped his hand, eyes still transfixed on mine. "I swore..."

I just turned my body, pressing my way past the gathered crowd, not giving him the chance to think it through.

In the car, I stared out the back window, arms wrapped around myself.

"What did he say, honey?" Ray's voice was so gentle.

"He didn't recognize me. He thought he did, but once he got up close, I guess I look too different." My words were only a peg above a whisper.

"You going to be okay? I don't have to stay at Sean's."

I just wiped the stray tear off of my cheek. "It's fine. I'd rather be alone."

A long, scalding shower, two handfuls of shredded cheese, and a solid half-hour crying session later, I was laid catatonically on my bed, eyes staring at the screen as Grey's Anatomy flashed across my screen.

I had blanked my mind out, forcing myself to let the thoughts go for the night. I was too tired and broken to let my heart hurt like this again. It took a solid year to get over Noah enough that I was able to function again. My first year of med school was disappointing, and I didn't make any friends until I made it into the second year. It took me nearly three to start dating.

I couldn't do that again.

I had been ignoring the texts going off on my phone, assuming it was Ray just checking on me for the thousandth time. I did, however, decide to take a look when I heard my ringtone going off.

Who would be calling me at 2AM?

I didn't even bother checking the screen before I put the phone up to my ear, my voice hoarse from crying.

"Hello?"

"What are the odds that you haven't changed your number after all this time?"

I sat bolt upright, my voice catching in my throat. The voice on the other end sounded nearly as wrecked as mine.

"Noah?" It barely came out.

"It's been a long time."

I cleared the newly formed phlegm out of my throat. "It has."

"I knew that was you." It sounded deadly quiet in the background of his end of the line. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming tonight?"

I sighed. "Nick told you?"

"He might've."

I groaned. "Well, I asked him not to."

"Why?"

I scoffed. "What do you mean, why?" I rubbed my eyes. "We're not exactly speaking anymore, Noah."

He hummed. "That's true."

I chewed on my lip, not having any kind of clue of what to say.

"What did you think?"

"Of the show?"

"Mhm."

I sighed. "It was good. Different than what I would have expected."

A soft laugh came through the line. "How so?"

I smiled at that. "It's just a lot different than what I expected your music to sound like."

"In a bad way?"

"No. Not at all."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." His voice was so serious. So monotone. Nothing at all like what I remembered.

The line fell silent again, and I found this irritating. What was he playing at?

"Why did you call, Noah?"

I heard a breath on the other end, and some rustling. "I don't know."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't have."

"Maybe. I wanted to hear your voice."

My stomach tightened. "Now you have. I should go."

"Wait..." I held the phone firm, waiting. "I want to see you."

My heart pounded. "What?"

"I need to see you." His words were so matter-of-fact.

"I don't think so, Noah. That's not a great idea."

"It's not, but I'm asking..." He sounded so small. "Can I please see you?"

I perused the idea. "When?"

"Now?"

I scrunched up my face, sitting up again. "Now? It's after two in the morning."

"I don't care. I'll come to wherever you are."

This struck me. Maybe he hadn't changed?

"I, uh," I struggled to speak. "Noah, I don't know. I'm at home, it's late. I should be sleeping."

"Y/N?" I stopped, listening. "Please?"

I am a weak woman, and that is just plain fact. I was frantically running throughout the apartment, attempting to tidy any kind of mess I could get my hands on. Ray and I hadn't taken the time to really clean in months, so it was stressing me out. My pajama pants were hanging low on my hips, and I swam in my large sweatshirt.

My hair was falling loose around my face, and I was sure my eyes were puffy from the crying I had done. How insane was I? Had I completely lost it?

It was almost 3AM when a knock came at my apartment door, and I froze in place. What was I doing? Why was I allowing this to happen? I didn't need to do this to myself.

I was fine, living in my normal, tired bubble. I was headed towards a successful career that would take me further than I ever imagined. Why was I allowing this trainwreck of a friendship back into my life? What was I thinking?!

I wasn't. That was the answer to that question.

I opened the door, not sure what to expect on the other side. He stood, still as tall as I remembered, looming in the doorway. He wore a black hoodie, hands tucked neatly in the pocket. Dark blue jeans and black Converse. A white beanie covering his hair.

Like this, he looked almost recognizable. Except for his eyes...

Just like in the photograph I had seen earlier, his eyes were so dark. There was very little life behind them. Deep blue circles hung under the rims, making a pull in my chest show itself.

I just stood, blocking the doorway, hand white-knuckling the frame.

"Hi." Was all he managed. He was staring at me, eyes moving up and down my face as if he was seeing an apparition.

"Hi." I echoed, trying to not feel out of place under his stare.

"I'm glad you agreed to see me." He didn't move an inch, his jaw ticking closed with his last work.

I just nodded, letting out all of my air. "Yeah, well, you were insistent."

He nodded, finally looking away from me and down at the ground.

"I had to."

I pursed my lips, narrowing my eyes. "Did you?" He raised a brow at me. "Did you just have to see me? Because I think we probably would've been alright without it."

I could see his face fall, hurt by what I said, but I didn't care. He never did.

"I'm sorry. I know it's selfish."

"Mm," I pinched my lips together, and opened my door wider. "come in."

I stalked back into the house, not daring to look back at him. I heard the door shut behind me, and I steadied myself, expecting to turn around and see him vanished.

To my chagrin, he was still there.

Deciding not to stagnate, I walked into the kitchen, pulling a bottle of tea from the fridge, and walking back out to the living area. He hadn't moved, and was still staring at me.

"So." I motioned to him. "What can I do for you?"

Noah was so statuesque, as if carved right out of stone. "I don't really know."

My face lifted, a smirk on my lips. "You don't know? Noah," I placed a hand on my hip. "you show up here at 3AM, and you have no idea why?"

He shrugged, eyes begging me for mercy. "I'm sorry. I don't."

"Can you stop apologizing and just tell me why you're here?!" My patience snapped, startling even me.

This took him back, but instead of tucking tail and backing away, he stood straighter, face hardening.

"I can't tell you why I'm here if I don't know, alright?" His words were stern.

"Well you must have some kind of reason? Because this feels wildly unnecessary."

He raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "It is? So you didn't want to see me?"

I set my tea on the coffee table and stood nonchalantly. "Not really."

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't buy it." He took a step toward me, but I stood firm. "If you didn't you wouldn't have stayed, tonight. You would've left after you saw the band your friends went to see."

He was closer now, and it felt like a string had tethered between us, the tension slowly slacking.

"Yeah, well, I wanted to see your set. See how the band was doing."

He snickered at me. "Oh, sure. Of course." His hands finally appeared from his pockets, one running over his chin. "Which song was your favorite?"

Oop. I wasn't expecting that.

"The second one. Villain, or something?"

He nodded. "Like A Villain." Noah's eyes weren't buying it. "Which one did you like least?"

I scoffed. "I don't know, Noah? The first one?"

"Mm, and which one was that?"

I was swallowing the lump in my throat. I couldn't remember, the night blurring together.

"Uh, I don't know the name."

He took a step back, triumphant. "You weren't there for the set. You wanted to see me."

Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms. "Still as self-absorbed as ever, I see?"

"Am I wrong?"

He had me backed into a corner, and he fucking knew it.

I threw my arms up. "Fine! Maybe I did. But you wanted to see me too."

He sneered at me, venom on his lips. "Obviously, or else I wouldn't be here."

"You still haven't said why."

"Why did you want to see me?"

My voice was raising, frustration growing. "I don't know!"

"I don't know either!" He yelled back at me, and my mouth snapped closed. Noah never raised his voice at me. Not ever.

He took three long strides over to me until he was only stood a foot away.

"I didn't expect to ever see you again, Y/N! I thought you were gone forever! So imagine my surprise when I see you walking out of the House of Blues, and you deny even knowing me!"

I felt like shrinking into a ball right there on the floor, ceasing to exist.

"I wanted to see you because how could I not?! Seven fucking years, Y/N!" He backed down for a second, his breathing becoming ragged. "I've been waiting seven years."

I furrowed my brow. "Waiting?"

"For you to reach out. To tell me you missed me. To give me some kind of indication we could reconcile and be us again."

There was a fire, deep down in my gut, that I had never been able to truly extinguish. A fire Noah had lit years ago. A mine shaft burning like the depths of hell in my belly that I had buried under concrete and therapy, keeping it at bay.

In my apartment, tonight, that fire broke loose. And there was no stopping it.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I took a step forward, pressing into his space, index finger jabbing into his chest. "I was supposed to reach out?!"

He took a step back, eyes now full of fear.

"I professed my love to you, Noah! I told you I wanted you, and you fucking left!"

He puffed at me, pointing a finger back at me. "You told me to leave!'

"Yes! Because you told me you didn't love me! You told me you couldn't love me the way I loved you!"

He squeezed his lids shut tight, growling and turning away from me, taking several steps away. His hands came up, gripping the beanie on his head.

"God damn it Y/N!" He turned to look at me, a fiery rage matching my own behind his eyes. "Of course I fucking loved you!"

My heart stopped, completely motionless.

"What?"

"I've always loved you! From the moment I laid fucking eyes on you! I've never loved anyone, no one, the way I loved you!" He charged me, backing me toward the couch. "But I couldn't love you, Y/N! I wasn't good enough. I was a piss-poor high school dropout musician trying to make a name for himself, and, until recently, failing miserably."

I couldn't speak, thoughts racing so fast, I struggled to keep up.

"And you?" He pointed a finger back into my chest. "You were smart, and motivated, and you were going to make something of yourself. I couldn't drag you down with me. I couldn't force you to follow this journey with me. It would've ruined your life!"

My lungs weren't working right, and my hands were shaking. He wasn't actually saying this. I was hallucinating.

"So I left. I left to give you a chance at a real life. Which, evidently, you've managed to build without me." He took a step back, then, dropping his hands. "And I, somehow, without you."

This hurt me, hearing he had managed to become so successful, despite my involvement.

"Noah, I had no idea-"

"No," He cut me off. "you didn't."

I hadn't even caught the tears falling from my eyes, blurring my vision until he was just a watery mess in front of me.

"You didn't need me." I choked out, and he looked directly at me, inquisitively. "You've made it so far. You're a rockstar now, Noah."

He scoffed. "Y/N, you don't get it." He looked away from me, focused on the wall behind me. "I died without you. Something inside of me was lost the day I left, and I never got it back."

"Well, you're successful now, so it can't be so bad, right?"

He snorted, shaking his head. "Success always comes with a price."

My lips were wet with the tears I couldn't hold in, and I couldn't keep my breathing even. I knew he saw it, but hesitated to engage, wanting to keep a wide berth between us. I couldn't take it. It was too much.

Hearing he loved me. Hearing I had been wrong all this time. Hearing that the heartbreak I felt for so long wasn't his fault. He was protecting me, even after all these years.

"Noah?" He chanced a glance at me, and I saw his own eyes sparkling with moisture.

I couldn't take it.

I rushed him, grabbing hold of his shoulder and clinging on, desperate to find relief against him. My lips smashed into his, tearing apart the barrier I had worked so hard to build.

His hands grabbed me, holding me into place against him, his lips melted into mine, returning the kiss fervently. We were hopeless. We were hungry.

My tears didn't stop flowing, emotion pouring out of every pore. My fingers clawed at him, needing to get closer. My hand grabbed the beanie, and pulled it off of his head, his dark hair falling over his eyes. I gripped it at the scalp, trying to pull myself closer.

Feeling what I was attempting to do, his hands lifted me by the back of my legs, so I could wrap them around his midsection. I refused to disconnect the kiss, breathing in his soul. It was so real and so familiar. How I missed it like hell.

His legs carried us to the couch, where he sat us down. My legs straddled him, and I finally pulled away to tug at the sweatshirt he wore. He made quick work of pulling it up over his head while I did the same with my own. Reconnecting our lips, my hands wandered over his neck and chest, scratching at the fabric of his shirt.

His teeth caught my bottom lip, and I moaned into his mouth. His fingers pulled at the waistband of my pajama pants, and I lifted myself enough to slip them off, replacing myself on his lap. His jeans were already getting tighter as his hands smoothed up and down my thighs.

"Fucking hell." He looked down, staring at my bare breasts in front of him. "These got bigger, huh?"

I laughed, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, well, things change."

His fingers gripped around my left breast, lips falling to circle around the hardened nipple. I let my head fall back, relishing in the warm feeling spreading throughout my body.

"Still so fucking beautiful, just like I remember." I pulled at the hair on the back of his neck. "Did you miss me, baby girl?"

I ground my hips down against him in response. His hand began playing with the button of his jeans, and I moved it away to open them myself.

I stood up to pull his jeans down to his knees, his boxers bulging in the crotch.

"Oh, fuck." I sighed out. "Yeah, I missed you."

His smile then was devious, some of that regular spark shining back in his eyes. "Then show me, huh?"

Reaching into the opening of his underwear, I pulled his cock free, taking a moment to remember just how large it was. It had been a very long time since I had seen anything quite that impressive. Dipping my head down, I licked a long stripe up the shaft, lingering on the head to gather the precome leaking out.

"Holy shit." His head fell back on the couch, his eyes rolling back with it. "Mm, do that again, please?"

I smirked, looking up at him. "Only since you asked so nicely."

My tongue repeated the movement, drawing out a hard groan out of him, his legs twitching. "Fuck yeah, baby."

Without warning, I wrapped my lips around him and swallowed him as far down as my throat would allow, gagging on the tip as it struck my tonsils. His hips jolted upward, effectively fucking my throat.

"Please, Y/N, I won't last that way." He begged, his words only coming out as breaths. "I need to feel you, please."

He was begging, and I couldn't resist it. I needed him too.

I stood back up, and kneeled on either side of him, carefully lining him up with my entrance. When I sunk down, that delicious burn pierced through me, and my body collapsed onto him at the intensity of it.

"Noah, oh my God." He ran a hand up my back, allowing me a moment to adjust.

"I know, baby. I know." He soothed me, rubbing small circles into my skin.

My hips stuttered forward, needing to feel the friction. His hand reached down to grab my ass, and lifted me upward. Without warning, his hips snapped forward and fucked into me, making a sharp scream leave my lips.

My face rested on his chest, whimpers falling from my throat with each hard thrust.

"Fuck, you missed me, pretty girl?" He was panting between his words, his rhythm picking up speed. "Missed the way I fuck you?"

My eyes were rolling back, the tears from before now replaced with tears of raw pleasure.

"I'll bet you've never been fucked like this, huh?" His words were just tones of desire playing in my ears, his cock absolutely destroying me. "No one can fuck you like I can, baby. No one."

My nails dug hard into his shirt, begging for release.

"Let me know when you come, baby. Not finishing until you do."

Luckily for him, I was riding the edge so hard it was making the room spin. Biting my lip to keep from screaming, I lifted myself to look at his face.

"Noah," I searched his eyes, his hips not faltering. "I love you."

He grit his teeth, trying to focus on me and his hips at the same time. "I love you, too. So fucking much."

My face fell back down, landing on the side of his neck. "I'm going to come. Please, Noah, I'm so close..."

He, somehow, managed to pump into me harder, sending my body over the cliff and into the warm waves of my orgasm. My body went slack against him as my walls pulsed around his length.

I heard him curse, and his hips stilled. I felt him spasming inside me, and silently thanked myself for my IUD.

We laid that way, sweaty and heaving, for a solid ten minutes before either of us could find the strength to move. I slipped him out of me, and sat up to look at him. He looked absolutely wrecked, in the best possible way.

I smiled, feeling a warmth spread over me.

"Hi." Was all I could manage.

He chuckled tiredly. "Hi."

After our excursion, Noah and I had taken a few minutes to clean up, and, being as exhausted as you'd expect, decided to lay together for a while.

He told me he had to leave within a few hours to get back to his hotel, heading to the next city bright and early, so I told him I'd stay up until he had to leave.

However, in my bed, his arms wrapped tightly around me, his voice whispering sweet words in my ears, I struggled to remain conscious.

"Do you remember when I bought you that Oasis album for your fourteenth birthday? That was basically me professing my love to you."

"I was such an idiot. I should've just told you."

"You have no idea how much I've missed you. I don't think you'll ever understand."

"I'm so sorry. I wish things were different..."

And that's how I woke up, light in my bedroom far too bright, and my bed empty.

I don't know what I expected? For him to stay? Fuck off his tour to make up for lost time with me?

But still, my chest stung when I saw he had left, but I wasn't surprised.

Something had changed last night, and the darkness that lingered in the depths of my being had lifted, leaving me with a sense of hope I hadn't felt before.

When I had woken for the day, clearing the cobwebs from my eyes, I contemplated my next move. He had surely left town already, but that didn't mean I couldn't keep in touch, right?

Pulling out my phone, I found his contact, and opened a text thread.

Me: Hey, call me when you can. I think we have a lot to talk about. :)

I set my phone down on the bathroom counter, preparing to brush my teeth when my phone dinged, and the notification told me the text had failed.

Odd?

I resent it, getting the same response.

Why would my messages fail? I paid my bill, right?

Quickly dialing Ray's number, I held the phone to my ear and heard the ringing, so I knew my service was fine. Giving her a quick apology for waking her, I hung up, and went back to my texts.

His number was the same, right?

I went back to my call logs, seeing it was his number that called me last night, so it was the same as it had always been.

So...what the hell?

My finger hovered over the number for a moment, and I weighed the options before finally resolving to just call him. Make sure I wasn't losing my mind.

I held the phone to my face as I started brushing my teeth, waiting for the call to connect.

"The number you have reached is not in service. If you feel you have reached this message in error, please hang up and try your call again."

#bad omens #noah sebastian #fanfic #bad omens fanfiction #noah sebastian fic #bad omens cult

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enluv · 2 years ago

Text

in another life.

lee heeseung x f!reader x ??? (it'll make sense when you read I promise)

SYNOPSIS: in which losing you is the least of heeseung’s worries, until he’s forced to watch you slip through his fingers.

wc: 1.9k (almost 2k fr)!

genres: best friends to strangers, unrequited love (or is it), best friends to lovers

warning(s): heavy angst, toxic friendship/relationship, heeseung is mean, very very mean, manipulation (nothing too crazy), refusal to take blame, and heeseung needs to be humbled imo...ANYWAYS, small plot twist but not really! (a/n: header is ugly because I made it in like 2 minutes since it felt naked without one 🤣☝🏽)

Lee Heeseung knows about your feelings for him at the mere age of eight, when you give him the other half of your popsicle stick that you’ve just bought with your very own allowance. His smile is so bright taking the food from your hand that it doesn't even matter if you've spent all five of your dollars on the popsicle because as long as your youthful heart can see Heeseung smile, that’s all that matters to you.

Heeseung also knows about your feelings for him when you're both sixteen and he proudly exclaims that he’s finally asked Jisun out after months of pining after her. A hurt look flashes across your face for one, two then three seconds, then as if it was never there, it’s gone. He thinks it might have been a bad idea to tell you but he doesn’t reciprocate the feelings you have for him and in his mind, he never will.

“Come on Y/N, it’s one party, please come with me please, I don’t want to be alone all night,” he pouts tugging at the sleeve of your sweater. Heeseung knows it’s not right to do things like this, knows he shouldn’t force you to go with him everywhere but he likes that you can’t say no to him, it swells his heart with pride to have someone care for him as much as you do.

“I already told you I have to study for midterms, go alone or with Jay.” Your tone isn’t dead-set and Heeseung knows he’s cornered you. He smiles as an idea forms in his head, maybe he can persuade you with just enough charm, it’s worked in the past so why not now?

“I seriously can not believe Heeseung got you to come, I know he said he could do it but honestly Y/N, I thought you were stronger than that.” It’s always the same sentence or form of it. It tugs at your heart, just like in high school people in college are just as aware of how you feel for him, even he knows it himself. He plays a blind man to your feelings.

An ache begins to pump in your heart, whatever liquor Yeonjun had handed you when you stepped in seems to not be working and that night as you watch Heeseung dance with Mina, you vow to yourself silently that you'll start your process of healing from whatever feelings you have for Lee Heeseung.

A few days later Jay watches a frantic Heeseung search for his phone charger in amusement, “Missing an important call?” He quips playfully, the whole house knows why he’s so desperate to charge his dying phone. The past three days since he ditched you at TXT’s frat party you’ve been ignoring his texts, calls, and even him.

“Hyung, why are you so worried about Y/N calling? Didn't you ditch her? I wouldn’t call either if I was her,” the small comment earns Sunghoon a smack to the back of his head.

“It doesn’t matter, Y/N would never ignore me like this. All I have to do is apologize with breakfast and she’ll accept it every time, we’ve done this before and never gone a day without talking.”

The boys can’t fully grasp why Heeseung is acting the way he is, to them he sounds like a desperate boyfriend after a fight that’s resulted in the silent treatment but Heeseung has continuously said he does not feel the same towards his best friend so they write it off as some form of separation anxiety and leave his room.

“I’m surprised you’ve held out this long Y/N,” jokes a sheepish Jeongin as he takes a glance at your phone screen that’s currently being lit up by multiple unread messages from Heeseung.

“I told you I’m ready to move on, I’ll talk to him when I see fit, I just need a few more days to myself.”

He hums in response as he lifts himself off his chair reaching a hand out for you to follow, “I’m proud of you ‘s all, he’s an asshole for using your feelings against you and making you feel the way he did, you don’t deserve that at all. You deserve someone who'd never ditch you."

Two weeks. It's been two weeks since you've spoken to Heeseung, his room is a mess with clothes and books scattered on the floor, usually you come by and help him organize things. He's had enough of this. Your contact suddenly flashes across his screen while he's out on a date, he doesn't hesitate to answer, bidding the girl he's dropping off a quick goodbye.

“Hello? Y/N? I’m really glad you called me, I have so much to ask you but guess what, I just had the most amazing date-” he’s cut off by your loud sigh and for a moment his heart drops, you've never stopped him from ranting about dates.

“Heeseung,” his name sounds foreign coming from your mouth, “we really need to talk, I have a lot to say to you so could we please meet tomorrow?” He isn't sure why but his stomach twists at your request.

The meeting between you two is quick and to Heeseung's surprise, brief. You explain to him that leaving you at a party he begged you to come to had upset you since it wasn’t his first time doing so, you also tell him that you needed the two weeks of space from not only him but everyone else to care for yourself, and you’d hoped he understood that. Of course he did, he felt shitty just thinking about the situation and promised to never do it again, to be a better "friend."

Things after your initial break from Heeseung fall back into place quickly and it's as if you never left his side, but he could tell you were different now, you refused to go with him to parties if he asked and any charming tricks he had up his sleeve fell flat when you'd respond with a hard “No.” Heeseung also noticed the interest you'd taken in Jeongin, and that made him feel things he'd never felt before.

It’s difficult to watch you flirt with one of his best friends, on one hand he should feel happy watching your attention sway to someone else after having caught it for so many years but on the other he isn’t happy at all, to be completely honest he feels bitter at the thought of you two together.

“You're an asshole Heeseung, like a really big one, do you know how long Y/N has been in love with you? Since we were like eight playing cops and robbers in the streets, and she loved you throughout the time that came after and every time we asked, you denied any feelings for her, but now all of a sudden you think you might love her back? Just when she's finally healing from the shit you put her through? That’s such an asshole move dude, super low of you,” and as Beomgyu’s rant subsides Heeseung stares at him puzzled, what did he ever do that was so bad to you?

“Don't give me that look, you've done so much shit to her, hell I don't know how she’s still your best friend, if I was her I’d have left you already.”

Heeseung continues to give Beomgyu the most confused look ever and with a small eye roll Beomgyu answers his question, “You use her to get what you want but never have you done anything to show her gratitude or any reciprocated feelings. All you ever do is give her hope, you act like you like her back when you need her but as soon as you get what you want, you leave her behind. It’s fucking sad dude. You're a horrible friend to her honestly.”

Heeseung’s heart burns, he’s known his whole life that he’d done this to you but to hear it laid out in front of him now, he can see how terrible it all actually is. How had you continued being his friend? If he was in your position he’d have left ages ago, but you didn’t, and that single thought is what gives Heeseung hope for you and him. He knows it’s dumb, he knows he doesn’t deserve you at all, but he wants you terribly and if he has to beg he will, if he has to lie he will, hell Heeseung would drop everyone for you. All that matters is that you stay with him, not with anyone else, and especially not with Jeongin.

Heeseung can spot you from a mile away. His smile grows wide before dropping instantly as he watches Jeongin hand you what looks to be a flower. The look on your face mirrors Jeongin’s, it’s happy and full. You've never smiled at him that way. Heeseung realizes that the only smiles you give him now are filled with sadness. His stomach knots, why does he feel so unsure of you right now. He’s never felt this much uncertainty from you ever.

He blames it on the fact that you two haven’t been talking as much lately. He blames the short break you had because there’s no way you’d actually stop wanting to be his friend, no way he’d ever lose you. You’ve always been by his side, and it will continue to be that way, because you love him and he has you wrapped around his finger. But, Heeseung knows deep down this security can’t be fed any longer as he watches you walk past him, hand in hand with Jeongin, not a single look his way, he's lost you.

It’s proven to him in the months to come as you slowly slip out of his pinned messages, as you take him off your private stories, and he has to watch you live your life through others. Heeseung knows he’s lost you especially when all together you stop coming to his rescue, won’t pick up the phone to hear his ramblings about dates and girls. He knows he’s lost you when you tell him you’re busy and can’t do what he wants. When you send him an awkward smile and gesture to your hand entwined with Jeongin's, as if to say, "sorry I'm with him now, you're too late."

If anyone ever asks Lee Heeseung about his one true love, he’ll say your name. He’s never been sure of what love is, never found it for himself, but he knows deep down that if he’s ever loved anyone, it’s you. You were the person he called at 3am when he crashed his car into a pole, you were the same person whose dorm had housed him a multitude of times when he was too drunk to crawl back to his own, the same person who loved him for years, until you couldn’t any longer and stopped waiting on him to give you the same love back, thinking he could never give it to you.

Heeseung likes to think that in another life he wasn't a complete asshole, realized your worth sooner, and maybe even had the balls to ask you out. He pictures himself in Jeongin's place, dating through college, moving in together after, getting married, having kids, living domestically. All he can do now is dream, maybe that's why he likes to sleep so much, because in his sleep-ridden mind, you're with him.

coco’s love note: mwahahahaha did you guys like the plot twist? are we happy 😁 are we mad? should we fight heeseung?! tbh writing this fic has been a wild ride, originally i had mc & heeseung end up with one another but then I decided that no, i didn’t want that, I wanted to show the results of a toxic “relationship” running it’s course through and through, that’s why heeseung never quite admits he’s wrong/he still feels entitled to mc even till the end! I wanted to show that he’d never change, even if he did “love” mc. anyways…thoughts?! comments?! concerns?! make sure to leave a comment or rb this with anything you’d like me to know or tell me how you felt about this fic :) muah ily! ty @odxrilove for reading it for me and not letting me change it again 😁🙏

ENHYPEN TAGLIST! - yeoforce @bloom-bloom-pow @nikis-mum @yourlocalhotgf @kyublr @spoooooooooooon @enhacolor @yoongimooni @blaqpinksthectic @gyuuss @eternallyhyucks @dinosdance @simpforsung @misschubswrites @junityy @jjunry @jwonsgirl @fxckingshame @stealanity @haoreo @jxp1t-3r @chaerybae @bobariki @vatterie @tytrackfebreze @veryjeongintxtkid @w3bqrl @heefys @haechan-nahceah @telesvng @queen-klarissa @odxrilove @s00buwu @j-wyoung

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cowgurrrl · 1 year ago

Text

Strangers

Pairing: Javier Peña x fem!reader (cowgirl!reader???)

Author’s note: goddammit is this gonna be a thing

Summary: Javi struggles to assimilate back into civilian life in Texas until an old friend returns [1.5k]

Warnings: Texas Javi my beloved, language, addictive tendencies, PTSD symptoms, Javi + Steve 4eva, reader has a brother, southernisms, pining, yeah there’s probably gonna be a part two 🙄

Javi really did try his best to leave Colombia and the ghosts that pricked at his memory every time he turned a familiar corner. He wanted to do better. He felt he had to. Too many people died for him to just throw away his chance at life, but the days were long and hot, and he was so fucking tired. The nicotine patches stopped working, and the bottle suddenly wasn't enough to convince himself he was doing what he was sent to do. That he was doing the right thing. That he was a good person.

He expected the feeling to leave him once he left the imaginary borders of Colombia and returned to the northern valley. He thought working with his dad and getting his feet back under him after years of being pushed and pulled at Reagan's whim would feel better than shaking down teenagers for narco information. Of course, it didn't disappear in the cacti and hazy horizons of Loredo or the arms of his father. It's only been a couple of hours, Peña, he thought. Give it some time. Who knows? Blistering Texas sunsets might be good for burning the blood off his hands.

Except everybody in his small town knew of his exploits in Latin America. They knew his name was plastered to boxes full of evidence against the cartel and then some. They knew Chucho's boy was some kind of fucked up veteran or hero or whatever they wanted to call him. He avoided going into town more than necessary when he first got home because of how often he got stopped. It didn't matter if he was going to the hardware store, HEB, or the mechanic. Somebody ended up talking to him about Escobar or Cali. He couldn't escape his past even thousands of miles away from it. The only good thing about his newfound fame was the free drinks people pushed his way in the shit hole bar just on the outskirts of town.

He tells himself to slow down, what with the early mornings and long days he's working, but it'd be a dick move to turn down free drinks, right? Sometimes, Javi loses hours in the bar, betting money on pool, flirting with women passing through town, and telling war stories of the jungle and sicarios and whatever else comes spilling out of his loose lips. He tells himself he's coping the best way he knows how when he comes down for breakfast looking and feeling like shit, his hair practically wet from lingering cigarette smoke, but he knows better.

His dad deals with Javi's vices the same way they dealt with his mother's death: inefficiently and without making a sound. The most Chucho does is shake his head and sigh when Javi comes stumbling in at some ungodly hour. What more could he do? Javi barely told his dad where he was in the world. How was he supposed to tell him what he'd done? What he saw? What he allowed? No, his dad can never know. It'll kill him. It'll kill Javi to retell.

Sometimes, Javi will call Steve and ask about Connie and the kids, and they'll act like they're old school buddies and not tethered together through tragedy and white powder. Steve will ask him about his sleep, and Javi will give some bullshit answer which makes Steve laugh. "Yeah, me too," he says one time. "Woke the baby up the other night 'cause I was talkin' again. Don't even know what about. Isn't that fun?" Javi doesn't give much away. He never does, but sometimes, it's just nice to know he's not alone in his struggle to get back to normal.

Javi is back in town for a full forty days before he finally stumbles across you. At first, he doesn't remember you or your first name. Your last name, however, rattles around his skull until he finally gets the courage to ask if he knows you as he stands in line at the store. "You look familiar." He says, making you laugh.

"I'd hope so. You were practically livin' in my house in high school." You say, throwing him back to his high school baseball days, spending time either in the field or on the ranch with your older brother. You were a little bit younger than him— the daughter of a weathered cattle rancher— and only caught his attention when you were in the way or being an obnoxious teenager. Man, did you grow up pretty, he thinks. Suddenly, he's hyperaware of his sweaty hair, rumpled shirt, and god-awful farmer's tan.

"Last I heard, you'd moved out of town," Javi says, crossing his arms over his chest and eyeing you carefully. The freckles dotting your face from all your time in the sun should be considered lethal, especially when you smile.

"Last I heard, you were engaged." Just as you did then, you don't hold your punches. The jab doesn't hurt, but it does make him laugh, an embarrassed blush crawling up his neck.

"Alright, you got me there," he says. "How's your brother?"

"Good. Married Suzanna a few years ago, and now they've got some babies running around."

"They live around here?"

"Dallas," you say. "Dillon thinks he's too good for us and decided to be a real estate agent out there instead."

"Sounds riveting," Javi says and you laugh. The line gets shorter and shorter as you talk, but he can't focus on anything but you. "And you? What's a pretty girl like you still doing in this shit hole?" Something behind your eyes flickers at the comment and you take a deep breath, suddenly all too aware of how hot it is today.

"Somebody's gotta get Daddy off the horse every once in a while."

"And what? Your mama can't do that for you?"

"She knows better than to keep tryin'. I'm just as stubborn as he is, so one of us'll win or give up before the other."

"Well, my money's on you." He says easily. You stare at each other for a little bit longer than necessary before the clerk calls you by name to get your attention. Your items are scanned, bagged, and paid for all in the span of a few seconds. You have no reason to linger in the checkout aisle, but you do, rocking on your boots' heels just a little.

"Don't be a stranger, Peña." You say, looking him over as if you're seeing him for the first time.

"I don't think this town's big enough for that." He says, and you chuckle.

"No, I don't think so either," you say. "Tell your dad I said hi." With all your Southern hospitality, you turn and leave. Javi watches you go until the clerk calls his name and breaks him out of it. Well, that and the sound of something crashing to the floor makes him reach for a gun he doesn't carry anymore. His shoulders brace for an explosion, and he can't catch his breath. He stares at the box and the broken jars in it as a pissed-off employee storms off to find a broom. He scoffs.

Javi has dealt with some of the most dangerous people in the world, and jams are what spike his adrenaline.

He tries to shrug it off and pay the cashier, but his ears are still ringing, and his heart is still racing when he climbs back into his truck. Fucking jam. He tries to forget about it as he drives home. He wants to forget about it. He wants to think of anything else.

If that happens to be your smile, the way your laugh fills the air, or the inconspicuous way you looked at him when he complimented you, it's just a coincidence.

When he gets home, he's craving a drink or a cigarette or something more physical to get his mind off of what happened. His shoulders slump with the weight of memory and Chucho sees. He always sees. He just doesn't know the right way to fix it.

"Y'know, uh… your friend you used to play baseball with?" He asks, seemingly out of nowhere, as Javi puts away the groceries. He furrows his brows and gives his dad a confused look.

"I had lots of friends I played baseball with."

"He was datin' that girl you went to Homecoming with when you were a freshman?" Of all the things his dad remembers, of course, it's that. Javi resists the urge to roll his eyes and grinds his teeth instead.

"Suzanna?" He asks and Chucho snaps his fingers in a way that tells him that was the right answer. "His name was Dillion. What about him?"

"Well, his dad heard you're back in town and invited us over for a barbecue," he says nonchalantly and Javi scoffs. "I'm not sure how he didn't know, but you know that old fucker's always out doin' something. Somebody probably told him something or the other. Anyway, you can say no. I told him you were still adjustin'."

"I'll go," Javi agrees too fast. "Might be good to… get outta the house. Wouldn't wanna be a stranger." Chucho is surprised but not displeased with Javi's answer, and they leave it as is.

It's just reintegrating into civilian life. It's just socializing. It's just a barbecue. It's not an interrogation or a raid. It's coping.

Apparently, coping could be really fun if he plays his cards right.

TAGLIST: @abbyhaslongshorts @kiwiharrykiwi @sumsworldz @myloveistoolittle @anavatazes @shyminnie07 @beezusvreeland @eddiemunsonsbedroom @harriedandharassed @doodlebob-mp3 @ignorethisplz2004 @buckyispunk @d1lf-loverrr @vee-bees-blog @moel-jiller @anoverwhelmingdin @casssiopeia @space-zaddy-din-djarin @rainy-darling @its-me-mila @mnn11ankamaaka

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inc0mple · 5 months ago

Text

Reiterating this on Tumblr. (These are my own thoughts and opinions that I am expressing for myself.)

You are allowed to be excited about a piece of media, and want to scream about it to the heavens. That's the mark of a good author.

You are also allowed to feel negatively towards media! It's your brain and your opinions!

But if your opinion is positive, I think it cultivates a better community environment to leave positive/affirming comments. Yes the new episode has us all feeling the feels, and I know hyperbole comments like "Author when I catch you author" are very common on Webtoon, especially with big plot events, and are written to be complimentary.

But sometimes threats and accusations towards the author, even meant in a positive way, can start to look like a slew of pure hate mail. You can, generally, say whatever you want on the internet without major retribution (a block or a deleted comment at most, usually). And if it's a well used/obvious hyperbole, like "OMGGGG HOW DARE YOU I'M NEVER GOING TO FORGIVE THIS" or "IM DROPPING THE COMIC" or even wishing misfortune onto the creator of a series (which is never okay to do online, by the way), there likely will not be repercussions because the understanding is that it isn't serious. However, in masses, these comments feel very heavy. I'm not saying you aren't allowed to scream in the comments (and to be fair I'm not allowed to make any rules, I'm just expressing my opinion and easing my own consciousness, but I ask you to at least hear it out), but simply keeping expressively negative language about hating the comic and telling the author to stop making it out of digital spaces can cultivate an equally excited community that feels much better to look at. You can type "AHHHHHHH SCREAMING ABOUT THE NEW EPISODE" without adding the /nrs toxic stuff, sucky words about hate and anger directed towards the comic or creator. This goes for more things than just Cinderella Boy.

And if you do dislike it you're allowed to do that. Just remember nobody owes you. We are reading this comic for free, and we are not entitled to the enjoyment of it. If you want to drop it, drop it; you're allowed to. If you have a grievance with it you can maintain that! But spamming public forums just because the plot didn't go your way isn't really cool. And if you are typing the types of comments y'all know I'm talking about and mean them, check yourself. Those are not okay things to say. Be a good person.

The internet doesn't take away the people behind the screen. I thought this was something we learned in elementary school. You are not just talking to a profile picture and a username. This also doesn't just go for statements directly towards Punko; let's all just be nice to each other and make sure we aren't stepping over people's conversational boundaries that they would have with any reasonable, human stranger - because most of us are strangers, or vague acquaintances. And you wouldn't be yelling at people like that if you were standing in front of you irl, unless they were your friends. And you do not have that level of familiarity with most people online.

How big of an issue this is in this fandom depends on who you ask - for the most part people are so nice here and it's so great - but I just wanted to make a blanket statement because it's something to keep in mind and I've been seeing a lot of it as the finale approaches. If you don't like a piece of media it's probably best to just disengage with it. Also, threats are not okay.

#cinderella boy #cinderella boy webtoon #cinderellaboy #punko

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notmorbid · 5 months ago

Text

the reformatory.

dialogue prompts from the reformatory by tananarive due.

why'd you do a fool thing like that?

don't run barefoot.

school is holier than church.

everyone knowing your name isn't always a blessing.

i can speak for myself.

what's got into you?

you little shit.

you pushed me first.

what would ____ have done?

not all stories are suited for the ears of children.

you can only trust explosive secrets with three people, maybe four.

we should have run away when we had the chance.

you talk too damn much.

we'll get there faster if we cut through the woods.

sometimes life throws you a curveball, and you end up in places you never expected.

are the stories true?

i've never seen a more superstitious place.

there's no such thing as ghosts. that's an absolute fact.

evil is never plain to the eye.

stop fretting. just makes it worse.

sometimes the only justice is a hot meal and a bed to sleep in.

you know how to cook?

it could've been last week, for how well i remember it.

you think i don't know an evil eye when i see one?

if you're dead, stay dead.

you're scared of your shadow. always jumping.

who is it? who locked the door?

none of you can take a joke.

you seem more tired than usual.

you can talk sense when you want to.

men do evil every day and call it 'doing their job'.

i've heard all i can stand.

this is only a season, and it will pass. no matter what happens.

you don't bother me, i won't bother you.

you talk too damn much.

say you're sorry. put it behind you.

there's more ahead for you than this.

this isn't everything. there's more than this.

stories are dangerous.

if i needed you to, you'd cover for me?

no one stays nice. best to remember it.

go on. ask me what i know.

i wish i could say i had good news.

get a good cry out if you want.

you're not as smart about the world as you think you are.

no good talk starts at a bar.

mama used to say that unaired feelings ate you up inside.

i'm sorry. i've got no right to blame you.

don't tell your business on the phone.

hush that damn foolishness.

don't you be sick in my truck.

sometimes the worst thing happens. usually, in fact.

how do you believe in god, with all the bad things?

this whole world is a lie, the bad things and the good things.

you've got an answer for everything, don't you?

it's like you can see every thought in my head.

what did i ever do to you?

don't talk about my parents.

don't talk like you know anything about me.

everybody won't see. but you might.

telling the truth always breaks the peace.

one thing i've learned: everything seems fine, until it ain't. and then we come to see it wasn't ever fine.

i was never allowed to have nicknames.

____ made me feel like i mattered.

be strong. like _____. can you do that?

it'll be alright, as long as you tell the truth.

all a man has in the world is his name. your name outlives you.

i tried to tell you, didn't i?

you're so dumb. not the dumbest i've ever seen, but pretty damn close.

you don't get to ask about ____.

if you see me run, follow behind. no matter what.

please let me do something to help.

they wear you down one wrong at a time.

we should use a code to talk about it.

never give up a chance to laugh.

i'm beyond your help.

being dead isn't so bad.

you thought i didn't know?

does anyone remember you?

you need me, just like i need you.

constant worry steals everything from you.

i don't like strangers in my house.

you need a place to stay, and i have a spare room.

sometimes we say a thing to try to believe it.

i don't know what game you're playing, but it's a dangerous one.

the secret to war is the sacrifices friends make for each other.

we don't all sit around in a clubhouse. is that what you think?

let it out. but when you're done crying, we need to go over the plan.

wait a minute. just slow down.

we're no better than them.

some mistakes you don't come back from.

everything is a trick with you.

i don't want to kill anybody. not even ____.

#rp meme #rp memes #ask memes #sentence starters #inbox meme #ask meme #rp prompts #horror meme #historical meme

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hyunsungies · 1 year ago

Text

jealousy — han jisung

pairing: han x fem reader

genre: smut

word count: 3.6k

warnings: kinda mean dom han, unprotected sex, slightly dacryphilia, english is not my first language (sorry for any mistakes)

when your college teacher asked for that assignment in pairs and said that he would choose the duo of each one, you felt in elementary school again. your assignments always came out perfect with the girls you used to unite with, but this specific teacher said that you should train group work with people you don't know, since, according to him, it would be exactly like that in your future job.

therefore, you were forced to do this with a random boy from your class with whom you have never interacted before. there was no specific reason why you never talked to him. he seemed to be normal and everything, but he hadn't caught your attention.

“so, when can we meet?”

the boy asked you when the class ended. you both have scheduled it for next weekend at your house, or rather, jisung's house. you were dating for so long that you both decided to live together. you didn't feel very comfortable with the idea of going to the house of a stranger. han probably wouldn't even be at home, busy with the new album he was producing with the rest of the group, so it wouldn't be a problem for him, that's what you thought.

the moment you got home, you told him that a classmate would go to your house this saturday to do a job with you.

“only the two of you?”

“yes.”

“both alone?”

hannie looked at you with a grimace, not happy with the idea that you would stay home alone with another guy. he didn’t think you were going to do anything. he would never think that of you, but nothing prevents this guy from trying something with you.

anyway, he didn't protest or anything, he just nodded and went back to doing what he was doing.

when saturday finally arrived, you woke up next to your boyfriend in bed. you were cuddling for a few minutes before you got up to make coffee. jisung showed up in the kitchen exactly when everything was ready and then you ate together.

there was something wrong, though. usually, hannie eats in a hurry and leaves home very early to get to the studio, even more so in times such as the current one, of composing new songs, elaborating new choreographies... today, he was taking advantage of every second of breakfast to taste his food and tell you some news. when you both finished eating, he remained seated, chatting with you, which left you confused.

“aren’t you going to the studio today?”

“actually, no. chan allowed me to work from home.”

…?

so you mean that bangchan, the most workaholic man you know, allowed han to stay at home while they have a new album to release, all this just on the day your classmate will come to your house to do that assignment? you couldn't tell if that was an amazing coincidence or if he had told him about the fact that you would be alone with another man at home and begged not to go to the studio. well, you’ll never know. there was no reason to waste time thinking about it and you were actually glad that he would stay home, so you got up and went do the dishes while waiting for your co-worker’s arrival.

a few minutes later, you and hannie were talking in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. it could only be him. you spied through the peephole before opening the door, just to make sure it was really the guy. after confirming who it was, you turned the key in the lock and pulled the door handle.

“i’’m here.”

he greeted you with a smile and passed by you, admiring the surroundings. he didn't have much time to do that, because jisung soon appeared at the kitchen door and waved to him. the two greeted each other from afar and you introduced them.

“and that’s my boyfriend, han.”

“glad to meet you” the guy said.

hannie smiled and watched the two of you settle down at the dinner table, where you would do the assignment. your laptop was already on the table, so you just turned it on, while your classmate took his own laptop out of his backpack and put it on the table as well. all settled down, you two began to plan what each one would do, creating a sketch and dividing it into parts. you spent a few minutes doing this and, during that time, you completely forgot about jisung's presence in that house, at least until he appeared in the living room with his own laptop in hand and a headset. he mentioned that he would work from home, but you didn't think he would do it in the same room as you, separated by a small space.

both you and the guy stared at him for a few seconds before looking at each other, slightly disconcerted by his presence. however, jisung was not making any noise, with the exception of the keys he pressed with his fingers. taking this into account, you decided to turn your attention to the draft of the assignment and the dialogue you were having with your classmate.

as soon as the appropriate parts were separated, each one started their own work, in order to put everything together at the end. there were moments when you interacted with each other to make sure you were going on the right track. you were already focused a few minutes later, totally concentrated, when, suddenly:

“i didn't want to be annoying, but... can you ask your boyfriend to stay somewhere else? the noise of the keys is distracting me.”

he whispered to you. deep down, you suspected a lot of the reason why he had asked you for this. i mean, you were also typing on your laptop, but why did only your boyfriend's keyboard bother him?

even so, you decided to give in, because you knew how the presence of someone else in the same room can distract you. that said, you turned back in the chair and stared at jisung.

“hannie!”

he had his headphones, so he couldn't hear you, keeping focused on what he were doing. you got up from the chair and went to him, stopping right in front of his face. as soon as he put his eyes on you, han took off the headphones and waited for what you had to say.

“babe, can you work in our bedroom? or anywhere upstairs?”

hannie was visibly confused, not understanding why you were asking for this. he wasn't making any noise, so why ask him to get out of the room? when he looked at your co-worker though, jisung understood that his withdrawal was a wish of his and not yours only by the way he looked at him back. he thought about resisting and questioning you, but he didn't want to create an embarrassing situation for you.

“fine.”

he smiled at you and put his things together, going up to your room and disappearing from your field of view. there was no sign of frustration on his face. when you heard the noise of the door being closed, you went back to the dining table and tried to focus again on what you were doing.

“thanks.”

your classmate smiled as a thank you and turned the focus to his own work. that was strange, but you decided to ignore it. there was something more important now and you needed to finish this.

after a few minutes, you were able to concentrate again. sometimes, you felt the guy looking in your direction. maybe he was making sure you were able to deal with your part or whatever. even feeling his eyes on you sometimes, you didn't let your attention deviate from that assignment. things were flowing well. if you followed that rhythm, you would certainly be able to finish everything today.

silence reigned inside the house, with the exception of the keys you pressed. suddenly, as you finished writing a paragraph, you heard your boyfriend's voice calling your name from your room. some steps were heard too, so you thought he was walking to the room you were again. you diverted your attention from the computer and waited for him to appear on the stairs. jisung actually appeared, but he stopped on the first step and leaned on the handrail.

“can you help me here?”

“right now?”

you asked, not much in order to stop what you were doing. it would be difficult to concentrate again.

“it’s gonna be quick.”

something, you didn't know exactly what, but something made you know that it wouldn't be quick. even though you had this feeling, you couldn't let your boyfriend down. taking a deep breath, you got up from the chair.

“i’ll be right back.”

you told the guy and went towards the stairs. jisung was no longer there, which made you confused. when you arrived in the upper hallway, the door to your room was open. you walked there, thinking that he must be there, but when you entered the place, you realized that it was empty.

that's what you thought. suddenly, the door closed behind you and two hands grabbed your waist from behind. you would have jumped in fright if han wasn't holding you. before you could process what was happening, he got the strands of your hair to the side and started kissing your neck, walking his hands through your body.

“hannie, what are you doing?!”

you didn't move away from him, but you also didn't melt on his hands like you always do. as much as you love all the touches your boyfriend gives you, now was not a very good time for that. there were people at home and you had obligations to fulfill. however, han had no intention of answering you. he kept kissing your neck, until you separated from him and stared at him with a serious face. now that you were far away, he finally made mention of saying something.

“claiming you.”

“w-what?”

his answer didn't make any sense to you. with a naughty smile on his face, jisung began to approach you again.

“that guy, he’s into you.”

there’s no fucking way han was feeling jealous of a random guy you didn't even talk to. even worse, he really thought the boy was hitting on you, and he didn't do anything to indicate this.

“you’re out of your mind right now.”

“stop fooling yourself, i know he asked you to kick me out.”

after finishing this sentence, his hands were already on your waist once again. he kissed your forehead, then your cheek and finally your lips. it was a brief peck, so you could contest soon after.

“babe” you used the nickname in an attempt to make he listen to you “he asked for it because your keyboard was distracting him.”

“did you really believe that?”

it’s true that you found the excuse very weird, but at no time did it cross your mind that he had done it because he was interested in you. in fact, that seemed far from the truth. nothing jisung said would convince you that he was into you. even so, you didn't have an answer to his question, so you just kept quiet. when he realized that you didn't know what to say, he laughed lightly and kissed your neck again, as if he had proven his point.

“i need to go back, hannie…”

“then you’re leaving me for that asshole?” he whispered right beside your ear, licking your earlobe right after.

“i’m not leaving you, but i need to finish that assignment.”

“relax, darling. only a few minutes and i let you go back to him.”

back to him, not it. han wasn't talking about your goddam assignment, but about your classmate, who was waiting for you downstairs. before you could protest and get rid of his hands, jisung pushed you to bed and climbed over you, caging you under his body.

“hannie, not now!”

he completely ignored you, suffocating your words with an intense kiss. in a humiliating way, you ended up surrendering to him for a few seconds, feeling his tongue sliding into your mouth, hot and wet. a few seconds wouldn't kill anyone, right? you would agree to stay there if it were for a short period of time, but when han stuck his hand under your bra and twisted your left nipple, you realized that he had no intention of being quick, so you held his face with both hands and pushed him away from you.

“babe, let me finish that all. i promise i’ll be quick and then I'll give you all the attention you-“

“you’re not going anywhere now.”

jisung went to your neck once again and left a strong hickey there. you tried to push him away from there before he left a mark, but he didn't let go of you. only after making sure that your skin would turn purple, he went back and smiled when he saw the result.

“hannie, please!”

you didn't seem very willing to shut up, so he had to do it for you, kissing you once again. while you were distracted by his mouth, he took off your shorts along with your panties in a blink and left you naked from the waist down.

“babe…”

you tried to protest one last time. surprising you, han grabbed your neck with relative force, enough to restrict a little of the air passage, but not enough to hurt you. looking into your eyes, he said:

“we can do it the easy way, or the hard way. if you keep quiet, i'll be gentle. if you try to stop me again, i'll make that guy down there pretty aware of what we're doing.”

that was the last thing you wanted. when jisung felt like hearing you cry for him, he could do it easily, stuffing his own cock inside your walls so hard that the headboard hit the wall, making a loud noise, but not as loud as your moans. you couldn't take the risk of letting hannie do this to you now, or your classmate would certainly hear everything and you didn't want to go through this embarrassment. therefore, you touched your boyfriend's wrist and nod your head, indicating that you would give in to him. glad with your answer, he finally let go of your neck and gave you one more kiss, seductive as always.

accepting your destiny, you wrapped your arms around the back of his neck and pulled him closer. meanwhile, jisung lowered his own pants enough to leave his dick out. separating his mouth from yours, he put the tip in your slit and looked into your eyes again.

“you better close your mouth, sweetheart.”

you obeyed him instantly, silencing yourself with your hand. that was the best decision you could made because han thrusted into you straight away, not giving you a second to get used to the stretch. as soon as he fit into your walls, jisung grunted and began to move his body.

he had his face right above yours now, biting his own lower lip and suppressing some moans that insisted on coming out of his throat while you had a grimace on your face while using all your concentration so as not to emit any sound. it would only took a little more strength on jisung's thrusts for the headboard to hit the wall. luckily, he had fucked you often enough in that bed to know what rhythm he could follow without making any noise. you thanked the heavens for him collaborating with you. that would end really bad if that was not the case.

“too rough?”

he asked and you nod, hoping that he would slow down. this would help you control the moans, but he just laughed at you.

“i know you can take it.”

han said and continued to push himself in and out of you. this side of jisung is rare to appear. usually, he is very sweet with you while having sex. he only treated you like this on special occasions. today was definitely a special occasion: you had brought another man into your house, one who would do anything to be in your boyfriend's place now. jisung knew this very well and, for him, it was okay for you not to know this! your naivety was cute, but he was there to make sure the guy didn't take advantage of this.

it was getting harder and harder to hold your moans. han's cock was hitting your g spot, making your spine arch. he grabbed your hip tightly, sticking his fingers into your skin to hold you in the same place. the wet noise of the thrusts was loud, but you believed and expected that it was not enough to hear from the dining table. even if it was, you weren't willing to stop now that you were feeling so good.

“god… s-so fuckin wet...”

jisung moaned in your ear. he kissed your neck again, making you clench around him. you could feel that he was getting close by the way he was getting messier, licking your skin nonstop and moaning more often. he also increased the pace of his thrusts, as well as the tightness in your hip.

tears began to appear in your eyes because of the tension exactly when he turned back to face you. hannie was feeling like a good boyfriend, so he started kissing your cheeks where the tears start to run, wiping them for you.

“you look so beautiful crying… it makes me wanna go rougher...”

you looked into his eyes in despair and he laughed at your face. if he decide to do this, the noise would certainly be too loud.

“calm dow, i'm not gonna do that.”

your body relaxed a little after hearing this, but not enough for you to stop crying. the feeling was so good and, deep down, you even wanted him to be mean. sex with jisung made you stop caring about anything, including that guy downstairs. you would certainly let him go rougher at this point, thinking only of your own pleasure, but hannie gladly wasn’t doing this with you.

your mind was going numb. you wanted more, so you pulled your blouse by the hem to leave your breasts exposed and provide a show for sungie. seeing your breasts bouncing with his thrusts made him twitch inside you. hannie wasted no time, he soon lowered his face to the height of your nipples and began to suck them.

your tears increased. it was all too much for you. all that pleasure with jisung's mouth made your walls clench more around his cock. rolling his eyes back, he moved away from your nipples.

“s-shit! i can't take it anymore… 'm gonna-

before his sentence was completed, he came and painted your walls white. his thrusts were gradually decreasing until they stop for all and you were finally able to uncover your own mouth, taking a deep breath right after. when take his dick out of you, he knelt in front of you and climbed your panties in a hurry so that his cum would not slip from you. as soon as he put on your shorts again, he kissed your shoulder a few times and caressed your chin.

“can’t believe you managed to be quiet and let me finish inside you... that’s my girl.”

despite being unable to see his face, you knew that he was smiling right now. frustrated with the time that had passed up there, you got up from the bed in a hurry and left the room, leaving behind a satisfied hannie.

when you reached the edge of the stairs and saw that your classmate was still there, you thanked the heavens that he hadn't gotten tired of waiting for you, gathered his own things and left. as soon as you sat down in the chair again, he looked away from the screen of his laptop and stared at you.

“i'm back.”

“why did you-“

his question stopped unfinished. you imagined that he would ask you why you had taken so long, but it is likely that he already has the answer to this question, since his gaze was focused on your neck, probably where jisung had left a hickey. trying to mask it, you made a confused face to him, waiting for him to finish the question.

“nevermind.”

finally, the guy said and stared at his screen again. you decided to do the same, trying to locate yourself in the last paragraph you had written, which was being very difficult given the feeling of hannie's sperm running down your panties.

#han x reader #han smut #han scenarios #han jisung #jisung x reader #jisung smut #skz x reader #skz smut

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richeeduvie · 1 year ago

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ok so i’m in a super deep angst hole and i wondered what would happen if baby jr or baby were to be kidnapped, like how would roman react or the whole family and like how would the reunion would be like

Okay, Baby Jr being kidnapped is kinda funny to me

been a hot minute since I wrote something a lil long for Roman and Baby, and of course it has to be angst to get me in the mood <3

I know it'd actually be so traumatic and sad when it comes to Roman and Baby's little girl because you know she'd be so scared. All she knows is her Mommy and Daddy and the world they made for themselves. Even if nothing's done to her.

But I remember seeing this siblingroyoc headcanon tiktok where they were kidnapped as a child but Logan didn't do anything about it so the kidnappers felt bad and sent them back. Like, the Succession fandom is filled with geniuses. Anyways, I feel like this is what would happen to Baby Jr in the sense that she's kidnapped by people who don't want to hurt her.

Maybe they realize that along the way, Baby Jr was the wrong choice? She's the baby of the guy who got the fuck out of Waystar and is now doing...nothing but being wealthy? Who knows, I just know that what makes it funny is that Baby Jr would eventually calm down and try to be nice to her kidnappers. She asks if they can play Encanto while Roman and Baby are just panicking.

Just imagine that, Roman about to kill himself while Baby Jr's out there having a good time with her kidnappingbabysitters.

It would happen when Baby Jr's at school. Out of the week, after a hesitant Roman allowed it, Baby Jr gets to go to kindergarten for three days. There's the weekend and then one special day saved for the family. But with all the events of wealthy life going on? Roman takes her out of school so much.

So much so that the school staff thinks the person signing her out of class is just one of the Roy family assistants. You'd think private schooling would have a lot more security.

Baby Jr's happy to get taken out of school by Mommy and Daddy, but she slows with her little legs when she sees it's this...person. She's never seen them before. She puts her thumb near her mouth.

"Daddy told me to come pick you up."

Now, she's learned about stranger danger. Just not in the sense the stranger could get into her school and pretend it's one of the many people whose existence benefit minor activities of the Roy family. She's a bit nervous, but okay. If Daddy said so.

"...Okay."

Okay. So they go. It takes the little girl to see another person waiting for them in the car. They talk, they look intense on the face. All scrunched lines.

Baby Jr wants her Mommy. She'll see her soon, but she wants her now.

"Don't be scared, sweetie. You'll just be with us for a little while."

"She still thinks were taking her to them."

"...What she thinks isn't going to change anything."

What gets Roman, in the all of all it, is how long it takes him to find out his daughter is missing.

He's picking her up, picking at his coat jacket. Baby's at home, making brownie bars. He thumps his hands on the office desk.

"Mr. Roy."

"Hi, Ms. school office lady. Here to pick up my kid."

Roman wants to flick her nose. Why the fuck is she staring at him like that? He'll feel bad that he does when him and Baby Jr past the office and waves her little, chubby hand like she always does.

"I know. School's done in ten minutes, but my wife has brownies that are best when they're fresh, which - can somehow be insanely sexual? But yeah...sorry to be a dickfuck and pick her up but I sorta need her now."

"...But you checked your daughter out at eleven."

Roman doesn't blink.

"No. I didn't."

"Not you. I'm sorry, not you - but your assistant. One of them came in and signed her out."

Roman scratches his neck with his middle finger. It digs in at the end, a sharp pain against the way blood rushes through his ears. He blinks fast.

"Yeah...no, I didn't send any fucking...assistant you're saying? No, no one would've came to pick up my daughter but me today."

"Did your wife send anyone to pick he-"

"She's the one at home, baking. Like I told you a minute ago, I would tell her that I'm leaving to pick up our daughter. Which...I'm here to do so did you make a mistake? Someone pick up their own fucking kid and not mines and it's just her name in the system or whatever?"

The office lady watches Roman's finger shake, tapping quickly on the counter, like he's pressing a key over and over and over again. She swallows.

"Sh-she left. She was sent to the office and she went with him."

The tapping stops.

"...Isn't there a list?"

"A list?"

"A list of people who parents put down as people that can pick their child up. Only those people, which...you're Ms. school Office lady so I'm hoping you fucking know about the list. Ours has...has - we have Connor Roy, Frank Vernon, Shiv Roy. Her son is in the building right now. Unless you're telling me you let him walk the fuck out with a stranger? Right? Is that what you're telling me?"

"...I'm...I'm new. It's only my third day."

Roman stares. The office lady watches his chest begin to rise and deepen.

He closes his eyes.

"Did you say eleven?"

"Yes, Mr. Roy. I am so-it's most likely-"

"It's two. It's going to be two."

"Mr. Roy....Mr. Roy-"

The room and it's walls watches the way Roman pressing the heels of his palm into his eyes, stepping back and out into the hall.

"Oh, fuck."

The walls hear this high, cracking pain in his voice. Something panicked with angry coating his throat. Roman bends at his knees to the floor.

"God. Fuck, fuck - fuck! Oh, God. God. You-"

He gets up suddenly, every line twisted in his face with his hair messy. He jabs a finger to the office lady.

"Call fucking 911! You fucking bitch-you're-you're nothing! Call fucking 911!"

It's the sounds of shuffles and buttons, then ringing. Then cursing.

The brownies are done just in time when there's ringing on Baby's end.

"Roman?"

"You need to come down here. You need to-I um...I'm sorry. I don't fucking know. I don't fucking know but you need to come down here and...fuck."

It's a cracking, soft cry. Baby can imagine Roman rubbing his eyes, or the bridge of his nose.

"What happened? Is she okay? Are you okay?"

Roman and her don't know that he feels like a child caught in the act of something bad. He needs to tell her something. He has to tell her something's wrong, and being the barer feels like a crime. It feels like he's going to kill her, and Roman doesn't think he's ever wanted to hurt her in his life.

"Someone fucking took her. They don't know who. The uh, the brainless bitch who gets fed off the tuition money said that it was someone who said they were one of our assistants."

Baby Jr turns to the cat paw oven mitts she got for Baby Jr. She looks to the tile floor.

"No. No."

She says it like saying no will change things. It's simple.

"Can you come down here, please? Please? I'm sorry, I should've picked her up earlier or...or shot the office staff in the head."

"When did h-he he...when did...was it a he?"

"Apparently. But I need that to not...not matter. Please, come down here."

It's all a plea where Baby doesn't know if Roman's on the verge of crying or he's just finished crying.

"I need that to not matter to you. But when? Are you asking when?"

Baby takes a breath that shakes with her body. She holds her palm against her stomach. If she presses in, she can feel her c-section scar.

Tears come as quickly as the panic.

"Roman."

"It's been two hours since they took her."

Baby's head tilts up, face twisting and quivering and her spine curves. She cries harshly.

Roman closes his eyes at the sound. He lowers his head.

"Can you come down? Please, I've sent someone to get you but fuck that if you just wanna come down here by yourself. But please, come down. Please."

It's an long, almost-gentle begging from Roman. He needs her body, he needs her for any sort of reality. He needs to cling onto her and he can't listen to her cry without wanting to touch her, bring her down. But he fucking can't right now because she's there and he's here and their daughter is gone.

Not gone. He'll do a lot of things if she's gone.

It's a big news story even before Baby manages to make it down to the school. It's a Waystar kid kidnapped midday. It's press, parents, people all over. It's a sea she has to cross. She can't cross it without notice, not when she's the mother.

But the flashes and callings fog out at the right of Roman. He's pale and brightly red all at once.

Baby Jr would giggle.

Her feet pick up. His don't even when he sees her. He knows he'll fall into the ground and he won't be able to get back up. But his face against her chest and his arms wrap like suffocation around his crying wife. Hers do too around his.

"Shiv's called about five times. And Karolina, for some reason, as if our daughter's on the company deed. I'm not even on anything anymo-"

"Did they find anything yet?"

Roman can't avoid that question because he's been asking it every thirty seconds. He gets more into a pale rage when the answer doesn't change.

"No. No, because they can't fucking do anything right. They can't find her. They can't-"

"Roman."

Baby pulls his hand away from his shoulder across. He was digging. She thinks he's colored a bit of his shirt red. She sees his coat on the steps of the school.

"Can we do something? Like fucking-they keep telling me I can't do anything and I get the feeling like I could rip their jaw apart but she wouldn't want me to do that."

Baby looks at the small of Roman's body, but the bigness of his rage and panic. It the fidgeting and shifting. For her, it's tears and questions where she can't afford kindness. As a mother, she can't afford cordialness to anyone at the moment.

"Mr. Roy, we got the security footage of them leaving the building. And...are you Mrs. Roy?"

Baby nods. The officer pulls out a phone, makes them watch the footage of a man dressed casually hold their daughter's hand.

Baby breathes so unevenly watching it, she wouldn't give anything to that man in the grained video if she could afford it. Roman keeps his mouth covered by his knuckles.

"Do you recognize this man at all?"

"No. I don't. Roman?" They both wait for Roman. His vein pops out and pumps. Pulses. His brow is raised under it. It's all harsh, it's nerves and it makes Baby even more nervous. She didn't know that was possible. "Roman?"

"Sir-"

He presses play on the video again. It's a short feature, ten seconds of bare information but Roman winds it out to forty seconds.

He presses pause.

"Roman."

It's a soft scolding as Baby licks and bites her lips, as Roman slaps the phone to the ground. He walks away, hands grabbing at the back of his head to pull at his hair.

"Roman, not this. We don't have to talk about everything, about how this happened, but we need to listen to them - we need to think about what's happened? Maybe? To figure out any information?"

She waits half as long in his silence.

"Rom-"

"Do you think she's asking for us right now?"

Baby closes her eyes. "Don't think of these things, baby. It's not going to help-"

She thought of every question she could on the ride here. Roman turns to her but looks to the ground.

"She's asking for us and wondering why we're not there? Our daughter's out there with people who will be dead come time and she's wondering why Daddy hasn't come to get her? Because I don't mean to think that highly of myself as a father but she wants her Dad to come save her and she doesn't know why he can't."

"She knows we're looking for her, Roman."

"She's five. She knows Mommy and Daddy, she doesn't know that things can come in between Mommy and Daddy. She's wondering where we are, isn't she?"

"Roman-"

"Why aren't we there?"

The way he asks the question, it sounds like years ago.

Baby cries silently, into Roman's shoulder when she tries to comfort him. It's this way until a phone rings.

"Mr. Roy. Mrs. Roy. The kidnappers have called, we have them on the phone. They've managed to get the chief's office personal number. With the information they've given, it appears to be a standard ransom case. They have said your daughter is unharmed-"

Roman's dragging Baby, both in the aftermath of their tears to the Chief officer.

"Give me the phone."

"Mr. Roy-"

"Give me the phone."

"Mr.Roy-"

And like a child, Roman snatches the phone out of their hand. It would be humorous if not for the situation. Baby Jr would've giggled.

"...Hello?"

How quickly Roman's hands find the need to pinch and peel at the sound of their voice would be funny too. His nose flares.

"I'm going to take the skin off your feet. Where is my daughter?"

"...She's fine. I said she's unharmed. This is not a political act, this is not a personal one against Waystar or the Roy family, although you can say we picked you due to your politics and what Waystar has done, but this is where we ask for ten million dollars in exchange for your daughter's safety."

Roman sniffs.

"Okay. I'll paypal it to you. Let me speak to her, though."

Baby's more than willing to give up anything for their daughter. She never expected anything less than Roman giving up ten million like it's nothing. Everything is nothing in the face of their baby.

"...Reall-"

"Put her on the fucking phone."

"...Alright."

There's shuffling. Roman and Baby wait as they barely blink.

"Daddy?"

Roman exhales something heavy. It's almost a laugh, but Baby cries fully again. Her forehead presses into the side of his head. Their breathing is unevenly, but somehow aligned with the other's lungs.

"Are you okay? This is Daddy. Daddy's sorry, honey. Did they hurt you?"

"No. We're watching Coco. I was super fear. It was crazy! Cause I didn't know anyone here, but they like Coco like I like coco. And they have Candyland! So it's okay. It is almost done. Where is Mommy?"

"I'm here, baby."

"Hi, Mommy."

It's so sweet and soft. Baby Jr hums.

"Daddy's sorry. We're-" Roman chokes on his own spit. "We'll be with you soon."

"Why are you sorry, Daddy? I go now, so you can say later."

Roman's stomach eats itself at the idea of her going. There's ten to eighty thoughts of how these people could be lying, how this could be the last time he hears her. It could be false, fake. He twitches. They could be doing everything his nightmares are made of. The things that are why he keeps her and Baby to himself.

This could be something that kills him. It drinks his blood and cuts off the air to his head and muscles.

But trusting these fuckers is believing she'll be in his arms soon, to never leave the penthouse or Mommy and Daddy. So, Roman lets her off the phone.

"We will text you the instructions on how we want the money delivered to us."

"Yeah, fuck you. Fucking bitch. You're so fucking ugly too. An ugly little nothing. You go ahead and do that."

Roman shoves the phone into the officers chest.

"Just, do whatever you want with my bank account."

It's a bit of time in trying to get ten million suddenly ready to deliver, but it's done. They wait. Roman can stop twitching and Baby can't stop wringing her hands. They both think of Baby Jr's room. They don't know the other thinks of the same thing.

"They've dropped her off at Waymond park."

They're at Waymond park way too quickly for the ride there to have been legally possible.

"Go fucking faster! Jesus fuck."

Baby wishes she could say that's not what she wanted to say to the driver.

Car doors slam when they see the little girl in the coat they made her wear to school on the swings. Always a bit too warm, that's how Roman likes it.

Baby Jr kicks her little legs. She lifts her head when she hears her named yelled out. She smiles brightly. Those little legs don't run sharply, and they can't catch her when Roman and Baby engulf her.

But they can catch her. They'll always be there to catch her.

Baby Jr giggles at how funny her parents are. They're hugging her like it's a competition to see who can hug the tightest and longest. So, she tries to join in. But she won't win.

Roman kisses her head as tears wet her hair, Baby's tears wet his. He kisses her. They kiss each other.

"I'm going to ask Kendall if we can borrow Colin."

Baby's not against that, not when she's a mother and her daughter's back in her arms.

#inbox #hc's #drabble #dog and bone!au #succession fic #succession fanfiction #roman roy x reader

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wolfs-archive · 4 months ago

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"I like him. I've never told it to him?"

Masterlist

Summary: When the heart knows he is the one, why hesitate? Who knows if things could go as how's we expect. If we don't pursue what we want, then we'll end up regretting not trying it. So is the story of Y/N and Lee Felix.

Pairing: CoworkerFelix X CoworkerY/N

Genre: Coworkers to lovers, a slight hint of angst, mentions of alcohol, drunk confessions.

Note: The Felix or the other members mentioned here are no where related to the idol Stray Kids and are just a fictional character. Minors DNI please!!!

'Y/N, I'm finally happy.. your hard work has paid off finally. Lee Felix you better treat my bestfriend properly, else no matter what, I'll fly from Netherlands to beat you up.' said Sunny, Y/N's best friend. Y/N and Sunny were friends since high school, the different majors brought the friends even more closer. And 11 years, they still were best friends. 'Y/N, why do you have such a best friend?' asked Felix with a scrunched face. 'Remember I am her first husband, she used to talk about you every now and then when she started her career.' Sunny said, to which Felix made fun of her face.

Just a few minutes Y/N and Felix would officially become husband and wife. Thoughts flooded Y/N's mind. She thought what would have happened had she not had the courage to speak out her mind to her parents and Felix.

*****

3 years ago, Y/N had just then graduated out of engineering school. She landed a job.. Being new to the corporate world, she felt like a fish lost in the sea. Thanks to her coworkers, she started shining much than an average person would. As months passed by, she got used to other teammates and she learnt a lot from people around her. Being not just the youngest, she was really pretty. There were times people said it right to her face that she was pretty, while there were others who asked about her through her coworkers. But of all the people, Y/N's eyes searched only for one person, Lee Felix. Felix was another colleague of hers where she didn't know he existed until she saw him at some office event. Until then Y/N who never knew what love at first sight was, knew she wanted to live the rest of her life with him. Y/N brought up in an orthodox family had a lots of conditions when it came to her marriage. Her parents didn't want their daughter's heart to be broken by a random stranger and hence, never allowed her to date anyone. She knew the conditions of her parents, and that's what reminded her the first thing. She tried to befriend him. As days passed, she tried hiding her crush for Felix and started to accept him as her friend. But who knows what went into Felix's head, when the whole workplace called her pretty, he didn't find her so. She tried her maximum to just stay as friends, but there was no interest from his side. Y/N cried a lot of days thinking if she was at fault, but then Sunny told her that she would definitely find someone who treats her the way she deserves to. There did happen a few instances where the actions of Felix brought some hope to Y/N. This was when Y/N was dressed so nice for a festival, when both Y/N and Felix met at the airport, when they met at the coffee shop etc., But for every 1 step Felix moved ahead, he took 10 steps backward. Y/N who was tired of all this decided to focus on her career. One fine day when Y/N had to move to some other floor for work, Felix who saw her in the hall way asked her where her team was as she was not found anywhere. This indeed sparked a flicker of hope in Y/N, but then it was completely doused off. She vowed never to fall for that guy again.

Few months later, Y/N saw herself working for some other company at a different city. Not a single day passed by without the thought of Felix. She tried to forget him but was of no use. In order to redeem herself, she started going on blind dates. Every guy she met unintentionally made her think about Felix. Sunny was always there for Y/N anytime and every time she needed her, not just as a best friend, but an advisor too.

Eventually Y/N's parent's decided to get her married off. Her parents being considerate enough of her asked her if she had anyone on her mind. Y/N at that point felt she shouldn't miss this last chance and said, 'I have a person in my mind. I like him. I've never told it to him, but I don't want to regret not telling it to him' saying so, she texted Felix after 2 years to meet him at the coffee shop they used to run into. Felix who was in his mid 20s when Y/N met him, was now almost hitting his late 20's. She never thought he would become this handsome. After exchanging pleasantries, Y/N came straight to the point. 'Listen Lee Felix, I fell for you the day I met you, it was love at first sight. I was not sure if you would like me back hence I never confessed it to you, but I'm pretty sure you're not so dense to understand what goes on a girl's mind. I'm not sure if you have a girlfriend now, but I'm pretty sure I'd regret my whole life if I don't let you know at least now. My parents are seeking alliance for me, I told them I like a guy but he doesn't know it yet. That's it.. I'm not expecting anything else from you, because you've already hurt my feelings with your push and pull game. I've conveyed whatever I want to. Thanks for coming.' saying so Y/N left with tears.

That night to celebrate her return back to the town, her friends arranged a girls night. Y/N didn't expect so much of a reply from Felix, at least she thought he would have something to say. The girls seeing their youngest so sad, decided to cheer up and play the apt game. In the due course of time Y/N got so drunk that she lost sense and all she did was just call Felix in the middle of the night bawling asking him why he didn't like her. For the first time ever, she poured all the things that Felix himself didn't realise he had done. The call went for an hour and later when Y/N stopped talking Felix cut the call and texted her to meet him at 12 in the afternoon at the usual coffee shop they meet.

Y/N who woke up the next day with a hangover was horrified over what she did. Seeing Felix's text added to her worries. But she somehow managed to make it to meet him by 12 at the destined place. 'I'm sorry for whatever I said yesterday, I never meant it. If I had spoken ill of you somehow I apologise for that.. I was...' before she could finish the lines, Felix went closer to her and sealed her with a kiss. A flabbergasted Y/N blinked twice and kept mum. 'Y/N, you were the prettiest in the office, trust me I was not sure what a pretty girl wanted with me so I didn't want to get ahead of myself. In fact the times you spoke to me, I felt quite annoyed, but I kind of understood it only when you left me. The first year, I didn't even focus on my work and my manager said she was sure I was missing you. She was the one who made me realise, that I was in love with you even when you were here as she had seen us. She said I've never seen you talking so happily to anyone except that girl.She told me to take time but come back to work. I took a week's time but still I couldn't forget you either. I was hoping to talk to you but I couldn't gather the courage to. When you had called me yesterday to meet me, a part of me was so excited while another part of me prayed that you wouldn't want to meet me to give your wedding invitation. I knew how stupid I was and how much you were mad for me with your drunk confessions. I'm really sorry for making you to wait. I don't know how to propose, but I want you to be my wife and us to live a happy life raising kids. We can be the best parents, and the best couple.' Felix said. 'Says the man who says he can't propose' said a tearing Y/N.

*****

'Y/N, Y/N say something.... ' said Felix. 'Sorry what?' she asked. The vows..' he said. 'You know what? I feel the proudest. I don't think I need to achieve anything else, when I have you' said Y/N pulling him into a deep kiss as they exchanged vows...

Let me know if you need a Part 2.

A question to all readers, had the main character not been Felix and was just a commoner, would you guys consider this guy's traits to be toxic?

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clownieboidi3 · 2 months ago

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Set-Up

Gareth x fm reader (not completely edited)

Dustin Henderson was enraged. He was mad at his mom and the utterly ridiculous rule she made. Dustin was not allowed to date until his sister started dating. Claudia Henderson knew exactly what she was doing when she made that rule, she knew that her daughter was not the dating type so it would be a while until she finally got a boyfriend. Claudia knew it was selfish, but she wanted Dustin to stay as 'young' and 'innocent' for as long as possible. She just didn't want to lose her youngest child, her baby. Now, Dustin had no problem with keeping secrets, but he wanted to be able to speak openly about his girlfriend without having his mother react negatively.

Ophelia Henderson, wasn't a shy, closed-off person. And with the past events dealing with the upside down and all the crap that has happened in Hawkins, she has become more mature. She was not afraid to speak her mind when it was needed and could easily start up a conversation with a stranger if she felt like it. The only reason why she didn't date was because no one ever really spiked her interest. Of course, Ophelia had crushes before but never felt that those feelings were strong enough to act on. So, when she heard the bizarre rule her mom made, naturally she felt bad for her brother. Ophelia knew about Suzie, and Dustin frequently complained to her about not being able to discuss his first girlfriend in front of Claudia.

Ophelia had been home from school for quite some time now and was studying in her room; Duran Duran who was playing in the background made it easier to stay focused. Ever since the start of her junior year, she made a promise to herself to study extra hard in prep for college, even though it was still a while away. Ophelia would like to think of herself as a confident and determined person who loves being challenged, so setting goals has always been fun for her. There was a light knock on the door which she could only assume was her mother and quickly got up to open the door.

"Hey Hun, Dustin asked to be picked up. You wouldn't mind doing it would you?" Claudia asked with pleading eyes and a small smile.

"Yeah sure, I can do it. I don't have much going on anyway, but I expect an extra slice of pie after dinner tonight." Ophelia and her mom have always been close ever since her dad left. Being the oldest child and Claudia's only daughter there was an unspoken bond that caused them to get along well. But like every family, they did have their disagreements from time to time.

Claudia let out a short laugh, "Of course, whatever you want, sweetie." Ophelia grabbed her keys and hopped into her small Ford Escort. Ophelia thought it was a cute car and practically begged her mom to get it for her when her 16th birthday came, since then she has treated it like it was the most important thing ever. So naturally, she kept it tidy, the only super distinctive thing in the car with her was her bag that she brought everywhere because it has 'everything' in it. It took a decent amount of time to get to the school since they lived basically in the middle of nowhere, usually, that didn't bother Ophelia since she spent her life here, but the drives could be a bit tedious at times.

𖦹Earlier𖦹

Dustin was in a sour mood the entire morning which followed him to lunch. He was staring at the back of Ophelia's head hoping somehow telepathically she could feel his anger, they coincidentally had the same lunch period (they sat with different people). Lucas and Mike have been talking about whatever until Mike finally spoke up. "Why are you staring at Ophelia?"

"She got asked out again, and it wasn't even like some nerd. It was a jock and she still rejected him! Why can't she just date someone and make my life easier?" Dustin was still staring at her with an annoyed look on his face. He just couldn't understand why his sister had to have such high standards.

"Do you really think a jock is her type? And if you're so mad at her rejecting everyone, why don't you just try setting her up with someone who she will like?", Lucas said while picking up a French fry from his tray.

Dustin looked over to Lucas, "Oh my God, I don't know why I didn't think of that in the first place. But what do you think her type is?"

Lucas thought for a moment, "Well she's smart and likes to read, she listens to a lot of music too. So, we just need to find someone who's like that." The guys collectively thought of some who kind of matched that description. Mike looked down to the other side of the table where the rest of the members of the D&D club they're a part of, sat.

"I think I've just thought of the perfect person." Both the guys look to Mike and then over towards the person who he was pointing to.

"Do you really think she'll like him, of all people?" Dustin questioned Mike. Mike shrugged; Dusting looked at his sister again. He decided that he would do whatever he can to push Ophelia toward the idea of dating his club member.

𖦹𖦹

Ophelia pulled up to the high school, parking in a spot nearest to the entrance. There were a few cars scattered in the parking lot from staff and members from other clubs. This wasn't the first time that she had picked up Dustin, so she had little to no trouble finding the club room. Usually, the meetings were over before Ophelia could get to the club room, however, today she could hear voices coming from the room. It was muffled but still loud enough to make out different voices. She knocked on the door and was greeted by her fairly shocked bother.

"Oh, Ophelia. You're early," Dustin coughed out, almost chocking on his spit at the sight of his sister at the club door.

"Didn't you call Mom", Ophelia rightfully questioned. Dustin thought for a second and shut the door.

"Uh- rude", she scoffed. Ophelia heard a conversation start up again from within the room but quieter than previously. Ophelia just leaned on the wall near the door waiting to resume questioning her brother. When the door opened again the girl was greeted by a different face.

"Well, well, well, you must be Henderson's sister that I've heard so much about. I am-", the new face started to say.

Ophelia quickly interrupted, "Yeah, you're Eddie Munson. You're supposed to be the leader of this group, right?" Of course, Ophelia had heard of Eddie, it was hard not to when he makes quite a stir at lunch; plus, the rumors of Eddie the 'Freak' were hard to ignore. Being 20 and still being a senior is a hard feat to accomplish, and doesn't go unnoticed by the school oriented girl. She did not really approve of her young impressionable brother hanging out with a grown adult like that, but it's not like she can do much. All she does is tell Dustin how much she would rather see him hang out with Steven. The smile on the eccentric 20-year-old grew as the girl Henderson's went down.

"You know who I am? I'm honored. As you can see our campaign has been, well, prolonged. So, you're going to have to come back another time, or you can wait and watch" Eddie said. Ophelia thought for a second, drive home just to come back later? As much as it pained her to have to spend any more time with Eddie, she had her mind set on her brother (and gas money) so she decided to stay.

"Yeah, no. I didn't drive all the way here for nothing. I'm definitely going to take up your offer." Eddie happily opened the door wider. With the door out of the way she could see a perfect view of all the club members and them staring right back at her. 'Yeah, totally not awkward at all', Ophelia couldn't help but think. Dustin who sensed the awkwardness radiating from his sister decided it was a good time to introduce her.

"So, guys, this is my sister, Ophelia. Ophelia these are the members of Hellfire." Ophelia had recognized his brother's best friends, Lucas and Mike, but she didn't recognize the three other members, but she assumed she'd meet them later. Her brother grabbed a chair and went to set it next to him but was interrupted by Eddie.

"Henderson, you can come set the chair next to me." Ophelia looked at Dustin, her brother mimicked her actions but just shrugged and went to go set the chair next to the dungeon master. Eddie's smile was still as wide as it was when she insisted on staying which she didn't give a second thought to because it fit his personality. Ophelia didn't hesitate to get comfortable and pull out a book, she missed the look Dustin gave to Eddie as if a plan was working just the way he wanted it to. But she did notice the guy sitting on the other side of her who seemed to have incredibly fluffy hair. She noticed the curve of his jaw and the deep shade of his hair, taking short peeks from her book, trying not to come off as creepy in the cute guys peripheral view. She said a small 'hi' to the cute mystery dude to be polite and went back to reading her book. The rest of the campaign didn't last long, and Ophelia was honestly a little annoyed with Eddie trying to spike up a conversation while she was attempting to read. She thought it was strange, like if he is supposed to be the dungeon master, why is he expending so much of his attention on her? Ophelia was fighting the urge to roll her eyes far back into her head at every comment pointed for her to hear, his lackeys also beginning to get irritated.

When the campaign ended after a grueling 10 minutes, she decided to get a head start and go start the car, not noticing that she left behind her book which lay in the chair where she previously sat. Once she got to the car, she grabbed the keys from the bag noticing the missing book almost immediately.

"Go ahead and wait in the car, I forgot to grab my book." Ophelia threw Dustin the keys who was almost nice enough to comply but decided to go socialize with Mike and Lucas who were by the bike rack, instead. Ophelia just rolled her eyes, she passed by two of the three guys she didn't recognize and Eddie a while after them.

"Henderson, you're still here? Don't tell me you missed me?"

"You wish, I was just unfortunate enough to leave my book behind."

"Well, if you need help, I'm sure Gareth will be willing to help you, it's his turn to clean up the club room." Ophelia didn't know who he was talking about but just assumed it was one of the three mystery boys she didn't get a chance to ask names of. She didn't think much about it and just focused on getting her book.

When she got back to the club room, she saw the guy Eddie mentioned but was surprised to see it was the fluffy-haired guy. He was in the middle of wiping the now cleared table, caught surprised.

"Oh girl Henderson, funny seeing you back here", Gareth commented stopping mid swipe of a rag on the now cleared board.

Ophelia replied, I guess that's me, and you must be Gareth."

"Wow, you know who I am, that's a nice surprise", the boy coughed back, shocked. Ophelia smiled, she remembered what she had heard during the campaign and thought it would be funny to tease Gareth a little. Sitting next to him didn't give her the best chance to get a good look at him, but now face to face she could see his bouncy hair, blue eyes, and even the necklace that dangled over the table with the pirate charm weighing it down. Ophelia caught a couple of glimpses of his side profile when she looked up from time to time when she was reading her book and already thought his side profile was cute, but now getting to see him in full let her appreciate his beauty.

"Whaaat how could I not know you, aren't you Gareth the Great?" Ophelia purposely prolonged the 'what' for an added effect. The boy who was still trying to brush the earlier embarrassment tried to laugh it off as a new fire was added to his cheeks. Ophelia could see a light blush on his cheeks, she found that cute and made her more interested in getting the Hellfire member more reactive.

"Of course, you heard that totally not embarrassing at all. But at least I wasn't reading some sappy romance novel with the name 'Beginners' Love'." Now it was Ophelia's turn to be embarrassed, she laughed slightly trying to think of a comeback. Of course she had to pick to re-read her favorite cheesy romance series at this time, of all the books on her shelf.

"It's a good book, I doubt you read anything at all", Ophelia fired back.

"I actually do things with my life so no I don't get a chance to read much", laughed Gareth. He had caught onto Ophelia's playful insults and decided to throw one right back at her. He did not mind one bit as long as it meant he got to keep the pleasant interaction going.

'Finally' , Ophelia thought, she was finally talking to a boy who wasn't afraid of a little sarcasm. Ophelia knew she was a pretty girl, she wasn't blind on the advanced of the boys in her grade (and sometimes underclassman that got a quick firm no), in fact, Ophelia was too aware of how all the boys who would come to her where well... bland. She knows it's hard to be picky in a small town like Hawkins, but with as much as this girl has read it was hard for her not to dream of that 'perfect man'. Quickly Ophelia fired back, "Oh yeah? What do you do, Gareth besides Role-play 24/7?"

"For your information, I am in several different clubs AND I'm in a band", Gareth said with a quick smirk forming on his face. Ophelia would have never guessed that Gareth was in a band, but she could see him being in chess club or something equally nerdy. Now hearing that, she could only imagine what his role in the band could be. She imaged Gareth playing different roles, scream-singing into a mic, sliding his fingers down the cords of an electric guitar, or even playing slamming down onto the keys of a keyboard.

"You're in a band? No way, do you have proof?"

Gareth let out a quick huff, "Do you just expect me to carry around drum sticks everywhere? If you want proof you can come to our practice, tomorrow." The cat was out the bag, Gareth was a drummer. Ophelia almost found it fitting for him to be the one to let all his anger out onto the instrument, she started to imagine him playing on it. His hands getting sweaty as the callouses formed from the wore out sticks, sweat dripping down his forehead getting flung all over the set as he banging his head to the beat of his drums. Henderson was now full on blushing as she tried to shake the thoughts of him out her head.

"I'm definitely going to be there; I have to see this to believe it." Ophelia and Gareth continued their banter about books and Ophelia brought up how Gareth just caught her with a good-bad book and telling him to 'just wait and see' when it got cut short by Dustin barging in.

"Ophelia, how long does it take to find a b-" Dustin noticed both his sister and Gareth looking back at him, this was not the guy he hoped Ophelia found interest in. When Dustin set up Ophelia to sit next to Eddie, he was hoping that she would see the charisma and charm of his character that he felt was obvious. He spent a good time talking his sister up to the dungeon master to even get him to agree with the idea of a set up, now it could all get messed up because the older Henderson couldn't just do what Dustin wanted her to do.

Trying to quickly end any ideas he quickly chirped up, "Oh, Gareth I see you've met my sister, but we should be on our way now." Ophelia gave Dustin a look and he took the hint and went ahead without her.

"Sorry about him, but he's right I should get going", she said as she grabbed her book from his calloused hands, confirming her daydream, and shoved it in her bag. Ophelia didn't know what compelled her to do it but she impulsively pulled out a small piece of paper and quickly wrote her number. When Gareth got the paper, he was surprised, he has never got a girl's number before, and with such ease. Maybe he should mention his band more.

"Call me so I can get the details of your band practice" Gareth nodded and Ophelia smiled leaving the room.

#stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #dustin henderson #eddie munson #gareth stranger things #gareth x reader #fanfic #first fanfic #not my idea

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thezombieprostitute · 1 year ago

Text

Dream Come True - Part 4

Summary: The “Garbage Men” are the guys in the mob who get the dirt on others and clean up after the higher ups. They have many different ways of gathering intel by running legitimate businesses. One such business is Jefferson/Jensen’s cyber cafe where you regularly go to work. You’ve actually become good friends with Jefferson’s daughter and Jensen’s niece. You even volunteered as their after-school tutor. One day, there’s a robbery attempt where you get hurt protecting the girls. This is how you are introduced to Curtis Everett, the guy in charge of the “Garbage Men”.

A/N: Reader is plus sized, femme. No other descriptors used.

Word Count: ~2000. I think this is my longest chapter.

Warnings: Bullying, Fat shaming, Insecure reader, Violence mentioned and referenced but not written. Please let me know if I missed any!

Series Masterlist

Part 3 -- Part 5

It figured. You had an interview in an hour and now Curtis had time to talk to you. You could probably catch a cab and still arrive on time, so long as you kept this conversation short.

As soon as he walked into the cyber cafe (your second home at this point) you stood up and got his attention. He looked a little surprised to see you standing but you remembered every time he's seen you so far it was in a hospital bed. It's been a few weeks and your leg was still stiff but you were diligent in your physical therapy and healing well.

He walked over to you, accompanied by someone you didn't recognize. As soon as he got close enough you directed him to the office in the back, "Jefferson gave me permission to use his office for this discussion." Curtis nodded and the three of you went into the room, closing the door behind you.

"Hello," you reach a hand towards the stranger, "I'm Y/N. I don't think we've been introduced."

"Mace," he shakes your hand with a smile. "We've never met but I have heard a lot about you."

"It's nice to meet you," you return the smile. Looking at Curtis you continue, "we need to talk about either my schedule or Hal's, Sir."

Curtis gestures to the chairs and you all take a seat.

You start, "I understand that there are a lot of things you can't account for in your scheduling but Hal has had to cancel every session I've tried to have with him. And if I'm not tutoring, I'm not getting paid."

"We can put you on retainer," Curtis started.

You interrupted him with a scoff. "I'm not getting paid to do nothing, Sir. What's more, this is hurting Hal. He wants to learn but your chaotic scheduling is preventing that. Do you know how discouraging that can be? To finally have a resource but never be allowed to use it?"

Curtis sighs and looks at Mace, "do you think we can figure out a consistent time?"

"It'll take some work," he replies. "And, as the lady points out, there are things we can't plan for. But it should be possible."

Curtis looks at you, questioningly and you nod your head, "thank you both. This has been very frustrating for me and Hal so I really appreciate it."

"Eh," Mace replies, "what's a little more work?"

"Well I don't mean to cut into your time off with this, Sirs," your tone apologetic.

"We don't do time off," Curtis cuts in.

"What? Why not," you demand. "Time off is important for physical and mental health."

"We have to show our people that we're not asking them to do anything we wouldn't do ourselves," Curtis replied calmly.

"That's bullshit," you exclaim. "No wonder everyone's schedules are so hectic! You're all too exhausted and worn out to think straight!"

"We've been doing this for years," Curtis angrily interjects. "It's clearly been working."

"If you, Hal and Jake are any indication it's only working because of an ungodly amount of caffeine and luck," you retort. "You either need to get some more people or start scheduling R&R for you and your employees, Sir."

You're so focused on Curtis that you don't see Mace smiling, clearly trying not to laugh. Curtis's eyes soften a bit and he nods in concession.

"Thank you." You check your watch, "now if you'll excuse me, I have an interview to get to."

"What?" Curtis looked shocked. You almost think you saw some hurt in his eyes.

"My work for you will always get highest priority, Sir," you assure. "But it's very part-time work, that you’ve been unintentionally sabotaging and keeping very part-time. And that overly generous back pay won't last forever. So I'm looking at getting another income."

"Do you need a ride to the interview," Mace offers.

"No, but thank you," you reply. "The Wilford & Gilliam Trust building isn't too far and I can afford a cab."

Both men froze at your words as you got up and tried to leave. Curtis quickly blocked your access to the door and nearly growled, "you're not going to that interview."

"Excuse you?" Your eyes widen in surprise. "I've already told you that my work for you will get top priority and that I need the income, Sir. Now please move. I don't want to be late."

"You're not working for Wilford & Gilliam," Curtis barked. "You need another income? Fine. I'll find you another job. But you're not working for them."

"It's just a part-time, data entry kind of job," you retort. "And it's consistent, reliable work."

"They're horrible people who fund even worse people," Curtis scowled. "I know you like your data to back up these kinds of things but I can't tell you how I know."

You scan Curtis's face, take aback at the intensity of his conviction. There is no room for doubt that he believes in what he's saying. "Okay, Sir," you concede. "You've yet to do wrong by me so I'll trust you. I will still look for a second job, in case you can't find me one, but it will not be with them."

Satisfied with your answer Curtis let's you leave. As soon as you're out the office door he sees the grin on Mace's face. He gives him a questioning look but before Mace can say anything they hear you exclaim, "Mr. Drysdale?!"

Both men rush out to the main cafe and see Ransom looking uncharacteristically repentant.

"Y/N," Ransom gulped, "come back to work for me. Please."

"No," you responded before trying to walk around him.

Ransom blocks your path, "please! I...I made a mistake and I would like to make it up to you."

"No," you repeat, patience wearing thin.

"I'll double your pay, please!"

"Hire someone else!"

"I'VE TRIED," he shouts. "Their work doesn't get me through writer's block like yours did. Their research is all dry facts that are hard to absorb. You wrote in such a way that it was easy for me to figure out how to write it into the story. So PLEASE come back to work for me!"

"Do you know why I requested remote work, Mr. Drysdale?" He shakes his head, not used to the iciness in your voice. "I heard you complaining about me to your grandfather, the one who made you hire me. You never had a problem with my work but you still insisted he let you fire me so you could get a pretty assistant. One who was, to use your words, preferably fresh out of college. Because how could you be expected to write when you had to look at ugly, fat ass instead of a beautiful muse?"

Ransom at least had the decency to look ashamed but you didn't relent.

"So I worked remotely, making sure you wouldn't have to see me and I wouldn't have to put up with your looks of disgust. And then, when I got hurt, you cut me loose. So, no, Mr. Drysdale, I will not be working for you ever again. I prefer a reliable employer who appreciates my work."

You try to walk past him but he puts an arm out to stop you. Before you can react to the arm, Curtis has pulled Ransom away, gripping him by the front of his sweater. You don't want to cry in front of everyone so you keep walking, set on going home.

As soon as you're out the door Curtis snarls, "you do not treat any of my employees like that." Before Ransom can reply Curtis punches him in the face and he falls to the floor. Curtis glances at Mace who responds with a nod, promising he'll see to the witnesses, before he lets himself run after you.

Thankfully it was an off time of day and the sidewalks were mostly empty. He spotted you right away and quickly went after you. He caught up to you but the tears in your eyes made him stop in his tracks.

“Y/N,” he asked. “You gonna be okay?”

“Eventually, Sir,” you reply, still walking. “He’s not the first asshole I’ve had to deal with and he won’t be the last.”

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I should’ve stepped in sooner.”

“I’m glad you didn’t, actually. He needs to know I’m serious and that I’m strong enough to not need him. If you had stepped in before I was done talking, he’d think he could still get to me by going around you. This way I got to be the one shutting him out, giving him no room to think he could worm around.”

“That’s fair. I was incredibly impressed with how you handled him.”

“Like I said, not the first asshole to put my looks ahead of my worth.”

“Your prettiness is definitely a bonus to your good work,” he says before he can stop himself.

You stop and look at him, an angry expression and fresh tears on your face. “Don’t, Sir. Just don’t. I’m not interested in your pity.”

“I’m not…” Curtis stops himself. He’s clearly not saying the right things and doesn’t want to hurt you further. “I’m sorry.”

You nod and continue the trek to your apartment. He silently accompanies you. You’re hurt and he can’t fix it. If anything, he’d likely just make it worse. He never wanted to see tears in your eyes but being the cause of a fresh wave of them made him hurt in ways he never knew he could.

“This is my building, Sir,” you interrupt his thoughts. “Thank you for walking me home and making sure I’m okay.” He nods, still afraid to say or do anything else, and you walk into your building, leaving him on the sidewalk. Part of him wants to follow after but he’s not sure he’d be able to actually do anything. Best if he just gets lost in his work. That’s always helped him before.

As he turns to walk back to the cybercafe, he sees Mace in their work van, parked on the curb. He moves into the passenger seat and sighs. As Mace drives away, Curtis says, “okay, we’ve gotta rework a few schedules.”

Mace chuckles, “if I’d known all it would take to get you to relent was a pretty face with a fiery spirit-”

“Don’t,” Curtis interrupts.

“I’m just saying,” Mace bantered. “I’ve been telling you for a long while now that we need to give the guys a better work environment or they’ll burnout and make stupid mistakes. She makes one comment about how it affects her and you’re singing a different tune.”

“That’s not what happened.”

“I was there, Curtis. I saw it all happen.”

Curtis remained silent.

“I can’t say I blame you, though. She’s got some serious-”

“ENOUGH,” Curtis ordered. “Let’s just get to thinking about some more work for her.”

Mace took a calculating look at Curtis, “how about we have work with Colin and Mickey? They could use someone responsible to act as their manager. We could get better info from their VIP section if at least one person was sober. And you know they’d make her feel…appreciated.”

“No,” Curtis barked. “They’re idiots who would get her in trouble. I also don’t want her anywhere near the drug monitoring operations. If one of Rumlow’s goons pushes something on her…”

“Okay,” Mace interrupted. “How about Lee or Barber? She’d be pretty safe with them.”

“No. She’s too curious. Lee and Barber have information about us and I don’t want her to go snooping and suddenly be liable for our mistakes.”

“You’re intent on keeping her in the dark? She’s clearly smart enough to know there’s more to all of what we do.”

“But she has no specifics. No details. She can still claim ignorance and that’s how I want it.”

“Not sure how plausible an idea that’s gonna be. Especially when you two start dating.” Mace smiles a little when he hears Curtis’s warning grunt.

“That’s not going to happen,” Curtis vows. “We’ll figure out something.”

“Whatever you say, Boss.”

Part 3 -- Part 5

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