#one day when he puts those studs back in his model will also wear them

[akkivee]

kuukou’s doing his action squat thing but jfc their height difference pls????? like?????? pls?????

[gabessquishytum]

Hello hello again! Happy almost New Year!

I've got nipple piercing/piercings in general brain rot right now and need to have it spill out somewhere.

Dream comes back after thirty odd years in his modern dress. Hob's happy! His friend is back (and *is* a friend, according to Dream), and they even plan to meet up more often.

So, of course, Dream being the fashionable, cunt serving personification he is, he refuses to wear the same fit twice when he meets Hob. It's about their fourth meeting, the weather is particularly hot that day and Hob gets an eye full of Dream in a longer crop top, just a sliver of pale skin showing between the shirt and his sinfully tight jeans. But the worst part is the symmetrical nubs Hob can see poking out from the thin black shirt. Two balls rests on either side of Dream's nipples and Hob is speechless.

The dangling earrings in his ears and the - oh Christ - yup, that's a naval piercing too, none of those are helping Hob's brain function. Dream, of course, is confused since he just pulled this look from the minds of some nearby dreamers. Is it so out of place? Had he misunderstood the fashion of this time?

But, as Hob finally manages to find his voice and they talk, as they often do, Dream finally puts one and one together after realizing Hob has been staring at his chest the entire meeting.

So Dream keeps the piercings. And if he styles his outfits to better show them off, well, whose to say?

(And when these two end up in bed together after far too long, Hob gets his payback by latching his mouth to those taunting piercings and doesn't plan to let go anytime soon.

He's also pleasantly surprised by the other decorations he finds on Dream's cock later on.)

WEEEWOOO pierced Dream time!!

Dream’s itty bitty titties do just look so DARLING with their little silver piercings. The first are just simple bar piercings, but once Dream realises exactly how into it Hob is, he starts stealing jewellery inspo from his dreamers. Studs, rings, and dangling chains, even a belly button decoration modelled to look like Dream’s helm - he tries as many styles as he pleases, and Hob drools over ever single on.

He even comes along to a meeting with a lip ring, which he proceeds to bite and play with all evening. Hob nearly begs for death - of course he doesn't, but he does have to leave the pub with his bag covering his crotch. So embarrassing!

The payoff is rather wonderful though. Dream would set off a metal detector for sure by the time he finally tumbles into Hob’s bed. And Hob gets to kiss every single shining piece of body jewellery one by one until Dream is begging for mercy. He also gets Dream’s cock inside him, which is a revelatory experience. There's even a ring through the tip of Dream’s cock which a) bumps into Hob’s prostate delightfully and b) is a wonderful thing to hang onto and tug when he's feeling particularly demanding.

Hob can't wait for Dream to take him to the piercing parlour so they can match, go out on the town and slut it up together <3

[kyanmapng]

han seojun biker au.

listen to movie by junny.

˗ˋˏ author’s note ˎˊ˗

finally biker! seojun is here. as usual i just indulged and let my imagination run wild with the cheesiness. it might seem short, but i actually wrote too much and had to cut it in the middle as to not overwhelm ppl and tumblr (who loves to cut my stuff when i add read more). but if u are interested in more of this, let me know! biker seojun is definitely my weakness and this has a continuation, but i’m thinking of re-writing the continuation as more of a scenario. 

duality truly hits different with han seojun. dark, mysterious with a studded jacket and ears heavy with piercings, but drinking non-alcoholic sweet drinks because his tolerance for alcohol is so incredibly low (i mean one shot and the world is a merry-go-round low). 

he has the look of a model, as if u can’t possibly catch him looking less than 100% perfect (something his gang members would love to prove wrong and they have no shortage of incriminating pictures).

he definitely named his bike and talks to it when he makes repairs. also is it just me or did it get a little hot here, thinking about seojun working on his bike? headband in his hair to keep it from falling in his eyes, leather jacket somewhere in the corner so as to not get it dirty, black shirt with a neckline so deep his friends call it indecent exposure. his friends make so much fun of him when he does things in what seems like a thought-out pose (think of suho making fun of seojun for drying his hair in the most diva way possible.)

seojun doesn’t enjoy fighting but sometimes you just can’t avoid it and he learned to adapt. as a kid he would never stoop so low as to cheat or play to his advantage. when he got older and saw that his play by the book mentality gave the upperhand to everyone but him, he changed his way. petty and crafty tricks sometimes hit harder than fists ever could. 

but even then his heart is forever kind and beats harder for anything cute. he gets this soft look in his eyes when seeing a puppy or riding by a field of pretty flowers. (he also wears cute mismatched socks inside his scary looking leather boots. but that’s a secret he’s taking to his grave.)

and people seem to notice the softness even when he tries so hard to be intimidating. grannies effortlessly rope him into carrying their groceries (oftentimes he volunteers himself) and then they pull his cheeks and coo at him, while he has to bow down to even be eye level with them. it makes him wonder if he is just soft or they are tough. (it’s both ok.)

biker seojun loves his gang, they are his family and he can’t imagine them not being by his side. it would feel like he is stranded in the middle of nowhere with his bike in pieces that he can’t put together. 

even then he feels like there is something missing. seojun is a romantic soul through and through, he wants to feel the connection and have someone who will turn to him for help and who will be there for him as well. someone he can share his everything with (down to the mismatched socks secrets.)

it just so happens, seojun often rides off to clear his head so as to not bother his friends. this time he is jumped by some people that really want to have revenge and have the numbers to make it sting bad. seojun gets hurt pretty bad but in comes a knight in a shining armor (really it’s just a person on a scooter playing police siren imitation.) shockingly the tactic pays off and the dudes run off yelling curses and promises of bigger beating. 

before seojun loses consciousness he sees you run to him from the pizza delivery scooter and look him over with an extremely worried look. 

hauling seojun anywhere is a pain that your back is going to feel for a few days, but after he’s successfully transported you can finally try and see the full scope of his injuries. split lip, cut on his forehead probably from a ring, bruised jaw and ribs. when your hand touched his ribs, seojun flinched and woke up, grabbing your hand and squeezing hard on the reflex. 

once u calm him down and he relaxes again, he let’s go and watches you fuss over him. when he notices your wrist and those red irritated marks his grip left, he feels guilty. you ask him what happened and he glosses over it, not wanting to disclose anything that could somehow put you in risk. he asks how come you got a police siren and you laugh and tell him that you have secrets of your own. 

when seojun is as good as new, you send him on his way, but before that he asks about the reason you would risk helping him. “turning a blind eye like that is … agreeing with the violence even without throwing my fists around. how could i sleep at night not knowing what happened to you after i turned my back on you?” seojun feels something stir in him at that, even more so when u add, “it’s not that i wasn’t scared! but i would be more scared of myself if i let it go.” 

basically that seal the deal and seojun is stuck with your words in his mind and your kind touch on his wounds in his memory. later that night he realizes… he didn’t ask for your name! he feels like his chance to get to know you just slipped through his fingers.

until later his gang members see how gloomy seojun seems and want to raise his spirits with some pizza night! seojun goes to the door, grumpily huffing and puffing under his breath, just to freeze when he sees you holding the pizza, trained smile on your face. “here is your pizza-- oh!” by some movie-esque turn of events seojun sees his second chance materialize and he is not going to let it pass him by. maybe this time he will start by asking your name and maybe just maybe he will ask for your number too. 

[markleesthighs]

Hotel! AU With Lucas~?? 👉👈

-idk what you meant by hotel, but umm manager lucas makes me think, so like crazy rich!y/n x hotel manager! lucas

[7:27 PM] Your finally got off your long plane ride, landing in Seoul. Your sister was getting married to her longtime boyfriend, which was a wedding the talk of all of Seoul. Your sister was an actress and her boyfriend was a famous director, both winning oscars overseas. You, on the other hand was a world class fashion icon, showing up at multiple fashion weeks and constantly having high class brands beg for your to wear their pieces. It would be no shock that once you stepped off your family’s private jet, there was paparazzi active, asking who you were wearing and what you were planning on wearing to the wedding. Your sisters wedding was in one of the most exclusive and expensive hotels in all of Seoul, and they rented out the entire hotel for its guests. Your limo pulled up to the gates where you stated your name and verified your identification to let the guards open the gates. As you pulled up a handsome man who opened the limo door for you and held your hand. You felt some sort of warmth to his touch and his eyes made your heart melt. You hadn’t felt this way about someone since your ex boyfriend 2 years ago. What were you thinking? Someone like you? Dating someone like him? It would be the end of the world for the both of you. You looked down at his name tag as it read “Lucas” An interesting name you thought.

“Hello I am Lucas, the manager of the hotel, let us help you with your luggage and any accommodations you will need.” He said as he graciously held your purse for you.

“Thank you.”

You walked into the hotel to be greeted with your sister squealing bringing you into a hug. You hugged her fiancé as you caught up with her while Lucas checked you in.

“Miss y/n, you are checked in for the presidential suite at the top floor, let me also show you to your room and give you the tour.”

“T-thank you”

You sister noticed your stutter, something that generally can back when you were flustered or around someone you liked. She gave you a smirk and winked as you rolled your eyes and glared at her, hoping Lucas didn’t see.

You walked into an elevator with only you and Lucas as it was dead silent. You looked at him looking at his fashion choices, which you generally judged people on. He had Cartier studs, a perfectly fitted Hermès suit, a shiny new Rolex, and shiny Gucci loafers. He had good taste you thought to yourself. As the elevator door opened you tripped on elevator crack with your heel as he caught you hold you firmly and supporting you.

“Are you alright? You must be more careful when stepping off with such beautiful Louboutin shoes, I wouldn’t want to scuff those.”

You were starstruck, he smelled like Versace cologne and it mixed beautifully with your Chanel No. 5 perfume as you saw he also took a liking to your perfume. He helped you stand back up with his arm now supporting you as you both strolled to your room. You noticed that Lucas was still taller than you with your heels on which was rare since most guys wouldn’t dare approach you with your reflective sunglasses and intimidating behavior. Lucas unlocked and opened the door to one of the most luxurious hotel rooms you’ve seen. You’ve traveled and stayed at expensive hotels overseas but nothing compared to this suite. It smelled like fresh cotton and flowers, and everything was perfectly polished and cleaned. You were marveled, you would usually have at least a complaint by now but you were left speachless. Your clothes were already placed in the closet, color coded perfectly. All of your skincare and makeup of beautifully organized on the sink and vanity.

“Is everything up to your standards, miss y/n?.”

“Y-yes...h-how did.”

“We consulted your assistants, butlers, and maids overseas about your standards and wanted to make sure they were followed accordingly.”

You looked over at the vase of violets.

“How did you know violets were my favorite?”

“I didn’t. I always think violets have a calming scent and look, that can make any place feel like home.” He said with a smile.

“If theres anything else we can do for you, you can give us a call on the phones or use the PA systems located around your room. Enjoy your stay. “

As he walked out you took a look around your room, hoping to find a complaint (to see Lucas again) but you had none. You even noticed your bed was folded perfectly so a flap would be open on the side of the bed you slept on. As you sat down you got a call from your sister who was begging you to come down to the hotel’s restaurant to go have dinner with her and her fiancé, to catch up and go over last minute wedding decorations (since you had one of the most detailed eyes in the world). You agreed as you changed into a Dior sundress, Hermès sandals, and a Prada clutch. You opened the elevator to the entrance of the restaurant where your sister was exitedly waving you down at their table.

“It’s so lovely to see you again, I love that dress!”

“Thanks, it’s from Dior’s 2021 spring line.”

“2021?? Darling that’s a year away how did you get your hands on this piece?”

“I didn’t most brands send me their upcoming lines to see if it meet my approval and will curve with current fashion trends.”

“You never fail to amaze me, y/n.”

As you were about to speak a waiter came by and dropped off some warm green tea for you. It was your signature drink, so it wasn’t a long shot, until you took a sip. It was made to your liking. It was seeped from the Da-Hong Pao brand with a teaspoon of Elvish honey. They even got the temperature exactly right, at 175 degrees. You suspected Lucas. He made everything perfect for you, it was nice, but you assumed he did that for all of his guests. You all continued to talk over dinner, creating conversations from cute dogs on Instagram to which way bridesmaids should present themselves at the wedding. After dinner you all transitioned to the grand ballroom, the main stage for the wedding. Your sister was nervously twiddled her fingers as you gazed at the decor. Lucas came in short after following you around taking notes, hanging on your every word.

“These flowers aren’t fresh replace all of them by tomorrow, make sure all of the silverware is perfectly straight next to the plate, turn the centerpieces by 35 degrees so the lights hit them better, the goody bag bags look tacky, replace them with Louis Vultton bags and put in Louis Vultton, Gucci, and Channel accessories, with each bag with different ones so they never match.”

“B-but, y/n, we can’t possibly purchase that in time!”

“Don’t worry sis, Lucas please charge any additional items that I’ve adjusted onto my card.”

“y/n please! You’re our guest!”

“Stop it. What else am I going to blow with all money? It’s worth it for your wedding.”

You handed Lucas your card as he wrote down your information. You continued on your purge to the point where your sister and fiancé got tired and went up to their room exhausted and they definitely needed some rest. So now it was just you and Lucas in the ballroom, alone.

“Miss, y/n, I know you want everything to be perfect for your sisters wedding, but I think you’re beating a dead horse at this point. “

“I am not!”

“Do you really think moving the chair in by one centimeter it really necessary?”

You sighed as you looked at your sandals.

“No, it’s not.”

“Why are you so punctual about this, miss y/n, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“It’s cause, this, was supposed to be my wedding. I was engaged two years ago, to a man who only wanted me for my money. I had all the wedding planning set until I was informed he was trying to sell my stocks and take everything from my bank account and runaway with some other famous B lister model. So once I heard my sister was getting married, I let her have my wedding plans. So now, I’m being overly punctual, since I know I would be like this on my wedding day.”

“Well, sometimes imperfect things allow the world to let it be perfect in ways you’ve never known. If this were my wedding, I wouldn’t care how lavish or perfect it was, as long as I was marrying someone I loved.”

Lucas’ words resonated into your mind, maybe you needed to let things be imperfect, even for your sister.

“So be it then, I’m done ‘perfecting’ for the night. Afterall, it’s not my wedding.”

As you walked out Lucas called out your name, and asking for your number. You hesitated asking him why and he said to discuss any issues that occur on the day of the wedding so he can contact you and discuss any certain changes. Right, he wasn’t trying to hit on you, why would he want to, he probably has a girlfriend or something right? You gave him your number and you walked into the elevator back to your room. You fantasized what it would be like to date him, going out on lavish dates, not worrying about who was going to pay for the check, and you felt that you would have a fun time with him. You took your shower and came out of the bathroom to see that you’re missing your roller from your skincare routine. You called Lucas up in your robe and wet hair to ask him for your cold Jade roller you used to smoothen and contour your face. He brought it up and gave it to you. But as he left, you grabbed his arm and asked him to roll your face for you, since your maids would do it for you. He chuckled as he submit to your request sitting down on your bed with you as you watched him gently roll your face. His eyes looked so delicate carefully not trying to put too much pressure on your face. You felt your heart beating faster every time you were around him, he was unpredictable to you and he was never intimidated by you either. You had never been able to open up to someone as easily as him.

When he was finished you noticed it started to thunderstorm, which worried you, since you had a secret fear of thunder and lightning. Lucas looked at you and gently caressed your face, making sure everything rolled correctly. But as he was about to get up a loud clash of the lightning struck and you squeaked as you fell into his arms holding on to him tight.

“P-please, d-don’t leave yet...”

Lucas looked at you in sympathy but got up leaving you in the dust. You were disappointed, knowing things like this would happen, even if you did like him. Who would even want to date- But Lucas returned dressed in his comfortable clothes which he received from the cleaning maids on your floor. He quickly came back to your shivering state hearing another clash of thunder. Lucas pulled you into a cuddling embrace in your bed. He also came back with some Airpods and played your favorite music to drown out the noise of the storm. You soon fell asleep on his chest, feeling warm and safe in his arms.

-pt. 2?? wedding day?

[imagine-turtles]

Hello I saw you were doing matchups and wanted to join in if that was alright with you!! 💕💕

I’m a 6’9 queer non-binary person who is French, English, Irish and German! I grew up in Texas and I’ll always consider it my home, especially my grandmother’s house because she’s one of my favorite people in the world! I am the oldest of my siblings and I was diagnosed with ALL leukemia when I was eight, been in remission since I was twelve. I’m actually the one that sent the question considering the child cancer, thank you so very much for your kind and understanding response, even if you can’t answer requests about it, it means so much that you took the time to thoughtfully answer it and I such a nice way 💖💖💖 I recently gave myself a buzz cut and I have tons of freckles on my arms, and a lot sprinkled over my face and legs. I have green eyes and I have nipple piercings, a lip ring, a right nostril stud along with two left nose rings, a septum, a right eyebrow piercing, and tons of piercings in both of my ears including an industrial in my left! I’m going to get a bridge piercing soon as well as a tongue piercing, though the bridge may get in the way of my glasses. I also got my top surgery two years ago and got my nipple piercings a year later to celebrate the anniversary of it!! I love my scars, they symbolize my journey. I also have several tattoos covering my hands, arms, a large complex one on my back that connects to the ones on my shoulders leading down to my chest and neck, and I have several ones littered over my legs and thighs. I wear a lot of rings on my hands!

I have four cats and live with my two partners, I am a proud plant parent and my room is littered in them. I am very messy so my books and papers are scattered everywhere, I also have a tendency to buy notebooks and journals I never use. I am a writer and am actually in the middle of using my scholarships from cancer support charities to push my way through college tuition! I didn’t want to go to college for the longest time but now I’m pursuing degrees in things I’m passionate such as psychology, therapy and humanity studies in order to become a therapist! I work as a sex worker and cam with my partners and I was a stripper for a few years before switching over to individual work. I volunteer at my local theater in my town as both a director and scriptwriter, and I sometimes act and shoot film as well! I adore film and photography, I model my girlfriend’s designs that she creates along with her close friends to put on our instagram. She loves to sew and create designs, and she’s a veterinarian. I model along with my other partner but they’re more absent then I am because they have an amazing job as a tattoo artist and they stream on weekends for fun 💕💕💕

I am an early bird and can never sleep in past eight, I also ADORE sweets and have the biggest sweet tooth ever! I have a big soft spot for kids and sometimes when I have free time I’ll volunteer at our children’s hospital to help organize things or provide activities for the kids. I love puns, something my partners pretend to dislike but they actually love, and I really love D&D as well as fighting games and games with in-depth and well built storylines. I LOVE musicals, seriously, I was in a few during my time at high school and I still love musical theatre to this day. Horror is my jam, I love writing gore and creepy things, and I write poetry occasionally and like to read it to my partners. I recently managed to get a therapist to help with childhood trauma and one of my personal projects is writing a biography for those like me to find comfort in when there’s only stories for teenagers dying in a snarky romance.

I am fluent in French and I like to consider myself someone that is a good friend although I still need to work on my listening skills as well as putting myself before others and learning to come to terms with loving myself and my body. But it’s getting easier with a supportive family and having finally found the important friends and people in my life! I am very very social and loud, I have ADHD and anxiety as well as partial hearing loss. My favorite movies are actually “Coraline” and “9” because of the creepy animation and storylines <333 I’m a big biology fan and my girlfriend got me into astrology, so I’m a Sun Aquarius, Moon Libra and Rising Leo. I actually hate mystery! I don’t know why but it’s never been my favorite genre and I can never write it well. I have abandonment and attachment issues due to forced isolation during my childhood but I’m working on it through therapy. I like to write my friends and partners notes to lift them up throughout the day and I’m known for my long good night texts lmao.

I hope this wasn’t too much, and you can always deny if you like!! Have a lovely day, and I hope that you and your wife have some very happy events since I heard about how busy you’ve been ☺️☺️

Good morning!! Thanks for your understanding regarding your previous ask; there are some topics I feel need a broader understanding than what I currently have, and I’d hate to make such a serious topic sound gimmicky or trope-y.

We're pretty busy, but it's mostly good busy I swear!! Lots to do before next spring!!

I’m pairing you with Bayverse Donnie:

It sounds like your home has a little of everything--maybe you’re looking to add a code jockey to the mix? Donnie loves to dabble in new hobbies, and it sounds like you’ve got enough to keep him occupied for a long time.

Body mods have always piqued Donnie’s interest, and just being around you might be enough influence to finally push him over the edge. Sure, he doesn’t need a tongue piercing, but it’s not like it’ll get ripped out in a fight. Nice and safe, as long as he keeps his mouth closed.

(His brothers waste no time in pointing out that, historically, he’s not exactly known for keeping his mouth closed OR his tongue inside it. We've all seen the bleps.)

Tattoos are also a point of interest, but as he had such a large role in his family’s tattoos, he’s already pretty familiar. He doesn’t have nearly as much skin inked as his brothers, and most of his tattoos are placed in strategically protected areas of his body. This is mostly for convenience, as they tend to take a decent amount of damage, and he doesn’t want to work around tattoos when patching up the latest slice n’ dice. Nothing pisses him off quite like his brothers telling him to be careful stitching around their ink; as if he’s not already being careful, or y’know, like he’s not the one that inked them in the first place.

Sweet tooth enablers, both of you. Don’s just godawful about eating your snacks. Doesn’t feel bad about it, either, since he figures it hardly makes a difference if he orders replacements.

[lunarr-rrose]

How A Turnkey Deal Happened - Fernando Angelucci, The Storage Stud

https://u109893.h.reiblackbook.com/generic11/the-storage-stud/how-a-turnkey-deal-happened/

In this video, Fernando will show you how to make a Turnkey Deal.

A turnkey provider is someone that would buy a property, rehab it, and then they will put a tenant and property management in place and then sell it to what they call “armchair investors.”

These armchair investors or turnkey buyers typically live in very high-cost real estate markets.

In this video, Fernando will tell a story about a turnkey provider that was looking at the property. They almost closed the deal but then they realized they couldn’t turn the property into a four-bedroom model; it can only become a three-bedroom model.

If you want to know more about the details and what happened to this deal, continue watching this video.

Fernando O. Angelucci is Founder and President of Titan Wealth Group. He also leads the firm’s finance and acquisitions departments. Fernando Angelucci and Steven Wear founded Titan Wealth Group in 2015, and under his leadership, the firm’s revenue has grown over 100% year over year. Today,

Find out more at

https://www.TheStorageStud.com

https://titanwealthgroup.com/

Listen to our Podcast:

https://thestoragestud.podbean.com/e/how-a-turnkey-deal-happened-fernando-angelucci-the-storage-stud/

----------------------------------------

Showing how we can do partnerships. Let's talk about a, what we call a co-host sale deal. There was a wholesaler that had a property. They I'm sorry, it wasn't a wholesaler. It was a turnkey provider. So, a turnkey provider is someone that will buy a property rehab it. They will put a tenant in place, put a property management company in place and then sell it to what we call armchair investors or a turnkey buyer. So, these turnkey buyers or the armchair investors, typically they don't live in this area. Typically, they live in very high cost real estate markets like California or New York or Germany or Israel or South Africa areas where the return on investment are much lower than what you'll find in the Midwest. And specifically in the Chicago land area, they were looking at this turnkey provider was looking at the property and they were going to close on it.

But then they realized that they couldn't, for their model. They couldn't turn the property into a four bedroom property. They could only make it a three bedroom property. So, the numbers on this one is it's in Homewood, Illinois. It's under contract for 65,000 and it's a three bedroom, one bathroom at about a thousand square feet. So pretty small property to try to squeeze a fourth bedroom out of it didn't work. So my buddy, Jeff, who was a turnkey provider and his partner, Joe, they gave me a call and they said, Hey, Fernando, we got this property under contract. After our inspector took a look at, after our contractors took a look at it, they were unable to find a way to make it work, to turn this into a four bedroom, which is required for our turnkey program. So, we think we got it at a good deal.

Wondering if you can sell it, let us know. I said, that's no problem. Send me all the information. And what we'll do is whatever I'm able to wholesale it for. I'll give you 50% of that wholesale fee after all costs. So, ended up sending it out to our investor list at about $78,000. Estimated after rehab value can be around 185,000. And again, this is one of those properties. This is just, it's an old property it's really outdated. And there's just a few things that look kind of weird about it. So, what we needed to do on this one were a new kitchen, a new bathroom, cosmetic rehab throughout the house. You know, there's an option to finish the basement or add another bathroom either in the basement or by actually blowing out the roof, putting on dormers to get more square footage on the second floor.

And that would help increase the ARV even higher. The nice thing about this property was it's in Homewood, Illinois, which has a fantastic school district. So it's just much easier to move properties, much easier to get them rented in these types of areas because the high school, Homewood Philosophy High School it's rated nine out of 10 on greatschools.org The elementary school, Western Avenue Elementary School also rated nine out of 10 on greatschools.org So, really appealing property on the back end, as long as you can get through the rehab. So again, it required a, very sophisticated seller that could take, sorry, sophisticated buyer or rehabber that could take down properties, have their numbers dialed into a point where they can take lower margins and still come out with a pretty solid profit. So, this was not a good deal for a first time fix and flip investor.

So, what ended up happening was the, my friend, Chris, who closed on our South Highland house, he ended up calling me about this when he said, Hey, I can take this one down. You know, I could pay 86,000 for it. I can close in two weeks. I said, all right, you're making it too easy for me. Here's where to send the earnest money. He wired the earnest money over in 24 hours and we ended up selling it for 86,000. So closing is going to be in about two or one, one to two weeks here. I think we're aiming for the 28th on that one. And so, at the end of the day half of that assignment fee is going to go to my buddies, Jeff and Joe, just for locking up the contract at a good price, and then, giving me a call and tapping me in to, you know, basically bring the deal to the C. So, those are some pretty cool deals that we've worked on in the last two, three weeks. Super excited to update you guys on how our fix and flip deal in Schomburg is going. We're going to continue to take photos before and after photos. And we'll update you guys with what those are looking like. So, stay tuned.

[sad-sweet-cowboah]

My Little Secret part 9

Summary: Your next date with Arthur takes an unexpected turn when Sam invites the both of you to Saint Denis for the night.

Warnings: Alcohol mention

Friday evening arrived before you knew it. You powered through your schoolwork and got a few hours’ worth of studying in. It was early evening before you turned your attention elsewhere, nighttime would be soon and that Arthur would be arriving shortly afterward. You weren’t sure if it was to be a date or just…hanging out, you supposed it could be both. You debated on whether to dress up or keep yourself as is.

You also didn’t want to bore Arthur by just asking him a bunch of questions all night. You had a decent DVD collection and a few more movies on demand, and wondered what kind of genres he was into, if he were into movies at all. It was a different setting; normally you reserved dates at home for later into the relationship. Then again, you weren’t in a normal relationship.

Not much more time passed when you heard the ring of your doorbell, and you pranced forward in excitement to answer. You opened the door to find Arthur was standing there patiently, greeting you with a smile.

He was wearing a dark red button-up shirt, though some of the top buttons were left open to give you a nice view of his chest with just the right amount of hair peeking through. The sleeves were rolled up, and his hands rested on the belt that held up his dark jeans. Jesus did he look good.

“How do you manage that?” was the first thing that left your mouth.

He tilted his head in curiosity. “What?”

“Look so damn fine,” you answered, reaching out to selfishly run your hands on his chest without second thought. He felt solid beneath your fingertips. “Like some sorta model.”

He chuckled in response, his own hands reaching for yours to hold them and entwine his fingers with you. Stepping closer to you, he drew you in for a gentle kiss. Had it lasted longer than a few seconds, you would have melted right then and there. “Could say the same about you, ya know.” He murmured.

You glanced down at yourself. You wore a pair of form-fitting yoga pants hugged your legs and a loose fitting t-shirt that had the school’s logo printed across it. Your hair had been pulled into a loose bun. It occurred to you just then and there you definitely should have changed into something much more decent. “You like this look?” you asked him.

“I like you,” he answered sincerely. “Don’t matter what you’re wearin’, sweetheart.”

Heat of a blush flared in your cheeks as you smiled bashfully, and you tugged him in past the threshold. “Then tell me more how pretty I am inside.”

He laughed in response, keeping in step with you as he entered your apartment. You released his hands and glanced behind you toward the couch. “So, you wanna watch something?” you ask.

“I thought you wanted to ask more questions.” He pointed out.

“I do, but I don’t want that to be the basis of our whole relationship, ya know? We might as well try some other things, like a regular couple would.” You explained. “And then I’ll ask after.”

“Fair ‘nough,” he said with a nod. “Sure, I’d love to watch somethin’.”

You smile and gestured toward the couch, to which he sat down on while you moved over to your shelf of DVDs. You picked out something easy: a simple action movie that didn’t involve too much blood or gore. Could a vampire be sickened by that sort of thing? Or perhaps it would remind him of a time of his outlaw days. Either way, you were testing the waters. Plucking it from between the other cases, you straightened back up and faced him. “How often do you watch movies, Arthur?”

He shrugged. “As much as any other person. I’ve seen that movie before, nice choice.” He approved.

You let out a mental sigh of relief and moved over to the TV to place the disk in before you sat on the couch. Just as the movie started, your phone rang. Sighing heavily and apologizing to Arthur, you pull out your phone and glanced at the screen. You hit the answer button. “What is it, Sam?” you ask, keeping your voice as light as possible.

“Hey girl, wanna head to Saint Denis tonight?” Sam greeted off the bat. “I’m bored as hell and everyone else is busy.”

“Sam, I’m with Arthur at the moment.” You answer.

“So bring him along! I wanna get to know the guy dating my best friend.”

“I don’t think he –”

“Ask him,” Sam interjected. “C’mon, just try. I can pick you guys up and we’ll do whatever.”

You sighed again and turned your attention to Arthur. “Sam wants us to go to Saint Denis with her, you wanna go?” you ask, although already knowing he’d refuse, remembering what he said to you when you ran into him last time in the city.

“Saint Denis?” he repeated, rubbing his chin in thought. “I ‘spose it’ll be okay for a bit.”

You blinked in surprise, taken completely off guard by his response. “You sure?” you mouthed to him, and when he flashed you a small smile, you answered Sam. “Alright, I guess we’re going.”

“Awesome, I’ll come by in a half hour.” Sam bid you a goodbye before hanging up.

You placed your phone down, and gave Arthur a look of curiosity. “I thought you didn’t like Saint Denis.”

Arthur shrugged again. “She said she wanted to get to know the guy who’s dating her best friend, might as well.”

“Yeah but I just wanted a night in.” you murmured, standing to your feet. You definitely had to get dressed now.

“You coulda said no.” Arthur reminded you, his voice rumbling with a laugh.

“I know I could have, but Sam’s too damn persistent. If I don’t do it tonight then she’ll keep pestering me to bring you around sooner or later,” You explained while you rolled your eyes. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright, Y/N. We’ll still have many more nights ya know.” he flashed you a smile.

Your smile mirrored his. “True, let me go get dressed. You hang tight.”

You opted to change into a low-cut shirt and a pair of skinny jeans that had metallic studs running up the sides of your legs. Taking your hair out of the bun you put into a high ponytail, and completed the look with a denim jacket and a pair of high-heel ankle boots. You didn’t feel like dolling completely up, but at least it was something to make you feel a little sexier in front of Arthur.

You stepped back out into the living room, catching his attention. He peered you up and down with a gleam in his eye that you caught easily.

“You…” he averted his gaze shyly before clearing his throat and turning his attention back to you. “Sorry, you look amazin’.”

You giggled, stepping closer to him. “Thought I might as well give you something prettier to look at.” You said.

“Darlin’, you could be wearin’ a potato sack and I still think you’re the prettiest woman in the room,” He spoke. “Not that I’m complainin’.”

With a few minutes of downtime you gave Arthur a baseline of what to expect from Sam. She’s been your best friend since your undergrad days and always loved to learn more about the guys you dated. Even if it seemed overwhelming, she was always good at sniffing out those who were worth more time than others.

A little more time passed before Sam texted to inform you she was outside. Together you and Arthur made your way out of the apartment complex, stepping out into the humidity to see the large SUV idling at the curbside with Sam leaning against it, waiting expectantly.

She was as enthusiastic as ever, greeting Arthur excitedly before ushering you into the car. Arthur offered to take the back seat while you took the front passenger seat. Sam pulled away from the curb and you were on your way.

The first few minutes were full of Sam’s chatter, getting to know Arthur more herself. She asked him easy questions before moving on to inquiring about how he was treating you. You interrupted then to assure her he was treating you just fine. She however insisted Arthur answer the question, only satisfied when his answered mirrored yours.

“Sorry Arthur, grilling people is a specialty of hers.” You mentioned, which only prompted Sam to laugh.

“Only when my best friend breaks her own vow to not date while still in school. You must be one hell of a guy,” She joked. “You’re cool, though. I’ll back off.”

“Appreciate it,” Arthur chuckled. “Uh, mind if I ask ya somethin’?”

“Sure,” Sam answered. “If you’re wondering how hard a partier she is, I’ll tell you that –”

“Sam.” You warned.

“Nah, nothin’ like that,” Arthur continued, resting his hand on your arm. “It’s ‘bout you, Sam. Is your last name Marston, by any chance?”

Sam glanced back at him. “Holloway. But my mother’s maiden name is Marston, why?”

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed a small smile cross Arthur’s lips. “Think I might’ve met your family at some point. You jus’ remind me o’ them.”

“Really? Most of my family are in the Blackwater area, you’ve been?” Sam responded.

“Plenty o’ times.” He confirmed.

You turned your head to look at Arthur fully, only he leaned back into his seat. You wondered if he really did know her family, though you suppose it could be possible.

The rest of the ride consisted of you and Sam talking or jamming out to music on the radio. Arthur was mostly quiet, and you attempted to bring him into the conversation a few times. You didn’t want to intentionally leave him out. He didn’t speak too much, although the look on his face told you he was just fine where he was. His immortal age aside, he was still a 36 year old man in the company of 27 year olds. He was more than likely allowing you two to chatter amongst yourselves about your own interests.

That however didn’t stop you from reaching over and taking his hand in yours. He smoothed his thumb over your skin rhythmically the entire time.

Soon the dark sky broke to the amber lights of Saint Denis. The city was bustling as usual, multiple people out and about enjoying the night.

“So, any ideas for our entertainment tonight?” Sam asked.

You hummed in thought, considering what would be enjoyable for the three of you. Since Arthur couldn’t eat nor drink, your usual suggestions flew out the window.

“How ‘bout I treat ya both to dinner?” Arthur suddenly spoke up.

You blinked in surprise, turning to look at him.

“Both of us?” Sam questioned. “That’s not necessary.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to do that.” You agreed.

Arthur shrugged. “Repayment for drivin’ us. It ain’t exactly a short trip.”

A smile crossed Sam’s lips. “Y/N’s right, you really are a gentleman.”

Arthur chuckled in response. “No reason not to be.”

Twenty minutes later found yourself in one of the less populated diners of the city. Both you and Sam were enjoying delicious meals while Arthur sat with you. Sam had asked why he didn’t order anything himself, and he answered with the same lie he told you on your first date: food intolerances. She didn’t question it further, instead brought the conversation elsewhere. He was more talkative then.

When your food was finished, the three of you stepped back outside. The night was still fairly young and alive, prompting you to ponder what else you could do.

“So what’s next?” Sam spoke out, voicing your thoughts. “How about our favorite bar?”

You opened your mouth to answer, only to have Arthur speak over you.

“You two can go on ahead, I’ll join ya in a bit.”

You gave him a look of confusion, catching his eye to notice an emotion you couldn’t detect. “Where are you going?”

“Jus’ gotta take care o’ somethin’. I’ll meet ya there.” He answered, stepping forward to plant a quick kiss on your forehead. While his lips were pressed against your skin, his voice dropped to a low mumble. “Be careful, alright? Remember what I said ‘bout… others.”

As he retreated giving you a subtle but pointed look, it only then occurred to you what he meant. You remembered what he told you about “other” vampires, ones that drained their victim’s blood without second thought. Somehow you’d forgotten about what happened here in this same city. But by the amount of people that still roamed the streets, it was clear the concern over it was pushed to the wayside.

It then led you to your next thought: what was Arthur doing? Perhaps he needed some blood himself, and you reminded yourself that he only went after bad people. At least so he said.

Your thought was cut short when Sam tugged on your arm. She pulled you toward the direction of the bar, which was only a few blocks away.

The place was as busy as you expected to be, the air conditioned building stuffy with the amount of bodies. You procured a drink and kept off to the side, swaying your hips to the music that played overhead. Time wore on and your vision slowly grew more unfocused with the influence of liquor. A half hour had passed and Arthur hadn’t returned, this solidifying your suspicion from earlier. He most likely was looking for a blood meal, hopefully tracking down some fool with less than pure thoughts for that night.

Unless something else happened.

You shook your head and mentally scolded yourself. Arthur was more than capable of handling himself. After witnessing him crush Tom’s hand with little effort in protecting you, and the fact that he was once a gunslinging outlaw.

You smiled to yourself. That little reminder of you dating a once-famous outlaw still sent your heart into a tizzy. How many others would be able to say that? Hell, how many others could say they’re dating a vampire?

Sobriety soon began to slip through your fingers with even more time passed. You moved through the bar, observing others and occasionally holding a small conversation with Sam or a stranger. With more people filing in every once in a while, the air is was beginning to grow stuffy. Another drink down and you stepped outside. Not that the weather was much different, it provided you with a little space. There were a few others standing around, smoking cigarettes or just chatting. You craned your neck to see if Arthur was among these faces, and sighed in disappointment. Did it really take that long just to acquire a blood meal?

You shuddered with that thought. It certainly wasn’t a normal thought to cross your mind. You instead shifted your focus elsewhere. Your eyes slowly drifted back and forth between others; young couples out and about, not a care in the world with their faces bright and cheerful.

Your attention was soon broken when someone had stumbled in front of you. Stepping back in time to avoid being trampled on, you blinked and watched an obviously drunk man clamor his way down the sidewalk. You grimaced as he smacked his hand onto a light pole, but he paid no mind as he turned down an alleyway next to the bar.

Somehow this concerned you. He was clearly too inebriated to really walk straight, and you wondered if he knew what direction he was going in. You also wondered if he was alone or possibly had friends. Either way, you didn’t want him to accidentally injure himself or get lost.

You scurried toward the alley. The sound of metal trashcans slamming to the ground told you he was thankfully still there. His drunken yelp was to follow. He certainly felt that more than the pole, somehow.

You rounded the corner to face the alleyway. The cans were on their sides with bits of trash strewn about. The poor fool kept stumbling haphazardly further in, and you quickened your pace.

“Hey, stop!” you called after him, but he either ignored you or just didn’t hear. Up ahead he turned and disappeared again. You grumbled and started to jog, or as much as your shoes would allow. “Sir, hang on!”

You rounded another corner he disappeared to, spotting him on the far side of that conjoining alleyway. You were impressed by how far he’d already gotten despite being absolutely shitfaced.

Until he tripped over his own two feet and landed face first onto the concrete below. You sighed heavily, partially in relief. You made your way toward him, squinting into the ever growing darkness. As your eyes adjusted you could see him struggling to get to his feet. He was moaning in pain and slurring under his breath.

“Sir?” you called out gently. “Hey, you okay?”

The response you’d gotten sounded like a cross between a yes and some other incomprehensible stuttering. You stepped up next to him and bent down to help him to his feet, realizing he was heavier than he looked. He grunted and leaned his body weight against you to straighten up.

He muttered a thanks, the liquor strong on his breath as he began to stumble off in the direction he came in. You moved to follow him when something caught your attention out of the corner of your eye. You only had time to turn your head a fraction of an inch when a blurred figure suddenly appeared in front of you, slamming into the drunk.

You jumped as the sound of his body smacking against the wall echoed in the alley. Your eyes took a moment to adjust what you were seeing in front of you. A figure had him pinned against the wall in an embrace that almost seemed intimate. It was too familiar to you, knowing it was anything than a kiss.

“Arthur?” you spoke automatically.

A disgusting squelch sounded when the figure pulled their mouth from the drunk’s neck. The smell of fresh blood tainted the air as they turned their attention toward you. Even in the dark you could see the reflection of a predator in their eyes. A gaunt face framed with thick dark hair told you this was not Arthur.

This new vampire opened his mouth wide, revealing a pair of long razor sharp fangs.

[iriswc1995]

Ash In Ordina

Chapter Two:  ‘Church’

The camera scanned the invitation, and the glass doors whisked open.  Ash tucked it back in her cloak and stepped inside the Worship Office.  Its vast main hall was nearly empty, supported by several marble pillars adorned with artificial torches, contrasting the square, clinical lighting fixtures illuminating the ceiling.  Her footsteps echoed through the hollow expanse.  She watched the shadows dance beneath the various grotesque furnishings, embellished with colorful trappings and expensive decorations.  She wrinkled her nose. The Redeemed were never doing badly for themselves.

At a desk at the end of the hall were two men wearing typical Rapturist attire who seemed to be waiting for her.  The smaller figure immediately smiled and stood up, moving around to the front of the desk with a posture of welcome.  He had a messy haircut dyed bright pink to match his large eyes.  The second man, a few feet behind him, had a darker complexion and grim countenance, towering over both of them, a large cleaver strapped to his back.  Ash met his cold gaze for a moment before the smaller one greeted her.

“Ah, you must be Ash!  Your appearance is very distinct, in a good way, miss!”

“Thanks.”

“And um, just to double-check, no last name?”

“No.  I’m curious why the Redeemed need to hire a freelancer.”

“Hehe, well…” The man scratched the back of his head before clasping his hands together.  “I doubt it’s going to be the usual sort of work you do… rather, we need you to find someone.  One of our high-ranking members has seemingly gone missing, you see.”

Ash tilted her head, but stayed silent, waiting for more details.  But then the man laughed to himself and spread his arms.

“Sorry sorry, where are my manners!  My name is Alistar Fey, Redeemed, director third-echelon, fifth mind.  And my partner here is…”

The tall man sighed, cracking his neck as he turned his head.  “Andre,” he answered coldly.

Alistar smiled and turned back to Ash.  “Politeness is what keeps the world spinning, I think.  Which is also why this is a strictly above-board, on-record job.”

“Right.  So who’s missing, and why do you need me to find them?”

Silently, Alistar took a small binder from the desk and handed it to her.  Ash’s breath caught momentarily as she opened it.  Real paper?  They’re rich enough for paper after everything they did?  Swallowing her annoyance, she skimmed through the details.  His name was Zachary Kells.  A life-long worshipper, decently wealthy thanks to his job at Skyvault as a researcher and engineer.  But it seemed he’d recently left his job to fully devote himself to the Church.  

“We’ve tried contacting him, of course,” Alistar said, scratching the back of his head.  “But no one has seen or heard from him in nearly a week.  He wasn’t involved in anything shady, to my knowledge, and was largely a homebody.  His residence is on this floor, and we sent someone to check there, but no answer again.  And since he lives in one of the Castles, well…”

Ash closed the binder.  “You need someone who’s good at getting inside places they aren’t supposed to.  And you don’t want the authorities involved, for reasons which I’m sure you won’t tell me.”

Alistar hesitated.  Ash nodded and continued.

“It’s fine.  I’ll find him... for the amount we agreed on.”

“Wonderful!  Then, that should be all for our business here.  Part of me hopes you’ll simply find him at home, but I rather doubt it, unfortunately…”

“Freelancer.”  Andre said, taking a step forward for the first time.  Ash flicked her eyes towards him and stood up straight, hands open at her sides.  He raised an eyebrow and simply folded his arms.

“Watch yourself.  Unsavory types buzz around these neighborhoods like hungry flies.  Zachary is an important man.  I trust you’ll do your best to keep him safe.”

Ash hesitated for a long moment, thoughts swimming beneath the man’s cold gaze.  Does he know something about me…? Finally, Ash simply nodded and turned to exit the office hall.

-----

Dark streets caked in rolling fog, dimly illuminated by fading streetlamps.  One could almost mistake this for outside, if not for the globes of faint light on the ceiling, nearly two-hundred feet above, staring like gray stars.  The housing here, the Castles, were essentially buildings unto themselves, like houses stacked on one another.  Security systems and relatively safe neighborhoods, on top of this, were what created the floors home to the wealthier-than-most but not nearly of the mega-rich status.

Ash walked to a street corner two blocks away from the Worship Office, where she found Cygnus waiting for her, playing a game on his phone.  He brushed his hair out of his eyes as she approached.

“So, is it about what we figured?”

She shrugged.  “No assassinations or whatever.  They're just missing one of their top guys.  I need your help getting into his place.”

Cygnus nodded, and started following behind her.  His face wore the same dark look that Ash figured she had made when she entered the Church.  Neither of them liked doing work like this, and Cygnus had even more reason than most to despise the Worship Unity and everything they did.  Their footsteps echoed along the cracked street.  No one else was milling around this late in the evening.  But then, someone made themselves known.

Harsh voices clamored from a nearby alleyway.  Scattered around the trash-filled crevice like chattering rats were several individuals of varying appearance, though the black, red-trimmed jackets wrapped around each of their waists indicated they were a group.  There were six in total, some tall, some muscular, some squatting on dumpsters, others leaning against the wall.  Almost all of them had some kind of augmentation or another - metal arms, thousand-eyes implants, studded or scaled flesh.  Their weapons were crude, but looked sharp - probably scavenged from the Bone Forest.  They turned to look at the pair as they began to pass, and Ash stopped suddenly as their gazes met.  She recognized their appearance, their vibe, and this scent.  These were Harvesters without a doubt.  Before there could be any pretense of just passing through, the group quickly filed out of the alleyway to block their path, their faces grim yet thrilled.  Ash sighed and turned to Cygnus.

“Go on ahead.  I'll handle this.”

“… you sure?”

She nodded.  Cygnus scanned the group with an analytical look before hesitantly stepping forward, whispering to Ash as he passed.

“Don't get in trouble.”

“I'll do my best.”

He walked past the Harvesters, not meeting any of their sharp looks, and while a couple of them spit in his direction, none of them made a move to attack.  The tallest one, most certainly the leader judging by her demeanor, stepped forward.  Her arms were muscular and heavily scarred, the sleeves of her jacket were ringed with iron spikes, and she wore a mask that covered the top half of her face, adorned with chaotic black and red designs.  Her wild, black-haired ponytail nearly reached her waist.  She leaned into Ash's face and laughed.

“How's it going, killer?  Where ya heading to?  Gonna chop off some more heads with that shitty sword of yours?”

Ash stared back, coldly.  Her stomach was tied in a knot, but she didn't let herself panic.  She knew this type.

“I don't see how that's your business, bitch.”

The group laughed again, and the woman smiled.  Ash knew better than to use honorifics like ‘miss’ around Harvesters.  The leader leaned back, walking around Ash as she replied.

“But it IS my business, motherfucker!  Our group here, we protect these streets from killers like you!”

She stood in front of her again, folding her arms.

“God damn, are you edgy-lookin’ or what?  I would have thought you were some gutless nobody if not for this scent… the scent of blood, so unmistakable… it clings to you like a haze~ and if I had to guess, you can smell it just like us, can’t you…?”

Ash rolled her eyes.

“Maybe.”

“Hahahaha~! So if I had to guess, you’re trying to turn over a new leaf or something?  Blood doesn’t dry that easy, kid.  A muzzled wolf is still a wolf.”

“You’re right,” Ash said, and flicked an inch of her sword from its sheathe.  Its red glow captivated the group for a moment, and several of them brandished their own weapons.  “So get out of my way or see the wolf for yourself.  I’m not better than any of you.  Except in terms of skill.”

Silence filled the street.  Strapped across the lead woman’s back was a massive saw-cleaver that made Ash’s katana look like a knife.  She sniffed a few times, then smirked.  Behind her lips, her teeth had been replaced with sharper ones modeled after a shark’s.  She stepped forward, and offered a hand.

“Name’s Tesla.  Any chance you’d wanna join us…?  We make serious dough off the rich idiots on this floor~”

Ash didn’t take her hand.

“Those days are behind me.  I hunt different prey now.”

She made sure to phrase her words correctly, sweat forming on her clenched palms.  To most gangs, you're either a threat, or nothing to worry about.  To Harvesters, you're either a threat, or a walking pay-out.  And either option makes them liable to kill you.  But mercifully, Tesla shrugged and finally backed out of her personal space.

“Fair enough, I guess… but don't go thinking you're done being a Harvester.  Everyone who's alive has to take from others to keep living.  At least the lives we take are put to good use when we sell off their lungs and heart!

“Save the preaching for the church.”

The other Harvesters laughed and playfully punched Tesla, yelling ‘she got you good!’ as Ash continued down the street, her cloak wandering in the breeze.

[fucking-zawa-sensei]

Opulence - erasermic fanfic

Title: Opulence

Pairing: erasermic

Rating: Explicit

WC: 9k+

Summary: 

When they’re done, when Hizashi is finally, finally laid bare and beautiful across their sheets, still shimmering and sparkling and flushed a delicious pink, the blond is breathing heavily, sweat drops gathering along his hairline and in the ridges of his collarbones. 

He looks absolutely filthy in the best kind of way.

Notes: An incredibly late birthday gift for my friend, @rootistabootus(it has been 4 months girl I am so sorry), who can always make me smile any day, any time, who sends me the best memes, who supports my love for characters she doesn’t even know, who is quite possibly one of the bubbliest, most positive people I have ever met.  Who makes me feel like I can do anything, who inspires me to create and take risks and stop letting fear dictate my life. She’s selfless and one of the hardest workers I have ever met. Her optimism is fierce and strong and makes me think that anything is possible. Thank you for always being there for me and making my life that much brighter. You are an actual piece of sunshine fallen down to Earth and I am happy to have the opportunity to bask in your endless warmth. I love you! 

Read full fic here on AO3

Opulence

It was a normal occurrence, something that happened probably once a month at least.  

Hizashi would come home, door swinging open and caught just before smacking into the opposing wall, the telltale clack of expensive heels giving away that this wasn’t a post-patrol late night entrance. His costume boots sounded the way all heroes’ did: like nothing at all. 

Underground or not, every hero needed to be capable of stealth when the situation called for it. 

With villains who had guns for fingers and steel wire hair, the situation often called for it. 

Hizashi rarely dressed up for the studio either, unless he had a celebrity guest joining him on air. Shouta still remembers the glittery gold suit pants Hizashi wore when his favorite DJ was in town. It was hard to forget, with the way they threw speckles of rainbow light across every surface in their bedroom each time Hizashi opened the closet on the rare nights when Shouta forgot to pull the blinds shut. 

Modeling was something that came with any popular hero’s list of duties, along with interviews, commercials, cameos in movies or TV shows, presentations at hero schools, the list went on. 

The more public you were, the more the public wanted you. 

Hizashi hadn’t gone the way of selling albums or cologne in magazines. Instead, he’d used his agency’s desire to sell his body in print and pixels to gain himself a spot in the fashion industry, a passion he’d had for as long as Shouta had known him. He once saw the young hero-in-training cutting out swatches of colors and patterns and pasting them inside his notebook, erasing any useful study material beneath. 

Not like Hizashi ever needed to study. 

Shouta didn’t quite understand the difference between couture and editorial, but he liked the way Hizashi’s smile looked when he ran his fingers over a sequined body suit or a faux fur shrug. 

He never paid it much mind when his husband came home from a photoshoot, knowing the first place Hizashi would go was the bathroom to wash off any lingering glue and makeup, working gel and temporary dyes out of his hair. He’d spare a glance, curious to see what the other man had been zipped into that night, Hizashi somehow convincing designers to gift him the outfits more often than not, but that was about it. 

Here and there he’d make a comment, a low whistle if it was particularly sexy, something more snide, like, that is not staying here for more than a week, if it was something they both knew Hizashi would never wear outside the house again. Shouta can still remember the great purge of spiked leotards and pointed shoulder jackets they’d been forced to endure last year when they’d run out of room in the closet for their actual clothes. 

Tonight is different.

Tonight, as Shouta casts his eyes over his shoulder from where he is spread out on the couch, half-finished book in his hands, he is unable to turn away. 

The smirk on Hizashi’s face, as he tilts his head up from where he’s bent down, unlacing the long, knee high black stiletto boots hugging his calves, said he hadn’t expected anything less.

Shouta’s eyes can’t pick one thing to focus on, generously grazing over every curve and dip in Hizashi’s body, all deliciously on display. 

Hizashi’s shimmering, gold nails release their hold on the metallic painted laces, his hands running lightly over his knees, and then his fishnet covered thighs, before settling on his hips as the blond straightens into a standing position. He leans back a bit, the way he always did when he was feeling confident and hungry for attention, cocking a hip seductively. 

That grin, accented by glimmering, glitter dusted lips, stays in place. 

Shouta’s gaze is ravaging his husband. 

Tonight, they’d put him in a long sleeved leotard, something Shouta was pretty used to seeing. This time, though, the material was all a shiny, smooth faux leather, with a delectably deep plunge from Hizashi’s collarbones down to just below his navel, his belly button piercing shiny and vibrant like all the other accent pieces to the outfit. Shouta is pretty sure they must have the suit taped over Hizashi’s nipples because there was no way it would be staying in place otherwise. 

He also knows for a fact that they didn’t have Hizashi take out his nipple piercings, as the little ball studs were just as prominently on display as the perky flesh they were slipped through. 

The whole suit looks like it was engineered to be one size too small, hugging Hizashi’s lean frame like a second skin, accentuating the angles of his hips and the deep V between them, the curve of his biceps as he shifts his arms, even his ass, never particularly all that large, looked plump and delicious with the hall light falling over the tight fabric. It left nothing, absolutely nothing, painstakingly nothing, to the imagination. 

Shouta knows before his eyes dare to fall on the space between his husband’s legs that the bulge will be there, but he doesn’t expect Hizashi’s manicured fingers to wind up in his view as well, casually caressing the growing mound as Shouta continues to stare. 

As if this wasn’t enough, as if the thought of his husband walking from their apartment’s parking lot and through the lobby in this incredibly sexual outfit wasn’t already getting Shouta’s throat to dry up, whoever designed this shoot had decided to take it a step further. 

Hizashi had a natural beauty that was impossible to deny, and a sinful ability to turn on the heat when needed. 

So why they’d decided he needed to be slicked up in a shimmery, glittering body oil was beyond Shouta. 

As he finally rips his eyes away from the blond’s fingertips, still stroking over his erection as it pulls against the taute fabric, he sees Hizashi’s chest looking dewy in the same way it did in the moments before orgasm. A fierce, unrelenting heat begins pooling quickly in Shouta’s lower belly. 

“Like what you-”

“Yes,” Shouta cuts off Hizashi’s teasing words, clichéd and useless. Of course he liked what he saw. Who wouldn’t? The whole point of dressing Hizashi up like this was to make any witless fool who picked up the magazine have to resort to using it to cover themselves up. 

Hizashi exhales softly through his nose, one arm coming up, hand moving toward his face, and it all feels like it has slowed down, like each miniscule movement takes one whole rotation of the little hand around the analog clock hanging on the wall next to the kitchen entryway. Shouta watches the way the fabric relentlessly constricts around Hizashi’s body, as his hand runs through his hair, disrupting all those flawlessly smooth locks. They hadn’t styled it in any way tonight, letting it all fly free over the man’s broad shoulders. The golden shine of Hizashi’s hair broke up the predominantly dark outfit nicely. Shouta could see why they’d made the decision, but it certainly isn’t helping the uncomfortable way his jeans are getting tighter by the second. Hizashi lets his hand fall carelessly to his side when he’s done running his fingers through his hair, a few strands getting caught on his lip gloss and his long, fake lashes. Hizashi blinks slowly, eyes downcast, and Shouta doesn’t think it’s possible to get to the bedroom fast enough. 

Judging by the way Hizashi’s next breath brings forth a small shudder as he releases it, he’s feeling the exact same way. 

Shouta isn’t one to rush anything, though. 

He closes his book in one hand, his middle finger still stuck between the pages, and slowly, slowly, leans forward, never breaking eye contact with Hizashi, to set it on the coffee table in front of him. Still bent over, he extracts his finger just as languidly, licking his bottom lip as the digit slips out. Hizashi swallows loud enough for Shouta to hear it from across the room. 

“Are you going to take those boots off anytime soon?” Shouta asks, falling back against the couch, sinking lower into the cushions and lazily letting his legs spread wide. He lets one of his hands fall into his lap, just close enough to his crotch to stroke one finger lazily over his growing erection. He rests his head against the cushioned back and tilts it toward Hizashi, wearing a smirk of his own now. 

Hizashi might have got him going with his outfit, but Shouta knew exactly how to get the other man just as riled up. 

Hizashi hated waiting, and more than that, hated when his pleas for attention went ignored. 

Shouta watches as the corner of his husband’s perfectly painted lips twitches. The blond flips his hair over his shoulder, brushing away the pieces that had stuck to his gloss, before sliding his legs and feet out of the high boots. The fishnet stockings go all the way to his toes, as does the body oil, despite never being in the photographs. 

Hizashi steps up out of the entrance way, one hand still firmly planted on his hip, and begins sauntering across the hardwood floors like he’s gliding across a runway at fashion week. Each and every step pulls at the tight clothing, the light catching every curve, every dip as he moves, one foot in front of the other, bare thighs rubbing against one another, his hardon pressing up against the leotard, his slicked chest rising and falling with heavy, hot breaths. 

The hand not stroking himself through Shouta’s pants is now curled into a fist beside him. Shouta clenches his jaw to stop himself from jumping off the couch as Hizashi finally stops in front of him. The blond’s last step is a powerful stomp that leaves his legs spread wide in a triangle, one hand still firmly planted on his hip, the other comes up to run over his own chest, fingers impossibly sliding beneath the bodysuit. Shouta watches with interest as Hizashi’s fingers make their way to the small bump of his nipple, everything so easily visible despite the fabric. Hizashi’s eyelids slip closed, long lashes caressing his upper cheeks. He throws his head back, letting his mouth pop open, as he pinches and rubs at the sensitive bud. Hizashi lets out a moan that Shouta knows is only half real, is entirely constructed just to get Shouta even more bothered than he already is, but it doesn’t matter. 

His mind doesn’t care if Hizashi’s putting on an act. 

His mind is hardly there anymore, all the blood gone rushing down to Shouta’s crotch the moment his husband had passed through the door. 

So when Hizashi finishes gasping and tilts his head back up to stare down at Shouta, he stops playing games. 

Shouta’s hands latch onto that deep plunged neckline and pull. 

Hizashi comes all too easily, as if he’d planned the whole thing, as if he knew full well he’d end up straddling Shouta’s lap, their clothed cocks rubbing against each other with each and every panting breath they took. 

He probably did. 

Shouta doesn’t particularly care if it’s all going to Hizashi’s plan. He’s too busy fastening his mouth to the blond’s throat, kissing and licking over his adam’s apple, his collar bones, his jawline. 

An annoying little voice in the back of his mind thinks I hope this oil is edible, but it doesn’t stop him from enjoying the soft, supple feeling of Hizashi’s skin beneath his lips. 

It’s made all the more better when one of Hizashi’s hands comes to his chin, pulling his face away from the other man’s collar bone and toward his mouth. He knows when they part he’ll have that glittery lipstick all over his mouth, that they’ll be laughing about it tomorrow morning, still tangled together beneath their sheets. Shouta’s stomach jumps in the same way it does each time he looks outside the school’s windows and across the courtyard to the other side of U.A.’s towering building, where Hizashi and he cross paths during third period, separated by far too many walls and windows and trees, but the other man never failed to send him a large, shining Present Mic grin. 

It was the little things that got Shouta’s heart skipping, which brought a light pink flush to the tips of his ears. 

Right now, though, his whole body was warm, as Hizashi’s tongue drags him back to the present. 

The blond’s thighs tighten around Shouta’s, and Hizashi shifts positions, bringing his chest closer, pressing into Shouta’s, so he can settle his ass over Shouta’s achingly hard cock. He starts grinding on Shouta’s lap, bringing a gasp from his lips. Hizashi hums into their kiss as Shouta’s hands move from the blond’s hips to those two plump cheeks, digging his nails in just hard enough to get a rouse from the other man, but not enough to leave a mark. He never liked bruising Hizashi, though the blond sometimes seemed to enjoy rougher treatment. Shouta didn’t think it was good to have any tender spots on your body when you were a hero, no matter how many times Hizashi insisted no villain was ever going to get close enough to his ass for that to be a problem. 

Hizashi’s hands make their way into his hair, curling around Shouta’s wavy, unruly strands. He pulls, just enough to get Shouta moving back, their lips separating, both gasping, panting for air. Hizashi stares down at him, his hips stilling as he catches his breath. 

“Y-” Hizashi tries to start, but clearly needs another second. He swallows, takes another breath and says, “You ready to cut me out of this thing?” 

Shouta raises an eyebrow, a smirk coming to his lips. 

“Are you saying you can’t get out of that yourself?”

Hizashi rolls his eyes, “I’m trying to be sexy, Sho!”

Shouta doesn’t give in. 

“I think it would be sexy if you did a little strip tease,” he says, squeezing his hands around Hizashi’s ass cheeks, making the other man jump.

“F-fine,” Hizashi says, an additional blush rising to his face atop the lovely glow that had already formed during their kissing. “I don’t know how they packed me in here and I don’t know how to get out.”

Shouta snorts as Hizashi’s eyes dart away, his lips coming dangerously close to a pout, and Shouta’s heart skips. 

Hizashi could come home bare naked and he’d never be more attractive than like this, natural, guard down, no personas or masks or other personalities fighting for attention, just pure Hizashi.

Shouta releases his grip a bit, bringing a hand up Hizashi’s back, rubbing soothingly across the smooth faux-leather. Hizashi’s eyes and mouth soften at the touch, before he leans back in for a less hungry kiss. 

This one feels like it lasts too little, but the message it leaves is far more than just lingering, it’s persistent, unending. 

I love you. 

Hizashi smiles as he pulls back, head titled just enough to the side to make Shouta see him in another time, japanese maple trees framing him, the orange autumn glow shining through their leaves and cascading over Hizashi’s shoulders.

Hizashi’s thumbs brush along Shouta’s scruff covered jaw. 

“Bedroom?” Shouta asks on the tail end of a breath he’d been holding for far too long, bringing his hand to Hizashi’s front, finally dipping into the space left bare by the deep plunge neckline, casually playing with the longest jewel that hangs from Hizashi’s belly button piercing. He turns it over between his thumb and forefinger, watching how the lamp light beside the couch plays in all the little rivets of the small stone. 

“Please,” Hizashi begs, his hands dropping down to Shouta’s shoulders, squeezing at the same time as he jerks his hips forward just enough to get some friction on his aching cock. They let out matching hums of pleasure and the heat in Shouta’s belly becomes more insistent. 

“Then let’s go,” Shouta says, his voice deep. 

For how weak his legs feel right now, he still manages to wrap his arms around Hizashi’s back and lift them both out of the chair, the other man quickly crossing his long legs around Shouta’s waist. Even this feels like too much, too similar to all the times Hizashi and he had pressed one another up against one of the many walls of their home, too distracted by the others’ body to make it anywhere near a horizontal surface. Hizashi had always joked it was a double workout, could be counted as training, but the hungry look the blond gave him each time he slipped his thigh between Shouta’s, rubbing up against his crotch before hoisting Shouta up the wall, said keeping in shape was the last thing on Hizashi’s mind.

Admittedly, Shouta gives a couple glances toward the smooth, sturdy surfaces framing their hastened walk as he carries Hizashi down the hall. The other man doesn’t help, doesn’t seem to care at all that Shouta’s hands are digging further and further into that faux leather as Hizashi sucks harshly under his jaw and along his collar where his shirt has been pulled down by Hizashi’s weight. 

Read the rest here...

[star-spangled-eyes]

Dirty Mind: Part 1: Simple Man

This alternate universe fan fiction uses characters created and owned by Pixelberry Studios. Character names, descriptions and likenesses are owned by Pixelberry Studios. Some dialogue and events in Book 1 of TRR are property of Pixelberry Studios. The MC, Bragnae Bennett, and story is created and owned by this author.

Book: The Royal Romance (Alternate Universe)

Alternate Universe Theme: Drake’s perspective  

Pairing: Drake Walker x MC (Bragnae Bennett – *pronounced Brawn-yah)

Warnings for this miniseries: NSFW, Adult content, suggestive and strong language, angst, sex (including character’s thoughts and innuendos)

Masterlist

A/N: I wrote this miniseries in the first person perspective of Drake Walker. It follows events in Book 1 of TRR, but not everything is as you’d remember it from the story. Some things have been altered to better fit this fanfic.

I really enjoyed getting into the brain of Drake, and I hope you like it too. He’s a stud, and I love his sexual, angsty mind.

There are THREE parts to this miniseries. They will be released tomorrow and the following day. Enjoy!

Word Count for this chapter: 8707

Permatags: @burnsoslow @cora-nova @dcbbw @thorfosterlove @emceesynonymroll @edgiestwinter @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @msjr0119 @notoriouscs @drakewalker04 @pedudley @desiree-0816 @choices-lurker @kingliam2019 @loveellamae @drakexnadira @flutistbyday2020 @indiana-jr​ @yukinagato2012​ @i-bloody-love-drake-walker​

My name is Drake Walker and I have a dirty mind. I know what you’re thinking. Of course I have a dirty mind, I’m a guy, right? Well, I have to concede that one for that very fact, but it’s more than that. To me, a mind consists of three major influences that can make it dirty.

First, are the things you wish you could say to people, but it wouldn’t be proper including the wide variety of curse words known to the world. Next, are all the crappy experiences in your life that muddy up your outlook. I can admit, I’m snarky, angry a lot and a real pill sometimes, but it all comes with the territory. And last but certainly not least is sex.

What an incredible experience. So incredible that it’s constantly on my mind. Countless dirty questions fill my brain like when is the next time I’m going to fuck someone, where will it be, what position will she be in? Oh, the thoughts are endless. Throw in a particular woman? You’re fucked — mentally. That’s me right now, in case you were wondering. More on that in a bit.

The female body is the most beautiful work of art that God ever created — of course there are exceptions. Like when a woman has a smoking hot body but her personality is so hideous that her sex appeal is lost. At least to me it is. There’s plenty of those around, but thankfully, there are some that surprise you. The ones that have it all — endless talent, sense of humor, dazzling personality, and such stunning looks that you have to pinch yourself to make sure you’re not dreaming.

My brain has been working overtime ever since she walked into my life. Well, butted into my life is more like it. And it’s been hell. Everything was just fine before she came along. Not great, but fine.

I live in the royal palace in a small Mediterranean country called Cordonia. I know what you’re thinking and no, I’m not one of those stuck up noble pricks. My best friend might be the Crown Prince, but he’s not one of those pricks either. If he ever tried to be, I’d damn sure call him out on it. I wasn’t born into this life with a fancy title or hundreds of acres of land in my name.

I was born to wonderful parents, who despite their status as commoners in the kingdom, made me feel like I was the richest kid in the world. Not by money, of course, but with life experiences and lessons only those who work hard for a living can impart to their children.

My dad was a part of the King’s Guard in charge of protecting the two princes before he eventually moved up to Head Guard watching over the King and Queen. He’s Cordonian, born and bred.

My mom stayed at home with me and Savannah, my younger sister. She was born in a small town in Texas in the United States, but stayed in Cordonia after meeting my father during a European college trip she took with her friends.

They fell in love almost immediately and were each other’s best friends. I’ve always looked up to them. Always thought how great it’d be if I could find that too. I often dreamed of meeting a beautiful woman who I not only was in love with, but we were as close as two people could be. Friends, lovers, partners. What a fulfilled life I’d live.

Of course, that meant I’d have to actually find a woman who was willing to put up with my sarcasm, moodiness, and the permanent scowl on my face. And to be honest, it wasn’t looking that great.

Back to the dirty mind thing — don’t worry, I didn’t forget. As I was saying, a dirty mind can develop over time as a result of many things. And I’ve been through a lot in the 27 years I’ve lived on this earth. Okay, fine. It’s not as dramatic and horrible as some people have endured, but I’ve had my fair share of shit thrown at me.

My dirty mind, in particular, consists of many dirty words. You’re listening, so you might as well get used to it now. I cuss... a lot. You would too if you had to hang around the palace every day dealing with snobby, rich assholes who think their shit don’t stink, and that it’s perfectly okay to treat people beneath them like undignified trash. These people have no idea what life truly has to offer. All they care about is their political status in the kingdom, and how they can make more money doing as little for it as they can.

As you can imagine, I have to keep a lot of my thoughts to myself. Unfortunately, you’re going to have hear them all. Consider yourself warned.

My dirty mind also consists of all the shitty things that’s happened in my life that’s left a bad taste in my mouth.

Remember my dad? Head of the King’s Guard? Yeah, well, he was killed while attempting to save the king during an assassination attempt. That sure was nice growing up without a fucking father. I was 13. A brand new teenager with raging hormones and in desperate need of a strong, male role model to keep me on the straight and narrow. It fucking sucked. My dad was everything to me. He was a friend, a teacher, and the best father in the whole world.

When he died, I had to step up to be the man of the house. Sure, my mother was strong — she’d always been strong. But she was having a hard time coping with dad’s death. Savannah was only nine at the time, and was made fragile by the sudden and horrific change in her life.

I didn’t want my mom and sister to worry or feel unsafe with my dad being gone, so I immediately filled that role. And it was fucking hard at first. There was no time for me to cry or grieve because I had to be strong for my family. I had to show them it was all going to be alright even though I had no fucking clue if that was actually true.

My dad’s partner in the guard was Bastien Lykel. He was a great guy. About half my dad’s age, but just as competent. He learned a lot from my dad, but also brought natural talent of his own to the table. Anyway, after we lost dad, Bastien sort of stepped in for us. Not that he ever tried anything with my mom or pretended to be our father — he knew better than that.

On his off duty time, Bastien would spend most of it with my family. He’d tell us stories about working with our dad and help mom with any chores around the house. As time went on, Bastien kept up with what he could, but got increasingly busy with work as he moved up the chain in the King’s Guard.

Mom never really got over dad’s passing. I don’t blame her. I didn’t either. I still miss him every day. But she handled it differently. Money was a real struggle after he passed. It was something she constantly worried about.

Liam, my best friend and prince of Cordonia, talked his father into letting us move into the palace. The king was more than happy to oblige. He was grateful for my dad’s sacrifice so that he may live, and must have noticed how we were struggling. It was kind, and not what I expected as a commoner.

I was 16 by the time we had settled into our new digs at the palace. Savannah was over the moon about it. She always loved hanging around the noble girls her age. She was into all that crap. Fancy dresses, gaudy jewelry, fake smiles. Not that she assimilated to them. Thank God for that. Despite adoring that pretentious life, Savannah remained down-to-earth and never forgot her roots.

It wasn’t long after that when Mom left to move back to the United States. Yeah... wasn’t that swell? Not even a full-fledged adult yet and both parents were absent. Dad died protecting the king, but mom straight up left us. Don’t get me wrong. I love her and will always love her. I know she had to do what she needed in order to deal with losing dad. So did I. But it was hell on Savannah and me.

Mom must have noticed we were strong and independent enough to live on our own. We had stable living quarters at the palace, and were well taken care of in regards to basic needs: food, warmth, shelter. So... she split. Went back to her family ranch in Texas. We talk on occasion, but there’s definitely more than an ocean that comes between us. Hopefully, someday, we can repair that disconnect.

Okay, now that you know a little bit more about me, let me tell you about this girl. Her name is Bragnae Bennett. I first met her in New York when Maxwell, Tariq, and I took Liam to the States for a guy’s only trip — a bachelor party of sorts. Liam would soon have to choose a woman to marry that would eventually rule at his side as Queen of Cordonia. This trip was meant to forget about all of that and have fun – just us guys. At least that was my plan.

On the last night of the trip, we stopped in a crumby bar for a late dinner and drinks. And there she was wearing a white collared shirt, black pants and a maroon apron ready to take our order. Listen, the first time she strolled up to our table, my jaw nearly hit the floor. Luckily, she was looking at the other two as she introduced herself, which gave me a chance to wipe the figurative drool from my mouth.

Long, silky black hair pulled into a messy bun on top of her head, naturally tanned skin, sparkling amber eyes, and delicious curves that would elicit an arousing response in any man. And it did. Maxwell and Tariq were just as captivated as I was, not to mention Liam, who stepped into the bar a minute later. Now it was her turn to be captivated. Of course she was. They all were.

Liam stood six feet and two inches tall – two inches shorter than me, I might add – and he was nothing short of a blonde Adonis. The ladies already swooned for him because he was the prince, but take that title away, and he’d still have no problem adding notches to his bedpost. With his ocean blue eyes and well-proportioned body, Liam was every woman’s wet dream.

So, you can see why Bragnae would immediately turn her attention to him as he made his way to our table that night. We enjoyed our burgers, drank a ton of whiskey, and all stole glances at the goddess that was our waitress. Then, Liam boldly asked her to join us after her shift was over. A part of me was more than happy to have more time to look at her, but a bigger part was annoyed.

Obviously, she was taken with Liam, so there went my chance with her. I never stood a snowball’s chance in hell with women when Liam was around. Yes, I can admit that the good Lord blessed me with attractive features. Brown hair that looked good at any length with eyes to match, a strong jaw line, and the ability to chisel well-defined muscles on my body certainly helped me get laid. It damn sure wasn’t my personality. But with Liam there? It was no contest.

You’d think it’d be easy for me to hate the guy, but I can’t. He’s my best friend. My brother. We’ve been friends ever since we were kids, and we’ve always had each other’s backs. I’d do anything for him, and I have. Dropped out of college, a life I was keen on living away from Cordonia, and came back to keep Liam company after an attempt on his life. I wouldn’t give up my own happiness for just anyone. There’s few people I care about in this world, and Liam is one of them. The rest can all fuck off.

So, as you can see, I put up with all the bullshit for him. He needs me. He needs someone to give it to him straight, to keep him humble, and to keep him safe from all the selfish vultures that lurk around the palace wanting more for themselves than for their Crown Prince.

So, when Liam showed interest in Bragnae, I had no choice but to back off. It was stupid as hell for him to get her hopes up for the one night. Then again, maybe that’s all she wanted. A hook up. From what I understand, none of that occurred. At least a kiss and maybe some light fondling if I knew my friend. But whatever transpired between them that night after they snuck out of the club together was enough to prompt Bragnae to make a life changing decision to temporarily move to Cordonia for the chance to compete in the Social Season to win Liam’s hand.

Ugh. The Social Season. Don’t even get me started on that. As if Liam didn’t already have a parade of ladies vying for his attention, the kingdom made it a season for the prince to choose his future bride.

And Bragnae accepted Maxwell’s invitation to take part in it. I have to admit. I lost some respect for her when I saw her climb aboard our private jet back to Cordonia. I thought she was just another crown chaser, but believe me, I didn’t think that for long. She proved me wrong almost immediately.

I won’t bore you with everything that’s happened since she arrived in Cordonia, for your sake – unless you want me to tell you how many pathetic times I stroked my dick thinking of Bragnae, wishing I was inside her instead. Don’t worry, I’ll give you the highlights though.

Obviously, I wouldn’t be telling you any of this if the damned woman didn’t mean something to me. With her being a suitor for the prince, I knew she was off limits. Maybe that made me want her more. I don’t know. But she was more than just a pretty face and a sexy body. God, the dresses she wears. I get hard just thinking about it. The way she elegantly walks into a room, swaying her hips in an unknowingly sexy way grabs my attention every time. I’m not the only one.

Being the exotic foreigner, Bragnae had captured the attention of many men and even some women with her alluring ways. She truly was the complete package. She knew how to have a good time, spoke her mind, and was gracious, even to those who didn’t reciprocate. And oh boy, did she give me the business. Still does. It’s like I’m her number one target that she attempts to crack. She always wants me to have a good time. What did I do to invite that kind of attention from her?

I’m quite set in my ways, but damn if she hasn’t already broken down some of my walls. I hate her for it. Okay, more like, I hate that she was able to do it. She makes me smile, damn it, and I’ve worked on this scowl for years. How could she do this in such a short amount of time? I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s some sort of temptress. She has to be. Someone with mystical powers of enchanting men, and bending them to her will.

Yeah, I’ve got it bad, but there were specific occasions that led me to believe she might also be into me as well. I know, I know. As I’ve already established, no woman passes up Liam especially for someone like me. So, I’m sure I’m fantasizing about this.

Aside from a few looks and smiles she had cast in my direction at the Masquerade Ball and derby, there were some instances that felt deeper. Like when we went to Lythikos, and that witch Olivia mocked me and my sister for no reason whatsoever except to be cruel. Bragnae stood up to her for my sake, which I wasn’t expecting. I hauled ass out of there wanting some fresh air and a chance to see a meteor shower. Low and behold, Bragnae followed me out.

We ended up having a heartfelt talk that came out of nowhere. I think this was the first time I really started to like her. I was attracted to her from the beginning, but it was when we were lying in a snowbank looking up at the shooting stars above us when I felt a twinge in my heart. I badly wanted to reach out to her, but knew that wasn’t appropriate. As the snow started the fall and we walked back to Olivia’s estate, Bragnae surprised me by slipping her hand into mine.

I instantly felt electricity from her touch. I was almost too stunned to speak. She told me it was for safety, but I could see the truth in her eyes. We had connected in that moment, and holding her hand felt right. There was no way I was letting go. So, we held hands until we reached the manor. Everything changed for me after that night.

Perhaps it was just me and my wishful thinking, but ever since we left Lythikos, I felt that Bragnae was intentionally getting closer to me – physically. It seemed she would find ways to touch my arm during a conversation or sit by me when the opportunity presented itself.

After the Royal Regatta, we went to the beach for a little fun in the sun. She insisted on rubbing sunscreen over my back. I protested only for appearances. Thank God only the ocean could see my face because I was having a hard time keeping my sanity as she rubbed her soft hands up and down my shoulders and back. It sent a shiver down my spine.

Then, she let me return the favor. God, it was amazing. I had a legitimate excuse to touch her… in public… and she was wearing a swimsuit. Up until that day, I hadn’t see more than flirty cleavage when she wore her dresses. She was so close to being naked that day that my heart nearly stopped. As I worked my hands over her back, my eyes traveled down to her glorious ass. Her cheeks slipped out a bit. As soon as I felt my dick twitch, I knew it was time to bail.

We jumped in the ocean soon after that. Seeing Bragnae dripping wet from head to toe quickly moved to the number one slot in my spank bank. The release I had later that day after remembering our shared touches, and seeing her so deliciously drenched by the ocean was amazing.  

And just a few days ago, after we arrived in Applewood, it was my birthday. Liam told Bragnae even though I asked him to not make a big deal about it, damn him. So, Bragnae took it upon herself to organize a night out at a country-western bar in town in honor of my birthday.

If it was anyone else’s suggestion, I would have heartily declined, but I was curious what she had planned, and definitely wanted to see her in a bar setting with a cold drink in her hand. When we arrived, she took me up to the bar and got me a free drink. She chose whiskey – my favorite. She didn’t make me suffer with some embarrassing girly drink. No, she ordered my most favorite libation on the planet.

I let it slip that I thought she was hot, and of course she called me out on it. There was nothing this woman missed. Later on, we found ourselves on the dance floor, and of all people, she shimmied over to me. Even though I told her I was a rotten dancer, she delicately placed her hands on my hips and told me it was as easy as swaying to the beat. She smiled up at me with a glimmer in her eye.

I could chalk it up to it being my birthday, and that’s why I received so much of her attention that night, but the vibes I was receiving from her was more than a friendly gesture. And as if that night wasn’t already better than I anticipated, I willingly shared a sappy story about my childhood birthdays with her, which prompted an unexpected embrace from Bragnae. She pulled me in tightly, her breasts smashed against my chest and her arms clutching my back as she stood on her toes to hug me.

I was stunned for a split second before my brain told me to wrap my arms around her soft, warm body too. She smelled like a fucking angel – citrusy and sweet. It’s my new favorite scent.

You’re all caught up now. Maybe you see what I do, and maybe you don’t. Either way, I’ve got Bragnae on my mind constantly, and it’s becoming a problem. I even began calling her by her last name in an attempt to seem nonchalant and casual on the outside, when I’m really about to hulk out of my own skin because I want her so badly. Hopefully, she couldn’t tell.

I’ve been trying to hide it for the past month now, and it’s becoming more difficult by the day. I don’t want to tell her how I feel, even though I really do want her to know, it’s not right. She’s here for Liam, and that’s that.

It was the morning after the Apple Blossom Festival. Thank Christ that bullshit is over. Bragnae looked cute in her authentic peasant costume, but that was the extent of the excitement for that day. Now, it was time to blow off a little steam.

Liam was actually available this morning for a little work out before he had to attend a few meetings later on in the afternoon. It was nice to have this time with him. Liam had been my work out buddy since we were old enough to start using the gym equipment, which is why both of us are exceptionally toned and buff. I spend a little more of my time in the gym than he does – sometimes three times a day when I’m really bored.

“So, is your dad putting pressure on you to pick a particular suitor?” I couldn’t help but wish they were pushing him away from Bragnae.

“Yes, of course, he is. He and Regina both keep talking up Madeleine.” Liam continued his set of bicep curls.

“And what do you think about her?” I knew what he thought because I thought it too. Again, just hoping for his attention to be swayed to anyone but Bragnae. I focused on pumping up my own biceps as I waited for his response.

Liam gave me a knowing look through the mirror. “She wasn’t good enough for my brother, and she’s definitely not good enough for me. I hate that they’re pushing her onto me like this. I feel bad for her in a way,” he said as he returned the weights to the rack. “She was so close to becoming queen before Leo abdicated the thrown, and now she’s back to try again. It’s pathetic.”

I loved when he was candid with me. He knew he can trust that I wouldn’t repeat his words. That’s what best friends are for. Support and total discretion. “She’s passionate at least,” I laughed thinking about her desperate need for the political spotlight.

Liam wiped his face with a towel. “Passionate for the crown, maybe. But me? It’s all a fucking show. If she’s chosen, I doubt we’ll even fuck. She hasn’t once tried to kiss me when we’ve had moments alone. All the others have. I don’t even think she likes men.”

All the others have. I shuddered at the thought of him being with Bragnae. I hoped to God they hadn’t had sex yet. I haven’t quite figured out what type of woman she was in that regard. What I do know is that she’s smart and adventurous. She dresses provocatively, but with a certain elegance. Who knows if she’s promiscuous or not?

I’m torn on the topic. I love a bold woman who knows what she wants and takes it. It’s nice when a girl comes with experience, but she’s also not just giving it away to anyone who asks for it. If that’s how Bragnae was, I would be happy to know that. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to ask Liam if they’ve gone that far. We’ve talked about sex plenty of times, but this was different. It might be too hard to listen to Liam tell me about how she was in bed. It’s something I’d rather find out for myself.

“Yeah, Madeleine stands out to the masses, but definitely not your style.”

Liam took a swig of water. “I’ll tell you, though, I really like Bragnae.”

Fuck. “Oh, yeah?”

“Drake, she’s amazing. She’s not only beautiful, but she’s insightful too. I feel like I can tell her anything. The people seem to like her, the press too. I’m really hoping my father and Regina give her a chance.”

Damn it. He really likes her. Am I fucking surprised? No. She is amazing. No doubt about that.

“What do you think of her?” Liam asked.

How do I answer this without making it sound like I really like her too? “I think she’s great. She doesn’t seem to have her head in the clouds like most of these women, and she’s genuine. You know that’s always something I can appreciate.” Okay, that was good. Very Drake of me to say. I think that was good enough and wouldn’t blow my cover.

 “I’m glad you agree.” He said, taking a seat on one of the benches. He looked down at the floor with a smile on his face. “That body. She’s so fucking hot. I wish I could spend more time alone with her. I hate the fucking tight schedule they keep me on.”

I blew out a slow breath of relief. Sounded like he hasn’t gone all the way with her. Normally, at this point, he’d be boasting about his opportunity to be with her, but instead he was pining over it. But how long would it last?

“Yeah, I can imagine how rough it is.” They pull him in every direction they can. I wish he’d just tell them to shove it up their ass once in a while. “You’re the prince, man. Do what you want.” Why the fuck am I encouraging this? I hate myself.

Loud music was suddenly audible through the walls alerting us both. As we left the gym, Liam and I walked down the hall to a room where the door was cracked open a bit. Liam pulled it open the rest of the way, and halted in his tracks.

I noticed a stunned look on his face before I saw what was happening inside the room. I stepped up to the doorway, next to Liam, and saw Maxwell leading a choreographed dance flanked by Hana and Bragnae. My mouth fell open in shock as my eyes poured over Bragnae’s body.

She wore a hot pink sports bra top and black spandex leggings that were glued to her skin. Kevin Rudolf’s Let it Rock blared over the speakers as they danced in sync with each other. The beat was fast paced and lively. I actually liked the song – even more so now that I watched Bragnae dance to it.

She moved with ease, spinning, dipping, twirling in rhythm with the song, and it was mesmerizing. The way her hands explored her own body so seductively made my dick jump. Oh, fuck. She just bent over. Now, she and Hana were slowing it down, mirroring each other as they slowly dropped to their knees on the floor. Pumping their bodies on the ground and thrashing their long hair from side to side. Within seconds, the ladies slowly rose again.

I glanced at Liam briefly to see his reaction. He was enthralled, just like me. I was rarely jealous of Liam, but this was definitely one of those times. Not because he was the prince, and not because Bragnae was one of his suitors, but because he could watch her now – unguarded. He could look at her without suspicion as to why he’s fucking her with his eyes.

If anyone saw the way I was watching her with insane hunger and need, they’d think I was a creep or an asshole for gawking at one of the prince’s suitors. How I wished I could look at her openly the way I wanted to. So much of my life nowadays was kept in secret because so much of my life was consumed by Bragnae.  

I had no idea she could dance like this. It was like watching a strip tease, without the stripping of course. God, I wish she was taking off her clothes, too. Damn it. She was confident in her body as she thrusted her pelvis to the beat three times. And there went my dick again. I had to readjust because the pesky thing wouldn’t stay down. I was wearing athletic shorts. Thank God they’re black. My hard-on won’t be as prominent.

The song came to a close as the girls ended in a pose with their backs arched and an arm stretched above their heads. Maxwell did his own pose, not that I gave a shit about how he looked. My eyes were trained on Bragnae. My heart raced and I was breathing quickly all of a sudden. I hadn’t realized it until now. I wanted an encore… bad.

Liam started clapping, which got their attention. Fuck. I wasn’t ready to be exposed as an onlooker yet. My dick was still hard.

“That was phenomenal,” Liam said as he made his way over to them. The room they were dancing in was quite large. It was a multipurpose room used for collective work out routines such as their dance and whatever else the royal family wanted to use it for.

I watched Bragnae as she spun around to face Liam with a surprised expression. Apparently, despite the few times she turned around in our direction, she hadn’t noticed she had an audience. Then, her eyes focused on me. A brief smile crossed over her lips before she looked away. She was embarrassed? Why? That was unbelievably hot. If I could hit replay somewhere, I would.

My dick finally gave me a break, so I walked into the room to where they were standing.

“Are you three practicing for a show that I’m unaware of?” Liam asked with a sparkling smile.

Maxwell laughed. “Nah. The girls just wanted to work out in a fun way, so we put together a flirty routine. You know me. I’m always up for dancing.”

“Yes, and it was incredibly exhilarating!” Hana said with enthusiasm, albeit a bit breathless. “I’ve never danced like that in my life. My mother would have a heart attack if she saw that.”

Yeah, I bet she would. That dance was pure sex.

“And you, Lady Bragnae? Do you dance like that often?” Liam asked politely, but I knew he wanted to see if there’d be a repeat performance in the future.

We were both thinking with our dicks in that moment. And I couldn’t blame him. I was still in awe of what I just witnessed, so I was perfectly fine letting Liam speak to satisfy both of our curiosities. I did my best reconnaissance when I observed with my eyes rather than inquired with my mouth anyway – usually because my words would get me into trouble.

Bragnae nodded as she finished taking a long drink from a water bottle. Her chest glistened from the work out, and her quick and heavy breaths pushed her breasts out every time she inhaled. Goddamn. I raised my gaze to her eyes again in an effort to keep my dick out of the matter. No need to awaken him again. Not until I could at least be alone.

“I dance recreationally like this from time to time, but I’m not a part of a crew or anything. Just for fun.” Bragnae offered up a dazzling smile as she regained control of her breath again.

“I asked the other ladies if they wanted in on this, but Kiara declined saying she was too good for it. Penelope always mimics Kiara’s responses, so she was out. Madeleine acted like she didn’t even hear me when I asked, and Olivia said, and I quote ‘dream on, home boy’.” Maxwell shook his head and chuckled.

Liam extended his arm to the three of them. “Well, why don’t we all walk next door and grab a protein shake. Drake and I just finished working out as well.”

Hana’s face lit up with excitement at the suggestion, and Maxwell put some equipment away before he started for the door. I waited until Bragnae agreed before I turned to leave the room. I was sure Liam was waiting to walk next to Bragnae as they left the makeshift dance studio, so I wasn’t even going to try.

It was convenient for me that Liam also enjoyed working out, and considered it as much of a hobby as I did. That meant that as we got older, the gym equipment got better and there was a small protein stand built into the estate. Here at Applewood and back at the palace.

I made it to the counter first. With chocolate and vanilla protein powders as options, they also offered a few other flavors as add-ins. I would shake it up from time to time, but my favorite was chocolate-cherry. I placed my order with Jean, the middle-aged woman that worked the counter, and stepped back for the others.

Maxwell ordered a chocolate-banana, Hana got chocolate-strawberry. Like I guessed, Liam and Bragnae strolled up a minute later in a slow paced walk. He offered for her to order ahead of him, but she declined so she could look at the options. Liam asked for vanilla-strawberry, his favorite.

Bragnae stepped up to the counter. “May I have a chocolate-cherry, please?” Jean nodded, and turned away to fix the drinks.

I looked down to conceal my smile. She ordered the same thing as me. I knew she had good taste.

“Drake? Here you go, honey.” Jean placed my shake on the counter.

I walked up to retrieve it. Bragnae was still standing there when she looked over at my drink. I removed the wrapper to the straw Jean had set next to the cup, and pierced the plastic lid.

Bragnae’s eyes met mine as I smirked. “You ordered the same thing as me, by the way.”

She beamed. “I did? Well, we have good taste.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Before I could think of what to say next, Jean had placed the other orders on the counter. I got out of their way and walked to a nearby table. The others joined me along with their shakes.

“You know, ladies, you’re welcome to work out in the gym, too, if you want. Here and back at the palace. I’d be happy to show you a thing or two if you need assistance.” Liam, the ever-willing prince. I chuckled at his invitation. This was guy code for, I’d love to see more of you in your tight clothes while working up a sweat. And then maybe we could take a shower together afterwards.

I knew my best friend, and I knew myself. We were both thinking the same thing. However, I doubt that comment was intended for Hana even though she was also beautiful and beyond talented in almost every capacity.

“That’s nice of you to offer, Your Highness,” Hana said before taking a drink.

“We got quite the work out in today. Full-body. Do you guys do that every time you’re in the gym?” Bragnae asked. She looked to Liam and then to me.

Liam had just taken a swig of his shake, so I answered. “Nah. We break it up. Today was just arms and abs.”

I kept my gaze on Bragnae as her eyes shifted down the length of my arm. She had her elbows on the table holding her shake up just below her chin. Her fingers absentmindedly moved the straw in and out of the lid as her eyes locked on my bicep.

I know I shouldn’t have, but I knew she was impressed, so I clenched my fist and flexed my bicep for a split second to gauge her reaction. I smiled inside as I saw her lightly gasp before taking a drink and looking away.

“Ooh, Bragnae, we better get going if we want to shower before the next event,” Hana said looking at her watch.

Oh, nice. A shower. Are they going to shower together? That’s what Hana made it sound like, or maybe that’s what my dirty mind wanted me to hear. Either way, picturing Bragnae naked in a hot and steamy shower was definitely an image I wanted to fill my mind with. If Hana happened to be showering near her, that’d be okay too. But I’d prefer to be in there with Bragnae instead.

“And what is the next event for you ladies?” Liam asked.

Bragnae and Hana stood from the table, prompting the rest of us gentlemen to do the same. “We are having tea with the queen. All the ladies are expected to be there and on time.” Bragnae emphasized the last part with a different inflection in her voice and widened eyes.

Liam laughed. “Yes. It’s best not to keep her waiting.”

“Oh, I know. If I’m late for another event, Bertrand will give me a very stern talking to for ‘besmirching House Beaumont’.” Bragnae spoke emphatically, and teased Maxwell by pinching his cheek.

“You and me both,” Maxwell told her. “Now, get going, so Bertrand stays off both of our asses.”

Bragnae laughed and waved before turning to walk away. My eyes traveled down to her magnificently presented ass. There should be a standing rule that Bragnae always be in tight, spandex leggings when she wasn’t wearing a dress. Jesus Christ, she could stop traffic. And I’m getting hard again. Time to go.

“Alright, I’m going to get cleaned up as well. I’ll see you fellas later.”

~

The next day was the traditional fox hunt for the royal party. Our ancestors used to hunt fox for sport, but today, the event only retains its name. Good thing too because I bet over half of these so-called nobles had never even held a gun, let alone knew how to use it.

This was actually an event I was happy to be a part of. We had to ride horses across a three mile trail through the woods and a bit of the mountains. This was my forte. Growing up with a mother who lived on a ranch in her youth, I was practically raised on a horse. I got up early and headed to the stables to pick out my horse for the day before the fussing nobles ruined the experience.

Since Lonestar, my mother’s horse, was at the stables near the palace, I had to find a different steed. Natalia was always my choice when we came to Applewood. We got along well, and she was better for more experienced riders anyway. She liked to run, so I thought I’d take her out to the field before the fox hunt to stretch her legs a bit.

After she was saddled up, I hopped on, and led her out to the field to trot, being sure not to tire her out too much before the trail ride.

Before long, the nobles had assembled and the fox hunt had begun. I was at the end of the procession, but I led Natalia to the sidelines, so we could pass a few people. There was no way I was going to be stuck behind Penelope while she was telling her hundredth story about her poodles that morning. Plus, I wanted to find Bragnae.

After seeing how she ogled the muscles in my arm, and not Liam’s, I figured it was time to stop playing this game. I needed to start being nicer to her, and explain myself. She deserved that. And out of all the people I wanted to be a prick to, she wasn’t even on the list. So, it would end today.

As I made my way through the trail, the crisp air was refreshing. The woods surrounded the manmade path. It was beautiful, save for the bickering nobles. I shook my head in disgust at them. It was a shame they couldn’t appreciate what was around them. Just shut the fuck up, and enjoy the ride.

I finally saw Bragnae up ahead. She was on a black horse – oh, wait, that was the horse who won the derby. Huh. I wondered how she happened to possess her. Bragnae was riding alongside Hana who was showing her some sort of dressage move. I smirked thinking about Hana’s plethora of talent.

I wasn’t going to intrude on their moment, so I kept my pace and position in hopes that Hana would ride off eventually. My patience had paid off as Hana rode ahead a minute later. Now was my chance.

I squeezed my legs around Natalia and gave her a slight kick with my heels to give her the sign to trot ahead. When she approached Bragnae and her horse, I pulled back on Natalia’s reins to keep up with Bragnae’s horse.

“Hey, Bennett. You look nice.” She did, too. She managed to find a rider’s outfit. A maroon jacket and tight, brown pants with knee-high boots.

Bragnae pulled back in surprise. “Wow. Opening with a compliment, huh? You feeling okay?”

I chuckled. “Yep. Just fine.”

“I’m surprised to see you out here today. I would have figured all the nobles would have repelled your desire to join us.”

“This is actually something I love doing. Riding horses, I mean. And it’s entertaining to watch the stuffy nobles fuss over their blazers. It amazes me how much they’re missing what’s around them, though.”

“Is that why you’re smiling more today?”

I couldn’t help but smile again as I looked at her. “It has more to do with who I’m riding next to.”

She feigned a surprised gasp, complete with a hand over her heart. “A second compliment!”

“If you’re lucky, you might get a third.” I loved bantering with her. It was always fun.

“Oh, then let me find a four-leaf clover really quick.” She winked at me with that dazzling smile I liked so much.

I sighed giving Natalia a couple pats on her neck. It was time to be honest with her. I needed to explain why I’d been such an ass to her. “You know, when we first met, I wanted to dislike you so badly.”

Genuine surprise highlighted her face. “Why?”

“Well, you were crashing Liam’s bachelor party. That was supposed to be our last night out together before all this nonsense. I don’t get to spend much time with him, and now, I’m lucky if I get to spend five minutes with him before a noble girl throws herself in front of him.” I also didn’t want to like you because I knew I couldn’t have you. Wish I could tell her that.

I looked over at her to see a somewhat pained expression. “Sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“I knew what you meant.” There was compassion in her eyes. Thank God. The last thing I wanted was her thinking I was insulting her in any way.

“Anyway, I know we got off to a bad start, but somewhere along the way,” I paused to gather my courage, “…things changed.” I hope she could read between the lines.

“I wanted to dislike you too,” she replied.

Now it was my turn to be surprised. “You did?”

“Well, yeah! I mean, you were a total dick to me.” She turned toward her horse, stroking its mane. I was a complete dick to her, and I hated that I did that. “But now…”

“Now?” My nerves were making my hands shake. I gripped the reins tighter as I waited for her response.

“It took time, but I figured out that you’re actually human under all those scowls.”

I shook my head as a smile crept over my lips. She wove a joke into her reply, and it was the cutest damn thing. Now the air was cleared, and it felt good. “Well, this has all been touching, but I need to rescue Liam from his family for a couple minutes. I’ll see you later.”

“I hope so,” she grinned.

Damn, that went well. I heeled Natalia again to get her to trot towards the front of the procession.

Soon, the trail led everyone to an old village where we would all have dinner. I was starving and very much looking forward to eating the giant feast. As everyone got in line to be served, I saw Tariq and Bragnae talking just ahead of me. His body language suggested that he was into her. I knew from the bachelor party in New York that Tariq was attracted to her, but he hadn’t done much more than mention it at the time. Not that I saw anyway.

As I moved forward in the line, I watched Liam trade places with Tariq. His body language was even more obvious. Liam had it bad. I could easily recognize when he was really into a woman, and there was no mistaking it here. But the stakes were even higher this time around. Liam was looking to pick a bride, a future queen. I didn’t know if he was in love with her, but he’d been much more preoccupied with her than any other girl I’d seen him with.

Later that evening after we got back from the ride, I helped the stable hands corral the horses and take their saddles off before I headed to my room. It had been a long day, but despite the length of the ride and being outdoors all day, I wasn’t ready to call it a night.

I needed to see Bragnae again. For some reason, I felt that I didn’t get my fill of her today. Then again, I felt like that every day even when I was with her. Maybe she’d like to go to the gym with me for a late night work out. Would that be too obvious that I wanted to spend time with her?

I decided I didn’t give a shit about that. Some of her signals made it seem like she was into me, so maybe she’d be happy to come along. I changed into a razorback tank top and athletic shorts and made my way to her room. I hoped she wasn’t asleep yet or otherwise busy. Her room wasn’t too far from mine. Liam made sure of that. At the beginning of the Social Season he had asked me to keep an eye on her. At first, I was unsure about it, but that quickly changed. If anything, I was grateful that I had an excuse to be hanging around her.

I came up to her room, and the door was wide open. Does the woman not enjoy privacy? I peeked my head in the door frame searching the room with my eyes before spotting Bragnae straddling the floor, resting on her knees. Her hands pressed against the floor in front of her as she slowly moved up and down.

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head. What the hell was she doing? She was still wearing her riding pants, but had removed her blazer and took her hair out of the bun it was in, and cascaded it over one shoulder. I was frozen. Only my eyes could move.

Bragnae’s eyes were closed, and I watched as her full lips transformed in what looked like agony to relief. It was incredibly erotic to watch her in this way. My dirty mind pictured myself underneath her. I wouldn’t mind at all if she wanted to ride me like that. Seeing her now made it easy to imagine her legs squeezing my hips as she felt every inch of my dick inside her.

My hardened and impatient cock brought me out of my trance. I needed to make my presence known before someone noticed I was just standing in her doorway watching her like some fucking pervert.

“Need a hand there?” Fuck. That was my dick talking. Why did I say that? Fuck.

Bragnae’s eyes snapped open, and an embarrassed smile crossed over her lips. “Hey, Drake.”

“Whatcha doin’?” I was genuinely curious.

Bragnae slowly stood up. “I was just stretching. It’s been a while since I last rode a horse.”

Hmmm. Could that also mean it’s been a while since she’s ridden a man that way? I know if she rode a stallion like me, she’d be sore. No getting around that. Her inner thighs would strain to hold onto me as I would thrust into her over and over again making her come so hard she’d struggle to breathe after her screams of pleasure finally subsided.

I cleared my throat to push the thought out of my mind. “I ride pretty regularly, so I’m used to it by now.”

“What are you doing for the rest of the night?”

I’d love for the answer to be you. “I was actually going to head down to the gym, and I was going to ask you if you’d like to join me, but I guess you probably don’t feel up to it being sore from the ride.”

“No, I can still go,” she said immediately with a smile. “Just give me a minute to change.”

Wow. Cool. So, she doesn’t mind working out even as sore as she is. I didn’t want to get too excited, but I was pretty sure it was because of me. At least I hoped so.

I nodded after processing her response. “Yeah, sure. I’ll just be outside.” I closed her door behind me, and leaned against the wall.

My heart was starting to race again, and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I took a couple deep breaths to calm my nerves. After another minute, her door opened and Bragnae emerged wearing an electric blue sports bra top, similar to the one she danced in, and black spandex leggings to match. Her stomach and lower back were completely bare.

My dick took over again. It was making my eyes get lost in her body that was standing so close to me that I could feel the heat between us. I had a sudden urge to tuck the tip of my finger just beneath her waistband, and roll it across her pelvis, undoubtedly making her tremble. My gaze traveled up to her top where the most spectacular cleavage I’d ever seen peeked out.

The tightness of her outfit pushed her breasts up and together. If I wasn’t mistaken, I was pretty sure she had pulled that zipper in the front of her top down even more than it had been the other day. She was flirting with her clothes, and I was completely onboard with that. If she only knew what her outfit was doing to me.

Thank Christ my brain woke up in time to save me from myself as my eyes returned to hers. “Shall we?”

[yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy]

Keep Your Eyes On Me Part 2

So this is part 2 of my submission to @waiting4inspiration ‘s 2k follower challenge. In case you missed part 1

Warnings- implied nudity, language, I think that’s it. That good good (smut/lemon) is in part 3 tho so heads up. 

Part 2

You got up and stretched before you took off your dragon armor and dragon wool outer layers and lounged around your home away from home and made yourself something to eat before you got into bed in just your dragon silk under layers, what essentially looked like a tank top and leggings and got into your own bed and read from your ‘journal’ all the “history” you’d be changing if things went according to plan as the fire in your shelter stayed ever burning, keeping things comfortable which lulled you into sleep too before long. 

You woke up only moments before Bjorn did and barely had your dragon wool outer layers on by the time he opened his eyes. 

“Am I in Valhalla?” He asked as he looked around, this..didn’t look like Valhalla. Although he wasn’t in nearly as much pain as his mind told him he should be in, so maybe…

“No,” you shook your head no as you continued getting dressed and put your armor on over your wool layers because you didn’t trust him to not harm you yet. The way any wounded animal bites. 

“What is that?” He questioned as he gestured to what you were wearing. 

“It’s my armor.” You answered as you fastined it and ran your hands over it. 

“What’s it made out of?” He asked as he eyed it’s texture. 

“Dragon scales.” you beamed proudly. 

“What?” He shook his head in confusion. 

“I’m a Valkyrie from Asgard remember? Well, more specifically Neveah. Dragons still fly free there, they’ve died out here a long time ago. At home we’ve also domesticated them. Dragons are like…big scaley horses as far as temperament goes. When dragons shed their scales so that they can grow new, bigger ones, we collect them and make armor out of them. When they do, they reveal the dragon’s down, the way a duck or goose has down, like a soft fuzzy hair under each scale. However for some breeds of dragon, we’ve bred them so that the downy hair grows more abundantly instead of the scales, it grows like sheep’s wool, mare dragons, their down is much finer than a stud dragon’s is, mares grow what’s called dragon silk, stud dragon’s down is much thicker and it’s a bit rougher, they grow dragon’s wool. It’s really hard to dye to make different colors, ten times longer than it takes anything else to dye but once it dyes, the color never fades, ever. It’s also super durable while being breathable and depending on how you weave it, it can take the sweat off of you while not letting you get wet like if you’re out in the rain and it’s a bit stretchy. But it’s so tough that only dragon’s teeth can cut it decently well, Thankfully dragons regrow their teeth every shed and then once they reach full size, they regrow a new set every ten years or so. Baby dragons’ teeth, we use those for needles, medium teeth, perfect for small knives and scissors, the larger teeth, swords.” You explained as you pointed to the different layers of clothes you were wearing to show the differences in fabrics as Bjorn reached out to feel the fabric before you gestured to your dragon toothed sword on your hip before you handed him your dragon tooth knife to look at. It looked like rainbow titanium. It was always important to mix the truth in with the lies so that the whole was more believable because the truth was, back at home in the future medical science brought back dragons, all the varieties in ancient lore but with a twist of being domesticated. And you were really from an island nation called Neveah. 

“You really are a Valkyrie.” He breathed in awe before he handed the blade back to you. 

“Well on this plane I am, back home I’m a Dragoner.” You smiled proudly as you put the knife back in its place, and that was true, you and your whole family were Dragoners. Some of the best in Neveah. “Are you hungry?” you asked thoughtfully. As you got another pillow and helped him sit up in bed a bit better and more comfortably.  

“Yeah,” he nodded. 

“Ok, let me make you the dagmal then.” You offered as you began to make some breakfast for you both. You made him griddle cakes with berries in the batter, drizzled with honey and some ham and sausages, scrambled eggs along with making him a fresh loaf of bread from your breadseed. 

Breadseed was something special that grew only in the poles in your time, it was discovered when some of the ice caps melted and looked like super large milo plants when it grew in the dead of winter, sunlight tended to burn the leaves of the plant so it only grew in the light of the moon and from the northern lights when the temperatures were consistently -50°. Because anything above zero, the plant wilted and turned to mush, but when picked when you harvested the seeds and very carefully and very slowly brought it up to room temperature while you dehydrated it, they were fine, they made a delightful tea when steeped in hot water and was world renowned for its superb and surprisingly sweet and fruity flavor and longevity benefits. A handful of breadseed seeds looked like bronzer pearls, the more pearlescent the seed, the sweeter it was and came in varieties and flavors that most would recognize as bread and cake flavors. How the breadseed itself worked was you took a kernel which had a waterproof husk and once that was peeled away right before consuming since the husk kept it fresh, you put it into water, it expanded exponentially and grew very hot, baking itself and became something that mimicked and perfectly resembled a new loaf of bread and had all the health benefits that bread had and then some including added vitimins and minerals that were easy for everyone to digest, the loaves were the size of a soccer ball with a pocket, the size of your fist, on the inside in the middle, where still more breadseeds lined it. A handful of breadseed could feed an army. Back home they were international currency, but here and now they were just plain food. 

You took the round loaf and split it, one half was two thirds of the loaf and the other was about a third of the size of the whole, you didn’t need to eat a lot, this poor man hasn’t had a good meal in a very long time, he would appreciate the larger half but the action helped you to get at the pocket in the middle and scooped the breadseeds out and added them to your breadseed pouch before you went back to Bjorn and served him his breakfast or simply, his day meal which is what the dagmal was to him- in bed. Using the little table you had attached to the bed to set everything on so he didn’t have to balance it all in his lap. 

“Here you go.” You offered before you got him a large cup of buttermilk. Vikings liked buttermilk to drink for their day meal. Or so you’ve read. 

“Why are you doing all of this for me? There were others there that deserve this more than I do.” He asked as he looked at all the food and hesitated in eating it. 

“Odin has a path for you, I’m here to help you find it, walk in it and follow it. Once you do, I’ll be gone as quickly as I came, because by then, you won’t need me or my guidance.“ You informed him. 

“What is the path?” He asked as he slowly started to eat. 

“I’m not allowed to tell you, because if I do, it won’t happen. But you’ll know it when it’s in front of you.” You gently urged before you gave him a reassuring squeeze of his shoulder with a gentle smile before you left back into the kitchen area of your tent as Bjorn thought over your words and brought your food over to the little table and one of the chairs and ate yourself, drinking your freshly squeezed orange juice and bacon and omelet with pancakes and sausage as you low key looked at him out of the corner of your eye and noticed how he suddenly seemed to try to eat everything all at once. 

“This is so good,” he praised between bulging mouthfuls. 

“Thank you.” You smiled proudly. 

“So what’s your name Valkyrie?” He asked curiously. 

“What would you like to call me?” You returned, knowing he’d probably like you better with a norse name rather than your own. 

“Astrid.” Bjorn decided since you were still, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life and that name suited you perfectly. 

“Astrid it is.” You smiled back.

After he ate, he fell back asleep and once he was out, you took away the dishes and put them in the sink before the automatic washer washed them for you before you pulled up his biometric readouts from him into the simulation model and were pleasantly surprised when he was healing at a much higher rate than estimated before you recalibrated your algorithms to get a better and more accurate prediction for when he would heal. He should be out for the next…2 hours or so. Plenty of time for you to get a bath because your deodorant was dying and you could use one since back on Neveah, you bathed twice a day. Once in the morning to be clean for the day and then again at night, usually a bath to relax and unwind before bed.  

You got undressed and went into the bathroom section of your tent where a large tub was already full of swirling hot water and you undressed and stepped into the water and blew out a breath of relief as you stepped into the hot water and sat down before a tray lifted from the side, showing you a bath bomb and a vile of bath oil. 

You happily took it and dropped the bathbomb in before you smelled the bath oil. Ooh, jasmine with hints of lilac and gardenia. Hell yeah, you poured it in before you took off your face mask that morphs your face to appear however you wanted it to look and took it off and put it on it’s holder before you took the headband off that made your hair take on the long blonde hair Vikings loved and revealed your blue razzberry blue hair in it’s ponytail and pulled your hair down before you took the universal translator out of your ears and the projected screen in front of your face so that to everyone looking on, your face moved with your ranslated words and set them down on the tray and blew out a breath of relief and flexed your face as you rubbed your eyes before you slipped under the water and relaxed for a moment before the inside of the bathtub lit up and alerted you Bjorn woke up early which had you coming up out of the water to hurriedly put on your disguise again before Bjorn hobbled into the room and you ducked back into the water to press the hatch at the bottom of the tub to release an emergency bathing suit which you quickly put on under the water before you emerged because you were running out of breath. 

“Bjorn?” You said as you wiped the water off your face and looked at him questioningly. “You should be in bed, do you need something?” You asked as you moved to be closer to him. 

“A…bath.” Bjorn offered as his mouth went dry because your bathing suit was strapless and it appeared that you were naked because the waters were milky white from the dissolved bath bomb. 

“Oh, uh, sure, yeah,” you nodded in agreement and stood up and noticed the small pout he made when it was revealed that you were not naked and stepped out of the water to help him out of all of his clothes except for his underwear before you helped him into the water before you handed him a bar of soap, a washcloth and a comb. 

“You could join me.” Bjorn suggested sheepishly. 

“Only if you swear not to touch me.” You returned a little warily. 

“On my honor.” He immediately agreed before you joined him but sat across from him in the large tub and watched as he lathered the soap and began to clean himself up. 

“So how did you become a Valkyrie?” He asked. 

“I was recruited and trained like any soldier.” You answered simply. 

“So do you have a family back on Asgard?” He questioned. 

“I do. I have my parents and a sister and two brothers.” You revealed. 

“Is your sister a Valkyrie too?” He prodded, trying to get to know you. 

“No, she cares for the bloodlines of the family dragons as well as helping them lay successful clutches of eggs. My brothers handle the training of the dragons so they can take riders when they’re juveniles while my grandparents mainly care for all the grandchildren of the family and the baby dragons. My mother makes jewelry out of the shed scales of the babies as they grow while my father builds armor as do my brothers when they’re not training. That armor that I wear, my father built it just for me and it has never failed me.” You revealed with a fond smile. 

“Do you have a husband and children of your own?” Bjorn asked. 

“No, as a Valkyrie, I’m not allowed to have a husband or birth any children unless I retire first and I’m nowhere near retirement age.” You answered. 

“Do you want them?” He posed. 

“I’m sure I will eventually. But not at the moment.” You shook your head no. 

“What about you? Do you have a family back home that you’re anxious to return to?” You asked curiously as you tilted your head to the side. 

“I have a sister and her family are back in Kattegat. I haven’t seen her in a year, everyone else is dead.” He answered. “I was hoping to gain a fortune on this raid but so far there hasn’t been much to gain.” Bjorn explained. 

“The places you raid are learning and adapting to you and your tactics and word spreads faster than wildfire.” You surmised as Bjorn found himself nodding in agreement to that. “It means in order to get what you want, you may have to change your tactics.” You hinted which caused you to grin. “By the way, moving forward. There are rules for keeping my company. First, I am your guide to your path so that means when I give you advice, it would be best if you followed it because my purpose in giving it to begin with, is keeping you alive and keeping you safe but if you grow reckless, and abuse my help and support, I’ll call in a replacement and she will not be nearly as nice or as pretty as I am or worse yet, I’ll go back in time and leave you to die the way I found you. I’m as good as it gets. Second. I am not your slave, or thrall as you would call it or anything like that. You don’t boss me around. Third, this is as close as we get. I don’t mind being your friend on your journey, but anything more than that, especially anything romantic is out of the question and if you even hint at anything like that, I’m out and I’ll be replaced. Fourth, anyone who touches me without my consent, they loose their hands, including you. You can walk on your path with just one hand. Understood?” You proposed as you leveled him with a look. 

“Understood.” Bjorn nodded with a gulp. 

“Let’s shake on it.” You suggested before you shook hands with him as your materializer made him new clothes and armour. 

After that the conversation flowed much easier and you both got a better sense of who the other person was in terms of character until the water grew cold and you decided to get out. 

“Here, new clothes for you.” You said as you handed him the freshly made clothes made out a blend of dragon silk and dragon wool with dragon silk boxers which he had to get changed into himself. 

“This is really nice.” Bjorn said as he felt the fabric, nothing he had ever put on his skin had ever felt this good before. 

“Now, when you’re all healed up, I have new armor for you. It’s not dragon scale like mine, because giving you dragon scale is forbidden by The Code, but it’s the toughest thing in this world. Way down south of here, in a place called Africa, is a large lizard that they call the crocodile, it’s large enough that it can kill and eat people. This is it’s hide. It’ll stop most weapons. It’s the best I can give you.” You offered as you showed him his suit of armor. 

Getting him travel ready only took you four days rather than the seven you thought it would at first because he took the serums you injected into him better than anticipated and continued to make improvements and he surprised you every day by how well he was able to progress. This mission may take less time than you anticipated. 

Once he was ready, you set up a neural link between both of you, that way you could keep communicating without talking which would come in handy if you were in a form other than human and  transformed back into a horse, your tent changing in appearance to that of a normal tent of the time period from the outside and you were able to make it so that Bjorn could easily set it up and take it down before he put it on your saddle and rode you back to the camp where some of the survivors were and still nursing their own wounds and regrouping. 

“What happened to you?” They asked Bjorn. 

“I got caught in this horse’s reins and it dragged me north, I was able to tame it a little since she’s still green broke and half wild but obviously I was able to bring her back.” Bjorn answered since that was the answer both of you had agreed upon would be the most believable as he got off of you and lead you towards the rest of camp. 

“What are you wearing?” They asked as they eyed what he was wearing now. 

“Oh, this is what the dead fucker that was tied to her saddle was wearing, once I got him off of her and got her settled down, I saw that it was still good, I tried it on and it fit and it was better than what I was wearing.” Bjorn shrugged. “I think he was deserting the fight because she was packed with a tent and a bedroll and food.” He explained as he gestured to everything on your saddle. 

“Serves him right, filthy coward.” his surviving friends sneered but beamed proudly at Bjorn as they eyed you appreciatively as the shield maidens who had survived came over to you curiously as you greeted them sweetly and endeared yourself to them. 

Getting Bjorn and the others back home to Kettegat was more arduous than you expected but you and Bjorn grew closer as friends along the way, only appearing in your human form when you were alone with him, otherwise you were a horse and because of your senses and abilities you were always the first to alert the group of wolves and bears and even other people before you joined back up with another raiding party and traveled back home to Kettegat.

[gwiiyeoweo]

Lunafreya and the boys go for a walk around town.

Pairing: Lunafreya/Prompto/Noctis Rating: M

Luna is used to having all eyes turned toward her, has even practiced pretending to not see all the wide-eyes stares full of wonder aimed right at her as she passes by. Oftentimes, she doesn’t care for it; other times, she just wishes she could cover a shawl over her head and disappear from their sights. If she were in Insomnia or Tenebrae or even Niflheim, no doubt there would be pedestrians trying to crowd up to her and paparazzi snapping away their phones and cameras for their latest magazine articles. 

But instead of the grand cities overrun by fast people and faster cars, she’s finally able to stroll around in public and enjoy the tepid weather without fear of being overtaken by fans looking for an autograph. 

Here, in this little cozy seaside town, she can even show off her pretty darlings.

She’s fancied them up in dresses from her most recent collection, a line of summer clothes ready to debut next season. The fashion world and big brand stores have been eagerly waiting for her next big pieces to line their shelves and fatten their numbers, but genius isn’t meant to be rushed, and she hates being rushed. So she’ll wait a bit longer to let the news slip and enjoy this time she has until her babies meet their big reveal. 

For now, her models will be her boys and the runway this little town. 

She’s had them styled accordingly, of course, with soft extensions pinned to their hair and light makeup to brighten up the ensemble. 

They cross the street, waiting for their green light and following the crosswalk like the good “girls” they are, but that still doesn’t stop some heads from turning. That fills her up with a certain sense of pride she’ll never tire of; no matter how the camera flashes in her eyes or how the obnoxious voices of reporters frantically vye for her attention, she absolutely loves it when that attention is more centered on the two lovelies beside her.

There’s no paparazzi here though, only the town’s residents and some tourists, but she recognizes those little bated breaths and envious and admiring eyes.  

She’d like to see the public’s reaction when they learn the collection was not only a very personal one but also designed specifically with Noctis and Prompto in mind. 

And they both feel the gazes too. Noctis and Prompto trade glances with one another and with Luna, then decide to put on a little show. 

Prompto reaches a hand to his shoulder and tosses his hair back, soft waves of gold that flow down to his waist. The silver sapphire earrings jingle with the movement, catching light and returning a shimmer as they settle back into place. His other hand smooths down his front, delicately padded to give the illusion of a chest, and brushes over the pale chiffon that cascades his dress in layers, light and floral. He pretends to dust something off, hiking the hem just a few inches higher and showing off the white lace garter wrapped around a smooth thigh. 

Loose and flowing, Luna designed it with his body image in mind, something offering breathability yet closure; Prompto still struggles with clothes that fit too snug, reminding him of his childhood days of tight waistbands and choking collars. Yet now, he’s a little too thin, not yet recovering from his ‘overachievement,’ and constantly teeters in his self-confidence. But seeing him like this, glowing with pride and wearing a coy smile, Luna remembers her clothes are more than just a temporary fashion craze. 

Beside Prompto, Noctis is a stark contrast with his dark, form-fitting ensemble. He’s clad in high-waisted shorts that hug this thighs, emblazoned with two columns of decorative silver buttons that follow the curve of his waist. Luna had Nyx Ulric handcraft those buttons specifically for that pair, feeding into Noctis’ knack for skulls and the like, and seeing the little smile on his lips as he ran his fingers along the metal was worth listening to Nyx’s little quips. Loosely tucked in is an awfully sheer halter top, revealing his toned stomach and the padded bra, studded with the same metalwork along the top outline of the cups. There isn’t much left to the imagination, but it’d only pale in comparison to the real thing anyway.

They’re near opposites of each other. Prompto with his blonde hair, a light and colorful dress; Noctis with his entirely black outfit and even darker hair. 

When Noctis wraps a hand around Prompto’s waist and leans in dangerously close to whisper some pretend nonsense in his ear, they all hear a loud thunk and a clatter. A few feet away, a man has hit his head against a streetlamp, a broken phone screen on the sidewalk and a coffee stain on his shirt.

Something must have distracted him, seeing that the metal pole was quite out of the way of pedestrians.

Luna covers her smile with a dainty hand, trying to hide her amusement but her giggle is apparent. Noctis and Prompto don’t even try; they huddle into one another in free laughter. She corrals them across the street before they cause more havoc, in case they actually do stop traffic and cause a car accident with their antics. 

She’ll have to punish them later. Or reward them. It’s all the same, really.

Shower them in kisses and praise as she takes them to bed, the perfect size for the three, and slowly take them apart as she would the threads of their clothes. Her works look magnificent whenever her two darlings are concerned, dressed up and prettied with a certain freedom her clothes grant them, but damn do they look good on the floor of their bedroom as well. 

Maybe she’ll have them do a little striptease for her. For each other. And maybe she’ll sit back and have them take their clothes off each other, slow and with teasing hands and with more teasing lips. Watch their fingers ghost over their waists and hips and ass, tangle a hand in their locks and pull to reveal that gorgeous arch of a neck and leave blooming marks across it. 

She’d definitely like to put her lips on them, paint their pale skin with red lipstains like roses on a blank canvas, and press their faces into the sheets, stain their pillows with makeup and rouge. Spoil them rotten and leave them breathless. 

And have their lips be put to good use — on her.

Noctis blushes when she whispers all the lovely things she has planned for them tonight, but Prompto nearly bounces with excitement as his eyes light up in attention. He even gives his own suggestion with a, “Ooh, can we use those fuzzy handcuffs?”

“On you? Or Noctis?”

“On Noct,” he says almost immediately, looking over to Noctis, “if you’re cool with it.”

“I — um, yeah, actually. I’d really… like that.” Noctis’ voice goes smaller as the pink across his face grows deeper. Bless his sweet soul; for as loud and demanding as Noctis can be, he shrinks like a precious violet despite all their bedroom rowdiness. But when they finally get to strip those thin layers and have him bare before them, oh how does he bloom in the most magnificent ways, wild and vivacious in both body and soul.

“Perfect.” Luna claps her hands together and brings their impromptu meeting to a close, then wiggles herself between them to hook one arm with one of theirs — Prompto to her left and Noctis to her right. “And while we’re on the topic, I’ve been wanting to design a line of lingerie. White leather and black lace.”

She’s sure to get plenty of inspiration tonight.

[fathertaurus]

Kitten (part 1) - ⛈️

JAJDOSJDJSJSNZJD I’m so excited. So, if you don’t know, I originally wrote a sugar daddy! David smut and then a stripper!reader smut. I kept coming up with new ways to keep both stories going, and decided to keep going with the sugar daddy one because that one got more of a response, BUT then an idea for a scene of angst (not in this part) came to me with the reader being his sugar baby and a stripper and I decided to combine the two stories. This is the beginning, it’s very slow, nothing really happens except meeting most of the VS. as always, this is trash but I hope you guys enjoy. also s/o to that one anon that said Kitten as her stripper name cause I fuCKING CHOKED!!

“Babygirl!” Zane calls through your apartment, you hear that door slam close and footsteps coming through towards you’re living room. You pop your head around the corner seeing that Heath is with him too.

“What’s up guys?” you ask. You had given them a key to your apartment for emergencies only, but they never really used it for that.

“Wanna go to a party with us tonight?” asks Heath.

“Ugh guys, I’ve worked all week and was technically supposed to work today-”

“But you aren’t and you’re not staying in! When was the last time you partied?” Zane interrupts.

“Yesterday, when I was working! My feet hurt and I’m tired guys, maybe next time.” you whine. Both boys shake their heads and look at each other and back to you.

“You’re going, that’s final.” says Heath. He turns to your bedroom and walks in Zane following after.

“Hey! What are you doing!?” you yell, shooting up from your spot to follow them through your door.

“Looking for something for you to wear!” Zane says. They go through your clothes deciding some pieces were too revealing or not revealing enough. Heath pulls out a sheer diamond studded top gasping.

“This! You’re wearing this honey!” he shouts.

“Oh my God that would go so good with those thigh high boots I bought last week! Oh and black jeans, I can wear a fur coat, or is that extra- wait I’m not going!” you ramble. They laugh at you and Zane throws a pair of dark black jeans at you.

“Yes you are. Now get ready, we have to be there in an hour.”

You spend the next hour doing your hair and makeup, making sure you looked good, your tiredness faded away and was replaced by excitedness. You didn’t get to go out often, only really partying at the club when you were working, and you were ready to have a night with your friends and meet new people. Zane opens the bathroom door as your finished putting in some diamond studs into your ear piercing.

“I gotta pee babe.” he says and goes to the toilet. “You look good, oh my! Were you being serious about the fur coat?”

You turn back to the mirror making sure you didn’t miss a hair or anything, “I don’t know, it’s my first time meeting your friends. I don’t want to overwhelm them or make them think I’m snobbish.”

“I think you should wear it. It’s apart of your personality, and honestly they’ll probably love it.” he says finishing up and flushing the toilet, he walks to the sink and washes his hands, “Plus, imagine the type of impression you’ll make? Dripping in diamonds and wear a fur coat? A queen.”

You giggle, “Yeah I guess. Black or white?”

“Heath! Black or white coat to go with miss thangs outfit?” Zane yells, grabbing your hand and dragging you out the bathroom.

“White, it’ll give you a sense of purity. And you can yell at someone for stepping on it and make it a bigger deal.” he says. You throw your head back laughing.

“If someone steps on my coat or my shoes I’m fighting, period.” you say still laughing. You go back to your room and grab a long white fur coat from your closet, then reach under your bed for your shoe box. You slide the boots up your thigh, zip the side, repeating the action to the other side, then slip on the coat. Looking on your full length mirror you think you look extra, a diamond studded sheer shirt, white fur coat, thigh highs, and diamond covered jewelry? It’s a little much, but that’s your personality. You go to your dresser sliding on a few rings and a heavy silver necklace with diamonds glittering everywhere and walk back to your living room where Zane and Heath wait.

“Damn bitch! You look like a real rich bitch!” Heath says, making you snort.

“Is the fur real?” he asks.

“God no, I would never.” you place your hand over your heart mocking offensive. He rolls his eyes at your dramatics.

“Okay, let’s go. We’re already running late!” Zane ushers us out of my apartment. We make our way to the garage and hop into Zane’s G-Wagon.

“You gotta let me drive GiGi one day, I kinda want one.” you say.

“Oh for sure, yeah.” he says.

“I thought you wanted a Tesla?” Heath questions.

“Yeah i still do but I want to test drive one first and I don’t know if they allow that at the dealership.”

“One if our friends has a Tesla, we could ask him to let you test it out.” he says.

“You know David isn’t going to let her drive his car, he doesn’t even let us.” Zane says laughing.

“That’s because we’re boys, she’s a pretty girl. He’ll probably let her do whatever she wants just for smiling.” he says while rolling down his window and blowing vape smoke out.

“I’d do a lot more than smile to test out his car.” you say. Zane lets out a loud laugh and Heath starts choking on smoke. You guys start talking about the club and how you’re getting more tips and they talk about vlogging and their friends.

“You should pick up a Vlog camera, y/n. People would probably be interested in the daily life of a LA stripper.” says Zane.

“Oh yeah”, you snort “waking up at 1pm, eating leftovers, showering and then getting all dolled up just to sweat it all off on a pole. Real interesting.”

“Then do beauty videos, show people how to do your dramatic ass looks. You’ll put Jeffree Star and James Charles to shame.” adds Heath.

“You just should put videos up, you have such an amazing personality and people would love you. Hell our fans love when you join coffee talk!” says Zane.

“Maybe, I just don’t know where I’d begin. And then if someone finds out what club I work at then what?”

“It’s not like they could get in, most of them would probably be under age.”

“Exactly, then I’d be considered a bad role model.”

Zane looks back to you through the rearview mirror “Are you ashamed of your job?”

“No, bu-”

“Then who gives a fuck? Do YouTube if you want, we both think you should. We’ll help you pick out equipment and set up and edit. It’ll be a bonding experience!” Heath says, turning in his seat to look back at you. You throw your head back and sigh.

“I’ll think about it.” they cheer from the front and start talking about the best cameras for you to use and you roll your eyes. Minutes later you’re pulling up to a mansion, Zane parks his car on the street lined up with cars. You hop out the backseat, closing the door and straighten out your clothes. You feel the vibrations of the music as you walk around the car standing in between the two.

“Okay, if for any reason you feel uncomfortable and want to go home, tell me and we’ll go home. Don’t take drinks from strangers, don’t go anywhere with someone you don’t know. If you feel like someone is getting a little to close just punch them, if you feel like something happened to your drink but you drank it already go to the nearest room and lock yourself in and text us. If you-”

“Jesus Zane! I’m 21, and work at a freaking strip club. I’ll be fine. Since when did you become daddy bear?” you laugh.

“Actually, we prefer brother bears but whatever.” says Heath. You guys start walking towards the house and he holds the door open for you. You’re immediately engulfed in the sound and smell of the party, beer cans and red cups littering the floor and smoke coming from all directions.

“Remember what I said!” Zane leans down and shouts in your ear, you nod your head. You feel Heath’s hand snake into yours and pull you along, reaching back you grab Zane’s and pull him too. Heath’s leading you out the back door to the backyard.

“Carly said they were back here, let’s go find them and introduce you to everyone.” he shouts over the music. You start to get nervous, Zane and Heath were your only real friends in LA, all others were fake or stopped hanging out with you once they found out that you strip, you were scared that their friends weren’t going to like you and that would be it.

“Heath! Zane!” a girl shouts, you look over and see a short girl with short red hair waving you guys over. You guys make you way, the boys hugging her when you reach her.

“Carly! How are you babe?” Zane asks, moving to stand on the side of you.

“I’m good, how about you guys?”

“We’re good. Oh! This is our friend that we’re always talking about, y/n” say Heath.

She smiles at you and opens her arms for a hug you step forward and are engulfed in her embrace. “It’s so good to finally meet you! We were beginning to think you didn’t exist.” she laughs.

“It’s nice to meet you too!” you say.

“Where’s everyone else?” asks Heath.

“Oh, some are sitting over here . Others are walking around filming bits . They can never just relax, always have to have a camera attached to their hand.” she says rolling her eyes. She starts walking back towards a few people sitting on some couches, a boy with blonde hair and a nose piercing and has his arm thrown over a girl with brown hair and a nose piercing. On the opposite couch there’s a boy with dark hair and a girl with blonde hair holding hands. There’s a few other people scattered about that you recognize.

“Alright! Introductions!” shouts Zane. He starts pointing at people and naming them. “Scotty Sire, and Kristen McAtee vlog squads only functioning couple.” he points blonde boy and his girlfriend, you wave and they wave back. “That’s Todd Smith and Corinna Kopf, our very own drama series.” he points to the opposite couch, the guy flips him off and the girl waves at you. “That over there is Erin Gilfoy, her and Carly are best friends. The guy standing next to her is Alex Ernst, you probably know him as the Doritos guy.”

“The one from the vine!?” you ask.

“The one and only.” you throw your head back laughing.

“You’re friends with Doritos guy and didn’t tell me, I would have came sooner.” the rest laugh along with you.

“I don’t know where everyone else is and I’m not chasing them down looking so this is your group for the night. I’m gonna go get a drink, stay here.” Zane says and drags Heath along with him. Kristen pats the open spot next to her.

“Sit here.” she says and moves over to give you more room. You sit and smile at her in thanks.

“So how do you know Zane and Heath?” Todd asks, leaning forward.

“Oh I’m used to live nextdoor to them, one night they were like, insanely drunk, and trying to open my apartment. I was terrified at first and didn’t want to open the door but when Heath started singing some country rap song I dragged them inside and let them sleep in my living room. Been friends ever since.” They all laugh at the story finding it hilarious.

“Yeah, that sounds like them.” he says.

“Are you a YouTuber?” asks Kristen.

“Nope, I’m a stripper.” you say casually. Scott laughs loudly while Todd chokes on his sip of beer.

“I knew you had to be a stripper, that fur coat is beautiful and extra.” says Corinna as she rubs his back trying to calm him down.

“It’s not real fur, is it?” asks Kristen.

“No, it’s not. And thanks, I was going for the extra vibe tonight, hence the whole outfit.” you gesture to your necklace and shirt.

“That’s good, where’d you get it?” asks Corinna.

“This one I believe I got in London from Jakke.”

“You’ve been to London?” Scott asks and you nod. “How was it?”

“Cold and rainy.” you say laughing “but really fun. I would love to go back.” For the next few minutes you sit talking about places you’ve been and where you want to go, you learn that they’re all YouTubers and that Scott makes music and is going on tour soon. Alex and Erin join in the conversation and Zane and Heath come back with bottles of beer and a handle of vodka.

“Let’s get fucking drunk!” they screamed. The next hour and a half is full of conversation and drinking, some people leaving to dance and others coming back after getting footage for their videos. You meet Durte Dom and BigNik,Dom already trying t o make a move on you but you quickly shut him down. You were now sitting down in between Zane and Heath as Zane talks, waving his hands about wildly telling a story. Your head is resting on Heath’s shoulder, and you’re falling asleep when a boy with all black, even a black baseball cap, on and a camera in his hand walks up.

“Heath, can you come film a bit with me really quick?” he asks.

“Uh I don’t know, I think y/n is sleeping on me.” you sit up and shake your head.

“Go ahead I’ll just fall asleep on Zane.” you say.

“Actually, you wanna come film it with us? I need a girl for it.” he asks. You look up at him taking him in, he’s cute, in a dorky way.

“Are you going to pay me?” you ask and Heath chuckles.

The boy looks you up and down and scoffs “I don’t think you need me to pay you, sweetheart.”

“I might not need it, but I want it.” you stare at him and he stares at you, quirking up an eyebrow at the very obvious double meaning. You don’t know where this random burst of confidence came from. Heath clears his throat interrupting the weird staring contest.

“Let’s go so we can get you home baby girl. I think you’ve had a little too much to drink tonight.” Heath reaches for you hand and pulls you up dragging you to the front the house. It takes a few minutes for you guys to understand what to do and then a few takes to get it right. By the time you’re done Zane is walking out calling for you guys to hurry up so you can go.

You turn back to the boy. “Well I hope you got the footage you need.”

“I did, thanks. My name’s David by the way.” he looks down messing with something on the camera.

“My friends call me y/n, but the special ones call me Kitten.” you say, suddenly confident again. His head shoots up and opens his mouth and closes it again thinking of something to say, but you’re already walking away.

“See you around, David.” you call over your shoulder. You get into Zane’s car, him and Heath already inside.

“What did you say to the poor boy?” asks Zane.

“My name. And my other name.” you say looking out the window at the boy still standing dumbfounded. They both start laughing loudly and the car pulls off as you join them.

[angelina-darkness]

Billy Hargrove

Billy & Anna relationship

Little idea story

Warning content- language. Sexual theme.

Life was even everything for Billy Hargrove

Not everyone at school was like this not even himself but those trouble angry issues he needed to grow some steam off but how maybe he could always call Anna or the other one who was hanging out her during high school

' hey billy what's wrong are you doing anything' billy was generous even with this grumpy look on his face he sighs gently smirking a grin on him like any other guys every girls would think this way

' not really but if you insist I have to be honest if you keep wearing that damn thing I would be crazy ' billy laughs abit walking by the hallways with Anna reaching by the parking lot together he went by his black mustang picking beside his silver keys with skull key chain over unlocking the door but he saw Anna approaching his side laying a kiss beside his cheek

' Oh Billy bear you know me very well you big stud ' anna was all over him he could feel these small hands around wrapped around like a little butterfly around the big fella over he smirk kissing beside her cheek

' you know this is abit incorporate if you keep this I'm gonna punish you Anna stop'

Billy was bossy or having these grumpy moods he sighs not meaning to raise his tone over her Anna pouts frowning when billy rise his voice she walks away by the passengers side

' babe I'm sorry it's just that are you. Do you really wanna be with someone like me I'm not that perfect but you are too good'

Billy sat inside his car closing the door he saw her getting in as well leaning over him her gentle hand was brushing through his pants billy had this tangling reaction but he breathes heavy uneasy

' oh you grumpy big boy I know you dont make me beg I been thinking about you all day in class daddy'

anna leans down for his crotch over half of his shaft was abit hard anna had her soft hands tightening unzipping his pants when she let her thirsty mouth taken over him Billy could lose himself he grips by the handle above the ceiling sighing with pleasure taking over him

' Fuck come on...anna please mmm-mmm fucking little slut you like that taste dont you'

billy laughs gently grinning leaning back by the seat licking his lips barely he open his buttons by his red shirt Anna kept her lips wrapped around his manhood even more he could feel this wet feeling billy groans gently feeling his head warm by every minute

' Fuck...stop come on now someone's gonna see us both' billy moved her back by the seat to where she was half of her pretty eyes blink she was wiping herself giggling there

' mmm you feel better ' anna laughs abit touching his cheek billy had to fix his pants even his shirt he nod staring down at the dash board

' god you're my crazy '

billy start the engine driving off trying to figure out where they should go alone but he wanted to bring her somewhere perfect but he could think about this motel he saw

' you wanna spend over the night there I'll have us both pay in if you're that fucking desperate hmm'

billy laughs around her Anna leans over his arm abit with this gentle eyes even her body was like a 70s model type of girl who would attract anyone with single stare but billy was his alone

'Yes I wont mind dear my big boy is hungry like me'

anna giggles kissing above his lip even she leans her head over him even nuzzling beside him he was so handsome for her

' fine then you have to behave'

billy took the parking lot stopping when he set the engine down he was stepping out staring back going by the managers office speaking to the manger for a room he hand over his i.d even his cash of 70 bucks he kept the change while taking his i.d back even the room key over walking back out he put his change back inside his pocket

Anna steps out picking by her pin up hair do letting her curly hair down she breathes but she was nervous too but she had to bad around billy they both share the same story

' babygirl here ' billy hands her the key card instead putting his arm over her walking her along side he kissed her lips but stopping at the room 13 with her billy took the key slipping in by the door to open Anna breathes breathless when she felt the door opening grabbing on to his arms billy walks her in shutting the door shut he couldnt wait anymore

' Fucking hell your still bad girl arent you '

Billy reach behind her ass gently taking her by the bed removing her dress even the simple fabric he tried not to broke her pretty clothes

' mmm Billy bear I'm in need i love you '

anna leans over to reach Billy's long hair even his red shirt taking them off the angry boy hiss pushing her down by the bed undoing his pants he spank her ass biting across her breast letting his hungry lips devouring the rest of her body she was like a little cat but pretty enough to provoke his sexual side

' Fine you wanna play like that then you're be treated like a fucking whore fucking crazy ass little baby'

Billy felt this wet inside her when he grab her face above her mouth as well he thrust aggressively even holding on against the bed above the wall his every single muscles felt this fire building up more the more he was fucking like a fierce animal Anna couldnt stop moaning when billy pick up the pace using his length of speed he was use to this since he was this tough guy with the bigger body

' mmm-mmm fuck billy... oh my god you feel so good damn it.... '

anna yells by the bed wailing in pleasure billy risen up by this insanity also this circle flaming lust releasing more billy moans through her cheek biting across her throat even marking her skin she was groaning by the bite his bigger broad chest pressed her trembling breast the more she moans louder he pin her arms up holding them firmly forcing his speed to break apart

' Fuck...mmm- mmm you love that babygirl you're always mine alone shit...' billy moans grabbing her throat tightly hearing her moaning even making himself losing it he sweats from this pleasure he rolls her by the bed letting himself laying down when the pretty one was taken over her breast is what he could grab groping her more billy moans through his lungs heavy even warm he brush his hair sighing inhaling through

Anna moans muffling when she leans over closer with this gorgeous form she moans starting her hips even faster like this fire suffocating him with each movements his manhood could take her wetness so much it was driving him mad

'Oh fuck I'm gonna cum damn you...' anna wails whimpering by his shoulder she dig her nails like clawing through his body billy growls when she heard her voice he put his fingers above her mouth he let his strength taken over seeing her shaking he moans leaning his head back grabbing above her hips squeezing them hard he was also close enough to make her hit her orgasm

' jesus anna...fucking hell ugh...mmm baby...' Billy moans when he felt himself cum he chewed by his lip biting it hard he kissed her deeply grabbing ahold of her body close touching her head she was breathless when she held on whining she nuzzles like a cat loving him

' baby your always my obsession I dont deny it billy I don't care what anyone else thinks' anna lays down holding on by his side billy tried to catch his breathe chuckling gently kissing her head

[djinmer4]

Snippets 3/? (Amalgam!verse)

“You can’t wear that!”  Kurt Ryder looked down at his suit.  “Vera, what’s wrong with what I’m wearing?  I wore this same outfit to the Interview with Cardinal Law and it was fine then.  And I was exposing the continued cover-up of sex scandals in the Catholic Church, so it can’t be because people find this outfit offensive.”

The blonde shook her head.   “It’s not that, it’s the color.  The boss is having us try the Chroma Key background today and the stuff they’re using is colored green.”

And Kurt’s suit and button-up shirt were both green and fairly close shades.  “Today?  I thought they weren’t coming until next week.”

“Yeah, well, apparently the indie movie stuff they were supposed to do this week backed out.  So they called and offered a discount if we moved our engagement to this week, so here they are.  The new weather girl was lucky she was planning to go out tonight, she had to do her segment in a cocktail dress because she came in wearing green too.”

“I didn’t bring any other clothes tonight and I don’t have time to go back home.”

“I’ll ask around then.  Maybe someone can lend you a shirt.”  Vera gave him a brief up and down look.  “You’re sitting on the couch, so your pants should be fine.  Not sure if anyone’ll have a jacket in your size though.”

Vera and Remi came through but just barely.  “Absolutely do not move.  I don’t think the seams of my shirt will take the pressure.”

“You’re a lot more muscular than I thought,” Vera was staring.  “Do you get your shirts tailored or something?”

“Tailored or I just buy a bigger size.  The jackets usually cover up any problems.”  Kurt attempted to raise his arms but stopped as soon as he felt a thread pop.  “It’s a good thing tonight’s supposed to just be a softball interview.”

“If you rip the seams,” warned Remington, who was down to his undershirt.  “I’m making you pay for the repairs.”

“I rip the seams, I’ll buy you a new one,” Kurt promised.

The interview went fine for the first half-hour.  But just as they were reaching the home stretch, the new Secretary of Education just happened to state one fact that was false.  Ryder pounced on that opening and hammered at the weaknesses of her defensive arguments.  Finally having gotten her cornered, he abruptly stood up, slammed his hands down on the table and shouted his show’s catchphrase, “YOU’RE WRONG!”

The seams pretty much disintegrated and the sleeves fell off the shirt.  There was a moment of shocked silence, then the director yelled for them to switch to the technical difficulties screen.

It was pretty much the end of the show so, Kurt and company were shooed off the stage (not without a nasty glare in Kurt’s direction, while he gave the Secretary a smug smirk in return).  The talk show host walked over to Vera and Remington.  The blonde wasn’t even trying to cover her laughter, the brunet did a somewhat better job but the edges of his lips kept twitching upwards.  Kurt looked at the two of them then hung his head and sighed.  “The two of you are never going to let me forget this, are you?”

“That was live TV.  With the Internet, no one’s ever going to forget it!”  Sweet just laughed harder.

The doorbell rang and Kurt pulled away from Kitty with a groan.  “Something wrong?” she asked.

“Just my next door neighbor.  She always seems to know when I’ve had a bad day and she brings over pie.  But every time, she catches me in the shower.”

“Hmm.  Do you want to just ignore her?”

“Nah, she’s really nice.  Just has a terrible sense of timing.”  The two of them got out and Kurt grabbed a towel then ran to the door while Kitty searched the bedroom for her robe.

The older woman really was just as nice as Kurt had said, and Kitty loved the cherry pie she brought over.  It was also the first time Kurt had introduced her as his girlfriend to anyone and the woman was really supportive and wanted to know all about Kitty.  They could only give her the edited version of her past but even then she was compassionate and didn’t push the blonde’s boundaries.

When she left, it was with a promise that Kitty would knock on her door the next time she visited.  Although, apparently there was one thing Kurt hadn’t noticed.  “She totally came over to ogle you, you know that?”

He looked down at her.  “How on earth-”

“She kept staring at your chest the whole time she was here.”

“Huh, I wonder how she knew I was in the shower though?”

“Probably the plumbing.  I can hear Piotr singing whenever I’m in my bathroom at the same time.”

“Well, I guess I can’t blame her.  I am very handsome and muscular after all.”

“Show-off,” teased Kitty.  “She was probably wondering what a stud like you was doing with a plain Jane like me.”

That made the smile drop off of his face.  “You’re not, you know.”

“Not what?”

“Plain.  You’ve got golden highlights in your hair, huge blue eyes and very soft, rounded features.”

“And a flat chest.”

“I’m not going to lie and say you could have been a model.  For one thing, you’re way too short for that.  But you’ve got this strange misconception that you look average or barely above that.”

“I guess . . .”  She ducked her head down to stare at the table.

“You don’t seem to believe me.”

“I’m not blind, Kurt.  I’ve met Kokoro and some of the other women you’ve dated over the years.  I look nothing like those women, with their movie-star good looks and hourglass figures.”

“Hmm, that’s true.  But you know something else all those women have in common?  Not a single one of them would have stayed if they knew about Nightcreeper.”  He paused for a second.  “Except for Kokoro, who left because of Ryder and Kantique.  But my point is, I was choosing most of my partners because of their looks.  Maybe I finally grew up enough to realize those weren’t everything.”

“So what’s your point?  That I should be happy that your settling for someone like me?”

“No.  My point is that I’m not going to run away and abandon you just because another pretty face joins the JLX or shoves her cleavage in my face on TV.  I love you, Kitty.  I’m not saying that it’s forever because we can’t predict these things.  But you don’t have to compare yourself to the people I chased before because that’s not the reason I’m with you now.”

Kitty finally looked up again.  “I’m going to try to believe you.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“I don’t like the new guy’s outfit.  He’s fighting crime in a football jersey!”

Every member of the JLX turned to stare at Nightcreeper.  Finally, Dark Claw took it upon himself to break the silence.  “You are absolutely the last person to be criticizing anyone else’s outfit!”

“I am never contacting Nightcreeper again,” said Mr. X, wincing and rubbing his forehead.

“What’s wrong?” asked Apollo.

“Trying to enter his mind when he’s in that form is like . . . “ the alien had to think for a second to come up with a metaphor the Earthling would understand.  “Riding a rollercoaster while intoxicated and fireworks go off right next to you.”

“That sounds terrible,” the energy projector grimaced.

“If I’d stayed any longer, I probably would have thrown up and I’m not sure I actually have that reflex.��  The green man reached for some cookies to ease the headache.  “It’s fine when I have to contact him in his civilian form but this may prove an issue.”

There was a long pause in the conversation.  “The Nightcreeper has a civilian form?”  Apollo grimaced as if he couldn’t imagine it.

“Yes, although I can’t tell you who he is.  That’s need-to-know-only information after all.”

“Yeah, I understand.”  The younger man sat back and thought for a while.  “Maybe we could pair him up with someone?  That way you could just contact that person and he or she could relay the information to Nightcreeper.”

The alien nodded.  “An excellent idea, but who?  The only people willing to work with him are the New Gothamites, and we usually call on him because Dark Claw and Sparrow aren’t available in the first place.”

“Isn’t he with the Newblood team?  Shouldn’t they already be partnered up?”

“He is but they don’t like working with him either.”  The two put more thought into the issue.

“What about Colombina?”  The younger man finally came up with a suggestion.  “You’ve been in her mind before and it was fine, right?”

“I wouldn’t say she’s fine but her mind is tolerable, yes.”

“Not a lot of people are willing to pair up with her either.  But there’s no way we’re letting her go out on her own.  And she lives in New Gotham too.”

“That does seem to be a good choice.  I’ll bring it up with Dark Claw the next time I see him.”

Linda sighed and unlocked the door to her apartment.  What was that quote?  “The best-laid plans of mice and men, often go awry.”  Yes, that was it.  And life had just done that to her.  It’s not like she had meant to get hit by that bus.  She was lucky it had just cracked some ribs.  Her doctor said she wasn’t going to be able to be back at work this week but fortunately she had some vacation time accrued.

She stopped and stared.  There on the kitchen island was a vase of freshly cut star lilies, her favorites.  She looked around more carefully.  Her plants were watered.  Her goldfish was fed.  There was a cat she’d never seen before lounging in her bed.  She even checked her fridge and the milk and eggs that had been about to expire had been thrown out and replaced!

Severely creeped out, she turned back to the vase of flowers.  Underneath the vase was a note.  Inside there was the strangest letter she’d ever received.

Hello Linda!

I used to hear you every Friday while patrolling the city but you weren’t here this weekend.  So I took the liberty of watering your plants, throwing out your trash and feeding your goldfish and cat.  I’ll check again on Tuesday to see if you’ve come back.  Hope you recover well from your accident.

Nightcreeper

Nightcreeper?  What on earth?  The guy was real?

A chill ran down her spine.  She’d been yelling at the walls every Friday as a form of stress relief.  As a joke, she’d been addressing her rants to Nightcreeper.  The guy was supposed to be able to hear everything in the city, right?  Except he wasn’t supposed to exist, he was just one of those neo cryptids that came from urban legends, like Bloody Mary.

But someone had broken into her apartment.  Someone who knew about her plants and her goldfish and her accident and her favorite flowers.  Someone who passed by close enough every Friday to hear her rants.

Linda stared at the flowers.  Should she throw them out?  Would it even be safe to do that?  Or would Nightcreeper get offended?  Should she call the police?  She decided to err on the side of caution.  “Thank you, Nightcreeper,” she called out.  She wasn’t sure if he counted as a stalker or if he had been trying to be helpful.  Linda would also call the police as soon as she’d taken a shower.

A loud meow interrupted her train of thought.  Okay, she’d call the police after she figured out what to do about the cat.  Where did that thing even come from anyway?

[lunarr-rrose]

Understanding and Increasing Facility Value - Fernando Angelucci, The Storage Stud

https://u109893.h.reiblackbook.com/generic11/the-storage-stud/understanding-and-increasing-facility-value-fernando-angelucci-the-storage-stud/

According to Fernando, when it comes to Self Storage, one of the most important things to understand is not only the value of the facility that you are purchasing today but also where that value can be once you’re done with your term of ownership.

It is also paramount to understand the current financials. Everyone runs facilities differently and it’s important to see the performance of a storage facility in 12 to 24 months.

You also need to learn where to add values. One of the things that you can do is to cut spending.

To understand more about Facility value continue watching this video.

Fernando O. Angelucci is Founder and President of Titan Wealth Group. He also leads the firm’s finance and acquisitions departments. Fernando Angelucci and Steven Wear founded Titan Wealth Group in 2015, and under his leadership, the firm’s revenue has grown over 100% year over year. Today,

Find out more at

https://www.TheStorageStud.com

https://titanwealthgroup.com/

Listen to our Podcast:

https://thestoragestud.podbean.com/e/understanding-and-increasing-facility-value-fernando-angelucci-the-storage-stud/

---------------------------

So, when it comes to self storage, I think one of the most important thing is to understand, not only the value of the facility that you're purchasing today, but also where that value can be. Once you are done with your term of ownership, let's say you're doing a value add on a facility. How do we go from point a today to this increased value, you know, 18, 36 or 60 months down the line. One of the very first thing is, understanding the current financials and not necessarily taking those, you know, built-in stone, if you will, carbon stone. So, everyone will run facilities differently. So, I think it's important to look at the trailing, you know 12 or 24 month performance of a self storage facility, but then also see where you can add value. So for example, the very easiest things to do is just to cut spending.

So for us, when we go look at a facility, the first thing we look at is the property taxes. And if there's any way that we can either contest, the property taxes or structure the sale in a way where we assign a lower value to the property and the improvements in a higher value to the Goodwill, thus dropping our taxable basis for the County. So for example, let's say I'm buying a $1 million self storage facility. I'm not going to write a purchase agreement for $1 million. When I'm most likely going to do is I'm going to write a, purchase agreement for $700,000 for the property itself, the land, and any improvements on the land. And then I'll write a separate purchase agreement for 300,000 towards Goodwill, which is like an imaginary value that's assigned to the business itself. The Goodwill can not be counted towards property taxes.

So, now the tax assessor is going to see that we bought the property, the land and the improvements for 700,000 and we'll tax us accordingly to the mill rates on that portion of the purchase. Now, that will help us drop our purchase or our property taxes pretty substantially. I've heard of some buyers, especially some larger REIT's getting really aggressive with the strategy and almost splitting the purchase price 50, 50 between land and improvements versus Goodwill. So, that's one method that we use. Another method is, you know, insurance and labor. We can always get better insurance quotes, especially if we're getting insurance policies that are specific to self storage, because they carry much less risk than say traditional commercial property. So, if you don't have a good insurance broker or risk advisor, they may not understand that and might just quote you general commercial insurance and the premiums can be much higher.

Another thing is, labor. What we've noticed is, it swings both ways. Sometimes, sellers do all of the management work themselves and don't pay them anything. So, all of a sudden what you thought was a 10 cap deal, because the expenses don't account for any managers, all of a sudden you put $50,000 back into the expenses to pay for a manager. And now all of a sudden your 10 cap deal drops down to 7.2 or a 6.5. And all of a sudden it's no longer as appealing. Now, one of the things you can do on the flip side say that you have a property that is just overmanned, they're using two and a half people, we'll say two managers rotating plus a part-time person when the facility doesn't warrant it, or maybe a warranted it while the property was leasing up.

But, now that it's stabilized and now just kind of humming along, you don't need people just sitting behind a desk playing solitaire going on Facebook. So, one of the things that we look at doing is number one, how many man hours do we actually need at this facility? And then, how much of that can we automate? Can we use technology for? So for example, one of the things that we can do is, we can go to on one extreme, you know, we can have the two-and-a-half managers for a, call it 80,000 or a hundred thousand square foot facility, or on the way other extreme as we go completely unmanned. We use a system of kiosks that almost looked like ATM machines that allow people to rent properties or rent units, pay for insurance, get a lock box, sign their lease, everything right there at the site.

We also so always mix this with a online strategy as well, where someone can just go to the website and rent a unit. They can sign the lease on website, or send it to their phone. They can sign it with their finger. These are all ways that we can drop the total labor load. What we found recently is that almost 80% of our reservations are done over the phone. About 10 to 15% are done online, and about 5% are actually done in person in the store. So, it's only 5%. If you apply the 80, 20 principle to this, we shouldn't have any managers because 80% of our revenue is coming from a phone call. So, one of the things that we can do is, we can just hire a call center and that call center will take all the calls. And if there's anything that needs a physical person at the site, we can schedule that on a one-off basis, pay that person hourly, or as an independent contractor, as opposed to putting them on salary and having them sit in an office for eight hours a day, in the off chance that once a week, somebody comes in for five, 10 minutes.

It's just not worth that time. Another expense that, we usually look at dropping obviously is going to be our mortgage expense. If you have really good loan brokers, you're able to pay more for properties because usually the way that we look at buying properties as a spread against the, interest rate. So, if we can get an interest rate on a property for 4%, you know, I'm willing to buy three, 400 basis points above that at let's say a 7% or an 8% cap rate, as opposed to, if I'm paying 6% on my money, a seven or an eight caps not going to work, and I'm going to have to start buying it at a nine or a 10% cap rate, which is very difficult in the environment we're in currently. And then on the flip side, how do you increase revenue? Maybe, the property when you do a competition study, the property is 20% below market rents.

Maybe all the existing tenants haven't, have never had their rent increased in the 10 years that the owners own the property. So maybe they're due to be increased up to say, 90 or 95% of what the street rates are. You can add and ciliary profit centers, you know, such as boxes and moving supplies or locks or shredding services or mailing services, U P S, or FedEx, wine storage. You can rent out moving trucks. You can rent spaces for storage, for cars, boats, RV's, there's all these little ways that you can just keep edging the gross revenue up. That after 12, 18 months, all of a sudden you've doubled your income and you've had your expenses, and now you're going to sell or refinance this property for four times what you bought it for. So, those are ways that we look at understanding and increasing our facility's values, just from a, like a non cap ex, capital expenditure model.

Another way that you can increase revenue or the value of that facility is by getting pretty creative, say, maybe you don't want to expand the facility cause you don't want to pay the cost to build new buildings. But you know that if the year facility had additional land to expand onto, that it sell at a premium to the next buyer. So, one of the things that you could do is, put lease options on all of the adjacent land and either execute it yourself and purchase that land while you own the property or assign that lease option to the new buyer. And that will increase the value of your property.