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unicorncornflakes · 1 year ago

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Dark Desire - Modern AU! | Chapter 13

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Paring: Aemond Targaryen x Niece!Reader

Summary: Aemond doesn't know how he feels every time he sees you. Neither do you when you look at him. Your father Aegon has always been absent from your upbringing ever since he divorced your mother. That role has been filled by Aemond until last summer, when everything changed.

Tags: Alternate Universe – Modern/ Setting Emotional Hurt/ Comfort/ Drama & Romance/ Eventual Smut.

Warnings: This fic includes manipulation, violence, death, and inc3st, at some points. Reader has purple eyes and her mother is from Dayne House, the rest is complete free :D

Tag-List (If you wanna be tagged in thi series or all of my work, let me know): @thedamewithabook @afro-hispwriter @chainsawsangel @thetrueblackheart @atherverybest @itsabby15 @boundlessfantasyjournal @partypoison00 @glame @tempo-rary-fix @tssf-imagines @aaaaaamond @imaloserbby @youngcomputerpuppy @aemondsfavouritebastard @cloudroomblog @queenofshinigamis @bluevxnus @wooya1224 @serving-targaryen-realness @darkenchantress @padfooteyes @mariannnavao @moonlightfoxx @jennifer0305 @ammo23 @iloveallmyboys @tempt-ress @bellameshipper @okfashionista @shelbyteller @dahlias-and-marigolds @the-knights-of-ne @bellaisasleep

Author´s note: Pls, enjoy! Feedback, shares and comments are always welcome! And sorry for the delay theses weeks, I will try to be faster in next chapters.

Acknowledgment: To @ammo23 for the brilliant corrections and the wonderull work as beta reader, for all the patience and the love that always shows for my writing. Thank you so much for all the time that you spend with this. Thank you so much. i really aprreciate it :D

Word Count: 7.4K

“I know you don't want to see me, but could you at least take my call? We need to talk about what happened.' You deleted the message again almost automatically. Cregan had texted you almost every day that week and had called you at least five times. It wasn't like the harassment of a jealous or insistent boyfriend but more like the calls for attention from a man worried about you. You turned off the phone screen while having breakfast with your grandmother and Aemond on that Saturday morning.

You sighed in defeat, and Aemond looked over the top of the newspaper, wanting to know what was wrong with you. Alicent went on to talk about the benefit gala she did every year to raise money for the Faith of the Seven. It would be that night, and it would also coincide with being the first year that you would attend.

It was a gala dinner where the most influential personalities from all over Westeros gathered because Aemond brought them there simply to make his mother happy once a year. It would be your first time attending because you were already of legal age. Before, the agreement your parents had signed prevented any public exposure you might have. They both wanted to protect you from belonging to two of the most influential families in the seven kingdoms, but now it was different.

Aemond insisted that you would have to start participating in the few public events in which he also participated. While your father was making a weekly cover of the gossip magazines, the rest of the Targaryen brothers kept a discreet distance in the background. Understated, but not non-existent, and that was Aemond's idea for you; let the world know that you were a dragon, with the importance and responsibility that it entailed, but that you would not lose yourself in the world of luxury and pleasures in which Aegon seemed to be immersed.

The phone rang one last time, and you picked it up, annoyed. You ran your finger across the screen, ignoring the last notification of what you knew would be the only call Cregan would attempt that day, or so you thought and took a small sip of your coffee. Aemond raised an eyebrow. He knew you were hiding something from him, but making a scene in front of his mother wouldn't help you hide something you thought was too obvious, but no one seemed to notice.

"This year, I have put more desserts on the menu", your grandmother smiled at you, bringing you back to reality. "A very good selection. I know how much you like desserts," she explained sweetly and sympathetically. Your grandmother had always been quite lax with you, removing the prefects of faith, but after your birthday and what had happened, she seemed even sweeter, as if she didn't want to offend you in anything and to please you in everything. From what Aemond had told you, it was quite similar to the attitude she had taken towards him when he lost his eye.

"Thank you, Grandma." You smiled shyly at her, and Aemond smirked. The truth was that you had become even more aware of the strong bond that united Alicent and Aemond, and it seemed that the new status of your nameless relationship with him made things change between you and your grandmother. She wasn't just your grandmother anymore, at least from Aemond's perspective. On the other hand, her gesture touched you, but desserts had ceased to fascinate you since you had turned seven years old. "Who's going to the gala?" you asked curiously, not wanting to show your concern about meeting Cregan there. You couldn't face it, at least not at the time. It wasn't a question of love but because Cregan had been good to you and that, in the end, you had disappeared from his life without a trace. You were ashamed of your behaviour, but you were even more ashamed of the fact that you had changed him so quickly for the one you truly loved.

"Anyone who can afford it," Aemond replied, closing the newspaper. "The 300 kindest people in all of Westeros, but this is according to your grandmother," he chuckled, playing a joke on his mother that she reluctantly scolded, slapping her son on the arm. Alicent didn't know what was wrong with her son, but lately, he seemed happier, more cheerful, more human. Aemond had always been rigid in his convictions and behaviour. However, in recent weeks he had a behaviour similar to being in love. Your grandmother had no idea what this meant, but she was just happy for her son. She believed that he was seeing someone and that sooner or later one of her children, whom she thought would always remain sad, would give her grandchildren. Alicent had no idea how little of this happiness was left for her son, but at that breakfast, she thought that everything would be fine in the life of the most battered of her children.

"They are very important people, of that we can be sure," your grandmother smiled radiantly. She was about to start talking about her project again when your phone vibrated on the table again. Cregan was being really insistent that morning, perhaps because you suspected that he would also be attending this famous event, and he wanted to spare you the embarrassment and discomfort of meeting each other after you had ignored him, if only for your sake and Aemond's. You were beginning to see how jealous he could get over almost anything. He thought he hid it well under hisserious facade, but you were beginning to know the way he clenched his jaw, which seemed to break the teeth and bones that made it up.

"Why don't you take it?" Aemond tried to sound casual but failed in his attempt. You knew that he only demanded to know who it was, who called you so urgently on a Saturday morning. You saw him take a cigarette out of a fresh pack that he just opened at that moment. He brought it to his lips without losing sight of you, but you didn't look at him. You didn't want to talk to him about how Cregan was calling you to fix things. The old wolf was simply saying that he needed to talk to you. You heard the Zippo click and how he took a puff and then quickly blew smoke out of his nose.

"It's nothing important," you told him as you tried to continue eating breakfast. You picked up a piece of fruit and began to peel it in silence under the watchful eye of Aemond, who knew you were lying. However, this time it was not jealousy. It was just a worry that had been on his mind lately more than he wanted to admit: You didn't trust him. Or at least not to tell him everything that happened to you. It seemed as if there was some kind of barrier between you that you had built up in a way of protecting you both. For Aemond, it was beginning to be a concern. Where was all this leading you if you couldn't trust him?

"Good morning", your father appeared just then, stretching and with a tired face as he took his seat next to you at that garden table. At least he had managed to break the tension that had existed up to that moment and of which, as always, your grandmother seemed unaware. Your father ruffled your hair again, and you smiled at him. It was one of those things he should have done when you were little, but at least tried now. That was the only consolation you found. "Don't eat fruit for breakfast. That is only done if you are sick," he joked as he took a Croissant, and you laughed. Aemond looked at the two of you disapprovingly.

"Are you going to go to the gala with that face?" Aemond spoke unlovingly to his older brother, taking another drag, nearly draining the cigarette to the end. Aegon always managed to get under his skin. However, it was his brother. He had to protect him. He should always protect his family.

"It's my usual face," your father replied as he poured himself coffee under Aemond's watchful eye. That one-eyed look that always disapproved of him. His younger brother looked at him disapprovingly, having almost forgotten you at once.

"It's your face from having been partying days in a row", Aemond said as he stubbed out his cigarette, ready to scold Aegon, as always. You had rarely seen it because the three of you had met a few times in time and space together, but you were beginning to realize that it was a bit of a regular occurrence.

"Well, that's the same thing. My usual face." Your father shrugged and dunked the croissant into his coffee, ready to ignore his brother. He winked at you, and at that moment, your phone rang again. Aegon cheekily stared at your phone screen. What neither your grandmother nor Aemond dared to do, your father did shamelessly and was simply angry. "What is Cregan doing calling you?" he asked you, visibly angry. You did not answer, knowing that not telling him would anger Aemond.

"That man doesn't seem to understand endings", your grandmother spoke, worried about you. Everyone fell silent afterwards as the phone rang. Aemond's jaw clenched as if he was going to break it, and your grandmother gave you a worried look. However, it was Aegon who crossed all the lines of your privacy. After all, your father thought that Cregan was ultimately responsible for that anxiety attack that had landed you in the hospital.

"Fuck", your father picked up the phone. You tried to stop him almost desperately, but he simply took the cell phone and picked it up in an aggressive way, grinding his teeth and losing his mind for the simple fact that his puppy was suffering. Aegon was not violent. That attitude involved too much work, and he was not used to work. But, he was just starting to freak out lately under a desire to keep you safe and happy. That was all that mattered to him. He brought the phone to his ear, under the watchful eye of Aemond, who leaned back in his chair to watch the spectacle. “Listen to me well, old wolf. I want you to leave her alone,” you heard Cregan yell on the other end of the line.

"Dad, give me back the phone", you yelled at him as you followed him around the garden after he got up. You didn't want to put on any show. It wasn't your style or your ways, but it was partly your father's. Aegon, at that moment, only cared about you.

"If you don't stop calling her, believe me, there will be consequences, and I think you know very well what kind of consequences there are when you mess with dragons." You saw him sigh heavily as you tried to take his mobile while you chased him through the garden, where he was pacing nervously, trying to avoid you. Hewas going to protect you. He would do it like he hadn't in 17 years.

"Dad, please", you yelled at him again, but then you felt a hand grab you and pull you away from your father. You saw Aemond walk up to his older brother and take the phone away from him while yelling a thousand expletives at Cregan. After all, Aemond was stronger and taller than your father.

"You're an asshole.” your uncle spat on your father. At first, it had been fun to watch. "What the hell are you threatening him for? We can send whoever you want, but don't threaten him, okay? Don't even think of doing it again," he told him as he handed back your mobile. Now he was worried about what could happen. He could send a thousand guys to beat up Cregan, but he couldn't do what your father had done: yell it out in front of everyone through a phone that might be recording. He couldn't afford to be associated with acts of violence like that. Not him, not his family, or they would have problems.

“He said he had to talk to her. I won't have it after what happened,” your father yelled, now turning his anger on Aemond.

"Alright. I don't want him to talk to her either, but let me handle it." Aemond took your father by the arm and whispered in his ear. Aegon just nodded his head, and your uncle's face grew grim. You ran to talk to Aemond. You didn't want anything to happen to Cregan because you knew that nothing that happened to you was his fault. It had only been a determinant, not a cause. However, your grandmother arrived first.

"Don't even think about doing anything. I know you too well. Both of you.” Aegon ran a hand over his face in despair, but Aemond ignored her.

"Hmmm", was all he sighed as he sauntered past you. You had never seen that side of your family, but it was something that scared you. You didn't feel comfortable, and you really began to fear what might happen to Cregan, just as you saw Aemond walk away to make a call that you never knew the content of. Alicent looked worriedly at her son. He had always been protective of you, and that was already too much.

Lya had always liked flashes, cameras and glamour. Those three elements had undoubtedly been determining factors in opting for that stable relationship with your uncle Daeron. The lawyer had remained for a couple of photos with his girlfriend at the entrance to the Hightower Hotel where the gala that took so much effort and time for your grandmother was held, but finally, he had let her enjoy having a little fame for herself.

Since Lya was only known for being the 'girlfriend of…' However, she didn't care. She enjoyed it equally and would enjoy it even more after Daeron proposed to her. It shouldn't have been that long. She had endured the unspeakable among the Targaryens, and at the very least, her reward had to be a proper marriage. Something that would give her a status similar to Alicent's in that family. But, Lya was not Alicent and never would be. Daeron Targaryen's young girlfriend enjoyed the last moment in which the photographers claimed her attention. At that precise moment, Aemond Targaryen and his brother made an appearance, getting out of the main family car. Alicent got out of the car with difficulty, helped by the eldest of her children, and behind her, you appeared.

A red and black velvet gown had been your choice for that night, or rather Aemond's. He held you by the waist as you got out of the car, and in a protective gesture, he took you inside the building, holding you tight, while the attention of the photographers was torn between taking a picture of your figure that your uncle would not let go of or your father with your grandmother, who did stay at the doors of the building to the delight of many photographers.

Aemond wanted you to participate in public life, not expose yourself, and you wouldn't have been comfortable with it either, but that paternal gesture from the man who was now your lover left you cold. What would anyone think of the way he had grabbed you? Well-dressed and in keeping with the moment, he ignored you as he entered the building. Now was the time to save face, though the long, silent look he gave you as you walked away from him said it all. It was the look of a man in love, and Lya could only narrow her eyes at that spectacle. What was between you and Aemond was not normal, and Lya, she could only suspect. Daeron gently took her hand as she entered the building, but the young Stark couldn't get the thought out of her head. She had seen how Aemond held you and looked at you. She did remember what had happened between Daemon and Rhaenyra, and she couldn't ignore that you two seemed too similar. Was the rest of the Targaryens blind?

After all day alone in the family home, you found yourself even more alone at that party. You saw your Aunt Helaena and her husband, Jace, dance together in the crowd. Your father was already missing, and your grandmother was chatting with one of her pious friends. You saw Lya and Daeron equally dance together after dinner, which had been tedious and almost unbearable. To be fair, you hadn't seen Lya since that night at the smallest of the Velaryon's clubs on your father's express orders. But, at that party and after such a long time, her presence continued to bother you. You would never feel comfortable with her again. Not after her friends had aired how she saw you.

You sighed, bored, and Aemond looked at you sideways, sitting next to you at the same table where you had eaten. He smiled when he saw you slip into your seat with your arms crossed. So pretty and, at the same time, so careless. He would have loved to have ushered you into one of the upstairs rooms right then, but he was content to see you like this while one of the main investors continued to discuss numbers and figures with Aemond. Without a doubt, this was a party for everyone. Except for you.

"I'll tell Alys to send you the closing of the quarterly", Aemond commented while that man continued chattering while the face of his wife, also sitting next to him, was quite similar to yours. However, it seemed to activate the moment your uncle spoke the name of his secretary.

"Oh, speaking of Alys, I miss her at this gala", the man's wife commented with a sarcastic giggle as she scanned you up and down. You tensed. You never expected that no one would give you such an accusing and cheeky look like that in that place "... but I see that you have changed it for a younger model, right?" That woman with the pearl necklace and ancient hairstyle lashed out again, and her husband told her reprimanded her while she looked away, embarrassed. Aemond didn't even look at you, now concentrating on glaring at that woman with his one eye, but the damage was already done. A younger model? Is that how they saw you at that party? That was a hard blow to reality. Perhaps you weren't being as discreet as Aemond expected, and you saw Lya look at you and smile as she was now whispering to one of her friends. And you started to feel bad. The world was spinning.

"I have to go to the bathroom," was all you said. You needed to cool off. You needed to get out of there while you felt in an almost paranoid way how everyone was looking at you at that party. What was happening to the world?

"She is my niece. Not a fucking prostitute." Aemond spoke just as you left, and that woman paled while her husband could barely swallow. Now they were in your uncle's crosshairs, and the man knew that he would not deal with dragons again. Much to his regret. All because of his wife's big mouth and her way of pointing out subtleties that weren't as subtle as the great Aemond Targaryen believed and his family of dragons refused to see.

You got your neck and chest slightly wet. Not the face. That would be spoiling the makeup that they had put on you in that very expensive beauty salon that your uncle had paid for. The red lips in the tone that he himself had chosen, you looked overwhelmed. You needed to get out of there. You began to believe in the words that your mother had always said and in her refusal to attend that party.

Also, you were beginning to believe that everyone was looking at you as if everyone suspected what was happening between you and Aemond, but you were discreet, right? Definitely yes. Never a major gesture in public. Never. So much sacrifice. Only, he had taken you by the waist in a protective gesture, and the way he looked at you said much more than any of his gestures.

You sighed slowly as if you were trying to regulate your agitated breathing, your anxiety. You saw yourself in front of that mirror in that lonely bathroom. The focus of attention was on you. You needed to get back to Aemond's side, not worry him and tell him that you wanted to go home. Make love in your room. Normalize what you felt for each other. No more secrets. Shout it out if necessary. But you knew you couldn't. So you were content with wanting to return only to his side. You left the bathroom for it after taking a deep breath and steeling yourself to face that crowded room.

"You look spectacular", you heard a familiar voice just behind you. You turned, and there he was, the man you'd been trying to ignore all week. Cregan has his hands in his pants pockets, dressed in a suit befitting the occasion like everyone else. He smiled sadly at you, and you almost blanched. He was well groomed, yet his eyes showed a lack of sleep. Two large dark circles under his eye sockets were proof that Cregan Stark, the old wolf of Winterfell, had been almost without sleep since he had returned to the capital.

"Thank you," was all you answered, looking away from him but unable to move from the spot. A small part of you told you that you should have taken some of his calls, answered some text, stood there and let him put his arms around you, but you were in love with Aemond.

Cregan was nothing to you anymore if he ever was. Cregan was the right choice. It always would be, but not always, the right choices are the ones we want to make. "I have to go," was all you could think of to say, almost scared to have found him. That simple exchange of words would make Aemond jealous, and this was something you did not want to experience again. Besides, you were also dreading the prospect of talking to Cregan. It scared you in a way you couldn't explain. You'd ignored him, and you'd ignored him because the girl from just a month ago would have seen herself capable of taking on anything, but you weren't that girl anymore. You had lost strength as if you were starting to let Aemond take care of everything. You weren't you anymore, were you? In the end, it all came down to the fact that you had developed an irrational fear of betraying, harming or offending Aemond.

"Wait", Cregan grabbed your bare arm, and that only caused you anxiety. What would Aemond think if he saw you like this, with his body so close to yours? With the northerner claiming you so fiercely? "Please, (Y/N), wait", he whispered to you, looking into your eyes with the sincerity that characterized him. I understand that you don't want to see me. I heard what happened after I left, but we need to talk." His hand loosened its grip on your arm.

"I don't want to talk, Cregan," you told him without taking your eyes off the ground. You were taking too long. You had only told Aemond that you would go to the bathroom and come back. He must have been worried about you, and you were just being hindered by Cregan. "I don't need to talk."

“Everyone needs to talk about what's wrong with them, (Y/N)", he whispered to you and at that moment, his eyes met yours. You wish Aemond was like this. You wish, sometimeAemond would open up so much to you that you could understand what was going on inside his head. You let your guard down, and Cregan smiled. A sincere and sad smile. "What happened… what happened to you and you going to the hospital was terrible."

"It had nothing to do with you", you replied, looking away from him. Cregan cradled your face in his hands, caressing your chin and lips. This was another kind of love, very different from Aemond's, completely different.

"Even if it had nothing to do with me, I feel just as guilty", he whispered, trying to calm you down, trying to protect you. "I know that something has changed, and you don't want to see me again, but... I still like you, and I'm still in love with you, with your smile, with that beautiful way you had to bite your lip when we made love..." he moaned almost desperately for one more minute by your side. Cregan had always been a lovesick man. Yet you had managed to drive him crazy in ways he couldn't understand. The time he had spent in Winterfell without you had been eternal and painful, even more, hurtful when what had happened to you after his departure reached his ears. The old wolf always fixed things and wanted to be there to fix you. "Please, I only ask you for a coffee. You and I. Alone and calm. Without your family, Just you and me. Fix what we can fix…"

"I-I can't", you sighed, defeated because in front of you was a man even more defeated than you. You did not want to be alone with Cregan because you knew that in your heart, it was this affection that you had always needed and would always need. You would have killed for Aemond to have shown half the devotion Cregan had for you, but you knew your uncle was too arrogant for it. You looked Cregan in the eye to say goodbye and to close that chapter once and for all when you heard your father's voice right behind you.

"I told you to leave her alone!" he roared as he grabbed your arm to pull you away from Cregan. You had never seen your father violent, but he scared you at the time, just as his fist met Cregan's jaw and Cregan made a sound of pain. The girl who was with your father and whose presence you only became aware of then shrieked. And then there was only scandal, screams and people. A security guard grabbed your father, who was almost determined to kill Cregan, and Aemond hugged you as he found you in the crowd. That night two rumours began to resonate even louder throughout the King's Landing: Cregan had been to blame for what had happened to you, and your relationship with Aemond was too close.

Daeron sat wearily on the bed. He sighed and looked at the ceiling. At least he had managed to get Cregan not to press charges after a punch from Aegon. That was progress. The old wolf of Winterfell said he understood your father. After all, Cregan Stark was also the father of several girls. Daeron couldn't remember how many, but he was a father after all. Aegon would never know how to handle his emotions when it had to do with you. At least from the perspective of the smallest of dragons.

The youngest of your uncles fell on the bed after loosening his tie and would have let himself sleep there if it weren't for the fact that he had visitors that night. Lya came out of the bedroom bathroom wrapped in the bathrobe that a few months ago she had insisted on leaving at her boyfriend's house. Daeron hated that young Stark left her things at his house. It was almost a way to increase their commitment. A commitment Daeron was less and less sure of. Lya was capricious and spoiled at times as if being his longest-lasting girlfriend gave her permission to always have her own way.

Daeron leaned back on the bed to watch her as she sat at the dresser she'd asked for a few months ago. He had ended up buying it so he wouldn't have to listen to her. Those were the relationships that stuck, right? Give in to not listen to your loved one. Although, he doubted that he was in love with her. What was love? Has he ever felt it? He watched her remove her makeup in silence while she looked at him in the reflection of that mirror. He remembered that vacation in Pentos with the girl he really liked in college. The one whose parents, true descendants of Old Valyria, had rejected Daeron for his 'tainted' blood. After all, Alicent was the only one who didn't come from a place like this. This vague and imprecise concept that made Aemond proud was just a hoax. They were nothing similar. They never would be, and perhaps with that idea, Daeron had started dating Lya. He would never live up to what their last names were supposed to carry.

"You're very quiet." Lya woke him from his musings, and Daeron stared at the ceiling, weary. He needed a vacation away from his family.

"I was thinking that I'm glad your cousin didn't file a complaint with my brother," he lied because he didn't want to tell Lya what was going through his head because he didn't want to talk to her about how he felt that the relationship was going nowhere. Lya laughed cheekily, and Daeron looked at her again, confused. "What are you laughing at?"

"That my cousin would never press charges against Aegon. He still hopes to end up between (Y/N) 's legs." She smiled again in an unpleasant way as she turned around. Her brown eyes locked with Daeron's. "Poor fool. That place is already taken and awarded to another man. Only a fool or those who refuse to see reality would not see it." She shrugged and continued combing her hair.

"Pardon…?" Daeron started to speak, but Lya cut him off with a cocky smile and a know-it-all look.

"Aemond is fucking your niece. Are you going to tell me it's not true?" She challenged him. She challenged him because Daeron had never dared to raise a word higher than another against his girlfriend, because they had never argued, because he had always given in until Aegon made it clear that he did not want to see Lya again for a long time. She had hurt (Y/N) with her words, and it was clear that she was only with him for his money. She challenged him because he had removed her from his life with a few simple words from his older brother. She challenged him because she was hurt by the way he had pushed her away in an affront against you.

"They have always been very close," was all he could think of to say in answer to your farce. He also had the same suspicions, but he would never dare say them out loud. His conversations with Helaena had advised him to do so.

"Like Daemon and Rhaenyra", she sneered again, and Daeron couldn't take it anymore. He got up and did the unthinkable. Lya kept giggling silently, and her boyfriend grabbed her by the neck, pushing her against the wall. She went cold and saw a more dragon-like fury in Daeron's eyes. Daeron was never going to suffer the same embarrassment that happened to his older sister. The thing that had traumatized him to the point of saying enough, that had embarrassed him. It could be happening. He wasn't the one to reveal it, much less Lya.He would never again live with the shame of such a scandal. Because if Daeron had lived in fear of anything in his life, it was the shame he had felt for all those years until people forgot what had happened between his uncle and Rhaenyra. He squeezed Lya's neck again. That gallant knight, the meekest of dragons, was willing to take out his claws so as not to be embarrassed again.

"Don't you dare suggest something like that again," he whispered between his teeth. "Have you understood me?" He shook her again, and Lya just nodded in frightened silence.

For the first time, Daeron had brought out the angry, fucked-up dragon in him, and Lya knew that the one she had taken for a panoli with money would never ask her to marry him again.

He had offered him a cigarette, and Cregan had refused. He had given up smoking when his second wife insisted on it, for his health and for the curtains not to smell of smoke. The northerner had given in. He always gave in when it came to women. A true gentleman. Every woman's dream until they got bored of it. Cregan had never left a single one of his relationships. It had always been the other party who had insisted on leaving him. He believed that things could have been fixed by talking. He was old school. And with you, he thought exactly the same, but it was clear that your paternal family would never let him get close to you again.

"Just give me a number, and I'll pay you." Aemond Targaryen, CEO of Targaryen Industries, was in front of him. The dragon was indeed smoking. Leaning back in his large leather chair, as he stared at Cregan Stark with his one eye. He had invited him into her office that morning, just after Aegon had given him a black eye, to 'talk business'. Cregan had come with the hope that these businesses would address your situation, but he found that Aemond simply wanted to buy him the project that a month ago had seemed ridiculous to him.

Cregan wasn't stupid. He knew that this was a subtle and veiled form of blackmail. If he sold his project for an exorbitant amount of money, he was selling his silence at the same time. A nice and elegant way to mask everything that had happened at the gala the night before. It was a clear subtext that Aemond Targaryen wanted to offer him: 'I bought your project in exchange for not denouncing my brother and, in exchange for your silence for any statement you could make'. That was what dragons always tried to do. To master absolutely everything. The northerner scribbled an absurdly high figure on a piece of paper and offered it to Aemond silently. He didn't want to be there. Your uncle accepted that. Aemond just looked at the paper without showing a single reaction and picked up the phone in his office. Cregan watched in disbelief as he asked Alys to set up a transfer for the amount the old wolf had put on that piece of paper.

"If that was all." Cregan started to rise from his seat when Aemond waved him back to sit down. The northerner obeyed in silence but only lifted his chin in a haughty gesture. He knew that now the topic of conversation was going to be you. Your uncle thought that he had bought Cregan with such a sum of money, perhaps he had, but he wanted to make sure that everything would return to normal after such a monetary exchange.

Aemond fell silent, a warning. "I don't want you to see her again" he was direct in his request, much less violent than his older brother, but just as threatening and possessive of you. "Don't even try to talk to her. I want you to disappear from her life."

"I suppose that this request is included in such an amount of money", Cregan replied in a bad manner. The northern challenged him. Anyone else would have nodded and gone bowing to the King of King's Landing. But Cregan Stark didn't care. Never again would dragons intimidate him.

"All men have a price, and you have written it on a piece of paper," Aemond replied. He leaned back on his desk and offered Cregan up again. "I'm going to be magnanimous, I can offer you twice as much, but it's best that you never go near her again. I'm not going to be so nice if you do it again," he smiled. One of the corners of his lips turned up. A sneer and menace crossed Aemond's face.

"You don't scare me." Cregan would never understand what was going through Aemond's head with you. He didn't think it was a healthy relationship or even logical, and yet your uncle didn't seem to want you to be happy in the eyes of others. Aemond was used to doing and undoing everything. You were not an exception.

"I know, but I think you should think about those around you" Aemond smiled again, almost laughing at Cregan. “Your eldest son Rickon is starting college at Dreadfort College this year. The streets there are dangerous, but I think that's something you already know about.” Aemond began speaking in a confident tone.

"Look…" Cregan was also planning to counterattack, but surely your uncle was much more versed in threatening than Cregan. Aemond had always grown to own everything, and he was going to prove it to the northerner.

"And I know that the kindergarten where you take the smallest of your offspring is extremely elitist, but it is not free of dangers, Cregan." He smiled again. "By the way, you should keep a closer eye on your twin daughters' nights out. It would be a shame if something happened to them in one of the clubs they frequent. You have ten children, I can go on, but I think you are already catching on to how all this is going."

Of course, he was getting it. For Cregan, the main thing was his children. Aemond Targaryen reminded him right in that conversation that Cregan might not be scared of what happened to him, but he was scared of what could happen to his children. Cregan just got up. Willing to go, he wouldn't bother you again because he knew Aemond was capable of anything. He was a dangerous man and always would be, but he turned away. Ready to challenge him one last time, trying to appeal to his conscience. "You're never going to make her happy..."

"She is happy; with me, she is happy. And always will be," your uncle spoke for the last time to the northerner without looking at him. His gloomy face against the light of the enormous window of his office. And at that precise moment, Cregan understood what was wrong with you. He would never say anything. It was just another form of dominance, but he was repulsed at imagining the very thing your uncle had confessed was going on between you. Those who do not remember their history are doomed to repeat it, and it seemed that Aemond Targaryen did not remember the same thing that had happened to his uncle.

"It is quite expensive, but it is a good project", Alys woke Aemond from his thoughts. He was looking out the window of his office. It was almost dark. However, he did not want to go home. He didn't want to look you in the eye right now and think about how he had threatened Cregan so he wouldn't see you again. It wasn't something he was proud of. He wasn't proud of any of the actions he'd taken to keep you by his side. He would never be. But he needed to be with you. That was all he needed. He knew it. He needed you by his side. His. Even if you were to go to Sunspear, you would still be his. He would take care of it. “It will triumph in the congress next week. I've already booked our rooms and…” Alys started blathering on about dates and meetings. She pretended that everything was fine between them for the good of the company, for her benefits within it, but Aemond was about to blow up that feigned peace for your good, for your uncle's idea of what was your good.

“(Y/N) and I are going to the congress. Us two alone. Nobody else. You will stay here and run my schedule. I know you know how to do it. You don't need to come.” Aemond gave a firm order, and Alys's world came crashing down.

No one had the right to remove her from her post, not after working so long at that company. She was almost as important a figure as Aemond. She…she had always given her all for Targaryen Industries. She had betrayed Daemon for the good of the company, for his command to pass into the hands of someone more just but, Aemond was becoming his own uncle by leaps and bounds, and Alys was going to suffer the consequences of it.

"You are kidding, right?" It was all she answered as she felt her legs give way. No. This couldn't be happening. Alys could be many things, but she was a hard worker. The Sunspear Conference was her favourite time of the year. The time to shine, the time to be more than just a secretary. Everyone was talking about her effectiveness at that congress. She hadn't missed it once in the last 30 years. She had even attended more than Aemond had. She was the visible face of Targaryen Industries at that congress, and everything was going to change because of you. It was inadmissible.

“I want you to book the suite in any of the luxury hotels. I don't care where it is. Another smaller room next door. We can't raise suspicions.” Aemond followed his idea, ignoring each and every one of the astonished grimaces that were drawn on Alys' face.

"Aemond, I have to go," she yelled at him, almost desperate. She couldn't let anyone put out her light. She had given everything for the company. She was the one who had placed Aemond in his position. Her mind, her intelligence could not give any more. Her life was that company and nothing more. She hadn't sacrificed so much to be now placed in her simple secretary position. She didn't care that Aemond hadn't taken her to the charity dinner. She didn't care, but not when this was so extremely important.

"Alys, I think you are forgetting your place in this company. Am I going to have to remind you?" Aemond's jaw set, and Alys turned, determined to leave. Aemond Targaryen was ungrateful and didn't know who he was messing with. No doubt he was biting off more than he could chew.

An old but elegant clock marked midnight in that house in the Summer Islands. Subtle, muted cream curtains swayed in the breeze, and light from a pool in the garden shed some light on the quiet room. Old volumes of the history of Ancient Valyria between modern detective novels and political books. Daemon Targaryen had always been a man of eclectic tastes, but what he enjoyed most was a glass of whiskey and a good book.

That rather comfortable and elegant house seemed to sleep. An old photo of Daemon and Rhaenyra sat on a high teakwood mantel on which Dark Sister also rested, an old family heirloom. Proof that the Targaryens had always been into weaponry. When Daemon left his beloved company, that sword and that photo were the only things that had accompanied him to his sad exile from the rest of the mortals. His had almost seemed the most unforgivable of sins. Sitting in the darkness of his living room, an ageing Daemon thought about everything that had destroyed him and led to this situation. Aemond had never deprived him of any luxury. That was true. He had assigned him a lifetime salary, which Daemon enjoyed and squandered in his elegant home on the Summer Isles. He was still drinking a bottle of whiskey a week and fucking a different woman almost every night, but he was missing something. He was missing his beloved Rhaenyra.

Although his nephew thought himself very cunning, Daemon knew who had leaked the information. The only problem was that it seemed impossible to hit back at a man who had shielded his private life almost masterfully. Daemon wondered if his one-eyed nephew ever enjoyed life. But, that night, while reflecting on it as, almost every night, the phone rang, and Daemon Targaryen received the most important call of his life. Someone had betrayed Aemond Targaryen, and you were going to be one of the collateral victims of the revenge that Daemon was certain to execute on Aemond.

#aemond targaryen x you #aemond x y/n #aemond smut #aemond targaryen smut #aemond targaryen modern au #aemond modern au #aemond targaryen x y/n #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x fem!reader #aemond targaryen imagine

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shyvioletcat · 1 year ago

Text

ROWAELIN MONTH: DAY 27

~ Person A is touch starved but doesn't know how to reach out to Person B ~

Well. A few notes before we can continue. This includes a little bit of a time jump, I might go and fill in some gaps but I think it passes. Also, we took a hard right into Smutsville. Lastly, the last bit seems a little iffy but my tired brain can't look at it anymore but I think I got there in the end. Thanks so much for reading, I love how much you guys are loving this au.

CW: smut, swearing, secondhand embarrassment

The Sweetest Promise Masterlist

~~~~~

They had spent the day together. Forest Fae has held another event and although Aelin’s presence wasn’t mandatory for this one, Rowan had asked her to come anyway just because he wanted company. Yes, he’d received a massive figurative thumbs up from his boss for taking the initiative this time. But it was more than that. It was becoming clear to Rowan the more time he spent with Aelin through their arrangement, the more time he wanted to.

It had been nearly four months since that first panicked, desperate night and since then they’d seen each other every week. They had started with an official weekly date, and then once that initial awkwardness was over Rowan had very casually asked if Aelin wanted to go out here and there. She had said yes, and he added money to her account accordingly. So it was once a week minimum, more if he played his cards right, but Aelin always seemed up for whatever he was offering. Even though he was her Sugar Daddy, Rowan could comfortably say they were friends now as well, all thanks to Aelin’s undeterred determination. It had been a pleasure getting to know her and being forcibly dragged back into a state of sociability. He was stubborn and he wouldn’t openly admit to it, but it had been good for him. And so had Aelin.

She didn’t put up with his brooding or old man grumpiness, as she liked to call it. Aelin would find a way to draw him out in a way that Rowan would barely notice what she was doing. A playful argument would start up or she’d find some obscure topic of conversation that would have him laughing. Rowan was again starting to see that there was a world outside his office, and it was worth living in.

Today’s event was a small expo held for investors and promotional influencers. The powers to be had invited Rowan so that he could see every facet of the company and to get his advice later on some legal matters. If Aelin hadn't come he would have spent most of his day bored out of his mind as he watched adults and children inspect the toys on offer. Instead he had Aelin participating in demonstrations or playing with the toys, making conversation and jokes which made the day not just bearable, but enjoyable. All day she had walked through the expo with something Rowan could closely describe as childlike wonder. Despite everything on display, he hasn’t been able to look away from her.

Now they were back at his place, curled up on the couch. Rowan was watching TV and Aelin was reading some article for her thesis. It wasn’t the first time she’d been here, Rowan had asked her over a few times just to hang out when he had some work to do and couldn’t be bothered to go out. It was all under the guise of their arrangement, but it was just loneliness striking again. Aelin didn’t seem to mind though, she admitted that she’d been struggling to get out herself and the change of scenery was nice. The dinner he ordered in was also an added bonus, just slightly above the pleasure of his company according to her.

Aelin’s head was resting on his thigh and she had an arm stretched up, leaning on his, as her hand twisted idle patterns in the air. She would think nothing of the way she was touching him. She’d been doing it all day, just small casual touches that just seemed to be part of her nature. Aelin would hold his hand to lead him somewhere or grab his arm when she saw something that excited her. Rowan had come to realise that Aelin was very much a physical person. What she didn’t know, that given the right circumstances so was he. He hadn’t shied away from her today, or any other day, and had even started to reciprocate. Their first evening together they’d been nearly inseparable to sell the piece. Touching was becoming a casual and comfortable exchange. Sometimes it was only the brush of a hand or their shoulders bumping. Each time it gave Rowan just that little bit of a thrill, which was more than slightly embarrassing. He looked forward to the physical closeness Aelin’s company came with. Because the sad truth of it was that he was touch starved.

He hadn’t had a serious relationship in years, and flings were few and far between. It had been at least 11 months since he’d fucked someone. Rowan’s dedication to his work just didn’t allow him the time to invest the effort that it would take for him to pursue someone. Relationships were tedious, it was probably why he was holding on so tight to this no strings attached arrangement with Aelin. But it certainly left him… lacking in some regards.

There was a groan from Aelin, breaking Rowan out of his humiliating thoughts. She’d dropped the pages she was reading on her chest and used her now free hand to flick out her hair that evidently got caught somewhere. It made her golden hair fan out across Rowan’s lap and hands, and before he knew what was happening his fingers were playing in the ends of it. It was so soft and silky, he had no idea how Aelin got it to feel like this. When his brain finally caught up with him he dropped the strands, berating himself for presuming he could do such a thing.

“I don’t mind,” Aelin said, not looking away from the paper she had picked back up. “I like my hair being played with.”

“Yeah?” Rowan questioned lamely.

The corner of Aelin’s mouth twitched up in amusement over his awkwardness. “Yeah.”

Tentatively Rowan started up again, just flicking through the ends, but then he got braver. He twirled a lock around his finger, watching as the light caught the subtle tones in the gold. Next he carved out a section, split it into three and wove it into a simple braid. To his surprise the arm that Aelin rested against him twisted and he felt the tips of her fingers run through his hair. It nearly made him jump, and he definitely stiffened which he hoped Aelin didn’t notice. Of course, nothing got past her and she did.

Aelin looked up at him, one eyebrow raised. “You don’t like it?”

“I do,” Rowan said quickly. “Just… unexpected.”

“So, I can keep going?” Aelin asked and he just nodded.

For a while they played with each other’s hair, and Rowan turned his attention back to the TV. He just twirled the same lock round and round, finding the repetition calming. Then Aelin stopped playing with his hair and the article she had been reading was unceremoniously tossed on the floor. Before Rowan could even question what Ashe was doing Aelin had reached her arms above her head, back arching as she stretched.

She was halfway across his lap now and it was hard not to watch. Aelin was wearing a sundress with the neckline cut in a deep V. During the expo she was wearing a light sweater over the top but his apartment had been warm enough that she’d discarded it. With the thinness of the straps it was quickly apparent Aelin wasn’t wearing a bra. And now draped across his lap it was a fact impossible to ignore.

The cut of the dress showed the curves of the breasts, low and deep. As Aelin twisted a just a little, the dress shifted, revealing more, pulling across her chest and—

Rowan snapped his eyes shut. Aelin was in danger of a serious wardrobe malfunction and he’d already witnessed too much. It was making things difficult for him—there was a lot of blood rushing south and he was half hard. He tried to block all the images he’d just seen and then Aelin went and put the final nail in his despicable coffin. He felt her shudder, and then she moaned. The only way he could describe it was pornographic.

He was in serious trouble now.

Aelin settled back on the couch and Rowan deemed it safe to open his eyes. He had a situation going on and he wanted to make sure it was taken care of before Aelin noticed. Rowan was cursing himself for deciding to change into something more comfortable because his sweatpants were hiding absolutely nothing. He felt like a teenager, but this was even more embarrassing because he’d done nothing but play with her hair. The first real luck of his day struck because there was a pillow tucked right next to him. He yanked it out from between his thigh and the couch and nearly jammed it into his lap.

Then that luck flipped on him again as the pillow bounced on the top of Aelin’s head, drawing her attention. “You right?”

Rowan was sure his cheeks were flaming. “Ah, thought this would be more comfortable than my thigh.”

“Thanks,” Aelin said, shifting up a little so that she could lay her head on the pillow properly.

All that did was move her further into his lap and presented Rowan with a conflict of where to put his arm. He could drape it along the back of the couch but with the furniture flush against the wall there wasn’t really that much room. And there was even less room between their bodies and the cushions. The only valid and comfortable option was draping it over Aelin.

Rowan very stiffly rested his arm on Aelin’s waist, deeming that the safest spot. He also made a point of not looking at her once his arm was situated. From this angle Aelin’s cleavage looked fantastic and neither that sight or thought was helping the hard-on the pillow was covering. It seemed Aelin didn’t mind the position of his arm in the slightest, in fact she went as far as to rest her arm on top of his. Rowan tried to focus on the TV as a distraction and he might have succeeded if she didn’t start running her fingers over his skin, the tickling sensation making him break out in goosebumps. Her hand went back and forth, soothing but at the same time almost tantalising. It was doing nothing to calm the hardness of his cock, the only thing that would help him in that regard was if Aelin moved to the other end of the couch and didn’t touch, speak or look at him for 10 minutes straight.

Then out of nowhere Aelin dragged her nails down the length of her arm, the surprise of it so sudden Rowan couldn’t help his reaction. His whole body shuddered, his hips jerking up just enough to jostle the woman in his lap. There was no way in every hell that ever existed that Aelin hadn’t noticed his response this time.

Rowan stared at the screen in front of him so intently he’s eyes were stinging. Holy gods, this was embarrassing. He hadn’t had sex in months, and this combination of being touch starved and horny was fatal.

“Rowan.” He could hear the godsdamned smile in Aelin’s voice.

“Yes,” he managed to get out, still refusing to look at her.

“Are you okay?”

He had to look down, not doing so would be rude and highly suspicious. “Fine.”

Aelin sat up, her stunning eyes giving him a once over. “You just seem a little stiff.”

Rowan tensed, praying she hadn’t meant the pun.

“Do you mind if I take this pillow?” She asked a little too innocently.

As Aelin reached for the pillow that was his lifeline Rowan’s hand smacked right on top of it, hard enough it made him groan. Despite obvious and ongoing hardships she laughed at him.

“Do you have a boner right now?” Each word tilted with her laughter.

“Maybe,” was all Rowan could admit to.

Aelin giggled, and even that was turning him on now his blood was heated. All Rowan wanted to do right now was die.

When she could, Aelin cleared her throat to try a calm banish her amusement. “When you went out with your parents you mentioned that it had been a while. How long are we talking?”

In the name of friendship and to hopefully end his misery Rowan answered. “Nearly a year.”

Aelin at out a low whistle. “That’s impressive, but I’m looking at over a year.”

The answer surprised him enough that he was ready to make eye contact. “No way.”

“Haven’t quite had the time to pursue anything, and college boys are idiots,” Aelin said.

Having been a college boy himself, Rowan was inclined to agree.

“Like, I’m not talking going that long without an orgasm of course,” Aelin said, and Rowan nearly choked at the conversation shift. “But in the end it just becomes an itch to scratch, you know what I mean?”

The pause was long enough that Rowan realised that Aelin was waiting for an answer, and given her candidness he might as well answer honestly. “Yeah I do.”

“It’s just not the same,” Aelin said forlornly.

It wasn’t. Rowan had been stuck with his hand and fantasies long enough that he acutely understood everything Aelin was saying.

Aelin was smiling again and Rowan braced himself. “Just a few touches and you’re resorting to a pillow. You must be desperate.”

“You could say that,” Rowan said.

“You might even say you’re feeling a little touch starved.” As Aelin spoke she reached out and ran a finger from the corner of his jaw and down his neck. It took immense amounts of self control, but Rowan managed to suppress his shiver.

“Now you’re just teasing,” he deflected, not wanting to admit to the obvious.

“We’re friends, right?”

Aelin hadn’t taken her hand off from where it rested on his shoulder, and Rowan chose that path to follow as he looked up to her face. “We are.”

“I mean… it’s obvious you find me attractive.” There was a pointed look down at his crotch. “We could scratch that itch together.”

That was one offer Rowan was not expecting to get and he couldn’t find the words for a solid thirty seconds and even then it wasn’t much. “Um, what?”

“Do you want to have sex with me?” Aelin asked directly. “You’re in quite the predicament and I am very willing to help. Because I find you very attractive too.”

There it was, laid out plain and simple. And that little compliment at the end was just the icing on the cake. There was mutual attraction between them, and they were both consenting adults. What was stopping them if they were both willing?

“Just an itch to scratch?” Rowan reiterated.

This time when Aelin reached for the pillow Rowan didn’t stop her. “I’ve been wanting to scratch it for so long.”

The pillow was gone and then Aelin was throwing a leg over his thighs. Her hands were on his shoulder, bracing her above him. Rowan shifted a little to accommodate, the nearness of Aelin already so intoxicating.

“If you’re sure,” Rowan said, looking for any signs of hesitation.

There was none, and Aelin just gave him a coy grin. “I’m sure.”

She dropped into his lap, making Rowan groan at the friction. Aelin gasped as she rolled her hips up the length of him. Once they both recovered from that first contact they looked at each other, the air tight with tension. They could still back out, things hadn’t gone too far. By the gods, Rowan didn’t want to, but one word from Aelin and he’d stop.

Then Aelin banished every thought of that when she crashed her lips with his.

Rowan responded immediately, the kiss becoming hungry and impatient in a heartbeat. His hands went to Aelin’s waist, helping her grind on him. He could feel the heat of her and it was enough for him to throw caution to the wind. Rowan’s hands slid up Aelin’s back, urging her down harder and closer, letting him kiss down her neck. Aelin moaned into his ear, making his cock twitch and drawing another sinful sound from her lips. Then his hands were in her hair, angling her head to just the way he liked. She liked it too, the pace of her hips quickened. Rowan needed to feel her, his hands left her hair and gripped her waist, then travelled upwards. When he cupped one of her breasts in his hands Aelin whimpered, the sound getting lost in the kiss. Then he teased her through the layers of the dress, his thumb pressing down as it dragged over the tight peak he could only just feel. That was Aelin’s undoing.

“Pants, now,” Aelin outright commanded and Rowan was all too eager to obey.

She shuffled back so that Rowan could tug his pants and underwear down enough to free him. Aelin’s gaze dropped to his cock, boosting his ego as her eyes widened. But she didn’t say anything, only stroked him lightly with the tips of her fingers before her hand drifted under the skirt of her dress. Rowan had a fair idea of what she was doing, and that was confirmed when she moved right over him, lowering herself enough that the head of him nudged at her bare entrance.

Rowan moved his hands so that he could position her just right, but Aelin stopped him with a hand on his chest. “Mm-mmm, I’m calling the shots today.”

The words sunk in and Rowan's mind just about short circuited. Aelin’s dominance was unexpected, but he was into it. He was more than willing to hand over control to her, he’d give her anything if it meant he could feel her wrapped around him. Aelin shifted her hips and Rowan stayed completely still. She had the audacity to wink at him before she sunk onto him, all of him.

Rowan's head fell back at the feeling, thudding against the wall. But that small hurt was nothing compared to the feeling of Aelin’s tight heat enveloping him. She felt amazing—perfect. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to last.

“Gods, Rowan,” Aelin groaned, making him open his eyes.

Her chest was heaving and her cheeks were flushed, and Rowan wanted to kiss her again. But something in her eyes told him to wait, and Rowan thanked the gods he did.

Aelin shrugged one thin strap off her shoulder, pulling it past her elbow, and did the same with the other. Rowan’s gaze dropped, his eyes taking in the expanse of skin that had been teasing him earlier. Her dusty pink nipples were taut, and the way Aelin arched towards him was the perfect invitation. Rowan ran a knuckle of the peak of her left breast and his mouth descended on the other.

He sucked and flicked his tongue over her nipple, and that had Aelin’s hands diving into his hair—keeping him right where he was. Not that Rowan wanted to go anywhere, not when his ministrations made her hips grind on him like that.

Rowan kissed his way up to the swell of Aelin’s cleavage, cupping both breasts and catching her peaks between his thumbs and forefingers. It had Aelin gasping and riding him with abandon. He could feel pressure building at the base of his spine, his release cresting. It was too soon, he didn’t want this to be over so soon.

“Wait, Aelin. Slow down,” Rowan panted, hands regretfully slipping away from her chest.

Aelin did as he’d requested, her breathing heavy. But then she was grinning at him. “That long, huh?”

Rowan blushed furiously.

“Don’t worry,” Aelin said, cupping one of his burning cheeks. “I won’t last long either. Not when you feel this good.”

Aelin rolled her hips slowly, setting a lazy pace. It was the best kind of torture, it was enough to have his blood simmering but left him begging for more.

“Hands on my thighs, Rowan,” Aelin said. “And don’t you dare move them.”

He did as she said, sliding his hands from her knees and up under the dress that was fanned out over his lap. Once his hands were where she commanded she began moving just a little faster. Rowan hated that he couldn’t see everything, couldn’t see where he and Aelin were joined. And yet somehow, in these circumstances not seeing might have been just as hot.

Aelin moaned, causing a sudden jerk of his hips. “Good boy.”

Rowan tried not to laugh but he couldn’t help it.

“I played into it too much, didn’t I?” Aelin said through her own giggle.

“Maybe just a little,” Rowan admitted, leaning in to kiss her.

That was enough to get the fires burning again after the awkward interlude. Aelin’s tongue pushed into his mouth, then she nipped at his lips. It made Rowan thrust his hips, making Aelin moan deep from her throat. Then she broke the kiss and Rowan fucked up into her again, and that had her throwing her head back, her long hair tickling his thighs.

“You’re certainly not a boy, are you?” Aelin said, recovering enough that she could look at him. “A boy couldn’t make me feel like this.”

Rowan’s cock twitched at the praise. He was usually the one using dirty talk to his advantage, having the woman in his bed writhing and begging for more. This shook things up and Rowan was quickly becoming a major fan.

“You feel so good, Rowan,” Aelin gasped. “Filling me so well.”

He wanted to move his hands, and Aelin knew it. To stop them from wandering he had to grip her thighs harder. Aelin moaned his name again and it had his balls tightening. He wouldn’t last much longer.

Then Aelin smiled and echoed his thoughts. “You’re doing so well, just a little longer.”

Rowan was gone, this woman was unravelling him faster than anyone he’d been with before. Or it could just be because he hadn’t had sex in so long. But he had a sneaking suspicion it was the former. It was hard to deny when a woman this beautiful was in his lap, lips swollen from kissing, hair a mess from his fingers, tits bouncing with every well timed thrust.

“Aelin, I’m gonna—“ Rowan went to lift her off his lap so he wouldn’t come inside her.

Her hand slammed onto the wall beside his head. It braced her enough that it kept her in his lap, had her grinding down on his swollen cock.

“I’ve got you right where I need you,” Aelin told him.

“Aelin,” he ground out, the world around him was getting a little hazy but her voice cut through it all.

“I want you to,” her voice was husky and dragged over his skin. “I want you to come, Rowan. I need it.”

It was the plea in Aelin's voice that broke him, release rushing through him. She was right there with him as her inner walls tightened around him, intensifying every sensation. It was bliss—Rowan never wanted it to end.

When it did and Rowan’s mind cleared he found Aelin slumped against his chest with his arms wrapped around her. For a while they just sat there together, catching their breath and just basking in that post sex glow.

Aelin spoke first, still sounding a little breathless. “Itch sufficiently scratched.”

That made Rowan laugh. “You could say that.”

Sighing Aelin sat up. “Um, yeah so don’t worry. I’m on the pill. We probably should have covered that earlier.”

The change in subject was somewhat sobering. “All good, I trusted you.”

Rowan reached over and grabbed a handful of tissues from the box on the small side table. They didn’t talk as they cleaned up and Aelin ducked off to the bathroom. The solitude gave Rowan a moment to process what had happened. This was certainly a huge jump from a friend Rowan paid to someone who—gods he didn’t know what to call it.

Aelin was… his sugar baby when you boiled it right down. Yes, they’d become friends of a sort. But had he gone and ruined it by giving in to Aelin’s suggestion? Had she done it out of some warped obligation? He had clearly asked if she was sure and she’d consented, but their arrangement was skewing the way he looked at it. There was something else, something he had been trying very hard to ignore and discredit, but he supposed he could thank the post orgasm clarity for the oncoming admission.

The attraction Rowan had towards Aelin went beyond the physical. Over the past few weeks it had been sneaking up on him when he realised how much he looked forward to seeing her and how quickly he checked his phone when a message from her came in. It was becoming apparent to him that he liked Aelin. Liked her in the kind of way that he wanted to ask her on a real date.

But… she needed his money. And there was zero guarantee she felt the same. If Rowan messed this up, gods knew who Aelin might end up with if she went and got herself another sugar daddy. Would she find herself in a similar situation that they had just found themselves in?

Rowan hated the thought, just the hint of it had bitter jealousy turning his gut. More than once she said she’d been very lucky to end up with him, her friend had apparently shared some horror stories. With him Aelin had security and safety. Why should he ruin that for her?

Footsteps announced her re-entrance to the room, dressed and looking far more put together than she had moments ago. “I don’t mean to fuck and run, but my supervisor wants a draft of my next argument point and I left my textbook back at my apartment.”

“Sounds riveting,” Rowan said, withholding his cringe at his lame response.

“It’s not, it’s a boring part and I’ve been procrastinating,” Aelin said. “So… see you next week?”

“Of course,” Rowan said with a smile.

Aelin nodded and gathered up her things. “Don’t get up, I’ll see myself out.” She was about to disappear into his entryway when she stopped. “And Rowan, thanks for the ride.”

The salacious wink Aelin gave him had Rowan laughing, how like her to smooth out an awkward situation. It was a skill Rowan didn’t possess and had to admire. He had to be honest with himself. If he were to even contemplate taking this further it might just get so awkward and uncomfortable there would be no recovery. Rowan decided that things were best left as they were, there was no reason to ruin what they had for what could turn out to just be a fleeting crush because Aelin was the first person to pay him any attention in gods knew how long. She’d described it as an itch to be scratched and they could leave it at just that. Complicating their relationship wouldn’t be worth anyone’s time.

~~~~~

Aelin managed to keep her freak out under control until she got inside her apartment. Very literally, just inside. She closed her front door with her back and just stayed leaning there, a hand over her mouth. What in Mala’s name has they done?

What had started as teasing had ended with Rowan’s dick buried so deep inside her she’d been ready to scream. She might of actually, her memory got a bit hazy in the middle there. Seeing him so riled up had flicked a switch in her brain and she had wanted him. It was clear the man needed to be touched, and he’d been so responsive to all those casual innocent caresses. The poor guy, she’d made him reach his breaking point.

The attraction between them was undeniable and if they were two consenting adults, why shouldn’t they have a bit of fun on the side? They were a walking cliche for Sugar and Sugar Baby arrangement after what they’d just done. But gods had it felt good.

That led Aelin to yet another conundrum. The issue of payment. Aelin had it written into her contract that if the date included sex there was a higher charge, all she had to do was tap one button and Rowan would get the bill. But did that mean the sex had to be prearranged? Did a spur of the moment ride on his expensive couch count? This was complicated and Aelin just needed to think.

She wandered off to her bedroom, rifling through her drawers for clothes to put on after her shower. They were friends, but they were also in a business arrangement. How awkward would it be if she sent through the sex charge? Rowan was her friend, she liked spending time with him, but this all started because he had hired her. They’d signed contracts and come to arrangements that suited them both. The fact they had ended up as friends in the end was an added bonus. Aelin stood there for a moment, clothes bundled in her hands. It shouldn’t be awkward. As a lawyer, there was no doubt in her mind that Rowan had each and every clause of the contract. He would have seen the details about the extra charges. For all Aelin knew was expecting it.

The sex was great, Aelin had enjoyed it. She hadn’t done it for the money but… money was always good. The more she thought about it the fewer reasons she was finding not to honour the extra charge. Aelin threw her clothes on the bed and pulled her phone out from the pocket of her dress. She opened Sweet As Sugar and sent through the payment request before she could think better of it.

There, it was done. Nothing to do about it now.

Her phone was exchanged for her clothes and she headed to her bathroom. Aelin couldn’t stop thinking about it—the way Rowan had felt inside her, the sounds he made, the touch of his hands on her body. For the first time after coming out of her dry spell it had been amazing. Fantastic. Spectacular. She could list adjectives all day and it still would aptly describe how fucking Rowan had felt. The itch was scratched, and then some.

And Aelin thought this might be an itch she wouldn’t mind scratching again.

~~~~~ well, that's where we're at. I had so much fun embarrassing the absolute hell out of Rowan

@rowaelinscourt

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invinciblerodent · 1 year ago

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I have been thinking fucking incessantly about this one Todd May quote ever since that scene meeting Mystra:

"Why, for the Immortals, are all undertakings in vain? Given an infinite amount of time for existence, everything will happen of its own accord. There is nothing an immortal being cannot eventually do; and, in fact, nothing he or she will not eventually do."

This is from his book "Death", from the chapter "Death and immortality", about... well, immortality, and the morals of it, as contrasted with its mortal conceptions.

Essentially, in the most straightforward way I can phrase it, May describes how for mortals, life is fraught with urgency. We are always at least tangentially aware of our existence being temporary: which is in part what makes our actions meaningful. We are aware that there is a finite amount of things that we are able to accomplish in our lifetimes, and we are at least kind of aware of our existence being singular in time (even considering religious beliefs of things like reincarnation or an eternal afterlife, the here and now when I am both this and present is still unique), so the end, or the idea of it, in its way, generates the meaning of the limited number of events within this particular chunk of time.

An immortal, like a goddess, would likely be more of a disinterested spectator of life than an active participant in it. Without the urgency of a time limit to drive them forward, and the precariousness of living to make the future uncertain, a goddess has no real interest in things that happen in the world of mortals. With good turning to bad, and bad turning to good over the centuries, it's easy enough to kind of stop caring about what is currently going on, because, well, it'll eventually be different, and then the same again.

Of fucking course she doesn't care for Gale the way he cares for her: it's impossible for her, which is what he, with his limited, human perspective, is (imo) initially incapable of understanding. In his very short, limited life, there is room for one, maybe two such great loves, but in hers? There is an endless, constant stream of near-faceless people, flowing through and not making a permanent mark, because permanence for an immortal is a word largely devoid of meaning. Bad or good, the guilt/pleasure will always fade, the people will all die and get replaced by a brand new crop of similarly expendable people, and the goddess will still have an infinity of time to go.

Even considering that she was once Mystryl, and that technically this incarnation of her was once mortal, and keeping her brush with a kind of death in mind, the future for Mystra, as she can conceive of it, is an empty, vast expanse of nothing but the certainty that she will live, and she will be present in some way. Even if slain (if I recall correctly how this works in DnD), her essence just kinda returns to the cosmic soup, and eventually, she'll... reform, or be resurrected, or changed as she has been already, or she'll remain as an immaterial fragment, or something. Point is, she is unending, and he is no more than a blip on her radar.

That's why she's so callous about asking him to die, and in turn essentially dooming Faerun: she doesn't care. She can't care. He was going to die anyway in what feels to her like the blink of an eye (whether it's 5 days, 50 years, or 500, it's not important), and what does she care if the Grand Design comes to fruition? Whether there are people or mind flayers inhabiting the world, it's of no real concern to her. Eventually, either people will strike back, or go extinct, or the mind flayers will cease to exist and something different will come from it, all without truly affecting her. In a year, a hundred years, or a million years, she will be here, and there will be another bright mageling to amuse her.

Fun as it is to joke about it, I don't think that the toxicity of their relationship is her fault, strictly speaking. It's not the ocean's fault when a tsunami destroys a village and kills hundreds. It's not the storm's fault when lightning strikes and kills a tree. Her very nature is this nebulous, capricious existence, only truly occupied with having the power to indulge her whimsies, and filling an infinite amount of time with things to do- unconcerned about how that affects others, because their whole lives barely affect her for a short segment of her eternal soup of undefined presence.

It can be argued that any relationship that may exist between mortal and immortal is necessarily tragic, toxic, desperately unequal, and grossly unhealthy for the mortal. By its very nature, such a relationship pushes the needs and feelings of the mortal party into essential inconsequence to their partner. There can be no regret to feel when the mortal is hurt or gone, because there have been others like them, and there will be others to come still, and everything will happen, or has happened, and will happen again.

Gale was always doomed to be her devoted plaything, only to be discarded once he stops being fun. That could have been once his appearance stopped pleasing her, or once his wit stopped entertaining her, or for any reason whatsoever, and him recognizing that this relationship was never anything more than entertainment to her, while it was devastating and singularly defining to him, is such an important thing for his future happiness.

(This is mainly why his throwaway "Let me make myself indispensable" line is so important to me, tbh. He yearns to matter, and that is only possible if he either finds contentment entirely within the mortal realm, or becomes a god himself, which in turn just dooms him to essentially become Mystra and continue this vicious cycle.)

(Fucking tragic-ass low-wis wizard man, making me fkin... re-read my philosophy books. Honestly the gall, Larian.)

#mystra #bg3 mystra #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 gale #baldur's gate 3 #what else uh #i'm not tagging philosophy because that's fucking pretentious as hell #and that's coming from someone who just unironically used the phrases “capricious existence”#and “the precariousness of living”#AFTER quoting Todd May #don't worry I hate that I am like this too #squirrel plays bg3

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jaepeachees · 1 year ago

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it's a sin to hate angels - Dongren / Renhyuck au

Summary:

Donghyuck is tired of losing things to Renjun, and maybe it's time for him to take some things for himself, even though it's a sin to hate angels.

Tags:

Corruption, Dirty Talk, Mirror Sex, Bathroom Sex, Butt Slapping, Verbal Humiliation, degradation kink, Humiliation kink, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Bottom Huang Ren Jun, Top Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Rivals to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Skater Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Skater Huang Ren Jun, Sub Huang Ren Jun, Dom Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Unprotected Sex, Oral Sex, Dacryphilia

Donghyuck was frustrated, and as usual, he tried to disguise all his frustration by delivering smiles to all those who spoke to him and said they were sorry for his defeat in that stupid skating championship.

Keeping up a smile, even after losing yet again, became a habit in Donghyuck's life, and even though he had done it several times, it was still just as difficult as the first time.

His frustration stemmed from the fact that he had once again placed second, losing to Renjun for the seventh time that year alone.

During that year, Donghyuck managed to enter only seven championships, and in all of them, Renjun was present, only to ruin Donghyuck's life, and give him a clear message that skating was not his thing.

Before Renjun appeared in his life like a cross that he would carry around, Donghyuck was always first in every competition he entered, and then Renjun appeared, that handsome boy, graceful, and so light in his movements t hat people swear he had wings, –thanks to that, he was nicknamed ‘Angel’.

To people, Renjun was like an angel, but to Donghyuck, Renjun was like a fallen angel, the one they would call a devil, always trying to give him hell and leave him behind, making Donghyuck fall below expectations. Renjun was always there, subduing him and overcoming him by force.

It hurt Donghyuck's ego to see that someone prettier, more talented, and lighter in movement once again putting him down, and for years, Donghyuck wondered when he would be free of Renjun again.

Renjun and Donghyuck met when they were still children, both just ten years old. They frequented the same skating rink in town, and by that time, Renjun was already training to be a national champion.

Donghyuck had been competing since he was six years old, and for a long time he received first place in the championships he participated in, but from the moment he started competing with Renjun, Donghyuck never felt the pleasure of climbing to the top of the podium as he did before, and the wins came only in competitions where Renjun did not participate, which was very rare.

In the next five years, Donghyuck got his glory moments again, sure, but only because Renjun was far too busy being a star.

Renjun was a national champion, he represented his country at the Winter Olympics in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and since then, Renjun has been the apple of the eye of anyone who was interested in skating.

Renjun started to stand out nationally in 2016; since 2017, he and Donghyuck never competed together again, as Renjun was always abroad participating in championships that would be relevant to his career, while Donghyuck remained in his country participating in competitions only for ''fun''. Fun that he didn't enjoy, but if it made his parents happy, then Donghyuck would keep competing.

For starters, Donghyuck never wanted to be a figure skater, his true dream was to be a hockey player, and being a six-year-old boy with no way to decide things for himself, Donghyuck had to watch his parents choose figure skating as their sport of your life.

As for Renjun, he wasn't much different, but he learned to love skating, and more than that, Renjun became fascinated with skating when he went to his first Olympics. Since that event, he's never left rink skating.

Renjun still had the Olympics on his radar, but that year, he decided he should get some rest, even then his love for skating was so intense that he couldn't help but participate in some competitions that were happening in the country.

There had been seven so far, and soon winter would arrive, bringing more frequent championships that he would participate in without a second thought.

Donghyuck couldn't believe that an Olympic champion was still participating in local competitions, because Renjun had the world in his hands, and could participate in competitions that would really make a difference in his career, but here he was, in a quiet country town, participating in a competition that didn't even have a cash prize. Donghyuck wondered how big Renjun's ego was that the insisted on hearing from everywhere that he was the best, even though he already knew he was the best skater in Asia.

A competition would take place in Russia that same week, and for Donghyuck, it simply didn't make any sense for Renjun to be in the countryside and not in a Russian rink, where he would be training for at least twelve hours a day.

Although Renjun and Donghyuck had grown up together and trained at the same rink for years, they were never really friends, even though they frequented the same places and had some friends in common; after all, it's really hard to have different friends when you grow up in a small town with a precarious amount of boys of the same age.

The thing is: Donghyuck and Renjun spent at least ten hours a day together, but they never got close, never talked, and when they weren't together at the rink, they were together in some other corner of town. The vibe is always the same — cold, without dialogue or crossing glances.

There was a time when Donghyuck tried to understand why he and Renjun never really became close. Donghyuck remembered making some friends while skating, and the same went for his ice hockey colleagues, who although were in a completely different sport from his own, he still managed to make some friends, and even play with them just for fun.

Donghyuck came to understand why after he became an adult, he remembered how Renjun smiled so gracefully to him the day they met, and the other days Renjun started showing up frequently at the rink, and even though Donghyuck wanted to smile back, he was taught that Renjun was not his friend; in fact, he was his enemy, and for a reason that even Donghyuck didn't understand, he needed to harbor negative feelings for the boy nicknamed the Angel, even though Donghyuck always thought it was a great sin to hate angels.

⛸️

Donghyuck was alone in the locker room. All the competitors would have already passed by to get their things and leave, but that day, Donghyuck was in no hurry to leave, he was alone and wanted to take advantage of that moment to let his thoughts roar freely In his head. t was just him and his demons, and the fact that his own parents had given up watching his competitions since his fourth loss to Renjun that year contributed to the fact that Donghyuck wasn't in a hurry to leave. He didn't want to see his parents and give him the news that once again he would have lost to Renjun, even though by then they had already received news about their son's performance.

Donghyuck stared at himself in the mirror, feeling like a huge failure, he wasn't good at anything but balancing on two blades inside a skating rink, and not even the one thing he was good at could show his value.

Well, it did for a while, and then Renjun showed up, taking all his false dreams and destroying them, reassuring Donghyuck that he should give up that sport.

Donghyuck tried to tell himself that he shouldn't feel bad about that, he didn't even like being a figure skater, so why did he feel so affected that he was losing to Renjun? He should use this moment as the perfect opportunity to give up skating and go to another sport.

Most of his frustrations came from his parent's disappointment, and the guilt that came with it, even though he knows it's not a good mindset.

With each passing day, Donghyuck lost the capacity for resilience even more, and all this because he needed to fulfill the dreams of people to whom he believed he owed his life.

Donghyuck had lost count of how many times he turned down tryouts for the city hockey team, Mark had called him in for two tryouts that year, and Donghyuck had always told him that this was not the ideal time for him to get out of figure skating, but he would think about it next time.

The fact is that nine months had passed and he did not attend any tryouts for the hockey team, even though he knew that soon he could no longer be accepted on the team due to his age, and it hurt so badly.

Winter was near, Donghyuck already felt the weather differences, and he knew that soon a new test would open for the team, and if they turned down that opportunity again, then he would not have another chance.

Donghyuck played hockey with his friends a hundred times, just for fun, but he was happiest about it, and everyone who watched him said that he really had a knack for that sport, however, every time Donghyuck asked for his parents' permission to switch to hockey, he had to deal with his mother's screams and his father's disapproving words.

Now, Donghyuck was an adult, he no longer needed to follow dreams that didn't belong to him, nor ask someone else's permission to decide something about his own life, he could just abandon that sport whenever he wanted and go on with his own true dreams, even if that would definitely distance him from his parents.

Donghyuck was about to take off his pants to put on his sweatshirt and leave, however, a characteristic sound caught his attention, and something that shouldn't have happened.

Donghyuck was stuck in the middle of the locker room, not knowing what to do, or how to act when the owner of that sound came into the locker room.

The sound was from Renjun's slippers. He had a unique way of dragging the slippers on the ground as he walked, and Donghyuck could identify him from afar just by that sound.

The sound only stopped when he was too close, and then Donghyuck heard a different kind of sound fill the room: the locker door opening.

Donghyuck didn't know what was going on, but he had a feeling things would turn out very differently than they usually did.

Usually, Renjun would go into the locker room, get his things, say goodbye without actually waiting for an answer, not that Donghyuck ever really answered, and then Renjun would walk out the door.

Now Renjun was locking the door behind him, and Donghyuck had no idea what to expect from that.

Things with Renjun were easier when he knew what he was going to deal with, but now, he felt like a fragile little boy who would have lost his parents, and then the landscape around him turned into a dark and frightening forest, and a hungry wolf would have appeared, ready to devour him, but in reality, Donghyuck was still in the locker room, the hungry wolf was Renjun, a harmless angel unable to harm a bug. Donghyuck could easily get out of that situation, he would just have to finish changing his clothes, get his bag, and leave that place without a care in the world, but he couldn't, he just couldn't.

''Congratulations on your performance today.'' Renjun was leaning against the door, watching the muscles of Donghyuck's broad, handsome back move as he fumbled in his bag.

''Congratulations on the first place.'' Donghyuck muttered.

''I won't accept it, because it wasn't honest.'' Renjun crossed his arms, trying to look somewhere other than Donghyuck's body, as Donghyuck started watching him through the mirror.

Donghyuck gave a sarcastic laugh, going back to digging for a shirt in his bag and cursing himself for not having sorted his clothes properly when he left the hotel for that competition.

''You're frustrated.'' Renjun says.

''And did you figure that out yourself, or did you need someone's help?'' Donghyuck wasn't rude, just curt, and even if he wasn't rude, it still bothered Renjun.

''Actually, I needed your coach's help. He's the one who told me you were frustrated, and if he didn't tell me I would have never noticed since you hide it so well from everyone.''

''You talking to my trainer? Are you also going to steal him from me like you did everything else?''

Renjun rolled his eyes, tired in anticipation of the nasty conversation.

''You say I've taken everything from you, even though in reality, you hate figure skating. Stop hating me, I never meant to take anything from you. Competitions are like that, someone will win, someone will lose, and I only took your first place, not your life. I didn't win because I'm special, it’s because I'm a national champion, so no matter what I do, they'll always give me first place.''

''You sure don't look sad about moving up.''

''What should I do? Cry, lament and refuse? Just like you, I also know how to hide my emotions very well, and the fact that I have my best smile on in the midst of those people doesn't cancel out my dissatisfaction with winning first place, when even I thought I had better people than me in this competition.''

''If you were so dissatisfied with first place, you could just not show up at the championship, you could have stayed home, and that would save everyone the stress!''

Renjun had an answer for that, he could say it was his right to compete, say he had the right to have fun participating in championships related to the sport he loved, and say that the problem was not him, but Donghyuck, even though Renjun himself agreed that there were competitors more skilled than he was, and Donghyuck was one of those competitors, But it’s not worth arguing. Donghyuck was hurt by everything that had happened that year, it was not fair to provoke him, it was almost cowardly to trample on a person who was doing his best to succeed in a sport that he practiced out of obligation, but that would always end second, even if the winner found ways to sabotage their own performance to the point of not even reaching third place.

''About your trainer, yes, I'm considering taking him from you, but only when you decide to stop skating.'' Renjun was honest.

''You're in luck, because it will happen soon.''

''He told me that you were considering giving up skating.'' Renjun muttered, knowing this was a sensitive topic and one that he shouldn't be talking about.

Donghyuck stopped whatever he was doing, to turn to Renjun and confront him.

''Renjun, what exactly did you come here to do? If you're going to ask about my future in sports, give it up, I won't talk to you about it, we're not friends!''

The tone was rude, and it hurt .

Renjun felt his eyes tremble, and a very bad feeling inside his chest overcame him, as if his heart had been shaken. He didn't understand why he felt so hurt by the way Donghyuck spoke to him, so he just took a breath and decided to say what he was really doing there.

"I just came to let you know that next week there will be a party at a club in our city to gather all the skaters there for a reunion, and it would be nice if you went too." He muttered, his head down, without the courage to look into Donghyuck's eyes.

''And since when did I miss any of those stupid parties?''

Donghyuck always attended the skating-related parties, even the parties that Renjun's parents threw, but Donghyuck always attended, with a smile on his face and squandering all the education he'd received from his parents, even though he must have hated Renjun and his family.

''So I'll see you there.''

Renjun smiled small, with his feelings still messed up and with a strong urge to cry, unlocking the door behind him and leaving the locker room without looking at Donghyuck. He didn't want to hear from him anymore–in such a short time of conversation, he left that locker room full of complexes and hating himself for going to talk to Donghyuck.

⛸️

Usually parties to gather skaters in the city were always humble, and the only extravagant parties came from Renjun's parents, who, three times a year, threw a party in order to show off their own son's glories and show off their social ties.

Donghyuck never missed any of those parties, and not because he liked to attend them, but because his parents forced him to go; after all, important people always showed up, and in the end, those parties ended up bringing great opportunities for some skaters, who could get from new coaches, to sponsorships to start a more promising career in figure skating.

For some reason, this year's party looked different, it wasn't just skaters, it had a lot of people Renjun and Donghyuck's age who he didn’t recognize from any sports.

There was no sign of any older adults or even anyone who was very relevant in skating, this looked like a good old-fashioned party with young people who were up to spend the night drinking and dancing.

Donghyuck entered the party, looking around for a familiar face, and then Jeno and Mark appeared in front of him, excited to see him again after three weeks of Donghyuck traveling to participate in figure skating competitions.

''Long time no see.'' Mark pulled Donghyuck into a tight hug.

''What are you doing here? I thought it was a party for skaters only.''

''Renjun is celebrating his birthday.'' Jeno replied, handing Donghyuck a drink.

''Wasn't it in March?'' Donghyuck knew that Renjun's birthday was in March because Jeno was exactly one month younger than Renjun, and when Jeno found out about it, he made sure to spread all over town that he and the boy angel were exactly one month apart.

''This year he didn't have a party, so he decided to have one now.'' Mark explained.

Donghyuck had been invited to some of Renjun's birthday parties as a child, but after his parents turned down the invitations for five years in a row, Renjun's parents never sent Donghyuck an invite again, so it was a surprise for him to be at a birthday party himself.

At that moment, Donghyuck remembered the things his parents told him every time they threw an invite in the trash, they said that they weren't friends, that Donghyuck shouldn't waste time with those parties even if all the kids in the small town would attend.

While they were having fun, Donghyuck spent hours stuck in the rink focusing on intensive training, which in the end, never got him anywhere.

Donghyuck didn't become an Olympic athlete, he didn't even compete abroad, and reflecting on his countless hours of training that got him nowhere, Donghyuck couldn't help but feel angry at his parents.

''He didn't tell me he would be celebrating his birthday.'' Donghyuck muttered, except that even with the loud music, Jeno could hear him.

''Because he knew you wouldn't come.''

Donghyuck sometimes forgot that Renjun and Jeno were friends, and that Jeno knew about the complicated relationship that Donghyuck and Renjun had.

''What did he tell you?'' Donghyuck was curious, and knew he could trust Jeno to break Renjun's secrecy.

''Only that you were rude to him in the locker room, so he preferred to say it was a party for skaters, because that's the only way you'd come.''

That wasn't true, but it wasn't a lie either.

Donghyuck was no longer under his parents' possession, now he made his own decisions, and stopping by Renjun's birthday party just to wish him a happy birthday would probably be something he would do.

Deep down, Donghyuck always wanted to go to Renjun's birthday party, so he would go anyway.

''Sit down with us, our friends are all at a table.'' Mark asked.

''I'll be right there, wait for me.''

Mark and Jeno nodded and walked away when they noticed that Renjun was picking his way through the room to welcome Donghyuck to his party.

''You came.'' Renjun smiled at Donghyuck. Donghyuck wanted to return the smile too.

''This doesn't sound like a party to get all the skaters in town together.''

''Well, now all the skaters in town are here, just missing you, so technically , it's a party with all the skaters in our town.' ' Renjun laughed, and Donghyuck followed suit.

''You could have told me it was a birthday party, I would have brought a gift.''

''It's okay, your presence is enough.''

''Happy birthday, Renjun.''

And then Donghyuck smiled at Renjun, making his face light up with happiness as he received the smile he had been waiting for.

''Thanks.''

''And I'm sorry about last week, it was a rough time.''

''It's okay. Make yourself comfortable, and have fun.'' Renjun smiled once more, ready to step out of Donghyuck's line of sight, but Donghyuck was quicker to grab his arm.

''Thanks for the invite, it means a lot to me.''

''Thanks for coming.''

Renjun’s smile never faded, taking his arm loose and finally stepping out of Donghyuck's field of vision.

⛸️

Donghyuck was having fun, he really was having fun, even though he spent the last hour sitting in a chair with the same drink he got when he arrived at the party, and listening to his friends talk about themselves.

For many, he would be living the worst moment of his life, but it was what gave him the feeling of being at home, being surrounded by his friends, the people he grew up with, and that he missed a lot when he needed to go weeks traveling to compete.

Donghyuck was really happy to be there, and even happier to be at Renjun's birthday party.

Donghyuck excused himself to his friends, he needed to go to the bathroom, and as he walked, he had the feeling that he was being watched.

⛸️

When Donghyuck left the stall door, he was startled by the presence of Renjun standing at the door, just watching him without saying anything.

The music outside was too loud, so he didn't hear when Renjun entered.

''You scared me.'' Donghyuck said, turning on the faucet to wash his hands and watching Renjun in the mirror, who hadn't said a word to him from the moment Donghyuck left the bathroom stall.

When Donghyuck finished drying his hands, he turned to Renjun, who once again locked the door behind him.

The first time that happened, things didn't end well between them, but this time, things took a completely different turn.

Renjun took one, two, three steps towards Donghyuck, and in the fourth, he rested one hand on Donghyuck's shoulder, pulling him down so that their faces were at the same height, and then Renjun brought his other hand to Donghyuck's neck, pulling him into a kiss that would change the lives of the two boys.

The kiss started out calmly, Donghyuck was still taking in what was happening, and when he understood, he encircled Renjun's waist with one arm, while the other hand went to Renjun's ass, squeezing it so hard that it made Renjun let a moan escape his lips.

The kiss was sweet, a result of the drink Renjun had taken before entering the bathroom. It was sweet and warm, and Donghyuck could become addicted to it.

It was easy for Donghyuck to lift Renjun up and sit him on the bathroom sink wide enough to accommodate the boy sitting on it.

Donghyuck lowered his kisses to Renjun's neck, and without thinking that after that they would have a party to return to, he began to give light sucks on that region that was previously immaculate, but now began to take on a reddish hue, something that would make Renjun pass. hours in front of the mirror admiring.

Renjun's hands were already under Donghyuck's shirt–Renjun always wondered what his body would look like, and the last time they met in the locker room, he could analyze Donghyuck shirtless, so handsome and so well proportioned, the ideal type for Renjun, and now, he could finally touch the body he'd wanted for so long.

Donghyuck kissed Renjun's mouth again, this time the kiss was more aggressive, more needy, as if he needed it to live.

The discomfort in Renjun's pants was evident, every second near Donghyuck turned him into a mess. Renjun himself never understood that devotion he had for Donghyuck, he only knew that he admired him, that he liked him, and that Donghyuck was always there in his wettest dreams.

Maybe it was just a physical attraction, Renjun couldn't say for sure, he just knew that Donghyuck was always etched in his thoughts, and maybe that was why Renjun insisted on competing with Donghyuck even after he became a national champion, because watching him wasn't enough, Renjun needed a solid reason to be in the same spot as Donghyuck, and as much as he hated himself for always taking first place, he still had a great desire to be with Donghyuck.

"You're a damn cross I have to carry everywhere, and even on a night where I was supposed to have peace, you showed up to destroy everything." Donghyuck whispered in Renjun's ear, then bit into the conch, something that would have sent currents of arousal to Renjun's cock.

"You don't seem bothered by it." Renjun countered, propelling his body forward, only to generate friction between his hips, something that made Donghyuck even more aroused. He wanted to rip Renjun's clothes off and make him beg for his cock.

Donghyuck brought his hand up to Renjun's hair, circling his fingers around the back of his head, and when his fingers were securely fastened, he pulled Renjun's hair, causing the boy's head to fall back.

"Of course I'm not bothered, and that's because I'm going to destroy you tonight, to prove to myself that I have some power over you, and that I can also subdue you in something, and just as I lose things for you, you'll have to lose something for me too, and I want your sanity. We're still dressed and you look so horny, need a dick stuffed up your ass, my dick, you're like a bitch in heat, all messy, without the balls to ask, but you haven’t stopped teasing since the moment I got here. What would people think of you if they saw you like that? Such a pure and innocent little angel, but behind closed doors transforms, becoming a whore, a bitch so dirty, a bitch in heat, able to come just because she got a few kisses. You're so needy, Junnie. A dick needy little bitch"

Every word from Donghyuck hit Renjun hard, making his dick harder and harder, leaking pre-cum just because Donghyuck said the right words. Renjun wanted to cry with excitement, it felt so good to be treated badly by Donghyuck.

Renjun liked the humiliation, being reduced to nothing, because it made him more and more excited, but not just anyone could do that to him, it was just Donghyuck, Renjun didn't feel uncomfortable being subjugated by Donghyuck, in fact, he had always wanted that moment, and now it was happening.

"I don't give a damn what people think of me, this is just about you and me, so show that you really can subdue me, show that you can really hold some power over me, I believe in actions more than words. And yes, I'm a bitch, a dirty bitch, a dick-starved bitch, and what are you gonna do about it? Are you gonna give me what I want, or just throw words to the wind? Attitude, Donghyuck, this bitch here needs more attitude."

Feeling challenged, Donghyuck took Renjun from the sink, turning him to face the mirror and staring at him through the reflection.

"Don't you dare look away from yourself, you will see yourself, you have to see what a bad bitch you are. Just watch, I will destroy you, and even the destroyed you will become dependent on me, because I will make you so dependent on me, that no one will ever be able to satisfy you." Donghyuck spoke, seeing the boy's smile through the mirror.

Without delicacy, Donghyuck unzipped Renjun's pants, pulling them down with his underwear, and when the clothes were caught around his ankle, Renjun kicked them away.

Donghyuck didn't have to be rude, it wasn't meant to hurt, and he didn't even intend to do that to Renjun, he didn't believe sex had to be painful, that wasn't his thing, quite the contrary, it was supposed to be so good to the point of make Renjun dependent on himself, and not because Donghyuck hated him and would really like to have him in the palm of his hand and then reject him and hurt his feelings. Donghyuck wanted Renjun to become dependent on him so that he would come back, because that's what Donghyuck wanted, for Renjun to come back to himself, because among so many feelings that Donghyuck had for Renjun, there was a very specific one that Donghyuck hid from even himself.

That sex had to be unforgettable, the best fuck of Renjun's life, because Renjun had to come back to him, to his arms, to his kisses, and Donghyuck knew that after that he would have to have Renjun in his hands once more, because the moment they actually started fuck instead , not only would Renjun become dependent on it, Donghyuck would be in the same situation as Renjun, he would also become dependent, reliant on Renjun, and there would be no going back.

Carefully, Donghyuck lifted one of Renjun's legs, supporting it over the sink, and Renjun did the same with his hands, splaying them over the cold surface so he had some balance.

Donghyuck studied Renjun's ass, so beautiful, soft, round and firm, and no wonder he looked so good in the pants he wore to the performances.

Renjun's cheeks were flushed, he felt so open, so exposed, and the fact that his hole was pulsing with the need to have a cock buried inside him was what made him the most ashamed.

''You really need my cock, look at you, throbbing like a bitch.''

''Fuck me.''

"That's the point. Have you ever been eaten out before ?" Donghyuck asked, looking at Renjun through the mirror.

Renjun just shook his head, too embarrassed to say anything other than swearing at Donghyuck.

''Today is your lucky day, baby.''

Donghyuck didn't wait for an answer, he just knelt on the floor, separating the cheeks of Renjun's ass, feeling dizzy at the sight. He squeezed Renjun's ass one more time, spreading a few kisses along his cheeks, then kissing Renjun's hole, and without a second thought, he ran his tongue over the tiny pulsating hole, shuddering as he felt the pulse on his tongue.

''Fuck''

Renjun felt his whole body shudder, almost collapsing as he felt the wetness of Donghyuck's tongue. It felt so good, his eyes rolled back in his head, Donghyuck had just started, and Renjun already felt weak.

Every sound that came out of Renjun's mouth fueled Donghyuck's ego , he was delirious at the sensation, and he knew Renjun just needed a few more stimulations to come.

As Renjun's hole began to clench harder, Donghyuck pressed his tongue harder, and the feeling of being nudged was what brought Renjun closer to his peak.

The loud music outside was what made Renjun comfortable to moan out loud, like the bitch he wanted to be, so he would be fucked so deftly that he wouldn't step foot for at least a whole week on the rink.

Every time Donghyuck's tongue entered him, Renjun felt like he was being thrown to heaven and dragged to hell in a split second, it felt so good that it should be a crime, a crime Renjun would commit as many times as necessary just for fun, and every second they spent on it, Renjun understood that the adoration he felt for Donghyuck made sense

Renjun would shove his ass against Donghyuck's mouth, and every time he did, Donghyuck would grip his waist tightly enough to brand it, just to keep him pinned in place, but Renjun would keep doing it, because having his waist marked by Donghyuck's pretty fingers was the perfect stimulus.

Donghyuck started to fuck Renjun with his tongue, but it wasn't enough anymore and that's when he got the idea of circling his fingers in Donghyuck's hair to press his ass hard against his face, Donghyuck took it, if it was something Renjun wanted to do, then he'd let him, because Renjun's first time would have to be perfect.

Renjun pressed his ass hard against Donghyuck's face, moaning louder, more needy, his body trembling even more, and leaking so much pre-cum from Renjun's cock that his belly and thighs were already wet. The drips tickled Renjun's inner thighs, but he didn't give a damn.

It was then he let out a high-pitched groan– he was very close to orgasm. Donghyuck immediately pulled his face away and stood up, slipping a finger inside. The slipperiness made it easy.

Donghyuck started fucking him with his finger, going so deep it didn't take long to reach Renjun's prostate, and when Donghyuck's finger started poking that area, Renjun came.

The pleasure was so intense, tears started to gather in his eyes, starting to trickle down Renjun's flushed cheeks as he still let beautiful sounds come out of his mouth.

His body was so shaky, so sensitive, so Donghyuck leaned against Renjun's back, bringing his hand up to Renjun's face to dry the last tear falling from his eyes, then kissing him.

Donghyuck smiled as he broke the kiss. Renjun was amazing.

''Look at you, you crybaby.''

''You should go back to shutting your mouth the fuck up on my ass.''

''You've barely come back from destruction and you're answering again? You need to have good manners, and understand that being a national champion doesn't make you special to the point where you talk as you please or have everything when you want it.'' Donghyuck whispered in Renjun's ear, each word making his body shiver against his touches.

''So teach me manners, because I've grown used to having whatever I want the moment I want it, and that's why you're here.''

And once again, Donghyuck felt challenged.

Renjun needed to learn that defying Donghyuck would bring him to ruin, but maybe if he knew that, he would defy him even more.

''The first lesson is to learn to say please, I'll only let you come a second time when you learn to ask for it nicely, and I don't guarantee that I'll give you what you want the first time you ask. Life is full of frustrations, and sometimes, we have to beg until we get what we want.''

Renjun was fucked, he knew he was fucked up, because Donghyuck made it very clear that he wouldn't go easy on him. The first orgasm had been magnificent, but Donghyuck still needed to fuck him, and if just being eaten out would have been so glorious, then having Donghyuck's cock buried inside him could be even more mind-shattering , and Renjun was keen to have that orgasm.

''Can I at least suck you off?'' Renjun asked.

''Of course you can, as long as you gulp it all down, like my cum is your last meal.''

Renjun's eyes darkened, although Donghyuck believed he was getting the upper hand at the moment, it was Renjun who was really getting lucky. Sucking on Donghyuck was something he wanted the day he saw him hard after he left a gig…

It was 2018, Renjun's hormones were running high, he had recently had his first sexual experience, and anything that involved a male body was enough to give Renjun an erection. After seeing Donghyuck leave the rink With his hands in front of his lap to cover an erection that had sprung from adrenaline, Renjun felt his own cock prick, and his hole tightened around nothing.

Renjun kneels on the cold floor, opening Donghyuck's belt as if his life depended on it, and seeing Donghyuck's cock so hard and heavy, he felt his own mouth water.

Donghyuck's cock was beautiful, the head swollen, red, almost purple, and the perfect size.

Unceremoniously, Renjun stuffed all of Donghyuck's cock in his mouth, he wasn’t gentle, not even to play games, he just wanted that cock in his mouth as soon as possible.

Renjun was good at it. Donghyuck's eyes rolled back in his head, and he didn't mind coming so fast, he was in the mood for at least three orgasms in a row. Donghyuck began to hold Renjun's hair to control.

Renjun looked into his eyes without any shame, and his gaze seemed to invite Donghyuck to a new challenge.

He came, and Renjun swallowed it all letting a little cum trickle from the corners of his lips.

Donghyuck gently took what was coming from the corners of Renjun's mouth with his thumb, pushing it back into his mouth, and now every drop was running down his throat, nothing out of place, and yet Renjun's gaze seemed to beg for more.

''Go back to your position.'' Donghyuck ordered.

''If you don't want to make a mess, there's a condom in my pants pocket. Honestly, I'd rather feel full, and then feel the sperm run down my legs, but that's up to you.'' Renjun warned, returning to his previous position, with one leg propped up on the sink, completely exposed to Donghyuck, and ready to receive his cock inside him.

''You're so dirty, Renjun.''

''I know you like it.''

Donghyuck accepted Renjun's offer to fuck him without a condom, so he started pumping his own cock a few times until he was hard again, then lined up his cock against Renjun's hole, holding him gently by the waist ready to begin what had to be done, but first, he would play around with it a little, running his head lightly through the hole, sending shivers all over his body. Renjun's body, which was trying to push his hips against Donghyuck, but was held tightly by his waist.

Donghyuck was the devil, and he was amused every time Renjun's hole twitched in rage at not having a cock buried inside it.

Renjun once again pushed his ass against Donghyuck, held once more in place, but this time, Donghyuck slapped his ass hard, causing a loud groan to escape Renjun's mouth.

''Son of a bitch.'' Renjun swore, squeezing his eyes shut to try to focus away from the pain.

''The second lesson in good manners is learning to be patient. Every time you try to anticipate something, I'll punish you.''

''It's not like slaps teaches anyone anything.''

''But here, slaps works, so be a good boy if you don't want to leave here with your ass red from being spanked.''

''Go to hell.''

Renjun felt another slap sting his skin, his back arching, and the air caught in his throat.

Renjun caught his breath, understanding how things would be with Donghyuck, and although he had a pride to preserve, he knew he would have to undress him if he wanted to finally be fucked by Donghyuck.

''Can you please get on with it?'' Renjun asked, anger evident in his voice.

''With what?''

''Stick your fucking dick up my ass!''

And then another slap hit Renjun, who once again felt his back arch, the air caught in his throat, and a burning sensation in his ass cheeks.

''The swear word.''

''I'm sorry.''

''Ask nicely, I know you can do it.''

Renjun has too much pride to be swallowed all at once, so Renjun needs to take small doses down his throat, and that means he will have to apologize, say please, and be kind with words all the time, when in reality, the only thing he wanted was to have the dick. of Donghyuck inside him.

He didn't take the time to suck Donghyuck's dick, so why did Donghyuck have to take so long?

''Please Donghyuck, fuck me, I want your dick inside me, I want to feel you all over, I just want to be fucked like I've never been in my life, and I know that only you can do it for me, so why please, fuck me, fuck me like I'm a bitch in heat, like a whore, your whore , a little whore in need of your dick.''

Donghyuck shuddered at that, because hearing Renjun begging for something only he had, was something that boosted his ego sky-high, and Donghyuck couldn't deny that request from Renjun, not when Renjun's expression was one of despair.

Donghyuck pressed his head against the hole, watching it slide in easily, and then Renjun's hole contracted hard against his head, and Donghyuck pulled it out, then pressed it again against Renjun's hole, and then Donghyuck slowly slid his cock inside, and in the mirror, he could see the delight in Renjun's expression.

That was a relief, Renjun was finally starting to feel satisfied and happy to finally have something he wanted.

Donghyuck stood still for a moment until Renjun got used to it, and when Renjun gave Donghyuck a light jab to let him know he was okay, Donghyuck finally started moving.

At first, it was slow, so soft, Donghyuck was so gentle, so affectionate, he distributed a few kisses on Renjun's back, and every now and then, he pulled him in for a kiss, but as the craving increased and such a delicious rhythm was established, able to send electric currents through Renjun's body, shaking him to the point where he couldn't keep his eyes open with the pleasure he felt, Donghyuck found the perfect moment to fuck him harder.

Renjun brought his own hand to Donghyuck's hand that was pressing his waist, he wanted to touch him somehow, and Donghyuck understood that Renjun needed some kind of affection at that moment, so Donghyuck leaned against Renjun once more, to that their faces were close enough that he could kiss Renjun, and even if that wasn't the best position for them to kiss, Renjun was satisfied.

Renjun is used to having missionary sex, so he was used to getting kisses while having sex, but this was the first time he really felt something different.

He didn't know if it was for the adventure of doing something different, but kissing Donghyuck while being fucked certainly filled Renjun's heart with something different.

It didn't take them long before Renjun was close to coming, and then the surprise came when Donghyuck stopped moving, pulling his cock out of Renjun and pulling away from him.

The surprise was evident on Renjun's face, he was going to swear, but he knew what would happen if he did that, so Renjun took a breath and decided to ask nicely, just the way Donghyuck wanted.

''What are you doing?''

''You have to ask to come.''

Renjun closed his eyes tightly, controlling the urge to yell at Donghyuck and slap him.

''Because I feel like even if I ask, you won't let me come?''

''Because that's exactly what I'm going to do, I want to hear you beg.''

''Okay, I can beg, but can you please not come out of me? I'm very sensitive.''

''Sure, baby. You've seen how things are easier when you ask nicely.'' Donghyuck smiled, and Renjun never wanted to hit someone more than he did at that moment.

Donghyuck went back to pushing his cock against Renjun's hole and fucking him, only this time it was faster, and every time Renjun was about to come, he stopped moving, waiting for Renjun to ask to be fucked again, and so it took a while to continue.

Donghyuck did this at least five times, and it was when he saw tears all over Renjun's face and his body was shaking so much that it burst from the pleasure and the urge to come, that Donghyuck decided he would give Renjun what he wanted.

He was a good boy, he asked nicely, he didn't yell at Donghyuck, he didn't swear at him or say hurtful things, and he didn't even dictate the rules. That night was about Donghyuck and the orders he'd like to give Renjun, about him subduing that boy who was at his mercy, about making Renjun beg and humiliate himself to get what he wanted, so it was only fair this time to let him come.

Once again Renjun was close, so before Donghyuck stopped, Renjun started begging once more, only this time, he had more energy to ask.

''Please don't stop, don't stop, I'm almost, let me come, please Hyuck. Let me come, let me come just this once, and then you can do whatever you want with me, just let me come.''

Renjun was crying, and he was so handsome as he cried begging for an orgasm.

Donghyuck didn't stop, he just intensified his movements, watching Renjun's surprised expression through the mirror, happy and relieved that he was finally going to come, and when the orgasm hit him, Renjun slapped his hand on the mirror, looking for balance, so he wouldn't fall apart, he felt his whole body tremble, his hole squeezing tightly around Donghyuck's cock, and he needed to be held by Donghyuck to keep from falling, because Donghyuck actually managed to destroy him, destroy him to the point of doing so lose the strength of one's own body.

Donghyuck held Renjun tightly, planting a few kisses down his back, watching him panting and so vulnerable, and when Renjun was fully recovered, Donghyuck bent down once more to kiss him.

''I still haven't come.'' Donghyuck warned.

''Then use me, I need you to come inside me.''

Renjun could come one more time, he would only have to masturbate to make it happen, and Donghyuck didn't stop him.

Renjun's third orgasm was less aggressive, but it was just as good as the first two, because Donghyuck kept moving to increase Renjun's hypersensitivity, and it was with the needy moans coming out of the boy's mouth that Donghyuck finally came.

It was what they wanted, and once again that night Donghyuck's ego soared, because watching his own cum out of Renjun's hole and down his legs was one of the most beautiful sights Renjun would have afforded him.

They were sweaty and clammy bodies, so Donghyuck started reaching for the paper towels to wipe Renjun clean, and when everything was ready, Donghyuck pulled Renjun in for another kiss, and this time it was pure, pure and tender.

''Did I get heavy?'' Donghyuck asked Renjun, stroking his cheek with his thumb.

Renjun's expression showed his tiredness after sex, and even so he didn't lose his glow, he was still handsome, and his tired smile was as beautiful as the common smiles of everyday life.

''No, I'm fine.''

''What about the slaps?''

''Ironically, no, that's what turned me on the most.''

And then they both laughed, and that moment reminded Donghyuck of the day and that Renjun smiled to himself for the first time, so beautiful, so graceful, so innocent, yet so meaningful, and Donghyuck had to deal with the sadness of not being able to receive those smiles every day of his life.

He was just a kid, but a kid who wanted to get close to Renjun, he wanted to be Renjun's friend, be close to him, ask him to play, or ask him to skate when they were bored, and maybe invite him to eat ice cream in the summer, make snowmen in the winter, catch dragonflies in the spring, and play in the dry-leaf mountains in the fall.

Maybe they'd built a story, gotten together in their teens, figured out a few things, and who knows, they'd have shared their first kiss, and then, in 2018, when they came of age, they could travel alone to a championship, and they'd share one room, where they would make love for the first time, because the truth was one, they would have grown fond of each other the day they first saw each other, and if they had had the opportunity to grow up as friends, surely Renjun and Donghyuck would have become lovers.

It is true that Donghyuck collected a lot of frustrations due to Renjun, but it is also true that Renjun is not to blame, and it is also true that Donghyuck admires him, and not only because Renjun is a great skater, but because Renjun was his first crush when he was only ten years old, and as much as Donghyuck had been conditioned to believe that Renjun was his enemy, it was too difficult for him to treat him that way, and even harder to hate Renjun as they wanted him to. .

Donghyuck never hated Renjun, and even though he had been rude to him many times that year, the truth is that he always regretted it afterward, and the fact that he went to Renjun's party after what happened in the locker room said a lot about Donghyuck. his regret in treating him harshly, because Renjun just wanted to find a way to get close to him, and Donghyuck kept building walls around himself to keep Renjun away.

''I wonder why you had a condom in your pants pocket.'' Donghyuck asked, as he finished putting his pants on and looked in the mirror to see if he was all right with his own appearance.

''Because it was in my plans to have sex with you tonight.'' Renjun replied, finishing his wash at the bathroom sink.

''Why were you so sure this would happen?''

''Intuition, maybe.''

''And what does your intuition tell you now?''

''That you'll meet me at my house in thirty minutes, time enough for me to end this party and go home.''

Renjun's intuition was right, Donghyuck finished everything before Renjun, to leave the bathroom and say goodbye to his friends, heading towards Renjun's house to meet him later.

⛸️

It was Sunday morning, it was hot, and Donghyuck was lying on Renjun's bed, completely naked. Renjun was also naked, sitting comfortably on Donghyuck's lap, distributing a few kisses on his neck, who had his eyes closed, just enjoying the feeling of being kissed by Renjun, while he lightly caressed the boy's waist on top of him.

''You are insatiable.'' Donghyuck was tired, the sun had already risen, and they still wouldn't have slept, because they spent the whole night having sex in every position they knew.

''You said you'd make me dependent on you, and you did, it's not my fault.''

"I'm tired, we've had sex all night, we need sleep."

"I don’t want to sleep."

Deftly, Donghyuck reversed positions, placing Renjun on the bed and climbing on top of him, settling between Renjun's legs that were covered in bite marks and hickeys.

"I'm going to give your hair such a nice caress, you'll sleep for hours, what do you think about that?"

"I prefer missionary sex."

"We've already done this three times, and you're still awake."

"Maybe a fourth time is needed, because I really don't want to sleep."

"Why? Are you afraid I'm leaving? You know where to find me, you've been chasing me all this year." Donghyuck scoffed, and Renjun rolled his eyes.

"This is not true."

"Wherever I look, you're there, so I don't believe you."

Renjun didn't have an answer for that, because Donghyuck was telling the truth, so he just pulled Donghyuck to kiss him, in an attempt to get him to shut up and stop telling the truth that Renjun wouldn't want to hear.

"When this is over, what will we be like?" Renjun asked as he broke the kiss. He had his eyes closed as he stroked the hairs on the back of Donghyuck's neck. They were foreheads together, and even though it was just a touch, there was affection, and Renjun felt so dear to be with Donghyuck like that.

"Just as we already are."

"Hating each other?"

Donghyuck lay down beside Renjun, pulling him to his chest to stroke his hair, a gentle caress to comfort him, because he knew he was getting into an unpleasant conversation, and he didn't want Renjun to feel uncomfortable.

"I never hated you, Renjun."

"But you do have hard feelings, don't you?"

Donghyuck sighed,

"Um, some, but I'm over it."

"Which types?"

"I would get angry every time you would see me after the competition, always so smiling and graceful, like an angel. At first, I thought you were affronting me, trying to make me feel bad for losing, but as time went on passing by, I understood that this was just your way, that you didn't want to upset me, for some reason you just wanted to be nice to me, but that never took away the fact that I felt bad about losing a competition. It was always a very big relief when you weren't going to compete with me, and until now I didn't understand why you participated in championships that wouldn't make a difference in your career. I understand that this year you didn't go to the Olympic games and wanted to have fun in state championships, but I still don't understand your choice."

"I wanted to participate in the same championships as you to have the chance to be by your side." Renjun confessed, grateful that he didn't have to look at Donghyuck's face as he said those words.

Donghyuck thought it was adorable, so he laughed, which made Renjun feel annoyed and slap Donghyuck weakly on the chest.

"Don't laugh at my honesty."

"You're cute." He said, placing a kiss on top of Renjun's head. "But did you really need to beat me in every competition? What would it cost to let me win once?"

Renjun sighed, maybe he would regret it in the future, but he needed to be frank with Donghyuck, not to upset him, but to make him understand that it wasn't his fault, and maybe, his words would help him something.

“Do you know why you keep losing to me?” Donghyuck shook his head, ready to hear everything Renjun had to say. “Because you hate figure skating, not because you're bad at it. In years, I saw you enter the rink at least a hundred times. Donghyuck, you were magnificent, you were simply magnificent, your technique is incredible, but you know that in addition to technique, emotion also counts. There was a void. So deep in your eyes, that for a moment I wondered why you were skating, if that was your dream or if you were there because someone forced you. You know, I tried to be in last place, I tried to lose to you during seven times this year alone, but I am an Olympic champion, no matter what I do, they will keep giving me first place, and the only place that will be really challenging for me is in championships where I will be competing with other Olympic champions."

Renjun was as honest as he could be, and Donghyuck didn't feel offended by those words, he even stopped to do a deep analysis on everything that was said, and he needed to be honest with himself in admitting that Renjun was right.

He didn't want to be a figure skater, that was his parents' dream, his parents' happiness depended on his own unhappiness, and for years, Donghyuck needed to hear that the ends justified the means, something his parents always said to validate that the fact that they made Donghyuck suffer and be frustrated for years of his life was for a goal that Donghyuck never really achieved: to be an Olympic athlete.

Donghyuck was supposed to have become a national champion, an Olympic athlete, but Donghyuck never managed to go beyond an interstate championship, and not because he was incapable, he just didn't want to go too far with his skating career, and for some reason, the judges knew that, they felt Donghyuck's emotions during his performances, and for that reason, Donghyuck was never able to add different scores to go that far.

''I've seen you playing hockey.'' Renjun commented. ''You were magnificent, more magnificent than in skating. I saw you genuinely smile for the first time. Isn't it ironic that we've known each other for fourteen years and I've never seen you at the height of your joy? The first time I saw you so happy was when you joined the hockey team to play a game, our training for the 2016 championship would start in an hour, so you and your hockey friends gathered at the rink to play, and I watched you from afar. Back then, I already liked you, and then I saw you, so beautiful, all sweaty, I thought it was really sexy, I just wanted to throw you on the wall and kiss you, it was a little humiliating to have an erection with just a short time for our training to start, but I couldn't take my eyes off you, not just because you're the best looking guy in the rink, but because you were so happy really.''

''So you were the type obsessed with me who kept watching me from afar and always ended up with a hard cock?'' Donghyuck spoke in a playful tone, and once again, Renjun slapped his chest.

''Sincerely, Donghyuck.'' Renjun shifted in Donghyuck's arms, to turn away from him.

Donghyuck was unbelievable, because even at a time that was supposed to be serious, he managed to crack jokes.

''Is the baby sad?'' Donghyuck was still laughing, squeezing Renjun even tighter in his arms, kissing the back of his head, which was then already on Renjun's shoulder, to later end up in his throat. By this time, Donghyuck was once again between Renjun's legs, kissing him with such devotion. ''I really hate being a figure skater, and I'm considering joining the hockey team, maybe soon you'll get a new coach, but in the meantime, how about some sex before we sleep?'' Donghyuck asked as they broke a kiss, seeing a beautiful smile of satisfaction appear on Renjun's face. ''Will you make nice sounds?''

''For you I can make any kind of sound, from the prettiest to the dirtiest.''

''These are the ones I want.''

''So these are they'll give it to you.''

They kissed one more time, and it wasn't long before they were having sex again, looking into each other's eyes, and they didn't dare close their eyes during orgasm, because if they did that, they would lose themselves in themselves, and that moment was meant to be shared, so they shared the gaze during orgasm, and kissed after the climax of pleasure, and Renjun made a point of moaning to Donghyuck, just for him, exclusive moans that Renjun never let go. no one has heard before, and perhaps because no one has ever been able to satisfy him like that.

In the end, Donghyuck was deserving of all the things Renjun was willing to give him.

⛸️

Donghyuck thought it would be difficult to join the hockey team, but everyone who saw him play knew he had a talent for it, so Donghyuck was accepted on the first try, and within three months, he was officially playing with the team.

Donghyuck, unfortunately, developed a family problem, his parents were obviously not happy to hear that their son would be giving up figure skating to dedicate himself to hockey, but Donghyuck wouldn't back down, for the first time in his life, he was enjoying some sport.

He knew that this decision would have consequences for him, and he was willing to deal with them, because although he had to deal with his parents' rejection, now he had a team that really cared about him, and most importantly: he had Renjun, the one who opened his eyes and wouldn't give up on himself for anything.

Now, Renjun and Donghyuck met frequently at the rink, they shared a kiss before Donghyuck left with the hockey team for Renjun to enter with other skaters to start the day's practice, and Donghyuck spent the next few hours watching Renjun practice, for at the end, they walk together and hand in hand to the house.

What they had was official, it took a while to establish, but since the belated celebration of Renjun's birthday, they'd met at least once a week, and they realized they were close enough to make something official when Donghyuck started spending a few nights with Renjun.

Usually, Donghyuck only stayed when they spent an entire night fucking like dogs in heat, but suddenly, Donghyuck was invited to stay, even though they hadn't done anything.

At least once a week Donghyuck would drop by for dinner, they'd watch a movie, spend a few hours making out on the couch while he finished the whole bottle of wine, and sometimes they wouldn't even have sex, Renjun would just ask Donghyuck to spend the night with him, because he wanted to be in Donghyuck's arms, to be held in his sleep, to hear Donghyuck's heartbeat as he had his head resting on his chest. All Renjun wanted was to have Donghyuck with him.

They were happy together, they were never really enemies, they never hated each other, but they were trained to do so, and while Donghyuck thought it was a sin to hate angels, Renjun believed he and Donghyuck would be better friends.

Sadly, it took fourteen years for them to finally bond, but when it did, it was an explosion of feelings, as it was fourteen years for Renjun to have to wait for Donghyuck, and fourteen years for Donghyuck to finally free himself from the weight of having to hate. Renjun, even though he had never actually done it.

And if anyone ever told Donghyuck that he would be dating his sporting enemy, he would say he believed in that possibility, because his enemy was never really an enemy, but rather, the boy Donghyuck looked up to adoringly, the one everyone called angel, and Donghyuck believed it was a sin to hate angels.

#renhyuck #dongren #nct fic #nct dream #nct haechan #haechan #lee donghyuck #donghyuk #donghyuck x renjun #haechan x renjun #renjun #huang renjun #nct dream smut #nct dream fanfic #nct dream fic #nct renjun

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redtsundere-writes · 9 months ago

Note

since this will be the last chapter....

can you post a special sneak peek?

Jinx's Chapter 14 Sneak Peek.

“The UFC 300 fight card comes with a bang, as it will be a double championship night!” The host of a sports news program enthusiastically announced to a panel of experts.

“That's right! First, we’ll see The Snake de Medusa versus The Fury. Will The Snake be able to regain her title after her injury?” One of the drivers asked openly to the table to start the debate.

“Are you nervous?” Choso asked me, leaving his empty plate on the glass table.

“A lot, but I'll just get into the octagon, I'll do what I have to do, and I'll take down Maki no matter what,” I answered excitedly.

“That's my girl,” Choso proudly placed a warm kiss on my cheek.

In the time we have been together, my relationship with Choso has been the most beautiful and healthy one I have ever had in my life. He always cares about me, cooks for me and supports me in all my decisions. We had less than 3 months living together, and I still maintained the same opinion I had of him. It was a pleasure to wake up next to him every morning, do housework together and make love in the shower from time to time. I loved doing everything together with him.

“I made you a green juice before I came here,” he said handing me one of my reusable bottles I had at home. I hated green juice, but I had to drink it for my own good.

“Yuta Okkotsu was to face Toge Inumaki for the middleweight belt, but Inumaki suffered an injury that will prevent the fight from taking place. Do they already know who his replacement will be?” One of the commentators asked with curiosity.

Yuta and Toge have always been friendly rivals. Outside the UFC they are almost always seen together at events and parties, but once they get in the ring, they are ready to kill each other. That energy of brotherhood and competitiveness makes their fights even more entertaining and among the bestsellers in the business. This rematch had been announced for 3 months. It was a shame that shortly before the event, Inumaki could no longer participate. I wanted to see the fight too.

“It's a good thing you mentioned it, because we have exclusive news for Total Sport! Toge Inumaki's replacement will be no one more and no one less than Sukuna Ryomen!” At that name, I can't help but spit out the green juice.

“What?!” I yelled as I got up from the sofa.

“Just like that! Sukuna will finally go after a second title.”

My mouth dropped open in shock. Sukuna and I would be at the same event! What wonderful news! After I moved to Nagoya, Sukuna hardly ever gave me any sign of life. He would either leave me on read or answer my messages weeks later. I sent hundreds of emails to Nanami to schedule a training session together, but I never received a reply. Every time Choso took me to one of his family events, I expected to see him there, in his fancy suit and expensive sunglasses. Unfortunately, Yuuji would always arrive alone and tell me that Sukuna was busy. It was frustrating to get in touch with him, but at last we would see each other again.

“I'll get to see Sukuna fight live again, what a thrill!” I squealed in excitement as Choso wiped up the mess I had made with a napkin.

“Are you that excited to see him?” I asked dryly.

“Of course I am. I was his coach for a year, and he improved so much in such a short time. I want to see how much he has improved without me,” I answered wistfully.

As much as I loved being back as a fighter, sometimes I liked to remember when I was his coach. The time when I could coexist in the mixed martial arts world and I didn't get hurt often. The best of both worlds. Even though I had my peace of mind, I missed Sukuna making me angry, laughing or crying with joy.

“Do you miss him that much?” Choso asked me out of the blue, avoiding my gaze completely.

“A little. It's just that it's been so long since I last saw him that I'm excited to see how he's doing,” I answered as I sat back down on the couch.

It had been a year since we last saw each other. When we said goodbye after leaving his penthouse, I didn't think it would take me that long to see him again. If I was already excited to return to the octagon for my title, now I was happy to know that Sukuna would see me fight live for the first time. A smile crept onto my face at the idea.

I'll be posting the last chapter tomorrow at 8 pm PST!

#fanfic #jujutsu kaisen #sukuna #sukuna ryomen #jjk imagine #ryomen sukuna #jinx fanfic #sneak peek

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hccn-overseer · 2 years ago

Text

Issue 6, 5/24/2023 - The Overseer

Issue Masterpost About the Overseer

Before our wonderful stories, I would like to give a shoutout to one of our writers, Lydia! You will notice, she wrote most of this week's stories and made many of the games as well to help cover other people who are busy this week! Lydia, you absolute madlad, we appreciate you so much on the team and this server, please do not do that again.

This week’s news is once again accompanied by a PDF version of your latest news brought to us once again by the lovely Cheer! Pick it up right here for your viewing pleasure!

Show Off Your Citizen Creations with Citizen Jams!

By Lydia

Creative minds of all kinds, listen up! The Hermit Citizen Hub has introduced a weekly community event, inviting all artists and writers to participate through a series of prompts released each Friday. If you are looking for an excuse to draw your citizen but are feeling shy about it, or you feel you are running out of ideas, here’s a way to scratch that itch to create with the Hermit Citizen Hub’s new Citizen Jams! All forms of artistic mediums are welcome!

Citizen Jams, or creative prompts focused on encouraging all members of the Hermit Citizen Hub to show off their citizens, were created by Gene, also known as FireApyr, on May 11th. Found in the Discord server, these prompts have encouraged a greater number of people to broaden their citizens’ horizons through various scenarios and costumes. This thread, Citizen Prompts, can be found under Citizen Art, with a specific thread linked in the initial post to Citizen Prompt Suggestions. Your fellow citizens have added several suggestions and there is always room for more!

These suggestions have a wide range, including but not limited to displaying your citizen wearing their favorite pajamas, participating in Zedvancements, showing up in Empires, appearing in pixel art, appearing as a Villain (or a Hero if they are already one), attending a board game night, during their favorite season, drawn with the opposite color scheme of their design, cosplaying a Hermit, and training a Warden.

Two prompts and many submissions have debuted on the server as of May 24th, much to the delight of our server member participants! The first prompt, suggested by Hyo, was “Your Citizen as a DND Character,” prompting artwork of citizens as paladins, rangers, wizards, and more. The second prompt, suggested by BitterTea, for this week, is “Your Citizen at a Tea Party.” Please leave your submissions to the Citizen Prompts in the overall Citizen-Art thread. We look forward to seeing your citizens in all kinds of situations and costumes!

Now onto other news below the cut!

Affiliate Summaries

By Roo

Bdouble0: Bdubs has shark grabbers, platform boots and a stepladder now.

DocM77: They’re plotting something. There’s been no further explanation.

GoodTimesWithScar: New HotGuy merch!! Not IRL, which has been a disappointment, but they’re enjoying the new graduation hats nonetheless. Hotguy may have a shotgun in future events, it is unofficial.

Grian: They anime-d Grian?? I think. It’s honestly really concerning.

ImpulseSV: He’s sweeping your chimney right now. No, it’s not a threat. Goats are great at sweeping chimneys.

MumboJumbo: They joined the biker gang and also predicted the future. Mumbo affiliates, if you are looking for a job that is NOT in a biker gang, the Seers is always open. (/j. Kinda.)

PearlescentMoon: She’s so small!!!! Itty bitty pearl :)

Rendog: They’re all so excited about the boat race! Yay for boat races. The newspaper should probably cover that, huh.

Welsknight: They’re working hard on the scrapbook! It’s looking splendid so far.

XisumaVoid: He’s a hermitcitizen now? Apparently. He’s also adopted everyone, so if you’re looking for a father figure, we’ve got one right here. He’s at the Scarland lost and found.

ZombieCleo: They’re just vibing and getting absorbed into other games! A lovely time, really.

If you do not see your affiliates here: Yet again, this is because some channels have not been active or are not notable. Please notify us if there have been any typos or misinformation.

Citizen Appreciation: Topaz, the Quintessential Patron of the Arts!

By Lydia

If you have ever visited the art channels of the Hermit Citizen Hub, you know that every artist is on the edge of their seat as they read the latest compliment from our endlessly hardworking artistic cheerleader, Topaz. Since April 19th, our fellow citizen and adamant patron of the arts, Topaz, has tracked down each art piece posted in our Citizen Art channels on our Discord server and to leave positive affirmations for each artist’s piece. She points out specific details and praises each piece for the artist’s personal flair, highly motivating the spirits of every drawer, painter, pixel artist, and crafter who crosses the threshold from merely observing others’ art pieces to sharing their work with a larger audience in that of the Hermit Citizen Hub.

Topaz is a fellow artist herself, having depicted her own Hermit Citizen as a member of Pearl’s cleaning team, who also takes care of Bdubs’ horses and leans into her medium as a video game character, providing her own sound effects when jumping and upon deaths. She lives in a treehouse north of Mumbo Jumbo’s vault and shows her skill strengths in Mining, Exploring, and Overall Dexterity in navigation. She is also a very decent prankster and builder. Many citizens recognize her art style for its high emphasis on bold shapes and straightforward colors, with thick outlines to give her work that extra punch of polished realization. In addition to her own citizen artwork, she has also created fanart of The Life Series, Empires SMP, fellow citizens of the Hermit Citizen Hub, has shared her own artistic improvement in redrawing her older character art, and has drawn several Hermits for the Hermit A Day art challenge. Topaz also crochets in addition to drawing traditional and digital artwork. All citizens are encouraged to take a look at her pieces in the art channels if they have not done so, yet!

Topaz’s eye for both her own and others’ artistic traits is exceptionally perceptive. In her affirmations, she highlights every wonderful peculiarity and characteristic that each artist wishes to convey. Everything from the details of how meticulously textured a character’s costume is, to the dynamic color choices of each character’s design, to the uncanny lifelike nature of a character’s eyes, and anything else that you may not say aloud but want to make a known idiosyncrasy of your artwork, will be featured in Topaz’s assessment of your piece. Another staple of Topaz’s affirmation is the returned “Thank YOU!” to each person’s gratitude, turning it back to the artist for sharing their inimitable creative styles and depictions of both their own and others’ characters.

Topaz’s unbridled enthusiasm towards her fellow artistic community is returned as frequently as the awestruck members can muster, many of whom had insisted that she receive recognition for her crucial influence on the server. Because of this, Topaz has received a special role in the Hermit Citizen Hub in honor of her foundational presence as the quintessential patron of the arts: Hermitcity Art Society, as a seal of appreciation from the moderation team. This was given in reflection of the thanks that the community would like to show her. We would like to congratulate Topaz for her emotional labor, support, and dedication to this community, and we wish her all the best!

Weekly Weather Report

By Lydia

Wednesday - MOSTLY SUNNY, High 19 Degrees, Low 10 Degrees. Balloons in the shape of Withers are expected to fly through all areas.

Thursday - WINDY, High 22 Degrees, Low 9 Degrees. Several sets of DND dice will roll through all areas. Enjoy your free dice!

Friday - RAINY, High 26 Degrees, Low 11 Degrees. There is a 65% chance of rain to be iced tea instead of water.

Saturday - SUNNY, High 24 Degrees, Low 12 Degrees. Whirlpools may form in all oceans.

Sunday - PARTLY CLOUDY, High 18 Degrees, Low 7 Degrees. Temperatures are expected to drop in the early afternoon. A low growling may be heard from The Rift from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Monday - RAINY, High 23 Degrees, Low 12 Degrees. Umbrellas will be provided to any passers-by in the shopping district, courtesy of The Overseer.

Tuesday - MOSTLY CLOUDY, High 26 Degrees, Low 9 Degrees. Jellyfish are expected to wash up on many shores. They will be entirely transparent.

Wednesday - WINDY, High 20 Degrees, Low 11 Degrees. Sand storms are expected around 4:00 PM. Make sure you have a way to cover your face.

WARNING: Explosive Wither Skulls Hovering Over Scarland Central Square All citizens in Scarland are recommended to remain on high alert due to Docm77’s retaliation to The Incident (Grian and Scar breaking his Redstone). Several explosive Wither Skull Mines have been transported to Scarland’s Central Square by Docm77. They hang ominously over Scarland’s main central street. They will very likely reign destruction upon Scarland in the near future.

Editor's note: Again, if any of our readers are rich and generous, we ask for assistance in paying Rainy’s ransom. The kidnappers’ identity is still unknown, but leaving a pile of diamonds on the doorstep of the Overseer offices may be enough to reach them.

Come and Visit the Citizen Shops and Services!

By Lydia

A number of citizens in the Hermit Citizen Hub are hard at work making sure that their shops and services are in tip-top shape for the benefit of all who visit the Hermitcraft server. With the addition of an officially documented list of shops and services, we are happy to share the wares and whereabouts of our community’s bustling businesses, many of which are always on the move for your convenience! Enjoy exploring and meeting your fellow shop owners, for there is always help right around the corner! The following is a collection of official citizen businesses that help us liven up the server with everything from materials in bulk, to clinics, researchers for hire, and more!

Do you need to send a package, letter, or perhaps a collection of prized trinkets to your favorite citizens? 10K Blocks is a delivery service run by Hyo the Human that can handle everything and anything YOU need to be sent to anyone on the server! Diamonds are the commonly accepted form of payment, but if you’re short on diamonds, sentimental items will also suffice for anything you’re looking to swiftly ship to your companions! If you would like to make a delivery order, come and visit the Hyo Delivery Interaction thread!

Do you think you might have a slight touch of Watcher Trauma? Do you experience growing anxiety over your safety as an affiliate of Grian or Scar? Are you getting a twinge of bloodthirst, but afraid of hurting your companions? Glowberry Therapy, with multiple locations across the server for your convenience, is here with open arms to help you process everything from finding that your companions have been captured by The Watchers to recurring guilt over setting off an unfathomable chain of events in your past! Therapy from Theseus of Glowberry Therapy is available if you only ask him with a message in the Citizen Talk thread. Therapy is free, but donations are especially appreciated.

Do you crave cookies, pies, cakes, muffins, or any small pastries? You’re in luck because Z (or Zee) has your perfect fix with Painted Wings, their mobile vendor cart running all through Scarland! For just a few diamonds, usually within the 1-5 range, you can taste just a lovingly baked magical treat! Send Z a message in the Citizen Talk thread if you find your stomach growling!

Is your curiosity about a certain mob or biome itching the corners of your brain? Come to Cloud’s Office, located in the Shopping District, and see Azure Clouds to find yourself a researcher who will tell you anything you want to know about these creatures and locations! Send them a message in the Citizen Talk thread for any of your creature and environment studies needed! Any chance for them to share their knowledge is a chance for you to look at your chosen subject with brand-new eyes. All they ask for is 1-10 diamonds (depending on the level of danger) and an attentive ear!

Do you need any medicines or potions? Come to The Pharmacy, located in the center of the shopping district, run by Ender R. Enderwoah! Prices fluctuate based on Ender’s mood and your own demeanor, so put your best face on when you stop by! If you’re pleasant enough, you could even find common items for just a diamond a piece! Find Ender’s thread, The Pharmacy, and leave them a note!

Are you looking for materials from the deep dark areas of the Overworld? Sculk Shriekers, Deepslate, Glowberries, and more are available just east of iBuy at The Quarry Crop, run by Ashes! Give them a message in Citizen Talk, and keep your inventory open for materials in bulk! Prices vary depending on the danger factor, but are well worth it!

Are you looking for a prosthetic or mobility aid from one of the most skilled crafting citizens on the server? Look no further! You can find something perfectly suited to yourself and your style from On the Move! Located at a small workshop near the beach behind iBuy, you can purchase individually customized, hand-crafted, efficiently made, personalized prosthetics and mobility from Fin! Find their Citizen I.D. card and leave a message for them!

Do you need a child, pet, or an inebriated companion to be looked after? For 2 diamonds per hour (or a stockpile of building supplies), you can drop off your ward at The Copper Clinic and Daycare, run by Doc Zero in the Shopping District! In addition, if you are injured or looking for a medical check-up, you may receive a free referral to The Pharmacy as well, though donations are appreciated! Find Doc Zero’s Citizen I.D. card and leave him a message or leave him a message in the Citizen Talk thread if you’re looking for a sitter or clinic!

Many of these shops and services are just getting started, and are more than ready for a full string of customers! We hope you all enjoy your stay in the Hermit Citizen Hub, no matter how long you plan to be with us!

Lost and Found

By Lydia

The following items were brought in from across the server this week. As nobody knows who they belong to, they have been categorized as lost. If you recognize any of the following or would like to report a lost item, do reach out to us at [email protected]*

*Not a real email address

Item 1: A blue glass bottle with a scroll inside. The scroll shows a blueprint for a hot air balloon station. This bottle was found near Keralis’ shipyard. The blueprint seems to be recently drawn, however, the paper is turning yellow due to age. When asked about these blueprints, no one in the area had claimed them, nor had they heard of any plans for a hot air balloon station. The blueprints are drawn in colored pencil and the bottle itself glows in the dark. If this bottle belongs to you, please tell us if you are still planning to create a hot air balloon station when you come to claim it!

Item 2: An old notebook containing transcripts of a quiz show. This notebook is a spiral notebook with an orange and yellow cover that contains several transcripts and notes from a quiz show of an unknown name. It is unknown what the title of the show was, as it was never written down. The transcripts of the show appear to involve a tumultuous style of hosting which involves bringing in contestants to fist-fight each other before answering questions related to various Minecraft mobs. To the person who owns this book, please know that we have been very entertained by its contents!

Item 3: A cloth doll found near Enchantea depicting a gothic baseball player. This doll was found in near-perfect condition just outside of the shop. It is approximately 11 inches tall and has a black baseball uniform with gothic jewelry around the neck and wrists, with four ear piercings. It has curly green hair and silver button eyes. A patch of a peanut shell is sewn onto the back of its shirt. Neither a baseball nor bat was found with it.

Item 4: 6 2-inch coins made out of brass, all depicting images of fish tails and birds’ wings. These coins are green and surprisingly heavy. Four of them appear brand new, but the others appear to have rusted over many years. Each coin depicts two fish tails and four sets of bird wings, specifically the tails of Rainbow Trouts and the wings of California Condors. Anyone holding these coins notes that they feel as if they are about to be chased down by a threatening being, and everyone we have asked refuses to touch them. If these coins are yours, please claim them as soon as possible.

Item 5: A beige amphora made of clay, depicting the image of several Striders walking across a lava lake filled with dominoes. This amphora was found near Total Chaos. The artwork is painted in shades of orange, red, and dark turquoise. The images are crudely drawn and one of the handles is missing. Nothing was found inside the amphora, and it appears to have never held anything at all, as the inside is perfectly clean. If this amphora belongs to you, please consider displaying some of your plants inside of it!

Spectating Science: Warden Science with Tango Tek for Decked Out

Recapped by Cirrus, the Shoebill, written by Lydia

Scientific advancements throughout the Hermit Citizen Hub and among the Hermits themselves continue onward, allowing greater insight into familiar faces. Any citizens who are interested in the instinctual behaviors and idiosyncrasies of creatures of the most dangerous caliber are invited to share their theories related to the focused mob of this article. Wardens today are not as mysterious as they were during their first debut on all servers, however, this does not deter many from inquiring more about the aspects that we do not fully understand, or that we may elaborate upon concerning these sensory beasts.

While last week’s edition of Spectating Science focused on the study of Ravagers from the perspective of your fellow citizen, a biologist and animal behaviorist, Redfeather, this edition focuses on a single day’s experiments conducted by your Hermit, Tango Tek, as he fine-tuned his knowledge of Wardens and continued the early planning stages of his hand-crafted dungeon-crawler game, Decked Out.

Wardens are set to be integrated into the third and fourth levels of Decked Out as the primary threats to Players attempting to collect their artifacts and escape the game with their life. In addition, Wardens were stated to have many intimidating traits that can be used to strike the right level of haste and panic in these Players, but they needed great adjustments to their environment due to their many setbacks. Tango Tek’s live broadcast from May 17th featured trials and experiments conducted on these Wardens in a two-and-a-half-hour session. These experiments centered on necessary changes to increase Warden sensitivity and aggression to make the levels a greater challenge than the previous ones.

One of the Warden’s most significant obstacles, according to Tango Tek, is the extended length of time that a Warden takes to find a Player. This required several assessments of both traversal and sensitivity ranges at the beginning of his broadcast. His initial tests aimed to assess the traversal capabilities of the creatures, finding that the presence of lava slows down a Warden’s walking and running speed, causing it to struggle through its presence. Soul sand will also slow down a Warden’s walking speed. A flow of lava will also easily push a Warden in the stream’s direction, making it unusable for a Warden’s pathing. Wardens do not take damage from lava and are capable of swimming up walls made of lava, but this is not an ideal construction. Instead, Tango Tek settled on using fire in the place of lava for the time being, because it works well to slow down the Player while allowing the Warden to walk and run at its normal pace.

A given advantage for Wardens is their ability to move in a path toward a Player despite their inability to see, and this remains consistent even with the presence of trivial, small dead ends in maze settings. Larger dead ends may cause issues for Wardens, which affects the layout of the third and fourth levels to accommodate a Warden’s initial patterns of pathing. Tango Tek stated that he would likely make each corridor 2 blocks wide at a minimum. He also added that railings are imperative to any staircases if a Warden may risk falling off of them when chasing down a Player.

The next tests conducted centered on Darkness and the sound of Wardens’ heartbeats. Wardens give Players within a 20-block radius the effect of Darkness, which lasts for twelve seconds and is reapplied every six seconds, in addition to creating the sound of an audible heartbeat from approximately 50 to 60 blocks away from a Player. Each Warden’s heartbeat accelerates depending on how aggravated it is, meaning that multiple Wardens will not synchronize their heartbeats with each other. These heartbeats come in tandem with the effect of Darkness given to each Player. The level of Darkness pulsing can physically be changed by each Hermit through their out-of-world settings, and can even be set to not pulse at all. Tango Tek stated, however, that this is not an ideal way to play the game and interferes with the way that he wants them to experience the game’s environment. He also confirmed that the primary heartbeat sound effect that was added to Decked Out overpowers the heartbeat of the Wardens, but he does not see this as a large issue and prefers the sound of the Decked Out sound system to take priority in order to build up the Player’s sense of urgency.

The most intensive tests during the broadcast related to the aggravation and ability of a Warden to track down and kill a Player. With the help of a data pack created by his friend, Grifter, Tango Tek proceeded to measure the way that Wardens’ aggravation becomes affected by different factors. The first section of these intensive tests related to distance, a Warden’s sense of touch, projectiles, and a Warden’s use of scent. Wardens sniff when they are idle and can detect all Players within a 25-block radius. This does not make them aggravated, but it does send them on the path to the Player. A Player walking is the first step to aggravating a Warden, with the others being a Player throwing a projectile that physically contacts the Warden and touching the Warden with one’s bare hands or a weapon. A Warden that is hit with a projectile is easily aggravated faster than in any other way that a Player may antagonize it. A Warden’s roar is also a sign of its aggravation rising. Sneaking is the Player’s first line of defense against aggravating a Warden. If a Warden is not able to reach a Player with its long arms, it will release a Sonic Shriek, dealing a heavy amount of damage as well. A Sonic Shriek has a range of 16 blocks horizontally and 20 blocks vertically.

The second part of this intensive period related to environmental sounds and how they affect a Warden’s attention. Wardens always prioritize the vibrations of a Player over the vibrations of other objects but are also drawn to other objects that create sound within their vicinity. Wardens will not use their sniffing ability when they are distracted by noise-making objects when the Player is over 16 blocks away, which limits the way that Tango Tek may use such elements in relation to Wardens.

The third part of this section involved Tango Tek running through a maze of three-block-tall walls to get to the other side and successfully outrun a Warden. He then added more Wardens upon realizing that merely one Warden proved to be unsatisfactory. The testing area ranged approximately 70 by 70 blocks, the approximate size that Level Three is planned to match. Level Three may be larger, and will also include vertical portions. The goal of creating Level Three is to make the terrain harder for the Player to navigate, but easier for the Warden to traverse and track the Player down. Due to the set of Wardens placed within the testing area taking a longer amount of time to track down the Player and become aggravated, Tango Tek needed a solution to enhance the Wardens’ sensory input. These tests confirmed the need for a new set of experiments to increase the Wardens’ range of aggravation and tracking time.

The final portion of the broadcast showed Tango Tek’s solution to these timing issues. Tango Tek, through the use of calibrated sculk sensors (a future addition to the game), amethyst blocks, and pistons, successfully increased the range of a Warden’s aggravation from 16 blocks to a full 50 blocks. Through the connection of these “nodes” (single units consisting of a calibrated sculk sensor, amethyst block, and piston), he not only increased the range of aggravation but significantly increased the speed of a Warden tracking down a Player and shortened the time in which a Warden would become aggravated by said Player. He describes this grid format of nodes in the way of activating them through the pistons, set off by the amount of clank generated by each Player. During the Player’s run, they will activate the connected calibrated network depending on how long they stay in the dungeon. Despite this critical improvement, Tango Tek must moderate the nodes that are used throughout the entire dungeon to ensure that the game is not too difficult for the Player to complete.

The broadcast ended shortly after this experiment, leaving its viewers with a greater understanding of the capabilities, setbacks, and potential enhancement of Wardens. With this research and experimentation, Tango Tek has greatly enhanced the intelligence and threat levels posed by Wardens to Players for Decked Out, specifically through increasing their range of traversal and aggravation towards the Player. Thanks to Tango Tek’s use of calibrated sculk sensors, Wardens will be a more formidable presence as they take center stage in Levels Three and Four of Decked Out. The overall goal in this endeavor is to encourage the Player to be stealthy and quick, rather than to frustrate them and tempt them to brute force their way through the dungeon.

We invite any applied researchers to bring forth any growing developments that they would like to share in this segment and look for Cirrus, the Shoebill, for an interview about themselves and their work. In addition, tangents and rambles are more than welcome. No discovery is too small, and it is never too late to teach your fellow citizens something new!

[If you would like to be interviewed for Spectating Science, please look for Cirrus’s Citizen I.D. card in the Discord server and leave a note for them.]

Ask the Seers

By Seers Jester, S, Vi, and Nes

Has your favourite little guy been put into a situation they can’t get out of? Do you have questions about how a mountain appeared on top of your house last night? Question no more, for The Seers are here to help! Questions can be submitted through the ask box and are collected throughout the week.

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Dear Seers, I took your advice and got things done :] Bobby now has a better room with much more space, and the cats are finally getting along with him! Too well actually. Call me paranoid, but what do I do if I feel like my cats and warden are trying to plot something against me? I feel like the snack barrels aren’t gonna safe anymore. - Paranoid Cat And Warden Parent

Hello Paranoid Cat And Warden Parent,

Apologies for the delayed response, we here at The Seers all mysteriously disappeared to a death game. But we’re back now! Hopefully just in time to save you from your scheming pets…

The most important thing is to find out why they’re plotting, have you not been feeding them their favourite snacks often enough? Are they not getting enough attention? Did you step on one of their feet last week? Figure out why they’re mad and try to bribe them with extra of whatever they’re mad about.

If that fails, separate them. They may be friends, but if they’re dangerous they cannot play together. I’m not saying rehome any of them, just maybe move Bobby away from your base until things blow over!

If you try that and Bobby ends up escaping and returning to plotting with the cats, make a noise machine. It will entertain him long enough for him to forget about whatever they were plotting about.

If all else fails, pack your bags and leave. Perhaps consider the perimeter, because that’s probably more safe then your house right now. - The Seers