#one if these days i need to take these two to a marriage counselor or something this much fighting cant be normal

[pokemon-teacology]

I love living in Galar I swear postwick is my home it's where I grew up it's my favourite place but why the FUCK are the wooloo on the train tracks again

I love these cute motherfuckers but I don't have the time to walk through the wild area I need to get home from motostoke before next week thanks

There's this kid sitting on the table ajacent to mine saying "just call a flying taxi" do I look like I have the money for a flying taxi??? League trainers may get the service for free but I'm a regular ass citizen, I have to pay for services.

I envy regions where flying your Pokémon is legal I really do, if it weren't for air traffic violations I'd be doing great Chomp could have me there in minutes

Doesn't help that both Ralter and Flambé insisted on being out of their balls and are now bickering with one another. Plus it's fucking freezing.

[cobrakaisb]

day 'n' nite

summary: every friday night, like clockwork, the older counselors and campers waste their nights away at a party. usually you’re the one taking care of luke but tonight the roles are reversed and all the cards are laid out on the table.

word count: 3.1k

featuring: drunk!reader, happy luke + reader (hence the happy luke picture in the header), them being giggly and in love, a little sad at the end (but only a teeny tiny bit)

series masterlist ||| previous ||| next

giggles tumble out of your mouth, filling the already loud atmosphere with your pure joy. you clutch onto katrina’s arm, pulling her flush against your side, as your cheek rests on her bicep. she laughs at you, moving her arm to support your weight. 

you gasp, loudly, as her hand rests gently on your waist. “i have a boyfriend,” you snap, suddenly able to hold yourself up.

you stand, albeit a bit slowly, and move away from the girl. she does her best to hide her laughter, but fails. her laugh, however, builds up more anger in your chest, and you cross your arms.    

“oh he’s your boyfriend now? i thought you two didn’t do labels,” katrina teases.

you pout at her words, answering, “well luke says that not me. everyone knows we’re together.” 

“who’s together?” jade, a girl from the apollo cabin asks, sliding into the spot next to katrina.

you throw a nasty look in her direction, or what you assume is a nasty look. even in your inebriated state, you know that jade can’t be trusted. she was one of the first campers to hate on you, and she’s one of the few that continue to do so. once the novelty of hera having a demigod child wore off, most people left you to your own devices. there were still the occasional whispers and rumors, but jade and her friend group always seemed to be behind them. 

“none of your business,” you snap, turning your nose up at her like a fifth grader. 

she scoffs at you, “ugh whatever,” and walks away. 

you smile, a satisfied look on your face as you reclaim your seat next to katrina. she’s holding onto two cups, and you’re positive that one of them belongs to you. you reach for one of them, but she pulls it away, lifting it just out of your reach.

“i think you need a break,” she says, voice soft and caring.

“no ‘m fine,” you mumble, trying to reach for the cup again but completely missing. 

that’s the funniest thing in the world, and you burst into another giggling fit. katrina stares at you, a soft smile on her face. your hand comes up to cover your mouth, but your shoulders continue to shake with, now somewhat stifled, laughter. you can’t even register what’s so funny, but everything seems to have you in a giggly mood. one that only gets worse when luke walks across the way, followed by a group of boys who you know to be his friends.

“luke looks like a dragon prince,” you announce, pointing in his direction. 

katrina chuckles at your words; they make no sense. you, however, think they’re the most accurate description in the world. the orange and red hues from the large fire pit, courtesy of cabin nine, illuminate his features. he’s laughing at something one of his friends said, but his eyes are still deep and serious. the white scar tracing down his cheek shines brightly in the dark, and you wonder if landon knows he hurt his king. 

luke feels your eyes on him, because he turns and meets your gaze, smiling at you. you gasp as he throws you a subtle nod, like something out of a teen movie. your right hand clutches at katrina’s shirt sleeve, and you shake the material vigorously between your fingers. she looks to you, and notices the deep flush and dilated pupils. 

“he’s looking at me. i think he has a crush on me. oh my gods what do i do? i know my mother’s the goddess of marriage, but i’m not ready for this,” you ramble.

katrina laughs, again. luke looks your way, again. you start to panic, again. 

“relax,” katrina says, “he’s your boyfriend.” 

her tone is teasing, but you don’t pick up on it. all you feel is shock. your mouth falls open, and your head swivels between the curly headed boy and your best friend. 

“you’re lying,” you conclude. 

katrina shakes her head, “i’m not.” 

before you can refute her claims, the dragon king himself is in front of you. he slides into the empty seat on your left hand side, throwing his arm casually over your shoulder. there’s a can of something in his other hand, and he lifts it up to his mouth for a swig. you watch, with deep fascination, as his adam’s apple bobs while he swallows the liquid. when he’s done, he leans down to your ear, lips ghosting over the piercings that adorn it. 

“hi,” he whispers, pulling at your golden hoop helix piercing with his teeth.

you're stunned into silence. all that you can muster is a small gasp, and you turn to katrina, wondering what you should do. she’s already staring at you, but so are these other two guys, and a girl who you barely recognize. you point to luke with your thumb, asking a silent question. katrina nods, and one of the guys, another brunette, hides his laugh behind a red solo cup. 

you turn your head again, making eye contact with the cute guy next to you. you just stare at him for a while, and he holds your gaze the whole time. his right hand, you realize, is tracing circles on your exposed shoulder. the pad of his thumb is calloused and rough against your soft skin, but you like to contrast. you lean into his touch, shifting closer to him on the wooden bench. 

“ouch,” you mumble, lifting up your hand. 

“what’s wrong?” he asks, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“i think i got a splinter,” you explain, holding up your palm for him to see. 

he inspects your hand, and there’s absolutely nothing there, but replies, “don’t worry. i’ll take you to the infirmary tomorrow.”

you nod, and he kisses your palm, right where the supposed splinter is. his lips are soft, you think, but then why is everyone giggling? you look around, but none of the four people surrounding the two of you provide any sort of explanation. 

“i know. my girlfriend makes me use this lip balm she really likes,” he says, and you’re still confused. 

“huh?” you ask, head tilting. 

“my girlfriend gave me this lip balm. it’s from glossy or something,” he answers, holding up the tube. 

you snatch it from him, looking at the label. even drunk, you know a high quality lip balm when you see one. 

“glossier! i love it there,” you exclaim.

everyone laughs again, even the boy next to you this time. you look at him, a shy smile on your face, as you unscrew the cap. you squeeze the tube, and lift the lip balm to your puckered lips. you rub them together, smacking them a couple times. luke doesn’t take his eyes off you; you don’t take your eyes off him. 

there’s relatively no distance between you two now, but you can’t bring yourself to care. luke doesn’t seem to mind either as he shifts his arm and way that pulls your body even closer to his. the little space that remained is gone, and your thighs are pressed together. you want to be touching him in some way, and lift your left leg to drape over his right one. you nudge his left calf with your converse, gaining his attention. you giggle at that, stifling your laughs with his shoulder. 

“she’s gone,” he observes. 

“oh i know,” katrina answers. 

“you smell so good,” you say, adjusting your head so that your cheek rests against him, and your eyes meet his. 

the two boys, the ones who you can’t recognize at the moment, burst out laughing. your eyebrows furrowed at that, a soft huff escaping you as you cross your arms and lean further into luke. you close your eyes for a minute, basking in his warm presence and the smoky undertones emitting from his shirt. 

“how many drinks have you had?” he asks, large hand rubbing up and down your back. 

“two,” you answer confidently, holding up two fingers. 

katrina scoffs, “try three cups of jungle juice and whatever else at the pregame.” 

“you pregamed?” luke asks, voice low against your ear. 

“mhm. cause what if they didn’t have any drinks i liked?” you reply, holding your hands up in defense. 

he chuckles at your words, humming in agreement as he kisses your forehead. that action, for some reason, registers as oddly intimate in your mind, and so you’re pushing him away. in your drunken state, you can't comprehend that he’s your boyfriend.

“i shouldn’t be doing this. katrina says i have a boyfriend,” you slur, shaking your head. 

“no, you said you have a boyfriend,” katrina replies. 

“well either way!” you yell, throwing your hands up in exasperation. 

“isn’t he your boyfriend?” one of the boys asks, pointing to luke.

“he can’t be. he’s too hot,” you answer confidently. 

everyone laughs at that, except for you and luke. luke’s cheeks are flushed red, but he looks at you with nothing but love and adoration in his eyes. he smiles at you, gently shaking his head in disbelief. 

you shrink back into yourself, slouching down in his arms so that the back of your head rests against his shoulder. luke’s hand fiddles with the hem of your jeans, fingers ghosting over your hips, and you squirm. you shove his hand away, covering your face with your own. 

“what’s wrong?” he asks, bending down so only you can hear him.

“i embarrassed myself,” you whine, peeking at him through a gap in your fingers.

luke chuckles, “it’s okay baby. i still love you.” 

you light up at his words, wrapping your arms around his neck. you pull his face down to yours, smacking kisses all over, only stopping to giggle from pure, unfiltered happiness. normally, you save the affection for the private confines of your cabins, but all of your reservations are out the window at the moment. 

luke smiles brightly at your actions, dimples and everything, as he squeezes your hips three times. it’s your silent code, an unspoken way for the two of you to communicate your love and appreciation for one another, and you smile happily at his use of it. you hug him again, burying your face into the crook of his neck. you can tell that he’s been smoking, and maybe that’s why his eyes are a little red-rimmed. you don’t mind, however, and opt to keep your head resting there. his arms wrap securely around you, cradling your body the way someone would hold a toddler. 

“tired?” he asks, rubbing a hand down your back.

you want to say no, but the giant yawn betrays you. 

“c’mon, i’ll bring you to bed,” he says, patting your thigh to signal for you to get up. 

you agree, holding out your hand for him to take. once your fingers are safely stowed away in his palm, you walk up to katrina. 

“goodnight tree,” you mumble, hugging her tightly. 

“g’night,” she replies, squeezing you just as tight.

with that, you let luke lead you towards the hera cabin as you focus on not tripping over your own feet. you stumble on the stairs, and luke squeezes your waist, holding you steady. he’s your rock, and you don’t know what you’d do without him. 

he opens the door, waiting for you to enter the cabin before following. you look around, and your eyes land on the giant statue taking up a majority of the room. you gasp, hands covering your mouth, as you meet your mother’s cold and calculating stare. 

“i don’t think she should be seeing me like this. can we go to your cabin?” you ask, turning to face luke.

“it’s a statue,” luke deadpans, shaking his head.

“but she’s all knowing,” you reply, pointing to the marble goddess. 

“you’re gonna be fine,” luke explains softly. 

you’re eyes are wide, and you continuously shake your head no. you grab onto luke’s hand, intertwining your fingers together. his hand is rough and worn from all the training he does, a testament to how long he’s been at camp. your mind wanders back to his position as king of the dragons, and you want to ask him if his hands are scarred from the claws of a rival. yet, it doesn’t seem appropriate, so you keep your mouth shut. 

“where’s you toiletry bag?” luke ask, letting go of you hand as he wanders around the cabin. 

“i don’t know,” you answer, following him towards the area you’ve deemed your bed. 

he huffs, standing back from the bed to monitor the situation. his hands are on his hips, eyes scanning the area for your bag with makeup remover, skincare, and other bathroom necessities. you find the pose extremely comical, and laugh. he looks at you over his shoulder, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

“what’s so funny?” he asks.

“you look like my dad,” you wheeze. 

he pauses, mouth agape like a fish out of water. he opens and closes his mouth a couple of times, but ultimately comes up empty handed. just when it seems like he’s about to say something, you’re bounding over to your bedside table, grabbing a bag that’s clearly overloaded. 

“found it!” you shout. 

luke cringes at the volume, but takes the bag from your hands without further questioning. he marches over to your closet, the one he helped you set up, and grabs a small towel from one of the shelves. you smile at him. he’s so endearing, you think, how’d i get so lucky?

“let’s go to the bathroom,” he says, tilting his head towards the door of your cabin.

you nod in agreement, taking his outstretched hand. luke smiles at you, allowing you to lead the way, despite your drunken state. he admires your beauty in the moment, although he knows you’d argue you’re anything but. your makeup is messy, your cheeks are flushed from all the alcohol, and your top is falling off your shoulder, yet he still believes that you can rival aphrodite. he shouldn’t think that, he realizes, as she’s one of the only gods he still prays to, but he does. 

the two of you enter the bathroom, and you're surprised by how empty it is. however, the peace and quiet is nice for a usually chaotic space. you decide on a mirror and sink in the middle of the collection, and turn to face luke, waiting for his approval. when he sets the bag down, and removes the towel from his shoulder, you know you’ve made a good choice. 

“alright, let’s take your makeup off,” he says, patting the small of your back. 

you fumble with the zipper of your pouch, trying and failing to get the bag opened. you pout, holding it out to luke, with a pleading look in your eyes. 

“i’ll help you. you want to sit on the counter?” he asks.

you nod, and turn around so your back is towards the sink and mirrors. you brace yourself, ready to test your physical strength in your drunken state. you fail the first attempt, not even making it onto the ledge. luke watches, amusement clear in his eyes, because it’s not like you to ask for help. 

“need a hand?” 

“no i can do it! i’m a demigod,” you answer, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. 

he chuckles at your response, but goes back to digging through your bag for the cotton pads and micellar water. he also takes out your face wash, moisturizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, and other skin care items he thinks you might need. 

“luke,” you whisper, tugging on his sleeve. 

he hums in acknowledgment, turning away from the array of products to face you. 

“help?” you ask with a shy smile. 

“i thought you didn’t need it, cause your a demigod,” he teases, crossing his arms. 

you’re drawn to his muscles, flexing against his tee and you’re temporarily left speechless. he’s just so hot, you think. 

“gods i hope my mom answers my prayers,” you blurt out. 

“about what?” 

“us getting married. i really want to. i think…if we were in vegas, i’d drag you down to the chapel,” you reply. 

luke’s mouth drops open in shock, “you think about marrying me?”

“nonstop,” you answer, finally climbing onto the counter. 

he stands there for a minute, unsure of what to say or do. all he knows is that he thinks about getting married to you too. he envisions you, regal as ever, like the true daughter of the queen of the gods, walking towards him down an aisle. it’d be small. you, him, and a handful of close friends, but every single part of it would be meaningful. 

“let’s get you ready for bed,” he says, changing the conversation. 

“okay!” 

it takes him much longer than usual to get you through your bedtime routine, but he doesn’t mind if you don’t. and, you seem pretty content right now. you’re smiling and giggling, making goofy faces at him in the mirror with toothpaste smeared on your chin and a fluffy headband keeping your hair at bay. the whole scene feels oddly domestic, especially when he takes your towel and gently wipes the corners of your mouth. it’s serene. it’s perfect. 

“you’re perfect y’know that?” he asks, looking at you earnestly. 

you flush, turning away from him. 

“stop.”

“‘m not lying! you’re perfect for me,” he whispers, cupping your cheeks. 

you pucker your lips, and luke lays a gentle kiss on them. you burst into giggles, engulfing him in a hug. 

“i want to change. come back to my cabin? please?”

he agrees, following you to the end of the earth. it was an easy request, nothing too extraordinary.

“let me get my pajamas, and then i’ll be right back, okay?” he mumbles, kissing your forehead before leaving you alone with the eternal glow of hera’s flames. 

by the time he gets back, you're standing in one of his tee shirts and a pair of sleep shorts. he’s just wearing a tank top and flannel pants, put he comes up behind you to wrap you in his arms. you away for a minute, dancing to a song only you two can hear. then, you wiggle out of his grasp, climb into bed, and pull the covers up to your chin.

“come lie with me,” you beg, patting the spot next to you.

he wraps you up on his arms, pulling you flush against his chest. once your breaths even out, he sneaks out of the bed, waiting just a second to make sure you don’t wake up. quietly, he pulls the candy out of his pocket — two blue raspberry jolly ranchers.

“please hera, let me marry her. aphrodite, keep her by my side, whatever it takes. please.” 

and for the first time in a long time, luke castellan makes a genuine offering.

taglist: @percabethlvr @iwantahockeyhimbo @hottiewifeyyyy @loveryoushouldcomeoverr @maraschinocherry3 @used2beeeeee @harrysnovia @cami-is-reading @mxtokko @cxcilla @obxstiles

[ts19009]

Seventeen Fic Rec's Part 3

(CONTAINS SMUT AND MATURE SUBJECT MATTER)

(Bold title means favorite)

(UPDATED: September 22nd, 2024)

OT13

seventeen as teachers @fairyhaos

seventeen as dads headcanons @bbyobbyo

Back to School with Seventeen (Seventeen TA Collab! Take a look at our Course Options collated by your favourite writers, taught by your favourite members!) @camandemstudios

Seventeen's reaction to you asking them for a baby @j0shuasw1fey

Tales from Camp Masterlist (Thirteen friends reconnect on a camping trip, reminiscing about their times as camp counselors when they were in college.) @kwanisms

✤ Losing It. (masterpost) ✤ (A series of having virginities given to you. Sometimes they throw said virginity at you with full force, other times, they lovingly hold your hand, bat their lashes, and say some of the dumbest shit you’ve ever heard a man say in regards to getting laid for the first time. ) @ncteez

Kim Mingyu

kmg x reader: healing comes in small doses masterlist (husband! dad! kim mingyu x afab! mom!reader) @tomodachiii

Food Wars pt. 1 (You and Mingyu are rival but friendly chefs competing for a spot to be an executive chef at a new location in Madrid. This position would change your life; no matter how attractive he is, you WILL get that spot) @beomcoups

Crossing the Finish Line (Winning is the only thing that matters, except if you're raising money for a charity event with an infuriatingly good-looking swimmer.) @mr-cha-n

Statistically Speaking... (TA! mingyu, fluff, smut [minors DNI], angst, statistics, ur honour they're stupid for one another, descriptions of stress exhaustion and burnout, academic burden, disagreements, mingyu is smart as hell, shitting on bad professors, smut but its a surprise) @gyuswhore

Always // oneshot (Sometimes, one man's burden is everything another man has ever wished for.) @spamgyu

When I Kissed the Teacher (science teacher mingyu, grammar teacher reader, meddling students, crushes, flirting, lots of candy and coffee) @highvern

Read All About It (Anonymous Life and Sex writer, Not Carrie Bradshaw, takes on a 30-day challenge with her boyfriend, Min. How wild fans would go to find out they're none other than Kim Mingyu and his girlfriend?) @highvern

Hot Wheels [M] (Co-Workers to Lovers, Fluff, Humor, Smut 18+) @milfgyu

𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖶𝖺𝗒 𝗈𝖿 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖧𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖾 𝖧𝗎𝗌𝖻𝖺𝗇𝖽 (fake marriage au!, fluff, angst, smut (18+ mdni) @wonustars

There's a snake in my pants (Crack/humour. Some fluff. Established relationship. Himbo Mingyu! [I love himbo Gyu]) @whipped-for-kpop-fics

Cross My Heart (Your crush Mingyu wants (to eat) you.) @minisugakoobies

Like A Cowboy Part 2 of 4 (Mingyu only needs to wake up with you once to decide he'll do whatever is necessary to do it every day; even if it means letting you help him outside and figuring out how to help you inside, it's worth it.) @sluttywoozi

Let our lips lock, baby (Friends to lovers smut. Fluff. They are in LOVE okay. Birthday boy Gyu <3) @whipped-for-kpop-fics

I can do it for you (After years dealing with everything alone, you stumble upon an old wishbook from your past. And you jokingly writes down your ideal boyfriend, Mingyu. To your surprise, Mingyu magically appears in your couch.) @hoshifighting

here and now. (secret!agent!mingyu x secret!agent!reader, established relationship) @writingmeraki

Jeon Wonwoo

into the night | jeon wonwoo (when you call wonwoo late at night telling him you're stranded, he drops everything to make his way to you (and bring you home safe)) @etherealyoungk

CLOSER (f2l!wonwoo, softdom!wonwo) @hannieehaee

HER | part six (m). (wonwoo, a heartbroken and burnt out writer nearing the end of his math degree, wants nothing to do with the seemingly perfect, intimidating girl who has everyone under her thumb. you. unfortunately, his literary talent has got him shoved him between a rock and a hard place when you want to write a book and require his expertise. you two are the furthest from compatible. wonwoo can’t see this going well. at all.) @chocosvt (HOLY SHIT, THIS SERIES HAD ME CRYING. SNAPS TO THIS AMAZING WRITER!)

𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 (though it didn’t bother wonwoo that his girl wasn’t a gamer like him, he was over the moon when one day she proudly declared she started gaming. one thing he forgot to ask - what kind of games she was playing.) @babyleostuff

knight in shining armor (non-idol! wonwoo x f!reader) @heartsfromia

endpoint (Senior year of college is meant to be full of celebration and smooth sailing. Years of work culminating in the final semesters that will send you off into the real world where clubs, sports, and weekends packed with hungover volunteering to pad your resume no longer mattered. It’d be a piece of cake if it wasn’t for your fuck buddy turned coworker having the same plan. But only one of you can get the department’s most coveted recommendation that all but guarantees your acceptance. Tension rises and the nearly four year thing you’ve had with Wonwoo approaches its endpoint.) @highvern

heads up! stardew. they r gaming. @nonranghaes

Cookies and Cream (academic rivals to lovers, smut, heart wrenching and tooth rotting fluff (wonwoo is down bad bad)) @seokgyuu

April Shower (Wonwoo meets a lot of people through his career as a travel photographer. Not one of them has ever made him want to stay in one place, until he met you.) @sluttywoozi

HEAVEN (wonwoo has a reputation for being distant, quiet and a bit mysterious. once you get to know him better, though, you come to find the sweet, shy boy underneath the surface.) @sanakiras

Patterns (Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is a pattern. So what does it mean when you find yourself in Wonwoo's bed over and over again?) @highvern

Daylight (between the endless flirty banter or secret looks of longing, the line between you and your boss had always been slightly blurred. But when a night out with friends has you and your boss meeting for the first time outside of the workplace, that line starts to become nonexistent as mutual feelings are brought to light.) @moonscriptsx

✦ sugar & spice (bodyguard!wonwoo x celebrity!reader) @etherealyoungk

Hong Jisoo

New in the Suburbs – New Neighboor! Joshua @hoshifighting

distracted (husband&dad!joshua, wife&mom!reader, established relationship) @eomayas

SUMMER KISSES (joshua coming home is a pleasant surprise) @arafilez

richhusband!joshua headcannons (just some headcons, but i'm obsessed with them) @number1mingyustan

still the one (5 years after your break up, Joshua tries his best to get your attention. May it be creating a new instagram to get you to notice him, making your brother (Seungkwan) secretly invite him to his birthday party, and his latest act: begging you on his knees in front of your door to get him back. He just never gives up!) @bratzkoo

city lights series | joshua hong (M) [ongoing] (rock singer joshua, neighbours with benefits) @hannieween

best friend’s brother (This had me crying ugly tears. its my fav) (imestep, romance, angsty angst, major feels abt having a crush, lots of flirting, smut, drama, happy tears.) @chocosvt

not according to plan | hjs (fake dating, strangers to friends to ?? | fluff, slight angst, smut) @the-boy-meets-evil

Expiration Date (2/2) (artist!joshua x model!fem!reader) @number1mingyustan

Birds of a Feather ( joshua hong x f reader) @onlymingyus

Timestamp! Aquamarine Au! @mysafehaneul

on second thought (where your roommate, wonwoo, has an interesting solution to all your bad dates. nothing can go wrong with two friends crossing a line, can it?) @the-boy-meets-evil

Yoon Jeonghan

BITE (idol!jeonghan x hybeidol!reader, f2l, meet-cute, very unrealistic schedules for idols lol, jeonghan is a menace, a lot of will they wont they, reader plays hard to get, afab reader, small age gap implied, one mention of the word oppa as a honorific (sorry</3), reader is mentioned to be international (no specific race, just not born in korea), smut, dry humping, penetrative sex, etc.) @hannieehaee

building blocks | yjh (agreeing to be the teaching assistant is the last thing you want in a semester where you're already swamped with work. but, you need a letter of recommendation from the professor and you're out of other options. enter jeonghan, the menace who signs up for the class seemingly on a whim and disrupts your entire routine.) @the-boy-meets-evil (OBSESSED WITH THESE TA SERIES)

"lovie" (all the ways jeonghan uses your nickname) @cherryredcheol

Titty-Shirt! (18+) (pervert!rollercoaster operator!jeonghan x bigtiddie!fem!reader) @beefboyandbabygirl

love café (while you’ve spent the last few months pretending the love café doesn’t exist, you realize you need its services now more than ever. this brings you face to face with jeonghan, the son of a luxury fashion designer who’s got money to burn. your exchanges are strictly business. until they’re not) @chocosvt

five ways to say "i love you" - jeonghan (how jeonghan shows his love to you, through all five love languages) @p0ckykiss

Xu Minghao

Meet Me In Amsterdam (Artist!Minghao x Artist!Fem!Reader) @okiedokrie

GOODNIGHT N GO (idol!minghao x hybeidol!reader) @hannieehaee

To all the love letters I wrote but never sent (fluff, best friends to lovers) @welcometomyoasis

Birthday Gift l Xu Minghao (It's your birthday and Minghao wants to give you your present!) @jenoslutie

Lee Seokmin

through a different lens — l.sm (meet cute, strangers to something) @miniseokminnies

after dessert (just pure smut lol, but it was good XD) @xurengu0

behind the stands (Seokmin, Gryffindor's star chaser, is widely known as your rival. What everyone doesn't know is that before every game, his lips are always on yours.) @xurengu0

Beautiful Liar (mafia au, dark romance? angst, smut.) @starlightx

Epistolary Yearning (epistolary form, historical fantasy, romance | smut) @himbocoups

Nice Guys Finish First (After a first date with the sweetest man you've ever met, thanks to a mutual friend, you're more than willing to silence his doubts and show him how sexy he was to you.) @celestiababie

midnight rain | lsm (after seven years away, you finally return home. meeting seokmin again wasn't in your plans, but life wasn't willing to let you have it your way.) @wongyuuu

[sanjoongie]

𝔚𝔥𝔢𝔫 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔖𝔢𝔞 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔐𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔞𝔦𝔫 𝔐𝔢𝔱

@pirateeznet 's Secret Admirer event

🏔For @staytinyville, i hope you enjoy this, i had fun weaving this tale for you 💞 sorry it was late once again

🌊Pairing: Njord! Prince! Jeong Yunho x Skaldi! Princess! Reader (f)

🏔Genre: smut, angst (happy ending), fluff

🌊Au: Norse mythology au, njord and skaldi au, mythology retelling au, royal au, medieval au, historical au

🏔Trope: strangers to lovers, opposites attract

🌊Warnings: mentions of parent's death, mentions of someone falling deathly ill, hand kink HELLO, fingering (f), wall sex, penetrative sex with no barrier, nipple play, big dick! yunho

🏔Word count: 5,178

🌊Beta's:

🏔Summary: upon your father's murder, a council allows you to choose a husband as recompense--based on what his hands look like. Yunho, a prince of the sea, and you, a princess of the mountains, are as opposite as you can get, so can you make the marriage work?

🌊Author's Note: the story of Skaldi, a giantess and goddess of the mountain and her husband, Njord, God of the Sea, intrigued me enough to want to try a re-telling. I changed the feet to hands, in choosing a husband, and who is better to use that than mofo jeong yunho

Once upon a time, when the world was young, a woman experienced a father's death and was repaid with a choice of her husband.

"But you must choose by his hands."

The woman chose hands that were callused, for surely a strong husband would come from those hands.

Instead, she chose the man who couldn't be more than the opposite of her. This is a retelling of their story.

You stared intently at the set of hands in front of you. Each owner of said hands were behind a heavy curtain so that you could not pick your future husband based on his appearance but based solely on his hands. 

You were hoping for San, if truth be told. You wanted the happy prince who was also known to throw himself into work with his fellow peasants. You wanted to add his giggles to your empty castle, now with your father gone. 

There was one set of hands that continued to draw you back. They were long and lovely but also they had calluses; they had seen hard work. Surely they belonged to San? Without another thought, you pointed to the hands you had been admiring and hoped for the best.

The curtain parted and… instead of San’s pleased smile that he had been chosen, you were met with the wide eyes of Yunho’s. The two of you stared at each other, unable to comprehend that you were to be wed to the prince who lived by the sea, the complete opposite to your mountainous upbringing. 

“Wait--!”

"No, princess, this is your choice,” The counselor preceding over your choice proclaimed. “The death of your father is repaid. You have a husband now.”

You and Yunho were ushered into an antechamber to sign the papers and a small ceremony made it official. It was clear everyone wanted you out of here before you demanded even more over the death of your father. 

“First, you should live in the domain of your husband,” The priest informed you. “You need to understand who he is before you take him to your home.”

The plan was to spend ten days at Yunho's place by the sea and you were already not looking forward to it. The sea was not your favorite place. And once you arrived, it really just confirmed how you felt. 

Except now there was Yunho.

Yunho was a shy prince. He dined with you in the morning, offering options of how you could spend the hours of your day. The walk along the shore was hardly what you would consider romantic. You struggled under the shifting sands, always managing to carry some home with you. The squawking of the seabirds always interrupted your questions towards Yunho in order to learn more about your new husband and his home. You couldn't even appreciate some of the cliffs by the sea, the closest thing to home for you, because of the bashing of the cursed waves against the walls of stone. You were starting to think the gods were playing with you; that they still wanted you to suffer. 

“Princess?” Yunho brought you back to reality.

You had picnic-ed in the dunes beside the sea with a sturdy blanket and practically everything weighed down so that the hefty winds didn’t blow away anything you planned on dining on or with. 

“Apologies, Yunho, what did you say?” You wondered, sipping the strawberry rhubarb wine.

“There’s a story that they tell of how the first king was found. It was said that he would never become king. The prophecy said that when the fishermen of the area would find a diamond in the sands, then their king would finally be found.”

You scoffed at the fanciful tale. “Sounds like no one wanted a king to be found.”

Yunho laughed. “One would think. But truly, what the purpose of the story is, is that kings can be found but the right king, a good one for the people and for the kingdom, is like a diamond in the sand.”

You thoughtfully ate a tiny sandwich--emphasis on the sand part of the sandwich--and attempted to not wince at the grit in your mouth. “So a good king was found?”

Yunho shrugged, blinking furiously when wind blew hair in front of his face. His hands attempted to push it back and you were momentarily distracted. Those hands had been your downfall. “Oh, we had kings alright, but no one has truly found the diamond in the sand.”

Yunho had yet to touch you with those hands. You hadn't consummated your marriage but you were sure that had more to do with this poorly-worded trial period than anything else. Ten days to learn about your husband and ten days for him to learn of you in your realm. The marriage wasn’t made for two romantic fools, it was a settlement on reparations done to you. The lost of your father still panged in the depths of your heart but Yunho’s ‘love’ hadn't done anything to settle the lose, truly. Perhaps your heart wasn’t truly into it. Perhaps--

Yunho sighed and began to pack up. He was used to you losing yourself in your thoughts. “Back to the castle then? I’m sure your handmaiden could prepare a cool room for you.”

Ah, the disappointment coating your husband’s words. “Yunho, I--”

Yunho shook his head. “Do not worry about it, Princess. You head back. I’ll clean this up.” Yunho held out your parasol with a face that didn’t speak of his disappointment at all. 

The two of you spoke the same language but it always seemed like you never understood each other. Yunho was patient and you attempted to show interest in his world but you compared everything; it couldn't be helped.

Yunho’s world was too windy, too warm, too loud, too much. You were used to solitude, you were used to your halls in the mountains. This world Yunho loved so much was too much for you. You often found yourself pulling back to the comfort of your tower that Yunho had declared was yours. He thought the height would help you remind you of home and it did, but in the worst ways. You simply pinned for home that much more.

Before you knew it, the final night in Yunho’s home was upon you. You wanted to go home so badly but you didn’t want to lay it on Yunho. So you smiled politely as he brought you through the town around the castle, a bustling morning market that had you avoiding the touch of the crowd so much that Yunho knew he had failed you once again.

“Princess?” Yunho offered his hand to you. He had one final plan to enact. 

You cautiously gave Yunho your hand and he protectively pulled you into an enclave away from the crowds. Yunho’s height allowed him to tower over you. Suddenly you were very, very close to your husband but he didn’t let go of your hand. 

Yunho sent a hopeful smile your way and you felt a jolt in your chest. What the hell was that? “If you will allow me one more excursion tonight? I promise, I have one final surprise that I would like to share with you. It is my favorite. I left the best for last.”

You bowed your head. “Of course, husband,” you agreed.

The day dragged by. The food that had been hand chosen by you and Yunho had been cooked for a midday meal and Yunho showed you bright gardens cultivated behind the walls of the castle. You smiled and listened politely but you couldn't help but think of what kind of surprise Yunho had been hiding you all this time. Why not surprise you the first night to impress you? Your husband was still a mystery to you, it seemed.

The sun set and you waited in your rooms for your husband to retrieve you. And you waited. And waited. Then you began to pace. Was this waiting on purpose? Was he looking to vex you? After hours passed, you were about to rip the hinges off your door and storm the castle looking for your husband before he politely knocked on your door. You smoothed your hair back, picking something off the skirt of your dress and let your handmaiden know your husband could enter.

Yunho’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “You will need those hiking boots of yours, Princess, and a change of clothes. This is not a dress excursion.”

Yunho led you to the sea and you were beginning to think that your husband truly didn’t understand you. He was simply taking you to every place in his kingdom and expecting you to love it. You weren’t sure if this was going to work, if at all. You couldn't simply throw away what was given to you. It somehow belittled your father’s death. But could you take a lifetime of this?

With a hand raised with a lantern, and your hand in his other, Yunho led you inside of a cliffside cave. For a while, there was only the soft sound of the water dripping down stalactites and the squeak of the lantern on its handle. Yunho didn’t feel the need to fill the air with conversation and you were stewing in your thoughts, if you were being honest.

But when the tunnel through the cave opened up into a larger room, your jaw couldn't help but fall to the floor. Inside was a pool of calm water that almost perfectly reflected the night sky through an opening in the roof. You could see the moon, the constellations your father had taught you, even some fluffy clouds as they floated across the night’s sky. It was beautiful.

“They say this place used to be the home to mermaids. One of my great grandfather’s married one apparently. This place has been kept sacred ever since.” Yunho’s eyes had been raised to the sky but then he lowered them to yours. “Do you like it?”

You opened your mouth but found that you had no words. At least, you had none of the easy words that had been tearing down Yunho and his home piece by piece. “It’s lovely,” You managed.

Yunho allowed himself to smile hesitantly. “Do you know the story about the god who froze their toe and it became a constellation in the sky?”

You moved towards the pool and sat at the edge of it. You were completely comfortable looking at the sky through the portal of the water. “That one always made me laugh as a child. Now I shudder at freezing a toe and breaking it off.”

Yunho sat beside you, dimming the lantern so you two could see the sky’s reflection clearly. “Ah, I suppose that’s a worry from where you’re from.”

You nodded, pushing some hair out of your face. “Yunho…”

Yunho shook his head. “I know we leave for your home tomorrow.”

Yunho’s soft world was not like yours at all. You worried for him. “I don’t expect to find it beautiful,” You admitted.

Yunho smiled somewhat bittersweetly. “Like you didn’t find mine?”

You sighed. “Your world is too much. Too much sun, too much noise, it’s not what I’m used to.”

Yunho's hand beside yours twitched. His pinky moved but his hand did not. “I tried. I shared with you everything I love. I wanted you to be happy, if that means anything.”

“It’s not your fault, Yunho,” You allowed. “I did pick you, after all.”

“You didn’t want me though,” Yunho said.

“You didn’t want me to pick you!” You retorted with a laugh.

Yunho half-laughed with you. “Well, I didn’t expect you to pick me, that’s for sure.”

You cocked your head. Your hand moved a little closer to his. “You’re the one with the pretty hands that are also callused. It’s your fault really.”

Yunho chuckled. His hand moved until both your pinkies were touching. “I still work the fishing boats every Manadagr morning.” He looked at you through the corner of his eye. “And what do you mean my hands are pretty?”

You winced. You had not meant for that to slip. “You know…” you let the uncertain air hang between you two.

Yunho nudged you with his shoulder. “No, I really don’t.”

You sighed again but picked up one of his hands. You played with his lithe fingers, feeling birds thrash against your ribcage. “They’re hard working hands but they’re pretty. I want…” If only your father could see you now, your courage failing you simply because your heart was betraying you right now.

Yunho grasped both of your hands between his. “You want?” He prompted you.

You swallowed hard, not sure if you had it in yourself to tell your husband you lusted after his hands. “Yunho, I--”

“We haven’t kissed since we became husband and wife,” Yunho blurted out. His eyes widened at his own words and then you watched as redness crept up his ears.

That was the second time you were speechless tonight. 

Yunho let go of your hands, dropping them like they were hurting him, and mumbled about going back now.

“Yunho, wait!” You stood up to stop him.

“I’m sorry you don’t feel the same way, but I really like you!” Yunho blurted out again. “I’ve planned all these outings and every time I only seemed to annoy you or let you down. I’ve felt your bad mood darken and develop like a storm in the middle of the sea get worse as it came closer to the coast. I won’t apologize for trying to woo you but I want you to love me!”

It was as if an arrow from Ullr hit your heart. So instead of speaking, since you were failing in that regard, you let your body speak for you. You wrapped your arms around Yunho’s neck, pulled him down and you kissed him. You didn’t kiss him with passion and lust but rather with a need to tell him that he had been enough. 

Yunho looked so confused when you released him that you had to giggle. If you had thought his ears were red before, they now appeared as hot as iron in the forge. “Your ears get red when you’re embarrassed, Husband. Do my kisses embarrass you?”

Yunho’s eyes avoided yours but a smile he couldn't fight was pulling at the corners of his lips. “Your kisses do not embarrass me.”

“No?” You teased, leaning to the side to capture his gaze.

Suddenly, Yunho went from an embarrassed man to a dangerous one. His eyes were dark. “No.”

You raised your chin defiantly. “Then prove me wrong.”

Yunho cupped your head between his beautiful hands and then kissed you. His kiss was different. It was soft but it was deep. His tongue sought out yours and you met him halfway. His kiss pulled the lust that was bubbling deep in your womb. You pushed onto your toes again, meeting his kisses with lust of your own and Yunho moaned into your mouth. 

His hands steadied your hips and he broke the kiss. With his forehead pressed to yours, he panted against your lips. “Will you let me make you mine?”

“Only if you’ll let me claim you,” You countered.

Yunho’s eyes traveled over your face. You didn’t know what he was looking for but whatever he found there, it seemed to satisfy him. “I didn’t mean to lure you here to seduce you,” He admitted, as if he was half apologizing that your first time together would be in a cave.

“I may be a princess, Husband, but I am no soft woman. I’ve fucked in worse places,” You snickered.

Yunho’s eyes widened before he half smiled at your boldness. “Then let me have you by the sea and the sky and let the gods witness our consummation of our marriage.”

You impulsively grabbed Yunho’s hand and sucked on his middle and index fingers. Your tongue swirled around his long digits and you said huskily. “Show me why I picked these pretty hands, husband.”

Yunho’s now slick fingers reached under your pants and pressed to your clit. You tossed your head back in ecstasy as he easily rubbed you, warming you up from the inside out. 

You guided his other hand to grope your breast and you watched in awe as his fingers nimbly pulled at the tie at your chest in order to spill your breast out for him. He neatly tugged and pulled and played with your nipple. 

His fingers became bolder as they dipped lower to find your own slick dripping from between your folds. “Wife of mine, why are you so wet?”

You moaned. “You, Yunho, it’s all because of you.”

“Do my fingers give you that much pleasure?” Yunho teased you lightly.

“They look so pretty against my body,” You admitted. 

Yunho whirled you around suddenly, your back to his chest. It gave you an easy view of Yunho twirling your nipple in one hand and his other playing with your cunt. You swallowed hard, suddenly very tempted by your own husband’s hands.

“Will you come undone simply from my hands playing with you, princess?” Yunho wondered, his voice husky against the shell of your ear.

Your mind was silent and empty, with only one voice chanting ‘feels so good feels so good feels so good’ over and over. You had a one track mind, and it was coming against Yunho’s fingers. You gyrated your hips into the motions of Yunho’s fingers. Your first orgasm came easy, tempted from the nimble hands that had condemned you to your current fate. 

Your hand went behind you, behind Yunho’s neck, for support as you trembled against his chest. “Oh Yunho, oh gods, it’s so goddamn good, Hel’s left tit.”

“I'm not sure if I should be proud of that,” Yunho laughed behind you.

“Oh, you should be proud of that,” You assured him. “I can’t brag of many men that could get me to climax that fast.”

Yunho pulled his fingers from you and you turned your head and watched as he cleaned them diligently. He hummed as if he had a taste of honeyed wine and you pressed your lips together. “Will you take me now?”

With Yunho’s other hand, he cupped your face and ran his thumb against your lips. “I would see your face when I bring you to your next peak,” Yunho informed you.

You nodded and immediately Yunho’s hands went around your waist to hoist you upwards. You had no choice but to wrap your legs around Yunho’s waist as he sought a section of cave wall that wasn’t dripping with water. 

Yunho's hands dived into your hair to hold your head in place as he kissed you again. Yunho was hungry for you. His lips went from pink to red as they became swollen from the kissing. His tongue twirled around yours, looking to intertwine with every part of you. He only set you down so that you could strip your pants off and he could push his down to his thighs. You pulled at the rest of your shirt, giving Yunho complete access to your chest. 

Your back was pressed up against the wall again, legs around his waist, except now Yunho’s curved, glorious cock was pressed up against you. “Yunho,” You cooed his name.

“I’ll go slow; so slow. I’ll be careful,” Yunho promised. 

Yunho's hand tilted your head so that he could place kisses along your neck as he rubbed the underside of his dick against your wetness. His kisses continued along your jaw as his cock slid downwards. You held your breath to wait for him to penetrate you but Yunho simply fucked his cock between your thighs, the top of his cock now getting a good coating.

“What if I don’t want it slow?” You growled.

Yunho laughed, his shoulders shaking under your hands. “I must. You can endure it, surely?” He tilted his head flirtatiously, although it was still a challenge directed to you. 

Yunho didn’t wait for you to answer, he brushed the head of his cock against your hole. You cocked your hips to give him easier access and you both moaned loudly as he entered you. Yunho spent equal time watching your face as he watched his cock make its way into you. He slid inch by precious inch with dedication only a man with grace could manage. You wiggled your hips and whined, but Yunho simply cupped your face and pushed a thumb into your mouth to silence. 

Yunho braced himself against the wall with his free hand and reached under one of your legs to cock it so that you were spread even wider for him. “Let’s make the motion of the ocean jealous.”

“Gods, Yunho,” You cried out.

His hips worked between your legs that were stuttering at best. Your cunt fought him for every inch he could manage. Yunho was soon sweating and stuttering. “You’re so--gods, so tight! I--” He moaned, biting down on his lower lip. “Your warmth encompasses me so completely.”

“I never imagined being with you would be so consuming,” You whispered to him.

“I have needed you for such a long time,” Yunho told you, kissing you sweetly. “I thought you would never let me touch you.”

“I would never let these hands not touch me, husband,” You informed him.

Yunho paced himself inside of you. He didn’t pound into you until you indicated to him that your climax was approaching. “I’ll not last any longer than you,” Yunho admitted, “I’ll follow your lead.”

With that said, Yunho reached under your other leg and you had nothing to brace against except the wall behind your back. Yunho had complete control of the pace and it was grueling. He fucked you mercilessly, the slapping of skin against skin echoing against the rock walls. With a scream, you came hard, and Yunho was good on his word. He came as soon as your pussy walls fluttered around him. He gasped, high pitched and desperate. 

The two of you came down slowly, breaths intersecting each other as you kissed lazily. Yunho’s thrusts came to a stop eventually and he let down one leg, then the other, leaning back to pull his softening cock from your cunt. 

You gathered your pants and tied back up your shirt. “Yunho…”

“I’m sorry,” Yunho squeaked. 

Your head shot up to look at your husband. His ears were red-hot and his eyes were shaking slightly. “Sorry for what? For giving your wife your seed? For giving her a climax? What’s to apologize for?”

“I--I don’t know what took over me!” Yunho said with wide eyes. “I just knew I had to bring you to your climax and you looked so pretty with your eyebrows furrowed and your mouth parted, I simply wanted to come with you as well, I--” Yunho laughed at himself, scratching the back of his neck. “I’m making a fool of myself, aren’t I?”

“Yunho.” You grabbed his hand between yours and kissed it. “You are fine. Everything is fine. You were wonderful.”

Yunho smiled, then wiped his face blank, then smiled again. “You were wonderful,” he murmured, biting his lower lip again.

“Will you escort me back to my room?” You suggested.

“Will you hold my hand?” Yunho replied.

You both knew the answers to your questions.

Your trip to the mountains was a different one from the sea. You and Yunho huddled inside a carriage for the better part of the day. Which was fine between the two of you. You kissed and giggled and acted like newlyweds, finally. You had Yunho and some heavy fur coverings and you were heading to your childhood home, where you would reside for all of the winter months. You had no worries hanging over your head. You had been too drunk on love to realize that as much as you hated Yunho’s world, the same would be true for him.

That evening, in your grand, empty hall the two of you dined. You were at one end and Yunho in your father’s seat. You were so far apart, neither of you talked much. The servants offering each course and the clatter of utensils against plates were the only sounds in the vast space. 

You had a gnawing uncertainty in your gut but it was quickly banished when Yunho came to your bed that night. You rode Yunho in your childhood bed, rocking your hips and making him hold your breasts in place as you coaxed the both of you to an easy climax. You fell asleep in Yunho’s arms and thought everything was right in the world.

Except it wasn’t for Yunho.

It was worse because he always attempted to brush it off. You would watch him smile brightly when you asked him if he was cold, but then he would frown and run his hands up and down his arms. He denied getting lost and insisted he wished to see the sweeping views your castle offered. He told you it was picture perfect but you had a sense he simply wished to go back inside. 

Not that inside was any better. You offered him walks along the long corridors lined with your ancestor’s portraits. He yawned as you explained each of their hard-earned exploits at protecting this castle. He glanced cursory over the fine treasures that your family had accumulated during their reign. 

Eventually, you two spent less and less time with each other. You began to spend long hours in your father's study, writing letters to your vassals to be sent by carrier pigeon. You weren’t entirely sure what Yunho did with his free time, but you often caught him staring off into the air, like he wasn’t even present. 

You watched your glowing prince of the shore fade. It killed you when you made love and could see the tired circles under his eyes. And still Yunho would smile at you and insist that he was alright. Yunho would stop showing up for dinner. When he collapsed on his way to your bedroom one evening, that was the end of the line.

You immediately sent Yunho away. He was bundled up in the same carriage that had brought the two of you to the mountains. Your wise woman traveled with him to inform the doctor’s in Yunho’s land of what ailed the prince. You promised with a soft kiss, careful of how frail Yunho appeared, to follow him as soon as you could. 

The first month when you didn’t show up, Yunho sent a letter. He made plenty of excuses on your behalf. He understood you had to rule in your father’s stead and you had been away for a while by meeting with the council and visiting his kingdom. Then when a month turned into two, he asked about your health, which was fine. Then the third month, your husband showed up on your doorstep, banging on your bedroom door.

“Yu-yunho!” You stuttered, shocked to find your husband in your castle, let alone in your kingdom.

“What have I done now?” He raged. “Why have you not come back for me?”

You were taken aback by his questions and his anger. You had never seen this side of Yunho before. Your mouth opened and closed but you found that you could form no words. Your husband was always making you speechless.

“I promise you I’m not a sickly individual. You needn’t worry about our heirs. It was just a lapse. I can do better!” Yunho informed you as he strode into your room.

You quietly closed your door and watched as Yunho paced in your room. His hands moved around as he spoke and you cursed yourself for always being drawn to them.

“Yunho,” You said his name quietly, gathering up his hands. You kissed the back of each hand and looked up at him forlornly. “Living with me made you sick. It was your love for me that made you fade. I don’t want you to die.”

Yunho blinked at you, a cute moment that you had to push away because of the serious discussion. “What?”

“You can’t live here. It’s detrimental to your health. I can’t live with you, it would drive me insane. We simply aren’t meant to be. I think it would be better if we--”

“No.” Yunho shook his head. “No, I will not get a divorce.”

You frowned. “Yunho, we must.”

“No!” Yunho said more forcefully. He gathered you to his chest, with your head against his breast. You could hear the beating of his heart, quick but firm. “I won’t let you.”

You allowed yourself one more moment in your husband's arms and then you pushed him away gently. “It’s not meant to be, Yunho. We’ll only end up miserable with each other. I don’t ever want our love to twist into hatred.”

Yunho’s lips dipped downwards and it looked like he was fighting some tears. “But I love you.”

You felt your throat tighten. “I know you do.”

“Don’t you love me too?” He pressed. 

“I do but it’s not enough. My love won’t keep you healthy. My love isn’t a sustenance which you can live on. My love--”

Yunho cupped your cheeks with both hands, your head feeling tiny in his large hands. His thumbs rubbed against your cheeks. When had you started crying? “I can’t take care of you, Yunho. It’s all I want and yet I’m not capable.”

“I don’t care what it takes,” Yunho said. “I will build a castle at the halfway point between our kingdoms. We will make every official travel to us to deal with the problems of both kingdoms. But I cannot remain separated from you. I will die from that, that I can promise you. You don’t want me to die from a broken heart, do you?”

You tipped your head up, to see Yunho’s half smile, part somber and part hopeful. You loved him, you loved him with all your heart, you knew that. But wouldn’t your love kill the both of you? Spirit, body and mind?

Yunho shook his head. “Don’t think with your mind, for once, think with your heart.”

“Yunho--”

Yunho put a finger over your mouth. “Husband,” he quietly corrected you.

You admitted defeat. You knew you would also die from a broken heart if you couldn't spend the rest of your days on Midgard with Yunho, with your husband. You barely survived your father’s death, you couldn't handle another loss. 

“I love you, husband of mine,” You whispered.

With a choked sob, Yunho gathered you in his arms once again, hugging you tightly and kissing the crown of your head. The soft kisses turned into hard ones, Yunho desperate for you, hungry for you, since he hadn't been with you for months. You moaned into his mouth and pressed your body even tighter against his. 

 “Will you let me make you mine?” You echoed the words Yunho had once spoken to you in the sea cave. 

“Only if you’ll let me claim you,” Yunho repeated your words back to you.

 “Then let me have you by the mountains and the rocks and let the gods witness our love for each other,” You said, solemnly. “You never know, maybe they’ll write our love story into a saga.”

[sorchathered]

Sweet Home Texas pt. 2

A/N- hey yall just a little something I wrote while I was traveling today, I don’t know how often I’ll get to update after this with the move rapidly approaching but I had some free time. :)

Pairing- Jake “hangman” Seresin x Oc Ella Mcree

Warnings- angst, language

“I can’t do it anymore.” She said with a heaving sob as she crumbled in on herself, arms wrapped tightly around her middle as if she were holding herself together.

“I’ve been with him for almost 20 years, I don’t know any other way of life but this is…this isn’t a life anymore! Happy moments are almost non-existent, I can’t even remember the last time he prioritized me before his job or his friends, hell I don’t think we’ve even been on a date in at least a year. We are constantly biting each other’s heads off, everything I do seems to be wrong or met with a condescending look. I’m not a child! I’m a 35 year old woman with a thriving career! Just because he has some kind of god complex as a pilot doesn’t give him the right to treat me like I’m stupid. I don’t want to be mean, and I don’t want to hurt him, but I don’t think I can be married to him anymore. Love shouldn’t feel like this, love shouldn’t hurt like this. If the end goal is to be together for 50 + years and hate every minute of it then I don’t want it. I’m sorry- I’m so sorry Jake but I won’t do this anymore.”

Jane Wyatt had been seeing Ella and Jake Seresin for couples therapy for nearly 6 months now, and in that time their relationship had shown no growth. Jake dug his heels in and fought Ella at every corner, he knew he worked too much and probably could have put more time into them but he maintained that she knew this was his dream and he was trying to make it to the top. One day things would be easier, she just had to wait it out.

Ella felt like she was dying on the vine, she had put her life on hold for Jake for so long and now that she was thriving in her career and fast tracking it to become the cfo of a major company in San Diego suddenly Jake couldn’t handle it. Having her at home barefoot and pregnant had never been a part of their plan, they both knew it but he felt like he was losing control and took it out on her. Accusations of cheating when she worked late hours, nitpicking everything she did, he didn’t mean to make her feel small but something in his subconscious just wouldn’t let it go. The house was burning from the inside out and he was refusing to throw water on the fire, they’d burn down together and stay married and maybe one day they’d crawl their way out of it.

Jane watched the scene unfolding in front of her, Ella falling apart and Jake white knuckling the chair across from her, jaw clenched so tightly it felt like his teeth might crack. She knew what the diagnosis was and it was one of the worst parts of her job.

Being a couples counselor was not for the weak, and she knew that at one point the two people in front of her had been head over heels in love. But this wasn’t the same couple from twenty years ago, and it wasn’t helping either of them to stay on a sinking ship.

“I’m sorry to you both, you’ve spent over half your lives together and I know this is not how either of you saw it going. My professional opinion? It’s time to take a step away from each other, whether that be for a few months or in dissolving your marriage can’t be determined yet, only time can answer that. But neither of you are good for each other right now, and my opinion is unchanged. You need to let each other go and find out who you are without each other. It’s the only way to move forward.”

Jake was out of his seat and out the door before she even finished, Ella crying out for him as he made his way to the elevators and out to his truck. He finally let himself break when he was alone, he knew it took two people to build a life but he had pushed her to this point. He knew she’d been unhappy and he had done nothing to stop it, nothing to change it, just expected her to push through like they always had. He didn’t know who he was without her, he’d never even kissed another woman before her; how was he supposed to just move on? The thought made him feel physically sick. He couldn’t go home, so he called his wingman, Javy Machado to admit defeat and ask for a place to stay.

That was nearly four years ago, Jake replayed that awful afternoon over in his mind in bed after he’d seen you at the bar tonight, you’d looked damn good. Still all fire and sharp wit, and it reminded him just how far apart you’d grown in the time since then. He had hoped if he gave you space to grow and learned the tools he needed to work on himself that the universe would bring you back together, but it hadn’t. That is until you walked in tonight. Circumstances be damned, he wasn’t signing those damn papers. He’d let this go on too long, he was going to romance you and show you just how good things could be, if you’d found someone else well that poor sap would have to go because the two of you were endgame and he knew it. Now he just had to convince you. Easier said than done.

🏷️ Tagging- @attapullman @bobgasm @roosterforme @mynameismckenziemae @seitmai @jessicab1991 @djs8891 @buckysteveloki-me @dontletthemtakeyoualive @crazy-ravioli @dizzybee03 @sarahsmi13s @sunsetsimpsblog @auroralightsthesky @bradshawssugarbaby

[mistigrisunshine]

spuffy fic rec

figured all the time i spend scouring EF and ao3 might be useful to someone!

part 1 - part 2 - part 3

Scooby Crew, Where Are You? by Twinkles [9k]

In a not comics-compliant post-series universe where spuffy have been reunited and everyone else is drifting apart, chaos drops by for a visit. Or a nefarious scheme. I guess we'll find out XD

To Apprehend Air by Quinara [19k]

Two days after LMPTM, Spike's soul is stolen. But that's OK; they can get it back, right? Simple. How hard is it to hop dimensions, anyway? Or storm a castle…

Wild and Wonderful by solstice [23k]

Dawn is nine and three quarters. She is resilient, strange and sharp as a tack. She's a credit to her big sis. But she's just been kidnapped by one of the most notorious vamps of all time - Drusilla. Things look bad. Enter Spike, her very unlikely hero. Spike's relationship with Drusilla has been on the rocks since the Acathala debacle and the morsel in the crate is her double-edged gift to him: a chance to make things right, and a chance to be really bad. Kill the girl and make it hurt. But for some reason he. just. can't. Instead, he tosses the niblet into the trunk of his Desoto and hits the road, leaving his one hundred year relationship in tatters, and grinding his reputation into the dust. Buckle your seat belts nice and tight. We're in for a bumpy ride.

World Enough, and Time by toooldforthis [23k]

“You came back wrong,” he told her, all those years ago. He was right, but it took them a very long time to realise exactly what that meant. It meant a hundred more apocalypses, a thousand battles. It meant a journey, a prophecy, a war. They’d lose one other, and find their way back, and choose, again and again. And all the while, the earth was failing. There are a lot more people than you think who are here for the long haul – like, the really long haul. This is a story about two of them.

Once You Eliminate the Impossible by yellowb [30k]

Icelandic noir. Inspector Summers of the Reykjavik police force has finally got her big chance: she’s in charge of a murder case.

sometimes enough by taxicab12 [35k]

“Tell me everything,” Willow said, not sounding particularly like she’d been asleep. “Are his friends cool?” Buffy blinked. “Some of them. There was this one British guy—” “Ooh, accents, hot.” “—who wouldn’t stop staring at my boobs,” she finished. “Ew, men, gross.” “Spike,” Buffy said with a scoff. “What kind of name is that?” Or, Buffy falls in love and in love and in love. For some reason, life keeps happening anyway

ever waiting airports (full of the love that you deserve) by womanaction [41k]

Buffy catches up with Riley's helicopter, solving one problem and introducing a host of others. How is she supposed to rebuild their crumbling relationship in the face of an angry hellgod out for blood, an emotional teenage sister who spent millennia as a glowing ball of energy, and a weirdly helpful vampire? Season 5 rewrite from "Into the Woods" on.

GTFO by Girlytek [54k]

Spike doesn’t take the extra hundred bucks to be the decoy. Ethan doesn’t hang around to gloat. With the Initiative on their tail (just a little one), and Ethan needing a good being killed, Spike and Fyarl-Giles get out of town. There’s nothing like a road trip to put your demons in perspective.

Care by Sigyn [72k]

While under her Will Be Done spell, Willow just happened to say “I don’t care about anything,” and as a result, wanders blithely off as a vengeance demon. Spike and Buffy are left to protect a threatened Xander and a blind Giles while under the effect of a powerful love charm. But all is not happy in paradise – they’re still constantly fighting, and Angel is determined to end the spell they’re under. In a desperate attempt to collect the tattered remains of all their lives, ex-watcher Wesley Windham-Pryce is called in to try and play marriage counselor between the vampire and the slayer.

The Soul Lies Down by the_moonmoth [73k]

"As a child, I used to dream of a man in black and white, spinning in the desert like a dervish, sword flashing in the moonlight as he danced with death." Dawn travels back in time to save the vampire who saved her life. It's not purely out of sentiment, though -- the fate of the world is at stake (again) and somehow Spike is at the center of events. If only he can stay on the right side of Buffy. A sequel to Angearia's "Fin Amour".

Summer’s Lease by Iamblichus [86k]

Buffy thought it would be just another night of slaying lame-ass campus vampires, but one green demon, some unexpected help from Spike, and a spurt of fluorescent blood later, she finds that her world has acquired a novel complication.

Indigo Overture by Rikki_oko [119k]

Spike's just a drummer, content to live in lead singer Angel's shadow. But when a certain blonde strolls in on Angel's arm, will Spike be content to take the backseat forever? Loosely based on the eighties song, Jesse's Girl.

[covenofthearticulate]

ASH my love I missed your post last night I'm so glad you're okay!! 🫂🫂🫂

let me see if I can come up with any good vampire thoughts on the fly:

- for armand/lestat/louis I feel like lestat has SO MUCH to learn in terms of being a selfless lover and I guess I’m remembering crimson incarnate again like I do every day of my life, but this time I want lestat to put into practice what he’s learned about putting others’ needs first. and not just sex! I want to see him watching armand to learn how to pamper louis the way louis WANTS to be pampered. I want the three of them in the bath together and for once it’s not The Lestat Show but he’s watching louis and armand bathe each other and he finds in him to ask what he can do too 🤧 he ASKS armand if he’d like a turn in the middle for once

- thinking about louis and daniel, and I just think it would be really sweet if louis became the guy daniel went to whenever he feels like there’s a rift or a miscommunication happening in his relationship with armand (I feel like going to lestat or marius with this one would make it worse). since BOTH louis and daniel are on the fledging side of the equation, there’s a unique common ground here. tl; dr: louis is the post-canon a/d marriage counselor (also it’s so funny bc I know armand and louis commiserate re: lestat and now louis and daniel can commiserate re: armand rip louis my guy does not get a break)

- for armand/louis I’m just imagining louis getting armand’s blood stained filthy love letter and tearing off a rust colored edge and putting it in his mouth like an absolute fucking weirdo so he can have the slightest taste of armand on his tongue as he writes his response (whatever that may be 🫢 )

- for lestat/louis I’m know it doesn’t align with canon since most animals are afraid of vampires and mojo was the exception, but I desperately want them to raise a puppy together! I think they deserve it and I usually imagine louis with cats, but I also think he’d be so sweet with a dog and he’d never stop making comments to it—“you’re just like your papa” when it jumps up and licks his face (papa being lestat)

hope these made you smile and hope you feel better soon babe!!! ❤️❤️❤️ (I apologize for any typos I just drank two energy drinks and I am ZOOMING)

Hi friend I hope you know the reason for the late reply is because I've been keeping this in my inbox like a little locket and I go back to peek at it every time I need inspo or serotonin lmfao but these are all so excellent!!!!!!!!!!

LESTAT WATCHING ARMAND PAMPER LOUIS IN THE BATHTUB HELP I'M DECEASED you're so big brained for this oh my god like Crimson Incarnate was fun and I loved having Lestat watch Armand but I can't believe I never even thought about having Lestat watch Louis! Especially because they don't share the Mind Gift I bet Armand would pull out all the stops just to get Louis to vocalize a little more when he does something he likes :)

And YES I love the idea of Daniel being able to talk to Louis about Armand!!! and even before that like i’m honestly so intrigued by what it would look like when Daniel first decides that he’s going to stay with Louis and Armand like how long does it take for them to stop being awkward around one another and what does it look like the very first time that Daniel broaches the subject and asks Louis for advice!!! they have so much baggage between each other but their common ground is Armand 🥺🥺🥺

(also listen……..every day i’m tempted to write a letter from Louis in reply to the Armand letter like my god that shit STILL lives in my head rent free)

nooooooooooooo but i’m gonna fucking CRY at the idea of Loustat raising a puppy together 😭 like Mojo was already full grown when Lestat found him but imagine all the lovely chaos that comes along with raising a little PUPPY!! Louis is the dad who said “Absolutely Not” when Lestat showed up one night with a little dusty stray and then two days later Louis is planted on the sofa with the puppy curled up on his chest and he refuses to let Lestat anywhere near them LMAO (also just think of all the bittersweet ANGST of the two of them living together and co-parenting again and healing but also still being incredibly traumatized after Claudia aaaaaahhhhhhhh)

[piedpiperslists]

Is there any jungkook smuts/fics based on like a church setting, or any virgin jungkook fics you can recommend me please?

Hi. These are the fics I can think of with a church setting:

* s - contains smut

Doxology by dark-muse-iris - one shot (s) / wc~6.3k / secret relationship, PWP Summary: It’s Easter Sunday, one of the holiest of days for your presumed faith. But instead of spending it taking in the Lord’s message while tucked between your devout parents, you’re off sinning with the man who knows how truly wicked you are.

The Kids Aren’t Alright by sketchguk - one shot (s) / wc~10.5k / pastor’s kid!reader, FWB Summary: Sneaking around with Jeongguk during your Christian retreat is complicated when you’re both dedicated to your jobs as co-youth group counselors at your father’s ministry.

Shiver by hansolmates - series (s) / bad boy!Jungkook, church girl!reader, childhood friends to lovers, FWB Summary: Your childhood crush Jeon Jungkook has changed since he moved out of his small town church community and attended college. When he returns for a Christmas mass, you suddenly crave a taste of his fun and carefree life. In exchange, Jungkook craves a taste of you.

As for virgin!Jungkook fics, here's about 15 fics listed under the cut. But is this a trend lately, the asks I've gotten have been mostly about virgin!Jungkook lmao

A Blight on the Heart by thatlongspringnight - one shot (s) / wc~13.3k / established marriage, historical au Summary: You married him because you wanted a new life, and even with the struggle, the fights, you’d marry him again any day. Or - Jungkook loves you from the moment he reads your first letter, and the rest is history.

But We Loved Too Young by jl-micasea-fics - one shot (s) / wc~10.4k / childhood friends to lovers Summary: Jungkook is everything you’re not, the ying to your yang. Your tight knit friendship nurtured from childhood survived the major life events that most don’t, and to that end, you suppose you’re fated to be together, until unrequited longing is eventually noticed, and boundaries are forever crossed.

Close the Distance by hearts4joon - one shot (s) / wc~13.5k / college au, neighbors au Summary: Two different adults, living two completely separate lives — in the same neighborhood. A guy who’s overbearing mother makes him carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. A girl who’s parents are all too drawn to her younger siblings to even give her the time of day. While the two fall in an unlikely relationship (very unlikely), they still ravish each and every part of one another in every way — the best of attention, the one they both craved all their lives.

Ghosts Just Wanna Have Fun by sugaxjpg - one shot (s) / wc~20k / med school au, psychic au Summary: When Jungkook discovered that he could communicate with dead people, the last thing he expected was that they would be there to give him romantic advice.

Gotcha by whatifyoulivelikethat - one shot (s) / wc~11k / childhood friends to lovers, college au Summary: The color blue. Two white hairpins. “Hey, Jungkook.” A laugh with shaking shoulders that Jeon Jungkook thought he would hear and see forever. Hey, Jungkook. But then those words became a memory, until she was standing in front of him again, sporting the title of “Virgin Killer” and Min Yoongi by her side. Was this his second chance or just another memory?

I Want to Have Sex by jeongi - one shot (s) / wc~7.2k / established relationship Summary: You plan on taking your boyfriend, Jungkook’s, virginity tonight.

Infatuated by namsjunies - one shot (s) / wc~3k / university au

Need to Know by pixieknj - one shot (s) / wc~4.4k / virgin!Jungkook, friends to lovers Summary: Jungkook’s tired of you teasing him…

The Virgin Volume by kpopfanfictrash - one shot (s) / wc~6.8k / angst, college au Summary: The story of how The Rich Man’s Crochet Club Jungkook lost his virginity. Prequel to The Monogamy Monologues.

Here's more virgin!Jungkook but I keep getting an error, so I had to break up the list.

Wait, You're a Virgin? by joonsmagicshop - one shot (s) / wc~8.8k / college au Summary: Jungkook gets teased at a college party for being a virgin and asks you to help him out

Will You Make a Mess Now? by softyoongiionly - one shot (s) / established relationship, college au Summary: Jungkook’s never been touched before and, after a hectic end to his semester, he thinks he wants that to change… Can I Make a Mess Now? by softyoongiionly - one shot (s) / established relationship, college au Summary: Jungkook’s never had sex before but, after realizing that he’s falling in love with you, he thinks he wants that to change.

Glitter and Disquiet by joheunsaram - two shots (s) / CEO!Jungkook, YouTuber!reader, enemies to lovers, chaebol au Summary: Poised to inherit Korea’s largest gaming company in a few months, the world looks at Jeon Jungkook as a symbol of envy. Why wouldn’t they? He has everything, riches, power, and according to the rumour mill, endless women. Little do they know that his father’s company is on the verge of downfall, he barely has respect of his employees, and regardless of the rumours, he’s just a virgin saving himself for true love.

For Science by boymeetsweevil - series (s) / nerd!Jungkook, friends to lovers, FWB, college au Summary: Jungkook asks you to let him watch you get off. For science.

One Time, In Your Room by ubemango - series (s) / established relationship, college au Summary: There are papers to write, and virgins to daydream about. (You can think about Jeongguk’s dick later.)

[aphroditesmoon]

hello love! first of all, don't forget to take care of yourself and take your time! good luck! secondly, if you're not too busy, can you please write some hcs about xavier x reader where they are newlyweds? i can't help but think this concept is so cute.. and we all need some fluff, i guess. i absolutely can see them being still young and not planning to start a real family yet but they've got married a month or 2 ago bc why not, we want to spend eternity together anyway. and they're sooo excited about it? like wow we're actually married?? Mr. and Mrs. Thorpe?? ik modern married life (esp newlyweds) may be not so different from just relationship but it feels much more domestic for me? more warm and even loving? you can disagree with me and it's absolutely ok! i love your headcanons so much ahh it hurts! they're absolutely fascinating! thank you for everything you do! and thank u in advance! good luck! take care!

newlyweds xavier thorpe x reader hcs

a/n: I love this idea! and thank you for your kind kind words<3

warnings: reader is part fae, absent parent, slight nsfw

°°°

- it was instant connection with you and xavier, since he laid eyes on you, your perfume clouds his sense and your beauty haunts his dreams and canvases.

- but the rush of the relationship had scared you at first.

- you two ended up in a big argument a few months in your relationships where you admit to him you worries about moving too fast etc and being scared you'd ruin it or he'd change his mind about you.

- since then, he decided to make extra efforts in reassuring you, and you two start spending many times together doing bonding activities and getting to know eachother's boundaries.

- as much as he seems confident in your relationship, he's deeply insecure about you finding a true mate that's not him.

- until one day, he notices you doing a specific courting ritual for him.

- it was then he realized that you were doing it to mate him in the faerie tradition, showing how serious you were about him.

- 4 months into the relationship, he's already bought you a ring, you two were basically already a married couple, every event he wasn't allowed to be around you in, his eyes will wander for yours, every moment you spend together are either deeply affectionate or in peaceful comfortable silence.

- it was during the holidays, his father was barely home, when he was, xavier tried bringing you up, telling him how he thinks you're the one.

- the older man only waved him off, reusing the lines "if that's what you want.", frustrating him.

- that night, without you warming his bed or holding him through his sleep, he realizes how truly lonely he feels. and the only cure for the loneliness was you.

- he suprised you at you family's house, your mother was absolutely whipped by Xavier.

- already referring him as 'my son'.

- seeing how easy he was accepted into the tight knit family, he takes the risks and proposes to you during dinner.

- you were in awe, tears formed in your eyes and you almost forgot there were other people in room.

- when you only stared at the diamond ring in shock, your sister had answered for you screaming "if you don't want him I do!" earnings a shushing from your mother.

-you jumped off your seat and basically leaped on him, crying yes repeatedly, and your mother cried that night, reminiscing her old love with your dead father, she was glad you had found the mate you deserved.

- he had brought a house near your's, using his trust fund (he's a nepo baby sorry y'all).

- when his father found out he was getting married, he guilt tripped xavier into agreeing to work under him with his company.

- Xavier agrees, telling himself that he'd work his way up to independence sooner or later, but for now he didn't want to promise you an unsure future.

- so you marry 6 months after graduating Nevermore, thankfully already now having a house and stable job.

- you work in a troubled children school as a counselor a few months in your marriage.

- and as much as you both learned to enjoy your jobs, he was upset that you two hadn't had a honeymoon yet, he secretly plans a vacation to bora bora while you're blissfully unaware.

- even if you two were busy with work, you'll always make time for eachother, always having dinner every night together unless he has a late shift (which he'd tell you first).

- sunday movie nights binge watching the hobbit and doing laundry together, an activity you both despise but work together to finish.

- when your 1 year anniversary finally arrives, he suprised you by coming home early and setting up a nice romantic chinese takeaway date, it may sounds cheap to other, but he knows your love for chinese fried rice runs deep.

- you pointed ears twitch at the sight of a small box he gifts you, and you couldn't he happier to find two plane tickets to bora bora in it.

- you two take a month off and spend it swimming in oceans and trying out new food.

- while you busy yourselves admiring the culture, he impatiently waits for night to come so he could admire you in private.

- it wasn't unusual for newlyweds to go at it like rabbits.

- but even after a whole year of being together, his desire for you was never sated.

- cooking dinner together too often ends up with you bent on the kitchen counter and moans and whimpers filling the kitchen while the spaghetti overcooks.

- it was not rare for movie nights to be spent with him in between your thighs instead of actually watching the lord of the rings.

- you also start showering together once you two got married, and on days one of you were too tired, you two would lay in a tub together while slowly washing eachother's hair and body. it was an intimate act both of you could appreciate without it having to be anything sexual.

- baby talks only comes in years later in the marriage, both of you settling with a fat tabby cat, not ready for an actual child.

- you grumpy orange cat was the light of your lives despite it's constant habit of breaking Xavier's stuff and accidentally spilling his art paints ( Mr fluffykins is no longer allowed in his art shed btw)

- you almost feel stupid for doubting your relationship a while ago, for now, you can't even begin to imagine ever loving anyone else.

[minecraftbookshelf]

The Best Laid Plans

Have a snippet from the Marriage of State AU!

Ft. Xornoth, Scott, Laurenzside, and a surprising lack of demonic peanut gallery. (I guess Exor was taking a nap)

This takes place between the initial meeting where the marriage is first proposed, and the follow up meeting, where Lizzie and Jimmy go to Rivendell, and everyone finds out that Jimmy is Lizzie's brother

-

“Okay,” Lauren leans back in her chair, feet stretched out in front of her, and almost slides right out and onto the floor, stopped only by the speed with which she grabs onto the armrests. Both Scott and Xornoth hover awkwardly over her where they had lunged to catch her. She glares up at them and tilts her head so she’s poised to jab her antlers into Xornoth’s arm. “Can I help you? I’m not pregnant anymore you know, falling on the floor won’t hurt me. I'd even be able to stand up all on my own and everything.” Chastened, the king and prince back up and seat themselves. 

Lauren continues as if the little interlude hadn’t occurred. “So we need to go over everything about this before you take it to the council, and definitely before you meet with the Swamp Man.” “Codfather,” Scott mutters under his breath. “His title is The Codfather.” Lauren waves a hand dismissively. This is why she’s an infrastructure counselor and not a diplomat. (And by ‘infrastructure’ Xornoth mostly means she is there to tell them when she thinks they’re being stupid. She’s very good at it.) “They’re going to use this as an excuse to bring up the heir thing again.” Exor’s tailfuzz she’s right. Scott looks like that just occurred to him for the first time as well, but he’s clearly contemplating something. Xornoth will take any solution to certain people’s insistence that they either find an heir or make one. “Does it need to be a concern though,” Scott says slowly, feeling his words out as he speaks them. “Is there any reason I cannot continue to be the heir for now?” Lauren stares blankly at him. “You’ll be marrying in. Best case scenario, we’re able to work it into the official marriage agreement. More likely that would be at your husband’s discretion. Either way its a potential conflict of interest between your duties as heir in one kingdom and consort in another.” “I mean long term,” Scott says, now sounding more sure of himself. “The Codfather is mortal, unlike the other members of his alliance. He’ll live what? Sixty more years? Maybe seventy if fate is kind to him? And then what, another few years of being the grieving royal widow? I could be home before my two hundredth name day.” Lauren glares at Xornoth again, reminded of Scott’s age. (Or lack thereof.) Xornoth, who was even younger when he and Iona were thrown at  each other (By Scott and Lauren no less) ignores her. “It’s possible,” they admit, trying to keep the hope from swelling too much in their gut. Best not to tempt fate. “If need be I can just name one of the cousins as heir in the interim, in case of emergency.” “Not it!” Lauren says immediately, finger on her nose. “I refuse. It’s bad enough you made me a politician, I won’t be a royal.” “Aimsey or Acho probably,” Scott says, looking a million times more relaxed now. “You might need to bring them both to the Peak for a couple of decades, Aimsey at least until star’s first shed. So you can say you’re training them for the role.”

-

Part 2!

AU Masterpost

[embroideredcursewords]

Baby, You’re a Sunset.

Relationships: Spider-Man/Deadpool. Peter Parker/Wade Wilson.

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Soulmate AU. Soulmark AU. Alternate Universe. Peter Parker needs a hug. Wade Wilson needs a hug. Peter Parker is a sassy little shit. Wade Wilson being inappropriate as always. Scarred Wade Wilson. This is so soft. Bottom!Peter Parker. Top!Wade Wilson. Bottom Peter Parker. Top Wade Wilson. Peter kinda tops from the bottom, though. Power bottom Peter Parker. Fluff and smut. Getting together. Falling in love. Then falling into bed.

Summary: Peter Parker had always been embarrassed about his Soulmark—embarrassed, confused, and honestly a bit pissed off. He and his soulmate would be having words.

//Trigger Warnings: Language. Talk of violence. Sex. Sex without a condom.\\

——————————————————————————

Peter Parker had always been embarrassed about his Soulmark—embarrassed, confused, and honestly a bit pissed off. Soulmarks were the universe’s way of evening the scales a bit. Soulmates were, philosophically speaking, a pretty fucked up phenomenon. You have this one chance—this one chance—to find the person you were destined to be with. What if they were dead or on the other side of the world? You’d never know. Peter had seen the effect that could have on people. He’d known a girl in highschool who met her soulmate a month before being killed in a car accident. His aunt had lost her own soulmate and now May felt like dating was pointless.

Still, the romantic in him felt a longing for his soulmate. Mary Jane and Gwen had discovered that they were soulmates in middle school. Gwen had just started that year. She’d been a quiet kid, sitting alone during lunch. Mary Jane slid next to her on the bus, accidentally knocking their arms together. Both of the girls’ bright white marks had swirled with color. Now, the two delighted in communicating through their Soulmarks and leaving everyone else out of the loop. They’d been in seventh grade and already had their entire lovelives sorted. It wasn’t fair. Peter sighed to himself. He didn’t mean to be bitter and jaded, but at twenty-five with a Soulmark like his, he couldn’t help it. Soulmarks were supposed to be this amazing thing, but everytime Peter thought about his own, he felt miserable.

“Spidey!”

A loud bang shook Peter out of his thoughts. He located the disturbance, then rolled his eyes.

“Deadpool.”

The mercenary had practically been stalking him the past few months. At first, Peter had avoided him like the plague. Last week, though, there was a shift in the air. Deadpool had taken a bullet for him, and now Peter felt indebted to him—even though, technically, Deadpool was immortal. Taking a bullet was closer to a splinter than a sacrificial action for the maniac. Still, Peter was putting up with his presence these days despite literally everyone telling him what a bad idea that was. It was easier to think of Deadpool as an annoying puppy. He followed too closely, had WAY too much energy, and occasionally drooled but if Peter kicked him, he’d be a monster. However irritating Deadpool was, he was pretty useful on patrols. The thorn in Peter’s side was currently unpacking several paper bags and lining up tons of take-out. Deadpool did have his uses.

“I didn’t know what you were in the mood for tonight—because you refuse to answer my texts—so I brought Mexican, Chinese, Thai, and Italian.”

“I don’t answer your texts because you refuse to call me Spider-Man. I made myself perfectly clear on Tuesday.” Deadpool managed to pout in such a way that Peter could see it through the mask. “Don’t start with me, Pool. I’ve had a bad day.”

“What happened? Do you need me to kill somebody?”

Peter glared at Deadpool.

“Why is that always your first response? No. I do not want you to kill anybody. That’s the point of this whole ‘rehabilitation’ experiment. You kill someone, we’re done.”

“You know, ultimatums aren’t the way to get what you want in a relationship. I have the marriage counselor on speed dial.”

“This is not a relationship. It’s just an experiment.”

“Okay, Katy Perry, calm down.”

“I don’t even know what that means.”

Deadpool immediately pulled out his phone and I Kissed A Girl began blasting through the tinny speakers. Peter sighed, but rolled his mask up and began to eat before the food got cold. Deadpool had insisted on eating either before or after patrols. He called it “bonding time.” Peter had accepted this term with little resistance. His enhanced speed, stamina, and healing came with a monstrous appetite and he was usually broke. Eating with Deadpool meant one less meal he had to pay for. He felt a bit guilty for letting the mercenary pay, but Deadpool always insisted. It was nice in a way that irritated Peter. It irritated him because things like this made it harder to hate Deadpool.

“Seriously, Webhead. If you wanna talk about it, I’m here.”

Peter paused. On the one hand, he was pretty against telling Deadpool anything personal about himself. The man was a trained mercenary and he quite literally made a living off of tracking people down. On the other hand, it was a pretty hidden part of his life. It wasn’t like he went around and told everyone about his Soulmark. Only a handful of people knew about it. The rest of the world believed that Peter Parker had no soulmate. He liked it better that way. It might be nice to vent about it for once.

“It’s just… nothing happened. I’ve just been upset. It’s stupid.”

“Upset about what?” Deadpool spoke around a mouthful of food. Peter had gotten pretty used to the scars, but the way they stretched around his full mouth were a bit distracting. “And it’s not stupid. You’re upset, that’s valid as hell, babe.”

Peter took his own massive, sullen bite. However, he wasn’t raised in a barn so he chewed and swallowed before replying.

“I’ve been upset about my Soulmark. Like it’s been there forever, so I’m mostly used to it, but once in a while… I just get so irritated.”

“Why?”

God, he was like a toddler sometimes.

“It’s… in an embarrassing place.”

“Oh.”

Deadpool continued to eat, letting the silence linger for a few minutes. It was weird to see the mercenary being quiet for once. It made Peter uneasy.

“Well? Gonna tell me how ungrateful I am? How there are thousands of people out there who would kill for my Soulmark? How I should just be happy I have a soulmate at all?”

“Nah. Just ‘cus one person would want it doesn’t mean you have to.” Peter’s mouth snapped shut. Deadpool continued to eat before pulling his mask up a bit further and turning to face Peter. “I kinda understand. I mean, my soulmate is gonna slap me.”

Sure enough, a white handprint marked the left side of Deadpool’s face. The mark swiped down towards his mouth. That definitely looked like a slap.

“I mean, it could be something else…”

Peter tried his best to be convincing. Deadpool just shook his head.

“Nah. Thanks, but it’s definitely a slap. You know me, it definitely makes sense. I mean, who wouldn’t wanna hit me?”

Peter felt something like guilt settle in his stomach in response to the self-deprecating joke. He’d been a bit of a jerk to Deadpool. The man had to take a bullet for Peter to stop avoiding him. Deadpool noticed his frown and chuckled.

“It’s fine, really. Don’t worry that pretty little head of yours.”

“You don’t know what my head looks like.”

“Yeah, but I just know you’re gorgeous under there.”

————————————————————————

Peter glanced around the apartment. It was surprisingly clean. He’d expected a total disaster. It was his first time in Wade’s apartment. They’d been patrolling together for a couple months and Peter had officially given up the ghost. Wade was his friend. There was no use fighting it any more. He’d been invited over to watch a movie after patrol. Wade was in the shower, singing at the top of his lungs. Peter tried valiantly not to smile. He failed. There was just something so endearing about it. Sure, Wade was still irritating. But these days, Peter laughed along more often than he rolled his eyes. He could hear the water being turned off as Wade continued to get cleaned up. Peter continued to explore.

The apartment was massive. It would take some serious money to rent this place. The kitchen had one of those fancy islands in it. Peter grabbed a beer from the fridge, took one drink, and decided he was not a beer person. Awkwardly, he carried the nasty thing with him from room to room. The dining area held a table decorated with an old lady tablecloth. Peter ran his hand over the worn lace. He wondered where Wade got it. Maybe it was a family heirloom or something. The living room had a giant TV with the most comfortable-looking couch Peter had ever seen. He sunk into the cushions with a grateful sigh. It had been a long day. Wade sat beside him, turning on the TV to scroll through Disney Plus.

“Whatcha wanna watch?”

“I dunno. Something good.”

“Well, that certainly narrows it down.” Wade threw a sarcastic look his way. Peter enjoyed these moments where he went without the mask. Some day, maybe he could go without his own mask. Some day.

“Fine, then. Let’s watch Hercules.”

Wade nodded, appeased, and the movie began to play. Peter started falling asleep part-way through. Wade woke him back up and brought a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt for him to wear. He changed in the bathroom, and for a real moment, debated going without his mask. He’d finally be able to get the jump on Wade. Lately, his Spider-Sense had not been working around Deadpool and he was getting pretty cocky about it. Wade knocked on the door to make sure he hadn’t somehow fallen asleep while changing. Peter looked at himself in the mirror, fussing with his hair and hoping against all odds that it would obey him for once.

“Fuck it.”

“What? Fuck what? I wanna know what we’re fucking!”

Peter opened the bathroom door, mask in hand.

“It’s Peter.”

Wade stared at him in a strange mix of awe and confusion.

“We’re fucking Peter? Who’s Peter?”

He blushed.

“No, me. I’m Peter.” Then, he added quickly: “And we’re not fucking me.”

“See? I knew you’d be gorgeous under there!”

Peter rolled his eyes, blush still firmly in place as I Won’t Say I’m In Love blared from the living room tv.

————————————————————————

It was nearly a year later when the topic of soulmates came up again. Peter had invited Wade over, against his best judgment, and was being scolded as usual about the lack of food in the fridge. After takeout had been ordered (paid for by Wade, despite Peter’s habitual argument) and the game system was set up. Wade sat far away from Peter, as usual. Through the year of their friendship, Wade had refused to risk any sort of physical touch, and it was confusing for Peter. They’d grown so close over time that every super, villain or hero, counted them as a pair. It was rare for Peter to patrol alone these days. It only ever happened when Wade was “out of town.” He didn’t ask about those trips for his own peace of mind, but he couldn’t help but pay special attention to the news. As far as he could tell, Wade had been sticking to his promise. He hadn’t killed anyone since their agreement.

Though Peter didn’t know it, when Wade took a job he made sure to specify that maiming would be the furthest he’d go for a client. Weasel had almost had an aneurism when Wade broke the news. He’d been the biggest moneymaker for Sister Margaret’s, but according to Weasel he’d been “pussywhipped” by Spider-man. Wade took great offense to this and had informed Weasel that he’d actually been “dickwhipped” and that he planned on continuing that state until Spider-man broke down and fucked him. These days, though, Wade had felt a bit less randy and a bit more enamored. The more he learned about Peter, the more he was convinced that a one night stand could never be enough. In the words of Trisha Yearwood, he was gonna “marry that boy someday.” It was that same selfish urge that had prevented him from any physical contact with Peter. When he’d learned of Peter having a soulmark, all those months ago, a seed of pitiful and useless hope had sprouted in his heart. He was afraid to touch Peter now, for fear of squashing that hope when his soulmark would inevitably remain white. And yet, the sight of Peter curled up on the other end of the couch, clutching his remote and snickering as he sent a blue shell at Wade… He wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind, sweep Peter off his feet, and carry him off to the sunset.

“Gotcha, bitch!” Peter shouted excitedly as he took first place.

“You got me, alright.” Wade smiled softly. Peter glanced sideways at him.

Suddenly, the game was paused. Wade turned to look at him quizzically.

“What’s going on, Wade? Usually you’re almost as competitive as I am.”

“For the record, I am way more competitive than you are.”

“It’s not a competition, Wade. My point was—“

“It is so a competition. Everything’s a competition. See, this is exactly why I’m more competitive than you are.”

“Wade.” Peter said with a soft warning in his voice. Wade quieted. “What’s going on in that crazy head of yours?”

“I was just thinking about soulmarks.”

Peter looked at him with surprise.

“Soulmarks? What made you think about that?”

Wade gestured to his own mark.

“Hard not to think about, with this plastered on my face.”

Peter nodded sympathetically.

“I feel you.”

“I wish you would—“ Wade’s lecherous comment was interrupted.

“I thought Vanessa was your soulmate?”

Wade was quiet for a few minutes, memories of his previous happy life with Vanessa.

“She was.”

“She never touched your face?”

“Vanessa’s soulmark was on my chest.”

Again, Peter was surprised.

“You had two soulmarks? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that happening.”

Sometimes, people had more than two soulmates, but they only ever had one mark. Peter had known three soulmates in elementary school. Each bore a matching soulmark. They’d all three been playing Red Rover at recess one day. The touch of the first soulmate had only added half the color, the second touch had filled in the gaps. Still, only one mark.

“I only had the one when she was alive. Then when she…” Wade trailed off, his voice cracking with grief. Peter moved to comfort him, but Wade shook his head and stood, putting more distance between them. Peter felt a sharp sting through his heart.

“I know I’m not her. But Jesus, Wade. I can’t even hold your hand?”

“It’s not about her.”

“Then what the fuck is it about?”

Wade gestured to his face, beginning to pace anxiously.

“I don’t want you to touch me.” He began quietly. Peter probably wouldn’t have heard if it weren’t for his superhearing. “I don’t think I can handle knowing that you aren’t my—just fucking forget it.”

Peter froze.

“You want me to be your soulmate.” Wade stayed silent. “Wade—“

“No, don’t tell me. I know. I know I’m the last person on earth you’d be soulmates with.” He laughed bitterly, sarcasm clouding his words. “Wouldn’t that be fucking perfect. New York’s golden boy! The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, soulmates with a fucking murderer.”

“Wade, please—“

“No, it’s fine. I get the message, Webs. I really do.”

“Would you just shut the fuck up and listen!” Peter yelled. Wade stilled. “Wade, you absolute moron! I want you to be my soulmate so fucking bad. I love you, dumbass! I love you and it kills me because I know I’m not your soulmate! You wanna know how I know?”

Wade spun around to face him.

“How do you know?” Hope lit up his eyes, shattering Peter’s heart as tears stung his eyes.

“Because I would never slap you, Wade! And my soulmark…” He trailed off. Wade didn’t push it. Instead, he plopped onto the couch, head in his hands. Peter scooted closer, careful not to touch. Still, there was hope in his chest. He couldn’t help it. He studied Wade’s soulmark, the way it seemed almost undeniable. The way it slid so neatly downwards. Peter had been slapped. The redness on his face had looked the same. And yet…

“Oh, Wade.” Peter said in a whisper, tears blurring his vision. He shut his eyes, unable to stop his hand from reaching out and touching Wade’s cheek. His hand slid as Wade startled, Peter thumbed his lower lip gently. “I wish we were soulmates. I love you. I love you so much.”

“Peter… Babyboy.” Wade’s hand settled low on his waist, more on his ass than anything, and Peter suddenly felt a pleasant sort of burning sensation. He gasped. “I think we are.”

Peter’s eyes snapped open, greeted by color swirling and blooming, bordered by Wade’s lovely scars. His hand fell from Wade, yanking up his shirt while his other pushed at the waistband of his pants. Sure enough, the warm sensation was accompanied by his own soulmark blooming. Wade had tears in his eyes now. He gazed at Peter with such tenderness, he almost couldn’t stand it. Peter’s hand softly cupped his cheek again.

“I didn’t slap you.”

Wade let out a choking sob.

“No. No, you were so gentle.”

Peter’s lips met his for a mere moment. The softest kiss in the history of kisses.

“You deserve gentleness.”

As he shuffled forward, Wade’s hand slipped under his shirt, under the waistband of his pants, and settled firmly over his soulmark. Peter’s breath hitched as Wade gripped his ass softly, nearly falling forward to land in Wade’s lap. Their mouths met again, starting so soft and gentle that Peter’s eyes began watering again. Heat crept into the corners of their kiss. It started as an ember, slowly building to a raging inferno. Wade began kneading at Peter’s ass, each push and pull brushing the two against each other. Peter’s lips fell open and Wade’s tongue licked into his mouth like a fire. Their breath came in short, panting bursts as they both began to grow desperate for one another. Finally, Peter pulled away and Wade let out a whine, only to wolf whistle as he yanked off his shirt. Wade did the same and Peter’s hands ran down his chest. Among the scars, one stood out. It was a handprint, blackened. Peter let out a slow breath. This was Vanessa’s mark. Wade kissed and nipped along his jaw, swiftly distracting him. They could talk about that later.

Peter’s hips ground against Wade’s, both groaning in the pleasure a simple movement could give. Their hands only pulled away to tear off clothes.

Soon enough, they sat fully bare and vulnerable. Wade let his eyes roam hungrily along Peter’s naked body, and Peter did the same. Wade was gorgeous, and he told him just that. Wade’s soulmark positively glowed, golden with happiness. Peter’s did the same. When it became a beautiful rose gold, Wade could have cried. Despite all odds, Peter loved him. Peter loved him, and he was happy. Kisses were peppered gently along Wade’s face and suddenly, he couldn’t wait anymore. His strong arms swept Peter up and carried him off. The bedroom wasn’t exactly the sunset, but their soulmarks could outshine even the most gorgeous sunset. Peter bounced lightly as Wade collapsed on the bed. Wade groaned at the extra friction. When Peter’s soft hand joined their dicks together, he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“Oh, god. Wade—“ Peter sighed. His head lolled back, his hips wiggling against Wade’s.

“I need you, too, baby.”

Peter grinned, releasing their members as he swung his leg off of Wade��s lap.

“You’re gonna need to prep me, big boy.”

Wade moaned before sitting up to face his soulmate. His soulmate! God! He rummaged through the bedside table for a minute before pulling out a bottle of lube. Peter blushed as Wade held up a rather large dildo with a smirk.

“Are you a size queen, baby? Or were you trying to prepare for me, hm?”

“Both.” Peter answered honestly. He laughed when Wade held it up to his own dick to compare the size. “Alright, alright! Dick-measuring contest later! I need you to fuck me now.”

“Yes, sir!” Wade saluted with the dildo before dropping it back in the drawer and rejoining Peter on the—rather small, he should really buy Peter a new one—bed. His soulmate, and Wade would never, ever get tired of calling him that, rolled onto his stomach and pushed up onto his hands and knees. Wade groaned as Peter turned his head to smile at him.

“Keep smiling at me like that and I’ll give you anything.”

“Currently, I want your cock. Can you hurry up and give me that?”

Wade slicked up his fingers in response, taking the time to circle Peter’s hole gently.

“Ahhh, Wade. Been waiting for this.”

Wade let his finger slip in to the first knuckle.

“How long have you been waiting, babyboy?”

“About a year.”

Wade groaned.

“Jesus. Bet you’re all pent up, hm?”

“So pent up, Wade.”

Another groan and Wade added another finger, beginning to gently scissor them as he fucked his soulmate with his hand.

“Love it when you say my name.”

“I love you, Wade.”

“Fuck me, I love you too, Peter.”

The third finger slipped in, searching for Peter’s prostate.

“Wade, if you don’t put your cock in me now, I’m going to cum on your fingers and go to sleep.”

The threat was an effective one. Wade pulled his fingers free before searching for a condom. Peter shook his head.

“I don’t think either of us could carry anything. Healing factors are a wonder, aren’t they?”

Wade wasn’t about to argue. He added some lube to his hand before slicking up his own cock and guiding it to Peter’s hole. His hips inched forward, slowly filling his soulmate up. Peter’s breath got faster with each gentle push. Wade’s hand captured Peter’s cock, stroking slowly to distract him from any potential stretch. It took a minute before he bottomed out, being sure to give his soulmate enough time to adjust.

“Ah, Wade. Yes! Uhnn, god. Feel so full.” He wiggled his hips back against Wade before sinking onto the bed. “Think you can flip me around without taking your cock out?”

“Fuck, you’re perfect. Can’t be without my cock for a moment, can you?”

Peter grinned back at him.

“Can you be without me?” He squeezed down around Wade, choking a groan out of him.

“Good point.” Wade sort of pinwheeled Peter onto his back, keeping his cock buried deep. He waggled his eyebrows. Peter laughed.

“You did it! I knew you could do it.”

Wade smiled, pulling Peter’s legs to rest around his waist, and he moved. He started making love, his hips starting a deep, slow pace. Peter groaned, his hands gripping the sheets before Wade leaned down to rest his weight on his elbows. They kissed softly, both hands moving to touch soulmarks. Wade thoroughly enjoyed the gentle lovemaking. His heart felt tender as Peter matched his pace with his own hips. Wade groaned into the kiss as Peter sighed in time with his thrusts. It was sweet and slow, yet filled with passion. He gripped Peter’s ass as his thrusts became harder and faster, panting only interrupted by moans. Peter’s legs gripped his waist, hand stroking his own cock in time. Wade was getting close, and by the sounds of Peter’s broken cries, he was too. Wade came with a shout, jerking his hips in the aftershocks. Peter quickened his strokes, but Wade batted his hand away. He was given a disgruntled noise before he moved downwards, taking Peter into his mouth. It didn’t take long, and frankly in his post-orgasm state it wasn’t his best work, but Peter soon crumbled inwards as he reached his own peak. Wade swallowed every drop like it was ambrosia.

They fell back together, spent, sweating, and smiling. Wade pulled Peter into his arms and his hand found it’s place on his ass. Peter’s hand gently stroked his cheek. They were silent for a few minutes, basking in the afterglow of their love. Wade, as expected, broke the silence.

“Spider-Man is my fucking soulmate!”

“Speaking of fucking, Wade… How do you feel about fucking me upside down?”

Wade groaned through a smirk as he forced himself up and off the bed, Peter’s laugh ringing pleasantly in his ears.

[gabessquishytum]

This morning I woke up thinking horny Dreaming thoughts and for a second I was so bummed out that I couldn’t tell anyone. But then I remembered I can tell you and I just really want to thank you for your inbox and for all of your enthusiastic responses. I’ve been doubting lately if I want to stay in fandom spaces but you really make it fun and worthwhile and plain lovely, and I’m really grateful for you.

Anyway: horny thoughts.

I come from a region where religious affiliation was systematically discouraged two generations ago, so we’re all pretty much atheist and only go to church — if at all — for Christmas, so I was rather surprised that there is such a thing as premarital counseling aka. Telling young couples what to do/expect in bed after the wedding. Which is. Such a strange concept to me? Whatever happened to comprehensive sex ed? Do parents actually believe their teenagers are not experimenting and figuring themselves out?

Never mind my confusion, but I was thinking older marriage counselor!Dream and soon-to-be-wed!Hob. And why not make it a/o/b?

Hob is young, a fresh-faced, barely 18 Omega. He isn’t conventionally attractive but handsome in a way Betas and maybe even Alphas would be: broad shoulders, tall. By the time he’s 16 it was clear he will never have problems growing a full beard (unlike most Omegas), his chest, arms and legs are full of coarse hair-

Hob’s okay with it. After he’s lost his parents and was sent to the orphanage he figured he wouldn’t be of much interest for anyone really. He spent his time in the library and helping the nuns to take care of the little ones. He’s really good with kids and smart, so he aims to be a kindergartner or maybe even a teacher, if he gets the chance to study.

Considering how odd he is, he’s never had much to do with other kids his age. The alphas were intimidated by how large his is, larger than they are sometimes. Some Omegas and Betas avoided him for the same reason, while others were just put off by how strange he is. It saddens him a bit, but as long as he’s got the kids to take care of and hang out with, it’s fine. He’ll just live out his extroverted tendencies by playing with them for hours. He didn’t make the same experiences as others — there was one kiss with another Omega when he was 15. Hob liked it but the other Omega was so terrified that Hob decided this just isn’t worth it — but he’s content with his life.

Two weeks shy of his 18th birthday, the nuns ask him for a meeting. Hob knows that this is about his future and he plans to present them with his plans going forward: Either keep helping around the orphanage while he gets a few hours off each day to work on his schooling or find a part time job tutoring or as a nanny to do the same. He knows that they can’t keep him around forever, but they’ve always been good to him and he hopes they’ll let him stay a bit longer.

He is very surprised when they tell him, they found an Alpha who wants to marry him.

Hob protests. He doesn’t want to marry, he wants to be a teacher! That’s what he’s worked for ever since his parents died and none but the kids at the orphanage showed him any affection. He doesn’t want to sit at home all day, waiting for his Alpha to come home and knock him up (though he would love to have children of his own. that’s not the point). He doesn’t want to be an object, locked into a solitary building yet again!

The nuns assure him they’re written to the Alpha who is amenable to Hob getting his degree and working in childcare, as long as it’s not hindering him from performing his marital duties. Which to Hob doesn’t sound like a completely horrible deal? He can sleep in the same bed as some Alpha every night, that’s okay. After all, that’s all it is, right?

He agrees, reluctantly. The nuns send him to marriage counselling and Hob goes. He’s not sure what he needs it for because he knows how kissing works (mouth A on mouth B) and that sleeping next to your spouse will eventually lead to children.

Enter marriage counsellor!Dream, who has not done this before and has no idea why he agreed to this. His last marriage ended in tragedy so he’s clearly not the right person to prepare anyone for that kind of commitment but his siblings talked him into it. Something along the lines of how being around younger people in love would help him and make him less jaded.

Hob is immediately fascinated. The Alpha is so, so different from what he expected. He’s slender and tall, which is only accentuated by the suit he wears. He’s twice Hob’s age if he had to guess, judging by the grey in his hair. He’s stunningly beautiful and Hob is immediately enamoured. What a pity this guy isn’t the one he’s marrying because he sure wouldn’t mind lying in bed next to him, especially considering how delicious he smells and how Hob's body feels all tingly as soon as he steps inside the room.

Dream is equally as ass over teakettle for the sweet, naïve Omega that stumbled into his office. They talk a little about Dream’s actual day job, Hob’s aspirations for the future, etc. to get comfortable with each other before Dream starts poking at Hob’s experience only to realise that he has none. Zero. Zilch. He gently inquires what Hob does when he gets aroused and hard to which Hob answers that he waits for it to go away.

Dream is speechless. This beautiful, smart, kind Omega is so inexperienced, it would be a crime to let him get married like this. I mean that’s just setting him up for unhappiness! Dream knows other Omegas his age — the same age Hob’s prospective husband seems to be — and they won’t take care of him the way they should.

So Dream decides he has to do something about it. He starts slow, inviting Hob back for another evening to continue the counseling but gives him homework: The next time, Hob feels aroused and his prick is hard (in private), Dream wants him to wrap his hand around it and stroke it until he cums. Hob doesn’t know what that means, but Dream promises him that he’ll know when it happens.

Thing is tho: Hob doesn’t know what Dream meant. He tried but stopped at the first sign or pre on his tip. So next time they meet, Hob complains that he couldn’t sleep after because he was so keyed up!

Dream, his head a bit hazy given the image of Hob on his bed, his hand wrapped around his small Omega prick, that he goes ahead and asks Hob to demonstrate what he did. And Hob — blushing from both shyness and arousal — strips out of his trousers and pants, sits down on the leather armchair in the meeting area of Dream’s office and starts masturbating.

It’s painfully clear that he doesn’t know what he’s doing so Dream starts to coach him through it. He tells him that his grip needs to be tighter, that he needs to stroke faster, that he can’t stop now-

Dream nearly cums in his pants watching Hob. His eagerness is incredibly beautiful, the flush on his cheeks so, so stunning. He’s never seen anything as mesmerising as Hob looking down at his prick in surprise, his smell permeating Dream’s office and the wetness from his cunt soaking into the expensive leather upholstery.

Dream sends him to the bathroom to clean up, answers a few questions before he sends him home with more homework. Then Dream rushes to the bathroom himself, cumming within seconds because what he just witnessed- most erotic sight ever.

Two days later they have their next counseling session and Hob immediately blurts out that his wrist hurt too much so he couldn’t do the assignment Dream had given him, but he still wants to try. Aren’t there any other ways to finger his cunt? And Dream, who has been thinking about nothing but Hob for the past two days, proposes that he could just do it for Hob. So Hob strips down and takes a seat on Dream’s lap, already wet with slick and smelling ever so delicious.

Dream makes Hob cum twice on his fingers before he orders him to recline in the armchair and eats him out. Hob can barely walk afterwards and curls up on the couch, his head resting on Dream’s thigh. Maybe this whole marriage thing isn’t as bad as he thought it was? But what about the Alpha? Surely he has still so much to learn from Dream.

Next time they meet, Dream teaches him to kiss, while Hob sits on his lap. Hob's rubbing against his thigh until he's a shuddering mess and Dream gives him the quickest blowjob he's ever given.

This goes on and on and on and progresses steadily. They meet with take-out dinner and talk, they have their "lessons". The first time Hob cums on Dreams cock, Hob cries with how good it feels. He's an incoherent mess when Dream's knot inflates. There’s about two months left until the wedding and Dream vows he’ll make sure to teach Hob everything he knows about how to be pleased and how to please his Alpha.

And if they fall in love along the way and elope before Hob can marry some stranger, well at least Dream’s not jaded anymore and Hob is suddenly much more enthusiastic about marital obligations.

Love, 💄

I'm having a kinda terrible bad no good day today, so it's perfect that this has come to the top of the pile for the posting! First of all I want to say: thank you for letting me be the outlet for your thoughts and ideas! It's really a pleasure for me to know that my blog feels like a safe space. I hope you'll stick around for a very long time!!

I'm always grateful when you guys occasionally drop an absolute banger like this in my inbox. It's a real gift on a day like today when my head is empty. Anyway. I am. Deeply obsessed with this whole scenario. The whole setup with "marriage counselling", Dream being peer pressured into doing it even though his marriage was a trashcan on fire... excellent, I love it. And Hob!!! Darling, clever, innocent Hob!!!!! I would take a bullet for him in this au. I need him to have a happy life!!! I need him to be able to get his qualifications!!!! Most of all I need him to be railed by Dream 24/7.

I gotta know... has Dream taught Hob about birth control? Is there such a thing in this universe? Because if Hob is getting knotted several times each week for two months, I feel like there may be a whole other reason for them to elope together...... although I do kinda love the idea of Hob showing up to his wedding with his intended alpha, guiltily hiding his tiny bump behind a bouquet of flowers because Dream got him pregnant, oopsie.

Anyway, I love anything with omega Hob and this is no exception!!!! Thank you so so much for sharing it with me!!!!!!

[deepspacedukat]

The Defector (And His Doctor) - Part Two

MOAR SOUP FOR THE POINTY SOUL. I was a lil too verbose in this chapter (it's WAY longer than the first one), so there will be an epilogue, and FEAR YE NOT A LONG WAIT, FOR I HAVE ALREADY WRITTEN IT AND IT SHALL BE POSTED MERE MOMENTS (probably less than an hour) AFTER THIS. *ahem* Enjoy! 😇

Cross-posted to AO3 here.

Part 1 here.

~*~

Beverly Crusher (ST:TNG) x Alidar Jarok (ST:TNG)

[A/N: This chapter has smut/is smut adjacent, so 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!!!]

Warnings: Spoilers for ST:TNG S3E10 "The Defector", interspecies sex, Human/Romulan sex, implied Human/Romulan sex, non-explicit interspecies sex, innuendo, flirting, romance, angst, guilt, mentions of poison, if you've seen the episode then you know the ending gets a little dark, suicidal ideation, but there's a happy ending, Jarok needs therapy, and Bev is gonna make sure he gets it, confused/well-intentioned/trying-his-best Data, smug Tomalak.

~*~

**Day Two**

A day in the Reman mines would be less infuriating than this. Admiral Jarok, under the alias of Sub-lieutenant Setal, had battled back and forth with Commander Riker and Counselor Troi all morning with neither side making any headway.

"You're forcing yourself to hold back," the Betazoid counselor had stated with near-maddening calmness, and she hadn't been wrong.

"I have told you everything relevant about Nelvana Three," he'd fired back, but neither of the Starfleet officers had been convinced. The two had teamed up and pressed him on and on, until finally he'd snapped at them, shouting about how irrelevant their inquiries were to their current situation. "What a fool I've been to come looking for courage in a den of cowards..."

The interrogation had ended shortly after his biting remark. Jarok shouldn't have been surprised, but he really had thought that Starfleet would show a modicum of bravery in the face of impending war. Thus far, the only true fortitude he'd seen had come from the beautiful Doctor Crusher.

Ah, the doctor. Her smiles coupled with that fiery red mane made him wish that he'd had a reason to remain in the medical bay for much longer.

Just thinking of her as he strode back inside his quarters made the scowl melt off his features. Since he had effectively exiled himself from Romulus, he would have to make a new life. Maybe, if she was willing...?

No. No, he needed to temper his thoughts, at least until the dust had settled from this situation. But...he supposed it wouldn't hurt if he made his interest known. Nobody ever complained about a few extra compliments, so he could allow himself to flirt harmlessly with her.

He didn't even know if she had a mate. He really ought to check, first. If she had a partner, he would keep his flirtations to a minimum. After all, Jarok was here to stop a war, not disturb a family's peace. His own sham of an arranged marriage was not an excuse for him to cause unnecessary problems for others.

Pulling up the limited biographical profile that the computer allowed him access to, the Admiral sipped his replicated water and skimmed the information before him. Her age, rank, qualifications, and commendations were included, as well as a note that she had a son who was an acting officer onboard the Enterprise. When he reached her marital status, guilt wound its way through Alidar's heart.

She had been married, but her husband had died when her son was very young. She'd been forced to raise her child alone while also maintaining her career? He could tell from the moment he met her that she was a strong woman, but that particular revelation was one he hadn't expected.

Had he crossed a line when he flirted with her before? Jarok was aware that some people never pursued relationships after losing a spouse, either out of guilt or a preference not to risk their hearts again. Perhaps he should take a slightly more cautious approach to this...

Walking to the control panel that Riker had showed him how to use the day before, he opened a communication channel with the ship's first officer.

"What can I do for you, Setal?" He sounded purely professional. After the questioning session earlier, he was surprised that the Human sounded that unaffected. Reluctantly, Jarok admitted to himself that he was impressed.

"Commander, that medical officer who examined me yesterday - Doctor Crusher, I believe her name was - I need to see her, if you don't mind," he said trying to sound as casual as possible. "I feel as though I might be coming down with something."

"I'll ask her to come by your quarters at her earliest convenience." When the channel closed, the Admiral smiled to himself. Now, he would find out whether there was a chance of experiencing some small amount of joy in his exile.

--

After her discussion with the Captain the previous night, the request from Commander Riker to visit Setal's quarters made Beverly wish that she'd stayed in bed. The Romulan had seemed so charming when he was in sickbay, but as Jean-Luc had correctly pointed out, it was entirely possible that he could've given himself those burns and lied about everything.

Grabbing a medkit from their storage shelf, the Doctor straightened her blue lab coat and made her way down the corridors.

What could she say to him after yesterday's conversation that wouldn't make her feel conflicted? She knew it was her duty as a Starfleet officer to question his motives, but...after all, he had asked for their help. Would he really give up his home for a mere ruse?

Unfortunately, she didn't know enough about Setal or his people to answer that question with any sort of confidence.

Within moments she found herself outside his door, staring at the panel beside it as if it might bite her.

"Don't be ridiculous. He's just another patient," she murmured under her breath. Before she could second-guess the action, she activated the door chime and stood a little straighter.

When the door slid open at his behest, she stepped inside and found her one and only Romulan patient staring out at the stars with a glass of water in his hand. He turned to face her, and when their eyes met, a swarm of butterflies seemed to alight in her abdomen.

No. She couldn't do this now. He asked for a medical officer, not a schoolgirl with a crush.

"Commander Riker said you needed a house call," Beverly stated as she looked Sub-lieutenant Setal up and down. Whatever was wrong with him wasn't immediately evident, but maybe his injuries from earlier ached more than she'd anticipated. The Federation still knew so little about Romulan physiology that sight-only diagnosis was nearly impossible. "What are your symptoms, Sub-lieutenant?"

A smile filled with mischief stretched his lips.

"Loneliness, Doctor. One of the most painful afflictions known to sentient species across the universe," the Romulan answered as he took a few slow steps toward her. "I had hoped that the most charming Terran I've ever had the fortune to meet would give me the honor of a few moments' conversation."

Beverly's cheeks burned. She'd found Setal attractive from the moment he walked into her Sickbay, but she really couldn't afford such a distraction, especially with the threat of war looming over them.

"My, what kind words for someone whom you barely know. Do you speak to all Human women like that?"

"Truthfully, I have never spoken to a Human woman before you, and if I do in the future, it certainly won't be like this," he said gesturing to the couch.

Beverly hesitated. She really shouldn't allow a patient to speak to her in such a familiar manner, but...there was something about him she just couldn't resist. Eventually, she let out a quiet sigh and took a seat on the sofa, setting her kit and medical tricorder aside. The Sub-lieutenant sat a comfortable margin away, and despite her knowing better, she found herself wondering what it would feel like to run her fingers through his hair. The smattering of gray in his sideburns made him look quite distinguished. Whatever his age was, Setal wore it well.

"Your curiosity is practically tangible, Doctor. May I ask what's on your mind?" Her eyes flicked up to his, and the sparkle she found there drew an involuntary smile to her lips. She certainly couldn't tell him what she was really thinking about, so she settled for the next best thing.

"May I ask why you wanted to talk to me in particular if you wanted appealing company? There are undoubtedly much prettier Ensigns and Lieutenants aboard–"

"That is quite a subjective statement, and frankly, I find it inaccurate," he murmured, and she looked at him curiously. Beverly knew she was a decently attractive woman, but...really, why had he chosen her? "Speaking candidly, Doctor, I found it...refreshing that you were not intimidated by me while you were treating my injuries. You dared to request that I, a Romulan officer with three times the strength of a Human, remain still after making a joke about how I got those burns in the first place. And you did so without flinching."

She raised an eyebrow and tried very hard to ignore the little stab of fear in her gut.

"Are you telling me you got them some other way?" She hoped her probing question had sounded like she was teasing him rather than trying to discover whether Jean-Luc was right. A slow, appreciative smile stretched his lips, and he took a slow sip of his water before setting the glass aside.

"I didn't take a plasma torch to myself, if that's what you are implying, Doctor, though, I do thank you for assuming that I would have the strength of will to intentionally mutilate myself in pursuit of the Empire's interests," Setal said as he turned to face her more fully, draping his arm along the back of the sofa. His knee just barely brushed hers. "I would die for my people, yes, but I must admit that I am rather allergic to pain."

A huff of laughter bubbled up through her relief and slipped past her lips before she could stop it.

"It was an accident," he clarified. "I was attempting to complete multiple tasks at once - fly the ship, dodge phaser fire from the warbird, and repair systems before they could go down... There came a point where I neglected repairs long enough for the conduit next to my station to explode. Regrettable, but I considered that a small price to pay to save my life...and the lives of countless others, assuming that your people believe me in time to avert a war, of course."

She searched his face as he spoke, but he was either a very good actor, or he was telling the truth. Her intuition told her it was the latter.

"For what it's worth, I believe you." Beverly knew she shouldn't be admitting that, but she was inclined to tell him the truth. After all, whether she bought his story or not, it was ultimately up to the Captain to decide whether to pursue his leaked information.

Setal looked at her with a lopsided grin.

"Now, that is a pleasant surprise," the Sub-lieutenant began, "but I wonder, will your honesty still be present when we dine together?"

Beverly's heart beat an alarming rhythm in her chest at the presumptuous question, and she raised her eyebrows inquisitively.

"I don't recall receiving any such invitation, Sub-lieutenant," she murmured, and she was proud of how steady her voice sounded despite the excitement pooling within her. She really shouldn't be excited about dining with a Romulan, defector or not, she supposed, but then...he was extremely charming.

"Ah, my apologies for getting ahead of myself–" he didn't look sorry in the least "–but would you allow me to share a meal with you?"

"I'm on duty," Beverly pointed out, but Setal was not deterred.

"Surely, you are permitted to break for sustenance at some point? Or are all Starfleet Doctors required to starve themselves? How do your Vulcan friends put it, 'the needs of the many,' I believe...?" She contemplated refusing - surely there was a conflict on interest somewhere in accepting? The Sub-lieutenant's expression was hopeful and a bit playful, and mentally, Beverly acknowledged that she really shouldn't want to know him as much as she did. "If it makes you feel better, you may of course choose where we eat. I'm quite comfortable to bend to your whims. We can remain here if you are ashamed to be seen with a Romulan, if you are wary of being alone with one of my kind we can eat in your ship's mess hall, or if there is another place you'd prefer...?"

"The brig it is, then," she teased, but realizing how that might've come across, she winced. Damn her sharp tongue–

A low, rich laugh shook her out of her thoughts.

"If that is what you desire, I swear to be the most willing prisoner that you have ever had, Doctor." His good humor was infectious, and Beverly found herself smiling even as her combadge chirped.

"Crusher here."

"Sorry to disturb your appointment, Doctor, but I wanted to let you know that the patient requiring shoulder surgery is being prepped and should be ready for you in a few minutes." Nurse Ogawa was professional as always, and Beverly acknowledged the message before turning back to Setal. To her surprise, he was watching her with undisguised interest.

"Forgive me for keeping you here for so long, Doctor," he murmured in a softer voice than she'd heard from him before. "I am truly grateful for the company."

She knew it was wrong, but she smiled as she picked up her medkit.

"It's alright. You can make it up to me at lunch. Twelve-hundred hours," she said as she got to her feet. A look of delighted surprise crossed his features, and as she turned to leave his quarters, she smirked. "Come to Ten-Forward, though. Not the brig."

"I will, Doctor," he called, and without looking back, she made her way back to Sickbay.

--

Jarok couldn't wipe the smile off his lips after the Doctor's visit that morning. He was in a better mood when he strode off to Ten-Forward than he had been since he made the decision to leave Romulus.

Upon entering the recreational area, the Admiral was struck first and foremost by the view. Across the entirety of the far wall were viewports. Stars whizzed by as the Enterprise traveled through space, and he had to admit that he understood why this spot was apparently so popular.

"Hi. Sub-lieutenant Setal, right?" A cheerful voice sounded at his side, and Jarok turned to find a young man looking at him with typical Human curiosity. There was something familiar about him, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what.

"I am. And you are?"

"Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher," the boy answered, and Jarok's eyes went wide.

"You're the Doctor's son."

"Yes, sir." No wonder the young man wasn't looking at him with suspicion like the rest of the crew - he had his mother's courage.

"And what is your specialty? Are you going to command a starship one day, or perhaps become a medical officer like your mother?"

"Oh, neither. Wes is bound to be an engineer," another voice called out, and striding over was an officer wearing a metallic visor. He clapped Wesley genially on the shoulder and offered the Admiral his hand in greeting. "Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge. Pleasure to meet you Sub-lieutenant."

Jarok shook the hand that La Forge offered him.

"Well, this future engineer obviously has a dash of bravery in him if he's not afraid to approach a terrifying Romulan," Jarok snarked, and the boy just laughed.

"Would you like to join us for lunch, sir?" Wesley asked, but before he could answer, a hand grasped Jarok's arm.

"Sorry, Wes. This gentleman already has an appointment." The Admiral's heart thudded in his side at the sound of his Doctor's lovely voice.

"Thank you for the offer, but perhaps another time," Jarok said before turning his attention to the woman at his side. "I'm all yours, Doctor."

The smile she gave him filled him with enough joy that he could have powered a thousand warp cores with energy to spare. A willing victim to the currents of her whims, Alidar followed her to a table for two near one of the viewports, ignoring the looks they were receiving. If the crew wished to witness their Doctor - the most beautiful of their number - choosing to spend time with him of all people, then they could do so. He just puffed up his chest slightly and basked in the warmth of her gaze as they took their seats.

Someone called Guinan came over and took their orders, tossing Beverly a wink. Jarok hoped that was a good sign.

The rest of Ten-Forward seemed to fall away as the pair talked. Even their food lay untouched for large chunks of their conversation. At one point, they both were so caught up in each others' company that they didn't even notice the removal of their empty trays.

This was so easy, so natural, that the Admiral knew she had worked her way permanently into his heart. Perhaps it was too soon to call this feeling 'love' but he knew it would end up that way eventually.

When the time came for Doctor Crusher to return to duty, Jarok managed to convince her that dinner together was just as good of an idea as lunch had been. She even went so far as to suggest that they eat in her quarters. She stood to take her leave, and the Admiral gave her a respectful bow and a flirtatious wink that drew a pretty pink blush to her cheeks.

Resuming his seat once she'd gone, Alidar looked up and found a golden-eyed man staring at him.

"I take it you have never seen a Romulan before?" He asked with a smirk.

"That would be an incorrect assumption," the oddly-pale officer replied.

"Then why do you invade my privacy?" A hint of irritation leaked into his tone, but Jarok didn't particularly care. The only Human's opinion he cared about was the Doctor's and she wasn't here. All he wanted to do was sink into the afterglow of the time he'd just spent with Beverly, but this person insisted on interfering.

"I was attempting to ascertain what my guts tell me about you," the officer said, and the wording was so strange that the man's identity struck the Admiral all at once.

"You're the android," he murmured. "I know some Romulan cyberneticists who would love to be this close to you."

After a second's consideration, the android tilted his head slightly and replied.

"I do not find that concept particularly appealing."

"Nor should you," Jarok muttered ominously. The android made some inane remark about this viewport being a favorite amongst various members of the crew, but all he could muster was a non-committal hum. He missed his own stars - he hadn't meant to actually say that out loud, but all of a sudden he found himself trailing after the android officer who'd said something about bringing Romulus to him.

After typing specifications into a computer panel against a wall, Data ordered the computer to run a program and gestured for him to enter a pair of doors first. Skeptical, Jarok forced his expression to remain neutral as he did so.

For all his mental preparation, nothing could have dulled the shock of the landscape laid before him.

"The Valley of Chula. I know it well!" He marveled, but something about being in such a familiar place, even if it was just a simulation, felt sour after what he'd done.

"You may stay here as long as you wish," Data offered, rather magnanimously for an android, but after allowing himself one last look at the world he'd left behind, Alidar shook his head.

"I no longer live here," he rasped. "Turn it off."

Once the harsh, cold lines of the hologrid were visible, Jarok forced himself to look hard at his surroundings.

"This. This is my home now. My future. I have sacrificed everything. It must not be in vain." Taking a deep, fortifying breath of recycled air, he turned to Lieutenant Commander Data. "Arrange a meeting between myself and Captain Picard. Tell him Admiral Jarok wants to see him."

--

"Ensign, will you wait outside?" Picard asked, and once the officer was gone, his eyes fell upon Alidar once more. He'd been delivered to the Captain's ready room with more haste than he'd anticipated. He assumed he was only delayed long enough for the Captain to confirm his identity. "Have a seat Admiral Jarok."

"Captain, there is no more time," he protested.

"Admiral, have a seat," Picard said a bit more forcefully, and because Jarok knew the man wouldn't get down to business until he'd complied, he finally sat in the chair across from him. The Captain seemed more stoic than he had before, more serious...harsher somehow. Jarok knew he would be. This was precisely the reaction he'd wanted to avoid. "You see, I'm just not convinced that you are telling the truth."

Oh, Elements! This again?

"What must I do?" The Admiral was beyond frustration, now. Could this Terran not see that their very worlds hung in the balance?

"You must convince me," Picard answered, and that unshakable calm was almost worse than harsh words and shouting. Was the man half-Vulcan? "If I had irrefutable evidence...but you did not bring irrefutable evidence. You brought no evidence at all. Now, here, you are not the man you claimed to be. Admiral, your credibility is stretched beyond belief. A Romulan defector is almost a contradiction in terms, but Admiral Jarok crossing the lines?"

"I explained my motivations to your interrogators," he rebutted, but the Captain brushed that aside.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. 'Peace in our galaxy.' Except, Admiral, you are not a man of peace. Your military record - what we know of it - is clear."

"Which is precisely why I chose an alternate identity here." Jarok would've thought that particular point would've been obvious, but...

"The massacres in the Norkan outposts, for example." Anger was finally edging into Picard's tone at that, but this was one argument for which Alidar was prepared. He explained briefly about semantics - massacres versus campaigns, butchers versus heroes - something the Federation should understand well given their own history with warfare.

Picard got to his feet, asked him some half-baked question about how he was to believe him when no evidence was available. He prodded him about classified information on Romulan tactical positions, fortifications, cloaking technology. The Captain rambled on about unbelievable circumstances and the difficulty of accepting his word on faith, and when the Admiral had the gall to tell him that he would not betray his people, that was when Picard chose to raise his voice.

"You've already betrayed your people, Admiral! You've made your choices, sir! You're a traitor! Now, if the bitter taste of that is unpalatable to you, I am truly sorry. But I will not risk the lives of my crew, because you think you can dance on the edge of the Neutral Zone." The Captain gradually lowered his voice to something calm again - something somber that felt like a vice closing around Jarok's throat. "You've crossed over, Admiral. You make yourself comfortable with that."

That little tirade cut deeper than Jarok had anticipated. The cold, harsh reality of the sacrifices he'd made were being forced before him yet again in startling clarity, yet...he knew that despite his own pain, he had begun the necessary tasks. Now all he must do was follow through on them.

Admiral Jarok took a brief moment, a steadying breath and played his last remaining card, his one vulnerability.

"Do you have any children, Captain Picard? A family?" The man in question looked exasperated and a bit uncomfortable as he answered negatively - so he'd struck a nerve, then. "Then you have sacrificed too much for your career."

"Yes, this is all very interesting–" The Romulan held up a hand to stop him, and to his relief, the Captain listened.

Impatient though he was, he did at least listen as Jarok explained about how his daughter, her future, and the futures of all children, were his motivation. He told Picard everything - how he attempted to persuade those in command that another war would destroy the Empire, his censure when they grew tired of his arguments, his reassignment to a distant sector, and how this was his final recourse.

By the time he finished, he was on the verge of pleading, because surely the Captain would see that acting on his information was necessary to save both their peoples. Just as he thought he'd succeeded, Picard's gaze hardened once more.

"I will not act. Not unless I have unequivocal cooperation."

Damn the man. One appraising look later, Jarok sat with a data PADD in his hand, inputting all the information he believed was relevant to their mission. When he was finished, Picard nodded his head and thanked him for the assistance. Taking that as the dismissal it was, Admiral Jarok strode from the Captain's ready room and found himself instantly flanked by two security officers.

"How kind of you to escort me back to my quarters, gentlemen," he teased as the three of them stepped into the turbolift. He was finally free to turn his attention to the much more pleasant task of preparing for his evening with the beautiful Doctor.

--

Beverly didn't believe it at first when the rumors began flying through the corridors and into Sickbay. Setal, a Romulan Admiral? She scoffed the first few times she heard it, but when Will Riker popped into Sickbay to retrieve a copy of the medical scans they'd taken of Setal and called him Jarok instead, a lump formed in her throat.

What a fool she'd been! As she handed over the records with a fake smile plastered on her face, she berated herself for falling for Seta– Jarok's charms. She really felt something for him, but obviously he'd been using her.

Practically falling into the chair in her office, she covered her face with her hands and took a steadying breath. She'd made it all too easy for him to get under her skin. A few sweet words, a few mischievous smiles, and she'd become putty in his hands. Maybe so many years without Jack had made her more gullible.

"Doctor? Are you alright?" Nurse Ogawa lingered in the doorway, catching the expression on Beverly's face before she had a chance to hide it.

"I'm fine, Alyssa."

"Respectfully, ma'am, you're not a very good liar," her friend said with a sympathetic smile. "If you want or need to talk, I'm here, okay?"

An announcement rang out over the Comm System for all Senior officers to report to the briefing room, and before she walked out, Beverly drew her friend into a tight hug. She'd take the support, but for now, she had duties to attend to.

The journey across decks was almost automatic for her, at that point, so she allowed herself to become lost in thought while the turbolift hummed along. Was it his real identity that she hated, or did she simply hate that he'd deceived her?

She didn't particularly care who he really was, and she wasn't exactly thrilled that he'd lied to her, but he'd done that to the whole crew, so...what was it that was really bothering her?

She walked into the briefing room and took her seat. As she settled in, a few of the assembled officers, Will, Deanna, and Geordi, looked at her with concern before the Captain strode in.

Oh. That's what it was. This felt like school. Beverly was always the last to find things out because she was always teased as a child. She was the last to find out about Alidar, despite the fact that he'd had lunch with her, complimented her, flirted with her... He'd treated her as though she was special - as though she actually meant something to him - but she was still the last to know the truth.

That was why she was so hurt.

But, what did it say about her that she didn't care whether he was a Sub-lieutenant trying to avert a war or an Admiral trying to trick them into starting one?

She sat up straighter in her chair, listened intently to Jean-Luc's briefing, and contemplated how she'd handle seeing him tonight. She had a few hours to think of what she could possibly say to him that wouldn't sound as though she was just some whiny, lovelorn teenager. 'I thought you cared about me' sounded far and away too desperate for a person she'd known for less than two full days.

When the briefing ended and the room began to empty out, Deanna moved to walk alongside the Doctor.

"Will and Geordi mentioned what happened. Are you–?"

"I'm fine." Her clipped tone betrayed exactly how not fine she was, but at that moment she didn't care.

"You know where my office is."

She did indeed, and when she was ready she'd talk to the Counselor about all of this. But, at that moment, all she wanted to do was prepare herself for what could be an extremely unpleasant evening.

--

The Captain had seen fit to lower the number of guards following the Admiral from two to one - much more tolerable than before, even if the one currently beside him was constantly scowling. He hadn't been stopped when he visited the Arboretum to obtain flowers for his lady, nor had he been deterred when the officer in question had chosen to stand uncomfortably close to him as he activated Beverly's door chime.

"Come in," she called, and as the door slid open, he was greeted with the sight of his Doctor out of uniform. A soft, green, knit sweater draped artfully off one shoulder to reveal a tantalizing bit of skin. She couldn't possibly know that Romulans used to mark their mates and be teasing him about that...could she?

He honestly wouldn't put it past her. She was clever and utterly devious, he was convinced of it.

A pair of dark lounge pants made her look elegant in her comfort - more formal than such an outfit had any right to be - and the Admiral suddenly felt decidedly underdressed despite the presence of his own uniform.

"Good evening, Admiral." Her voice was quiet and calm, but there was an underlying coolness that nearly stopped his heart. His smile drooped a fraction. He should've known that she'd find out before he had a chance to tell her. Looking over his shoulder, she addressed his guard. "Wait outside, please, Ensign."

The hiss of the door closing behind him sounded more foreboding that he'd expected. Neither spoke for a long moment. She looked at him expectantly, and he dared to take a few tentative steps forward to present the flowers he'd brought her.

"I visited the ship's Arboretum. I had not encountered these flowers before, but their exotic beauty reminded me instantly of you," he said offering the bouquet he'd put together for her. "I believe they are called roses."

She said nothing. She made no move to take them from his hand. The silence stretched long enough to make him wonder if he'd ruined everything.

"Were you even going to tell me?" Beverly's question was so quiet that had he not been Romulan, he would've been in danger of missing it.

"Of course I was. I simply... The moment never felt...correct for such an admission."

"What moment would have been better?" She asked, and for a split second, Alidar wondered whether all Starfleet officers, save Riker, had taken the same course of expressing anger with Vulcan-like calm. "Would it have been more appropriate in your eyes to wait until we were in bed together?"

He sighed. What else could he do?

"What you have to understand is–"

"Jarok? Admiral? What am I to call you now?" She asked, and she began to muse aloud. "'Jarok' conveys the wrong tone altogether, 'Admiral' seems too formal, and I assume 'Alidar' is off the table as it's too casual for a man with your reputation."

He took a deep breath and laid the flowers aside on the side table by her sofa.

"I cannot change what I have done in the past, nor shall I apologize for doing my duty as an Admiral in the Romulan military. This is precisely why I dreaded telling you," he muttered looking away. "Since my past obviously offends you–"

"Your past? I don't give a damn about your past," she exclaimed, stunning the Admiral into silence as he gaped at her. "I'm hurt, Admiral, not because of who you are, but because I was the last person on this entire ship to find out!"

They both looked at each other, quietly assessing the situation.

"The looks of...of pity that were sent my way just because everyone else knew and I didn't... Do you have any idea how that felt? Did you think I was an easy mark? That I was so blinded by my attraction to you that I'd never find out?" Her questions stung, but not because they were accusatory. They kicked him right in the chest because of the underlying assumption: that he would manipulate her in such a cruel manner because of how little he thought of her.

The opposite was true. He thought the world of her, and it was an injustice that he'd behaved in such a manner that the thought had even crossed her mind. Jarok took a single, careful step toward her.

"E'lev...I didn't tell you, because I was afraid that I would lose you if you knew who I was," he explained looking into her eyes. "You are the only bright spot in this entire ordeal, and I was certain that if you knew all the grisly things I've done for my people, all the terrible orders I've given, all the lives I've been forced to take, you would despise me or worse...fear me."

Looking up at him with those big, blue eyes of hers, the Doctor surprised him yet again by closing the distance between them, cupping his cheeks, and gently skimming her thumbs across his skin.

"Admiral, over the past day and a half, you've shown me exactly who you are. I don't hate you for the choices you've made, and I'm not afraid of you," she murmured. "I trust you...or at least, I hope that I can trust you."

Such an admission from a woman who really shouldn't be associating with him at all made him crumble. All he could think to do when he was this vulnerable was to close his eyes and lean into her touch as he nodded his head.

"You can. I will do all that I can to justify that trust." His voice came out as little more than a rough whisper. What had he done to deserve such mercy and understanding from her? What right did he have to even be in the presence of a lady of such mercy?

"Would you stay and talk with me, Admiral?"

"Only if you'll call me Alidar, Doctor," he stipulated as he opened his eyes once more. Truthfully, he'd have stayed even if she only ever wanted to call him 'Setal' from now on. He would gladly be anything that she wanted him to be. "I don't ever want to hear my title from you."

"I think I can do that, but I'll expect you to call me Beverly in return." The way her eyes sparkled up at him was utterly irresistible.

"As you wish...beautiful Beverly," he murmured, savoring the syllables as they flowed over his tongue. Willingly, he allowed her to grasp his hands and lead him over to the couch - he'd have done anything for her. This, of all things, was no trouble.

"Now, I want to know about you - the real you," she said, and Jarok smiled.

The pair talked for several hours. He answered every question she had, even going so far as to explain about Romulan customs regarding officers of his previous position and their marriages being arranged for political gain. At the first whiff of his dissatisfaction with the Romulan government's aggressive policies, his wife had seen no further advantage to remaining with him and filed for an annulment. His daughter and some distant relatives were the only people he'd left behind on Romulus.

"Speaking of children...your son, Wesley," he began, and Beverly's lips stretched into the sort of proud smile only a parent could manage. "He takes after his mother quite a bit, from what I can tell. I believe his father would be proud of the man you have raised him to be."

"Hardly any of that is down to me," she demurred leaning more fully against him. "He's more like Jack than he realizes - all duty and responsibility. You know, Wesley tried so hard to fill the void that I had to remind him he was a kid more than once just so he'd go have a little fun."

"Well, he certainly has your courage, e'lev," he mused, and she let out a quiet laugh, settling her head on his shoulder. The sensation felt wonderful, especially when paired with the knowledge that she was at ease enough to touch him so casually.

After a moment's comfortable silence, he looked down into Beverly's eyes, allowing himself to get lost in her gaze yet again.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's on your mind, handsome?" Jarok preened at her praise.

"The view. Even the heavens are different here on this side of the Neutral Zone. The stars are wrong," he murmured, "but perhaps..."

She tilted her head curiously when he trailed off, raising her eyebrows in askance.

"Perhaps your eyes can be my new stars." Gently, Alidar cupped her cheek, running the tips of his fingers down the softness of her skin. "Only if you're willing, of course."

He noted only a short moment of hesitation as she processed his words before smiling up at him.

"Why, Alidar, I'd be honored," she said just above a whisper, and he felt his heart speed up in his side. Before he could do anything about it, though, gentle lips met his.

This gesture was so open, so intimate, so...Human. Jarok melted against her, following her lead until they were both breathless and clinging desperately to each other. Somewhere in their haze, the Doctor had ended up wrapping her arms around his neck and straddling his lap. His hands had taken up residence on her hips, keeping her steady above him as they explored each other.

He knew that she could tell how hard he was. She wasn't some inexperienced virgin, she was a woman who'd had a child. As her fingertips skimmed through his hair and coaxed him into another kiss, Jarok couldn't help but marvel at her. She as such a force of nature! He couldn't deny her anything, even if he wanted to. He'd crumble after an instant if only to receive more of this wonderful, exquisite intimacy from her.

How had he fallen so far so quickly? He'd defected from the Empire, lost his home, his daughter – all in a single day. Now, less than a day later, he found himself hoping to make love to a Human and cover her in the evidence of his affection. If his people could see the way he hummed hungrily into Beverly's mouth, they'd sneer at him for allowing a mere hevam to affect him so.

They wouldn't understand her magnetism or her beauty, because they'd be too blinded by their prejudice. He'd always been different in that respect. Jarok had never seen Humans as lesser than Romulans. They were different, yes, but he'd always wanted to satiate his curiosity rather than scoff at their existence. He was beginning to believe that it was an impossible task, though, because every time he learned more about Humans from Beverly, he found that instead of being less curious, he was even more so.

Alidar wanted to know everything about her - what made her happy or sad, what made her moan with pleasure, what her beautiful red hair looked like when it was mussed after a good night's sleep... He'd never been so ravenous for answers before in his life!

He managed to pry his lips from hers and began kissing down that lovely long neck of hers. The whimpers she gave him were precious gifts to be treasured and savored on the tip of his tongue for as long as he lived.

And were those her pheromones? Intoxicating woman... Was nothing about her flawed?

She leaned away from him just long enough to tug her sweater over her head and toss it away. His mouth met the dip in her collarbones, and she said his name like a prayer.

But if anyone was the worshiper in that situation, it was Alidar. Every millimeter of her was precious and sacred to him, and he vowed to himself as she tugged at his uniform tunic that he would never treat her as anything but the blessing from the Elements that she was.

And, oh, they had crafted her perfectly. Fire ran though her veins and gave itself away in her beautiful hair...her passion...her devotion. He'd always enjoyed a fire's heat. Even when he got burned, his respect for it only grew.

She was his favorite flame.

Beverly's forehead met his when both their torsos were nude. Their chests pressed against one another as they fought a battle between breath and pleasure. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her fingers buried in his hair, and her quiet breaths mingling against his lips with his own.

Neither spoke - what could they say that was adequate in the midst of such affection? But, after a long moment, a small gurgling sound filled the air.

They'd completely forgotten about dinner, hadn't they? Their eyes met and both dissolved into a fit of giggles. Lifting her with ease, Alidar kissed Beverly's cheek and laid her on the sofa, taking a moment to admire the sight of her all flushed and vulnerable beneath him before walking to the replicator to get them both something to eat.

He'd save her for dessert.

--

The ship dropped to impulse a few hours later, and the pair of lovers who'd drifted off together after sharing a meal and a few more kisses finally got dressed once more.

Beverly reported to Sickbay, and Jarok was summoned to the Bridge not long after the ship reduced its speed.

It was time. Nelvana Three required his attention. Smoothing his hair in the turbolift and pointedly ignoring the disapproving glare his guard gave him, the Romulan reported as ordered only to find the Bridge crew in a state of agitation.

"Perhaps you'd care to explain why we're here, Admiral," Picard called out almost as soon as the turbolift door opened.

"There doesn't appear to be a base," Riker added sounding more than a little frustrated.

"I don't understand." Jarok said as he looked at the barren planet on their viewscreen.

"Nelvana Three, Admiral! No base, no weapons, no signs of any life at all!" The Captain exclaimed.

"But...I saw the tactical communiques...the records...timetables for completion," he said as he walked closer to the screen. "An entire legion was assigned to this sector."

"Is it possible they could have been feeding you disinformation? You said that you'd been censured, reassigned four months ago," Picard pointed out, and a buzzing began in Jarok's ears. "They knew of your dissatisfaction. Could all this have been to test your loyalty?"

"No. No, it's impossible," he protested, but a small, horror-struck part of his brain recognized that the Captain could be correct. Oh, Elements, if he'd been tricked–

"They let you escape with an arsenal of worthless secrets," Picard bit out. "What other explanation is there?"

The buzzing in his ears grew louder, and he gripped the wooden railing that surrounded the middle section of the Bridge as Picard's First Officer ordered them out of the Neutral Zone. His own people had deceived him.

Before the ship could run, though, two Romulan warbirds decloaked and fired on them. This couldn't be happening! Was Jarok trapped in some sort of nightmare?

The Romulan Commander eventually hailed them, and Picard engaged in a minor battle of wits with him.

Alidar barely heard a word until Tomalak's jab about Enterprise's broken hull being displayed as a warning to all other traitors who would dare defy the Empire. At that, he snapped.

"All the communiques...all the timetables, all the records. They were all fiction written for my benefit," the Admiral raged, but the smug Commander on the viewscreen merely looked smug as he continued. "A test... A test of my loyalty. And you used me to lure the Enterprise into the Neutral Zone."

Ignoring the accusations completely, Tomalak returned his attention to Picard.

"First, Captain, you will return the traitor Jarok, then you will surrender as prisoners of war."

The men went back and forth, trading threats, and with all the confidence of a man with an ace up his sleeve, Picard summoned two Klingon battle cruisers seemingly from nowhere.

But Jarok could not celebrate the fact that they were still alive. He could not find it within himself to be glad that he'd lived after being so thoroughly used and humiliated.

"I did it for nothing," he murmured, "my home, my family... For nothing."

In disgrace, with nothing left of his dignity, Former Admiral Alidar Jarok left the Bridge. Shame surrounded him like a haze. So caught up in his grief was he that he didn't notice the way Captain Picard's eyes followed his path to the turbolift.

--

In the middle of treating a few small injuries from the conflict with the Romulan warbirds, Beverly's combadge chirped.

"Doctor Crusher, I think it would be wise for you to visit Admiral Jarok's quarters, and...my instinct could be wrong, but you may wish to prepare for a medical emergency of some sort."

The Doctor paused as she set aside a dermal regenerator.

"Acknowledged, Captain, thank you," she replied. Picking up a medkit, she turned to Alyssa, but she was already waving her out the door.

"Go, we can handle ourselves. We'll cover for you as long as you need." With a grateful smile, she hurried out of sickbay toward her lover's quarters. 'Her lover'... What an odd sounding phrase after so long as a single woman.

But, what sort of injury could he possibly have that would drive him to his quarters rather than Sickbay? He would've known she'd be on duty, so why not simply come find her so she could help?

Activating his door chime, he shouted for whoever it was to go away. She hadn't expected to hear such anguish in his voice. She activated the chime again and this time she announced herself.

"Alidar? It's me, Beverly," she called. "Please, may I come in?"

A long, charged paused passed before he called for her to enter. When she did, she nearly fainted at the sight that greeted her. Tear tracks stained his cheeks as he stood by the viewport. He looked deflated, somehow...defeated.

"Please, let me see my stars one last time..." An orange felodesine chip was clutched desperately between his fingers. Beverly's heart sank. He wouldn't...he couldn't, not after all they'd been through in the last couple of days.

"Alidar...wait, please," she adopted the most soothing tone she could as she kept her eyes locked with his. Taking slow, small steps toward him, she tried to figure a way out of this. Setting the medkit aside as she walked, she tried her hardest not to spook him into anything rash like ingesting the chip. There was no reversing that. There was no antidote.

"Beverly...e'lev, I can't. It was all for nothing. My own people used me to get to the Enterprise. I nearly caused all of your deaths and started the war I was trying to stop, all because I couldn't tell the difference between fiction and fact." A tear rolled down the Admiral's cheek and his hand shook. "I will never see my baby girl grow up. I will not be there when she welcomes a child of her own into the world. I will never see Romulus again! I cannot face this alone."

"You aren't alone, I promise." She was almost close enough to touch him, now. "Alidar, for as long as you will permit me, I will stay by your side. I will help you through this to the best of my ability, but you have to be willing to give me a chance."

He started to shake his head, but she was close enough to caress his face and look deep into his eyes.

"Try...for me..." she begged feeling tears burning in the corners of her own eyes as she spoke. "Please."

After a long moment, there was a quiet 'clack' as the chip fell from his grip and landed on the floor. Almost before she could process that he'd moved, the Admiral grasped the Doctor's waist and caught her lips in a desperate, damp kiss which she returned just as fervently.

Relief cascaded through her. She wasn't going to lose him today.

Any remaining shreds of the decorum the two had maintained over the course of their two-day journey faded rapidly into nothing, shattered by the overwhelming need for both to hold and be held, to love and be loved.

Their aborted intimacy from before was not to be stopped this time. Clothing fell in crumpled piles, removed by desperate hands and delicate fingers, each on a quest to reassure themselves and each other that they were not alone.

With their uniforms stripped away, their duties cast aside, they were no longer Romulan and Human. They were merely lovers partaking of each other, filling the room with the sounds of their joining.

~*~

Taglist:

@akamitrani @android-boyfriends @attention-bajoranworkers @bigblissandlove1 @darkmattervibes

@emilie786 @groovyqueer @horta-in-charge @live-logs-and-proper @rookietrek

@slutty-slutty-vulcans @starrynightgardens @toebeans-mcgee

[hotforharrison]

Life has been kind of crazy in the worst possible way this month.

It feels like so much more than 3 weeks since the day I filed for divorce on July 1, which was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

I meant every word of my vows on that Thursday afternoon in September 2010 when my marriage began. I thought we were going to be each other's person for the rest of our lives, not for that to slip through my fingers because I was careless with his heart, and I can't put into words how deeply I regret it.

I never expected his embrace to hurt the way it does now, and the worst part of it is that he's the only one here to hug. He was the biggest source of my comfort for so many years, and even if he was here to hold me right now, it wouldn't be the same. What we had is completely gone.

It still kill me that I don't remember the last time we had sex, the last time we shared the bed we slept in together every night, and I woke up to him like I did so many times over the years.

He told me that we could have sex again on a friends with benefits basis, but I don't want to. It would destroy me.

Anyway, the power has been back on for a full week now after 8 days without in the godawful Texas summer heat, with only a few brief interruptions, mostly tonight when we had a thunderstorm.

We've spent the last week and a half, starting before the power even came back on, getting quotes from contractors for repairs for the extensive damages. The hurricane damages to the house I live in are in the tens of thousands of dollars.

(The house was downgraded from what was my home before my marriage ended because it feels like I'm surrounded by the devastating loss and ghosts of him and the love and life we shared for so long. It's agonizing just being here a lot of the time.)

We're not sure what the homeowners' insurance is going to cover for the repairs, which is terrifying, and we need to figure out how to work with FEMA if the insurance isn't helpful.

I'm also worried the HOA we're in will start giving us problems if we can't get the repairs done very quickly.

This month has been such shit in so many ways.

I desperately need my weekly counseling sessions, and my counselor cancelled this week. I've had only one of my weekly appointments this month due to cancellations and the hurricane, which is taking its toll on me.

In more positive and hopeful news, I had an appointment last Thursday with my job counselor at the state run employment program I was accepted into.

They'll pay fully for my schooling, textbooks, and supplies to get a degree or certificate from a local community college and offer job placement services after graduation.

I need a job I can do remotely, and I originally intended to pursue a year long certificate program in medical billing and coding. However, all of the local programs required on campus courses and capstones, which I cannot do.

I looked into every single fully online degree or certificate program that the local community colleges offered that aren't any longer than two years (my ex-husband agreed to let me stay here rent free for a few years while I get myself sorted) and settled on an Associate degree program in mobile/web application development.

I applied for the program today.

I wanted something with a decent level of job security, and I don't think phones are going anywhere. There's the possibility of freelance work on the side as well.

Considering and pursuing a career in technology is nothing new to me.

I went to a public university for an information technology program for 2 years after I graduated from high school, followed by a technical school for computer network operations for a year.

I never ended up working in the industry because it was saturated at my time of graduation, and they wanted me to have experience for an entry level position, which I found endlessly ironic.

I was told more than once by potential employers that I should have done an internship before I graduated to gain experience, which would have been fantastic to know while I was still in school and not with the days ticking down until I had to start repaying my student loans.

I desperately hope that I can transfer some of the roughly 20 year old credits over from the university I went to to cover the general education portion of the degree and maybe trim off a semester. (While technology absolutely has changed since the 2000s, some things haven't changed, like an introductory English or history course.)

[oyasuminto]

Ok, but Argus children after they’re adults (and after some good therapy sessions) looking at their parents clearly abusive marriage, maybe one of them even confronting him about and saying how fucked his relationship with their mother is? Because I don’t think he would take it very nicely!

>:3c perfect time for me to use those fankids I made

Their parents' relationship has always been a matter of contention among the Sullivan siblings.

As the oldest child and, until the twins were born, the only son, Atticus knows all two well what an awful fucking bastard his father is. He's watched Argus beat his mother black and blue, leaving her to sob and scream threats of suicide and murder and murder-suicide from her place on the floor. He can remember all the times his father struck him for stepping out of line, the gasping and sputtering after Argus punched him right in the back, winding him.

He can remember the fear of being choked by his own father, clawing at his hands, and almost passing out before his mother broke a lamp over Argus' back. The ensuing beating was the most violent he'd witnessed up to that point; a broken nose, dried blood matting her dirty blonde hair, and her glasses shattered against her face.

Molly and Carrie, the two oldest daughters, are no less familiar with just how toxic their parents' relationship is. They thought it was normal at first, of course pa has to hit ma, that's just how marriages are.

Molly was the first to realize that wasn't the case. She still cringes remembering the stares she got when she expressed shock that her best friend's mom didn't even get slapped for talking back to her husband. She considers herself lucky for rarely drawing her father's ire. She deflates when she realizes it's only because she was desperate for his approval. No boyfriends, no clothes that wouldn't be approved by a hyper-conservative Catholic school, nightly phone checks, he had to meet all her friends and their parents before she could even text them.

Carrie wasn't so lucky. She swore he was going to have a heart attack the first time she came home with black and purple hair, dark and dramatic make-up, and clothes that would immediately get her dress coded. She still grins whenever she sees that little scar on her dad's cheek. Fucker didn't think her dumb fake nails could do anything. She had to prove him wrong.

Rebecca doesn't know what her siblings are talking about! Sure it's not fun hearing ma and pa fight, but all couples fight, don't they? Besides, pa has always been so sweet! He spent so many hours making portable wooden ramps for Rebecca after she got her wheelchair, and he carries her around whenever there's stairs! He may be overbearing, and maybe it's a little annoying that she's babied more than her sibling... but pa loves her! He tells her that all the time! Ma does, too, she was always telling Rebecca that pa needed to let her grow up, but he just wanted her to be safe, didn't he?

Will and Wendy have always been the babies of the family, even when they no longer were. They'd defend their pa to their dying breaths! He's a great dad, and they don't understand why the oldest three hate him so much! Will only grew more defensive when pa slinked into the house with a black eye and a split lip after one of his and Atticus' regular screaming matches.

Wendy, meanwhile, never thought much of Atticus and Argus' rivalry. She always assumed they were roughhousing, like when she and Will were kids who'd bite and pull each other's hair. Of course as she grew older and began to understand what "fucking abusive piece of shit" and "your ma wanted to abort you" meant, she realized that wasn't the case...

Argus had forbidden any of his kids from seeing a therapist, or even a school guidance counselor. "My fuckin' kids are fine!" He'd say, even as his youngest got sent home after biting three people in one day. "Ain't nothin' wrong with 'em," he'd insist, while his eldest compulsively cheated or dumped his girlfriends as soon as they wanted to get serious.

Sure. The Sullivan kids were totally normal, well-adjusted, all-American youths. What a fucking joke.

Carrie never listened to her father's anti-therapy, anti-psychiatry ramblings about people trying to fuck with his brain and how "none of that shit's even real! They just want y' money!"

Her therapist had their work cut out for them.

Especially when Molly and Atticus began awkwardly hanging around the waiting area, Molly compulsively chewing on her little paper cup and Atticus angrily tapping his foot.

Three siblings, one therapist, and the worst family dynamic most people have ever seen.

The next morning is tense, suffocating, like hands grabbing and squeezing and choking the life out of those present.

How familiar.

"I heard the Edwards' are probably getting divorced." Atticus can feel a set of eyes boring right into his soul. "Yeah, I heard Mrs Edwards was caught in bed with a dashing young blond man."

Argus' utensils loudly clatter against his plate, causing his wife to flinch. "You disgustin' motherfucker."

"Guilty as charged."

"Where the fuck did I go wrong, I thought I taught y'all that cheatin' and shit ain't fuckin' right."

"Please, can we not fight? I don't wanna do this..."

"Shut the fuck up, Cher."

Atticus slams his hands on the table. "At least I don't beat my wife and kids. At least I'll never trap some poor bastard in a shitty loveless marriage. At least I can admit I'm a piece of shit."

The enraged glare Atticus receives is almost enough to make him cower, almost. He's not a scared little kid any more. He's a grown-ass man, one who's only hanging around for the sake of his mother and siblings.

"Outside. Now."

[living-in-loud-silence]

AU Ideas - Leverage

Just a bunch of AU ideas (mostly OT3) that I've compiled but haven't been able to write myself and decided to share. Please let me know if you write something based on one of these ideas (even if it's not for the Leverage fandom) because I would like to read it.

Relationship Based:

Fake/Arranged Relationship

- Eliot and Hardison are dating, but the fact that Hardison’s friend Parker doesn’t technically exist has just become a problem and for whatever reason, the only solution is to legitimize her existence through marriage. - Couples Cruise: Hardison has been hired to gather information on a particular person/people, but the target is going to be on a couples cruise for the next month or two. The cruise has suspiciously good security protocols in place, so he can’t pose as a staff member and needs a hardline into the ship electronic systems. Parker is an occasional colleague who he asks for help, Eliot is on the ship working as a chef (either to gather intel for Moreau or as a legitimate job), Sophie is a “marriage counselor” working on the cruise, and Nate is there for IYS. - For Good Publicity: Parker is a former Olympic gymnast who now makes money by selling various merchandise she designs, doing visual/performing arts, advertising contracts, etc., Eliot is a Country singer/musician. Their managers suggest that they pretend to date to normalize Parker’s image/brand and soften Eliot’s (she’s a little too weird and he’s been getting in fist fights). Parker agrees because Sophie usually has good ideas, Eliot doesn’t agree but Nate makes it happen anyway. Breanna, Parker’s social media manager (a teenager she met doing graffiti who volunteered to help and didn’t expect to get paid for it), isn’t thrilled about the arrangement, because she’d been planning on setting Parker up with her older foster brother, Hardison. Since Parker agrees to Sophie’s plan, Breanna plans out a timeline of how to use both the relationship and the breakup to improve Parker’s image in the shortest period possible. After the break-up, Parker does actually start going out with Hardison, but then one day Eliot shows up on her doorstep (or third story balcony) having realized that he loves her. Ultimately OT3 happens. - Instead of training her as a thief, Archie brought Parker home and tried to raise her as a normal person anyway. Parker pursued a life of crime anyway, but now she has Archie and Marylin bothering her about finding a significant other and adopting them some more grand-babies. She convinces one or both of her crime buddies (Hardison and Eliot) to be a pretend boyfriend.

Occupation Based:

Artist AU: Hardison is a famous artist who agrees to do an exhibition/auction fundraiser for charity. Nate is there for insurance investigator reasons, Sophie is there grifting someone, Parker is casing the building for a future heist, and Eliot is trying to blend and avoid the guys chasing him. Eliot happens to have a concussion and is just standing around staring blankly at a particular painting. Parker is observing that same painting, which happens to be displayed near a skylight, and considering an on-the-spot heist. Hardison mistakes the intense staring for people being really into his art and goes to chat them up.

Assassin AU

- Parker is an assassin and Hardison is using the target’s credit card. - Eliot is an assassin and Hardison is using the target’s credit card. - Eliot and Parker are both hired to kill the same troublesome hacker. - Moreau sends Eliot to take out an accomplished international thief who refuses to become an asset (and is therefore a liability), Parker is bored of stealing and she accepts a contract hit on Damien Moreau’s boy-toy. - Eliot has just gone freelance after leaving Moreau and gets hired to take out a hacker, but when he’s doing reconnaissance on the guy, he sees Hardison petting puppies, helping old ladies with their groceries, and trying to explain Monopoly (or another board-game) to his girlfriend who doesn’t understand why robbing the bank is cheating. It turns into a conversation about the U.S. economy and capitalism and Parker has some good points and really Eliot can’t just kill these idiots without explaining the value of having a monopoly on railroads to them. - Eliot finds a convenient apartment to use as a sniper’s nest while the occupant is out of town. The apartment belongs to one of Hardison’s cover identities and he comes back into the country under a different identity and goes to visit Nana in another city. Parker isn’t ready to meet Nana, so she decides to break into Hardison’s apartment and hang out there until he gets back.

Independent Business AU

- Coffeeshop/Bakery/Cat-Cafe AU: Eliot buys out the retiring owners of an independent cafe/coffeeshop/bakery where Hardison regularly brings his laptop (having upgraded the wifi as a favor to the former owners) so he can truthfully tell Nana he’s getting out of the apartment daily. In return for custom pastries, drinks, and sandwiches, Hardison helps with the business logistics and finances; he also sets up an electronic ordering system. Parker has seen Eliot giving day-old pastries to homeless vets and shelters and decides that his cafe would be a good home for her collection of stray cats; she only has three to start with, but after breaking in and leaving those three in the middle of the night with a note to take care of them or else, she brings more stray cats (or other animals, possibly a disabled raccoon) when she finds them. - Restaurant (Chef/Waiter) AU: Eliot is the chef, Nate does the finances, Sophie is the hostess/manager, Hardison owns the restaurant, Parker picks up shifts as a waitress, bartender, line-cook, and hostess in between heists.

Prostitution/Brothel AU

- Eliot is tired of killing people and starts working at a brothel, mostly he does security stuff and keeps clients from ignoring limits and safewords, but occasionally he takes clients who make certain requests. Hardison goes to the brothel to update their electronic security system and ends up fucking Eliot instead of getting paid. Parker is gray-ace and doesn’t know it, so she comes to the brothel to ask questions and figure out why everyone likes sex so much. Sophie is the Madam (and possibly runs a high class escort service as well). Nate is an investigator of some sort who tried to shut down Sophie’s businesses for years before giving up (falling in love with her) and starting to bring her “good kids who’ve made bad choices” to rehabilitate. [Alternately Nate took over his father’s criminal operations, turned them into a small empire and despite Sophie operating in his (newly-conquered) territory, he agrees to trading favors instead of trying to make her pay protection] - Hardison is an author who gets most of his ideas from watching security footage illegally (maybe he’s got undiagnosed agoraphobia or he just doesn’t believe in privacy or both). One day he happens to be watching the live feed from a fancy hotel bar where Moreau is conducting business. Something (Eliot) keeps Hardison coming back and eventually tracking Moreau and compiling evidence of illegal dealings. Fairly early on, Hardison notices that Moreau prostitutes Eliot to favored business partners, but despite growing concern for Eliot’s consent and well-being, Hardison can’t do anything about it from the safety of his apartment. Nate (agent, editor, or publisher) shows up to nag Hardison about an upcoming deadline (which he totally forgot about), leading Hardison to hire Parker for leg work (and general crime) because he won’t be able to focus on writing until Eliot is safe. He also has Nate put him in touch with Sophie so he can get his amassed intelligence into the right hands without implicating himself. Meanwhile, Eliot knows he’s being watched, but is starting to hate himself enough that he really doesn’t care about anything. Once Moreau is arrested (any evidence of Eliot’s involvement having mysteriously disappeared), Eliot decides to track down the person/people who saved him.

Carnival/Circus AU: Parker is a performer and pickpocket, Eliot is involved in the drug-running and human-trafficking for which the carnival/circus is a cover, Hardison just wants to take his foster siblings for a fun day out. Nate is the rogue FBI investigator trying to bring down the take down the trafficking ring (which his bosses have dismissed for lack of evidence). Sophie is a criminal (not that Nate can prove she’s anything other than an actress/theatre director) that Nate asks for help with the case.

College/University/Student AU

- “it’s 3 am and I’m still in the library studying for finals and I’m losing my grip on reality and I think I just saw a ghost” AU: Hardison has been ‘studying’ for 28 hours without a break, Eliot is trying to prepare for a math final of some sort that he’s pretty sure he’ll fail regardless and Parker is the ghost. - “My computer crashed and you’re the student worker at the IT center” AU: Eliot got angry at his computer and punched it, Hardison makes extra cash fixing computers, phones, and the occasional mass spectrometer or gas chromatograph that a grad student needs reprogrammed off the books. - “I couldn’t help but notice you’re watching [security footage] instead of studying in the computer lab” AU: Parker is doing surveillance, Hardison is trying to study. - “you live above me and I’m going to murder you if you don’t stop throwing parties Sunday night” AU: Eliot is getting really tired of Hardison’s parties and how can a bunch of geeks playing boardgames make so much goddamn noise?

Hospital AU

- Parker is an ER doctor, Hardison is the hospital IT guy assigned to the ER, and Eliot is in an abusive relationship or participates in underground MMA or both. - Parker is an ER doctor/nurse, Eliot is one of the night security guards for the ER, Hardison is very accident-prone/clumsy.

Emergency Services (9-1-1) AU: Eliot is a firefighter, Parker is a paramedic, and Hardison a 9-1-1 dispatcher.

Lawyer AU: Eliot is on trial for a crime he absolutely did commit because the person who hired him gave him up in return for a lighter sentence on other crimes. Hardison shows up pretending to be a lawyer, and ‘proves’ Eliot innocent. At the end of the trial, Hardison takes Eliot out to dinner (Eliot is just confused and going along with it because he thinks it all might be a drug-induced hallucination or coma dream) with Sophie, Nate, and Parker. They’re all chatting happily until Eliot interrupts with something like “you know, I did kill that guy, I’m not really innocent,” and Hardison replies with “and I’m not really a lawyer, so what?”

Delivery Service AU: Parker works as a freelance courier and picks up shifts for various delivery services off-the-books, both of which give her the opportunity to case targets and find things worth stealing. Nate, Sophie, Hardison, and Eliot are all customers at one point or another. Eliot is usually a sender where as Hardison is usually a recipient.

Veterinarian (sort-of) AU: Eliot is a black-market medic of sorts, using a veterinary cover story to advertise his services on the dark web. Hardison thinks he’s contacting an actual vet who does house calls, but he’s so flustered by Megabyte’s injury/illness that he mixes up his browsers or doesn’t realize he’s searching the dark web instead of the regular internet. Eliot doesn’t like his new client’s attitude towards their subordinates (taking the dog metaphor too far) but he needs the money, so he shows up prepared for a high level lieutenant in organized crime or something only to be met by an anxious ‘computer engineer’ and an actual dog. Still, Eliot manages to fix up Meg and get Hardison to calm down, at which point Hardison realizes his mistake. They part ways agreeing to forget each others’ names and faces, but Hardison ends up keeping track of Eliot and later on calls him again when Parker gets hurt on a job and zip-lines through his window bleeding.

Blogger AU: Hardison is a social media entity with accounts on most major social networks, but his primary thing is a blog where he does honest reviews of just about anything (restaurants, movies, Met Gala fashion choices, video-games products and services, etc.), talks about cute animals he sees, shares what he learns when he goes down a wikipedia/research rabbit hole and writes non-identifying things about his personal life. As such, his crushes on both Parker and Eliot are talked about, and his readers are privy to his struggle to choose one over the other. Eventually one or both of them finds the blog and after they have a fight, Hardison talks about things on the blog, not realizing Eliot and Parker are reading it and know what it’s about. This causes problems because Hardison writes things about Eliot’s toxic masculinity that he would never say to his face, and express a desire for normal relationship milestones that Parker could never give him.

Other:

Survival/Apocalypse/Dystopia AU

- Population/Fertility Crisis: Dealer’s choice how it happens (perhaps by infecting the wheat supply – see Wakefield Agriculture and Dr. Ann Hannity), but most of the world ends up infertile. Ten years down the line, the world is still overpopulated, but there are almost no kids being born so some powerful entity (governments/corporations/etc.) enforces genetic testing, picks out the people most likely to still be fertile, and abducts them. Hardison and Parker are two of the fertile individuals, Damien Moreau controls the program, Eliot is Moreau’s severely abused right hand and is put in charge of monitoring the subjects and delivering security assessments. Eliot falls in love with Hardison and Parker from a far and as Moreau’s abuse worsens he thinks about helping them escape even if it kills him. Eventually Eliot is approached by Nate and Sophie, who are working with a resistance movement, and agrees to help them free the abducted fertile individuals and ultimately take down Moreau and the entity in charge. Meanwhile, Parker and Hardison have been using their respective skills to get information about their captors and the project, and plan an escape. Because Hardison has been in the computers and Parker has been in the vents, they know Moreau is hurting Eliot, so they decide he’s the best option for someone to turn. Harry is a lawyer who initially helps make the program look legal but then has a moral awakening and becomes a spy for the resistance. Breanna does social organizing and spy tech for the resistance and her relationship with Sophie is the reason that Nate and Sophie know about Hardison’s computer skills and choose to start by rescuing him. Archie lends his skills to the resistance (or just Sophie and Nate) in return for their promise to rescue Parker.

Castaway AU: Eliot steals a helicopter to escape an employer who’s trying to clean up all evidence of their crimes, but he’s got a concussion and it’s been a while since he last flew a helicopter so he crashes. Hardison is hired anonymously to find the wreck and since his employer is cagey about the ‘why,’ Hardison in turn hires Parker to check out the wreck before giving the GPS coordinates to his employer. Parker finds Eliot along with the wreck and he explains the situation. Hardison gets both of them back to civilization and they take down the guy who was trying to kill Eliot.

Neighbor AU: Eliot is hiding after getting away from Moreau, Hardison is just doing his hacking thing, and Alice White rents the apartment in between theirs because Archie told her to back up the identity better. Sophie is Parker’s crime friend, Nate lives one floor down from Parker, Hardison, and Eliot, and is working in a children���s hospital, helping the doctors and parents get insurance to cover treatment. Sophie visits Parker and happens to run into Nate who she met while he was still working for IYS.

Will be added to as I come up with things I can't write myself.