#not even used in hair-just she just dumped it either down the sink or in the trash

[delightfullygiddy]

really have some "family" problems going on right now. A full grown adult acting like petulant child situations, messing up things because they arent getting their way.

[oatmealwrites]

NSFW Holiday Hoes: [Frat JJK AU] Megumi x Reader

Holiday Traditions!

Vet Student! Frat Member! Megumi x F!Reader

Megumi's always been called the total scrooge of Christmas despite never having a stable family to celebrate the holidays with. Though this year he's hoping to make some good memories with you... even if you do drag him to go ice skating despite his protests.

note: reader and Megumi ARE IN COLLEGE. I will NOT write ANY nsfw jjk fics w the students unless they are aged up to their 20s.

Tags: porn with plot, friends to lovers, down bad Megumi, Yuji and Nobara cockblock, sweet toothache fluff at first, mentions of arousal & masturbation, megumi calls reader 'angel', oral [f receiving], female anatomy, p in v, protection used!, condom, missionary, legs on shoulders, aftercare, established relationship at end, MDNI, 18+

Holiday Hoes Masterlist

regular masterlist

not totally proofread

Word count: 9.9k (im cooking again, maybe)

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

The fluff of a certain white-haired dog sticks to your shirt as you read out the answers from the mock exam back to Yuji and Nobara who look more sullen with each question you reveal. Snacks and soft drinks litter the kitchen of the apartment and both of Megumi’s dogs circle the table like sharks waiting for stray scraps.

  Yuji places a firm ‘X’ on the last answer and throws his hands up in exasperation, “This is insane! Surely you’re reading the answer key wrong!”

  You look down at the paper before turning to the man on your right, handing Megumi the mock exam answer sheet and now carefully peeling tufts of fur from your shirt. Nobara compares her sheet with Yuji, silently cursing as she notices their tied score for 4/25. 

  “Nope, she did it right,” Megumi places the sheet of paper across from his two friends, “You two just failed. Again.”

  A pity giggle escapes your lips and Megumi looks over in your direction, the ghost of a blush on his cheeks before he returns a solemn face to the pair. 

  “Argh! This is impossible.”

“Really! The prof has to curve it!” “No one in the class is doing well either.”

“I heard people will file complaints for his lack of teaching.”

  Nobara and Yuji go back and forth spouting excuses for their poor scores, blaming everything and everyone but themselves for a lack of preparation.

  “Enough,” Megumi pushes back from the table and scratches the head of the large black dog at his feet before collecting the stray cans that had accumulated, “If you two fail this exam you’re going to be sitting for retakes.”

  The air is deflated from the two, and they immediately sink onto the table in worry and self-pity while you watch Megumi step on the pedal of the recycling bin and dump the aluminum inside. His hair is still messy from bed and his clothes are loungewear of university sweatpants and an oversized band sweatshirt from a concert Yuji and Nobara had dragged him to last semester. 

  “Ah it won’t be so bad! How many days do you have until the final?” You stand up and collect empty wrappers, silently passing them to Megumi in an effort to assist in the clean up.

  Nobara taps her finger to her chin, “Hmmm I think it mentioned it in the syllabus ... .Friday maybe?”

You stop short, “Three days!? And you just now began studying?”

  Megumi sighs and watches Yuji sheepishly play with the white dog’s fur, hiding behind the clouds of hair that fly up from the action, “I’m not surprised.”

  You wince and lift the answer key back up again, “Well I’m not much help considering our different majors, but I’ll keep reviewing the concepts with you until you have a better understanding.”

  Yuji and Nobara shoot up and raise their hands in gratitude.

  “Thank you!”

“So kind!!”

“I’ll do any favor you want.”

“Just say the words-”

  “–Hey,” Megumi points to the answer sheet with one long finger, his eyes narrowing at both of them, “Don’t take advantage of Y/N’s kindness. She’s willing to help you out but that doesn’t mean you can slack off the entire day and not take this seriously.”

  “I am taking this seriously!” Yuji shoots back, his eyes wide with passion and determination, “The resit exam is the same evening as the holiday frat function!”

“We can’t miss it!”

  Megumi nearly deflates from the response and resorts to picking up the TV remote and flipping through the channels in the connected living room, uninterested in any other argument that they have to offer. You turn back to Yuji and Nobara who are actively planning their evening plan for the function, the exam completely forgotten.

  “Do you guys have a party for everything?”

  Yuji snaps back and grins wide, “Yea isn’t it great? I heard Nanamin is making cookies for this one!”

  Nobara ‘oooos’ and begins recalling the best cookies her childhood friend had brought her from a trip to Tokyo while you sit at the table and reconsider your choices in life. Megumi slides the remote onto the kitchen counter and looks at the TV before standing next to you and breaking the commotion. 

  “If you two are going to be unfocused at least make this an honest break. Let Y/N and I also rest in the meantime.”

  You look up to him with a slight smile as if to say ‘thanks’ and turn back to Yuji who is already standing from the table and stretching. Nobara follows suit, opening her phone and scrolling a few times before checking the time.

  “Hey Yuji– let’s go to the convenience store. I’m hungry.”

“Huhhh? Didn’t you eat earlier?”

  Nobara shoots him a glare and Yuji raises his hands up in defeat, not wanting an argument to break out before the clock has even hit noon. You take this chance to stand up and stretch as well, a slight grumble emitting from your stomach. 

  “Why don’t we go by that new cafe that just opened up? I think it’s only a few blocks down the road and I’ve been dying to try it.”

  Yuji and Nobara exchange a glance between each other before turning to Megumi who holds their stare. He doesn’t say anything, but his eyes hold enough to show a small indication to something only known between the three of them. 

  It’s not unfamiliar, the three of them are much closer to each other considering their shared time in high school, though the feeling is still as isolating as ever. You look between each of them, wondering what the inside reference could possibly be before Yuji speaks up and awkwardly scratches the back of his head, “Ahh that cafe? Maybe some other time Y/N… we’re just getting snacks for now.”

  You force your lips into a tight grin and nod once, trying your best to not let the feeling of disappointment be heard in your voice, “Oh ok. Pick me up a Red Bull and some chips?”

  Nobara smiles once and the two shuffle on their winter jackets before making a promise ‘it’ll only be 30 minutes’ and heading out of the apartment door. Megumi retreats back into the living and sits on the sofa while you take a moment to admire the coziness of the atmosphere. Yuji was the one who insisted their shared apartment needed to be decorated for the holidays and Nobara had offered to assist in setting up. Colorful winter lights are hanging along the border of the ceiling, small stockings that Jin had mailed Yuji hang under the TV using command hooks and push pins, and a semi-alive tree sits in the corner with every branch holding an ornament. 

  You walk up to the couch and sit on the other side of Megumi, shuffling around to look for a fallen throw blanket to cover your legs with. The dogs move to lay in their respective beds, enjoying the sunlight that comes pouring into from the windows for their midafternoon nap.

  “Are you cold? You can have a pair of my sweatpants if you need.”

You shuffle and pull the blanket over your leggings, the edge of your oversized JJK frat t-shirt from a function you assisted in running reaching your mid-thigh, “It’s alright, but I might need to take you up on a sweatshirt later though.”

Megumi smiles gently at you before peeling his eyes off yours and back to the TV which was now playing a cheesy Hallmark flic. The main love interests are currently holiday gift shopping for their mutual friend together, though it’s painfully obvious the male lead is beyond jealous. The cliche of it all is enough to make you roll your eyes, but before you can give a coy remark you catch Megumi’s stare at the screen. 

  His face is the same it usually is, attentive but uninterested, yet despite that he makes no move to change the channel or shut the TV off. Dark, nearly navy blue eyes, stare between the two characters almost longingly, as if he was watching something he could never have. 

  Though all other indicators of his body language show otherwise, feet planted on the ground as if he were to stand up at any moment and fingers twitching like he may reach for the remote again.

  “You don’t like this movie?” 

“Hmm–”, He turns and looks over at you for a moment, slightly pink from catching him off guard, before turning back to the TV. “Oh, more like I find it… unrealistic? Maybe that’s the word...”

  “Oh yea I agree. I mean who goes Christmas shopping with their crush for another guy? So cheesy.”

  Megumi furrows his brows and shakes his head lightly, his eyes not leaving the movie couple who are now arguing but show nothing but desire on their faces, “Sorry, maybe it wasn’t the best word. I guess unrelatable fits it better.”

  You don’t say anything instead of a slight ‘hmm’ for him to continue.

  Megumi sighs and shrugs his shoulders, motioning to the array of holiday decor scattered across the apartment but stopping short when his hand nearly reaches your direction, “I just don’t have the same association you guys do with this time of year. Holiday parties with friends and family, decorating trees with tacky music in the background, going on da-”

  He cuts himself off and stares at the screen for an extra moment before turning to you earnestly,  “Yuji always calls me a scrooge but… I just don’t see the point. It’s not like I grew up experiencing it.”

  Fuck. Great, just great. Try to make small talk and accidentally bring up family trauma. Another reminder to never go into the psychology or therapy majors. 

  “Oh, yea I guess that’s fair,” you snuggle into the blanket further and try your hardest to ignore the pouty form of his lips and the way his hair kisses the apples of his cheeks every time he moves his head. “Are you going to the frat function at least?”

  “Huh?” Megumi opens his mouth in awe and raises an eyebrow, “No way.”

“Really? You’re seriously not going?”

“Well..” he rubs the back of his neck annoyed, a slight twitch in his eyebrow, “Satoru is my big… I have no doubt he’ll try to drag me there anyways.”

  You giggle and the large white-haired dog stands up from its bed with a long stretch and quick shake before placing its head in your lap and waiting for attention. 

  “Could be fun~”

“Maybe..” Megumi mumbles as he watches your fingers run through the hair of his beloved pet, soft coos and kisses leaving your lips as you look at the dog with admiration. The same longing look creeps onto his face as he watches you, an almost pained expression as he listens to the soft praises he so desperately wants to hear be directed at him instead of the canine in front of you.

  “I guess I just don’t see why this time of year has to be any different than any other season..”

  You shrug, still petting the dog and scratching behind its ears, “I mean besides the vibes… it is colder. So better for staying close and warm?”

  Megumi pauses and stares at you with a slight blush before the implication of your words sinks in and you raise your hands in protest, “Not like that but I mean… It is cuffing season… which is unrelated! Hahah… when is Yuji back? It’s been 30 minutes right?”

  Your words are fumbled and rushed together while Megumi blinks slowly and gently grins, a warm glow on his cheeks, “Well, what do you like to do this time of year then?”

  You bring your hands down and rest them back on the fur of the dog, though your attention is still focused on Megumi, “Hmmm, ice skating?”

  “Ice skating? Sounds menial.”

“What? It’s super hard at first but also really fun!”

“It's just rollerblading on ice… how is that holiday themed anyways?”

  You pause and cross your arms, “Geez, you were the one who asked for my opinion..”

Megumi pauses for a moment and turns back to the TV for a split second, looking at the way the couple is now sharing a passionate kiss having revealed their true affection for one another. 

  “Let’s go.”

Megumi turns his attention back to you in slight shock, “What?”

“Let’s go ice skating. I’ll show you it can be fun.”

“I already know it won’t be. We can save the money for admission by agreeing to that now.”

  You roll your eyes and nearly give up on the idea, your heart slightly retracting at the borderline rejection and go to kiss the dog another light air-kiss. Megumi watches and sucks in a breath, “I mean.. I guess we can give it a try.”

  “Really?” Your eyes shoot open and your hand leaves the head of the dog to the armrest of the couch to support your body as you pivot to face him fully, “I’ll show you how fun it can be. I bet all of us will have a great time!”

  Megumi sinks back into his chair slightly, taking short glimpses at the TV couple with an uneasy expression now written on his face.

“All of us?”

“... I mean.. I thought you would want to invite Yuji and Nobra.”

  He takes the corner of his bottom lip between his canines and bites for a second, the white-haired dog now meandering over to him for attention and placing its head in his lap. Megumi pets it absentmindedly, lost in thought before turning to you, “I’ve already done decorating with Nobara and watched a million ‘classic’ movies with Yuji… if it’s alright I’d like to just do this with you.. And see why you like it so much.”

OH MY G-. stay calm. This is cool. This is totally chill and totally platonic. Right? right.

  “Yea, I’d like that.”

  Megumi smiles earnestly and an invisible weight can almost be seen lifting off his shoulders at your response. He nods once and turns back to the movie, your bodies still positioned close to each other and only separated by the thin fuzzy throw blanket. Despite the sunlight pouring in from the windows, the array winter lights reflect a warm rainbow of colors on his hair and the chill of the winter air makes you snuggle into the fabric deeper. Before he can open his mouth again there’s a shuffle in front of the apartment door and Yuji swings it open with Nobara following him closely. 

  “Alright guys! Got the goods!”

  Yuji kicks off his sneakers next to the shoe rack and shimmies out of his jacket while Nobara empties the contents of the plastic bag onto the kitchen table. Megumi sighs and stands up, waiting for you and folds the throw blanket once you rise from the couch. With a slight yawn you open the plastic folder on the table and take out the second mock-exam for the final before passing it to Nobara and Yuji. 

  Yuji lifts his pencil and stares at this paper with determination, “This time– we’ll pass it!”

  ~~~~~~~~~~

Friday comes faster than you expected, having been so busy assisting Yuji and Nobara with their exam review and running around various shopping malls to finish up last minute holiday shopping that the text message from Megumi indicating he could pick you up at 2pm nearly causes cardiac arrest. 

  He follows through on his promise, picks you up from your apartment promptly at 2pm, and raises an eyebrow when you suggest playing holiday music during the drive to ‘set the mood’. 

“Nonsense… Christmas..? Are you sure this is classic holiday music?”

“Yep! Listen to it every year.”

  Megumi shrugs as you two make small talk about campus events, future frat functions, and winter break plans; enjoying the company of each other and a slight burn on your cheeks from how easy everything seemed with him. After only 20 minutes he pulls the car into the parking lot of the ice rink and gives you one last look of ‘are we really doing this?’ before sliding out of the car and opening your door. 

  It’s busy but not overcrowded, the two of you only waiting about 5 minutes to pay admission, which Megumi insists on paying for you, and grabbing a pair of rental skates. The two of you walk to the edge of the rink and admire the ice for a moment; Megumi walks on the skates with perfect balance and grace making you wonder if he’ll be skating circles around you in no time. 

  You take to the ice first, sliding on it a few times before planting both skates and moving a few arm’s lengths away from the entrance and turning to watch Megumi. He stares at the ice and grips the edge of the wall, mirroring how you had felt the ice before pushing off with both feet towards the center. 

  You watch in awe at first at the way he glides further down the ice, before he lifts a leg to push off and immediately crashes down onto the rink. The ice pushes his body so he slides into the wall with a ‘thud’ and it takes all of your personal resolve to not immediately lean over and cackle.

  “Oh my– pfft-  Are you? Heheh Are you ok?”

“People find this fun?”

  You stand next to Megumi and offer a hand, which he wastes no time in taking, and pull him to his feet so he can balance against the wall. 

  “It’s fun to me.”

“Yea, probably funny watching me fall.”

  The cold air nips at your cheeks and nose, painting them a pale pink while you dust off some of the ice from his jacket; the moment is so wholesome you can’t even think about anything else besides the man in front of you and his lack of balance. 

  “Come on~ try again ok?”

Megumi sighs but listens regardless, pushing off the wall and immediately falling back down, scowling when a small child easily glides past him without any help at all. The cycle repeats a few times, and by the 4th time he falls, the confidence and patience in the activity is nearly drained. 

  “Ok, how about this?” You drag him up again, as you’ve been doing the whole time, but this time you don’t let go of his arm. “It seems like you prefer holding onto the wall… so why don’t you just hold on to me?”

  “Huh?”

  You skate outwards and drag his body off the wall, watching the way his face goes from flinching to fascination when he doesn’t immediately topple over. An arm wrapped around his bicep, as he always been this fit?, you gently guide the man down the ice. Megumi doesn’t miss the way your eyes are looking everywhere but him and the intense blush on your face that is surely mirroring his own; he swallows thickly and leans into your touch slightly, trying to memorize the way it feels to have you wrapped around his arm as if your bodies were made to fit together. 

  “See? Not too bad right?”

  Megumi looks down at you and grins, though holds his sarcastic tone for the bit, “Mmmm I guess it could be worse..”

  You gently nudge him and laugh while he lets out a few chuckles and matches moving his legs at the same interval as your own. A fast learner, you both manage to do an entire lap around the rink without falling over, though a few wobbles on a particularly beat up patch of ice causes his grip on you to intensify. 

  “You’re a natural.”

“Only able to do this because you’re here with me.”

  Looking up at Megumi it would be impossible to miss the way he’s staring at you, admiration and honesty on his face while his gaze swaps between your eyes and your lips. Excitement coursing through you now, your head subconsciously leans in when his hand dips from your shoulder to waist and pulls you closer into his body. 

  About to shut your eyes, your body jerks when the same small child from earlier glides right past Megumi, but close enough to make him flinch and stumble. In slow motion, he topples to the ground and drags you along with him, hitting the ice with a combined ‘thud’ as you land side by side and still wrapped into each other. 

  “I… I’m so sorry! Are you hurt-”

  Tears break from your eyes and laughter leaves your lips loudly without any care, the entire situation being too funny and cliche to elicit any other kind of reaction from you. Megumi chokes on his words and watches you with his eyes wide and lips parted; any resentment towards the annoying kid for ruining the moment instantly dissipates as he gets lost in the sound of your laughter. 

  “You’re ok?”

“Hmm?” You wipe a tear and sit up on the ice, Megumi's arms still wrapped around you as they were earlier to break to your fall, “Yea I’m fine. This is just part of learning and it’s hilarious.”

  His face is bright red and before he can lean in again, in an attempt to re-do the one thing he’s been aching to do for months now, a whistle blows signaling the end of the open session. Looking up at the time you wonder how 2 hours could fly by so fast before standing up and pulling your companion to his feet right after. 

  “What do you usually do after ice skating?”

You glide to a halt and step off the ice and onto the mats on the floor, offering Megumi a hand when he follows suit, “Hot cocoa? We can make some and watch a movie?”

  The man at your close side, closer than usual, slides out his phone and checks the time, “That sounds good. Yuji and Nobara are still on campus for a while.”

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

  Your lips hover above the rim of the mug, blowing steam away from the beverage before taking a sip and sighing at the familiar flavor. Another cheesy holiday romance movie plays in the living room while you lean against the kitchen counter and watch Megumi pour himself a hot chocolate. Silently you pass him the toppings—whipped cream, marshmallows, and chocolate syrup—while he raises an eyebrow at you and mumbles about ‘getting a stomach ache’ before adding them into his mug. 

  “So… how was ice skating? 1 through 10 ranking.”

Megumi winces at the sweet flavor of the beverage and leans his weight into the counter next to you, so close that the scent of his laundry detergent fills your senses. 

  “Well I did fall a lot..but,” he looks off with a slight blush and coughs slightly. “I guess it’s not so bad given the company.. Maybe a 6?”

  “I’ll take a 6. You know the more you do it the better you get? We can go again next weekend if you're free.”

  Megumi watches as you sip on your hot cooca, eyes lingering on the way your face lights up at the same flavor he can’t seem to digest without getting a toothache; he takes another sip regardless, wanting to experience it the same way you certainly were. You don’t pay any attention until the feeling of a paper napkin is wiping your cheeks at the whipped cream that had rubbed off against your face with your last sip. 

  Smiling up at Megumi and aching to slow your increased heart rate, you take the napkin and wipe off any remnant while he continues staring at you; lips part and close again as if he were constantly trying to start a sentence before backpedaling and remaining silent. This particular holiday movie in the background shows two friends attempting to make a gingerbread house, though their touches against each other are anything other than platonic. 

  Megumi watches it for a moment before inhaling slowly and resolving himself to finish what he keeps trying to start, “I want to do that again. Go ice skating with you again. But…”

  A deep breath escapes his lips and you internally prepare for rejection. 

  It’s fine… just happened to misread the situation. If he doesn’t want anything more… it’s just something to accept and move on… even if it hurts like a bitch. 

  “I have to come clean about this-” he places his mug on the counter and looks intently at you, “I accepted the offer as if it were something friendly… like two friends just hanging out,” you wince but he continues, “But in all honesty I wanted it to be different. For us to be different.”

  He pushes off the counter and moves forward to face you head on, “I’m sorry about my intentions… and lack of clarity for them but..” he pushes a chunk of his hair back in frustration at the way he keeps getting caught in his words and the strands fall right back into the same place, “I just can’t sit here with you drinking hot cocoa, watching movies, going ice skating and feeling you hold onto me and pretend to feel something platonic when the only thing I want is for us to be anything but that.”

  Huh? HUH?

  Megumi stands in front of you, waiting for anything to leave your lips at his words, and cringes at himself for the lack of clarity in the way he worded everything. The black-haired dog nudges into his leg waiting for a treat or some attention, but he stands motionless waiting for your response. 

  “I think I understand…and I feel the same. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t secretly wish ice skating was a date.”

“It could be.”

  You look up at Megumi who watches you with eyes full of a different kind of longing than they hold during the movie; his eyes watch you carefully as if at any moment you could back pedal and crush his vulnerable heart.  

  “What do you mean?”

“Well..” he takes the mug from your hands and places it on the counter next to his, “we can mark this one down as our first?”

  His voice is gentle and sweet, his eyes searching yours for reciprocation when you resolve to wrap your arms around his neck and bring him in for a kiss. There’s a slight sigh through his nose at the feeling, soft lips move against yours, and your hands tangle in his messy dark hair. You both break away for a moment, taking in the realness of the situation before connecting at the mouth once more and pulling each other in closer to solidify the mutual decision. 

  Tilting your head to the side to deepen the kiss further, his lips move in sync against yours while his hands rest politely on your back. A whimper escapes his mouth when your hands leave from the mess of his hair and reach around to grab his knuckles and push down to rest his palms on your hips. The sound of his earlier disposition melts into a moan when he’s given permission to sink his fingertips into the flesh of your hips and waist, relishing in the moment he’s been dreaming of. 

  His hands massage the flesh and occasionally dip down just a liiittleee lower to grab at the upper curve of your ass; your lips break and reconnect with more force. With a slight tug on his hair and knead of your ass, his tongue pokes out to break a testing swipe across your bottom lip. Instantly you part open your mouth just a bit wider to feel the hot muscle of his tongue push against your own, teeth occasionally clacking from the awkward angle before you both find momentum. 

  Megumi hums into the motion, addicted to running his tongue against yours, savoring the sweet flavor of the hot chocolate. 

  “I don’t mind that much…” Megumi mumbles, breaking from the kiss for a short moment before reconnecting his lips and taking a firm squeeze of your flesh in his hand, “the taste of that sugary drink” kiss “isn’t bad when I’m tasting it off you..”

  Knees nearly weak at the comment and a blush intense across your face, you drag his face into yours with more pressure, trying to hide the embarrassment from his admission. He chuckles and pushes you into the counter further, chasing your lips before a firm sensation pushes into your pelvis and Megumi backs up awkwardly.

  Awkwardly pivoting and nearly tripping on the fluffy black dog that was sitting behind his feet, Megumi catches his balance and looks off to the side and brings his hands up in apology.

  “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean… I hope… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable..”

  You struggle to follow until your eyes trace past the worry on his lips and slight tremble of his finger tips before sinking further to the obvious erection straining against the fabric of his left upper thigh. He shifts his weight uncomfortably and shoves his hands into the pocket of his jeans, pushing the fabric up to avoid the obvious bulge that grows with the heightened sexual tension. 

  You feel the slick of your own arousal seep into the cotton fabric of your panties and you clench achingly around nothing. Megumi pants deeply but refuses to make eye contact, silently wondering if he had pushed things too far and broken a boundary by his body’s reaction. 

  Your mouth feels so dry and your throat is growing tight from the carnal desire building. “N-no… you didn’t make me uncomfortable at all..”

  Megumi breaks his gaze from the TV screen and looks back at you, hair disbelieved more than usual and pupils blown wide as he listens to your response. Shit he’s powerless against that stare, well against all of you in truth. Anything you want he’d do, every word he’d listen to; that same hypnotic spell you placed him under the first time Yuji had introduced the both of you.

  “Y-yea? It’s ok?”

  You nod and drag him back into you, hovering your lips. Surely you could just keep kissing and ignore right? How hard could that be? Haha… we’ll just ignore it…

  You reconnect your lips and his hands make no hesitation to rest on your hips again while your hands tangle in his hair before tugging the material of his sweatshirt closer to you. It’s as if he’s drunk, all the plans he had on wooing you are thrown out the window as soon as his skin touches yours.

  The plan, the original plan, he had was to impress you at ice skating and maybe even hold your hand during it. That failed, so he resorted to your proposal of hot chocolate and a movie, an opportunity to ask you out, but this time as something more. Even then he couldn’t muster up the courage until you offered to go ice skating again. 

  You groan against the muscle of his tongue while his hips grind against your pelvis, the friction his body craved finally getting a taste. 

  No. Megumi knows he has to make a move here; tired of the way he usually sits back and lets life do what it wants with him. It takes Yuji and Nobara dragging him out of the house to actually doing something, and he’ll be damned if he’s gonna let the one girl he’s actually liked kiss him without knowing exactly what he’s been thinking and feeling all this time.

  Walking his dogs together, grabbing lunch on campus, fuck even Satoru teasing him countless times at functions for acting like a needy virgin when he stared helplessly at you; begging for an once of attention as if he were a dog.

  Megumi pushes into you further, his hand going south to grab your ass and kneed the flesh before his lips break yours and his mouth sucks hard and fat spots onto the side of your neck.

  “Fuck.. Megumi—“

  His tongue swipes the skin before he sinks his teeth in hungrily, mind going fuzzy from desire and arousal. Every time his name leaves your lips, his teeth sink in just a little bit harder and his cock twitches painfully from within his jeans.

  You’re nearly squished between his erection and the corner of the counter, in an effort to breathe you take a step back but Megumi immediately follows suit, mumbling into your neck “Haaa.. don’t run… please angel…”

  He grabs your hips steady and reconnects your lips, continuously grinding against you, making no effort to hide the way his body was begging for more. Further crushed between the force of his pelvis and the cool counter, you take a hand down from his hair and place it flat against his chest, pushing back.

  Megumi allows himself to be swayed back, momentarily worrying if you would call it off here before you tug on the hem of his sweatshirt. “We can… go upstairs?” You turn to the counter and laugh dryly, “It might give us some more room?”

  A shiver runs down his spine and Megumi exhales shakily at the thought while his cheeks puff with every breath. “That’s alright?”

  Immediately he thinks of his room, is it messy? Did he pick his clothes up off the floor? Would you notice a very obvious box of tissues and lube on his night stand? 

  Before he can continue internally worrying about the state of his bedroom, you take him by the hand and nod, mirroring the same face drunken with desire, “yea… I want to.”

  Megumi’s brain nearly short circuits at the admission and his body moves towards his bedroom, dragging you behind him, Ok.. this is happening… act casual.

  His palms halts on the door knob for a moment, silently wondering when the last time he shaved was, if his deodorant was still working, and– “Oh..”

  As soon as he opens the door, both dogs nudge past your legs and get comfortable on his bed and floor, looking up at him as they would every evening routine. Boner still uncomfortable in his jeans with his hands now on your waist while your panties are sopping wet, you both exchange uncomfortable glances.

  “Alright.. Sorry..”

Megumi shuffles over and picks up the white-haired dog from his bed while you corral the other out of the door; only stopping once both are shooed back into the living room. Megumi sighs and clicks the door shut before turning back to you; instead of an awkward small talk over the fact his dogs are cockblocks, he resolves to grab your waist with one hand, cradling your neck in the other, and pulling you into a kiss. 

  Your brain returns to its dizzy and fuzzy state, crawling backwards onto the plush mattress of his bed when Megumi guides you to it, his lips never leaving yours. Fingers leaving the dip of your hips, his hands gently push your back flat while he remains standing between your legs and dips his head down into your neck.

  Cool fingers play with the hem of your sweater and admire the warmth of the skin of your navel before playing with the elastic of your leggings. His kisses are lighter than the bruising ones from earlier but each movement of his lips leaves goosebumps on your skin.

  “Can I…” he swallows and stands upright, pinching his fingers between the elastic of your leggings, “take these off?”

  Heart pounding in your chest and mind fuzzy with desire, you nod once and watch the way he gently tugs the fabric down and motions for you to raise your hips; pulling them past the curve of your thighs and down your ankles before throwing them haphazardly behind him. 

  Your breath stops as his movements halt, embarrassment burning on your face as he stares at the dark blue cotton that’s stained an even darker color from the amount of slick saturating the fabric. “Oh wow.. Angel..”

  The new pet name barely registers in your head before a finger glides up and down the fold of your pussy, occasionally pushing against the wet patch to see how much more the fabric could sop up before it leaked onto his finger. You shiver and whimper with each stroke of his finger, flexing your hips when his other hand moves to rub circles around your clit through your panties.

  “Aaaa… M-Megumi..”

  Your head is thrown back when he finally hooks his fingers along the waistband and tugs the underwear down to meet your leggings on his bedroom floor. He splays your thighs open with a strong grip on your legs and stares for a moment once more before leaning down to place open mouth kisses along the flesh. One particularly fresh bruise on the side of your thigh gets a few extra kisses, as if an apology from Megumi for pulling you to the ice and causing the small injury. 

  Impatient hands tangle in his hair as you attempt to tug him to where you need him the most, “Please.. Megumi.. Need you…”

  And who was he to resist you? In the same hypnotic trance, he kneels against the edge of his bed and groans slightly at the pressure against his cock before licking a long stripe up your pussy. Nails scraping his scalp and head leaning into the plush blanket on his bed, Megumi wastes no time licking several more long stripes. 

  It’s the girl he’s been dreaming about nonstop with her thighs spread wide for him, and Megumi finally snaps. All the months of hesitation come rushing back into his mind, remembering every time he was too awkward to tell you directly how he felt, and it flips a switch in him. No longer testing the water, he delves his tongue into the entrance of your pussy and wraps his arms around the underside of your thighs to keep you still. 

  “Oh my-.. Nnnghh”

  His nose occasionally bumps your clit and the reaction leaving your lips makes him only more feral, increasing the sloppiness of his tongue moving in and out your cunt and creating a pool of saliva and wetness staining his chin and the bed below. 

  The noise is disgustingly lewd, sopping french kisses to your pussy before his tongue rubs against your clit and an index finger slowly stretches you open. You throw your head back in pleasure and Megumi looks up to watch the furrow of your eyebrows before diving back in; his hips humping pathetically against the mattress, erection growing painfully hard.

  “Fuck!”

  A second finger stretches you open so nicely while his teeth pinch and nip at your puffy and swollen clit. Megumi’s lips continue focusing on you intently, determined to make you finish at least once on his mouth. He’s been dreaming of this moment for so long, and was not about to let it end without making you feel as good as he’s been planning to. All the nights of shoving his hand down his boxers, wishing, needing it to be yours, was nothing compared to the sounds that left your lips and pussy.

  “Right.. Ahhh.. right there…”

  Digging your nails into his hair and pulling slightly, your back arches when his fingers graze that one spot along your vaginal wall. The sensation has your toes curling and twitching as they rest on his shoulders and he wears your thighs like earmuffs. 

  “Right here?” Megumi looks up at you, eyes half shut in drunken desire and a mess of fluids dripping down his chin to the bob of his Adam’s apple, before flicking his fingers upright from inside you, “Here, angel?”

  A partial whimper, partial gasp is all he needs to hear before his fingers curl to bully the rough patch and his lips dip to rub his tongue against your clit with as much force and speed he could give. Hips twitching and raising to meet his action, a familiar coil builds in your abdomen and you begin to clench pathetically against his fingers.

  “Shit.. just got so much wetter f’me..”

  Increasing the speed of his fingers to a bruising pace to rut against your g-spot, you throw your head back and convulse slightly at the amount of pleasure that washes over you as your orgasm ripples through your body. 

  “Yea.. just like that angel.”

  Megumi continues thrusting his fingers, though slower, to gently fuck out the rest of your orgasm and then lift his hand to his mouth to suck your cum off of them. You wearily blink at him and sway your head from side to side, the weight of your release leaving your limbs like jelly. 

  With a slight ‘pop’ of his fingers, Megumi rises once and softly rubs circles into the flesh of your thighs with eyes staring intently at you in stark contrast. Almost as if watching prey, he tilts his head to the side and leans in, “You ok there?”

  Sitting on your elbows and catching your breath, you nod once and drink in the sight of him drunk on desire and his lips still glistening from the essence of your arousal. Leaning down he connects his lips to yours, letting his tongue play against yours and provide the taste of your own orgasm with a small hum. 

  Breaking the kiss with a string of saliva connecting you before it lazily snaps, your eyes break contact from his and notice the way his erection was pushing painfully against the denim of his jeans. 

  You lick your lips at the sight, silently wondering what his pretty cock might look like, “Want me to help you out there?”

  Nearly buckling at your words, Megumi shakily exhales and shakes his head before leaning back and tugging off his sweatshirt and under t-shirt in one pull. Toned and lean abs carve his flesh and a dark happy trail begins just below his navel before sinking past the hem of his jeans. The sight is enough for another gush to seep from your pussy and cause your nipples to erect against the fabric of your bra. 

  “No angel.. But I will definitely take you up on that later.. ‘Cause I think–” he unbuttons his jeans and lets the material fall before kicking them off his legs onto the floor without care, “I might cum the moment I feel your tongue on me.”

  You sigh at the sight of his erection straining against his thin cotton boxer briefs, a patch of pre cum staining the gray material even darker. Megumi brings his fingers to the hem of your sweater before pulling it up and above you, eyes lingering on the swell of your tits. Even prettier than he imagined, he dips down to plant open mouth kisses between the valley and wrapping his hands behind your back in an attempt to get the clasp. 

  After a few failures, you bend your hands behind yourself to release the metal hooks and toss the bra to the corner of his room; Megumi doesn’t bother complaining, now relieved to finally see the tits he’s jerked off to, in person. 

  Immediately, his lips wrap around your left nipple while his hand lifts to knead the fatty flesh of the other breast. Gentle teeth nip at the hardened bud before sucking a few deep purple hickies around the swell and lower collarbone. 

  His lips leave a trail of fire, and your hands tug at the roots of his hair when he plants an extra kiss on one breast before swapping to the next. 

  “Wouldn’t want this one to feel left out.”

  You scoff lightly and arch at the sensation of the wet muscle gliding along the sensitive flesh, and the roughness of his hand massaging the smooth skin of your other tit. A few more bruises are sucked onto your chest before Megumi lifts back up and guides you further up the bed to make room for him to climb up and join you. 

  “Oh wait–” Megumi stands on his knees on the bed and looks around his room, “condom.”

  The anticipation of getting a condom and getting railed by the guy you’ve been crushing on, and the guy who’s very appearance causes a gush in your panties, elicits a shiver of excitement. Sighing slightly, he lifts himself off the bed, “I’ll be right back.”

  His words are meaningless, as if you were going to leave anyways, and he opens his bedroom door a crack to slip out. Sets of paws against the wooden floorboards can be heard as Megumi shoos his pets away in an attempt to run down the hall to Yuji’s bedroom and dig through his drawers for a rubber. 

  You take a brief moment to admire his room while he’s away, the tidiness of it all isn’t surprising, but the lack of wall decor and personal memorabilia is. A few posters of bands, notably Weezer, hang on his walls alongside a few photos and awards for his achievements in the veterinary field, but other than that, the room is bare. The color palette is a blue-gray and the only plushies in the entire room are toys for his dogs; a feeling of almost sadness emits from the intense minimalistic aspects of it all. As if he didn’t have anything to fill the walls with, rather than him choosing to leave it completely bare.

  “Ah.. shit–” Megumi slips back into the room and struggles to keep his dogs out, “I’ll take you for a walk after..”

  After…

  The feeling subsides and the anticipation courses through your veins again as Megumi successfully coerces the canines to retreat back to the living room. He shuts the door in success.

  “Got it.”

  A half smirk that nearly looks out of character is planted on his face while he wastes no time in rushing back up to the bed and positioning himself comfortably over you. Leaning down for another kiss, his erection grinds against your navel, still covered by the thin fabric, but with enough force some of the pre cum smudges onto your flesh. 

  He sighs at the friction and sits up to shimmy off his boxer briefs and kick them to the floor without care. The happy trail that starts at his navel extends down to the base of his cock into a neat bush of pubic hair; he wasn’t regularly shaving, but still kept things tidy. 

  Longer than average and slightly thicker than any of your exes, the sight of his dick made the walls of your cunt clench pathetically around nothing. Balls heavy and aching, Megumi wraps his hand around the shaft to give a few pumps before splitting open the foil package and sliding the rubber down his cock. 

  It takes a few extra tugs before he’s certain it's snug enough, and he nudges your thighs apart with his knees and leans back down into your neck. 

  “You ready angel?”

“Y-yea.”

  You instinctively wrap your arms around his shoulders and sink your nails lightly into the flesh of his back as you feel him slowly slide inch by inch inside. The stretch is an erotic burn that, despite the sting, only makes you even hornier for it all. 

  An uneven breath escapes his lips by the time he bottoms out, taking a moment for you to adjust and Megumi to reel his brain back in to avoid prematurely cumming in only a matter of seconds. You twitch your hips at the feeling of wanting more; his deft hands reach for one of the pillows behind you, and slides it under your hips to make the angle easier to move. 

  Megumi does a few test strokes before finding a steady rhythm and snapping his hips into yours with a small ‘thawp’ of his balls hitting your ass with every pump. 

  “Oh shit angel…hnngh.. Better than I ever i-imagined.”

  You whine deliciously into his ear and sink a few crescent shapes into his back from the sensation; twitching every time the tuft of pubic hair grinds perfectly against your puffy clit. The sensation is mind numbing and Megumi begins lazily biting at flesh on your neck, pussy drunk from the sensation and devoid of any rationale.

  Even with a condom he can feel the way your cunt clenches around him, as if your pussy was molding to the shape of his dick with each thrust. He can’t even imagine hitting it raw, resolving that if you ever let him do that, he might just have to put a ring on your pretty finger. 

  Over the combined moans and whimpers, the bed frame smacks against the wall in a steady ‘thud, thud, thud’ and the wooden frame creaks from the motion. 

  “Fuck… Megumi…”

“Yea.. you got it Angel… just haaa.. Keep those pretty hips steady f’me.”

  “Megumi! Exam’s over!”

Nearly falling forward and crushing you, Megumi stops all motions while the two of you look at each other in total terror. Despite the cockblock of his roommate and potentially getting caught balls deep inside you, his cock twitches inside aching for release; you dig your nails into his shoulder in worry. 

  Nobara’s shoes can be heard clacking on the wooden floor next to Yuji in the kitchen, “Hmm two mugs.. But the content is kinda cold… did they go out for a walk?”

“The dogs are here though…”

  Megumi hunches over you pathetically and grinds his hips without pulling out before you usher him to back up. He follows your instruction and slides out, watching as you scurry off the bed and gently get on the floor, bringing a pillow for your hips. Eyes wide in understanding that on the floor the bed frame wouldn’t be making any noise, Megumi follows suit and positions himself between your legs again. 

  This is bad. So very bad. If Yuji heard you two, there was no chance hell either one of you would ever hear the end of it. But… the way you look up at Megumi and spread your legs wanting and waiting for him to continue is enough to disregard any worry. 

  Sighing at the feeling of your cunt wrapping perfectly around his cock once more, Megumi lifts your ankles to rest upright on his shoulders and begins thrusting again. Not pulling out all the way, his strokes are shallow but forceful, still kissing your cervix with every movement; he plants chaste kisses on your ankles before moving a hand to cover your mouth when a whimper threatens to escape. 

  “I guess they aren’t home?”

“Oh!” Yuji’s hands can be heard clapping through the door, “He probably finally took her to that cafe! You know I felt so bad the other day, but Megumi would kill us if we took Y/N there before he could ask her out.”

  You look at Megumi and nudge the side of his face with your foot in a half-heartwarming and half-teasing manner before he pinches your sole with his fingers. Despite the truth being poured out by his best friends just outside the door, his thrusts are getting more erratic and an orgasm quickly builds in his abdomen.

  To even the situation, Megumi slides a hand down further and rubs quick circles against your click, quickly ‘shushing’ you when whines escape your lips in pleasure. 

  Shit. He was about to cum. About to cum with his fucking friends outside his bedroom door listening. 

  “Well– Let’s get food then too! Maybe steak?”

Nobara can be heard walking to the front door again and scoffing, “No way– let’s get sushi.”

The pair can be heard grumbling between each other before the front door eventually ‘clicks’ and you're left in silence again.

  Immediately, Megumi picks up the pace and rubs quick circles against your clit before pushing your legs off his shoulders and splaying your thighs. Long and harder strokes leave his pelvis smacking your clit, and your head leans back in pleasure at the sensation of his cock smacking into that rough patch over and over. 

  “Yea angel… cum.. Please– cum on my cock”

  As if his words could force the action, the coil building in your gut inevitably snaps and you lean your head into the carpet of his floor and moan out his name. 

  “Y-Yea.. Just like that.. Fuck.. Y/N.. gonna fucking c-cum” A few more erratic thrusts and Megumi shudders as he cums hot ropes of semen into the rubber of the condom, admiring the cream of your orgasm getting pushed up his shaft to sit at the base. The sight, sound, and smell are so errotic there’s nearly a haze in the atmosphere from the intensity of it all. 

  Megumi thrusts a few more times with a weak exhale before slipping out of your cunt and hunching over on his knees to slip the condom off. You wearily look around and wince at the empty feeling before sitting up and wiping a few drops of sweat off your tits.

  “Oh sorry,” Megumi tosses the soiled rubber into his bedroom trash and rubs the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead, “didn’t mean to drip on you.”

“Hah, it’s alright. Just help me up and we’ll be even.”

  Nearly in a mirrored pose reversing the roles of you both today, Megumi pulls you by the hand to stand upright and supports your waist when you nearly topple over. A chaste kiss against your temple, he sets you straight and pushes a lock of hair behind your ear. 

  “Let’s shower, yea?”

“Mmm good idea, we probably need it.”

  Megumi takes a quick peek out of his room before swinging the door open wide and shuffling down the hallway and towards the bathroom with his hand in yours. Both dogs follow suit, but leave space for you to enter the washroom and shut the door. 

  You giggle slightly as the slight bruises from earlier litter his toned thighs, and Megumi bends at the waist to start the water of the shower and check the temperature. He ensures it’s not too hot and offers you a hand while you both step over the ceramic tub and behind the plastic curtain. 

  It’s a different level of intimacy than earlier, no longer sexual but still incredibly vulnerable and raw. Megumi wets his hair and shimmies to the side to let you do the same before passing various bottles of shampoo and soap to use; popping the cap, you inhale the familiar scent he usually wears. 

  “So… that was.. amazing.”

“I agree–” you rinse off soap suds from your arms, “–now what?”

“What do you mean?”

  A slight burn goes across your cheeks as you shrug, it’s not like you had the what exactly are we? talk beforehand.

  Megumi admires the way water cascades down your body and tilts his head to the side, “I was honest earlier when I said you’re more than just a friend to me… and I by no means see what we just did as casual. To be honest, it pisses me off to even think of this as being anything but exclusive.”

  “Sooo.. you want to date? Like.. date-date?”

Megumi looks at you as if it were the simplest question possible, “I do. I want to go places with you and watch the way people look at us. To hear you introduce me to your friends as not just ‘Megumi’ but as your boyfriend.”

  You nod in agreement, “I’d like that too.. Though I have a feeling you would rather call me angel.”

  “Oh that..” Megumi coughs and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly before moving to change the conversation and stepping out of the shower, “is the water ok? I’ll step out and grab you some towels and a change of clothes.”

  A soft laugh escapes your lips as you watch him shake his hair off from side to side like a dog and wrap a towel around his delicious ‘V’ line before stepping out of the bathroom. Enjoying the warmth of the water on your bullied skin for a few extra minutes, you stay behind the curtain before turning the faucet off and hearing a short courtesy knock at the door. 

  Megumi shuffles in, now dressing in casual athleisure, and uses a free leg to push the dogs back before placing a stack of towels on the counter and a fresh set of sweatpants and t-shirt on the toilet lid. Despite just seeing you naked, his eyes avoid looking at your body as you towel dry and slip into the clothes. 

  “Ok… I think I get it now–” He throws your towel on the corner of the door to try and admires his ‘veterinary department’ university t-shirt and JJK frat sweatpants on your frame, “the whole.. Wearing your partners’ clothes, thing.”

  You smile at him and lean forward to meet his lips gently, his mouth immediately chasing yours as if he needed it to breathe and pouting once you exit and head down the hall. Christmas movie still playing on the TV, you plop down on the sofa and immediately curl into Megumi’s chest when he positions himself next to you. 

  Back against his chest, head on his collarbone, and legs intertwined with his, the both of you watch the cheesy film as a light snow and wind pick up outside the window. One of the dogs climbs up and rests on the empty sofa cushion next to both of you while the other lays in a ball at the base of the couch comfortably. 

  It’s a comfortable silence, and the steady beat of Megumi’s heart is nearly enough to lull you to sleep. 

  “Well? What do you think of this movie?”

  Megumi shifts his weight and settles his hand just under your shirt to rub mindless patterns into the softness of your flesh, still relishing in the idea of having you all to himself, “I think I like them now.”

“Really?”

“Yea..”

  You remain comfy in his arms before Megumi continues, “I guess I just never had anyone to relate them to, so I figured they were wild overestimations of how it would feel.”

“Hmm? How what would feel?”

  Megumi stops tracing your waist and settles to squeeze your body further into his, almost as if he couldn’t bear the thought of letting you go.

  “This. Having someone.. Having you.”

  You look up at his words and trace his jaw with your finger to usher him into your lips; he immediately connects them happily. Gently leaning in and feeling him stiffen at the action for a potential round 2, a loud grumble emits from your stomach.

  “Whoops.. Hahah guess I’m hungrier than I thought.”

  Megumi genuinely laughs lightly and your heart melts at the sound as he sits upright, “Come on let’s eat then… I have to take you to that cafe.”

“The one we heard Yuji mention?”

  Megumi rolls his eyes at your slight tease but smiles at you, “Yea, I actually had planned on taking you there on a date.”

“Well, you would be.”

  Megumi keeps you trapped in his arms despite just proposing to get up and get food, “What do you mean?”

“I mean… we’re dating, and you’d be taking me there.. so it’s a date.”

There’s a slight exhale that leaves his lips before he squeezes you just a bit tighter and places a kiss on the corner of your mouth, “mmm I guess you're right. It’s only fair to take my girlfriend out on a date.”

TY for reading the first installment of the Holiday Hoes! Frat AU JJK one shot series!!

most fics in this will be roughly this length and all in the same AU with some hints at the next few themes hidden in this one :)

writing megumi was lowkey harder than I thot, and i appreciate all comments/reblogs/likes

╰(´︶`)╯♡ -oatmeal

[sashiavi]

Kent ramble incoming ehehe.. gonna be dumping all my nasty old man ideas onto you and neet cause i love how u two write him <33 (if that’s all right, that is)

But ive been thinking ab the farmer going to a free use/glory hole & Kent following her.. she’s trying to get her feelings for Kent out of her system with an anonymous fuck but she ends up getting used by him without her even realizing. He ends up giving himself away while they fuck and he makes sure she can’t do anything but take it while he admonishes her for even thinking about going to anyone else- nobody will be able to fuck her like he can ( ˋ⁻̫ˊ) Ψ

@neetily we're being fed •///• and now my brain has been sparked, whoops, I wrote smth..

Need Kent to dump his cu

Longing for Kent at the Glory Holes</3

Warnings: age gap, implied infidelity, glory holes, cum.. like a lot of it... piv, fingering, cunilingus, daddy talk, choking, general sashiavi nastiness yk how it is

Word Count - 2k

•·············°·············•♡•·············°·············•

You knew you were wrong for it. Watching the older man from across the bar, late nights at the saloon, knowing better that you shouldn't- You couldn't! You cannot be thinking about him like this.

Not when you're best friends with his son, always around the house, coming out of Sam’s room for a glass of water when you know Kent would be lounged on the couch - Just to give him a little, nervous wave. It was wrong.. skittering around his home with his family around, catching a greedy glimpse of him any time you could, eyes flicking to him at the dining table after his own wife had invited you to stay for supper.

You shouldn't eye him up like that at the luau, eyes locked on to the heavy drag of his boardshorts, weighted down with the drippings of ocean water. Just below his tummy, soft with age and fit with his lifestyle, happy trail moist and tacky against his skin as it disappears into his bottoms. The fabric runs taught on his hipbones, deliciously low before the show is over and he pulls them up with a hook of his thick finger.

You're embarrassing yourself - Wearing pretty outfits in his presence, that ditzy demeanour truly born up from the bubble of anxiety swirling in your tummy from just being around him! So nervous and stuttery, dolly eyes flicking up to Kent's hardened gaze.. Of course it works, of course he starts cracking, falling for a sweet cutie like you.

But you don't know that- So lost in your worrying, dreamy and sweetly moaning into your knuckles as your cunt squelches around your fingers, milky and gushy insides making a mess on your fingers. Crying for him, mewling out his name unapologetically as you carefully sink yourself down on your new dildo - Silky and velvet silicone, fat in width, kissing yours insides while your vibrator buzzes aggressively against your pert clit in an attempt to soothe the wild stretch.

But soon that's not enough, is it? Such fantasies carried out all alone? You needed more, but you couldn't have him... Right?

You couldn't fool around in town either - Whispers would carry faster than the wind. You needed an out.

The Calico Desert was far enough.. An elusive Casino stands with an underground secret, Red Rooms for pleasure, anonymous glory holes for those who just needed a release with no strings attached. A perfect place for your fantasies, with real partners to play with!

Especially your new mystery man..

With his weighty cock poking through the cut out hole in the wall, struggling to stand tall with the sheer thickness of it, bobbing with arousal. It was pulsey, a thick vein running up the undershaft giving a flex as blood rushed to the rosy pink tip oozing up droplets of milky pre cum, practically dripping like drool, Yoba, it was as if it was crying for you.

He was thick, girth making irony saliva pool under your tongue, swallowing proving pointless at the sight of this cock - Picture perfect for your fantasy, a thick brush of hair on his base and balls, sack hanging heavy surely filled with plenty of thick, ropey cum. Scent the perfect musk, it felt manly- One of the traits that drew you to liking Kent in the first place!

Not like the people you hung out with, those younger males that could be the picture perfect partner for you, save for just how unsure they were about everything. Or those other Bachelors.. A little older and still just as lost- Kent had a bout of maturity attached to him, life seemingly plenty figured out, stable.. And yet you wanted to break it down.

Any guilt that dared to ping in your chest didn't last long. Not with the crane of your partner's hips, forcing the head of his cock to press a wet kiss to your cheek. If only he could see the hearts in your eyes, the dribble of spit that slipped from your tongue as you licked your lips

Soon, his length was down your throat, fat and chubby tip gagging up a sweet gurlgy moan, spitty and slick from your lips, wrapped around his thick length. He played rough with you, a heavy hand coming through the hole opening, thick fingers twirling into your hair for a better grip. Forcing your throat to be a personal toy, a rough face fucking you could only dream about.

You jaw aches, stingy with the stretch of this stranger's girth, tongue sore from rough use- Your eyes roll, bleary and pooled with fat tears, looking up all crossyee at nothing, pretending you were locking eyes with the Military Man that had tugged on your heart. Soft hazels surely hardens with a scrunch of his brow, nose crinkled in hot pleasure.. You blink your tears, letting them roll down your cock filled cheeks.

Your pussy drools, pooling behind the sheeny fabric of your panties, sticky to the touch of your fingers as you rub, easily bleeding through the fabric. Your mind chants his name, over and over like a mantra, 'Kent, Kent, Kent~!' Throwing in dirty-sweet petnames into the mix, Would he let you call him Sir? Mister Military Man so strong and authoritive? Would he groan if you cried out something more? 'Daddy, Daddy! Oh pleaseee Daddy!' Begging on your knees for him, that gentle and sweet family man taking out all those frustrations on your body. You breathe against your mystery man's base, huffy and hyper, desperate to take him all.

It's so much, maybe even too much. The perfect fantasy nearly coming true! Just missing that one main ingredient..

No time to think now though, right? Not when your mystery man groans from behind his gritted teeth, fist tightening in your hair when he busts himself down your throat, a healthy dump of cum squirting rope after rope. It's a wonder you don't choke - more than you already had been - With the thick white paint of his cum load, sputtering from your cheeks with a struggled cough fron yourself. He uses it like lube, hips snapping to fuck himself through it all, long and strong, milking out Every. Last. Drop.

You don't want it to end. Wanna keep the lovely weight of this stranger's cock nestled sweetly on your tongue, wanna pepper Kisses and Kitten licks over his flushed tip, wanna imagine you were pampering your older crush, treating him sweeter than any other could.

Ah but he pulls away, forcing up a pitifully sad whine from your throat, making you swallow thickly, savouring the remnants of that musky milky cum he'd gifted you. You lament in the loss, lips pouted in a little wobble, heart hammering blood to your head, beating with the achy throb of your neglected cunt.

The hand in your hair moves to your cheek, cupped warm, skin rough, a calloused thumb tracing over your swollen, cum stained lips.

"S' your turn. Yeah?" His voice was deep. Rasped and rough with a twinge of an accent, hearty and southern, tainted with a touch of age. Yoba your heart flutters- This was too good to be true!

You dare to peek, watery, doe eyes looking up at this man woth a doll-like look, seeing the outline of his features in the dim light - God your chest pangs, a spike of embarrassment, lust, nervousness, excitement, arousal - His thumb pulls on your bottom lip, dragging the swollen plumpness before he let's it go with a pop.

"S'Get 'outta here." The corner of his mouth barely lifts into a quip of a smirking grin.

"Kent..?" Disbelief gnaws at your tone. He only hums, a short sound of agreeance, kicking his head in the direction of the more intimate rooms with a short lift of his chin.

Ooh he treats you well. Head between your legs, lips smacking at the folds of your pussy, heavy hands planted on your thighs while his battle-worn fingers wrap around, blunt nails digging into your soft and sensitive flesh. He feasts like a starved man, suckling at your supple-sweet wetness, fat lapping licks of his pink tongue, jamming the muscle into your cunt hole before he's back on your clit. You squeal and squeak, fingers tugging at his hair, weaving into desperate fists, grinding your core on his lips and tongue- Yoba he takes it too, works with your movements, following your hips in sweet tandem.

He's rough with your cunt, spitting a fat glob of hot saliva before he laps it up, hazel eyes on you as he does so before they flutter shut with a scrunch of his brow and a shake of his head- Devouring your pussy once again, nose jutting into your clit while his tongue fucks past the ring of your pussy.

You have to be ready for him, yeah? Nice and wet and gushy.. Squirting all over his face before he even thinks about sinking his cock into you.

He makes you lick it off of his lips, tongue cleaning up the mess you left on his chin and cheeks, stealing hot slick and saliva filled kisses in the mix, tongues swirling, catching and suckling against eachother as two deft fingers jam into your waiting cunt.

Your fingers were incomparable to his own, too small to reach into the depths of your sweetness, too weak to curl and finger bang the fuck out of your poor pussy, squelchy and wet despite the messy squirt of your orgasm.

"Eyes on me, Darl'.." Kent orders, voice softer than his actions. Your lips part, jaw dropped in hot pleasure, eyes going into a blurred fuzz, his features disappearing as his fingers curl and curl and curl- Until you're left empty, gasping as fingers smack lovingly on your sticky clit, spiky pain and pleasure jutting up your body.

You're not empty for long though, easily plugged up with the thickness of Kent's cock, slowly sinking into your prepped up pussy just like you always imagined with your silly silicone toy. He kisses you through it, the whines and wobbly frown, a hand coming to rest a supple squeeze on your throat, hushing you as he bottoms out.

"S'okay Darlin'.." He coos roughly, hips beginning to hump a pace, rolling grinds against your public mound. "S'What you wanted, right Dolly? Yeahhh? Pretty lil' fuck doll aren'tcha? Thaaaats right.." All coos and sweet words despite the mean squeeze of his palm on your throat and the quick snapping of his hips.

Yoba, he mounts you. Hooking his free palm under your leg, knee to ear while he pounds at your pussy. Plap, plap, plap, skin on skin, wet and slick from the thin sheen of sweat that dared to wash over your skin and the gush of fluids from your supple cunt.

This was it- this was everything you had ever imagined, your perfectly lewd fantasy finally coming to fruition, taking the Kent's thick married cock, lovingly squeezing at his girth, hearts in your eyes as you choke a choppy babble past the tenseness of his hand on your throat; "Wa..nt need- Lov- Y..ou... please- Da..ddy...~"

It's enough to have Kent groaning deep, once fast fucking hips favouring a hard Roll. Slow. Mean. Snapping. Thrusts. Breath huffed in time with his hips, teeth grit as he speaks.

"Tryana' be my Baby? Hmmm?? Daddy's. Sweet. Lil'. Girl?" Words punctuated with his thrusts, pudgy tip kissing your insides with every snap. It seems to have triggered something in him, hazel eyes blown up, pupils dilated big and black, sweat dripping from his brow. "Daddy's sweet n'- Fuck.. His pretty Dolly, yeah??" You nod, strained against the hand on your throat, his fingers guaring your jaw, movement limited, the most pathetic and eager little nod he'd ever seen.

His hand comes off, planting under your other knee and you're manhandled into a dirty mating press, cock drilling into your poor pussy from above.

You knew you were wrong for it. And you're sure he knows it too. But Yoba be dammed if you ever go back to pitiful, longing looks from across the bar after this.

[mercurycft]

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 — 𝐋𝐁

## lucy bronze x reader!

Hello everyone! I’ve been working on this idea for a little while.. its definitely not my best work but i really liked writing this! Enjoy! Love always- RG! x

part 1 of 2! read part two here 2,603 words - this part is mostly build-up!

MATURE CONTENT & LANGUAGE WARNING 18+

The final stretch of the last training session before a break was always the worst, ending with all the girls heaving and sweaty as they piled back into the team changing room. It was Friday, and plans for the evening were already being finalised by the time you entered the room and made your way to your usual spot. Tucked away into the corner, happy to sit down and take off your boots before you heard your name hollered from within the fuss of conversation.

"Oi! Y/L/N, drinks at 8. You get no input or choice..." The voice belonged to Mary and was followed by a hound of laughs from around the room. Drinks were never your go-to, much preferring a takeaway and crap tv in the comfort of your own home. The girls knew this, so instead of asking - they would tell. You knew better than to fight it, laughing with them and nodding before throwing the group a sarcastic double thumbs-up as you placed your boots into your kit bag.

"I'll be there, Pre-drinks at Tooney's I'm guessing?" That was always the plan, meet at Ella's and either walk or get an Uber to wherever the group had decided to spend the remainder of the night. Your question was met with a couple 'obviously's and 'you know it's from the girls, who had now dispersed around the room and started packing their belongings away. You were packed up first, as per usual, and were sat chatting as everyone finished changing. Once everyone had grabbed what they needed and conversations were stalling to a halt, everyone made their collective way through the hall and out towards the front of the building. You, Ella and Alessia led the way, arms linked and phones in hand, already discussing the 'dress code' for the evening.

By the time you had finally made it home, battling through the usual city traffic it was nearing 4pm and all plans for an unrushed evening of preparing were out the window - so after dumping your bag in the kitchen you headed straight for the shower.

_________

The next two hours were spent rushing around your bedroom and flat, drying and styling your hair before applying your usual 'going out' makeup. Next came the clothes and after 6 failed attempts at outfits you had created in your head and two stressed glasses of whatever wine you had in the fridge, you settled on wide-leg jeans and a strapless bodysuit paired with a pair of comfy heels which gave you an extra couple of inches. After packing the essentials into the ridiculously small-seeming bag you had chosen and grabbing a jacket, you were finally ready to head out the door.

The journey to Ella's house wasn't long, 10 minutes at most, and the weather was in your favour - the sun starting to set and a gentle chill creeping through your clothes just as you had arrived at her front door. Holding a bottle of cheap wine close to your side, you rang the bell and waited, soon to be greeted by Alessia and ushered inside - music was already blaring from the kitchen where a few of the girls loitered. Ella grabbed the bottle from your grasp, pouring you a generous glass and placing the remainder into her fridge. "You look fit, mate!" She exclaimed as she turned back to you and passed your drink.

"Oh stop it, look at you Tooney." You said, holding your hand out towards her and feigning a dramatic gasp, you both fell into a burst of soft laughter and moved to join the rest of the group. You said your hello's, exchanging genuine compliments and stationed yourself by the sink, bringing the glass to your lips as the doorbell chimed through the house.

"Fucking hell, Luce! Didn't want to leave the rest of us a chance to pull then?" Ella squealed exasperatedly, throwing her hands up in fake annoyance and stomping back into the kitchen. You straightened up at the mention of the older right-back, taking another sip of your drink as she emerged into the room and said her hello's.

By the time she made it to you, you were sure you could draw her from memory. Watching her closely as she worked her way across the room - you noticed how the white shirt she wore was clinging to her arms and chest in all the right places, tucked neatly into a pair of slack-like trousers which sat loosely around her ankles to reveal a pair of crisp airforce. Before you could react she was in front of you, pulling you in with a gentle hand on the back and a warm smile, giving you a friendly cheek-to-cheek kiss and hug then pulling away and moving back into the centre of the room and retrieving her own drink.

She looked good and she was well aware, which made it so much harder to look away. Having to try your hardest to remind yourself of where you are and who she was. Her glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, with her hair pulled back into her usual bun. You had always found her attractive - how could you not? She looked as if she had been carved by the Gods themselves, with smooth olive skin and muscles that put everyone else to shame.

You had always gotten along well, laughing and joking across the pitch during training. Sometimes meeting her eyes for a moment too long during conversations or humouring the lingering touches when you brushed past each other in social settings. Though nothing had ever come of it, that didn't mean you didn't enjoy the warmth of her hands on the small of your back or the way you seemed to fall into her eyes and stumble on your words when she would catch you off guard and today was no exception. You couldn't help but watch her as she worked the room, engaging in conversations.

When the last of the girls had arrived, the house was buzzing with the type of giddy excitement only alcohol could provide - everyone was a few drinks down now and it wasn't long before you were sat in a taxi heading into town.

_________

10pm rolled around and the drinks were flowing, empty glasses scattered across the table which a few of the girls sat around. Some were stood at the bar, ordering the next round and a few more occupied a section of the dancefloor. You, however, found yourself perched on a bar stool with a drink in hand, ear forward as Lucy told you a story about one of her former teammates. Trying your hardest to pay attention, but too focused on how close together you were.

You could feel her breath on your ear as she tried to speak over the music that rattled through the room. Her hand was placed just above your knee for leverage as she leaned over you and it was all you could think about. The smell of her perfume flooded your senses, disorientating the logical side of your brain which tried to scream through the cloud of subtle arousal that sat heavy behind your eyes. 'This is so unprofessional!' you were aware and you knew deep down this could ruin you - but the sweet smell of her skin was intoxicating.

Your train of thought was interrupted as your eyes refocused, grounding you back into the moment. Realising she now stood away from your ear, instead looking at you with raised eyebrows and a slight smirk across her lips. shit. caught red-handed. You stiffened when she leaned back towards your ear, "Am I boring you Y/L/N? Did you even hear what I said?" You hadn't. but she wasn't asking, she was taunting.

She watched you struggle for an answer, pure amusement plastered across her face. Putting you out of your misery she leant back in, this time pushing you further into your pit. Lips pressed cautiously against your lobe, "Strike one, darlin'." She muttered and you were sure you could feel her smirk against your ear before she departed entirely and you lost her in the crowd of bodies around you. strikes? what strikes? You wondered silently to yourself, bringing your drink to your lips as your eyes scanned the dark room but she was already gone.

_________

An hour later you found yourself on the dancefloor surrounded by your friends, who were all individually butchering an Amy Winehouse classic. As the song wrapped up to an end, you were pulled into a loose group hug - maybe it was the alcohol or maybe it was just the love you felt in that moment, but you couldn't explain the warmth that coursed through your veins as you looked at your people.

Before long a new song began, a low beat bounced off the walls and wrapped around the bodies on the floor. You didn't know the song but remained with the girls, swaying to the beat and laughing at some of their horrific dance moves. As the song hit the chorus you and Mary gravitated towards each other, dancing and laughing as you stood in front of her and attempted an awful twerk and grind move to the beat with her hands placed firmly on your hips. Both of you played into your roles, spilling your drinks as you did so and adding to the already sticky floor.

It wasn't unusual for the team to dance like this and it was very rarely serious when one of you was pressed back up against another, but today it felt different. One specific set of deep eyes stayed locked on your movements as Lucy watched from the opposite side of the group, tongue rolling along the inside of her teeth when you finally made eye contact from your compromising position. Through the darkness you could see her lips moving; she was talking - or at least mouthing something towards you. You couldn't connect the dots until she lifted her hand in front of her, showing you two fingers. "Two strikes."

What would happen at three? And why were you excited to find out?

_________

It was nearing 11 now and you stood at the bar, almost too close to a woman you had just met - sipping the fruity drink she had ordered you. Normally you would think twice about talking to someone at a bar, but tonight’s circumstances made it a thrilling game and you couldn’t wait to play. You knew she was watching, feeling her eyes bore into the back of your head but paying little attention while you focused on the task at hand. Lucy was standing a few feet behind you, between Ella and Leah who were trying to talk over the music. Lucy wasn’t interested though, her attention fixed on you and your new friend. Gripping her drink so tight she was sure it might shatter as she watched you lift a sly hand up and rest it on the stranger's shoulder. Lucy couldn’t pinpoint the feeling, internally confused at the sudden jealousy that burned deep in the pits of her stomach. Just as you were starting to think she had lost interest, a body was pressed to the side of you, pushing a wedge between yourself and the woman whose name you couldn’t even remember.

The game was no longer fun when Lucy ushered you around the room to say your goodbyes, excusing you both from the function. A few of the girls started to protest but she was quick to respond with “Y/N’s not feeling 100%, said I’d make sure she got home okay.” And that was enough for them. She held you close as you walked out into the street, whispering a small but steady “Third and final.” as she pulled you into a waiting taxi.

_________

The pair of you didn't even make it through the front door before she pounced, your key still in the lock when she had you pinned between her frame and the door. Her hands sat heavy on your hips, eyes locked on yours. "God, you've been drivin' me mental all night.." she groaned, scanning your features.

"Do something about it then," You pushed. This was new but unbelievably exciting, you had never seen her like this. Before you could speak again her lips were on yours. Rough and urgent, like she was scared someone would rip you right out of her grip. "Inside," You managed to mumble against her lips, unlocking the door and pulling her inside - not wasting any more time to attach your lips together again.

This time was different, a rage of hunger alight in the depths of your stomach. Your hands sat on the nape of her neck, lacing through the small amount of hair that had fallen from her bun throughout the night. Her hands couldn't settle, exploring your figure and fisting at the fabric that separated skin from skin. Somehow during this you had travelled through the hall and were now fighting through your bedroom door, shoes and jackets kicked off and discarded around the flat - highlighting your erratic path.

Once inside the safety of your bedroom, things seemed to slow. The initial hunger and speed now dimmed into lust. Yearning. She pressed rough but calculated kisses down your jaw, lingering below your ear for a moment before moving across your collarbones. The feeling made you shudder, holding her head in your hands.

She had you stripped in minutes, now pulled tightly against her in your underwear. "Jesus Christ Y/L/N are you trying to kill me here?" She murmured, thumb caressing the lace across your chest, tracing the shapes for a second before her eyes met yours. A moment passed and you were growing impatient, inhaling deeply when the pad of her thumb found your nipple through the thin fabric and circled gently. You could tell she was enjoying this, watching you shift your weight from side to side as she slowly broke you down.

"On the bed." You were quick to obey, laying down in front of her - on display. She made her way towards you, situating herself above you and lifting your legs to bend and sit beside her hips. She kissed you deeply, hands latched onto your thighs. The world seemed to melt away around you and all you could think about was the throbbing between your legs.

"Need you," You managed to croak out, hands pulling at the fabric of her trousers - desperate for some form of friction. She let out a cocky scoff from above you.

"I'm not sure you deserve it, love. Haven't been behaving, have you?" She spoke rhetorically, tutting and raising her hand to toy with your bottom lip. "And only good girls get rewarded.." She added lowly as her hand travelled down from your face, tugging at your bra and moving to take your nipple into her mouth. You let out a small moan when you felt the warmth of her mouth on you, legs constricting around her and your back arching into her touch.

You writhed beneath her as she moved between left and right, her hand now finding its way to your underwear. She had two fingers pressed against your clit through the fabric, letting out a soft hum against you when she felt your arousal through the barrier. "Got you all wet for me, hm?"

"Please," You whimpered, lifting your hips up towards her hand. Desperate for some relief for the ache, eyes glassed over with desire.

"Begging for it already and I'm only just getting started. What a shame.."

[bearlytolerant]

Fandom: Dragon Age

Pairing: Solas x f!Lavellan

Rating: T

AO3

say that you will

It is a long way back to Skyhold and she knows she should give him space. But it’s so damn hard to convince herself this is the end. A day ago he was in her arms at dawn. A day ago he had held her hand and said I love you just before noon. A day ago and he had said she was a distraction at sunset.

Is that all it takes to return to strangers? A single day?

What changed?

She would’ve done a million things differently had she known. Traded in a meal just to stroke her knuckles against his jawline. Skipped that war meeting to lay in bed with him for that extra hour. Foregone a night of wicked grace to gaze at the stars, his whispered stories in her ear while he holds her tight.

And yet, maybe everything would’ve played out the same, exactly as it should have.

But what if it hadn’t?

Together they travel in silence, her arms wrapped around his waist upon her hart. Her fingers barely ghost the solid form of him, afraid to be too much when it’s not enough. But he holds her arm against his body tighter, reins in his hands and she knows he doesn’t want what he’s done either.

It’s raining. But the barrier he casts above their heads keeps her hair dry. And she knows if he were alone, he’d let the world dump on him, drenching him to the bone. He does this for her, even still.

The words unspoken form a wall between them but she can hear his heart beat as she rests her head on his back, staining his tunic with tears.

He had offered to walk back to Skyhold, knowing full well the hurt he caused would be unbearable, but she couldn’t bring herself to let that happen. It wasn’t his fault. All along he’d told her about his hesitancy in the relationship. Made his intentions quite clear.

He had said, “It could lead to trouble.”

She’d known this end was a possibility and the most likely outcome. She understood that time was the stipulation and she had agreed to the terms. If only it wasn’t so short-lived.

Stealing kisses and affection from him where she could was something she’d welcomed and treasured. Still, she just wished she’d had some warning so she could’ve stayed in his arms just a little longer. Tasted his lips just once more. Heard him call her Vhenan and mean it. After all, Corypheus wasn’t defeated. He didn't need to destroy what they had. Didn’t need to bury her in ruins.

Why did it have to be so sudden?

Maybe that’s the real reason she wanted him to ride with her. To hold him one last time. To say her silent and broken goodbyes. To memorize the curve of his body against her own and cement what they had as real. Her motivations for this situation were dubious at best but just because he could switch himself off with a sentence or two didn’t mean she was capable of the same.

He asks too much.

“We should stop and make camp,” he says. His formal tone with her jarring and foreign. But he sniffles, softly, almost inaudible.

“Oh, al-alright.” She sniffs too and wipes her face with the back of her hand.

She wonders if she should be angry. Any other sane person would be. But it’s hard to be angry at him when he rubs at his eyes, smearing his own tears with his thumb, trying to hide his own pain from her.

Solas doesn’t offer his hand to help her down like he used to. Doesn’t smile either. Or even spare a glance in her direction. Instead, he stiffly begins unstrapping their supplies from the hart and begins setting up a makeshift camp.

Sarya shuffles alongside him, doing her part to help and move the process along quickly. The sun sinks below the ombré blanketed horizon and the stars take its place as they pull down the blackened curtain. She piles the last of the kindling and lights a fire, then sits on the ground and stares into the flames.

Solas passes her some sandwiches left over from their romantic picnic and each bite she takes makes her nauseous. The bread tastes of despair and smells of heartache. She sets the half eaten sandwich aside, curling her arms around herself and watches the bats flit around in the trees above them. She studies them and wishes she could transform into a bat and fly away right about now. Oh to be a shapeshifter.

“You should eat,” Solas says.

Sarya slowly turns toward him and glares, unfurling herself. She snatches up the sandwich, stands, then winds up and hurls the sandwich as hard as she can into the darkness. Wiping the crumbs off on her leggings, she returns to her sitting position and continues to glare at him.

It earns her a sigh.

“No. You don’t get to do that,” she says.

“Do what exactly?”

“You don’t get to be exasperated with me.”

“You are angry.”

“I am—no.” She shakes her head, a few curls springing loose around her face. Hurt. Confused. Empty. “I have lost my appetite because I am in emotional pain. But not angry—maybe bitter. Spiteful even.”

“It is understandable for you to feel that way.”

“Solas, please. Don’t.” She yanks up a handful of grass and starts shredding it to pieces. “I can’t do this. Talking to you like this. Like what we were, never happened? Like you aren’t the source of all of—this.” She throws her hands up and then wraps her arms around her legs again.

Like he’s a friend who can offer advice and help her heal after hurt.

“This is not easy for me either.”

“Then why do it? Why not wait?”

“Would it make any difference?”

Sarya rubs at her forehead. She can feel the tears coming again but she swallows them back. “Well no. But,” she picks up a lonesome stick and begins to snap it, shredding it into saddened splinters, “can we just—can we just have this one last night?”

She can’t bear to look at him but she hears his sigh. It sounds so heavy and she doesn’t understand it because he won’t let her.

“Please,” she says again between the cricket chirps. “Let me in just one last time. Then we can move on. Promise.”

She sees his fingers tapping against his knee. Long fingers that spent countless nights intertwined with hers. Long, perfect fingers that danced in the air when he was passionate. That have comforted her during nightmares. Healed wounds and left no scars. Elicited pleasure she never experienced before. And now tap, tap, tap against a knee, never to grace her skin again.

“Sar–Inquisitor, it would be easier for the both of us if we refrained. I am sorry.”

No, she will have none of that Inquisitor shit.

She chucks the remainder of the stick behind her and is up on her feet. She marches over to him, fingers clutching his collar as she studies his stupidly sad face. He can’t even look her in the eye. But gods, if she doesn’t still love him. She bends down, fist in his collar and hand cupping his chin as she pulls him into a final, wild, and desperate kiss. He doesn’t move the rest of his body but his lips find their way to her easily enough. When she releases him, he reaches for her, hungrier than ever before.

“We shouldn’t,” he breathes.

“We aren’t,” she replies. And his hands are threaded through her hair and salt is on her lips.

Artwork here

[buckysgrace]

Twenty Nine

CW: homphobic slur

Billy

The next morning was just as rough getting out of bed, but Billy did it anyway. The coke withdrawals always hit him hard, made him feel worse and so terrible about himself. Sometimes it didn’t feel like the high was worth it.

He felt guilty with the way he’d treated Kim, how he’d mindlessly pushed her away. He didn’t mean to come off in that manner, he truly didn’t. His mind was just screaming at him, far louder than it had in a long time. It felt like everything was crashing down around him. 

“This girl invited me out this weekend,” Kim told him softly as she ate her cereal, “I think we’re friends? I don’t know her that well.” She shrugged her shoulders softly as she lost herself to her thoughts. Billy observed her features again, wondering if her friend was the reason she was continuing to use bright blue on her eyelids instead of pink. 

“That’s how you become friends,” Billy teased her gently, “Go see her for a bit. You deserve to have some fun.” He told her truthfully. He had an urge to meet with whom she’d been speaking about, but he also didn’t want to invade her space either. He’d wait for her to invite him, the same way he’d invited her. 

“I have fun with you.” She told him quickly, sounding like she’d rather stay with him anyways. He grinned as he walked towards her, watching the way she dumped the leftover milk down the sink then washed it out. 

“You see me every day,” He teased, quickly scooping her up in his arms as he noticed no one was around, “I can give you a parting gift.” He told her softly, leaning forward just enough to bite down on her bottom lip. She gasped, her heart beating the same rhythm as his as he pulled her closer.

“Promise?” She teased him softly, her cheeks flushed as she pressed up against him. Billy gently brushed his thumb against her cheek, brushing away a loose eyelash as she pressed his forehead up against hers. He slowly moved his hand back down to her waist.

“Mhm,” Billy grinned as he ran his hands up her slender curves, “Whatever you want.” He flicked his tongue across her opened mouth, giving her something to think about as he pulled away. He grinned at the state of her, noticing how flushed and taken aback she was suddenly. He took a sip of his coffee as he heard steps coming down the hallway. 

“Hey,” Russell said brightly as he approached Billy, “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He said a little too eagerly, his smile growing from ear to ear. Billy shifted uncomfortably in his spot as he nodded his head, still unsure of how to handle the younger boy's attention. 

“Just had a bug.” Billy brushed it off, slightly surprised that so many people had cared. Even Max had gifted him with another hug yesterday. It made him feel odd. 

“Those suck,” Russell nodded his head along excitedly, “We noticed that you weren’t here. All of us. We missed you.” He said, emphasizing the we part. Billy slowly dragged his eyes towards Kim, watching the amused look that grew on her features. 

“He’s right,” Kim grinned, looking a little too joyful as she scooped Russell into a side hug and rested her cheek on top of his moppy hair, “We missed you so much.” She spoke sweetly as she rubbed her cheek back and forth on top of Russell’s head. He laughed, grinning widely as he held onto Kim. 

“Huh,” Billy replied dryly as he brought the coffee mug up to his lips, “Thank you.” He told him a second later, nodding his head in agreement. Russell smiled as he moved away, looking like he was extra excited as he grabbed an orange from the bowl. 

“Are we going?” Max grumbled from the hallway, “I just want to get this day over with.” She looked more irritated than usual, her features pulled tightly into a scowl. He observed her for a moment, wondering if school was going worse for her. 

“Yeah,” Billy said as he finished the rest of his drink, wincing at how hot it was, “Let’s go.” He said quickly as he went to rinse his mug out. He watched as the water slowly turned clear again. He dried his hands off quickly.

“Cool,” Russell said as he bounced over towards Max, “Do you have your science project today?” He asked as Max began to grumble out an answer. Billy watched as the two younger teens made their way towards the door, Russell carrying the conversation as they did so. 

“You’re funny,” Billy told her once Russell was out of earshot, “Real funny.” He told Kim seriously as he poked her soft sides. She giggled, wiggling away as she took her hands in his quickly. She shook her head, giving him a warning look as he pretended to reach for her sides again. 

“He’s so adorable,” Kim breathed out deeply as she squeezed his hands softly in hers, “He’s like a little puppy and he has all of your cute little features. I just wanna squish him.” She said as she pouted her lips out, reaching her hands out to squeeze at Billy’s cheekbones. He lightly gripped her hands, pausing as he kissed each of her fingertips. 

“You have issues.” He told her teasingly as his lips curled into a smile against her skin. He looked down at her nails, noticing the fresh paint of red on there. His eyes moved up the length of her arms, suddenly thinking about the lingerie he’d gifted her. He thought about her red nails, the black lace and the dark red she could paint her lips. He dropped her hand suddenly, knowing that if his thoughts continued neither of them would be leaving. She turned with a smile, clueless to his thoughts as she pulled the door open, “I know,” She admitted as she dragged her feet towards the car, “But you still love me.” She said pointedly as she glanced back towards him, flicking her thick eyelashes towards him. He bit his lip, letting his eyes linger at the way her hips moved. He watched the way the back of her skirt caught against her pale thighs and suddenly felt himself walking a little faster as he felt his cock stirring in his jeans. 

“I do,” He agreed with a smile, “My little oddball.” He teased lightly, trying to get his mind off of anything but her skin. He rubbed the back of his neck before he popped a cigarette between his lips, feeling like this would be a long day without her. 

////////////////

“You’re still here?” Billy questioned as he walked inside, looking at how Sam was finishing a cup of coffee. Usually by the time Billy got everyone dropped off, Sam was long gone with whatever odd hours he worked. 

“Had a late day,” Sam said with a nod as he held his coffee cup, “Good morning to you.” He said with a smile. Billy shrugged his shoulders in return, feeling like there wasn’t anything special about this morning. He did feel a dire need to do something, rather than just lounge around the house. Rosemary kept it too clean for him to do anything else but succumb to his boredom. 

“Can you drop me off at the bakery?” He asked a second later, unsure of why he couldn't drive himself. He paused, trying to convince himself that it was better to hitch a ride than waste the gas money. 

“Sure,” Sam said quickly as he rinsed the rest of his coffee down the sink drain, “Let’s roll.” He said with a goofy smile. Billy exhaled deeply, wondering if this was a good idea at all. 

He strolled out to the car, enjoying the warm breeze that drifted against his shoulders. He felt slightly optimistic, like today would be a better day. He hoped so. He still felt like he owed Kim something, like he ought to give her something sweet. 

He slid his way into the car, pausing before he buckled himself up. Sam moved around the car a second later, his eyes looking a bit tired as he made his way inside the car. Billy glanced out the window, ready for the awkward silence to talk over. 

“I didn’t know you liked this music.” Billy observed as he peered at the familiar station that was dancing across Sam’s screen. Sam paused as he reached between his legs to scoot the chair far back, letting his long legs stretch out. 

“The beat is interesting,” Sam said quickly as he adjusted his mirrors too. He paused before he buckled up, then began to drive, “It takes a lot of talent to do that.” He told Billy as a look of interest crossed his features. Billy found himself shaking his head before he could stop himself .

“Oh,” Billy said, then snorted to himself, “Of course you’d spin it like that.” He laughed to himself as he rubbed his thumb across his nose. It was slightly raw, a little redder than usual. He figured he’d give it a while to heal before he did anything too drastic. He didn’t want to fuck his nose up. 

“What?” Sam laughed, “There’s a lot you can learn through music. Especially the way music has changed over time. How is that not cool?” Sam asked seriously at the end of his ramble, looking like he wanted an answer to his question. Billy paused, unsure of how to handle the attention on him. 

“It’s very nerdy.” Billy said as he shook his head. He nearly laughed again, wondering if Sam would get as offended as he did with Tommy. Billy was sure that he had never seen Sam so angry before. He thought it was quite hilarious as he thought of himself as being worse than Tommy. 

“Yeah, well,” Sam shrugged his shoulders, “I like learning things.” Sam said with a quiet laugh as he pulled onto the busy roads. Billy glanced around, enjoying the way the clouds seemed to be dancing through the bright blue sky. 

“So does Kim.” Billy said a second later, sure that she read her textbooks for fun. He hated comparing Kim and Sam together, but he supposed there was no getting around it. Although she looked like Susan, she acted just like Sam. He wondered if Susan had ever gotten frustrated with Kim for that reason. 

“Susan used to get irritated,” Sam said softly as he glanced towards Billy, confirming his thoughts, “Kim used to grade over Susan’s homework papers when she was little. It drove Susan mad, but Kim would just say she was grading,” Sam chuckled as he temporarily lost himself in the memory, “She was the cutest little kid.”

“Is that when you lived with Susan’s mom?” Billy asked cautiously, feeling a need to know a little bit more about Kim’s childhood. He wondered how lonely it must’ve been for her. He supposed it was good that she got Max a few years later. 

“Debra,” Sam corrected him gently, “And she was a - well, she was a cunt. There’s no way around it.” He said, glancing over both of his shoulders before he turned the car to the left. Billy thought about it for a moment, a little surprised that Sam would say such a thing. He figured that it really did mean that Debra was awful. 

“Is it just because she hated you?” He felt his eyebrows knitting together as he asked the question, thinking that Debra probably had a reason to not like him. He wondered if Susan had started hating Sam first, or if that had been part of Debra’s influence. 

“Her and Susan had problems before,” Sam said briefly, “She never let me ask too much. Debra thought I needed a better job, that we weren’t ready for a kid. All sorts of things.” He rambled on for a minute, moving one of his hands off of the wheel to gesture as he spoke. Billy pondered on the thought for a moment. 

“Teachers do have shitty salaries.” Billy said in agreement, thinking of how Neil had criticized any males that had teaching degrees. Neil had always thought that it was a woman’s job, unless it involved college level thinking. 

“Teaching was just the first step in my career, or it was supposed to be,” Sam said, “I wanted to be a geologist.” He told Billy honestly, surprising him a little bit. Kim had talked so intensely about how Sam had loved teaching. Billy couldn’t imagine enjoying teaching just because he didn’t finish school. 

“Why didn’t you?” Billy questioned, although he didn’t know why he was asking. He really didn’t care about what Sam did, but he figured it was better than sitting in an awkward silence. Billy fumbled for a moment before he pulled out his box of cigarettes. 

“I graduated with my teaching degree the spring before Kim was born,” Sam explained slowly, nodding his head as Billy offered him a stick, “Susan said it was only fair that she went to school next. She was right, she deserved that chance. I just never got a chance to go back.” He mumbled as he held the cigarette between his lips. Billy leaned forward to give him a light. 

“She said you ruined her nursing career.” He told Sam honestly as he lit his own cigarette. He breathed in the sweet nicotine, enjoying how it seemed to soothe his nerves and joints. Sam laughed, nodding his head in agreement. Billy wasn’t sure how he was able to act so carefree while admitting to his wrongs. 

“At the hospital,” Sam said, “I worked as a janitor after I lost my teaching job. I lost the janitor job because one of the other nurses sold me some pills and yeah. That all came crashing down.” He said as he blew out a deep cloud of smoke. Billy raised his eyebrow, a little surprised by that answer. 

“Shit,” Billy said as he took another drag from his cigarette, “I didn’t know you did other stuff.” He admitted softly, trying to keep his features as stoic as possible. He didn’t need Sam suspecting anything, nor did he want Sam to be on the watch for Billy’s behaviors. 

“Alcohol opens the door for a lot of things.” Sam replied quietly as he looked forward at the road, his eyes looking slightly sorrowful again. Billy wondered what all he’d done, what he hadn’t been caught doing. 

“What you said about your stepdad before,” Billy drew out softly, “Did Kim meet him?” He asked curiously, thinking of an instance where Kim spoke of any of her grandparents. He couldn't remember much, other than her telling him that she’d lived with her grandma. 

“No,” Sam quickly, “Well, not that she’d remember. Just once when she was little. She was two I think?” He thought to himself for a moment, like he was unsure of just how old she had been. Billy waited curiously until he seeked the answers out on his own again. 

“What happened?” He asked, almost afraid to ask as he inhaled the smoke deep inside of his lungs. He enjoyed the way it slightly burned, how he swore he could feel it swimming inside of his organs. He exhaled a second later, almost fearing that Sam would say that his parents had been mean to her. 

“Nothing really,” Sam replied a second later, “I mean it was just weird. You know Kim has always had a sweet tooth. We couldn’t always afford it but, anyways, my stepdad was just odd. He kept holding these candies out for her to grab, but once she got close enough, he put them in his pockets.” He rambled on for a moment, looking troubled as he thought back to the situation on his own. 

“He wanted her to cry?” Billy asked in confusion, not really understanding why it would make Sam so uneasy. It made his stepdad sound like a dick, but it wasn’t necessarily cruel. Not like any of the things Neil had mentioned about his dad. Or how Sam had said his stepfather had tried to drown him. 

“No,” Sam said, “He tried to make her reach into his pockets to grab them. I left with her after that; I didn't come back until I moved out. So, he didn’t really do anything, but - I don’t know. It just didn’t feel right.” He looked a little revolted as he spoke, like he thought the worst could happen. Billy blanched for a moment, his mind not even considering that. 

“Yeah,” Billy breathed out softly as a shiver raced down his back, “That is odd.” He mumbled in agreement as he rubbed his thumb across his bottom lip. He thought that it was good that Kim had never asked about him. 

“Has she ever mentioned meeting them?” Sam looked at him curiously, almost like he was worried about what was happening. Billy shook his head softly, not recalling that Max had ever mentioned them either. 

“No,” Billy responded truthfully, “She’s said that you don’t talk about your past a lot, but that’s it.” He mentioned slowly. He wondered if it would make Sam more honest to Kim, to open up a little more. He thought that Kim would like that. 

“She doesn’t need to know everything, as much as that may bother her,” Sam said quickly with a light chuckle, “Have a good day, alright?” Billy paused as he held onto the doorknob but was unable to push the door open. He figured he was keeping Sam late, but he suddenly had a dire need to know why.

“Why did you leave them?” He asked him seriously, feeling like he was missing a big chunk of the piece. He knew it was none of his business, that Sam had every right to not share that information. Still, he felt like he needed to know. He wanted to see if there was any reassurance he could give Kim, or if he truly was as awful as Billy had previously thought. 

“I wasn’t a good dad,” Sam said softly, “Susan wanted a divorce and obviously would’ve gotten custody and everything else. She wanted me gone and at that point, I thought it was best.” Sam spoke quietly, like it was still a sore subject. Billy stared at him for a moment, still not understanding why it would make Sam leave. 

“So you just left.” Billy stated with a nod of his head. Sam paused as he leaned back in his seat. He reached down to his hand, beginning to twist the gold band that rested across his finger. 

“It wasn’t an overnight thing,” Sam told him gently, “I did what I thought was best for my girls and for Susan.” His tone was raw, full of regret suddenly. Sam’s demeanor changed, his shoulders sagging as he suddenly appeared smaller.

“It wasn’t the best.” Billy told him honestly, knowing how Kim felt about the subject. He knew she would’ve rather their family been messy, than for Sam to be away from them. Billy suddenly wondered what would’ve happened, if he would’ve ever met her if their families were still separated. He thought that they would’ve. Somehow. 

“I know.” Sam nodded his head in agreement, his eyes staring forward suddenly. Billy sighed as he gripped the handle and popped the door open. He paused as he stepped out, quietly shutting the door behind him. 

“Thanks,” Billy mumbled softly as he took a step back from the car, “See you later.” He responded awkwardly as he walked across the street. He jogged towards the backdoor, figuring it was better to go in through this way than the busy front door. 

“Hey,” Rosemary stopped in shock, nearly tripping over the tiled floors, “You’re here?” She looked at him stunned, like she hadn’t expected to see him. Which, she probably hadn’t. This was the first time he’d been to the bakery without the others. 

“I didn’t have anything else to do.” He admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. He figured it was best to stay busy than to do anything else. He wasn’t sure if he trusted where his mind would wander on its own. 

“No, no that’s perfect,” She said as she carried a large chocolate cake to one of the tables, “Can you take over the dishes? Dottie is on them now but I could use her help.” She said quickly, looking a little flustered as fanned her reddened cheeks for a second.

“Sure,” He shrugged his shoulders as he walked over, “I guess I’m taking over.” He told Dottie softly, feeling like he’d rather sit out over her anyways. At least it would give him time to think on his own. 

“Oh, okay,” Dottie smiled widely, “It’s good to see you again. Your mom has been so happy.” She said dramatically as she dried her hands off. She rubbed at her back for a second before she moved out of her way. 

“That’s great,” Billy responded dryly, “Thanks.” He nodded his head as he took her spot, not really wanting to hear about how badly Rosemary missed him. It was too raw for him to handle right now. 

He washed and scrubbed at the dishes, his hands and mind staying busy as he worked. He felt better than he had in a long time. His muscles and hands ached from the movements, reminding him that he needed to get a workout routine down again. He didn’t want to lose the muscles that he’d gained. 

“What are you doing after?” Rosemary asked as she walked up to him. She looked less flushed, a little more relaxed. He paused as he let go of the soapy plate, watching as it sank back to the bottom of the sink. 

“Not a lot,” Billy admitted, “I have an interview at a grocery store I used to work at.” He said as he raised his forearm up to wipe the sweat away from his forehead. The back of the kitchen remained hot from the way the stoves were constantly on. He glanced at the clock, noticing there was less than an hour left.

“Oh!” Rosemary’s face brightened, “I need a few things, I could take you.” She said a little too excitedly. Billy paused for a minute, not thinking that he needed his mommy to take him to a possible job interview. 

“You really don’t have to.” He tried to brush her off as he used the hose to rinse the soap off from the dish. He pushed it into the sanitizer, brushing past her softly to do so. She paused as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. 

“Please,” She said softly, “I won’t interrogate you I promise.” She said sweetly, looking a little desperate as she peered up towards him. Billy sighed roughly as he debated with himself for a moment. He shrugged his shoulders at last.

“Sure,” He replied, “If you really want to.” He said as he looked away from her again. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be around her for that long, but also didn’t have it in himself to brush her off. He was sure that there was something wrong with himself. 

“I do,” Rosemary said quickly, “I’ll be fun. Thank you.” She said quickly as she squeezed his arm softly. Billy stared at where her hand was resting over his bicep and nodded, still not used to the feeling of her touching him. 

“Alright,” He said briefly as he nodded his head, “That works then.” He mumbled as he began to scoop the pots and pans onto the drying rack. He watched as the water ran down the surface then dipped back into the sink. He breathed in deeply, wondering how he’d get through this afternoon on his own. 

/////////////////////

“Hey,” Billy said as he walked up towards the front, “I had an interview with Derek.” He said, glancing around at the familiar building. It was slightly busier from what he remembered. He thought that the walls were painted a different color too. 

“Oh right,” A girl around his age smiled, walking around the corner of the desk. Billy glanced back, looking at where Rosemary waved him on as she grabbed a hold of her cart, “He said that you worked here before?” She questioned him, her dark eyes intrigued as she watched him.

“Yeah, when I was a kid,” Billy explained briefly as he followed her into the offices, “Thanks.” He mumbled as she shot him a wave. He peered around again, thinking about the first time he’d been in this room. He’d had to sit at the very edge of the seat to touch his sneakers to the floor. 

“Hi,” Derek greeted with a grin, looking similar to the way Billy remembered him, “You’ve grown since I’ve last seen you. Good to see you again.” He said politely as he shook Billy’s hand. Billy returned the movements with a soft smile. 

“Yeah,” Billy nodded his head in agreement, “Just moved back actually.” He said as he rubbed the hand that he’d used to touch Derek’s across his jeans. He wasn’t sure what to say. He really didn’t have much of a resume. He wasn’t sure how far lifeguarding and being a high school graduate would get him. 

“Awesome,” Derek smiled kindly, “Do you want your old position? Just bagging and pushing carts around. Maybe after a while you could go to stocking.” He looked at him curiously as he flipped through some of the papers on his desk. Billy twisted his ring across his finger, not figuring that it would be that easy. 

“Works with me,” Billy said casually, “What would be the hours?” He asked as he tilted his head, waiting for what Derek would tell him. 

“Do you prefer mornings or nights?” Derek asked him curiously as he leaned forward to rest his elbows against the table. Billy began to bounce his foot against the floor. 

“Mornings if I can,” Billy told him quickly, thinking about how he needed the evenings to be with Kim, “It just works easier right now.” He shrugged his shoulders softly. He could honestly work any hours, but he wanted time to be with Kim. 

“Sure,” Derek smiled kindly, “Do you want to stop by tomorrow and get adjusted?” He asked as he pushed a paper forward. Billy looked down at the schedule, feeling like this wouldn’t be too bad at all. He could still drop Kim and the other two off, then pick them up by the time he was done with his shift. 

“Sounds great,” Billy nodded his head, “Thanks man.” He smiled towards him, feeling a little better knowing that he wasn’t just lounging around anymore. He thought he’d feel better having something to do, something to keep his mind busy.

“So?” Rosemary asked eagerly, still standing in the same spot by the time he’d returned. He watched as she placed back a coupon book, like she’d been trying to distract herself for the past few minutes. Something about the situation made him feel odd, made him feel like he was a little kid again. 

“I got it.” He mumbled softly as he approached her, trying to shake off the jittery feeling that was lingering inside of his chest. He still couldn’t tell how he felt to have her back. As a child he’d dreamt about it for so long, but now he was too grown to confide in those silly fantasies. 

“Oh good!” She said excitedly, “I knew that you would.” She said reassuringly as she began to push the cart forward. He followed her a little surprised, not actually expecting her to need things. 

“I worked here before,” Billy shrugged his shoulders, “I’m sure that’s why.” He told her truthfully. He was sure that was the only reason that Derek had hired him so easily. Rosemary glanced back at him before she leaned over the cart to put a few boxes of cereal inside. 

“I’ll miss having you at the bakery,” Rosemary admitted, “But if you like it here that’s good.” She told him quickly, like she didn’t want to dismiss what he wanted to do. He shrugged his shoulders, feeling like a job was just a job. 

“It was nice.” He said briefly as he glanced around the aisles again. He honestly couldn’t remember much of it, other than getting some sort of break from Neil. He felt guilty for that suddenly, like he shouldn’t think that way. 

“Is there anything you need for groceries?” She asked as she pulled out a piece of paper. He watched as she began to mark a few items off before she turned down the next row. Despite her shorter legs, she walked fast.

“Uh,” Billy paused as he followed her through the aisles, “Salads are good. I like protein.” He shrugged his shoulders, not really caring what he got. He was just thankful they hadn’t kicked him out to the street yet. 

“Nothing specific then?” She looked at him curiously as she stopped in the middle of the aisle. He shook his head. 

“I'll eat anything.” He told her truthfully, not really caring what it was. Neil never really gave him many options. He didn’t have the choice of just skipping out on meals and making something else later. 

“I know,” She said as she pursed her lips into a smile, “You were such a good eater as a baby. You used to get so cranky if I didn’t put it out fast enough. Except for eggs. You never quite liked eggs.” She spoke with an amused tone as she thought to herself. Billy felt his own memory tugging on his heartstrings, thinking about how she used to pull up a chair for him in the kitchen so he could help her cook. 

“They’re pretty disgusting,” He said in agreement, “I guess I never outgrew that.” He replied more to himself. At one time he was fairly certain it had been because Neil would make them so often. He’d always said it was hard to mess up on eggs, but he certainly knew how to make them taste rubbery and rotten every single time. 

“That’s alright,” Rosemary said as she scanned the refrigerated produce, “I’m determined to get Kim to not be so picky.” She mumbled underneath her breath as she pulled the door open. He felt his eyebrow raising on his forehead as he watched her struggle with a large turkey, then a ham. 

“You’re getting a turkey and a ham?” Billy asked, “Isn’t that a lot for us?” He questioned her, unsure of how all of that would get eaten. Kim certainly didn’t have a big appetite and was picky, he didn’t really think that Max or Russell at that much either. 

“Well,” Rosemary paused, “I haven’t told the girls yet but I have plans on inviting Susan. Sam said she’ll be out of jail then.” She said with a kind smile. Billy raised both of his eyebrows this time, feeling like that wasn’t a very good idea at all. He had a feeling that this whole situation would make Susan very angry and bitter. 

“What if she just runs off with Max and Kim?” He asked her seriously, tilting his head to examine her features as she thought over his words. He honestly didn’t think that Kim would go back with Susan after everything that happened, but he was unsure about Max. She’d left a bunch behind.

“I think they can decide where they want to live,” Rosemary said softly, “Max said that Susan has a boyfriend. I figured they could all come.” She smiled at Billy, looking like she was excited over all of it. 

“I doubt they can afford it,” Billy mumbled underneath his breath as he thought about Susan and Wayne, “Sounds like a full house.” He said louder, uncertain on how he felt about being crammed in the house with all of them. He was sure that if Wayne was coming, then Eddie would be coming too. 

“I hope so,” Rosemary replied gleefully, “Kim can bring her boyfriend too. I think it’ll be enjoyable.” She was bouncing as she walked, like the whole idea of it was too much for her to contain in her body. Billy inhaled deeply under his breath, glad that she couldn’t see him as he simmered about her referring to Tommy as Kim’s boyfriend. He knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault, but the whole situation left him irritated. He wondered if Rosemary disliked him as much as Sam did. 

“Or a mess,” Billy told her truthfully, “Don’t these things always end in a mess?” He asked, thinking back to the horror stories that he’d heard people tell when their families were over. He felt like things were too tense on both sides of their families already. 

“Families are messy,” She dismissed him, “It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.” She told him with a smile, like she was trying to look on the better side of things. Billy paused, wondering how she’d handle Susan’s critiques of Sam. 

“I don’t think Susan likes Sam very well,” Billy drew out softly, “At all.” He clarified after a second as he remembered the way Susan’s eyebrows would knit together in anger as she would grumble under her breath about Sam. Susan hated him. He was almost sure that she hated Sam more than she hated Neil. 

“I’ve heard,” Rosemary sighed underneath her breath, “But I’m sure Kim and Max would like for their parents to be together again.” She nodded her head as she continued to grab things and put them into the cart until it was nearly overflowing. 

“Maybe.” Billy said softly as he rubbed the back of his neck. He had a feeling that Max wouldn’t care about seeing Susan gain, as she hadn’t even gone to say bye to her. He could see Kim being excited, but then again, he didn’t know how she’d react if her parents began to fight again. 

“Do you want to get ice cream after?” She asked hesitantly, the question surprising Billy, “Before we have to pick everyone up?” She spoke slowly, like she was preparing herself for the rejection. Billy looked into her eyes, noticing the amount of hope that was lingering within. He paused for a long time, suddenly feeling like he couldn’t say no. He deserved to make things right, even if he wasn’t quite ready to meet all the way yet. 

“Sure,” Billy said as he shrugged his shoulders, “I guess that would be alright.” He began to twist at his rings a bit, having a sudden craving for a cigarette as Rosemary’s features lit up in glee.

Rosemary made little conversations the rest of the day, telling him various things that Billy held onto tightly. He hated how easily he was allowing her to slide back in, how forgiving he was suddenly being suddenly. 

“Hey,” The older man paused as he smiled, “Rosemary, is this your oldest? Damn. It’s been a while, son.” Billy paused, unsure of how to respond. He didn’t want to be rude, but he had no idea who he was speaking to.

“Uh, yeah.” He said softly as he glanced towards Rosemary. She was biting back a smile, looking excited again as she looked towards Billy. He gulped hard, cautious as to why she was looking at him with pride in her eyes.

“Richard,” Rosemary laughed softly, “But yes this is Billy. I’ve missed him so much.” She said quietly, almost remorsefully. Billy watched her, wondering if her words were really true.

“Oh I know,” Richard laughed with a roll of his eyes, “She talks about you all the time.” He rolled his dramatically, playfully. Billy’s mouth suddenly felt dry.

“Yeah?” Billy couldn’t help himself as he glanced towards Rosemary, “That’s good.” He admitted a second later as he felt a warmth spreading through him. She looked a little embarrassed as she nodded her head in agreement.

“You can get whatever you want,” She told him quickly, “A chocolate cone for me.” She glanced towards the worker as she began to fumble for the cash from her purse.

“I’ll have the same,” Billy said a second later, “Do you come here a lot?” He asked her once they both had their ice cream cones and were seated by a booth near the window.

“Not as much as we used to,” Rosemary told him, “I took you a lot, then Russell when he was younger. Sam used to take the girls here too. It’s kind of funny how things work out like that.” She said wistfully. 

“Yeah,” Billy nodded his head in agreement, “It really is.” He said as he thought about Kim.

////////////////////

He pulled Kim into the backyard, grinning at their secrecy as he pulled her far away from the windows. He needed to feel her, to know that she was still real. 

“Missed you,” He mumbled as he traced his hands up her arms softly. He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her deeply as he backed her against the house. She molded her lips against his, melting against him as she placed her palms against his chest, “Mhm.” His words were lost as her lips moved against his harder, savoring the taste on her tongue. 

“You taste sweet,” Kim mumbled against his lips as she slowly flicked her tongue inside of his mouth, “Really sweet.” She sighed against his mouth as she licked at the roof of his mouth again.

“Ice cream,” He grinned as he flicked his tongue against hers, “Do you like it?” He asked teasingly as he kept a steady grip on her hips. 

“Uh huh,” She mumbled as she gripped his collar and pulled him closer. She wrapped her lips around his tongue, beginning to suck softly as he flicked his tongue inside of her mouth, “I like it.” She giggled softly; her cheeks flushed as he brought his hands up towards her chest. He gripped her tits in his hands, grinning at the way she moaned against his touch.

“Don’t be naughty,” He mocked her quietly, “You don’t want your daddy to hear, do you?” He groaned softly as he continued to feel her up. Her eyes widened at his words.

“Billy,” She blushed hard as she pressed her fingertips into his skin, “You’re the worst.” She giggled softly, her hazel eyes filling with amusement as she observed him. 

“I’ll show you how bad later,” He whispered huskily as he pressed his lips against hers one last time, “I’m going to finish your car today.” He told her softly as he slowly pulled his hands away. 

“You are?” She grinned as she adjusted the straps on her dress, “Thank you. I still can’t believe I did that.” She mumbled as she tucked her hair behind her ears, looking like she was embarrassed all over again. 

“Don’t give yourself a hard time,” He told her as he opened the door for her, doing his best to sneak them back in causally, “I’m sure a lot of people have had that happen.” He reassured her again. Rosemary popped around the corner, beaming from ear to ear.

“So,” Rosemary paused as she bounced up and down on her feet, “Russell would really like to help you with the car.” Kim pursed her lips together; smiling deeply as she sent him a coy wave. He glanced away from her quickly, fearing that Rosemary would notice where his eyes lingered.

“He has no idea what he’s doing.” He did his best not to grumble but found himself growing irritated anyways. He didn’t know why Russell was so determined to work with him in the first place.

“You could teach him,” She said hopefully, “Only if you want to do it.” She added a second later, but still held a glimmer of hope in his eyes. He wondered if she would’ve made him work with Russell had things been different. Billy recognized the familiarity suddenly between him and her, and Sam and Kim. Sam didn’t want to upset Kim, the same way Rosemary didn’t want to upset Billy. He had a feeling he could get away with a lot if he let himself.

“Alright,” Billy sighed deeply, “Just tell him to meet me out there.” He sighed as he scratched his fingers against his elbow. Her face brightened like the sun.

“Oh thank you,” She said excitedly, “He’s going to be so happy.” She grinned as she walked down the hallway. Billy allowed himself to drop his face into his hands and grumble loudly before he left towards the garage.

He gathered what he needed, which wasn’t a lot. He was in the last steps of finishing her car, well, he hoped he was. He really wouldn’t know what the damage was until he started it again with fresh oil.

“Hey,” Russell grinned as he approached Billy, “What are we doing?” He asked, sounding a little too excited. Billy chewed on his bottom lip, pausing as he counted to ten in his head. He reminded himself that Russell was no different than the kids he’d teach at the pool. He was just slightly older. 

“Tightening this up,” Billy mumbled once he looked back towards Russell, “It shouldn’t take long, then her car should hopefully be fixed.” He said a second later, hoping that this wouldn’t mean that Russell would talk his ear off. 

“How do you know?” Russell said curiously as he slowly leaned forward to watch him. Billy chewed on his bottom lip, trying to figure out the easiest way to explain it to him. 

“We’ll flush it and then fill it up with gas and see if it runs.” He said briefly as he straightened out again, glancing towards the engine once last time. He craned his neck a little bit, suddenly feeling like his shoulders were stiff. 

“Oh,” Russell nodded his head like he understood, “Cool.” He said softly as he held his arms together. He looked a little distant, like he wasn’t sure how to approach Billy. Billy felt a little bad, irritated at himself for being so off-standish. 

“Can you hand me the torque wrench?” Billy asked as he leaned further into the engine. He waited for a second before he turned to watch Russell scrambling inside of the toolbox, “Not that one. No, no. That one.” He said, trying his best not to grow frustrated. Russell grinned sheepishly as he finally handed him the correct one. 

“Do you have a girlfriend?” Russell questioned a few minutes later as he observed the way Billy worked on reconnecting some of the tubes and wires. Billy could feel a bead of sweat beginning to drip down his back as the sun warmed his skin. 

“Mhm.” Billy mumbled in response, knowing he couldn’t go into too many details. He didn’t want to accidentally expose him and Kim, knowing that it might get messy. He wasn’t sure that Rosemary would be very happy with their situation. 

“That’s cool,” Russell nodded his head, “I hope when I’m older, I have a partner that’s as nice as Kim.” He said almost dreamily. The comparison to Kim took Billy by surprise as he quickly turned, jerking his head forward and smacking it against the top of the hood. 

“Fuck!” Billy cursed as he rubbed the top of his head, groaning deeply as the pain shot down his neck and spine. He paced back and forth, breathing roughly as he tried to numb the pain down to a gentle throb. Russell was staring at him with wide blue eyes, his lips parted like he was unsure of what to say. 

“Are you okay?” Russell asked a second later, looking worried as he stepped forward towards Billy. Billy held his hand out, determined to keep a distance between them as he finally dropped his hand from his wounded head.

“What did you say?” He knitted his eyebrows in confusion as he looked towards Russell, sure that he had heard him wrong. Russell paused for a moment, still holding some of the wrenches in his hands. 

“What?” He knitted his eyebrows in the same manner, looking just as confused as Billy as he questioned him. Billy sighed deeply. 

“Do you have a crush on Kim?” He asked him quickly, unsure of why he was making such a big deal about it. He couldn’t imagine having Russell trying to stick his nose in their business all the time. 

“No,” Russell protested quickly as his face began to burn a dark red, “I just meant that she’s nice.” He defended himself quickly. Something about his humiliated demeanor left Billy thinking otherwise. 

“She’s your stepsister, you shouldn’t think that.” Billy was partially teasing him this time, knowing that he was being a hypocrite this time around. He just didn’t like the idea of sharing Kim with anyone. 

“I don’t,” Russell said again, sounding more defiant, “All I said was that she was nice. You’re the one who spun it a different way.” He said loudly, protesting as his face continued to burn brightly. Billy felt a sense of amusement rising within his chest. 

“No,” Billy told him quickly, “You said you want your girlfriend to be nice like Kim.” He chuckled softly as he adjusted the hood of the car again. He mumbled underneath his breath, irritated at how he’d smacked his head into it. 

“Partner.” Russell mumbled underneath his breath as he joined Billy again. Billy glanced towards him.

“What?”

“I said partner.” Russell shrugged his shoulders as he clarified the word again. Billy looked at him curiously, unsure of what the big difference in the words were. Girlfriend and partner were just a synonym for each other for as far as he was concerned. He shook his head, figuring that Russell was just being difficult. 

“What difference does that make?” Billy snorted as he looked back down at the lines he’d been working on in Kim’s engine. He glanced towards Russell as he remained quiet, “What? Are you some sort of faggot?” He meant it in a teasing manner, the same way guys would call each other in the locker rooms. It didn’t come out that way. 

The harsh tone and cruel word slipped off of his tongue before he could stop himself. He immediately recognized the dejected look that spread across Russell’s features and how his blue eyes grew wide with hurt. 

“Hey,” Billy straightened up instantly, nearly hitting his head against the hood of Kim’s car again, “I didn’t mean-,” He began to explain himself, but Russell took off in a flurry of tears. Guilt settled deep inside of Billy’s gut as he cursed to himself, unsure of why he’d even said it in the first place. All he could think of was Neil suddenly, how he really was just like his dad.

He paused for a second as he dropped the wrenches into the toolbox, cursing to himself as he managed to make everything go so south. He crossed the pavement before he stepped into the garage, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts before he reached for the door. 

“Hey,” Sam stopped Billy at the door, his usually calm features pulled together tightly in anger, “I know people use that word a lot but that’s not allowed in this household.” He said sternly, like he had some authority over Billy. He was taken aback for a moment, surprised that Russell would snitch on him so quickly. 

“It was a joke,” Billy said with a laugh as he tried to defend himself, “I know he’s not one. It was teasing him.” He did his best to brush the situation off, but he still felt the guilt growing deeper and deeper inside of his bones. He’d clearly struck a nerve. 

“What’s funny about it?” Sam looked at him seriously, “Maybe you can explain it to me because I don’t get it.” He crossed his arms as he waited, looking grim about getting a straight answer. Billy paused and opened his mouth, then shut it again. His thoughts raced as he tried to think of a defense, but he knew in Sam’s mind there wouldn’t be one. 

“It’s just a dumb word.” He said again as he shrugged his shoulders. He calculated Sam, waiting for him to reach forward and smack the side of his face. Sam was clearly upset, but apparently not upset enough to hit Billy. He still felt the side of his face tingle with anticipation. 

“Hurtful,” Sam corrected, “So please, don’t use it in this house or direct it at anyone else living underneath this roof.” He said a second later as he exhaled deeply. The garage was filled with a solemn silence as Billy tried to make sense of the situation. 

“Is it true?” Billy tilted his head, “Is he-?” He cut off his own question, unsure if it was the right time to ask that or not. Billy couldn’t think of another reason as to why Russell would be so upset. He was sure it had to be true. 

“Does it matter?” Sam asked seriously as he pushed his glasses up over the bridge of his nose, “I’d appreciate it if you apologized to him.” The stern chip in his tone was gone, replaced by the same softness that Billy was used to. He was surprised at his demeanor, but perhaps it was different because it was him. He was sure he hadn’t seen Sam approach the other three in this way. 

“Okay,” Billy replied as he nodded his head in agreement, “I’ll talk to him.” He promised, although he already had plans to do so. He watched as Sam nodded his head in return before turning back towards the door. 

Sam walked away, heading back inside as he left Billy to his own thoughts. Billy paused for a minute, almost feeling like he didn’t deserve to go back inside. He shuffled around in the garage for a moment before he finally gained the courage to walk inside.

Sam was nowhere to be seen in the living room as Billy walked inside, glancing at where the new pictures were hanging up high on the walls. Billy chewed on his bottom lip, following the trail of music into the kitchen. 

“What are you doing?” Billy asked, looking at Rosemary curiously as the loud sound of the blender carried over into the living room. 

“Oh,” Rosemary paused as she halted the blender, “Well, Kim doesn’t seem to like vegetables so I’m going to see if she notices if it’s all mixed together.” She whispered softly, glancing around as if Kim may be lingering about. 

“Smart idea,” Billy snorted to himself as he watched her. He sighed deeply as he tapped his fingers against the table. He started with three beats, then did two. Then went back to three, “How do I make your son feel better?”

“He likes to swim,” Rosemary sighed as she inhaled deeply to turn to look at him, “He’s wanted to learn how to surf but never learned. I think he was hoping his big brother would teach him.” She bit her lip softly, looking a little hopeful about the subject. He watched her closely, wondering if Russell had come crying to her too. 

“Oh.” Billy breathed out, unsure of how to handle that revelation. He wasn’t sure how to feel, what the best way to respond would be. He had been so sure that Rosemary had never spoken or thought of him, and now that questioned his ideas. 

“He really wants you to like him,” Rosemary said softly, “I know things are difficult between us, but Russell had nothing to do with that. I didn’t pick him over you, I swear. You don’t have to blame him for anything.” Billy felt his eyebrows knitting together as he felt the defense forming on his tongue again. 

“I’m not.” He told her quickly. He couldn’t help that Russell had a different personality than him. He was bubblier and more talkative. It was a lot to adjust to. 

“I think if you just talked to him, he’d really like that,” She paused as she mixed the green mixture into the red sauce, “I bet he’d really love it if you took him for a ride in your car. Maybe get a soda?” She suggested with a shrug of her shoulders. Billy paused, figuring it was good that it wasn’t anything too expensive. 

“Alright,” Billy said softly, “I’ll work it out.” He promised as he walked away from her. He breathed out deeply, still feeling the heavy weight of guilt resting tightly on top of his chest. He passed by Kim’s room quietly, not wanting to disturb her and drag her into this situation either. 

He walked down the hallway, pausing in front of the door that held a poster of the Transformers on his door. Billy closed his eyes before he pushed it open, his eyes greeted with the image of Russell hiding underneath his green blankets. Billy closed the door behind him as he stepped forward. 

“Hey,” Billy nudged his leg softly but was greeted with silence. He did it again, but Russell only wiggled away this time, “Hey. Shitbird. I’m talking to you.” He told him seriously as he tried to tug the blankets off of him.  

“Go away.” Russell grumbled into his pillow dramatically. Billy sighed as he held his fingers together. Usually when Max was upset he just let her ride out the storm, but Russell seemed more sensitive. He had a feeling this wouldn’t just pass on its own. 

“I was just teasing you,” He told him, trying to lower the irritation that was growing in his voice, “I didn’t really mean that you’re a-,” He inhaled deeply, “It doesn’t matter anyways. Let’s go get a drink.” He suggested softly as he poked Russell’s sides softly. Russell whined as he hid himself away again. 

“I don’t want to go anywhere with you.” Russell pouted as Billy gently pulled the cover back from his face. He observed the way Russell hid himself deeper into the pillow, like he could eventually disappear entirely. 

“I’ll take you anywhere you want,” Billy reassured as he sat at the edge of the bed, making the mattress slightly dip from his weight, “Come on. I’m sorry.” He told him seriously, really feeling bad for what he did. He felt like a total dick. 

“Why would you say that?” Russell asked as he faced Billy, his eyebrows knitting tightly together as he searched for answers. Billy felt bad again, not having any true answers for him either. He didn’t know why he did the things that he did. 

“I don’t know,” Billy told him truthfully, “I shouldn’t have. It was wrong for me to say.” He admitted, hoping that Russell would take him seriously. Russell sat up a little bit and rested his chin on his hands as he thought it over. 

“We can go anywhere?” He questioned slowly as he brought his eyes back to face Billy again. Billy chewed on his bottom lip, wondering if he’d pick somewhere dorky. 

“Yeah,” Billy replied lightly as guilt continued to swirl inside of his stomach, “Just say wherever.” He told him softly as Russell sat up in the bed. He leaned a little closer, sitting near Billy like he didn’t believe him. 

“There’s this place that makes really good ice cream floats,” Russell suggested slowly, “Can we go there?” He asked as excitement filled his blue eyes. Billy pursed his lips, almost unsure if he could handle an outing with just Russell. He knew he at least owed him that. 

“Sure,” Billy breathed in, “Come on.” He told him as he stood up. Russell stood just as fast, following Billy along so close that it felt like Billy had grown an extra body. Rosemary gave them both a big thumbs up as they walked by the living room, looking just as excited as what Russell did. 

The drive wasn’t very far, but the car ride was awkward. Russell was quieter than usual, which worried Billy. He feared that he really had messed things up. Billy felt a tingling sensation growing inside of his fingertips and he wondered if his cigarettes would be enough to stall it. 

“This it?” Billy asked him curiously as he parked the car. The shop was fairly small, but looked busy by the amount of cars that lingered outside of the building. He hoped that it would be worth it, that Russell would enjoy himself. 

“Yeah,” Russell glanced towards him, “Dad takes me here sometimes.” Billy paused as he followed Russell inside the store, feeling a few things weigh on his mind. He couldn’t ever remember Neil mentioning having another son, which was odd to him. Billy wondered if Neil had been right about Rosemary cheating. 

“How long have you been calling him dad?” Billy asked curiously, wondering if Sam had left to be with Russell and Rosemary instead. He supposed the timelines could fit together in a messy manner. He hoped that wasn’t the case. 

“He’s the only dad I’ve ever known,” Russell shrugged his shoulders, “Does that bother you?” He asked a second later, looking curious as he peered up towards Billy. Billy paused as he thought that question over. 

“No,” Billy frowned as he shook his head, “Just curious.” He told him a second later as they approached the booth. Russell tapped his fingertips against the counter as they waited, his lips moving silently to the sound of the radio playing overhead. 

“Can I get a root beer float?” Russell asked, almost hesitant as he glanced between the worker and Billy. Billy shrugged his shoulders, not really caring what he got.

“I’ll take a beer,” Billy said as he glanced towards the menu, “Is there a problem?” He asked a second later as the worker continued to stare at him. 

“Do you have an ID?” The worker asked, knitting his eyebrows together tightly. Billy was slightly taken aback at the question, feeling like he hadn’t been asked that in some time. 

“Yeah,” Billy paused as he reached into his wallet. He stumbled for a moment before he pushed the fake one towards him, “One beer.” He repeated again.

“Alright,” The worker mumbled under his breath after examining it for a minute, “There you go.” He brushed them off as he passed the two drinks over. Russell reached for his drink in excitement, his blue eyes shining bright again.

“Thank you,” Billy said politely as he turned away, “Do you want to sit outside?” He asked as he examined the packed booths and tables on the inside. 

“I guess,” Russell paused a second later, “Have you seen it snow before?” He asked curiously as he made his way outside. Billy breathed in the sight of the sun for a moment, hoping that Russell didn’t think he was allowing them to bring these into his car. He couldn’t imagine how long it would take to clean the ice cream out if it fell. 

“Yeah,” Billy licked his bottom lip as he joined Russell on the bench, “It got really cold in Indiana. The roads were all covered in ice and shit.” He explained as he thought back to the memory. He wouldn’t miss driving on those roads, that was for sure. 

“Sounds gross,” Russell grinned, “I think I’d like to make a snowman.” He said softly as he began to drink through his straw. Billy thought about it for a moment, unsure if he ever cared to make a snowman again. It was too cold, too bitter. 

“Not any different than making one out of sand,” Billy paused for a second, “Do you want to learn how to surf?” He asked him softly, distracting himself by drinking from his beer. He held it against his lips, enjoying the taste that lingered in his mouth. The lack of alcohol within the house was beginning to drive him crazy. 

“Yeah,” Russell looked up in excitement, “Can you teach me?” He questioned Bily quickly as a hopeful look spread across his features. Billy observed him for the longest time, knowing that he couldn’t deny Russell his request. 

“Sure,” Billy nodded his head softly, “I need to teach Max how to swim. I can teach you how to surf.” He thought about it as he bounced the ideas back and forth in his mind. He supposed it wouldn’t be that bad. It would keep him busy, keep his mind off of everything else that was bothering him. 

“Bitchin’.” Russell grinned as he licked the ice cream from the corner of his lips. Billy felt his own smile tugging onto his lips as he quickly brought his drink back to his lips. Russell watched him with a curious eye. 

“Do you want to try it?” He asked as he held the beer towards Russell. He wrinkled his nose as he shook his head. He looked a little disgusted, like it was something gross. Billy was sure everyone thought that with their first drink.

“Nope.” Russell shook his head as he took another large gulp from his cup. He darted his eyes back towards Billy’s cup curiously, taking a second glance at the beer that was within it. 

“Are you sure?” Billy asked as he raised his eyebrows. He swirled the liquid around dramatically, watching as Russell slightly narrowed his eyes at it. He leaned forward suddenly. 

“Well,” Russell paused as he took it in his hand, “You won’t tell mom or dad?” He asked cautiously, looking like Billy was setting him up for a test. Billy grinned as he nodded his head. 

“My lips are sealed.” He promised him, watching as Russell stared down at the cup again. He looked like he was debating it as he glanced towards Billy. He looked like he was panicking for a moment, as if he was worried about what Billy was thinking about him. 

“Okay,” Russell said with uncertainty as he pulled the cup up towards his lips. He took an experimental sip before he leaned over, pushing the can back into Billy’s hands as he spit the beer all into the dirt, “Gross!” He dramatically wiped his hand against his tongue, looking like he was seconds away from gagging. 

“It’s not that bad,” Billy shrugged him off as he took another gulp, “You get used to it.” He grinned to himself, enjoying the horrified look that Russell sent him. Perhaps Russell wouldn’t follow down Billy’s same path. Then again, Billy didn’t enjoy the taste of beer the first time he had tasted it either. 

“No thanks,” Russell mumbled, “We’re not supposed to be drinking anyways.” He said a second later, looking panicked like he was regretting his decision. Billy cocked an eyebrow as he took another drink. 

“In the house,” Billy corrected him, “This is outside the house.” He told him softly, trying to reassure him. Russell paused for a moment as he took another large sip from his drink. He nodded his head a second later, looking more relaxed. 

“I guess you’re right,” Russell shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t like it though. Mom wouldn’t let me see dad when he was drinking.” He admitted softly, surprising Billy for a moment. He was sure that Sam wouldn’t have allowed Rosemary or Russell to see him in that state. 

“What was he like?” Billy asked curiously, wondering how bad Sam could get. From the way Kim talked, it sounded like he was rarely there at all. 

“Different,” Russell said at last, “Not mean but just not there. Does that make sense?” He questioned Billy a second later. He crossed his legs on the bench, looking to be deep in thought for a second. 

“Yeah,” Billy said as he took another swig of his beer, “Makes perfect sense.” He said a second later as he fell into his own thoughts for a moment. They settled into a comfortable silence as Billy found himself wondering about their conversation earlier and back to the hurtful word he’d thrown at him. 

“Is there someone you like?” Billy asked softly, remembering the way Russell had questioned him about having a girlfriend. He tapped his fingertip against the rim of his cup before he was brave enough to glance at Russell again. 

“Not really,” Russell shrugged his shoulders, “Not right now I guess.” He said a second later as he glanced away from Billy. He used his straw to pick up the ice cream that had begun to melt at the bottom of the cup. 

“How do you know then?” Billy lowered his voice as he asked the question, unsure if he really wanted to know the answer. He felt like this situation brought up too many memories for him. He wondered if Russell was just confused, the same way he was sure he’d been. 

“I don’t know,” He said quietly as his cheeks began to pinken, “I just know I guess.” He pushed his hair out of his face, looking like he was a little uncomfortable with the subject. Billy chewed on his bottom lip., deciding to keep from pressing the issue any further. He didn’t want to upset Russell again. 

“Mom and Sam know?” Billy asked his final question, but he was fairly certain that he already knew the answer to that. Sam certainly knew and he was sure that such a secret couldn’t go past Rosemary’s knowledge. 

“I guess,” He mumbled as he dragged his sneaker across the dirt, “It’s not like they openly say it.” He told him quickly as he looked over towards Billy again. Billy sighed deeply, wishing there was a way to reassure him.

“I really didn’t mean to call you that,” Billy told him truthfully, “I don’t know why I said it, I shouldn’t have. But I didn’t mean it.” He apologized to him, hoping that Russell could fully forgive him. Russell began to tap his fingertips against the table, like he had to keep his fingers busy at all times. 

“It’s okay,” Russell said as he nodded his head with a smile. Billy watched, catching a gleam of chocolate in each corner of his lips, “I know you didn’t.” Billy sent him a smile back, suddenly thinking that it was good that Neil never got to know Russell. 

Billy found that Russell liked the same music that he did and that when he really got onto a subject that he liked, he talked twice as fast and moved his hands at the speed of lightning. Billy was almost beginning to regret giving him sugar in the first place. He felt slightly better though, feeling that things were now fine between the two of them. 

“Good, just in time for dinner,” Rosemary said as she kissed both sides of Russell’s cheeks, “Oh, boy. You made a mess.” She mumbled as she began to scrub the corners of his lips.

“Mom!” Russell protested in embarrassment as he glanced back towards Billy, “It’s fine.” He moaned in humiliation as he quickly pulled away from her. Billy shrugged his shoulders softly. 

“Oh, I used to do the same thing to Billy,” She shrugged Russell off as she pointed towards the table. She smiled brightly as she looked towards Billy hopefully, “How’d it go?” She looked at him curiously as she tilted her head. Billy sighed softly. 

“S’alright,” Billy said softly, “Everything is fine.” He told her truthfully, feeling like he had a better understanding of Russell now. He was sure that he’d still get irritated by the younger boy, but hopefully he could control that anger from now on. 

“Good,” She smiled as she squeezed his arm, “That’s so good to hear.” She said quickly as she rubbed her fingertips across his skin. Billy watched her for a moment, suddenly feeling like he was overwhelmed. 

“I’m starving,” He said as an excuse to get her hand off of his skin, “It smells good.” He told her truthfully as he walked towards the table. Kim looked up towards him, a dreamy look held in her eyes as she followed his movements. 

“It looks amazing,” Max observed as she leaned over the table, “Do you think mom could learn from these recipes?” Billy fought everything in himself to keep from snorting, but apparently Sam wasn’t strong enough. He coughed, his cheeks reddening as he tried to cover the sound up. 

“Allergies.” He said simply as he raised his glass of water to his lips. Billy did his best to keep from laughing, knowing that he was lying. He wondered suddenly if Sam had ever tried to cook. 

“I’m sure with practice,” Kim said reassuringly, being as kind as usual, “It does look nice.” She said as she leaned forward to cut a serving off for herself. 

“Kim, hold on just a second,” Rosemary paused as she leaned over the table to cut a certain piece out, “This is your lasagna. No vegetables.” She reassured her quickly.

“Oh, thanks,” Kim smiled brightly as she nodded her head and took a small bite, “It’s good.” She told Rosemary honestly as she picked off another piece. Billy glanced down towards the table, biting back a grin as Rosemary sent him a wink.

Dinner was almost normal in a way that he wasn’t used to. Dinners with Neil were always quiet, tense as Billy constantly wondered if he’d chew or breathe too loud. Neil usually tried to pray at least before dinner and was big on table manners. It was odd for him to watch Sam keep his elbows on the table and Russell sit in odd positions as he freely reached for seconds. Not to mention that the food was still edible. He was waiting for Rosemary to cook something bad, but it had yet to come. 

He waited in his bed far after, until he was sure that everyone else was sleeping. He crept down the hallway, feeling a dire need to see Kim. He hadn’t seen her much at all today and felt that so many things had happened. He felt the need to share with her, to question if things really were turning out okay. 

“Hi,” He mumbled as he dropped his chin onto the crook of Kim’s shoulder, “Can’t sleep?” He asked her softly as he began to draw circles onto her stomach. He moved his hands down to her nightgown, slowly tugging it up so he could press his skin against her own. 

“My mind is wandering,” She said at last as he continued to draw shapes against her flesh, “I just can’t stop thinking.” She replied as she knitted her eyebrows tightly together. He moved forward to kiss in between her eyes. 

“What about?” He asked her gently as he pulled away. He began to twist her hair around his fingertips, admiring how soft it felt in his free hand. She tilted her head against the pillow as she glanced up towards him. 

“I tried to call my mom earlier,” She admitted slowly, “They said she was busy. I assume that means she doesn’t want to speak?” Her tone was broken up, her eyes averting away from him quickly. He frowned deeply, hoping he could lessen the blow. 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Billy said as he gently tucked her hair behind her ear, “Maybe she really is just busy.” He told her hopefully, but was unsure of his own words. He wasn’t sure why Susan would be ignoring Kim, but figured that there had to be some type of reason. 

“Maybe,” Kim said wistfully as she inhaled deeply, “I miss her.” She admitted sorrowfully. He looked down at her softly, feeling guilty that she was going through such a thing. He still felt like the majority of the reason Susan got so bad had to do with him anyways. 

“I know,” He admitted as he kissed the tip of her nose, “Let me get your mind off of it.” He teased her gently as he knocked her onto her back. She giggled, looking up at him amused as he slowly pressed her legs apart. He rubbed his fingertips across her knees, slowly dragging his fingers down her milky thighs.

She breathed out, her eyes gleaming as she looked down upon him. He grinned as he slowly traced his fingertips across her wet panties, enjoying the way a soft moan fell from her lips. He slowly pressed down on her clit, rubbing it in soft circles before she slowly joined him with the movements of her hips.

He grinned as he pressed his lips against her knee, enjoying how she was always so eager to feel more. He pressed down on her clit a little harder, enacting a louder sound from her lips. He glanced up at her again, teasingly using his free index finger to shush her. She slightly pouted her lips out as she knitted her eyebrows together, looking a little desperate as he moved his hands away to pull her panties down her long legs. 

“You’re so pretty,” He told her seriously as he held her legs far apart. She squirmed underneath him, looking like she wanted to shy away but he wouldn’t let her. He loved every dip and curve to her body, like she had been sculpted specifically for him, “Dirty whore.” He told her a second later, enjoying the way her eyes widened before he stuck his tongue out against her wet folds. 

He licked around her cunt slowly, savoring the taste of her on his tongue as he used languid movements. He moved the same way he’d kissed her earlier; sloppy and slow. He slowly moved his hands down to her thighs, giving them a slight squeeze before he pushed them up towards her chest so he could have easier access. 

“Oh God,” She mumbled, her voice slightly cut off from the pressure he was placing on top of her, “Don’t stop.” She whimpered out as one of her hands messily found the back of his head. He traced his tongue along her clit softly and slowly before he repeated the motions with more force. She squirmed underneath him, her pretty moans filling the bedroom as he continued to drag his tongue along her pretty pussy. 

He could feel his cock stirring in his briefs as he began to lightly press his own hips down into her mattress. He felt a groan rolling off of his tongue as he licked away her slick. He moved his tongue a little more desperately as he dipped it inside of her tight hole, enjoying the way her walls fluttered around him. 

He tightened his grip around her thighs, squeezing them as he languidly stroked her wet walls with his tongue. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils, feeling drunk on the taste of her. He felt special in knowing that he was the only one who had ever gotten this far with her, that he would be the only one to ever have her in this way.

He pulled away suddenly, the gears in his mind twisting as he let her legs drop onto the mattress and crawled over her. He pressed his wet lips against hers roughly, stroking his tongue against her own as he invited her in for a taste. He gripped the back of her neck, pulling her closer as he began to rock his hips up against her. 

She breathed out against his lips, her tongue briefly darting against his as she roughly began to tug his briefs down. She did so just enough to free his hard cock, her cool fingers quickly wrapping around his thick girth. He exhaled sharply, feeling a rise in his temperature as she began to drag her hand up and down his length. He moved his fingers back between her legs, ghosting them over her clit before he slowly slid them inside of her walls.

She gaped, her body jerking forward as he pumped two of them in and out of her. He moved them to the beat of her rhythm, following the same languid strokes that she pressed onto his cock. He slowly rolled his hips up, his cock aching to feel more of her grip around him.

“Mhm,” She squeaked out, her body jerking against his touch as he curled his fingers deep inside of her. Her head fell back against the pillows roughly, her grip around him stalling a bit before she picked it up again. She turned to face him, a moan forming on her tongue as she pumped him rougher in her hand, “Right there.” She pleaded with him desperately as she continued to roll her hips against the length of his fingers.

He moved his head down towards her, capturing her moans against his mouth as he kissed her again. He craved the feeling of her against him, of hearing her cry out for him. He slowly rocked forward against her hand, but focused more and more on how to make her feel good. He licked the inside of her mouth again, his mind spinning at the loud sound from her that vibrated across his lips.

“Billy,” She sighed in bliss, moving her head up towards him as her bottom lip dragged against his, “You make me feel so good.” She mumbled as she continued to grind her hips against his thick fingers. He looked down in interest as he watched his fingers dip in and out of her wet cunt. 

He rested his head against hers again, closing his eyes softly as she continued to stroke him roughly in her hand. He could feel the pleasure forming in the base of his stomach, swimming harshly as he tried to focus on how she felt around him. He could feel his high growing nearer and nearer as she pumped him a little rougher, squeezed him a little harder as he continued to pump his fingers inside of her cunt. 

He pressed inside of her deeper, determined to feel her fall apart first as he held his fingertips against her spongy walls. She squirmed, her legs kicking out as she pressed her hips up higher in the air. He kept the movements of his fingers the same as he kissed her once again, silencing her cries of pleasure as she came around his digits. 

He licked at her mouth once again, hoping he could taste her sounds as her walls clamped down around his fingers. He continued to pump them slowly, his own mind feeling fuzzy as he began to fuck himself against her hand. He pulled his fingers out at once, feeling a little more desperate as he wrapped his wet hand along her own and took control of her movements.

“Such a slutty sister,” He huffed against her swollen lips, enjoying the way the flush settled across her skin. He groaned as his cock throbbed in her hand, his own words rocking him to the edge as he roughly thrusted forward, “Fuck, fuck.” He spit out as quietly as he could manage, his breath stalling in his chest as he coated her abdomen with globs of his spunk.

His head fell against hers again, his heart racing to the same beat as hers as he tried to collect his breath with her. She inhaled deeply, pressing her chest up towards his as she stared up at him. He felt a grin forming on his lips as he leaned down to gently press a kiss against each corner of her lips.

He used the fingers that had been inside of her to scoop up his cum, dragging his motions out slowly to ensure that she was watching him. Her eyes stayed glued to him, widening as he brought them up to his lips. He teasingly tasted their mixture on his tongue before leaning over to press his lips against hers once again. He kissed her slow, dirty as they swapped the mixture of the two of them back and forth. 

She moaned against his lips, her fingers finding his sides as she deepened it. She tasted him like it was the last thing she’d ever taste. He sighed as she sucked on his tongue and began to slightly wonder if she thought he tasted better than all of those sweets that she was obsessed with.

“I love you.” She breathed out quickly a second later, her eyes still wide and full of lust. He felt a grin form on his own lips as he teasingly licked against her mouth again. She breathed in deeply as she held onto him.

“I love you too.” He reassured her as he tucked her hair behind her ears. She nodded her head, looking relieved as she pulled him closer. 

[mindsmade]

[SHIMMER] viNCE AND SO MI 😌✨️

meme

Of all places they could've wound up in, a small lake that isn't a toxic dump has to be the most pleasant. There's not a landfill, factory or other polluter in sight — they're well and truly alone with the water. In fact, as he takes his sights beyond the far edge, he can trace its origins up the slope of one of the mountains encasing them and the side of the road they'd parked on a way's back.

To think that just days ago, they'd set out from the miserable wasteland outside of NC, a ways south of where they are now. It's almost like he'd forgotten where those endless roads could actually take him.

Now, it can't take more than half an hour for the sun to sink behind the ragged shoulders of the mountains ahead ...

Tracing the reflection across the water surface back to where they stand, his gaze – as it so often does – effortlessly finds its way to So Mi; and just as their eyes lock on to each other, he smiles. She grins, and he somehow, against his expectations, knows what it means.

Or maybe he's projecting; making it mean what he wants it to mean.

Either way, he throws caution to the wind — his black shirt comes off, and just as he gets to kicking off his shoes, So Mi's jacket piles on top of it. A grin splits his features, teeth flashing in unadulterated excitement; amusement. He feels like a child again; like the eleven-year-old that would later get in trouble for diving into a river downstream from a power plant, or the thirteen-year-old that ended his day grounded for using the family's vehicles for an unfriendly race against the Wraiths.

But this is so much more innocent. It has to be in the face of this total lack of risk. The water looks crisp, clean, and all too inviting to be left unstirred by them!

No one here to tan their hide for disturbing the peace with their unbridled joy while it lasts, anyway.

V laughs and a small flock of birds thrusts up from one of the trees, and he's briefly left to wonder if this is all a dream. He wouldn't be surprised if it was — the setting's almost too idyllic to be real, and his company even more so.

Dream or not, he intends to make the most of it.

Once down to his shorts, he looks So Mi's way again, and the frantic chaos of his glee somehow subsides. It simmers down into something calmer; something centred on his appreciation of their surroundings, of them against this verdant, painting-like backdrop, in fact.

He stands still a moment longer, marvelling at the sight of her — not the amount of revealed skin, but most of all how her gold-streaked eyes catch the citrine light, and how it in turn casts an orange highlight across her purple hair. It could bring a tear to his eye if only he'd let it.

Instead he swallows and approaches, his expression bespeaking the tenderness of his feelings for her. His slow pace concludes about half a step away from her, placing him close enough to her to necessitate the angling of his chin to hold her gaze. His mind's set on keeping them moving, however, so he takes her by the hand ( skin against RealSkinn ), and nods towards the lake.

He saves his words, leading her to gently lapping water, pausing only to process the biting cold at his feet upon first touch. A breathy 'whoo!' escapes him as he stops momentarily. He looks over his shoulder again, finding her ... unflinching.

He doesn't speculate as to the reasoning behind it for too long ( maybe RealSkinn doesn't need to perceive it so accutely; maybe this isn't the first time she's taking a dive into a lake of glacial water ... ). Rather, he sucks in a breath and carry on, walking backwards just to continue facing her — farther, farther; deeper and deeper, until his toes are hardly touching the pebbles below his feet.

Laboured breathing for the first twenty seconds or so aside, he feels fine — alive and energized, in fact. So much so, his former smirk makes a return as he shifts his weight to float on his back, holding on to her hand still.

Coasting by in front of her, an airy chuckle leaves him as he looks skywards.

❛  You seen those videos of otters holdin' hands while they sleep in the water?  ❜

[hazbin-college]

The V’s

“Vox! Val!” The shout rang down the hallway from the living room, tone scolding and aggravated “get your asses out here now!”

It didn’t take long for the two other residents to come out of their own respective rooms. Vox in his causal oversized clothes, curly hair a mess atop his head.

While Valentino was already dressed in pajamas, silky shorts that barely covered what they needed and a half hanging off similar materiel shirt. His longer pink hair tied back loosely with a scrunchy

“What?? I was studying” Vox scowled, his arms crossing while he looked down towards his much shorter roommate. Who was holding a pair of pants. Hey, that kind of looked like his pants-

He wasn’t able to finish that thought before the pants were chucked at his face, causing him to stumble back

“For god’s sake you own a laundry basket!” Velvette snapped, her nose scrunching “want to know where I found that? Not the laundry! Or even in your room! If you two can’t keep your fuckin pants on while you’re sucking face on the couch at least bring a fucking hamper out here! I don’t want your crusty over used, under washed, jizz covered pants on the fucking floor!” Her voice only rose in volume the longer she ranted, taking a much needed gulp of air after she stopped, but otherwise looking completely composed.

“Ooooh, you’re in trouble~” Val purred towards Vox, wiggling his fingers at him. But the vocalization merely got hazel eyes snapped towards him. And he immediately shut his mouth

“And. You.” Vel growled, pointing an accusatory finger at the much too tall man “just because you leave less piss stained clothes behind doesn’t mean you’re off the hook!” She narrowed her eyes. Before pointing towards the kitchen “you need to wash your fucking dishes! Just because I’m the only one who knows how to be reasonably clean in this house does not mean I’m your fucking housewife. Every time I see a fucking three day old plate in that sink you dumped in from your room, I will break one of your precious decorative weapons and put the broken fucking plastic in your lube” she sneered. A low satisfaction warming her chest at the way Val’s eyes widened. Her threats were never empty. She would do it.

“Now that we have that out of the way” she says, taking a calming breath “next time you both decided to have a bang sesh. Either do it when I’m out. Or do it quietly. I don’t need to hear Val moaning for his daddy at three AM when I’m studying for an exam. Next time I hear it, I’m recording and posting it” she gave a patronizing grin after she finished speaking, crossing her arms over her chest “any questions?”

“Uh, yeah. How come you get to make all the rules. You aren’t the landlord” Vox scoffed, waving Velvette off “I pay my portion of rent I should be able to leave my pants where I fucking want”

Velvette’s eye twitched. She could not stand living with these two idiots. She clasped her hands together in front of her “okay! Guess I’ll start rubbing my bare ass all over your bed and leaving my dirty fucking tampons on the floor. How does that sound smartass?”

“Gross! What the fuck Vel!” Valentino piped up this time, scrunching his nose

“Yeah, that’s not the same. Keep your gross girl shit to yourself” Vox huffed, rolling his eyes

“I swear to god I’m going to shit in your fucking coffee” Vel could feel her very limited patience growing thinner, her glare narrowing towards Vox “I’m going to say this in a very simple way” she started, folding her hands together and taking a step closer to Vox “next time I find any of your clothes out of your room. I’m burning them. And then bringing the ashes back here and rubbing it in your fuckin eyes” she took another breath, pinching the bridge if her nose “god why did I agree to room with two fucking dudes you both are so disgusting” she muttered to herself.

She spun around on her heel before either could say anything, throwing a hand up “I’m going out! Your boy toy Angel posted on his insta about a party tonight. I expect the place to be fucking clean when I’m back, later fuckers!” She threw up a middle finger for good measure, slamming the door closed behind her

The two boys were left standing in the living room, glancing at each other before towards whatever mess might be around the living space

“…. We should probably do what she says” Vox piped up

“Yeah I really don’t want my next hookup to be ruined by plastic in the lube” Val shivered at the idea, moving to start picking up the mess he had definitely left in the kitchen earlier that day.

[sajirah]

The Prison Chapter Six

Blood Sacrifice

-o0o-

One again, you can read this here or on AO3. Enjoy.

-o0o-

There was something wrong. 

He knew there something wrong. It was like an itch he couldn’t scratch, lingering just out of reach. 

He was so tired though. The sun was still up. Surely it could wait until nightfall…

-o0o-

She heard him long before she saw him. 

It was hard not to what with him crashing through the underbrush for the last half hour. 

So Feyre sat huddled underneath the skeleton of her long dead monster companion, clutching her knife in a death grip and hoping against hope he wouldn’t notice her. 

This worked well right up until it didn’t. 

“I can see you in there.”

She tensed up immediately. 

“You might as well come out,” the man continued. “I promise not to hurt you.”

Shockingly, Feyre found that quite hard to believe all things considered. 

“I think not,” she replied cooly. “You’re more than welcome to be on your way. Otherwise I won’t hesitate to stab you.”

She glared fiercely as the man crouched down into view, just out of reach. He wasn’t really anything to write home about. Middle aged, with the kind of graying hair and nondescript features that probably led to him floating through life mostly unnoticed. He wore the same blue shirt and canvas trousers all the prisoners were given before being shipped off and dumped here, though his were clearly newer and in better shape than hers (how long had she been here now? A week? A month?). 

A new prisoner then. 

“I’m warning you-”

“I won’t come closer. See?” He held his hands up in a non-threatening manner, as if that truly meant anything to her in a place like this. Feyre wasn’t stupid. She was very likely the only woman on this island. She was both prize and prey to any man stupid and bold enough to venture this far inland. 

“I see you’re new here,” she said eyes flicking over his far less bedraggled uniform. “Word of advice. Don’t harass a lady when she tells you she’s not interested.”

“Now what makes you think I’m new here? Perhaps I’ve always been here and we never crossed paths?”

Feyre snorted. “You must think I’m very dumb.”

“Alright, so I’m new,” he agreed smoothly. “Even more reason for us to be friends.”

“I don’t want any friends.”

“Allies then.”

“I don’t want those either.”

“Surely you need some help, pretty thing like you,” the man argued, though Feyre had a hard time believing she looked particularly ‘pretty’ under the layers of grime she’d accumulated in her time here. If anything she likely looked more animal than human these days. “After all, I know you’re the only female prisoner to have been sent to this island for the last 30 years. And the last one was an old woman who I doubt is still alive by now.”

She startled. “…How would you know that?”

“The same way I know there’s something on this island I’d very much like to avoid.” The man smiled blandly. “Ah yes, I see you know what I’m talking about. Good. Then we can help each other.”

“What makes you think I want to help you?”

“Haven’t you ever wondered why we dump criminals on this island?” 

“No.” Yes. 

“You don’t think it’s strange to ship criminals off to a remote island and dump them there when we have a perfectly good prison system on the mainland?”

She had wondered that, but she also wasn’t about to let him know that so she just glared at the man and tightened the grip on her knife until her knuckles ached. 

“You see,” he began, groaning as he shuffled out of his crouch to sit properly on the ground. “Oh yes, that’s better. You see, this island always was strange. People always lived here but it was mostly used as a waypoint for ships crossing the ocean. A refueling station if you will.”

Feyre didn’t bother to point out that she knew all this already, just letting him run his mouth as she eyed the horizon line and the sun slowly sinking towards it. 

“But those port towns never lasted long. For a while everyone thought it was just the ravings of a bunch of superstitious locals. But then captains brought back stories of the strange behavior and disappearances of their crew who went ashore. Eventually it became such a hazard that ships stopped docking here, and with them went the local economy. The locals were forced to move inland and the few that stayed…well. No one is quite sure what happened to them. It was quite clear that there was something malicious on this island but no one was ever sure of what. Some locals claimed it was an angry ghost. Others were sure it was a monster prowling the woods…”

The man eyed Feyre’s skeleton home pointedly. 

“Whatever it was, the government was quite aware of it. And then, oh just over 100 years ago, a new idea was floated amongst the elite. Why let the island go to waste? There were so many terrible people they would rather be rid of you see. And if there really were something hungry there, why not throw it a bone every now and then? A blood sacrifice, if you will.”

She felt a chill roll down her spine. 

A blood sacrifice. 

That’s what they were to the government. Meat. Something to keep Rhys fed and occupied. 

“How do you even know all this?”

“Because I was one of the ones who put you people here.”

Feyre blanched. “What?! But then…why are you here?”

The man smiled self deprecatingly. 

“Isn’t it obvious? I pissed off the wrong people.”

A politician then. A politician who knew too much and who was now being fed into the very meat grinder he had helped perpetuate. Well, she thought wryly, say what you will about them. They clearly have a sense of humor. A sick sense of humor, but a sense of humor nonetheless. 

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Simple. I want to know what you know. And I want to know how a sweet little thing like you has not only avoided capture but has seemingly survived out here alone. Unmolested by whatever keeps accepting our generous gifts.”

He didn’t know. 

For all his regaling of the history of this island and the funneling of criminals onto it to feed some terrifying monster…he didn’t know what the monster was. He didn’t know about Rhys. 

He didn’t know. 

Feyre glanced back over his shoulder at the darkening sky. 

And that was when he made his move. 

Before she had any idea what was happening, the man lunged forward, grabbed her wrist and twisting. She cried out but still held onto her knife like her life depended on it. 

Because it likely did. 

He wasn’t a large man by any stretch of the imagination. But he was bigger than her and that was really all that he would need to overpower her. She gritted her teeth and snarled like an animal as she desperately tried to push him off with one hand while attempting to twist the other free. 

“You know!” The man grunted. “You know something! Tell me!”

Feyre didn’t bother replying as she wriggled like an eel underneath him, trying to buck him off of her even though he had her hips pinned. 

As the two struggled for control of the knife, the last rays of sunlight sank beneath the horizon. 

And then everything went still. 

Feyre felt a familiar sense of calm wash over her. Over her, the man who had just been trying to kill her had suddenly frozen in place. He blinked at her. Once. Twice. She couldn’t say when it was she knew it wasn’t him behind those eyes anymore, but she knew nonetheless. 

Rhys grimaced at her with stolen lips. 

“Are you alright?” He said with the man’s voice, though didn’t bother to wait for her reply before rifling through her head like he belonged there. When he seemed satisfied with what he found, she felt herself regain power over her own body again. She gasped. Her limbs shook with unused adrenaline. Rhys looked concerned until he saw Feyre’s face. 

She was furious. 

“What the fuck!” She yelled, shoving him off of her. He went easily, rolling back and letting her scramble out of his grasp to glare at him properly. 

“That’s not a thank you.”

“I didn’t ask for your help!”

“Well you got it regardless. Do you truly think I would’ve let him attack you? Hurt you?” The man’s features twisted with rage as he gritted, “Rape you?”

Feyre paled. 

It was clear Rhys was not speaking in hypotheticals. He’d read this man’s mind after taking possession of his body. He’d seen exactly what he’d had planned for her. She’d known he likely planned to kill her when he’d gone for the knife, but for some reason rape hadn’t occurred to her. It should have. Lord knew every other man on this fucking island wanted a piece of her. But somehow he’d made her believe he was either too worried about saving his own skin or too distracted by his talk about blood sacrifices to have any interest in rape. 

Well…she certainly wouldn’t be making that same mistake twice. 

“No, you won’t, because you will not leave my side again.” Rhys chimed in, answering the thoughts in her head in that irritating way of his. 

“What side?” She sniped. “You don’t have a side! I don’t know if you’ve noticed this but you’re fucking dead!”

“Oh, but I do.”

“What are you talking-” And then it hit her. “Oh…oh no.”

“Oh yes. We have all night for me to use this body. I might as well make good use of it.” He grabbed a hold of her arm and hauled her forward like she weighed as much as a loaf of bread. “Come along Feyre Darling.”

And then he hauled her in the direction of the shore. 

[yes-i-have-thoughts]

Blood and Roses (FAITH AU)

1

2

3

4

“Whatcha doin’, Mark?”

Sarah’s voice snapped her brother out of his thoughts. The ten-year-old stared at him, her eyes still full of wonder for her “cool older brother” even at the age where she should start detesting the adults around her.

“Nothing, Srook.” Mark flipped the booklet in front of him closed and ruffled his sister’s short blonde hair. “Just making note of something.”

Sarah batted her brother’s hands away from her hair and gave him a playful glare. He shook his head with a small smile.

“Sarah, stop bothering your brother and get ready for soccer.” The two’s mother flicked her spoon at them like she was wagging her finger. “Mark, finish your writing. And stop distracting your sister.”

“Wh–I’m just sitting here!”

“I don’t wanna go to soccer,” Sarah whined over her brother’s arguing.

“You are going to play soccer whether you like it or not, young lady.” Their mom stood up, dumped out her bowl of now flavoured milk and put it beside the sink. “I won’t have you being lazy all summer like your brother.”

“I’m going to look for a job!”

“Uh huh. Sarah, upstairs, now!”

Sarah whined again as she started up the stairs. Mark ran his fingers through his hair. “Look, mom, I am going to start looking.”

“It took you a year to get your driver’s licence. Who’s to say a job will be any easier for you?”

He bristled. “That’s not fair–”

“You’re a slow learner. I’ve heard it all before. Do you know what your problem really is?”

Mark rolled his eyes. Here we go. “I’m lazy.”

“Sloth is a sin, Mark Healthcliff.”

“Yes, I know.”

“And yet you laze about anyway.”

“I’m not–love of god.”

“Don’t use the lord’s name in vain.”

He was starting to lose his patience. “Mom, I promise, I’m not trying to be lazy. I’m doing my best with school and stuff, okay?”

“Don’t you take that tone of voice with me, young man!”

Mark winced and hunched his shoulders, mumbling an apology. His mom crossed her arms and pinned him with a glare before going to the stairwell. “Sarah, are you ready yet?!”

“I’m COMING!!”

“I gotta start getting that girl up early,” their mother whispered to Mark. Still bristling internally, Mark didn’t respond.

Sarah was bouncing down the stairs a few minutes later, dragging a large red bag behind her. “Mom, can Mark drive me to soccer practice today? Pretty please?”

“No, I’m taking you. He’s job hunting today.”

“What? But moooom!”

“She’s right, for once.” Mark leaned back in his chair, meeting his sister’s eyes. “I’m trying to get an interview somewhere.”

Sarah grumbled something under her breath, then smiled brightly at her mother when she gave her a suspicious look. She ditched her red bag to dart over and give her brother a quick hug before heading out the door. Their mother left some last-minute orders before she left: wash the dishes, do your laundry and clean your room if you’re not going to be on the phone all day.

Mark drummed his fingers on the table until they left, then grabbed the book he’d been writing in and headed to his room. The dishes and everything else could wait. Something more important was nagging at his mind.

He was up late last night, waiting for Cesar to return from whatever had scared him. He’d been incredibly vague about it, which wasn’t like him at all. He’d put the phone down somewhere, likely speaker-down; and then it’d been hung up without a word. Maybe he thought that since he had been away for so long that Mark hung up first? Should he have said something?

In any case, he should’ve called him back. Here’s hoping it’s not too late.

Calling the phone in Cesar’s room got him nothing, so he tried the house phone. His mother picked up almost instantly. “Hello?”

“Hi, Mrs. Torres, it’s Mark. Is Cesar around?”

Cesar’s mother hesitated for a moment. “No, I…Haven’t seen him since last night. He’s not at your house?”

“No, but he called me last night.”

“What did he say to you?”

Oh man. From the tone of her voice, either Cesar was in big trouble or he was about to be if Mark said too much. “Not a whole lot, just that he was going to check on something. He asked me not to hang up on him.”

Cesar’s mother’s voice broke when she spoke next. “Oh my god.”

“What’s going on?”

“Mark, he hasn’t been home since he came back from the graduation party. He was acting so odd, but he said it was because the others were smoking something…”

There was a long silence between them. There was a soft sniff from the other end before Cesar’s mom hung up the phone. Mark uneasily put his own down.

Cesar has either been kidnapped or ran away, and he was the last one to hear from him. But what he heard wasn’t going to be the slightest bit helpful.

What had happened to him? How was he supposed to help any investigation? If Cesar did take off, why call Mark and then never respond?

The phone ringing again startled him out of his thoughts and he picked it up, hoping against logical reason that Cesar was somehow on the other end. “Hello?”

“Greetings, Mark Heathcliff. I heard that you had been job hunting. Well, we have a job for you. Come to this address…”

–

"House cleaning pays well," Summer said. "I had that as a job last summer."

"I guess." Mark hunched his shoulders, feeling a little foolish about complaining now. "But I just…I don't know. I feel weird about this."

"So they knew your name and phone number! Big deal! God, you're so paranoid sometimes."

Ruby swatted the back of her older sister's head. "Lay off, Summer."

"What, Cesar's not here to defend him anymore so now you're doing it?"

"Shut up!"

Summer laughed and raised her hands to get away from the redhead's onslaught. "Alright, Jesus! I'll stop!"

"Where are they sending you, anyway?”  Ruby asked, turning to Mark.

He shrugged. “Some place on the edge of the county, I think. I’ve never heard the address before.”

“How much will you be making?”

“Ten bucks an hour.”

“Well over minimum wage, then!” Summer grinned. “Good for you! Hey, maybe I should track down this person myself and try to get the job.”

“Great idea! Then you can get lured out to the edge of town and get murdered too.”

Summer laughed. “That probably would happen, yeah. A pretty young thing like me?”

A well-loved red van pulled up to the sidewalk the three were standing at. Summer waved at the driver and turned to Mark. “Well, I’m off to check out the campus. Good luck with your job.”

“Tell your sister I said–HI!”

Ruby squeaked when her sister yanked on her arm, dragging her towards the back door of the van. The two had a small playfight before Summer ran around the back of the van to the passenger side door and jumped in when the van driver opened the door for her.

The van tore off in a cloud of gravel dirt. Mark shook his head before turning back towards home.

His mind kept turning, cycling through two different points. Cesar up and vanishing and his upcoming job at a very strange address. Were the two points connected, or was he overthinking it?

God, he wanted to figure it out with someone. But the person he usually calls about overthinking moments is gone.

[northsaskhunter]

Things my dumbass daughters have done in the one year I've had them (not in order) :

- ate my watch charger

- tried eating my bear hide

- ate the hair out of the shower drain

- broke into the shower while I was using it

- refuse to let me close the window despite it getting down to almost zero at night because father we will scream if we can't sniff the outside sniffs

- pee'd in the sink. Three times (I took them out to my parents. They don't like leaving the house)

- pee'd on my bed, while I slept in said bed. I woke up because my leg was warm and one of them was scratching at the spot (happened the first time I took them to my parents)

- tried killing each other more than once. (All because I took them either to the Vet or my parents)

- stood on the top of my flat screen tv when it was mounted, seven feet off the ground. (How the fuck she got up there, I don't know)

- ran up my bedroom door and sat on the top of that (again, how the fuck?)

- scratch the carpet when their scratching post is deadass, four feet away

- tried to walk on the stove top after I had just turned the burner off

- ate two chicken breasts in one sitting (I airfried three. Two for me and one for them. had to share the second one)

- would probably inhale a whole hotdog if I let them

- dump their water dish out if its anywhere other than in the sink

- tracked toilet water down the hallway becuase my sister didn't close the toilet lid

- got pee'd on by my brother because he didn't fully close the bathroom door

- ran under my feet when I was wearing boots and got stepped on. She didn't learn anything

- sit in the bay window and stare at people going by

- the younger of the two tried to kill the vet after they got fixed so I had to go back and get her into the carrier. She proceeded to try to kill her sister so I had to borrow another carrier from the vet to get both of them home. (I am pricing out getting two slightly smaller carriers for future vet trips than the big one I have)

- hated each other for a good week and a bit after being fixed

- almost took my arm off because my sisters brought the little dog over to let them sniff. The cats did NOT want to be sniffed. I can still hear the screech that cat let out.

- how dare I have anything on the table or the counters

- how DARE I only put dry kibble in the food bowl. That food bowl is for food, not toys.

- they see anything that rattles, crinkles or skitters as a toy. Dry kibble is a toy that can be eaten after being batted from the kitchen down the hallway into the bedroom

-may currently be on a partial hunger strike because the grocery store didnt have the wet food I had been giving them. (The exact same brand except the one they liked was in a plastic container)

- refuse to eat any other flavour of wet food aside from "seafood"

- refuse to eat any type of kibble aside from iams or kitten kibble

- only sleep either between my legs or in the doggy-bed I have on my own bed. (They get flung often because I constantly move in my sleep)

- I'm like 80% sure one of them ate the empty tube my testosterone came in. It was on the counter and then it wasn't. I have swept and also checked in the vent on the floor and I still don't know where it went.

- do something bad and scatter the moment I stand up.

- almost took down my bedroom door when I had to lock them in there when I had a zoom interview

- rattle the closet door for hours on end when I'm trying to sleep

-pooped in the kitchen sink because I was taking too long cleaning the litter bin (deadass just put the dirty litter into the garbage when the beotch shat in the sink)

- knocked my fan off the bedside table while I was asleep. Fan ended up broken.

- Stare and scream at me through the glass door every day when I go to work even though they know I'll be back in six hours.

- stare and scream at me through the glass door every day when I get BACK from work

- take man-shits on the daily and stink up the entire house despite the litter box being in the farthest room in the house

- knocked my lava lamp off the mantle piece (thank fuck that didnt break)

- often knock the vent covers off the fireplace

- ate the corner of my Fallout New Vegas "New California Republic" flag

- only get sick on the carpets. Winnie's first time being sick was caught and I held her above the sink. She stayed away from the sink for the next few days because that was obviously the thing that made her sick

- knocked over a half empty pop can and stained the carpet brown

My girls, Winnie and Mary. (Winnie has all the toes)

I want to get a third one, a blonde one though, and name her Sarah.

having a cat is great. there's a small little animal wandering around. effervescent

[ribcages-and-bookpages]

One Day At A Time; Planning (chap 5)

(Gore/Death warning this chapter!)

Year x438, July 22nd,

  It was two days later when Rowan and his little group arrived in Colkirk, where Rowan suggested they lay low until they had a plan; since most everyone avoids Colkirk like the plague. Serena was against the idea but eventually agreed with Rowa, but unfortunately for them, it was a day and a half trip to Colkirk and they had a small hiccup when someone tried to snatch Rowan's wallet and they turned him into the guards; even though Rowan disagreed with this. 

    As the group approached the town, a thick mixture of mist and smoke began to surround them and Serena whined softly, "We're gonna get killed, this is such a bad idea." She began to look around quickly though, she could have sworn she heard a footstep, "What was that!?" She stopped walking and put her hand on the hilt of her weapon. A heavy sigh left Rowan as he stopped and turned to Serena, 

    "Just trust me, once you get through the thickness of it, it gets better." He said as he waved his hand in dismissal. Ares now sighed at Rowan, as Serena looked at him,

    "That's not what I meant! Do you not know how dangerous this area is? There are reports constantly of people going missing around here and their bodies are always dumped a few miles away days later!" She huffed at his ignorance.  

    Rowan simply stared at her for a moment before speaking,

    "My point still stands, trust me." He said with a shrug, as he turned to continue entering the mist before Serena grabbed his shoulder to pull him back,

    "Why should I trust you? It's not like you can magically protect us from every murderer!" She huffed at him once again. This caused Rowan to stop and look at Serena's hand for a long moment, 'I could bite her right now. I really could.' He sighed and shrugged her hand off his shoulder, 

    "Just trust me. I promise no one here will murder you." He started to walk again as the rest of his trio followed, "I kinda know them." He shrugged a bit as Serena tripped on a brick and nearly fell. She caught herself though and continued to walk,

    "Don't tell me you're one of them!" She gasped as Rowan rolled his eyes, 

    "You're being harsh. Most of these people do it in self-defense and are here because they have nowhere left in the world that will protect them, while others do it for the pure financial gain of robbing others and are here because it's an easy place for targets. Similar to the smallest group of 'them' except those guys are straight-up murderers. One is friendly, one can be bought, and another beaten into submission" He explained before giving Serena an irritated look, "Don't group them together. I lived here for two years once, it's obviously not great, but it can be pretty peaceful compared to the outside bullshit." He huffed softly. 

    Serena looked taken aback for a moment before nodding softly,

    "I'm sorry, I didn't realize." She spoke in a soft voice, clearly regretting her words, as Rowan shot her a small smile,

    "It's alright, most people don't know that either. Just..keep an open mind. It's a messy place." He said softly as they walked over a major wave of heat coming from a small crack in the earth that blew their hair back, and then the view was instantly better once they passed it. 

    As their vision cleared a bit, you could see an entire city covered in ash that felt almost too warm to be comfortable anymore while ash fell from the sky, and the whole thing looked abandoned based on the state of many of the buildings. There were sinkholes everywhere that led straight down to what looked to be a lava pit but was really an unstoppable pit of burning coal that had been alight for the last 500 years. Although some of the sinkholes had filled in by now because of other areas sinking, or because the whole area collapsed and filled in the hole, and very occasionally the kingdom would fill in the sinkholes with large amounts of soil; which was also an effort to try and stop the coal from burning, but it was never enough to stop it. There was no plant life either, everything was decayed and dry or all that was left was what once held it, and you couldn't see the sky anymore, it was entirely grey. Everything was grey, but many things had flashes of other colors where there were shoe and hand prints, or the occasional cartwheel imprints in the ground where the ash had been pushed away. There were abandoned ash-filled carts all over the place and even some construction equipment that had been long forgotten, as well as ash-covered building materials everywhere. Many buildings had collapsed or half-collapsed, although some of the seemingly newer ones were holding up much better, although many of them weren't finished. The whole place had a haunted feeling to it as the entire city seemed to be frozen in several different periods of time.

    Serena let out a small gasp as she looked around and held a hand to her mouth, although Rowan wasn't sure if it was shock or horror; perhaps both? Meanwhile, Ares looked around with wide eyes as he took in the details of the once-great city. As they took in the details, Rowan stopped beside them and looked around at the place he once called home, 'Looks almost exactly the same, I guess they haven't done any more work here.', a small sigh left him as the smell of the ash truly hit him and memories of his time once here flooded in,

     Rowan was much younger and had a smaller body frame while also having a rounder and softer face. He had an overall softer appearance and much longer hair that reached the middle of his back and had no color to it. There was a frown on his face as he jumped back and slid on the ash-covered ground before catching himself and standing up before materializing a metal bat; just a simple metal bat with a smaller handle grip. He panted heavily in a much higher-pitched voice as he stood up fully and readied himself for an attack. In front of him was a man easily twice his size smirking as he fixed his brass knuckles,

    "C'mon little girl, you can't win against me. Just give up and let me have some fun with you~" He hummed before laughing softly as he made his way over to Rowan. A small angry groan left Rowan as he ran at the man before hitting him in the gut with the bat and sending him sliding back a few feet, then leaped back several feet as he slid to a stop and readied his bat again. 

    A noise similar to a growl left the man as he fixed his posture and put a hand over his stomach where the bat had hit it, "Watch yourself or I might just kill you instead! Now get over here!" He shouted before running at Rowan, who leaped over him and stepped on his head before turning and hitting the man in the head with the bat; he could feel resistance but the bat kept going for a moment before stopping entirely as Rowan let go and jumped away. The larger man dropped to the ground like a bag of rocks as a sigh of relief left Rowan and he began to make his way over to collect his bat. But as he realized what the resistance was, his blood ran cold; the bat had gone into the man's head and he could see brain matter, as well as bits of skull and lots of blood. It churned his stomach and he put a hand to his mouth as tears began to slide down his cheeks while he had to resist the urge to vomit. He could feel the blood starting to slide down his face and looked down to see his hands covered in blood and brain matter-

    "Rowan?" Called Ares's voice from behind Rowan, snapping him out of his dissociative with a startle, causing Rowan to turn to him quickly as his eyes widened. Ares was looking at Rowan with concern as Serena seemed confused and worried about one of her new group members, as Ares stepped a bit closer,

    "You're alright." He said softly. A small hum left Rowan as his mind cleared and he began to calm down, turning back to look at the city for a moment before speaking,

        "You know, this place used to be the very first major city, and then kingdom in Oselia, before it caught on fire." He said quietly, causing Serena to look at him in surprise as Ares looked at him as well,

    "Is that why there's such a large empty spot on maps? Is it really that big?" She asked softly, seeming both surprised and horrified by this. Rowan gave a solemn nod and glanced back at her,

    "It was one of the biggest cities in Oselia, and is still one of the largest in history, But mostly forgotten about." He spoke in a soft and empty voice as he gazed at all of it. 

    That was cut short though as a couple people peeked out from various spots around them, although these people had horns, multiple eyes, or other unique features that made them stand out in this world, and therefore treated unfairly most of the time. Rowan gave a friendly smile and waved, "Hey, anyone here remember me? Little Row? I know I look different, but if you remember me, you know why." He called out in a friendly voice with a smile. A duo of small gasps left two girls to the right of them and Rowan quickly turned to look as he spotted two women whom he recognized instantly, 'Xillie and Fennala!' He thought as he smiled.

     Behind the wall of a half-collapsed building were two elf women, one with short, thick, and wavy blonde hair and blue eyes with a petite inverted triangle body shape, although she was half a foot taller than the woman beside her. The woman beside her had reddish tan skin with a beauty mark above the upper left side of her lip and chestnut brown eyes. She also had dark brown hair that was in six braids that reached just past her hips, which were wider than the girl beside her as she had an hourglass shape. Even though both women were elves, the only thing they had in common was their pointed ears and their matching ankle-length grey tunics with an under-bust corset on top of that, which were both black. 

    The two women scrambled to climb over the wall as they held up the bottoms of their tunics a bit so they wouldn't tear the fabric, then rushed over to Rowan, 

    "Is that really you? You're so different!" Said the girl with blonde hair, causing Rowan to smile,

    "Yeah, Xillie, it's me. I know I look different, but I've been on it for years now, plus other stuff." He laughed nervously as he rubbed his arm a bit. Before he could explain any more, both women hugged him tightly,

    "Oh, it's so good to see you again!" Said the blonde as she pulled back, although the brunette lingered,

    "It's been so long, Rowan." She said softly before letting go and stepping back as she shyly looked to the ground. 

    Serena stepped up beside Rowan to look at the women before glancing at Rowan as she crossed her arms; she didn't trust these women at all, 'There are so many undercover Wings members, what if one or both of them are one? They target places like this...but then again,' Serena turned her gaze to look at all the buildings, 'Almost no one comes here unless they have no other choice. I don't think even Lady Skel would risk her people with the rumors that are around here.' She thought to herself as she turned to look at the ash falling from the sky, although not directly up so none got in her eyes. 

    Meanwhile, Ares stepped up behind Rowan to peek over his shoulder to see the women's faces properly as he clasped his hands behind his back before looking away. Rowan simply smiled at the woman in front of him,

    "I know it's been a while, life has been kinda crazy. Kinda had to restart entirely, so..here I am." He says as his smile turns more nervous. The two women shared a look of worry before looking at Rowan, 

    "I'm sorry Rowan." Sighed the brunette as she dropped her gaze, while the blonde smiled softly,

    "We've got your back, most of the others are still around too, and they've got your back too. You've had all of ours." She said in a soft yet kind tone as her smile grew a bit, "Your friends are welcome too, any friend of yours, is a friend of ours." She hummed as the other woman nodded.

    Rowan smiled and gave a nod to the women before looking to Serena and Ares, then back to the women,

    "Meet Ares and Serena, Ares and Serena, meet Xillie and Fennala." He said with a hum as he introduced everyone to each other. Once the greetings settled, Xillie looked at Rowan and gave a small smile,

    "Come with us, We'll take you to some shelter. It's not fun standing in the open for more than a little bit, the ash will ruin most colors of clothing and make your hair disgusting. Plus, it's better where the air crystals are." She explained as she turned and began to walk. Fennala looked at Rowan for a moment before quickly following after Xillie, causing Rowan to tilt his head and watch her for a moment before following. 

    Serena and Ares followed Rowan instantly and moved to both walk by his side, while Serena turned to him,

    "Can we really trust them? Lady Skel has roots everywhere." She whispered to Rowan, who scoffed slightly, 

    "Yes, Serena. I saved their lives a few times, and they've helped save my ass a few times too. We used to be a trio around here. We're the three who originally brought in the air crystals to purify the air of enclosed spaces. It made a huge difference in people's health pretty quick." He explained with a small hum as he slipped his hands into his pants pockets, watching the two women in front of him lead them to shelter.

        Meanwhile, the city around them came to life as people began talking and moving from place to place, although it wasn't a lot of people, there was chattering and a buzz of energy in the center of the city. As the women lead them to a large, incomplete concrete building, Serena could feel her anxiety bubbling up, 'What if he's wrong? What if this is all a trap?' She thought as her body began to tense up a bit,

    "Calm down, Rena, they're just taking us home," Rowan spoke softly to her. This seemed to snap her out of her thoughts as she looked to Rowan and nodded softly then began to relax her muscles a bit, but she remained a bit tense as they approached. On the opposite side of Rowan was Ares, who was simply looking around at his surroundings as they walked, taking in every detail of every item in the area, which allowed him to make a mental map of the area. 

    As the group arrived at a large metal door with a spinning wheel as its handle, two men came out from both alleyways and held out knives, 

    "Hey girls~ We told you to be careful 'round here." Said one man with a scar across the center of his face dark hair and dark eyes. His scan was a light tan color and he was easily over six feet tall and built like an ox, while the man across from him was shorter, but much wider and had brown hair with blue eyes, along with a unibrow. His skin was a few shades paler than the other male's, but both held daggers that looked expensive and intricate, but the end of the blonde male was rusted. The blonde man grinned at the group,

    "Now you've brought unwanted guests into our territory. I guess we'll just have to teach you all a lesson." He threatened as his grin turned wicked and dark. Xillie huffed at the men,

    "C'mon Cody and Rory, we're just trying to go home. Our friends have had a long journey and don't want any trouble." She scooted closer to the door as she huffed once more and Fennala stepped behind her. The two men laughed though and stepped closer; as Rowan grabbed Ares's wrist to stop him from intervening, which stopped him instantly. Serena on the other hand looked ready to explode as her hand rested on the hilt of her rapier,

    "Oh, but we do." Growled the man with the dark hair as he lifted his hand with the blade. 

    A small hum left Rowan, which caused both men to look at him and frown, 

    "I wouldn't do that if I were you." He said with a small smile, "Me and my friends just want to go inside and get some fresh air, so why don't you let us through?" He hummed his question as he glanced from one man then to the other. He continued to smile as the blonde man laughed again from his left, 

    "You think you scare us, small fry? We'll just cut you down first. You don't even have a weapon!" He smirked as he took a step towards Rowan. Once again, Rowan's hand flew to Ares's wrist to stop him in his tracks, and just as before Ares stopped and glared at the men as he waited for Rowan's 'okay'. A small laugh left Rowan this time as he slipped his hands out of his pockets and hummed as he materialized his scythe and shifted it in his hands, 

    "Oh I don't think I'll scare you, I think I'll have you begging for your life." He said with a smile before dashing at the blonde and slicing three of his fingers off, causing his dagger to fall to the ground, then he was back to where he had been standing. The blood on his scythe became one big drip and dropped onto the ground as the blonde man screamed and held his hand,        

    "What'd you do to him you brat!? How'd you move so fast?" Shouted the dark-haired male as he rushed at Rowan, who shot Ares a look as he went to react. Rowan ran at the man before throwing his scythe in the air and jumping n the air and placing both feet on the center of the man's ribs before putting the full force of his kick and weight into it, sending the man flying back into the ally with a shout of pain. Rowan dropped down onto the ground and bent his knees down to help with the impact, then raised his hand and caught it with one hand while he turned towards the blonde man,

    "Ready to beg yet?" Hissed Rowan as he smiled a wicked smile at the man. The blonde cried out        

    "Rory, let's go! The little demon is back!" He shouted as he grabbed his dagger from the ground and took off down the alley, just as the other man, Rory, gathered himself up from the garbage cans he hit and stumbled into the darkness of the alleyways. 

    A small sigh left Rowan as he dematerialized his scythe flipped his hair slightly out of his face and began to walk back to his group,

    "Ready to go inside?" He asked with a smile as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Ares was simply staring at Rowan quietly with slightly wide eyes, as Serena looked a bit disturbed,

    "Was...all that necessary?" She asked slowly, as the other two women laughed nervously,

    "Classic Row." Hummed Xillie, as Fennala nodded softly. A nervous laugh left Rowan now though at Serena's question,

    "Well, no. Well- Actually-" He sighed and shifted a bit, "It's complicated. Normally, no. Here? They'll fight you to the death. They have little fear, but if you find it and bring it to the surface? They won't come near you ever again." He responded with a nervous smile as he glanced away while lowering his head a bit. There was a small pause before Serena spoke,

    "I understand. Although I must admit... I was surprised to see you like that. It...was pretty fear-inducing." She explained slowly before looking back to the building, "But enough of this, my lungs burn, may we go inside now?" She asked the women, who nodded in sync before heading to the door. 

    As Rowan walked over, he noticed Ares still watching him and walked up to him and waved a hand in front of his face,         

    "You okay Ares? You seem a little surprised." He asked with a soft, yet nervous smile as Ares snapped out of it. When he did, his cheeks became a bit pink and he turned his head away,         

    "Yes, I'm fine. Let's go inside." He responded in a softer tone than normal though, causing Rowan to tilt his head a bit, 

    "If you're sure..." He said doubtfully as he watched Ares for a moment. When Ares showed no signs of stopping him, he turned and followed over to the door, which was now open, 

    "Hurry now, the ash is getting in!" Xillie rushed them as she waved her hand towards the door, causing the group to scurry inside the building. 

    Once inside, the room was mostly dark with vague outlines but felt rather spacious, only to become pitch black as the door closed. Within moments, the room lit up with a yellow glow and everyone turned their attention to Fennala, who had a large yellow crystal hovering just above her palm. The crystal rotated slowly and caused the walls to have a sparkling effect; showing the concrete walls that lead down a hallway, which had layers of fabric hanging as a makeshift door near the end of the hall. The ceilings were low, causing Ares to have to duck his head slightly as he stood there, and the floors were also concrete but there were no windows; at least, none that any light came through. The windows seemed to be metal shutters that were closed, not that they opened anymore anyway.

    Serena was tense as the crystal began to glow and her head whipped over to the light Fennala held as she visibly began to relax. A small laugh left Rowan as he noticed Serena,    

    "You're fine, Rena. I wouldn't take us somewhere dangerous-, Okay, I would, but I would tell you first." He glanced to the side as Serena stared him down,

    "Yeah, that makes me feel better," Serena muttered as she raised a hand and rubbed her temples with two fingers,

    "Great! Then let's go. Before Ares gets a crick in his neck" A hum left Rowan as he looked to Xillie, who began to lead them down the hall. A sputtering response left Serena,        

    "I was being sarcastic don't take it seriously-," She started, only to realize the rest of the group was making their way down the hall and she was being left behind in the darkness, "Wait for me!" She called before quickly walking over to meet everyone. 

    The group of five stood in front of the makeshift fabric door for a moment before Xillie pushed the various fabrics to the side and began to go through them, 

    "Like this, and watch your feet!" She called out as she got to the other side of the cloth doors, leaving Fennala near the entrance as she held the light crystal in her hand,

    "Go ahead. I'll go last." She said softly as she stepped to the side a bit and raised her hand slightly to allow the crystal to light up the 'door' better. 

    Rowan gave a small grin to Fennala as she did this and he made his way to the fabric to pull some open for Serena to go through, 

    "Thanks, Nala. Now, Serena, you're going first. Xillie is waiting on the other side." He said as he pulled the fabric further back. Immediately after he said this, Serena tensed and looked at Rowan,

    "Do I have to? Can't Ares go first?" She seemed worried as she glanced at the cloth before looking back to Rowan, causing a heavy sigh to leave him,

    "Fine, Ares, you're first." He muttered with a shake of his head. With that, Ares made his way to the fabric and began to push various pieces out of his way, until he seemed to disappear into the wall of fabric.

    Rowan looked at Serena once more and she seemed to shrink back a bit before huffing, 

    "Fine, I'll go." She muttered angrily as she made her way over to the cloth and began to push her way through to the other side. Once she seemed to be through, Rowan turned to Fennala and gave a small smile,

    "Our turn." He said before moving partially into the hanging fabric, then held up some Fennala could get through as well, "I'll hold it open for you, I don't want you to drop the crystal." He said with a hum. Fennala paused and stared at him for a long moment before nodding softly and making her way over to stand beside him. Rowan dropped the fabric that he was holding and moved to hold some more up, then looked down to Fennala and gave her a small grin, "Keep moving, I can't wait to breathe some air that doesn't make my lungs want to evacuate my body." He joked. This earned a small giggle from Fennala, who was standing beside him and looked up at him with a smile for a moment before continuing further into the fabric. 

    Once the two finally made their way through the fabric, Rowan's face lit up at seeing the room they were now in; the room itself was still concrete, but the walls were painted with various designs and there was a yellow light crystal in the ceiling corners, as well as a big baby blue one that was about two feet tall and was held in a stand in the center of the room. There were several furniture items, including four couches, three padded chairs, and a large table with ten seats that were all mismatched. The ground was covered in rugs, layered one after another to the point no concrete from the floor was visible. There were several other objects around the room such as books, blankets, board games, and packs of playing cards; multiple of which were on the coffee table in the middle of the couches. There was a metal door on the left wall and a hallway to the right, which was dimly lit. 

    Rowan began to look around the room to take in every detail, while Xillie was with Serena by the couches as the two were in conversation, and Ares was still looking around while waiting next to the entrance to the room. Ares looked to Rowan and Fennala as they came out and he turned to them, while Rowan took a deep breath before smiling softly, "Fresh air, hell yeah." He muttered to himself before turning to Fennala with a small grin, "You guys sure have upgraded this place since last time, I like the rugs." He said with a hum as he shrugged off his backpack and set it by the entrance; beside Ares's and Serena's bags. Fennala quickly looked away from Rowan as a soft smile made its way to her face, 

    "We took your advice to make it more homey, and we've been adding on since then." She replied softly. Another small hum left Rowan as he nodded a bit,

    "Thanks for inviting us in, we kind of need a place to lay low for a few days." He laughed nervously and rubbed his arm a bit as Fennala paused to look at Rowan.

    Xillie made her way over with Serena to join the conversation, and she raised an eyebrow at Rowan as he said this,

    "What trouble did you get into?" She asked in a teasing tone, causing a small huff to leave Rowan,

    "It's a long story, but let's just say the three of us are wanted by some people who won't hesitate to kill us if they get the chance." He explained before glancing away. Xillie and Fennala both stared at Rowan for a long moment before sharing a look with each other, then Xillie turned back to Rowan,

    "Well, you three are welcome to stay here as long as you need. We've got the space here, and the air crystal is enough to sustain up to twelve people for an extended amount of time, so that's not a concern either." She hummed with a smile. A small nod came from Rowan as he looked to Ares and Serena, who both gave a nod in return to Rowan before he looked back to Xillie, 

    "Thanks, Xill. We'll take you up on that offer." He gave a small smile as Xillie nodded, 

    "No problem, Rowan. You all feel free to make yourselves at home." She hummed with a bright smile. Serena smiled softly in return to Xillie's smile, 

    "Thank you, Xillie and Fennala. I appreciate you allowing us to stay here." She spoke in a somewhat formal way, causing Xillie to laugh softly,

    "No worries, Serena. No need to be so tense, we're all friends here." She hummed before making her way over to the couches and sitting down, as Fennala followed after her. 

    Rowan followed after the two, causing Serena and Ares to follow after Rowan, who sat on one of the two-person couches, while Xillie and Fennala sat on a larger three-person couch. Ares made his way to sit on the same couch as Rowan, while Serena sat by Xillie and Fennala. Rowan turned his attention towards Xillie and Fennala before speaking, 

    "Any chance you two have a map we could borrow? We gotta make a plan, and a map would help." He questioned with a small smile, 'Although I'm not sure where to even start with a plan.' He thought as Xillie nodded with a hum,

    "Sure do, let me go get it." She replied before getting up off the couch. Xillie made her way to the metal door to the left of the room before opening it with a 'clunk', and then a quiet whine left the door as it opened enough for Xillie to go inside. 

    Serena watched Xillie for a moment before looking at Rowan and Ares, 

    "Either of you have any ideas for a plan?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow, causing the two males to share a look before both shook their heads, 

    "Honestly, I'm not good at that. Tell me what to do and I can do it though." Rowan gave a small grin to Serena, who sighed softly,

    "As expected." She muttered.

        As Xillie returned to the group, all eyes went to her as she pushed aside the items on the coffee table before laying out the map, then handed Rowan a charcoal pencil. A smile made its way to Rowan's face as he nodded at Xillie, 

    "Thanks, Xill." He said with a bit of a hum as he leaned forward and pulled the coffee table a bit closer. Both Ares and Serena sat forward a bit as well so they could view the map properly; which was a map of the Kingdom of Oburus. The major cities were labeled in larger letters while the smaller cities and towns had a smaller font, and in the lower left area of the map was Colkirk, although it was just a large grey area that took up 1/8 of the map, and it had no label. 

    The trio began to examine the map for a moment until Rowan looked to Xillie as she sat back on the couch, "Either of you know of any Wings bases around here?" He asked suddenly. Both women froze as Fennala looked as if she had seen a ghost, and Xillie shot up from her seat, 

    "You idiot! You're seriously going after Wings?! They'll kill you!" She shouted at him as she threw her hands up in frustration, "Do you have a death wish or something!?" She looked at Rowan and glared at him a bit. A small sigh left Rowan as he ran a hand through his hair, 'She's right, it's stupid to try. but...' he then looked to Xillie again, 

    "I know it's not smart, frankly, it's the worst idea I've ever had, but I'm not alone. Besides, they can't keep getting away with the things they've done and are continuing to do, and if I can fuck that up for them then I absolutely will." He replied in a matter-of-fact tone of voice as his gaze became firm and determined. Xillie paused as she stared at Rowan for a moment, completely taken back by his resolve to do such a thing, but her head whipped over to Fennala as she broke the silence,

    "...Just don't die, Row." She spoke in a soft, evidently sad voice as she looked to the floor. This caused a grin to spread across Rowan's face, 

    "I'll do my best. I don't think these two plan to let me die any time soon, not till we're done at least." He said in a lightheaded tone, that smile still on his face as both Ares and Serena nodded in confirmation. 

    It was quiet for a moment before Xillie's sigh broke the silence and she pointed to an area on the map, just outside of the gray area of Colkirk to the north, 

    "Here. It's a smaller base but heavily guarded. Anyone who gets close doesn't come back." She spoke softly as Rowan circled that area on the map. Xillie turned to him with a sad and worried expression, "Be careful for once, please." She spoke in a softer tone now. Rowan looked to Xillie and gave a small grin, 

    "I will. As much as I can, anyways." He hummed before looking back to the map as Serena pulled the table closer to herself. She began to examine the map before raising her gaze to Rowan, while Xillie sat back down on the couch, 

    "Where are we right now? Roughly anyways." She asked as she nodded her head at the map. With a hum Rowan grabbed his charcoal pencil again before making a small circle near the center and slightly to the left in the grey area; which was quite the distance between that and the other circle,

    "About here." He said as he glanced at Serena. 

    Serena leaned her hands on the table as she stared down at the map, then spoke after a moment of thinking, "Okay, tell me how you both feel about this plan; Tomorrow morning we make our way through Colkirk and make our way closer to the base, but we stay under the cover of the ash and smoke until the day we go to the base. When we get there, we need to find a way in without drawing too much attention to ourselves, after that, we can try to get information on Wings' next move so we can stop it. But the problem is, if no one comes back from this place, then it's likely to be heavily guarded, so we'll have to be extremely careful not to be captured or killed." She spoke confidently as she turned her gaze up to Rowan and Ares. After a moment of consideration, Rowan nodded softly,

    "That sounds like a good plan. Better than anything I've been able to come up with so far. But what if we do some recon before we go. Like, check out the size of the building and try and see how many guards go in and out." He scratched his head a bit before looking to Serena, while Ares nodded softly,

    "How would we do that without being caught?" Asked Ares in a quiet voice as he glanced between Serena and Rowan. Both of them paused before Rowan sighed and ran a hand through his hair,

    "I'll do it. I should be quick enough to be able to get out of there without getting caught." He seemed unsure about this as he spoke, glancing away as he thought about the endless possibilities of what could happen, 'What if I do get caught? They'd kill me on the spot I'd bet. I'm on their shit list, they won't hesitate.' He felt his thoughts overwhelming him. 

    Ares's voice cut through Rowan's overwhelming thoughts and he was brought back to reality, 

    "I'll do it." He spoke in a firm voice as he looked to Rowan, then Serena before looking to the map, "...I have teleportation abilities. I..can only go places I've been before, but if things get bad I can get out of there rather quickly" He explained, although he seemed uncomfortable with all the eyes on him as he shifted in his seat. A smile began to spread across Rowan's face as he looked at Ares, 'He actually spoke up in a group, that's awesome. Wait, is that why he's so fast? He is teleporting? That explains a lot.' He was lost in thought until Serena spoke and brought him back to reality once more,

    "That would be very helpful, Ares. Thank you." She smiled at Ares, who kept his gaze on the map on the table. 

    Rowan gave a little grin as he looked to Serena, then Ares, 

    "I guess we know our plan now. Most of it anyways." He hummed as Ares nodded softly before Serena nodded as well,

    "Seems we do." She responded as she leaned back onto the couch and crossed her arms. Xillie spoke up after a moment,

    "So you guys are really trying to stop Wings? That.. sounds like a suicide mission." She spoke in a soft and fearful voice as she looked at Rowan. With a nervous laugh, Rowan nodded softly,

    "Yeah, it doesn't sound smart..but at this point, it's too late to turn back." He spoke softly as he felt a pang of pain in his heart, 'I can't let them get away with anything else. I can't let them take more people like Brooke, no one else needs to go through what I've gone through. No one else needs to die.' He found himself staring at the floor as he was lost in thought.

    He was pulled out of it though as Fennala spoke to him, 

    "Rowan? I know Xillie said it but... be careful." She was using a softer voice than normal and it was laced with worry and fear as she looked at him with a fearful look. Rowan looked at Fennala and smiled at her,

    "I will. Now, let's focus on something more positive; what should we do for lunch?" He grinned softly as Serena sighed at him and a small giggle left Fennala. Xillie shifted to sit up more and looked at Rowan,

    "Well, we have a stew going in the kitchen. We used one of our big pots for leftovers, but we'd be happy to share. It's been going since early this morning." She said with a smile, earning a nod from Rowan as he smiled in return,

    "Sounds good. What do you two think?" He asked as he looked between Ares and Serena. Ares gave a small nod of agreement while Serena nodded as well,

    "Sure, that would be wonderful." She spoke in a soft and friendly voice as she gave the two women on the couch with her a little smile. With a hum, Xillie stood and turned to the group,

    "I'll go get some bowls for everyone," She paused and looked to Fennala before continuing, "Can you help me Fennala?" She asked with a tilt of her head. Fennala gave a small nod before standing as well, and the two made their way down the hallway to the right of the room. It was quiet for a moment after their departure until there was the sound of a heavy metal door squeaking open, and then closing and making a 'clunk' noise as it latched. 

    Rowan turned his attention to the members of his group and gave a small smile,

    "So, how are you both feeling about being here? I know Colkirk isn't ideal, but it's likely they won't find us here. Not easily anyways." He said as he ran a hand through his hair. His gaze flickered between Serena and Ares, but Serena was the first to speak,

    "You're right that it's not ideal, especially because of the air quality, but I will say that this wasn't a terrible idea. Colkirk gives us a good base location to hide after doing dangerous things; like invading their bases." She responded as she shifted in her seat to cross her legs, "And your friends are quite kind, it's nice to see such kind women in such a harsh world." She smiled softly as she turned her gaze to the floor for a moment before looking back to Rowan as her expression turned serious, "We need to be careful coming around them too often, otherwise Wings might find them." She spoke in a firm voice.

        Rowan paused for a moment, 'She's right. if I'm not careful they'll get dragged into this too, and neither could survive against Wings. Fuck...' He pulled himself out of his thoughts and nodded at Serena, 

    "You're right about that. If we make Colkirk our base, we should keep our base in another location, somewhere away from the main part of the city. That's our best bet to keep everyone here safe. I'd say we'd want to go north." He sighed softly as he scratched his head a bit. After a moment Rowan looked to Ares and dropped his hand from his hair, "What do you think of that, Ares? How are you feeling about all this?" He asked with a small head tilt. 

    Ares stared at Rowan for a moment as he began to piece together his words and figure out what he wanted to say, but he could feel both Rowan's and Serena's eyes on him and it was making him nervous. He glanced away from Rowan and took a silent breath, but when he turned back to Rowan and Rowan was softly smiling at him he felt his heart jump into his throat, 'Don't look at me like that!' He thought as he turned his gaze to the floor. 

    "Ares?" Called Serena, since there was a bit of a pause between the question and his answer, but Rowan immediately lifted his hand and waved it in dismissal at her, 

    "Give him a minute, sometimes he has to think about it." He said with a shrug as he leaned back on the couch. Rowan put his arm over the back of the couch and leaned back into the corner of the couch a bit to look at Ares, patiently waiting for the answer he was sure would come. Finally, he did,

    "Well....I agree. Colkirk is a good place for a base, and keeping away from the general public would be wise as well...But, how do we do this? We'll have to spend a few days alone setting up the base to make it usable and breathable before we can even think about any missions." He spoke in his usual monotone voice as he raised his head and glanced between the two of them before focusing his gaze on the map in front of him. 

    A hum of agreement left Rowan as Serena nodded,

    "Yes, that is true. Rowan, you would be in charge of helping find materials for the base; after all, neither of us has been here until now. Neither of us know where to start. Along with that, the three of us will have to find a building that has easy access, looks inconspicuous, and has little to no outside ventilation." She sighed as she leaned her head back on the couch and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and finger, "And at the same time, it needs to stick out to us so we can always find it, and it has to be sturdy enough to survive against the more powerful and magic holding members of Wings if they find us." She spoke clearly yet quietly. Serena found herself already overwhelmed with all they had to do and at a loss of how to even start. 

     "I think I know a place," Rowan called out suddenly, causing both of the members of his party to turn to look at him at the same time as Serena raised her head off the couch,

    "You know a place?" Serena asked as she sat up more to give Rowan her full attention. As he nodded, both members stared at him before he gave a little grin,

    "Oh, I should tell you about it, huh?" He chuckled softly before sitting up from his position on the couch and grabbing the charcoal pencil. Their eyes followed his movements as he pulled the map closer before making a small circle near the outer west edge, "It's around here. It's one of the taller buildings that was made before this place went up. Unless it has changed, the west burns the coldest and has the least amount of damage to the ground and buildings. It's at a higher level than the city surrounding it, meaning it has great viewpoints; but the ash falls more heavily here since the ash is heavier in the north and the west. The building itself is a good size, not the biggest around but it has multiple floors, multiple doorways, and even a few places we could turn into easy entrances that only we would know about. If it's anything like last time, the remaining doors are rusted shut, but I'm sure Ares could deal with them if we really needed." He finished as he gave a little grin to Ares, who quickly sat up before looking away from Rowan and focusing on the map on the table again. 

    Serena raised an eyebrow at them but dismissed the odd behavior before focusing on everything Rowan said,

    "Alright, well, so long as it's as great as you say, it'll be perfect. Now, how are we going to get a large amount of supplies all the way to the other side of the city? It's not like we have anything to transport ourselves, let alone anything else." She sighed heavily as she covered her face with her hand, rubbing her forehead a bit, "Perhaps Xillie and Fennala know of a cart we could have? Or borrow at the least..but even then, that would be such a difficult journey." She sighed softly. 

    Meanwhile, Rowan turned his gaze to Ares and gave him a little grin, causing Ares to slowly turn to look at him as his expression slowly turned more confused and unsure of what Rowan was thinking,

    "I got an idea." Rowan finally spoke, causing both members of his group to look at him. He paused for a moment before looking to Ares again, "Well, you have a special skill that might work for that. Especially because...we could just fly to the base." He said softly, watching as Ares's body went stiff and he glanced at Serena. Quickly sitting up, Rowan placed a hand on Ares's shoulder, "Ares, hey, it's okay. You know we can trust her. She's gonna find out sooner or later anyways, better to tell her yourself, isn't it?" He spoke in a calm and quiet voice as he gently held his hand on Ares's shoulder, 'I hope he's not upset with me about this. It's time she knows, especially before we raid that base.' Rowan's thoughts wandered for a moment, but he pulled it back and focused on Ares.

    Ares had moved to clasp his hands tightly together as he stared at his shoes, his eyes darting around every now and again as various ideas, thoughts, and possibilities raced through his mind, and Serena just watched in confusion,

    "What's this special skill?" She asked as her brows knit together and her gaze focused on Ares. 

    It was quiet for a moment before Ares spoke, although he never raised his gaze from the floor, 

    "I'm...I'm a dragon shifter. What Rowan is getting at, is that I can fly." He explained slowly like he was choosing his words carefully. Serena stared at Ares in shock for a moment before nodding softly as her expression relaxed into one of warmth,

    "Thank you for telling me, Ares. Let's use that as our last resort, yeah?" She asked with a small smile. Ares slowly looked up from the ground to look at Serena for a moment before looking back to the ground and relaxing his clasped-together hands, 

    "...Yeah." He agreed quietly as he gave a small nod. After a pause, Rowan spoke up,    

    "Well, we can always see if anyone around here has a cart we could buy off them, so we can transport things easier." He recommended, causing both Serena and Ares to nod in agreement. 

    Suddenly the squeaking of a metal door could be heard, and the smell of stew began to waft into the room, causing Rowan's stomach to growl as he realized how hungry he was, 'Man, I didn't realize I needed to eat, I've been so focused on everything else I forgot to eat.' He thought with an internal sigh. But as the metal door shut and made another 'clunk' noise, he was brought back to reality and looked to the hallway as Xillie and Fennala entered the room. Xillie was holding a metal tray with three bowls on it, while Fennala held two bowls on a smaller metal tray. The two approached the group and Xillie smiled as she began to hand out the bowls of stew from her tray, 

    "There's more if anyone wants seconds after this." She said as she finished handing out the bowls, while a chorus of thanks left the trio. She set the tray down on the table as Fennala then placed her tray on top of that one, and handed Xillie a bowl of stew before taking her own bowl into her hands. 

    Rowan was the first to begin to eat, happily beginning to do so with a small hum, although the food was hot and he was burning his mouth a bit you wouldn't think so based on his facial expression, 'Man, I missed their cooking Fennala makes the best stews...' He thought to himself as he ate with a small smile. Ares followed Rowan's lead and began to eat, although he had no reaction to the temperature of the food either and simply enjoyed his bowl of stew with a neutral expression. 

    Meanwhile, the trio of women on the couch to the right of Ares and Rowan stared at the two in horror, "You guys...It's hot." Xillie said softly as she stared at them. Serena looked baffled as she looked at the two members of her team, 

    "I can feel the heat from the bowl...how are neither of you reacting at all?" She asked as she set her stew down on the coffee table, carefully avoiding the map. Ares was quiet for a moment before muttering, 

    "Immune to fire and heat." He immediately resumed eating, and all eyes were on Rowan; as they were satisfied with Ares's answer. Rowan swallowed a mouthful of stew and looked up at the women before giving a lopsided grin, 

    "I'm just stupid and don't care. It's not gonna kill me. And if it did, then so be it." He gave a small chuckle before returning to eating his stew. 

    A heavy sigh left Serena as she folded her arms and shook her head a bit, while Xillie shook her head beside her and shifted the bowl of stew to also rest on the table, beside Serena's. Fennala paused for a moment though as she watched Rowan with a small smile until Ares eyes darted up to meet hers and he stared at her quietly while eating. This caused her to quickly look away and set her bowl down on the table, near the corner as she looked to the floor, while Ares turned his gaze back to his food. 

    After a few minutes of quiet amongst everyone except Serena and Xillie, who were chatting about clothing choices here while Fennala listened, Rowan spoke up,

    "Can I have more please, Nala?" He asked with a little lopsided smile. Fennala smiled softly in return before nodding and walking over to him and gently taking the bowl from his hands as he offered it up to her, their hands touching in the process; which caused Fennala to jump back a bit and nearly drop the bowl. Rowan quickly caught the bowl before handing it to her with a small smile, "Still clumsy I see." He teased, causing Fennala to shyly look away and give a small, nervous smile in response. She took the bowl and headed to the kitchen, the metal door clunking closed behind her. 

    Rowan looked to the others around him and noticed Ares had a slightly irritated expression, while Serena and Xillie were eating their stew and talking to each other about Colkirk; although it was mostly Xillie telling her about it and Serena comparing it to other places she has been. After a pause, Rowan looked back to Ares and gave a small smile, "What's up Ares? You're glaring your stew." He joked lightly with a smile. Ares glanced at Rowan before forcing his expression neutral, then shook his head a bit,

    "It's nothing." He replied in his usual monotone voice, although it was quieter than usual. This caused Rowan to knit his brows together as he watched Ares quietly eat his remaining stew,

    "Are you sure?" He asked once more, his worried gaze focused on Ares. A small hum left Ares as he nodded, then finished his stew before setting the bowl in his lap.

        After a moment of watching him, Rowan nodded softly before looking up as he heard the loud clanking of the metal door opening and closing, then Fennala appeared in the hallway and made her way to Rowan; although she had two bowls in her hands. Once she got to Rowan, she handed him a bowl before offering one to Ares with a nervous smile, who stared at her quietly as he accepted the bowl. After a moment he gave a nod of thanks as Rowan quickly thanked Fennala before beginning to eat his stew again, while Fennala made her way back to the couch and began to eat her own stew; all while listening to the conversation between the other two women on the couch. 

Rowan began to eat his new serving of stew as Ares set his empty bowl on the table before beginning to eat his second bowl. It was peacefully quiet, minus the chatter between the two women on the couch and the noises of spoons clanking against metal bowls. Once Rowan had finished his meal he set his bowl on the table, stacking it with Ares's bowl before looking at Ares with a small smile,

    "You know, I'm proud of you for telling Serena about..y'know. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot though." He spoke softly and gave a nervous smile as he rubbed his arm a bit, "But, I know we can trust Serena. She wants to stop Wings just as much as I hate them, and she's a pretty accepting person so far." He said with a more relaxed and warm smile. 

    Ares had turned his gaze to Rowan as he spoke and felt a bit of heat rush to his cheeks at being praised, causing him to turn his head back to look at his stew as his hair fell into his face a bit from lowering his head a bit. It was quiet for a moment before Ares spoke softly,

    "You're right, I should trust her more. She's had our backs so far.. and you're right about that part too. She wants to stop Wings more than anything, so she has no reason to betray us." He replied in a soft tone as he stirred his stew with his spoon. Rowan couldn't help but grin a bit at Ares's words and hummed softly in response,

    "Right. I know trust isn't gained that easily, but try to trust her. Xill and Nala can be trusted too, but you just met them so I don't expect you to trust them much." He said with a lopsided smile. Ares glanced at Rowan before looking back to his stew, 'He keeps smiling at me. Why is it making my heart race every time? And..the way he's talking to me. He understands me. No one ever has except...mom.' He felt tugging at his heartstrings as his thoughts wandered, but he quickly brought them back before speaking, "...I'll do my best." A simple answer, but still an efficient one.  

Rowan smiled softly and nodded at Ares as he leaned back on the couch, 

    "That's all I ask of anyone." He hummed with a small grin. He leaned back into the corner of the arm and back of the couch and looked to Ares as he put his arm over the back of the couch and his other arm supporting him on the arm of the couch, "Are you finished with your stew?" He asked with a head tilt, noticing Ares just staring at it. Ares seemed to jump a bit as Rowan asked if he was done before giving a small nod and moving to set his bowl on the table next to the other bowls, as Xillie's bowl joined theirs on the table. Fennala's was next, followed by Serena's moments after, and Xillie spoke up,

    "I'm going to go wash these dishes. It's getting late though, would you all like some blankets and pillows to sleep for the night?" She asked as she stood up and straightened out her clothes before giving a smile. The trio all shared looks before Rowan nodded and gave a lopsided grin,

    "That'd be great, Xill. Thanks." He hummed as he sat up a bit, while Serena nodded,

    "Yes, thank you." She smiled warmly at Xillie. The smile was returned as Xillie then turned to Fennala,

    "You able to help me, Fennala?" She asked with a small head tilt, while the other woman nodded softly before the two began to gather the dishes from dinner. 

    The two women made their way to the kitchen, obvious by the clunking of the door as it closed, and Serena began to take her hair down from the bun she had. She was now left with a ponytail of one large braid that reached past her knees, which she then began to unbraid before letting her hair down entirely; her hair now wavy and free of constraints. She looked between Rowan and Ares for a moment before speaking,

    "You know, Rowan, this was actually an excellent idea. I'm sorry I doubted you at first. It's just..a bit much, coming here for the first time." She spoke softly with a sheepish smile. 

Rowan gave a wave of dismissal at Serena as he gave a small shake of his head and smiled softly, 

    "No big deal, Rena. Colkirk is a bit much for anyone to take in at first, especially if you've heard the rumors about this place." He chuckled softly. A small hum of agreement and a nod left Serena, 

    "Yeah, I suppose that's true. I'm just grateful we have somewhere safe to sleep for the night. That's been harder to come by lately with how much Wings is pursuing us." She sighed softly as she ran a hand through her hair. 

    Rowan gave a sigh as well as he nodded a bit, then got a lopsided smile,

    "Let's focus on how good today was. We found some allies, a possible home base location, our next mission, and we got a good ass stew to eat for dinner. I'd call today a win." He said as his smile turned into more of a grin. Serena nodded a bit before giving a soft smile in return,

    "Yes, let's do that." She agreed in a soft tone before looking back as she heard the metal door to the kitchen open loudly once more. Meanwhile, Rowan looked to Ares, who was watching him with a very light pink hue dusting his pale cheeks. As he noticed this, Rowan tilted his head a bit and gave a lopsided grin,

 "What's up, Ares?" He asked with a hum, while Ares seemed to nearly jump out of his seat before looking to the ground as he shifted in his seat, 'Damn it! I was staring again! What's wrong with me?' Ares scolded himself as he stared at the ground, his brows scrunching together slightly. Rowan tilted his head once more at Ares's behavior, but before he could ask about it further, Fennala approached with armfuls of blankets; which Serena rushed to stand up and help her with. 

    A small thanks left Fennala as she then handed Rowan two blankets and gave a small, shy smile,

    "I don't know if you still get cold at night, but I thought I'd give you two blankets just in case you still do." She spoke in a soft voice as she glanced away. With a smile, Rowan sat up and accepted the blankets from her,

    "Thanks, Nala. You're right, I'm surprised you remembered that though." He chuckled softly and set the folded blankets beside him on the arm of the couch. He was still sitting up and a bit close to Fennala, who seemed very aware of this while Rowan was not, and he gave her a lopsided grin, "Means a lot, so thanks." He hummed. 

    Fennala looked a bit red in the face as she stared down at Rowan from his sitting position on the couch before she quickly shook her head and gave a sheepish smile,

    "No problem, Row." She spoke softly, using his old nickname. She paused before stepping back and smiling softly, "Goodnight, Rowan." She said softly before she began to leave, pausing as Rowan spoke back,

    "Goodnight, Nala. Sleep well." He said before leaning back onto the back of the couch and yawning. Fennala made her way out and returned to the kitchen where Xillie was, judging by the familiar sound of the door opening and closing after she left. 

Rowan leaned back into the couch and sighed softly as he laid his head back on the couch, looking to the ceiling, 

    "It's nice seeing them again. Some of the only friends I've ever had." He mumbled, then gave a nervous chuckle as he sat up and looked at the wall, "That came out way more depressing than I meant it to be." He spoke in a lighthearted tone. Serena gave a small shake of her head and smiled softly as she began to unzip her boots before emptying a knife in a holster out of her pocket, along with a few stray Wygen coming out of her pocket as well, "It's alright Rowan, you're just a little depressing sometimes in general, but we love you for it anyways." She lightly joked back. 

    A small chuckle rumbled from Rowan's throat as his half-lidded eyes were now back on the ceiling. He had moved his head to lean back against the couch once more and seemed to be drifting asleep, "Hmm. Loved, huh? Sounds nice. Any kind of love is nice..knowing you're cared about.." He mumbled more and more until he eventually just fell asleep. 

    Serena and Ares stared at Rowan with different expressions of surprise at his words; although Ares had more on his mind than he was leading on, 'He needs to never laugh like that again. My heart tried to come out of my throat, what the fuck was that? And.. his muttering.. does that mean he hasn't really had that in the past..? Maybe..that's why we get along so well.' He was watching Rowan with a slightly wide-eyed expression with a very faint blush on his cheeks before he quickly shook his head and looked to the ground.

Meanwhile, Serena had an expression of surprise laced with sadness as her own thoughts ran rampant in her head, 'I didn't mean to say love, we barely know each other...But I think if anyone hurt him I'd have to hurt them back, and he'd absolutely do the same for me. He DID the same for me, he saw me in trouble the first time we met and jumped in to help me without questions. That's just the person he is. Maybe I don't love him..but I sure as hell care about that idiot. Ares too, although he doesn't speak much but his care of Rowan and protection of myself have shown that he's kind. Along with the fact that he avoids landing any blows and simply dodges until his opponent is tired? He's a pacifist. A dragon shifter pacifist; that's not what you're told to think, but you can't believe everything you hear.' Her gaze shifted to Ares, who was staring at the ground still, 'He may love him though. Or, each other, maybe? Something is going on there but I'm not sure either of them have even noticed yet.' She sighed. A small smile came to Serena's face as she tuned back into the world and looked at Ares with a warm smile,

    "Let's get to bed Ares, Rowan will scold us in the morning if we don't do so soon." She spoke softly in an attempt to not wake Rowan, although he was a heavy sleeper usually unless there was a sudden noise, they noticed; Talking never woke him, but coughing sure did. 

    Ares seemed to snap back to reality at Serena's voice before nodding softly, 

     "Yeah." That was all he said before he stood up, then paused and looked at Rowan. Serena found herself smiling softly, 'He wants to cover him up.' She thought with warmth in her chest as she gathered her own blankets for the night before moving the remaining blankets to the largest couch, where Ares would sleep. Meanwhile, Ares carefully stepped over to Rowan before gently grabbing the blankets off his lap, then began to unfold them and carefully laid them across Rowan's lap to ensure he stayed warm during the night; He also knew of Rowan being cold easily during the night. Rowan barely stirred while Ares did this caring motion towards him, simply humming softly and shifting before falling back to sleep again. Ares couldn't help but smile softly as he stared down at Rowan for a moment; His peaceful expression warming Ares once thought to be cold, and dead heart.

Ares shook his head a bit and stood up before making his way over to the largest couch with the blankets and took his boots off as he sat down on that couch. As his gaze raised to Rowan's sleeping form on the couch and noticed his head slip off the couch and he fixed it before falling asleep again. A small sigh left Ares as he stood up once more before heading over to Rowan and carefully began to take his boots off him. He glanced up occasionally to make sure he didn't wake Rowan, and once he completed this action he set them to the side with a sigh. He stood once more as he scooped Rowan's legs and shifted his upper body to quickly and carefully lay him on the couch, with the cushy armrest as his pillow. Rowan stirred a bit before muttering something unintelligible to Ares, then going to sleep once more, causing Ares to feel his heart stop in his chest.

    Ares watched Rowan for a long moment as the heat slowly filled his cheeks, 'Gods he's cute. Wait- Oh, that's not good.' He quickly stood up straight before heading over to his couch and sitting down. He leaned his elbows against his knees and put his head in his hands as he felt his cheeks burn and his heart pound, 'Damn it! I have a crush on him! That's what this is! Oh, God's help me. I wasn't sure at first but I guess I decided! He can't find out. Not when we have important work to do, I don't want anything to distract any of us from our mission. Our goal.' He sighed heavily before running his hands through his hair and pulling his hair tie out of his hair; the one that held the majority of the front of his hair back. 

    As he raised his gaze he noticed Serena watching him with a smile and an expression he couldn't explain or understand, then she leaned over a bit and spoke softly, 

    "So, you realized finally?'" She spoke in a teasing tone, causing Ares's face to begin to burn as he huffed softly at her, turning away a bit. A very soft laugh left Serena as she tried to hold back her laughter, not wanting to wake Rowan for a multitude of reasons, "He has no idea, you know. He's a bit of an idiot sometimes when it comes to people's emotions. Fennala likes him too. Did you notice?" She asked in a whisper as she leaned towards Ares. 

Ares paused before looking to Serena and nodding softly, his brows knitting together slightly as he muttered, 

    "Do...you think he likes her?" He barely spoke loud enough for her to hear, and she was sure that was the intention, Serena couldn't help but hold back a laugh before shaking her head,

    "Nah, I think he likes her like a sister maybe. He treats her differently than me, but not by much. But I think that's also to accommodate her shy personality. But, don't worry. I think he likes you too." She smiled at Ares as she explained all this. Ares turned his head away a bit and unknowingly let out a breath of relief at her final words, only to sigh and drop his head as he scratched his head a bit. Serena could see his hesitation, "You..you're not going to tell him, are you? I mean, I guess I get it-" She started before Ares interrupted her for the first time ever,

    "It's too dangerous." He said simply, sitting up slightly to clasp his hands together and stare down at them. A small sigh left Serena as she nodded, 

    "Fair enough. I won't stay anything. But if he asks?" She questioned as she looked back to him, causing Ares to pause before nodding softly,

    "You can tell him." He spoke softly, feeling as if he was trusting her with his life again as he had done during previous battles. Although, he didn't quite 'need' the protection offered to him by both Serena and Rowan; he was strong on his own. He never had relied on anyone, but he knew they relied on him, and he cared for both of them so he would do his best to ensure neither got hurt. 

    Ares raised his gaze to Serena's just as she met his and began to speak,

    "We have to make sure this doesn't get back to Lady Skel. She'll exploit it, and she already wants him dead." She spoke softly, yet firmly. But Ares simply nodded along before unclasping his hands and letting them hang as he sighed and looked to the floor,

    "Yeah." He agreed quietly. Serena watched him for a moment before sighing,

    "I don't think telling him would be such a bad idea, but I'll keep my promise. I won't say anything unless he asks." She offered Ares a small smile, who glanced in her direction and gave a small nod of acknowledgment towards her. 

    There was a pause of silence between the two before Serena spoke, breaking it, "Let's get some sleep Ares, there's plenty to do tomorrow." She said softly before laying down on her couch and getting comfortable so she could sleep. Ares simply gave a grunt of response and lingered in his position on the side of the couch for a minute or so before moving onto the couch to lie down. 

    He covered himself with the blanket and covered himself up to his hips, with the end tucked under his feet, then turned to face the couch and settled into it before falling asleep. Serena's sleep followed behind him soon after, once he had settled into 'bed' for the night, she found herself able to relax and sleep as well. 

   Meanwhile, at ư̵̧̈̈̓̄͆͌͘ņ̵̞̪̈́͂͆̂̌̔͂͂͘k̴̢̡̢̛̩̝͍̫̂͊n̶̻͈̯͉̿̀ͅȍ̴̙͇̟̟͋̀̏͛̓͑̀̒͜͝w̵̧̱̬͍̠̥̤͖̲̆̋̾̌͌͋͆͆̚͠ͅń̷̢̼͇̰̤͖͕͙̳̈̂ͅ l̸̼̤̇̀̂̅̎͐͝o̵͓͂̒̄̃̆̂̈́̍̆ç̴̖̗̬͖̘̑̈́͠ą̴̤̝͍͓̤̖̙̳̈́t̸̖͍̝̭͓̼̃̒̍ͅi̸̠̖̹̯̗͐̈́̓́̔̉͠͝o̷͚̤̜͉̮̦̠̣͗͜ͅn̶̛͓̭̗͑̑͑̆͐͜  

    "Lady Skel, the men tracking your 'little problem', lost them outside Colkirk. They were hesitant to step inside without your orders." Came the monotone and deep voice of a young man. The man himself had hair that was slightly longer, shaggy, and straight, while his eyes were a piercing red; similar to scarlet. Little of his face could be seen due to his mask, and the rest of his body remained hidden in the shadows against the large concrete walls, the moonlight just casting enough light inside some of the base that the hallways could be seen; while others were lit with torches that held purple flames, which gave little light beside a dim glow. Some simply had candles on tables on either or both ends of the hallway, while these held regular colored flames compared to the purple flamed torches, and most hallways had heavy wood doors to them. 

    But this room? This one was different. This room had windows in the ceiling above that allowed the moonlight to pour in and highlight the concrete throne centered in the back of the room. The throne itself looked rather plain, except for a long plush black pillow that was glued onto the seat of the chair and went up the back a bit, undoubtedly making it more comfortable for the user. Inside the room were four men in hooded robes standing at posts; two on either side of the throne, and two on either side of the large wood doors used to enter the room. On the center of the floor was a large moon carved into the stone, with the moon divided into three sections, with ancient symbols carved in a circle around the moon; and the moonlight was shining on this as well. The room had sparse decorations, but statues of knights lined the entranceway of the room; although many of them had inhuman features among their armor, such as tails and horns. Besides this, little other decor was in the room except for a few banners on the walls. 

    Lady Skel herself, the woman in black, wore her usual black cloak over her head as her long black dress sleeves covered her hands; one of them anyway, and the other was holding a book while she paced the room. She ceased her pacing and looked to the man who had dared to speak her name, but she let out a sigh of frustration at his words,

    "No. Don't send anyone in." She said firmly as she loudly closed her book with one hand before setting it on the arm of her throne. She glided over to the throne as her black cloak slightly trailed on the ground behind her, then sat down on the edge. She rested both hands on either arm of the throne, looking at the male with a firm gaze,

    "I know it's not my place, Lady Skel.. but couldn't they have gone inside?" He asked softly, with a hint of uncertainty in his voice, earning a heavy sigh from the woman on the throne. She raised one of her hands to her face and rubbed the bridge of her nose,

    "No, Noir. With Rowan as their leader, they're likely to avoid such a place. Over the weeks we've been tracking him he's avoided it every time, why would he change that now? Besides, he's not an intelligent one. That's been proven over the series of attempts to eliminate him, but what he has is talent fighting." She sighed heavily in frustration and dropped her hand back onto the concrete her elbow rested against as she raised her gaze to the man. 

    He seemed undisturbed by her intense stare and harsh tone, and instead offered his thoughts,

    "Perhaps they've taken a turn to the east and gone to Willowdale? That is the closest city to that hell pit." He offered his ideas before silencing himself as he noticed Lady Skel turn her head from him and lean back a bit as her head tilted strangely, 

‘Colkrik is still burning? We lit that place up years ago! What's it been, nearly 1000 years now? Boy! There must be a lot of coal in that place. I wonder if anything still standing-' A deep dark voice echoed from within Lady Skel's head, but she cut it off before it could continue, 

    "Shut up!" She shouted, causing the man in the room to shift a bit as he seemed to jump a bit. He said nothing though and simply waited for her to sort things out within herself.

    Lady Skel pinched the bridge of her nose as she rested her elbow on the armrest of the throne before taking a slow, deep breath. She then muttered, "Not now Sarg, We have business to attend to.", although her words were heard by the man in the room he reacted little besides a small quirk of his left brow. The voice within Lady Skel hummed softly, 'You are right. But, we must discuss this further tonight. I can't believe it's still burning!' Laughed the dark voice as its voice became multiple during the laugh at the end; a sound that would send a chill down the spine of most people, a dark and menacing aura behind the cheerful glee in his tone. 

    A heavy sigh left Lady Skel as she crossed one leg over the other and she continued to pinch the bridge of her nose as her facial features scrunched slightly in anger and frustration, "Focus." She snapped in an angry whisper. A laugh echoed within her skull, one that gave her a headache sometimes, 'Yes, yes, we shall focus on this conversation about the thorn in our side.' It hummed in its deep tone. 

    She raised her brightly glowing purple eyes to look at the man in the shadows, her entire focus on him finally, "Nior, I agree with your plan of Willowdale. We'll send eight of our level fives. Perhaps numbers can overwhelm them? Meanwhile," She sat up properly and her gaze became more intense as it focused on Nior, who flinched none as she focused on him; he was used to her intense stares by this point. He tilted his head at her though, wondering what her 'meanwhile' could possibly mean, until she spoke it, "I want you to go to base C, the one outside Cokirk. If reports are true and they are out they are out that way, and that base is in danger of them finding it. Although it's unlikely they'll survive much further than the first hallway, I would feel much more...comfortable, if you personally kept an eye on the place. One week, that's all I ask of you now. Easy enough job, yes? You have to do little more than watch the camera's in the security room, and defend it with your life should they make it close." Her voice was light in feeling and intense in feeling at the same time.

        The importance of the job was clear to him, especially because she was bribing him in a way as well to convince him to agree; although truly, he wasn't sure he had a choice,

    "Yes, Lady Skel. I'll remain there as long as you need." He spoke in a monotone voice, but there was a hint of determination behind it. He wouldn't let her down, he hadn't yet. 

    "Good. Thank you, Noir. You may leave now. Go rest in one of the spare chambers, should you need to." She smiled, but it had a wickedness to it that made Noir feel a bit sick to his stomach for a moment. Of course, he didn't show it, he simply gave a nod,

    "Thank you, Lady Skel. But I would like the comfort of my own home and bed. I bid you farewell and goodnight." He nodded his head at her but lingered for a moment. Once Lady Skel turned her gaze away from him and sighed, he took that as his cue to leave and silently did so. 

    The room was almost silent for several minutes before Lady Skel let out a sigh once more, 

    "Alright, Sarg, what would you like to know?" Her voice rang out softly in the air as she leaned her back against the back of the throne, slumping slightly. 

PREV

[messylustt]

you deserve better ( all mine ) — ethan landry + reader ( scream ) : after ethan’s protective outburst you distract yourself with a date. ethan doesn’t seem too happy about hearing it and isn’t too scared to show exactly why.

contents : p in v. vague nipple play. kissing (duh). mention of a dead body + blood, dom ethan. possessive ethan. wc 2.3k.

pt one pt two

ethan dusted his hands off as if he had just been eating cookies, though instead of crumbs on his palms it was drying blood. his brushes did little to get rid of the red.

his closet carpet was ruined with an everlasting stain, that he hoped no one would see. he covered the floor with boxes of spare clothes and things no one ever used anymore.

it was reckless to chuck a dead body in his closet but he didn’t have time to move it anywhere else before you had barged in muttering about said specific dead body ghosting you. george, ethan thinks the kids name was. the whiny, frat boy who should really switch names with his roommate to become the well rounded dick he was always meant to be.

sadly george won’t be able to fulfil his full potential, being dead and all.

ethan had just dumped the dead boy in the shadowed channel, letting him drift away with the sewage.

god, what had you even seen in him. ethan had to hold back rolling his eyes as he began to make his way along the streets. you needed someone so much better than practically all the guys in new york city. him included. but he didn’t dwell on that too much.

you had left and he let you go that day. of course it would have been out of the blue for your good friend to kiss you. and that was probably a big mistake on your own, letting him. because now he most certainly couldn’t get you out of his head. and he had no intention of doing so.

ethan thought that some time alone to process would be beneficial for you. even if his version is only a day. it was night now, as he passed costumed people, his bloody hands not exactly out of place.

when he reached his dorm he was quick to wash away the dark red before chad got back. the blood disappeared down the sink as he became the not so well known ethan landry. the dorky, shy nerd with a slight habit of being out of the loop.

his phone began to buzz. he quickly withdrew it from his pocket and was overly eager to place it to his ear when he saw your name flash on his screen.

“ethan, hey, um, I’m sorry to ask this, but are you free to pick me up?” your voice was soft in his ear, and his face couldn’t pick whether to display happiness that you’d called him or concern that you sounded sad.

you were swaying on the spot, the chill night air brushing your hair occasionally. you had just walked out of a cheap pizzeria holding down the urge to throw your remaining slices at the dick inside. worst date you’ve ever been on, hands down.

ethan had always been one of the first people you called when you were either stuck somewhere or just wanted his opinion. but after yesterday you had decided to call your other friends first. sam picked up, but sadly had to apologise as she was busy. she had still offered to pick you up anyway but you refused. she had an interview and the last thing you wanted was to ruin that.

you weren’t sure where you and ethan stood, but the colder the night got and the creepier the street became you were quick to dial his number.

“yeah, of course. where are you?” ethan asked, rustling with something that sounded like his keys.

you gaze up at the bold name of the pizzeria and relayed it back to ethan.

“alright, i’m on my way. don’t go into an alleyway.”

you chuckle, not realising how dead serious ethan was on the other line.

“i won’t. thanks.”

“anytime.” and then he hung up and your stomach twisted. When he had kissed you he had said you didn’t need another guy, ethan would be there for you.

you knew he wasn’t lying because he’d shown it. always picking up your calls, always listening to your rants, always comforting you whenever the day had been shit.

but some part of you had been surprised by his forwardness. you’d never seen him so protective before.

you suddenly hear the turn of wheels as you gaze down the street, ethan’s car coming to a stop beside you. you quickly grabbed the handle, getting in.

“careful, i could have been some creep with the same car.” ethan says as you clip the seat buckle in.

you scoff, smiling a fraction. “your curls are pretty distinct-able — even through your car window.”

“you noticed my curls?” he teases, as he starts up the car, driving off. “i styled them just for you.”

you snort, sparing a glance out the window. “speaking of styled, why do you look so nice?” ethan asks, urging you to glance back at him.

you freeze, not having properly looked at him since you’d been so…close. you gulp, facing forward. “um, I was just grabbing dinner.”

ethan’s fingers tapped against the steering wheel. “alone?”

weirdly his simple, one worded question racked your body with nerves. you had just kissed, not proclaimed your underlying love for each other. it was fine that you went on a date.

you glance back at ethan, who catches your gaze with an expected raise to his brows.

“no.” you begin. “not alone. though, i wish i had been.” you mutter the last part, sparing a scoff at the man who had totally ruined your night…and your love for cucumbers. you grimace.

ethan’s eyes narrow. “a date?” he portrayed his voice to sound easy, light even. but, god, was he fuming on the inside.

was kissing you not enough to get you to only look at him? was giving you time to process the wrong decision?

“it was a shitty one.” you answered. ethan’s jaw clenched as he tried not to choke the steering wheel with his grip.

“in what way?”

“he was just way too…sexual. like he literally began talking about how a cucumber feels the best up a girl just as we had begun eating.” you fake throwing up at the memory, sparing a half hearted laugh after.

but ethan wasn’t laughing. way too sexual?

“did he touch you?”

you finally look back at ethan, his dark gaze staying on the road, while his knuckles contrasted in colour, the grip looking painful.

“only my leg, he was trying to be charming.” you say. “did not work.” you mutter out, running your hands down your dress.

“why’d you go out with him?” ethan asked.

“i…i actually don’t know.” yes, you did. you weren’t sure how you were feeling about ethan and if the kiss had ruined your friendship, since you hadn’t heard from him that day. you had needed a distraction.

“you don’t know?” ethan reiterates, a slight hint of annoyance in his voice.

“it was a dumb choice.”

“like always.”

you gulp, remembering his words, and how he had thought that all you could choose was shitty men. you hated the fact that he was kind of right.

“i’ll choose more carefully next time—” ethan cuts in.

“no, you won’t.” he chuckles, humour lost.

you eye him, as he suddenly turns a sharp left.

“you’ll find another douchebag at another party and go on another shitty date.” ethan’s driving was turning more aggressive as the night got quieter outside.

“ethan—”

“no, i’m tryna help you, y/n. from making another bad decision.” ethan cuts in. “from choosing another dick who shouldn’t be allowed to touch you.”

your grip has shifted to your dress, staring at ethan as you dart your gaze occasionally to the road.

“every guy-related decision you make sucks.”

“like kissing you back?” the words fell from your lips before you could stop yourself. ethan’s head whips to you, eyes narrowing.

he suddenly jerks the car right, and pushes his foot on the brake. the car hits a stop somewhere off the road. somewhere pretty damn dark. and then he’s reaching over to you, unbuckling your seatbelt in one swift movement and yanking you to him by your wrist.

you gasp as you land on his lap, knee dangerously close to his groin. his breath is right by your ear, warm and tantalising. “what did you say?”

you gulp, all your nerves re-arising. “i— the kiss.” you don’t know where your sentence was meaning to go, neither do you know where his dragging hand is leading to.

“i was talking about your stupid decisions.” ethan begins, his hand now circling around your thigh, as he pulls you down, so that your straddling him. your eyes are wide and your heart is hammering.

“kissing me was one the best decisions you could have made.” he hisses, each syllable hitting your face, his so close to yours.

“i’ve never seen you so cocky.” you breathe.

ethan slowly smiles. “oh, it’s not cockiness if i know exactly what you need.”

he then pulls you further into him, until you can feel everything. you gulp. he was hard. even you could tell how painful it felt.

he held down a groan at the feeling of you pressed fully against him. fuck.

“i thought i told you already, that you don’t need another guy.” ethan says, his hands winding around your hips. “i told you that no other guy needs to touch you.” ethan paused to run his fingers along your spine, reaching the zipper of your dress.

“to taste you…” he drifts off as he leans forward to lick right by your ear, making you jolt. your action shoots straight to ethan’s cock as he lets out a groan. he grabs your jaw. “or to kiss you.” he smashes his lips to yours, sucking your tongue and bottom lip as you gasp-moaned into him.

he was panting against you as he didn’t let your lips go, his hand at your back grabbing the zipper and yanking it down. the sound and feel catches your ear and sends a shiver down your spine, as you break away from ethan’s lips.

“i thought you didn’t want this.” you say, breathless as the dress loosens to where the top of your lacy bra is showing. he hadn’t texted you all day, which is something very unusual for ethan.

ethan’s brows furrow. “didn’t want this?” He’s in disbelief. “you really think I didn’t want you?”

you hadn’t known what to think. “i don’t know.”

ethan scoffs, as he pulls your dress further down so that your bra is now on full display. your nipples immediately harden at the cool air.

“don’t you ever fucking think that again.” ethan growls. “i meant what i said. no other guy can have you.” he then leans up to your lips, his hand raising to run a finger along the underneath of your covered breast. “your all for me.”

then he kisses you, wrapping one arm around your waist, while the other unclips your bra. “shit.” he says to your lips as he brushes his hand over your tit, now naked and exposed. his thumb rubs over your nipple making your breathing shudder.

“ethan…” you breathe out as he pinches your nipple.

“that’s it. moan my name like you should have even doing a long time ago.” he’s just as breathy, as his hand drops to your thigh, hiking your dress higher, before he’s reaching for your panties.

you jolt when he grazes over the wet patch. he grins at the feeling. “i hope your wet for me and not that guy earlier.”

you shake your head as he pushes past your panties and immediately sinks a finger into your weeping pussy. “huh?” ethan taunts.

“no. god, no, he was a tool.” you gasp out as he sinks his finger in and out.

“just like all guys. besides me, right?” ethan asks almost innocently. to which you moan in response as he adds a second finger.

your nearly riding his fingers as your hips grind. “right, y/n?”

“yes, yes, christ not you.”

he seems pleased with your response as he quickens his pace, but then he pulls away completely, allowing a closely pathetic whine to fall from your lips.

“i’m sure you’ve been fingered before, so I want to make a more lasting impression.” ethan says before his belt is gone and his cock is out.

your eyes widen slightly at the size. unexpected from ethan’s “shy” exterior.

he grabs your hips, aligning you briefly before he’s pulling you down and onto his cock. it was extremely fast as if he couldn’t help but be inside you right then.

but then he’s cursing. “fuck— a condom—” he harshly breathes at the feeling of you wrapped around him. in his haste to get inside you he had forgotten a condom, but your quick to push further down, swallowing him whole, as you go to grind.

“don’t worry. i’m on birth control.” you whisper before you kiss his neck.

he would breath out in relief if not for your continuous bouncing on his cock. “oh, fuck.” his head hits back against the car seat, as he helps you ride him, digging his fingertips into the skin of your waist.

you moan, your forehead getting sweaty. “better than i imagined.” ethan breathes.

“you’ve ‘imagined’ me?” you manage to get out as your rhythm becomes sloppier and quicker.

ethan groans. “oh, i’ve done more then ‘imagine’, you, y/n.” his mouth hangs open in pleasure. you expect him to say more but he instead whimpers and groans.

ethan wasn’t sure he should share what else he’s thought about regarding you, what he’d done for you. one a specific felony that would make you run. he didn’t want that. you were finally in his arms and he wasn’t about to ruin that by explaining why every guy had ghosted you.

blood was on his hands, embedded in the creases of his palms. you didn’t know how protective he could get, how protective he had gotten.

so instead of explaining his fucked up actions he pulls you closer and against your sweet tasting skin, whispers “all mine.”

© messylustt.tumblr please don’t steal, copy or translate my work onto other platforms.

[nerd-at-sea5]

robin gets beat up and cannot hide anything from nancy bc it's nancy so cute ronance ensues bc i love them

im using canon pronouns for everyone bc i’m still working out my gender hcs for them all :) (max is nb but idk pronouns yet)

cw-blood, fighting, slurs, homphobia, abuse

robin buckley didn’t dislike being slammed into walls.

ok scratch that, she liked it when it was nancy wheeler doing the slamming. because that normally came with a kiss.

when it’s some random dickheaded kid from school, she likes it less. a lot less.

“hey faggot.”

“hey jack-hole. you know, i’m really starting to think you’re why condoms we’re invented.”

sharp pain to the shoulder blades, “that sounds like it’ll bruise, buckley.”

she did her best to smirk through the grimace, “it’s fine, i’ll get your mom to patch it up next time i go to rail her. say hi to your little brother for me!”

the kid’s grip lessened, “what?” then his expression changed, and before robin could see his arm swinging, one, two, three-there was blood pouring from her nose, her right eye felt like it was swelling and she could feel a split lip with her tounge.

he and his posse stalked away as robin sank to the floor with a groan.

the best part is that the dude didn’t even know she was gay. no one did-outside of the party + adults involved with party.

he was just a run-of-the-mill bully who liked to call kids faggots. go figure.

either way, the brunette was a little proud of herself, normally in those situations she’d fight back, and 9/10 times she hurt the dude worse than he hurt her, it’s probably why she’s been suspended. twice.

but sarcasm is easier when it comes to robin’s academics. not so much her physical and mental health.

she groaned again, pressing her palms to her eyes in an attempt to push back the tears threatening to spill, it didn’t work so robin hauled herself up and punched the locker.

“OW FUCK ME.”

biking with one or no hands was easy and didn’t even faze robin much, so as she dumped her bike in the wheelers front yard, adding to the pile, she swung her short hair in front of her eyes as best she could, a futile attempt but still an attempt to hide the forming bruise.

the door swung open without anyone touching it, and robin took that as a sign to go in, flopping herself down next to nancy and steve on the couch while the boys argued over a movie, max and el sat in a chair together whispering.

“afternoon nerds.”

a smattering of “hey rob.” “hi.” “afternoon.” came out of the kids, steve reached over to lay his arm over her shoulders, the other around jonathan, both who had their eyes on the boys.

nancy on the other hand, raised her eyebrow and gently brought a hand up tp robin’s face, who tried to redirect it, “nance don’t-”

“oh my god, robin!” her yell alerted everyone else, and steve instantly swung around, “jesus christ, rob-what happened to you-”

“n-nothing!” robin sputtered out, holding her palms up as nancy rushed to the bathroom, steve on her heals before robin held up her hand.

“well come on then!”

her girlfriend pointed at the sink, “sit.”

“nancy, really i’m-”

“robin buckley so help me god do not lie to me right now. you are not fine, and if you say so much as it it will be a bigger lie than mike saying he’s not in love with will. now, for fucks sake. express your goddamn emotions and don’t fucking hide them from me.”

she finishes putting tape on robin’s face and steps between her legs, gently running a hand over the taller girl’s lip, “i love you to much to keep watching you get hurt.”

nancy’s voice was so soft it was nearly a whisper, and it almost broke robin’s heart.

she really did try, she tried to fly under the radar, not get called out by assholes, but people had been pegging her as the weirdest girl in hawkins for years now.

robin knew that every time she showed up somewhere with a new bruise-nancy knew exactly how she’d gotten it.

face=school, arms/legs=biking or other mooter accident, torso=well. torso meant parents.

“i love you too, nance.”

nancy’s lips twitched for a second, “then stop getting yourself all beat up.”

“oh i thought looked hot like this.” robin quips back, earning a light glare from nancy, who sighs.

robin’s stomach twists, and she gently hooks her feet around nancy’s back, pulling her closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around nancy’s back and burying her face in her shoulder/neck.

“i don’t want to lose you just when i’ve got you for the first time you know.”

robin smiles into her girlfriends neck, “your not losing me anytime soon baby.”

“baby?”

“oh please, i’ve heard steve call you way worse.”

“mhm...i like it better from you.”

robin smiles again, “baby it is then.”

nancy’s reply is replaced with a gasp as the taller girl presses her lips to the shorter’s neck, over and over again.

nancy’s back hits the door, and robin feels butterflies so intense in her stomach that she thinks she might explode.

she can’t fathom why someone would ever need drugs when kissing feels like this.

maybe it’s because robin’s kissing nancy fucking wheeler.

and because nancy fucking wheeler kissed her first, right outside her parents bedroom, where her dad was sleeping.

the same dad who would not be ok with it if he found out that not one, but both of his kids swing both ways.

robin’s parents won’t be that happy either, but joyce is.

robin’s practically living with the byers/hoppers at this point-she’s claimed the guest room and when people come over steve takes the floor and nancy curls up next to robin and they talk all night with jonathan.

“i’m ok nancy. really.”

when nancy’s looking up at her with those blue eyes and steady grin saying “you better be.” robin is convinced she’d take another hundred hits to the face for this girl.

“i love you robin, i really really do.”

yep. she really would.

[vilithshaven]

Himbo!God trying to teach Ei how to cook starting simply with boiling an egg. Ei ends up forgetting about the egg and comes running back when she finds Himbo!God turning off the stove to a very burnt boiled egg. Himbo!God try’s cheering her up saying it could still be edible on the inside and they touch it only for it to explode from the heat trapped inside LMAO😭😭😭

Himbo!God teaching Ei how to cook

Archons trying to cook is strangely hilarious. Do they even need food? It's been a long time this she has last cooked that's for sure.

Hope you enjoy~

-Vin

EI

Ei wasn't the biggest fan of cooking really, she much preferred baking a sweat treat instead of sweating over a stove cutting onions.

But she could not resist the beaming smile of her god begging her to cook with them. She had even informed them that she cannot cook that well and they insisted upon teaching her.

Truly...she was weak.

So here they both are in a big kitchen, aprons on and her hair tied back.

Ei was already starting to sweat and the stove wasn't even turned on.

"So! We're going to grab these chicken babies-"

"?!" Ei looked at them, startled by their weird wording.

"and we're going to drop them in the hot water-"

They took the filled pot and set the stove on high to boil the water.

"then afterwards, we enjoy!" They smiled

Ei sighed, it sounded simple enough that even a hillichurl could do it.

As the water boiled, Ei was calming herself down. She was an Archon, she could cook a simple egg, no problem!

Her god grabbed an egg and handed it to her, she gently cupped it in her hands and looked at them.

"You can do it!" They cheered for her.

Ei went up to the now boiling water and gently dropped the egg in, hot water splashed onto the surface making her back up.

"So..how long does this take to boil?" She asked

Her god seemed distracted as they looked out the window.

"Oh! Just a few minutes." They responded, their eyes never leaving whatever has caught their attention.

She walked over to them and saw crystalflies outside, their hypnotizing glow no doubt reeled her god in.

"If you send an electro spark to the crystalflies, do they go boom or do they go brrrz?"

Ei raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms trying to figure out what the difference was between the two sounds.

"I..don't think they sound like either one, your grace."

They pouted and went closer to the window.

"Well let's find out! Maybe they go bing instead!"

They tried climbing over and out the window causing Ei to panic. She quickly grabbed onto their hips and tried to drag them back in despite their protests.

"Your grace! I do not think you should go and touch a crystalfly!" Her voice held worry as she spoke.

Her god stuck their tongue out in response and got out of her arms much to her dismay.

Suddenly they both heard the sound of hot water splashing and the sizzling spilling all over the hot surface. They quickly rushed over and turned the stove off, dumping the water hot water into a nearby sink with the strainer catching the burnt egg.

Ei disappointingly sighed, clearly the egg was overdone and she had failed.

"We can still use it!" Her god spoke and grabbed the egg only for it to explode in their hands making the Archon gasp and grab their hands.

"Your grace!" She grabbed a towel and ran their hands under cold water, her god giggling at her actions.

Ei can't cook, she knows that. But she wouldn't mind doing this again sometime.

[mc-lukanette]

Marinette tried not to be obvious with her annoyance, but it was difficult when she knew that Lila had come to the Liberty specifically to irritate her. It wasn't even her paranoia creeping up, as Lila had made it clear from their first day of face-to-face interaction that she wanted to make Marinette's life miserable. The worst part was that everyone else either believed her or tolerated her, meaning Marinette looked unreasonable no matter what she did to combat it.

She figured she should've known that Luka would be Lila’s next target. The Liberty had always felt like somewhat of a safe haven - funny, considering who owned it - so it had only been a matter of time until Lila had heard enough to decide to show up there.

"Oh, she seemed so curious to actually be on a houseboat! She's only ever been on yachts and stuff before! How could we say 'no'?

Marinette tried to keep her lips shut tight so the gritting of her teeth wasn't seeable to anyone. The best she could do was watch from afar and keep any unkind comments internal while vaguely fantasizing about being Ladybug and dumping Lila in the garbage where she belonged.

Luka, to his credit, didn't seem to take Lila's bait like everyone else. She'd sought him out and he technically listened to her (as she lied about all the music people she knew and all the connections she could give him), but he was mostly occupied with tuning his guitar, only giving her a vague noise every now and then to signal that he was listening.

It was one of Marinette's few joys of the day, which made it twice as infuriating when Lila ruined it.

"Anyway, Luka," Lila added, her voice saccharine and fake, "I really hope you and I can become great friends."

Luka's eyebrow twitched.

"And don't worry, I would never force you. I know there are some people like that, who want to make everything go their way—"

Marinette knew it was a jab at her even though she definitely wasn't that kind of person; from Lila's point of view though, of course she'd think that.

Lila continued, "but I'd never do that to you, okay? I promise!"

For the first time since she'd been talking to him, Luka turned to her, his expression somewhere between neutral and the annoyance he showed at listening to XY's "version" of Kitty Section's music. "Can you please—"

He didn't get to finish that sentence, as Lila suddenly leaned in to kiss him. Luka jerked away the moment it registered with him, but it was already too late; the contact had been made.

All the anger that had been stewing in Marinette's stomach bubbled to the surface. She stormed over, her body language confrontational as she asked, "What do you think you're doing?!"

The outburst had gotten the attention of the other girls. Though they hadn't seen it, what happened was obvious given the way Luka was covering his mouth.

Lila turned to face Marinette, sinking to that vulnerable state she used so much whenever she got caught. "I-I didn't mean to! I meant to kiss his cheek and he turned too quickly."

It was a lie, and Marinette knew it. Lila had intentionally said things to make Luka look at her so she could kiss him, all to irritate Marinette.

"You see..." Lila pressed her palm to her cheek. "I-I thought a cheek kiss would be okay. You don't seem like the type of person who would be close to someone like him, and everyone told me that you do it all the time."

Marinette was fuming at the implication, feeling personally insulted at the idea that she and Luka weren't close.

And they'd told her. Her friends had been gossiping about her to Lila, or at least telling her details, which Marinette herself had definitely not consented to.

She went to toss a glare her friends' way, but they were already rushing forward to assure Lila that everything was okay, with Marinette having to step away or risk getting knocked back with the way they formed around her.

"M-maybe I need to re-learn French customs. I spent so long away from the country and other places have—"

Marinette wasn't listening anymore. She knew how this went and didn't want to be around to see another repeat of it, nor her friends potentially shouting at her. She turned away with a frustrated exhale, speed-stomping away and going up the stairs to head outside.

Passing by the cabin, she went into the greenhouse-esque area with all of the larger plants, plopping down on the long flower-patterned seating with a heavy sigh. She'd fallen right into Lila's trap, again, and couldn't help being angry at the whole situation.

Going after her was one thing, but Luka? And to kiss him like that on top of trying to lure him in with her deceit? Marinette knew deep down that she had a right to be upset at Lila's actions, but the way she reacted to it just ended up making Lila look like the victim instead of Luka. Had she failed him?

She groaned into her clasped hands, imagining that Luka must've thought that she looked like a fool shouting like that. She liked to think that she would've done things differently had she been able to do it again, but she was still angry and honestly just wanted to go off on Lila again.

She didn't move, though briefly considered going home. After all, it'd be pointless going back downstairs, as she'd probably just end up being glared at and blamed for Lila being upset. Luka probably didn't want to see her either after that display anyway.

As if her concerns had summoned him, she suddenly heard his voice call out to her from nearby. "Marinette?"

She stiffened, then lowered her hands enough to peek at him. When none of the negative emotions she expected showed on his face, she lowered them the rest of the way.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

She straightened, jaw slack that's that what he was concerned about. "Am I okay? What about you?!" She gestured wildly to him. "That—that akuma-luring harpy just kissed you!"

She realized what she said and covered her mouth, knowing that it was a much more direct insult than she usually would've gone with. Luka, however, tried to suppress a laugh from it, snorting loudly into his hand.

"I—" He cut himself off, still chuckling too much to speak. After a few seconds, he took a breath to calm down, then gave her a calm smile and continued, "I washed my mouth out, just to make sure."

Marinette tried to keep her negative emotions at the forefront, but then she was trying to suppress her laughter as well. She almost felt bad about it, but the wide grin on Luka's face showed that he'd fully intended for her to have that reaction. He walked over, taking a seat down next to her and leaning forward to maintain eye contact.

He waited until she quieted herself down with a final squeak that he asked again, "Really, are you okay?"

The smile she had on from laughter faded, though her spirits were still much higher than before. "Not really. She—she's always doing that." She glanced at him. "Let me guess, they're catering to her?"

He nodded. "They're planning on having lunch without you since you—" He made a face, clearly displeased. "—'made her so upset.'" He stared out of the glass opposite of them. "I wasn't going to join them."

"You didn't have to do that," she said, though her voice was soft from being touched by the gesture.

He gave her a smile. "I know, but I'd rather have lunch with you than with everyone else and that—" He smirked. "—'harpy.'"

Marinette tried to bite back a smile of her own, but couldn't. Hearing the pure-hearted Luka say an insult so brazenly, even if he was just parroting her own, was too funny not to smile at.

"Thanks~" she said gratefully.

"I should be thanking you," he argued. He leaned back in his seat, but didn't stop looking at her. "For being so upset on my behalf."

She blushed, looking away with both shyness and embarrassment. "I-I was really loud though."

"You play your song for everyone to hear, Marinette. I love that about you."

She blushed deeper, mentally cursing his smoothness. "How are you so okay with this?"

"I'm not," he replied, "not really, but..." He shrugged. "That kiss didn't mean anything to me. It wasn't real."

She looked over at him, frowning. "T-that was your first though, wasn't it?"

His brows rose in surprise, his face telling her everything she needed to know even before he responded. "...Well, yeah."

Now that she'd had it officially confirmed, Marinette bristled. "It's not right!" She huffed and turned to him, throwing her arms out. "Your first kiss is supposed to be special and with someone you really love! It's not supposed to just be stolen from you like that!"

He touched a hand to his chest, clearly touched by her passionate anger. She turned red and forced herself to look away from him, finding it hard to stay angry when he stared at her that way.

"...And I know you were already pretty upset with her, I could see it," she explained, "so it wasn't like I felt like I had to get angry for you, but still. She doesn't care what anyone thinks and I'm mad at her for kissing you like that and I'm mad at me because she only did it to get on my nerves and I know I shouldn't be mad at me because she's just mad that I won't fall for her lies but I'm mad anyway because I still let her rile me up when that's exactly what she wanted." Burying her face in her hands, she whined and added, "I guess I wasn't jealous at least - not in that way anyway - since I'd never want to do anything to you without your permission like she did, but I know she meant for me to get to jealous because I just—"

She cut herself off, the words clogging up her throat and forcing her to swallow them. She raked her fingers through her hair, mentally debating with herself if she really wanted to tell Luka everything.

But of course she did. Not only did he deserve it, but she felt responsible for her feelings and it was her fault that things happened the way they did, even if it was indirect on her part.

"I..." She closed her eyes and sighed, her voice lowering itself to a whisper. Hunching over, she wrung her hands together and admitted quietly, "I wanted to be your first kiss..."

Silence took over the conversation from there, but she understood. She just dropped a bomb on him and couldn't expect him to reply right away, so she let the seconds drag on without any judgment on her part.

Eventually, she heard the sound of Luka sliding himself closer, so close that the side of his hand briefly touched her leg. He inhaled softly like he was about to speak, stopped, then tried again.

"You... you what?"

She steeled herself up, the words only slightly easier to say than before. "I wanted to be your first kiss. I-I'm selfish, and I know that. Everyone knows it, and that's why—"

His hand touched her leg again. She briefly jumped in surprise, then realized moments later that the touch was intentional this time, as he'd fully settled his hand on her leg. Fighting against her nerves, she turned to look at him and saw how relaxed his expression was.

"You can be selfish."

"W-what?"

"It makes me happy. It means that—" He paused, his cheeks tinting pink as he smiled wide. "—you really want me."

It almost sounded like a question the way he said it, his eyes distant only in a way that implied that he's still absorbing what she'd said.

Her chest filled with hope as she squeaked out, "I...I do. Of course I do." Looking down at the hand on her lap, she placed her own onto it and gave it a squeeze. "But..."

The hope twisted and fought with the shame attempting to take its place, memories of the past coming back to haunt her. She averted her gaze fully, staring off at nothing in particular. "I-I can't give you my first kiss." She squeezed his hand tighter, as if that made anything better. "There was this akuma, and I had to... I mean—"

She felt his hand shifting in hers and immediately worried that she'd squeezed it too hard. She loosened her grip, only to feel his hand turn itself around to hold her hand back, pressing their palms together. The motion made her look back and make eye contact with him.

"Then that wasn't real either, was it?" he asked gently. Giving a fond glance down at their joined hands, he added, "This might be more Rose's type of music than mine, but I think the only kisses that have to matter are the ones that you put meaning into playing."

She gaped. It was still registering with her that he was not only okay with her crushing on him, but still returned it. "S-so... it's not any different? You'd let me kiss you anyway?"

"I never thought about first kisses or second kisses, or any verses beyond that," he told her, placing his other hand on top of their joined ones. "I only care about your kisses."

Marinette's cheeks turned crimson, and she nearly burst into happy laughter. She settled for beaming at him, still amazing at how easily he could ease all of her worries and doubts.

"Then... I'll give you all of them."

She shifted, continuing to hold his hand while her other went to his face. He leaned into her touch, making her all the more eager to pull him in. He didn't protest when she did, his hand moving away from their joined ones to grab her shoulder.

They kissed. Marinette was momentarily surprised when Luka's lips seemed to have a hint of wetness to them, only to realize that he'd meant it when he said that he'd washed his mouth out. She giggled mid-kiss, positively delighted to have someone like him, and he responded to the sound with a soft noise of content. She stroked his cheek with her thumb, then slid her hand down to his neck to urge him closer. He did the same with her shoulder, pulling her in and deepening the contact.

It took a few seconds of internal debate for her to convince herself to break the kiss to talk to him, and she enjoyed the slight whine he made as she did so.

"Better than Lila?" she asked, knowing the answer but wanting to hear it regardless.

"Definitely," he replied without hesitation, leaning in to touch his forehead to hers.

She hummed. "Mm, good." She pulled him back in for a smaller, quicker kiss that was no less loving than the last. Full of confidence, she felt it safe to say, "I should always be playing my boyfriend's favorite song."

His reaction was immediate, his eyes sparkling and his smile wide. She blushed red, overwhelmed and half-regretting saying anything. He was just too much.

"What is it?" he asked when she averted her gaze.

"P-please stop smiling like that," she whined.

"I can't," he said. More to himself than her, he added cheerfully, "I'm your boyfriend."

"Luka!"