#one unstoppable force meets another unstoppable force

[chooh2]

Who do you think will (eventually) win? 💪

[fyllophobia]

[wistfulwatcher]

i feel like your roman candle; misty/nat, 8k, explicit

written in response to a series of tumblr erotic prompts (since i ended up getting many more than i was expecting, i have combined the ones that fit!).

prompts used: caught masturbating, torn lace, against the wall, fingers (@igotreallyreallytiredofmyoldurl), “do that again”, hair, panting, love bites, taste, restrained, desperate, tease, on the edge, and in public (if you squint)

read here on ao3

[sttoru]

gojo satoru was a liar.

“you’re my first love.”

to say you were baffled by this new drop of information by your lover was an understatement. you’d been dating satoru for a month now—you were friends before that. you know his playful personality well enough to be able to look through all of his jokes and teasing comments.

“hah, tha’s a funny one.” you chuckle sheepishly as you continue to gaze at the sky. you were standing at the rooftop of a building after finishing a mission together, the beautiful sunset a welcomed change after the chaos.

there was no way satoru — the gojo satoru — hadn’t been in love with anyone before you. his good looks, his power, his status, his money. . . you were sure satoru had been with many women before you. he easily could if he wanted to after all.

“not joking.” satoru frowns as you don’t believe him. it wasn’t a frown out of frustration at your reaction, but rather in a sad pouty way. his slender fingers run over the knuckles of your hand which he held;

“i’m completely serious—only ever had eyes for you.”

the doubt in your eyes was like a dagger through his heart.

“could you please believe me?”

you turn your head and tilt it up to look at the white-haired man—the light illuminating his features perfectly. especially those glossy lips. those kissable glossy lips that seem to be a magnet, begging to meet yours.

there was no way. you? out of all people he could get. ‘yeah, right,’ is what you thought to yourself. though, you knew better than to doubt satoru when he spoke so seriously to you. that usual jokey tone nowhere to be found in his smooth voice.

a rare sight; satoru being completely serious. without bursting into laughter or making even the smallest of jokes.

“yeah. i believe you.” you nod, not knowing what to say to the unexpected information he decided to share. a silence, only interrupted by the distant noises of cars honking, makes you once again realise how serious this conversation had turned out to be.

“no, ya don’t. i can see it in your eyes, baby.”

‘baby’ — your heart skips a beat. you were the only one he has ever referred to with those adoring pet and nicknames. the only one satoru’s allowed himself to be vulnerable with.

satoru’s hand finds its way to the side of your face, fingertips scratching the skin near your ear gently as he guides your body towards his. like two unstoppable forces, your bodies press against one another, feeling like one.

“look at me,” your boyfriend mutters and you do as told, your doubts instantly clearing once the sheer adoration and love radiating from his magical blue eyes tell you enough. that’s enough evidence to support his first comment —

“mhm. that’s it.” satoru sighs softly and leans in to kiss you softly, his lips on yours making you dizzy in the best ways possible, his other hand on the small of your back to push you closer to him than you already were.

the kiss was the cherry on top.

once you pulled away, the love in his gaze hasn’t faded at all. in fact, the intensity of his love for you seemed to have increased. satoru was absolutely smitten with you.

he smiles gently once he sees the realisation hit you. that was all he wanted to achieve by saying what he said to you; the pure joy on your face once you come to know that you were indeed his first ever love. the first person he’s loved in all those years he’s lived;

“my pretty girl — my one and only.”

gojo satoru was anything but a liar.

[loganlermanstanaccount]

Hello! Could you please write a stubborn, jealous hc for Miguel o'hara? Thank you!!

I had the brainworms, so I hope this is what you were looking for! Thanks for the ask <3

Jealous!Miguel O'Hara Headcanons

(AO3 Mirror), Main Masterlist

pairing: jealous!Miguel O'Hara x reader

summary: stubborn HCs for jealous!Miguel O'Hara. 

a/n: this was meant to be a drabble and i basically wrote a full fic. i have zero self control lmfao

warnings: smut (fingering, f receiving oral, slight brat taming, etc) right at the very end, 18+ from then onwards, the rest is more pg-13

wc: 3.5k ish

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

Long story short: he's a stubborn little shit.

Pig-headed as fuck and it shows up in little things. 

Let's say you first met as coworkers, and you were a lab technician at Alchemax. 

Think: unstoppable force meets immovable object. He likes his labs just so, with very specific equipment in a very specific configuration. 

It drives you crazy, regularly having tiffs outside the labs; much to the chagrin of your coworkers. 

"Jesus." Your coworker mutters, wincing at the seemingly heated argument by the water cooler. 

"Ignore it, Maeve." Another coworker rolls their eyes, nudging Mave with a snort. "They're at it again . S'pose they'll tire each other out by the end of the day."

Not that they were wrong. But this time, it wasn't your fault: dealing with O'Hara's bullshit had really taken it's toll. He was insufferable, prone to nitpicking and just plain mean. You could hardly be blamed if you gave him some of your own choice words. 

"My notes were basically paint-by-fucking-numbers!  How could you mess up a simple distillation? When I specify precision glassware , you don't think that's fucking important?" 

"Your notes ," You draw air quotes pointedly at him. "-are illegible, you fucking cretin! Maybe if you didn't write like a goddamn pre-schooler-"

"- preschooler? Oh , fuck you!" 

"Get your nose out of that highschool Chem textbook, O'Hara, this is a fucking job."

"Yeah? Stop using it to wipe your ass and you might learn a thing or two."

"Oh , so that's what we're doing?" You laugh in his face, so angry your hand curls into tight fists. You get close, staring him down as you look upwards through your lashes. His own face is contorted into a grimace; bushy eyebrows furrowed into deep shadows around his eyes. You can feel his steady breathing before he speaks, low and rumbling. 

"I could do this all day, princesa. " 

You scoff, ignoring the way his words weaken your knees. The one time you asked for a break during a long lab and he won't stop calling you a spoilt princess. His laughter then stings in your ears now, the ghost of a smirk on his face as you storm off. Miguel O'Hara: smug bastard. He would be the death of you, you're sure. 

~~~

You spend many a late night with him, unwittingly, and find out he's more than a stubborn little shit. 

You find out he's funny, and shares the same anti-Alchemax tendencies you do: both preyed upon by the company immediately after graduation, young and naive. 

He's kind, even though he'd never admit it, often finishing up the lab notes and doing more than his fair share of work so you can go home at a reasonable time. 

You both still butt heads, but it turns into a tentative friendship - coffees in the morning hidden as blaise convenience, covering for each other at work, and defending the other when office gossip goes too far. 

That's why when he comes back to work after a week-long stint away - something about a blow up with the boss, an issue described as 'miscommunication, promptly smoothed over' by anyone official - you notice… something's different about him. 

You first noticed something was off when he walked in without a snide remark. You left a mug overnight at the counter, something that would usually draw a sarcastic comment at the least , but he gives you… nothing. Blank, glassy eyes as he opens up his workstation - clicking away at the keys without so much as a glance.

"O'Hara?" You call, but he doesn't even look up. You walk to his workstation and knock at the desk. He jumps. God, he looks worse for the wear. Heavy bags under his eyes and a bruise blossoming under his collar. 

"You okay?" 

He rubs his temples, eyes flitting up at you.  "Yeah, just…. just a long week, s'all." 

You put a hand on his shoulder, and you swear he leans into your touch. "We can reschedule, tonight. The calculations can wait, Miguel."

He gives you a weak smile, but a smile nevertheless. "S'okay. Need to make sure you don't fuck it up."

"Don't push your luck, O'Hara."

~~~

As you get closer, you notice just how stubborn he is to admit the growing tension between you two. 

Late nights at the lab turn into takeout at your place, morning coffee turns into a pleasant 20 minutes on the rooftop away from the hustle and bustle - just you and Miguel, talking and joking with a cup of shitty coffee in hand. 

Wholly, he seems more assertive at work, not as quick to roll over. 

It's hot, you have to admit; watching him fight with someone else other than you. 

You're at work drinks with the other technicians and engineers, nursing a watery beer when another colleague makes small talk with you at the bar.

You’ve never been that close to him, and the conversation is amicable enough, but you’re almost bowled over when you see Miguel, in the corner, staring straight at you with a stormy look.

You suppose it's a little pathetic, getting all dressed up for a casual drink. Lips shiny with gloss and gently powdered with makeup, you feel a little out of place. For all your talk at work, actually being here was another thing. Suddenly, your blouse is too tight and your skirt too short. With a manicured finger, you trace the lip of your glass filled with watery beer. You sigh. You don't want to admit it, but you were only here because of Miguel. He said he would come, and now you're sitting on a barstool counting the chips in your glass. 

It was probably for the best. You sink into the absentminded chatter of your colleagues around you, until there's a tap at your shoulder. 

"Is someone-" He clears his throat; a tall man dressed in a sharp suit nodding gracefully towards the empty chair. "-is this seat taken?" 

You shake your head, grateful for the company. He's handsome, sharp features curving into a wry grin as he calls for a drink. 

"...and something other than shitty beer for the pretty girl, too." It makes you laugh, light and lilting in the bustle of the bar. 

He stretches out his hand, and you take it. 

"Eddie Crouch. I work in marketing."

Eddie…. as in… head of the most profitable division of Alchemax? Your eyes widen involuntarily and you try to clamp down your immediate shock, somewhat unsuccessfully. He narrows his eyes as you tumble over your words. 

"Y-Yeah, same! I mean, not same , I just work in the l-labs and I thought it was just for us guys, working behind the curtain, y'know? Not that we're not thrilled to have you here, because we a-are." You spill out, wincing. "....Is this about the performance reviews? Because I know output was down this quarter but our projections are-"

"I'm not here to talk about work." He chuckles. You squint, not convinced. As if to alleviate your concerns, he loosens his tie and undoes his top buttons with a flourish. 

"Can I tell you a secret?" He leans in, and the air becomes thick with expensive perfume. He twirls the signet ring on his finger, a ring probably worth more than your monthly paycheck. 

"Your boss invited me," Discreetly, he stretches a finger at your boss; a man ruddy cheeked and red-faced with alcohol. "Guess he thought it would boost morale. He's a fucking idiot if he thinks having me, the one guy that could fire your entire department without recourse, exchange empty platitudes would boost morale. But, I digress. So here I am, dragging my feet to this bar, thinking I'm gonna get in, read the lines and get out. But then, " He pauses with dramatic effect. "I see the most beautiful person I've ever had the pleasure of laying my eyes on, just sitting by the bar. Like everyone isn't already falling over themselves to talk to you."

The irony is palpable. It's sickly sweet, and a line that wouldn't usually work on you. But usually, you weren't pining over a man so prickly and stubborn, you shouldn't have feelings for. Here you were, bright cocktail in front of you and a moderately attractive man by your side. He wasn't quite Miguel, but in the words of one of the greatest thinkers of the past age: country girls make do. 

And so you make lazy conversation with the man. So lost in a tipsy haze, you barely notice Miguel walk in; dark jacket on his shoulders and deliciously loose slacks. You're drawn to him, his eyes seemingly searching the room, and you sigh into your drink. Technically, he looks like shit: eyes dark-rimmed and sunken, a cut at his brow. You think he is gorgeous, eyes tracing the slope of his nose and plush lips. Like he can sense it, he glances over in your direction and you look away hastily. He's watching , you can feel its burn as you turn, pretending to listen to the man besides you. A little cruelly, you lean into him, not breaking eye contact and curling a hand around his arm to laugh at a stupid joke. Eddie laughs with you, oblivious, as you glance behind him. 

Miguel stands with a drink thrust into his hands, looking straight through him, eyes low and gazing at you. 

~~~

He insists on walking you home, a steady hand on the small of your back as you stumble through the streets of Nueva York.

You make light conversation, tipsy and giggly from the alcohol. Miguel seems a little more put together, but his chest still creaks with rumbling laughter.

He definitely walks on the side of the pavement nearest the street, because he thinks it keeps you safer. 

He walks you up the stairs and by the door of your apartment, like a gentleman. You watch him get nervous suddenly, and he hesitates, stubbornly digging in his heels and pausing you from opening the door and coming in. 

You don't want it to end, opting to take the walk up the stairs as opposed to the lift. It's one of your more questionable decisions as you stumble up the stairs, almost tripping over your own feet. Miguel is quick to catch you even though he was just as drunk. Arm around your waist, he leaves searing touches to your hip. You giggle despite yourself, and he can't help but smile at your clumsiness. 

"If you break your legs I won't carry you, princesa ." A lie and you both know it. He would carry you to the ends of the earth like a blushing bride, if you asked him. 

You both stagger to up the stairs and through the corridor until you reach your front door. You rummage around your bag for your keycard, it's contents click-clacking in the quiet of the hallway. Miguel watches, quieter than he was in the journey. If you looked up now, you would see something else behind his eyes - a storm of apprehension and tension. 

You find your keycard, and look up to find Miguel placing a careful palm on the door. He's surprisingly still, eyes on your lips as he steps closer. You look everywhere but to meet his eyes, tracing the curve of his collarbone, the slope of his exposed forearm, and the tempting juncture of his strong jaw. You watch it tense, as he brings a gentle hand to your chin. His thumb swipes over the fat of your lip. 

"Got somethin' right… there." He mumbles, before tucking his hand away. You can barely breathe. Without thinking you take his hand in yours, lacing your fingers together like a gentle hug. You bring his hand to your waist, and he squeezes, ever so gently. Your hand drops and he moves his slowly, knuckles dragging along the smooth silk of your blouse, and then sending shivers when he reaches your bare neck. 

He has to bite down the plethora of things running through his head - his drunken brain threatening to spill all his thoughts. You are so beautiful and soft it makes him short-circuit, desperate to pull you close. Instead, you do: hand inching up his chest and laying to rest on his shoulders. 

He kisses you, finally ; a little messy and impossibly soft. Like his lips on yours would shatter you both. You deepen the kiss and wrap his arm tighter around you, angling your chin to drink up even more of you. You both come up for air, panting in the heat of one another. Miguel's eyes are full of lust and blown out. 

"Do…do you want to come in?" You whisper. 

Something catches in his throat and his expression changes, like he just woke up from a dream. Do you just want to sleep with him? He's not built for one night stands, can't do just sex, especially if it's you. No matter how much he wants to, he can't, he won't, "....I shouldn't."

The disappointment on your face is palpable. You want to ask why - after he kissed you like that - why doesn't he want you? Instead you nod dejectedly. He gives you a chaste kiss on the forehead, lingering, and a shaky smile. 

You open your door with a buzz, and slam it in his face. 

~~~

It takes Miguel some time to properly put a name to what you two have: not knowing if the kiss was a drunken mistake, animal attraction or something more. 

He's not a grand gestures kind of person, he believes in action rather than words. 

Which is why it takes so long for him to admit just how in love with you he is. 

He steals glances at you all the time at the office, and tries to anticipate  all your needs. 

When you stretch and yawn in the morning, he happens to pass by your favourite coffee place and happens to buy one too many cups of your go-to order. 

So imagine his shock when he arrives from his lunch break, churros and coffee in hand, and there's one of the top brass from the night at the bar perched on your desk - 2 polystyrene cupfuls of something half drunk on the desk. 

He's never been insecure, but he can't help but feel possessive, something tense and tight growing at the base of his stomach. 

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" You step into the equipment cupboard, Miguel close behind you. You rub your temples, anticipating an argument. "O'Hara, if this is about my calibration tests this morning, I swear to God -" 

"No, no , nothing like that." He's quick to say. "They were… okay." He strains. 

You raise an eyebrow. Okay? Since when did Miguel pass up an opportunity for a mindless fight? Your mind races with his actions of the past few days. He has been different since the night at the bar, a little nicer, sure, but nothing this out of the ordinary. 

"That guy you were talking to. I saw him at the bar, and now here. Who is he?" 

Your eyebrows shoot up. "You do not have the right to ask me th-" 

"Are you fucking him?" A pause, and you study his expression, deducing that he is completely fucking serious . 

"Are you insane? You definitely don't have the right to ask me that." You make for the door, and he steps in front of it, blocking it with his body. 

"I need to know. Tell me and then I'll leave you alone, I promise." His voice is low and thick with something. 

You step closer and he wraps his hands around your waist absentmindedly. The pressure feels good, and makes your brain fog up. 

He repeats himself, softer. "Are you fucking him?" 

You look at him for a moment, before shaking your head. His facial expression  is steady, just as unreadable. 

"Do you want to?" 

You hesitate, wanting to be cruel and say yes, just to see his reaction. Perceptive, he sees your hesitance and says something that almost knocks you over. 

"I could fuck you better than he ever could," He kneads your thigh now, lips close to the shell of your ear in the tight space of the cupboard. " Princesa , look at me." 

You look at him, almost whimpering and putty in his hands. He's like a siren and you are lost in the pull of his gaze. It may be the proximity, but you swear you see a tinge of red in his eyes, like deep pools of lust. 

"Will you let me fuck you?" He pulls you closer so the meat of his thigh presses against your clothed cunt. Your stretchy pencil skirt rides up suggestively, and you rock your clit against him, searching for sweet pressure. You nod. 

Miguel titters softly, a hand on your chin pulling your lips to his. You moan into his kiss, body aching. It's hot and heavy like the kiss outside your door, but he swirls his tongue around yours and expertly nips at your lower lip. He guides your hips to rock against his thigh, tensing to make sure it's corded muscle hits the right places. He wants to break you apart, leave you so cock-drunk, you wouldn't think of even glancing at another man. 

You separate and he dips a hand under your skirt. He pulls it up and places a big palm at your pussy, with a well timed slap. You bite into his neck with the pressure. You definitely don't expect it when he rips open your stockings like they were paper. 

"Fuck, Miguel." 

"It's okay, baby, I'll get you new ones." Your eyes roll back as he slips aside the gusset to run a finger through your lower lips. Shamelessly, he slips a finger in, then two, basking in the wet squelch of your heat. You claw at his forearm, as he curls them into that sweet spot. 

You press your forehead to his shoulder, chasing his fingers with your hips. His sharp eyes watch every movement, every stutter and start that his fingers pull from you. He's practical, a man of action, and he is desperate to show you how much he cares. 

"I've thought about you… about this." He hisses as you cover your mouth to dampen your moans. 

"Wanted you for so long, princesa. Want to know how you taste, what this beautiful pussy feels like. What you look like when you cum."

His wrist aches with the back and forth motion but his pace barely faulters. 

" M-Miguel …"

He applies pressure to your clit, and watches in awe as you spasm, nails digging into his forearm. 

" Oh, there it is. Right there, hmm? Does that feel good?" 

You nod frantically with a stifled sob. 

"Not quite, baby. Need to hear you say it. Or I won't let you cum."

"...fuuck you."

" Oh, you'd like that. Still not what I want to hear. Tell me how much you like it when I fuck you with my fingers."

"F-Feels good." You stutter. He stops, wrenching his hand out of your pussy to leave you clenching around nothing.You almost scream.

"You're being a brat, not my princesa , hmm? Only good girls get to cum."

" Miguel , please. I'll do anything." He guides you along his thigh, still lodged between your legs, and licks up your wetness on his other hand. "You m-make me feel so good. So good. And I want you so much it hurts, sometimes. I just want to cum, don't even need your cock. Fuck me with something , please." 

"Miguel? Not asshole? Or fucking idiot, this time?" 

"Please, Miguel ." Your pleas go straight to his cock. He throbs with need, cock rock hard under his slacks. 

He relents, not able to bear your dopey puppy-dog eyes for much longer. He slips three fingers in, without bothering to prep you. He hisses at the tightness of your heat, pounding into you and knuckle deep with his fingers. Shamelessly, you fuck yourself back on them, hips rolling over his thigh. He can't tear himself away from the sight, palming himself through tented trousers. 

You kiss and nip at his neck, as he whispers obscenities at you under his breath. 

"Can you cum for me, princesa? Cum f'me, and I'll take care of you, I promise."

You clamp down on his fingers and moan into a kiss as you ride out your orgasm. It's intense: leg-shaking and leaves you shuddering in the aftermath. You were rusty, sure, hadn't had sex with someone in a while. But Miguel made you cum so hard you saw stars, with only his fingers. Your chest heaves with the thought. 

You thought he would leave you, torn stockings and all, in the little cupboard. But he stays, to sink down to his knees and lap at your folds. You rest a hand on a shelf for purchase, head back in bliss. You cunt is still sensitive, throbbing at the orgasm he's just given you, as you licks you clean. He's taking care of you. You card your hands into his hair, tugging gently as he moans into your pussy. 

He gives your clit a gentle kiss, and swipes up a trailing tear that rolls down your inner thigh. You watch as he pops his fingers into your mouth, cleaning off the cum. Your cum. 

Miguel gives you a lazy grin in the bare bulb of the equipment closet. He seems completely unfazed by the fact his fingers were in you not a moment ago. 

"Are you free after work?" He asks, and it takes a moment for you to process. 

"Uhhh… s-sure. Probably?" 

"Let me take you for dinner, somewhere nice."

All you can do is nod, dumbly, ripped stockings still around your ankles. 

"And then I can fuck you properly, princesa." 

_

_

_

[theonottsbxtch]

I LOVED YOU FIRST PT3 | FC43

part one | part two |

an: this is the most requested part three. i fell asleep so many times writing this but i’m waiting for tate’s new song so it gave me something to do. not proof read.

wc: 8.3k

It was nearly dawn when Franco turned off the engine, but the silence felt hollow. He sat motionless in the cockpit of his car, his hands still gripping the wheel even though he had finished his lap over an hour ago. The empty track stretched before him, a stark grey line splitting the waking sky, and for a fleeting moment, he considered taking off down it one more time, just for the noise.

That had been the only reason he'd even bothered coming out this morning. Noise. Anything loud enough to cut through the thick numbness that had settled over his life the last two years. Even racing—his childhood dream, his only real thrill—felt distant, just another repetition in an endless loop of things he used to care about.

He let go of the wheel, his fingers stiff and aching, and slumped back into his seat. The inside of the car still smelled new, though he’d driven this car all season. But everything in his life felt new in the wrong way, like he was breaking in someone else's skin.

Franco closed his eyes, but there was no escape there either. As much as he tried to avoid it, the image still came easily: two years ago, his wedding day. The hushed gasp of the guests as he had walked back down the aisle alone, the weight of his father-in-law’s hand on his shoulder. And her eyes—his childhood best friend, his first love, his confession to her still raw in his throat. He'd bared his heart, thought he was finally doing the right thing, only to watch her turn him down, her gaze steady and unwavering.

It was strange how clearly he could remember it. She had moved on. He was too late.

And yet here he was, two years later, sitting in the emptiness his choices had carved out. His marriage was the result of the aftermath—inevitable, unstoppable, once her father had coerced him into making it right. He’d been a fool to think he could live with it, that he could somehow build a life out of that hollowed-out choice. But every day he woke up, and every day it was the same. A stranger beside him, a public charade. He was trapped in a marriage more binding than he had ever imagined, one that had closed off any other life he might have had.

A tap on the side of the car startled him out of his thoughts. His agent, Eddie, looked at him expectantly, his face creased with concern. Franco forced himself to meet his gaze, pulling on a blank expression he’d perfected over the last two years.

"You good, man?" Eddie's voice sounded so distant for some reason.

Franco forced a nod. “Just getting in some practice.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "You finished over an hour ago."

Franco shrugged, not offering any other excuse. What could he say? That he no longer felt the rush, that even the raw thrill of racing at 200 miles per hour left him feeling nothing? It would be admitting too much. He wasn’t sure he could handle what Eddie would say if he knew.

As he finally climbed out of the car, his gaze drifted toward the track, that endless stretch of asphalt, and for just a second, he felt a flicker of what it used to mean to him. Freedom, purpose, maybe even love. But that had been before her—before he had thrown it all away, thinking he could have her back. And now all he was left with was this: the shadow of a life he hadn’t chosen, the memory of a love that had been real once, and a future he couldn’t bring himself to face.

Franco shook his head, stuffing the thought away. "Let’s just get through today" he muttered to himself, the words a quiet vow.

Tomorrow, he’d put on the act again.

The house was silent when Franco walked in. He closed the door softly, slipping off his shoes out of habit rather than any real desire to keep the peace. She was there, sitting in the dimly lit living room, curled on one end of the couch with her legs tucked under her. A book lay open on her lap, though her eyes weren’t moving over the words.

They hadn’t spoken much in days, maybe even weeks, except for the occasional small-talk exchange over morning coffee or at some public event. When they were alone, it was as if they were two strangers who’d agreed on a routine. She looked up as he walked in, and he wondered if she was waiting for him to speak first.

But he didn’t. He simply nodded, moving past her as if it were just another evening in this quiet, loveless house. He heard her shift, a quick intake of breath, and he paused, feeling her eyes on his back.

“I cheated,” she said, her voice flat, almost as if it were a statement she’d practised a thousand times, something she needed to let out before it grew stale.

Franco slowly turned to face her, letting the words settle, though he didn’t feel anything sharp or raw. Instead, there was just the dull, familiar weight of something like resignation. He studied her face, waiting for the anger or betrayal to come, but there was nothing. Just the same emptiness that had been there for two years.

“Okay,” he said, his voice calm, resigned.

She blinked, her expression faltering. “Okay?” she repeated, as if she hadn’t expected that response. Her brow furrowed, and she set her book aside, sitting up straighter. “That’s it? Just… okay?”

He shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. “What do you want me to do about it? You’ve already done it.”

She searched his face, a flicker of frustration and hurt sparking in her eyes. “Why aren’t you angry, Franco?” Her voice was louder now, cracking slightly. “Why don’t you care? Why don’t you… love me? What did I do wrong?”

For the first time that evening, he felt something stir. Not anger, exactly, but a kind of distant ache. He looked at her—really looked at her—and saw the exhaustion in her face, the years of pretending, of building a life on a foundation that had never been real. And he knew, somehow, that she felt as trapped as he did.

“This isn’t about what you did wrong,” he said quietly. “I just… I don’t have it in me to love you, not in the way you want.”

She shook her head, her eyes brimming with frustration. “But we were supposed to be in this together. My father… Your team. The whole world expects it. I have tried, Franco. I’ve done everything I could to make this work. I just wanted you to see me, to try…”

He sighed, looking away. “We’ve been pretending for two years. It’s not that I haven’t seen you—I just don’t think we were ever meant to see each other this way.”

Her shoulders slumped, the fight draining out of her. She stared at her hands, twisted together in her lap. “So what now? We just keep living like this, sharing the same house, putting on a show for everyone?”

Franco didn’t have an answer for her. He didn’t know what they were supposed to do, what the next step would even look like. They were bound together by more than their vows—by the expectations, the pressure, the image of a life neither of them had chosen. He knew she deserved better than this emptiness, the hollow echo of what might have been.

After a moment, he sat down across from her, resting his elbows on his knees, his voice barely more than a whisper. “What do you want from me?”

She looked away, biting her lip, and for the first time he saw the loneliness in her eyes. "I don’t know," she murmured, her voice quiet. "I don’t know if I ever knew."

She looked down, fidgeting with the hem of her sweater, and then let out a long, quiet breath. "I’ll speak to my father," she said, her voice steady. “We’ll break it off. There’s… someone else. For me, I mean.”

Franco nodded, feeling only a strange sort of relief. “Okay.”

She gave a small, sad smile, as if she’d expected more—anger, maybe, or regret. “I’ll make sure he keeps the sponsors on your team,” she added, her voice softening. “It’s the least I can do.”

Franco shook his head. “He doesn’t have to. I don’t want you worrying about that.”

For a moment, she looked at him with something almost like sympathy. “Franco… it’s not your fault,” she said.

He frowned slightly, unsure what she meant. “What isn’t?”

She looked away, gathering her thoughts, and then back at him, her gaze unwavering. “It’s not your fault you still love her after all these years. Some things… they just don’t go away.”

His throat tightened, and he couldn’t find the words to respond. Her words hung between them, exposing something he’d tried to bury, something he hadn’t even admitted to himself. His silence was answer enough.

“She was a very lovely woman when I met her,” she continued, her voice softer, almost wistful. “I’m sure she hasn’t changed. I’m sure you two would be perfect together.”

He looked down, swallowing the ache in his chest. For all their distance, she’d seen more of him than he’d realised, even if they had never truly belonged to each other. Maybe she’d known all along. Maybe that’s why they’d been drifting from the beginning, like two people playing their parts, waiting for the script to finally run out.

He stood up, running a hand over the back of his neck, his voice low. “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.”

She nodded, her eyes full of an understanding that somehow made this harder. “Okay. Goodnight, Franco.”

He gave her a brief nod, then turned and headed down the hall, his footsteps soft against the hardwood. The walls of the house felt like a cage, closing in with every step, but he knew that maybe, for the first time, there was a way out—for both of them.

Franco closed the door to the guest room, feeling the weight of everything settling over him. He felt like a visitor in his own life, just as he had every day for the past two years. He slipped off his watch, set it on the nightstand, and reached for his phone to set an alarm.

Just as he did, his mother’s name lit up the screen. She called him every night, their routine barely wavering since he’d left home all those years ago to chase his dream. He answered, feeling a bit of the tension ease from his shoulders.

“Hey, Mama.”

“Oh, finally, you picked up! I thought I’d missed you tonight, hijo.” she said, her voice bright and warm, filling the room with a bit of comfort he hadn’t known he needed.

“Sorry. It’s been… a long day,” he replied, not sure where to start even if he’d wanted to.

“Oh, mi amor, I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, sympathy lacing her voice. She paused, her tone shifting to something lighter. “Well, you’ll never guess who I ran into today.”

He smiled slightly, settling back against the pillows. “Knowing you, mama, it could be anyone.”

“You flatter me,” she laughed. “But no, this one you’ll want to hear. I ran into your chiquita's mama at the market this morning.”

At the mention of his childhood best friend, Franco’s heart gave a small, involuntary jolt. He kept his voice casual, though he could feel his pulse quicken. “Oh yeah?”

“Guess who’s moving back home?” she said, her voice bright with excitement. “She’s coming back without that boyfriend of hers—what was his name, Angelo or something? Anyway, I don’t know what happened there, but her mama didn’t say much, just that she’ll be moving back in soon.”

Franco fell silent, her words sinking in. She was moving back. Back to the same town, back to where they’d both grown up. It was strange hearing it now, after all this time—especially tonight. He tried to imagine her there, close by, after years of being nothing more than a memory, a lingering ache. She hadn’t been in touch since his wedding. They hadn’t spoken, not really, since that day he’d confessed everything.

“Franco?” his mother asked, her voice pulling him back. “You still there?”

“Yeah,” he murmured. “Yeah, I’m here. Just… surprised, I guess.”

“Well, I thought you’d be pleased to know,” she said gently. “I don’t know why she’s moving back, and I suppose it’s none of my business, but I hope she’s doing alright. I always liked that girl.”

“Me too,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

He wondered what could have happened to bring her back. She’d seemed happy, at least in the few times he’d seen her in the public eye over the last two years—smiling, vibrant, that spark still in her. Whatever had drawn her back, he doubted it was anything good.

“Anyway, I just thought I’d tell you,” his mother went on, a hint of cheer in her voice. “I’m sure you’ll see her around when she’s back. Goodness knows you two could catch up. I’ll let you get some sleep, though. You sound tired, love.”

“I am,” he said honestly. “Thanks, mama.”

“Goodnight, mi amor,” she said softly. “Try not to worry so much. Things have a way of working out.”

He hung up, setting the phone down on the nightstand, but his mind kept circling back to her, the unanswered questions piling up. Why was she moving home? Why now, after everything?

He lay back, staring at the ceiling, feeling the quiet gnaw at him. For the first time in a long while, he felt something stirring beneath the emptiness—something that he hadn’t let himself feel since that day two years ago. A flicker of hope, of curiosity. And maybe, just maybe, the faintest hint of longing.

Franco woke up to an unsettling silence the following morning. The kind that felt thick, heavy, and somehow different from the usual quiet he’d grown accustomed to in this house. He rubbed his eyes, groggy, his mind still tangled in the remnants of last night’s conversation with his mother. She was moving back home. The thought had settled somewhere deep, like a stone sinking to the bottom of his chest, and he hadn’t stopped wondering why she’d come back.

He rose slowly, crossing the hall toward the master bedroom to grab his things, but as he reached the door, he noticed it was open just a crack. There was an odd stillness inside, an emptiness. Pushing the door open fully, he froze.

The wardrobes were wide open, their shelves bare, nothing left but empty hangers. He scanned the room, taking in the strange absence of her things: the jewellery stand, her perfumes, even the photos from the dresser—all gone.

On the bed, her wedding band glinted in the morning light, sitting atop a folded sheet of paper. Heart pounding, Franco walked over and picked up the note, her familiar handwriting scrawled across the page in clean, deliberate strokes.

"Go live a life you’ll enjoy. Go get the girl."

He read the words over and over, the reality slowly sinking in. She had really left. It was over, finally—no more strained conversations, no more pretences, no more empty rooms they shared out of duty. She had made the choice for both of them, letting him go in a way neither of them had been able to until now.

He let out a slow, deep breath, feeling a strange mixture of relief and regret. She had given him a way out, but he felt a twinge of sadness for the life they’d tried and failed to build, and for the woman who’d known him well enough to let him go.

After a moment, he picked up his phone and scrolled to his agent’s number. It rang twice before Eddie answered, his voice thick with sleep.

“Franco? It’s barely morning. You okay?”

Franco ran a hand through his hair, still processing everything. “Yeah. Listen, Eddie, I need you to book me a flight.”

“A flight? Where are you going?”

“Home. To Argentina.” He paused, and for the first time in two years, the words felt right. “I just need to go home.”

Eddie hesitated on the other end. “You sure about this?”

“Yes. I’ll figure everything out when I get there,” Franco replied, feeling a resolve he hadn’t felt in years.

Eddie sighed, but there was something like approval in his voice. “Alright, I’ll get it sorted. You’ll be on a plane by tonight.”

“Thank you, Eddie.” Franco hung up, glancing around the room one last time. He pocketed her note, her words still echoing in his mind.

True to Eddie's word, Franco was on a flight six hours later. The journey was a blur of cramped seats, stale air, and the faint taste of regret that clung to the back of his throat. The turbulence was relentless, like some cosmic joke, as if the universe itself wanted to remind him that nothing had ever been easy. He tried to sleep, but the aching pull of everything he’d left behind in that house—his marriage, his choices, his dreams—kept him awake, staring out at the dark sky, thinking of all the roads that had led him here.

By the time he landed in Buenos Aires and caught a car for the long drive north to his family's old village, the exhaustion had crept under his skin, weighing him down like a thousand unspoken words. But the quiet beauty of the countryside—the sun setting over fields that stretched on forever—started to soothe him, even if just a little.

The car ride seemed endless, every minute dragging with the weight of his thoughts. But when the familiar sight of his family’s village finally came into view—cobblestone streets, thatched roofs, the scent of freshly baked bread hanging in the air—something inside Franco began to shift. The city felt miles away, the noise, the crowds, the weight of his past life all falling away as he crossed into the place that had always felt like home.

The moment he stepped through the door of his childhood house, all of that exhaustion seemed to vanish. The house was exactly as he remembered it—warm, full of life, and alive with the kind of energy he hadn't felt in so long. His mother’s soft humming from the kitchen filled the air, the scent of her cooking familiar and comforting in a way nothing else ever had been.

“Mama?” he called, stepping into the kitchen.

She looked up from the stove, a warm smile spreading across her face as she caught sight of him. It was like the years had slipped away in an instant, and before he could even move, she was across the room, enveloping him in her arms.

“Oh, hijo,” she said, pulling him in tight. “You’re home. You’re really home.”

Franco closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling the comforting smells of garlic and simmering stew. It was the same as it had always been. His mother’s embrace felt like a balm, her steady, familiar presence filling up the spaces in his chest that had been empty for so long. He let himself relax into the hug, feeling like he could finally breathe again.

“Yeah, mama,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m home.”

She pulled back, looking at him with concern now, her gaze soft but knowing. “You look like you’ve been through a storm. What happened, Franco?”

He shook his head, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “It’s… been a hot minute.”

She stepped back, eyes still lingering on him as she turned toward the counter, gesturing for him to sit. "Come, sit. You must be starving."

As he slid into the chair at the table, his mother’s eyes flickered to his left hand, where the ring had once sat. The absence of it didn’t go unnoticed.

"Franco," she said softly, her voice delicate but insistent, “Where’s your wedding ring?”

He froze, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the spot where the band had once been. The question hit him harder than he expected, like a weight on his chest.

He took a deep breath, his words coming out slow, almost reluctant. "I… I never loved her, Mama. Not like I should’ve. Not like I should’ve loved the person I married."

His mother didn’t flinch, didn’t offer a shocked look or try to comfort him with false reassurances. Instead, she simply nodded, as if she had known all along. The silence between them was calm, understanding.

"I knew," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "I knew from the start, Franco. I could see it. You were never... you were never right with her."

He exhaled, a small weight lifting from his chest. His mother didn’t judge him. She hadn’t expected him to make some fairy tale of a marriage. She had always known him better than anyone.

"Why didn’t you say something?" he asked, the question slipping out before he could stop it.

She smiled softly, her hand brushing his cheek. "You had to learn it on your own, cariño. I couldn’t take that from you."

He sat back in his chair, letting her words sink in. This was home. The quiet understanding, the unconditional love. The very things he had been running from for so long. And now, in this moment, he felt like he was finally allowed to come back to it.

His mother leaned in, brushing the hair from his forehead as if he were still that little boy who had left for the big city years ago. "You’ll be alright, Franco. I know you will. You always find your way back."

He smiled, his heart full, and reached across the table to squeeze her hand. "Thanks, Mama," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I think I’m ready to find it now."

His mother studied him for a moment, as if weighing whether to say more. The comfortable silence stretched between them before she finally spoke, her voice casual, but with a slight undercurrent of something he couldn’t quite place.

“You know, she moved back this morning,” she said, a soft note of curiosity in her tone.

Franco looked up sharply, his stomach tightening at the mention of her. “She did?”

His mother nodded, stirring a pot on the stove. He shifted in his seat, trying to steady the flutter of emotions that were beginning to rise in his chest. She was back. The thought of her living just next door made his heart ache in ways he wasn’t prepared for, especially after everything that had happened. It felt like a sign, but it also felt like a question—one he didn’t know if he was ready to answer.

“I don’t know what’s happened,” he said, the words coming out quieter than he intended. “But I’m sure it’s for the best. She’s probably just trying to figure things out.”

His mother gave him a thoughtful look before turning back to the stove. "It’s not easy, you know. Coming back here after all those years. Maybe she just needs some time. Things haven't been easy for her, either."

Franco nodded absently, his mind already racing, a thousand thoughts flooding his mind. He’d always wondered what it would be like if they were close again—if the years between them could just vanish, and they could pick up where they left off. But that was before everything had changed.

Before he’d made a mess of everything.

“I’ll give her space,” he said after a long pause. “She clearly needs it if she’s come back home. I don’t want to crowd her, not like this.”

His mother looked at him for a long moment, her gaze soft and full of the kind of love only a mother could offer. She didn’t press, but Franco could tell she was seeing more in him than he was letting on. She always had that way of reading him, even when he didn’t want to be read.

“I think that’s wise, Franco,” she said quietly. “But don’t wait too long. Sometimes, the right things—people—can slip away if we don’t take the chance when we can.” She gave him a small smile, her eyes gentle but full of a mother’s wisdom. “Don’t make the same mistake twice.”

He swallowed hard, looking down at his hands. The right things... people. Was she talking about her?

He wasn’t sure. What he was sure of was that he had already lost so much—lost the girl he had once called his best friend. His true love. That much was clear.

But he couldn’t make the same mistake again. Not with her. Not now.

“Yeah,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I won’t. I’ll give her the time she needs… and then, I’ll figure out what comes next.” He forced a small smile, looking back up at her. “But first, I think I need to settle in here, Mama. Just for a bit.”

She smiled warmly at him, nodding as she moved to set the table. “Take your time, cariño. You’ve earned it.” Then she added softly, almost to herself, “And when you’re ready, you know where she is.”

Franco nodded, the weight of her words hanging in the air like a promise he wasn’t sure he was ready to make. He had to sort through the years of distance, the pain, the confusion, and the mess he had made before he could even think of approaching her again.

That night the house was quiet as Franco prepared for bed, the kind of quiet that settled deep into the bones. The weight of the day’s emotions, of the journey—of everything—pressed on him like a physical force, but he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was still missing.

He stood in front of the mirror, his eyes scanning the reflection—a man who hadn’t truly looked at himself in a long time. His face was a little more worn, the years of racing and the strain of the past two had carved lines into his features. And yet, there was a boy in those eyes too—the one who used to laugh freely, who used to dream of more than just what life had given him.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, the quiet ache of the past two years swirling in his chest again. Where did it all go wrong? He’d asked himself this so many times, but the answer had never been clear. His life had seemed like it was on track, until it suddenly wasn’t. Until it all came crashing down, leaving him here, in his childhood home, looking at a version of himself he didn’t recognise.

Where did it all go to shit?

He turned away from the mirror, needing a moment of peace, a change of scenery. The night air felt crisp as he stepped out onto the balcony, the soft night breeze brushing against his skin. The village was quiet, the distant sound of crickets filling the silence. The stars above him were impossibly bright, as if they had been waiting for him to step out into this space to show themselves.

For a moment, he just stood there, taking it all in. The vast sky, the deep silence, the comfort of being home, of being away from all the chaos of the life he’d left behind. He closed his eyes for a beat, letting himself breathe.

Then, he froze.

From across the yard, on the roof of the house next door, a figure was sitting—her silhouette outlined by the soft glow of the stars.

Franco didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there. The sight of her—after all these years—was like a jolt to the chest, a flood of old memories and emotions crashing over him.

At first, he considered turning back into the house, pretending he hadn’t seen her, pretending the universe wasn’t trying to push him into a conversation he wasn’t ready for. But his feet stayed rooted to the ground, his eyes locked on her figure, so familiar, so her. He hadn’t expected to see her tonight, especially not like this. Not sitting on the roof, in the same place they used to sit together as kids, watching the stars and talking about everything and nothing.

He had no idea how to approach her.

Before he could make up his mind, she spoke, her voice drifting through the night air, quiet but unmistakable. “Staring’s rude, you know.”

Franco’s breath caught in his throat, his chest tightening at the sound of her voice. It had been so long since he’d heard it, and yet it felt like no time had passed at all.

He stayed where he was, still unsure, a little frozen by the way his heart was racing. “I didn’t think you’d notice,” he finally said, his voice coming out quieter than he intended.

She tilted her head slightly, but didn’t look directly at him. “I always notice,” she replied, a faint smile playing on her lips, though her tone was more playful than anything else.

He let out a small laugh, a bit surprised by her nonchalance. It was just like her to act so casual, even in the middle of something heavy.

“I wasn’t planning to interrupt,” he added, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "Just thought I'd leave you to it."

She didn’t respond right away, but he could see the way her gaze flickered toward him, though she didn’t move. After a beat, she spoke again, her voice quieter now. “You came home.”

“I did,” he said, his heart racing as he stood there, not knowing where to go from here. “Took me a while, but I’m here.”

She nodded, the soft rustle of her hair catching the starlight. "Good. I didn’t think you would."

Franco swallowed, the weight of the unspoken words hanging thick between them. "I... didn’t think I would either."

There was another pause, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Just... heavy, in a way that felt like they were both waiting for something. Waiting for the moment when they could go back to being what they once were. But Franco knew, deep down, that it wasn’t going to be that simple. Too much had happened between them, too many years spent apart.

Her voice broke the quiet, her words soft but inviting. “There’s space next to me. You should come up here.”

Franco hesitated for a second longer, unsure, but something in her tone, a subtle pull, urged him forward. He glanced around briefly before deciding to take a chance.

Carefully, he climbed over the small stone wall dividing their balconies, his fingers finding familiar purchase as he pulled himself over. The moment his feet hit the roof, the memories of their childhood came rushing back—sitting on the very same roof, talking about everything and nothing, watching the stars as if they were the only two people in the world.

It felt surreal, like no time had passed at all, even though everything between them had changed.

She was already sitting cross-legged, her back turned slightly toward him, but she patted the spot next to her, silently urging him to join her. He moved toward her, then sat down, the cool roof beneath him grounding him in a way he hadn’t expected.

When he finally reached the top, she shifted to make room, and before he even fully settled beside her, she was resting her head on his shoulder. It was as natural as breathing, a comfort he hadn’t realised he’d been starved for.

The night seemed to stretch on forever as they sat together, not speaking, just sharing the same space, the same memories that lingered between them like a soft, delicate thread. It was as though the silence held all the things they couldn’t say out loud.

Finally, it was her who broke the quiet, her voice low and tinged with regret. “Sorry I never replied to your letter.”

Franco’s heart stuttered in his chest at the mention of the letter. He hadn’t expected her to bring it up, not after everything that had happened. Slowly, he turned his head to look at her, his voice barely a whisper. “You... you received it?”

She nodded slowly, lifting her head from his shoulder but not fully pulling away. She stared up at the stars, her fingers absentmindedly tracing shapes in the air. “Four days ago,” she said, her voice soft and distant, as though the words were hard to say.

Four days ago.

The words hit him like a punch to the gut. The letter. The letter he’d written years ago, before everything spiralled out of control, before the wedding, before he called it all off. The letter where he had laid bare his feelings for her—telling her everything he’d never had the courage to say before. Telling her that he loved her. That he’d leave his fiancé for her. That he wanted to be with her.

The letter had been the final step, the desperate confession that he couldn’t hold inside any longer.

“I… I didn’t know,” Franco muttered, his throat tight. “I sent it because I thought you needed to know. I thought you needed to hear it.” He paused, looking down at his hands. “I didn’t expect you to just—ignore it.”

Her breath hitched slightly, and she looked over at him, her eyes meeting his with an intensity that made him ache. “I didn’t ignore it,” she said softly. “I didn’t know about it. Angelo hid it from me.”

Franco froze. Angelo. The same guy she’d been with all those years, the one who had kept the letter from her. The weight of it hit him hard, a cold knot in his stomach. “He hid it?” His voice barely came out above a whisper.

She nodded, her eyes not leaving his. “I only found it four days ago when I was packing.” She paused, as though weighing whether or not to say more, then sighed. “He kept it from me, Franco. Told me it was nothing, just some silly thing from the past. But it wasn’t nothing. It was you. It was everything you were trying to say. And I didn’t even know until hours before your wedding.”

Franco could feel his chest tighten, the words he had written, the words that had been locked inside of him for so long, echoing in the space between them. He had no idea she’d never received it. No idea she had been living in that oblivion, thinking that nothing had changed when, in reality, everything had been laid out for her years ago.

Franco closed his eyes, the weight of her words settling over him. His entire life had been built around the lies he’d told himself, and in the end, he had only hurt the one person who had always been there for him.

When he opened his eyes again, he was staring at the sky, the stars so far away. “I never stopped loving you,” he said quietly, the confession falling from his lips before he could stop it. “I never stopped thinking about you, even when I thought I should. Even when I tried to move on, I always... always thought about you. About Monza.”

Her voice was soft but steady, a quiet confession in the night air. “I shouldn’t have come to that wedding,” she said, her words hanging in the space between them like a breath held too long.

Franco blinked, his heart stuttering slightly in his chest as he turned to look at her. “Why?”

She sighed, her eyes focused on the distant horizon, her expression unreadable in the soft glow of the moon. “Because I thought I was over you, Franco. I really did. I thought that seeing you get married to someone else, someone who wasn’t me, would help me move on. But when I watched you declare your love for me in front of everyone... it hit me all at once. I felt like I was coasting through a lie with Angelo for two years.”

Franco’s chest tightened at the mention of Angelo again, but he didn’t interrupt. He knew this was something that had been simmering beneath the surface for a long time, something they had never really spoken about. She took a slow breath, her fingers playing with the hem of her shirt as she spoke again.

“I couldn’t give him all of me,” she continued, her voice wavering for the first time, just the slightest crack in her calm demeanour. “When you still had half my heart.”

Franco felt a lump form in his throat at her words. She still loved him. Despite everything, despite the time apart, despite the man she had been with, a part of her had never truly moved on.

He didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t find the right words to express the swirl of emotions inside him. The guilt, the confusion, the longing. All he could do was listen, his heart aching with each word she spoke.

“Amor…” His voice faltered, and he cleared his throat, trying to find his grounding. “She cheated on me. My wife.” He added as though she needed clarification.

Her head jerked up, her eyes wide with surprise, but she said nothing. She waited for him to continue, her breath catching in her throat.

Franco stared out at the stars, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I didn’t feel much at first. I think I expected it. In some way, I always did. I’d been living in a marriage where I wasn’t really present for a long time.” He paused, his eyes distant as he recalled the feeling of his world unravelling. “But... when I found out, I couldn’t feel anything. It was like I had already shut myself off from it all.”

She studied him, her gaze soft but piercing. “Really? You didn’t feel... anything?”

Franco’s heart twisted, “I felt guilty,” he admitted, his voice low. "I didn’t feel hurt or anger. I just felt... guilty."

She frowned, the confusion and concern evident in her eyes. “Guilty? Why? You didn’t cheat. You weren’t the one betraying her.”

Franco chuckled bitterly, a hollow sound that felt foreign to him. “No, I didn’t cheat. But I’ve been mentally cheating on her for years now.” His voice cracked slightly, the admission slipping out before he could stop it. “With you. I’ve been thinking about you. Wanting you. Wondering... what could have been.”

Her breath caught in her throat, and she stared at him for a long moment, the weight of his confession hanging between them like an invisible force. The air was thick, heavy with the things they hadn’t said, the things they had both buried for too long.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the distant rustle of the trees, the wind whispering through the leaves. Then, she shifted slightly, her fingers brushing against his, tentative, like she wasn’t sure if it was okay to reach out. But Franco didn’t pull away. He let her fingers weave through his, and for a moment, they were back to the way they used to be—close, without words, just a connection that had never truly faded.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking the silence again. “I didn’t mean to make things more complicated for you. I never wanted you to feel guilty.”

Franco shook his head, his fingers tightening around hers. “You didn’t. It’s my fault. I should’ve been honest with myself. With you. With everyone.”

Her hand found his, her grip soft but reassuring. “We can’t undo the past, Franco. But maybe... maybe we can stop running from it.” She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face for something—maybe a sign that they were on the same page, that this wasn’t just a momentary lapse, but the beginning of something else.

Franco’s heart skipped a beat. The ache inside him—this pull, this longing—felt more real now than it ever had before. But he couldn’t let himself get lost in it. Not yet. Not before he figured out what came next.

“Maybe,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “Maybe we can.”

But for now, they stayed there, hand in hand, watching the stars as the night stretched on—together, but not quite ready to bridge the distance between them. The future was uncertain, but in that moment, with her close to him again, it felt like the possibility of a new beginning was still there.

And maybe that was enough.

She shifted slightly, pulling her knees closer to her chest as she stared up at the night sky, the stars scattered above them like little pieces of a puzzle they couldn’t quite put together. Her voice broke the quiet again, this time more introspective, tinged with a kind of sadness that Franco couldn’t shake. “Why are we like this?” she asked softly, the question hanging in the air between them. “Why can’t we ever get it right? Why does it feel like we keep missing each other?”

Franco felt a lump form in his throat as he turned his head to look at her. He had no answer. No easy explanation for the years of missed opportunities, the broken promises, the things left unsaid. All he could do was let the silence stretch for a moment before he spoke, his voice thick with regret.

“I don’t deserve you,” he said, his words barely audible, but full of the weight of everything he had kept buried for so long.

Her hand tightened around his, her fingers warm and steady against his skin. She didn’t look at him immediately. She just stared at the stars, letting the night take them both in. But when she did speak, her voice was clear, almost a little too sharp, as if she were trying to distance herself from the ache inside.

“I know,” she said, her words simple, yet filled with the unspoken truth between them.

Franco exhaled slowly, his chest tight with the unrelenting guilt that seemed to follow him wherever he went. “I really don’t,” he added, his tone heavier this time, the words more raw, like they were scraping against his very soul.

She turned her head slightly, her eyes soft but steady as she met his gaze. “But you’ll always have me anyway,” she said, her voice gentle, almost a whisper, but strong in its promise. “All of me. Even if you think you don’t deserve it, even if you feel like you’ve lost me, I’m still here. I always will be.”

Franco closed his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to reach out and pull her into him, to hold on to the promise she was offering, but he knew that he had to fix everything first. He had to prove to himself, to her, that he was worthy.

After a long moment, his mind shifted, a question bubbling up to the surface, something that had been nagging at him for a while now. “What happened to Angelo?” he asked, his voice quiet, but urgent with curiosity.

Her gaze flickered away, her expression becoming unreadable for a brief second. She didn’t speak at first, but then, she sighed, her voice small as she turned her head back toward the night sky.

“He proposed,” she said softly, her words hitting Franco like a punch to the gut. “He got down on one knee, right there in the middle of a restaurant, and asked me to marry him.”

Franco’s heart sank. He had imagined the two of them together, but hearing her speak those words, hearing the finality in her tone, made something inside him shift. His breath caught in his throat.

“And you didn’t say yes,” he whispered, the realisation washing over him slowly, painfully.

She shook her head, her fingers grazing the edge of her sleeve as she gathered her thoughts. “I couldn’t bring myself to say yes,” she murmured, her voice distant, like the memory still held weight over her. “I couldn’t lie to him, and I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. Not after everything. I just... I couldn’t. And when I looked at him, I knew something wasn’t right. I knew that the whole time, I had been lying to both of us, pretending that he was enough when I wasn’t even sure of myself.”

Franco felt his chest tighten, his heart aching with understanding. “I’m sorry,” he said, the words tumbling out before he could stop them. He wasn’t sure if he was apologising for Angelo, for her, or for himself, but it felt like the right thing to say. “I’m sorry for everything.”

She didn’t respond right away. She just sat there beside him, her head back on his shoulder, her fingers still twined with his. The night stretched on, both of them lost in their own thoughts, but there was something in the air that felt different now. It wasn’t just the weight of their shared history or the unsaid words that hovered between them. There was something else.

Something that, for the first time, felt like the beginning of something new.

After a while, she spoke again, her voice barely audible. “I never wanted to hurt him. But I couldn’t pretend anymore. Not when you’re still here, not when you’ve always been here, Franco.”

Franco closed his eyes, his fingers tracing the curve of her hand. “I understand,” he whispered, though he wasn’t sure if he did. He wasn’t sure of anything right now except that he needed to make it right—whatever that looked like.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours, the quiet stretching between them, neither of them in a rush to break the stillness. The night air was cool against their skin, and the stars above seemed to twinkle with the same quiet understanding that hung in the air. For the first time in years, it felt like they were both exactly where they were meant to be—together.

But slowly, the rhythm of her breathing changed, softening, slowing. Franco felt it before he saw it, the gentle shift in the weight on his shoulder. He glanced down, his heart softening at the sight of her—her lashes fluttering closed, her face serene and peaceful in sleep. She was completely relaxed, as if the weight of everything had been lifted, even if just for a moment.

He didn’t move, didn’t want to disturb the quiet that had settled between them. But as minutes ticked by, he knew it was time to move her. Carefully, he slipped his arm beneath her, lifting her gently, cradling her close. Her head rested on his chest as he stood, her body instinctively curling against him. She felt weightless in his arms, and for a second, he couldn’t believe how natural it all felt.

As he carried her through the door to her room, the familiar smell of her childhood home wrapped around him—the scent of lavender and old wood, a place both foreign and intimately familiar. The room was just as he remembered, simple and cosy, with little traces of her scattered throughout. He looked down at the floor he used to sleep on when they were young The soft, pale light of the moon filtered through the window, casting everything in a gentle glow.

He placed her gently in the bed, tucking the covers around her small frame. For a moment, he just stood there, watching her, his chest heavy with emotion. Everything about this felt so right, so painfully wrong at the same time. He should have been here years ago. He should have never let things get so far. But now, he was here. And he wasn’t going anywhere.

He leaned down, brushing a strand of hair away from her face before pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. His lips lingered there for a second longer than he meant to, his heart aching with all the things he never said.

Just as he turned to leave, to head back to his own house, her voice stopped him.

“Don’t.”

Franco froze. His hand rested on the window frame , his heart stalling in his chest. He turned slowly, not sure if he had heard her correctly.

“What?” he asked, his voice quiet, almost unsure.

She looked up at him, her eyes still heavy with sleep, but there was something in her gaze—vulnerable, raw, but full of longing. “Don’t go,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I can’t watch you walk away again. Please don’t.”

For a moment, Franco stood there, his chest tight as he processed her words. Don’t go. It was all he needed to hear. She didn’t want him to leave. After everything that had happened, after all the distance between them, she still wanted him here.

He walked back toward the bed, his movements slow and deliberate. He didn’t need to say anything; the weight of the moment, the look in her eyes, said it all. He carefully slid under the covers, settling beside her, the warmth of her body so familiar yet so new.

Without a word, she shifted, curling into him, her head finding its place on his chest, her hand resting gently against his side. Franco wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close, and for the first time in a long time, he felt at peace. It wasn’t a perfect moment, but it was real. And it was theirs.

They stayed there, the rhythm of their breathing slowly syncing, the quiet of the night wrapping around them. No more words were needed. No more distance. Just the two of them, together, holding on to each other like they were afraid to let go.

And as they drifted off to sleep, tangled together beneath the covers, Franco realised that this moment—this feeling of being home—was everything he had been searching for.

Home.

Her.

It was all synonymous.

She was his home.

the end.

taglist: @sp1rl @yennasaurusrex @ellen3101 @firefirevampire @directioner5life @littlegrapejuice @obxstiles @scopeiguess @newlifeforus @justsisse @zestytimbit @taygrls @charlosvibesonly @sparkleofpizza

[marysfics]

Against the Wind

Your profession is more dangerous than your girlfriend's.

Fluff

The gentle hum of the Spanish countryside was a peaceful backdrop as you adjusted the straps on your helmet, the familiar weight of it a comfort before what would be another intense downhill training session. You stood by your bike, the sleek lines and custom colors gleaming in the soft sunlight, while the rugged mountain trail stretched ahead, steep and unforgiving.

Behind you, you heard the light sound of footsteps. You didn't need to turn to know who it was; the familiar energy made your heart quicken. Alexia Putellas was watching you, as she always did before a big ride—quiet but present, her support unwavering, though today there was something more behind her eyes.

"Are you sure about this one?" she asked softly, her voice holding a gentle note of concern.

You turned, meeting her gaze. The sunlight hit her perfectly, casting a halo around her golden-brown hair, but it was her expression that caught your attention. Alexia was strong, focused, a force on and off the pitch, but when it came to your career—the steep drops, the high speeds, the unforgiving terrain—there was always a flicker of worry in her eyes.

You smiled, walking over to where she stood by your gear bag. "You ask me that every time, Ale." You tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, your fingers lingering on her skin. "But yes, I’m sure. It’s just another practice run."

Her lips quirked into a smile, but the concern didn’t fade completely. "I know, but this trail is… different. Steeper, more dangerous."

You glanced back at the path, its jagged edges and unpredictable turns thrilling you in the way only a true downhill racer could understand. It was the same thrill that Alexia felt on the pitch, that need to push boundaries, to test your limits. But you understood her worry—downhill biking was unpredictable. One mistake could lead to serious injury, or worse.

Turning back to her, you reached for her hand. "I get it. I know you worry about me, but I love this just like you love football. The adrenaline, the challenge… it’s who I am."

Her fingers tightened around yours, a sigh escaping her lips. "And I love who you are. That’s why I worry."

Your heart warmed at her words, and you leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Alexia returned it, her free hand resting against your cheek as if grounding herself in the moment, in you.

When you pulled away, her eyes searched yours. "I’m proud of you, you know. Always. For chasing your dreams, for being fearless."

You smiled, a flicker of pride and love swelling in your chest. "I’m proud of you too. You’re unstoppable out there, Ale. And you’re always there for me. I couldn’t do this without you."

Alexia’s expression softened, but the shadow of concern still lingered. "Just… be careful, okay?"

You nodded, your smile reassuring. "Always." You squeezed her hand before pulling back, grabbing your bike and rolling it to the trail’s edge. You could feel her eyes on you as you mounted the bike, the weight of her emotions following you like a second shadow.

As you positioned yourself, the familiar excitement bubbled up. The trail was daunting, with its sharp bends and sudden drops, but it was nothing you couldn’t handle. Still, Alexia's presence, her constant support and care, gave you a new sense of responsibility. You wanted to be at your best—for her, for the future you both saw together.

"Ready?" you called back over your shoulder, your voice light, trying to ease the tension.

Alexia’s arms were crossed, but there was a glint of pride in her eyes now. "Always."

With that, you pushed off, the wind immediately rushing past you as your bike soared down the first steep incline. The world around you blurred, the trees and rocks becoming mere flashes in your peripheral vision as you focused on the path ahead. Each turn demanded your full attention, every dip and jump testing your reflexes.

But even in the midst of the high-speed descent, you thought of Alexia. Her love, her concern—it wasn’t a weight, but rather a reminder of what waited for you at the bottom of the mountain. You weren’t just racing for the thrill of it anymore; you were racing for her, for the life you were building together.

The final stretch approached, and with one last burst of speed, you flew across the finish, coming to a skidding stop. Your heart pounded, the rush of adrenaline still coursing through your veins, but it was the sound of Alexia’s approaching footsteps that grounded you.

Before you could even dismount, she was there, her arms wrapping around you in a tight embrace. "You did it," she whispered into your ear, her voice filled with pride, relief, and something deeper—love.

You grinned, pulling off your helmet and resting your forehead against hers. "I did. And I’m still in one piece."

Alexia chuckled softly, her breath warm against your skin. "Thank God."

For a moment, the world around you disappeared, and it was just the two of you, standing at the edge of that mountain, together against the wind.

And as long as you had Alexia by your side, you knew you could face any challenge, any race—because she made you feel invincible, even in the face of danger.

"I love you," you murmured, brushing a kiss against her temple.

"I love you too," she replied, her arms tightening around you. "But next time, I’m picking a trail that’s a little less... life-threatening."

You laughed, the sound echoing through the valley below, and in that moment, you knew you’d never trade this life for anything—not the risk, not the thrill, and certainly not the woman who stood with you through it all.

[moondirti]

this might not be everyone’s cup of tea but i’ve been thinking about old price lately. unyielding with age, greying, tired, perhaps a little jaded. he’s not mean so much as he is sure of what he wants, and has honed an eye for those who can readily meet those demands. he doesn’t have the time to be entertaining, training, breaking things to suit him. if you can’t take all of what he has to give — the good, the bad, the ugly — then you won’t be welcomed into his life.

versus a young, pretty thing who is so, so desperate for him. aching with the need to be appreciated, cared for, moulded by a man who knows what he’s doing. someone who hasn’t been bared to the wearing force of the world, not yet tired of living for others, and is willing to do whatever it takes to worm their way into his life. it’s their inexperience, the romanticisation of everything about him that screams danger, an ignorance to pain being the thing that makes one think they can handle it.

unstoppable force meets immovable object. “you don’t want to get into that.” meets “i’d do it with my eyes closed.” winter’s vicious cold and the camellia, that blooms despite.

but that’s misleading. there is no winning, here. once you do manage to get what you want — and you will. he prizes devoted persistence above all else — you’ll come to sorely regret it.

only then, it’ll be far too late to take it back. that’s another thing that comes with age, he finds. however hard it is to accept things into his life, it is impossible to let them go.

(you made all those promises, after all.)

[gangplanksorenji]

Kinknuary Day 9: Cunnilingus

Pairing: LE SSERAFIM Chaewon x Male Reader

Word Count: 5,156

[Kinknuary Masterlist]

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She made herself clear, albeit it’s almost inaudible—she wants you.

You can’t blame her and you would do the same if you’re on her shoes—being physically deprived with her embrace and affection, even though you’re still in touch with her online, is a hard thing to endure since you missed each other so bad that once you’ve saw each other’s faces, you can’t help but run onto each other and envelop her with a warm embrace and to kiss her lips lovingly, as the cherry on top.

You can’t help but get lost, drowned into the sea of love because of her her endearing stare that makes you feel butterflies, let alone her honey-filled, sweet-toned voice that makes you melt every time she talks—you just love her so much that there’s no other person that can top off your adoration as much as you towards her.

“I meant it—I want you, now. I miss you so much that it’s driving me crazy everyday.”

You caressed her hair and cupped her cheek, as you responded, “I genuinely missed you too, Chaewon and now that you’re here, there’s nothing I could ask for.”

It’s genuine and she can feel it laced in every word you let go, and that alone makes her feel so much love that her emotions are starting to make her cry a little, shedding a tear as you wipe it swiftly with your finger.

“You don’t need to cry anymore, Chaewon-ah—I’m here now, okay?”

“Y-yeah, I’m just—” Chaewon sniffs as her throat gets progressively dry due to the weightful emotions she’s into, but nonetheless, she’s feeling all positive and in pure ecstasy. “—overwhelmed right now, so, I can’t help b-but cry…”

She broke down again but this time, she buried her face onto your chest as you reassure and comfort her with your slow strokes onto her hair as she’s giving it all. “Chaewon-ah, it’s alright now, okay? I’m here and we’re not leaving each other anymore.”

She looks up at you with her orbs glistening with delight as she gleefully paints a smile, her cuteness making you smile contagiously in response as you kiss her forehead for further assurance. You know that she agrees with you with that, and will never leave your side but now, such unstoppable forces can’t be stopped as the wholesome moment was later turned into a heated kiss. It wasn’t aggressive nor slow but the passion behind every second you spent on the kiss was felt as you found yourself indulging into it deeper, unable to even pull out to gain some leverage or even fix yourself. With her initiation, you immediately reciprocate as you utterly missed the taste of her lips as you were deprived of it for months and months and no one can blame you for that.

“Wah—y-you’re skills never faded, hah…”

“Thanks to the girl that taught me how to do it properly.” You gave her an endearing look, signaling that you’re talking about her only and nobody else (jealousy would be the last thing you would want to see) and you stand by it, she made you this way and you’re thanking her always for that. It’s truly life-changing and such a grateful thing meeting a girl like Kim Chaewon—so down-to-earth, caring, loving, clingy and most of all, really thoughtful about who she loves, not to mention her utter respect for others as always.

Epitome of perfection, that’s what she is.

The both of you can’t contain your emotions against each other, so, this time, instead of her initiating another kiss, you did it yourself yet this time, it’s way different—her kisses are full of hunger and aggression, unlike from the earlier slow and passionate ones but hey, you’re not complaining but rather liking her insatiable side even more. Constant thuds resonate around the walls as the both of you fight for your hunger against each other and not so long after, you pressed your tongue onto her lips, wanting to increase the intensity of your kisses as Chaewon happily obliges, now her tongue battling yours in a dominant fashion. 

Each second that passes are wild, sloppy sounds of exchanging dances of your tongues as your voiced out your satisfaction and faint struggle with little murmurs and small whines as so does is Chaewon, but hers in a much higher tone and god, the atmosphere quickly heated out as such assertive kisses inevitably emanates such steam (figuratively speaking, of course). You can’t fathom how great this feels, as always, not to mention such absence of hers are the constant fuels of delight and those soft, luscious lips alone are enough of an evidence. Maybe you’re biased coming up to such a positive conclusion but you didn’t care—you want her, no, you need her.

With further retaliation and eager combat against each others’ tongues, you pulled out of her mouth’s tight embrace as the both of you exchanged exasperated breaths and of course, such satisfied smiles knowing that such an incredibly hot act ends up on a great note.

“You’re hungry for me, Chaewon, hm?”

“Maybe, my stomach’s rumbling but I want you better than anything else, honestly.” Chaewon paints a mischievous smirk up her lips as you read her mind, instantly enlightened about her wants and of course, how insatiable you are for her that she’s craving for more, of you.

“You know how I can’t help it whenever I’m with you.”

“So am I, Chaewon.”

Insatiability was inevitable the first time you’ve felt such hunger within each others’ lips and now, you’re craving for more and yearning for your own desires and wishing Chaewon’s on the same boat as yours, too. You could never know what could be in her mind right now but you can sense the need in her eyes—those glistening, round orbs pleading for you only and god, it’s only within a single reach before you can achieve everything you've been abstaining from for months.

Of course, you know Chaewon can get easily embarrassed even with the tiniest, silliest acts so you didn’t really want to make a scene onto the airport’s restrooms even though the tiny room is considered somewhat private—you’d rather want to take this somewhere only just the two of you are capable of witnessing.

“Let’s go home, Chaewon, at your place, okay?”

Chaewon didn’t really formulate any reasoning behind your current halt of her needs and yours because she wants it rather in a more private way too, just like how you concluded to opt for that earlier.

“Yeah—I missed going home to my place too. Want to feel that atmosphere again and—” Chaewon teases her fingers onto your chest as she faintly buried her nail onto the clothed skin, “—you.”

You didn’t really think of much more as time is now considered a gem, more valuable than anything from now on…

---

Such preceding events grow in a substantial rate when it comes to affection and showing such signs of love and honestly, it’s growing exponentially off the charts, to the point that it should be elevated and further shown in actions and words. Well, those were the pinnacle of anticipation and you can’t handle what you’re feeling anymore as you wanted to confess everything you want with her.

Not just staying with just pure verbal words, but what you’d rather do with Chaewon.

“I’ve missed this, baby.” Chaewon parts your lips with affectionate kisses and then, painting a smile right after as her stern yet seductive countenance comes right after, turning you on.

“You don’t know how much I missed this too, Chaewon—like I can’t start off a morning without seeing your beautiful face and your…” You cup her waist as you progressively run your palm up to her plump backside, squeezing it gently as it earns a faint moan escaping Chaewon’s lips. “Body—your body, Kim Chaewon-ah—I missed it as much as I missed you.”

Of course, that earns a flustered expression from Chaewon, as her cheeks shades a rosy hue and so are her ears that turn faintly red. The feelings are mutual as you’re not even trying to hide it from her—you’re vocal on why you want her and how you want her. Her hands weren’t idle, though, as it coursed its way onto your toned abdomen and onto your chest, caressing it as she mutters, “Bet you’re utilizing my naked pics for your own pleasure, no?”

Inadvertently, you spanked her buttcheeks as she yelped and looked at you with her puppy-eyes, involuntarily pleading and whimpering for you, “Isn’t it obvious, Chaewon? I do that every week, thinking about you—being crazy and horny about you.”

She’s enlightened about the fact that you’re frequently driving yourself crazy with this epitome of beauty—the pinnacle of perfection, her, Kim Chaewon. Again, no one can blame you for this and it’s going to the point that it’s becoming unhealthy—obsession is a vice, you know it, but you just can’t help it.

“You naughty, horny boy—you must’ve been so needy before this, aren’t you?”

The techniques she uses everytime she wants to collapse your iron walls is just brilliant and amusing, almost like she knows everything to make you weak—the way her tone instantly changed from a cheerful then a seductive one, her uses of such pet names and most of all, that damn stare that could melt within seconds because on how attractive and seductive it can get.

She’s a lethal weapon and you’re risky enough to handle her, of course—you know her too well.

“Of course I needed you before, Chaewon but all I know is that—” You swivel deftly as you turn her, herself pinned against the wall with a loud thud as you regain the dominant side and continued, “—your holes needs some good filling or shall I say, some teasing, no?”

Again, the feelings that can be felt are obviously mutual as she’s getting turned on with your lustful choice of words, her biting her lip and letting out small whimpers are enough of an evidence to your conclusion. You always find each other hot but you got to say how much you’ve been craving for her since you met her in a warm embrace on the airport: black-colored nylon jacket that compliments her simple style of fashion of her black-colored one-piece dress of a long sleeve and those stockings that serves up an incredibly pristine, simple yet elegant look—of course she’s phenomenally hot with that outfit as it’s passively included there, as always.

Even with how elegant-esque and classy her outfit is, it’s better off on the floor as no image can top off Chaewon’s scrumptiously tight, little body.

“You know m-me, baby—now show me how it’s done.”

You take that as a green light as you immediately pull her for another intimate kiss, the two of you rumbling from the aggression initiated by the both of you but suddenly, she pulls out as she tells you something that’ll arouse you even further.

“I’ve missed you—and this cock, so please—I wanna taste it so bad.” Further needs should be assessed immediately, and you’re not the man who will take advantage of depriving her for something that she’s been longing for and you didn’t even get the time to command her to kneel down as she did it herself. With those eyes—those goddamn pleading eyes, you’re not even going to try and tease her and abstain her as you immediately undressed your bottom-half like you’re in a hurry, not minding such foreplay as if Chaewon wants it now, then she’ll get what she wants now too.

“Then come and get what’s yours then—it misses you too, and your incredible mouth.”

Of course your length does, not to mention how it’s already so rock-hard that when you pulled down your boxers, it almost sprung and hit her on the face. Chaewon eyes your cock like a meal she’s been longing for, examining every inch of it as her hands cupped the throbbing muscle, and then giving it such sluggish strokes and inevitably, you moaned, voicing out such faint pleasure.

“It’s still as big as I remembered it, baby—hope you'll give me a healthy load deep down my throat.”

“Well, I r-really haven’t released one for the past t-two weeks so, this should be great.”

She licks your leaking slit, collecting the precum eagerly as she gave you another mischievous look, almost feeling like she has a deviant plan up her sleeve, “I’ll make you cum like no fucking other, baby—you deserve it for waiting for such a long time.”

That you do, and it’s not even ego-centralized anymore—the both of you deserve such rewards from such hardships and deprivations, of course you’ll fucking deserve it—

And then, Chaewon just indulges into it, on the point of no-return.

She parts her lips onto your swollen cockhead and starts kissing every inch, letting you know how much she adores it as every kiss shows affection and lust over you. She also lathers your whole length with her saliva as she licks it like it’s her favorite ice popsicle that she can’t really resist. Every movement she does with her skillful tongue and tight lips releases serotonin all throughout your body to the point that there’s too much that you need to release such beautiful moans that Chaewon always wanted to hear—your moans also serve as fuel to further make you feel great and she’s really at her own league with this. 

You never doubted her skills, even without your presence for months (you probably doubt this considering that she might be even practicing giving some blowjobs with her toys, thinking that it was you) and that’s one of her plethora of wonderful displays of her lustful prowess. Right from the start, whenever she hollows her cheeks for such an incredible suction up to the electrifying sensation of her tongue licks your sensitive head, it’s just a gift to experience her masterclass, no matter where she’s servicing you or what’s your mood—you’re just incredibly thankful on how gifted of a woman Chaewon is. 

She never fails to amaze you, right away. Her beguiling eye contact with you in thrust she does with her mouth on your length makes you feel butterflies—you don’t even know if you’ll feel endeared with her orbs staring at you lovingly or just get totally aroused with the mess she’ve done and her eagerness in everything she’s doing to you—and of course, her feverish strokes and fondling of your balls would be the most treasured prize you could possibly earn and it’s just magnificent that you’re feeling it right now—you just love the fact that her strokes are constant whenever it’s giving you pleasure as she knows how to hit your sweet spots with alternating between sluggish and fast strokes, from base to tip that could certainly make any man cherish the moment and the way she fondles your balls with care is just adding gasoline to the flames as it stimulates you further and unleashes the hint of your masochistic side.

“Chaewon, your skills are still—fuck—god—s-so good…”

You compliment her from time to time knowing that it’ll further add up the ante of her pace and the quality with an already impressive service. Even when you avert your eyes to wander around the things that could possibly distract you from the peak pleasure she’s been giving you or even just to fight it alone, her marvelous work between your legs is more omnipotent to be ignored nor fought with. With that power, your hands immediately find her hazelnut locks as an outlet to try and fight the intense pleasure that has been coursing down your veins. With a newly profound action form you, Chaewon took this as an opportunity to further lower down your iron walls, wanting to collapse it on her feet as she quickens the pace, blowing you with just withdrawing with only the tip inside and then slamming back in, balls-deep inside her mouth as your toes curl from the pleasure—of course, she didn’t forget to even fondle your balls and swirl her tongue all over your swollen tip, maximizing what she can bestow to you as such pool of saliva is evident on how much she’s utilizing everything.

Her pace is now unstoppable, and you’re not in authority to stop her because you know how feisty she can get when she doesn’t get what she wants and you don’t want that to happen. Everytime you voice out your satisfaction, a visible smile can be seen from your perspective even when she’s not looking at you and solely focusing into giving you the maximum effort she can muster and that alone makes her feel butterflies, let alone your encouraging words that always makes her feel valued and it’s even better when anything is not sugar coated—everything is genuine, maybe it’s the fact that there too much pleasure coursing down your body that you’re biased but that’s the essence of giving such a spectacular service.

“C-Chaewon—fuck—I’m getting close—shit, I’m not g-gonna last that long.”

After, for like, six-and-a-half minutes (that’s your intellectual estimate but you didn’t care anymore) of an earth-stopping blowjob session, she pulls out and smirks at you, mocking you with her dirty talk and anticipating your long-awaited release. “Wow—I’m surprised you’re not cumming any sooner—now give that creamy, thick load deep down my throat, baby, please—I want it here—I w-want it deep down, please, baby—fuck—mmph!”

“Don’t worry—I’ll give t-to you ‘cause—fuck—I’m going to fucking cum deep down your throat!”

There weren’t articulate words escaping your mouths as the state of bliss is coming soon and to further assess each others’ needs (mostly yours), you buried your cock deep down her tight cavern of a throat as she gagged with your forceful actions, deepthroating you with one thing in mind—to paint her slutty throat white. It wasn’t long before you achieve your desired prize and with an unholy sound that Chaewon’s doing on your cock and the continuous release of such vulgar profanities, you erupt as her gags sends magnitudes of vibrations onto your throbbing length that it further sends you into oblivion. Thick, warm shots fill her throat as she tries to take all of it, tears streaming down her cheeks as the visible struggle was too much that she forcefully pulled out of your length and catches her breath yet with all of that, you knew she took you well as now all of your semen is now swallowed down to her stomach. Shs hums in delight with what you gave her and that’s a beautiful sight to see, and her saccharine tone is a pleasant sound to hear. Even with the disheveled mess she has gotten herself into, she’s still as beautiful as ever as every inch of her impeccable features are sheathed with either sweat, tears, makeup or her saliva. 

Yet with all of these, you’re not the only one that’s going to win and get its needs attended—Chaewon has her own necessities, too, that needs utmost attention.

“It’s not just f-fair that you’re the only one who’s going to get off…”

You help her stood up, and then faced her, voicing that you know how this is going to end and you know how she’s as needy as you, “I know, Chaewon—you know that I won’t let my girl sleep without fulfilling her needs but, what exactly do you want me to do, though?”

Good thing you asked because she has a lot of things on her sleeve that she wants you to do but one must prevail, and she’s not going to suspend and make you wait any further. “Since I gave you some world-rocking blowjob, then, you must answer with an oral expertise, too.”

You, a clever guy, exactly knows what she wants you to do as you answer ahead of her further explanation, making her eyes lit in awe and excitement. “So, you want me to eat you out, hm?”

It was pretty obvious to formulate such dirty thoughts whenever she hinted at those words, and you’ll oblige to her wants now. Without any time to waste, Chaewon eagerly nodded as you read her mind pretty fast and sat down onto the side of the bed and spread out her legs a little, teasing you onto your desired needs.

“Such a little tease, hm, Chaewon?”

“You know you like this, baby—” She’s now stripping herself in front of you, putting on a show as she raises up her arms and undressed that one-piece long sleeve that complimented the hourglass figure of her body—that alone shows how tight her body could be as it never ceased to make you drool. Now, with that piece of clothing off her body, you noticed the set of her black-laced bra, supporting those scrumptious, perky tits and a black thong, that further compliments her already hot look, emanating even such a hotter one. “—but I’ll always know how much you like to eye my tight, little body, don’t you, hm?”

And she’s not wrong, your eyes eyeing her body like it’s a five-star meal is enough of an evidence.

The wink. Her voice. The kiss. Her thighs. The thong. Her—she’s just insatiable and you’re now voraciously down bad now with all the teasing she’s doing to you. As much as you admire the thong that’s making the atmosphere excruciatingly hot, you’d want it down because of such actions you need to attend. Chaewon seduces you with her sultry tone, encouraging you to indulge onto her as she spreads her legs and removed the thong down her ankles and god, you froze for a second within the sight of her delicious, wet cunt all over your eyes to feast on and it’s just utter perfection. 

“Don’t keep your girl waiting, baby—eat my pussy—gah, oh fuck!” 

You part your lips immediately with the green light that spilled out of Chaewon’s mouth and your tongue lets her know how insatiable she is. You swipe your tongue onto the heat of her slit as you make her squirm within just few licks and it is effective—the way that her body’s almost writhing with your tongue work on her juicy cunt marks that she’s enjoying this as much as you do (on a side note: of course, who wouldn’t want to relish off of such a perfect girl’s pussy?). With the constant swipe of your tongue to collect her nectar and to taste such a delectable pussy, Chaewon eagerly moans for more encouragement and as time goes by, she voices out the pleasure she’s feeling through a series of desperate mewls and needy cries. It was later all dissolved into intense pleasure, as she fights it by grabbing the back of your head with a tight grip on your hair, similarly identical to the leverage you made while she’s blowing you earlier.

“Moan for me, Chae—tell me how much you love my mouth eating your needy pussy out.”

She’s totally perplexed with the expression of skill you’re doing to her cunt as more juice leaks out and you eagerly collect it with one single swipe as your mouth treasures every single drop. With how much she’s leaking, you’re really unable to collect all of her dripping nectar yet you truly devour her cunt like it’s your last meal, not caring for the mess she’s making in your mouth.

Within such a calm and collective atmosphere are the needy moans and small whimpers that break the silent essence of the room, and gladly, it’s being blessed with Chaewon’s songs of satisfaction. You could tell how sensitive she is considering how her thighs are quivering in every truculent swipe you do on her folds with your tongue and that alone ignites the flame inside you to further make this worth her while. You increase the pace of your tongue and your mouth, as you add in series of kisses between your tongue actions and as well as humming, a vibration that can make any girl weak, down on her knees as Chaewon does so as her ragged breaths, tight grip on the bed sheets like her life means it, and her relentless squirming—each of these elements serves as a compelling evidence of being succumbed onto the ocean of pleasure.

“Come on baby, let it all out—tell me how much you love this—”

“F-Fuck, you don’t know how–gahh—much I missed this! Fuck, y-you’re—fuck—ahh, s-so good at it.”

You lap the juices at her leaking folds as your fingers now take a turn to rub her clit to further stimulate her, “Of course, Chaewon—nobody is doing this better than I do and I’ll make sure that—” Your tongue find its way to collect more of her sweet nectar as she moans in response, satisfied with such sinful acts you’re doing onto her clit as you’re not done with your so-called narrative, “—you’re going to have one hell of an orgasm and that’s thanks to my doing.”

And, you make that promise come to life as you quickly swipe your tongue and finger her clit until she squirms out of oblivion and yes, it’s working effectively. You alternate between sealing your lips tightly onto her folds, licking her labia and collecting those treasure prizes, which is her nectar and the fingering of her clit which makes her brain go haywire. Wanting to gain a better leverage on eating her out, you commanded to lay down on the bed and relax herself and unhesitantly, she does what she’s been told as you further bury down your face onto her heat and god, this new, profound position is way better than earlier. Such sultry, erotic moans and needy mewls that escapes Chaewon’s heavenly mouth fuels the lust inside you, further diving into your animalistic urges as every second that passes is just treasured and cherished, more so on Chaewon’s side.

“Oh fuck—that’s so good, baby—don’t fucking s-stop—fuck!” Chaewon exclaims her blissful trance that sets herself onto submission, further fighting the gradual increase of pleasure coursing down her veins as she tightens her grip onto your hair, nearing those nails down your scalp as a leverage. Your constant pace and momentum is now an unstoppable force as you find yourself even indulging onto the sea of her nectar and her succulent folds even more—you’re now hypnotized with her pussy, can’t be stopped as your only aim is to make her satisfied enough to make her approach her own orgasmic state, in which, with the constant clenching of the walls of her pussy whenever you insert your tongue, you can tell how near is she and you’re helping her for that since she deserves it, right from the start.

Well, this is another thing to note for. Why? Well, she’s not usually like this whenever a steamy session gets initiated by whoever party it is because she’s more likely a switch that alternates onto being dominant and submissive but this is the wonder behind it. Maybe, it’s also the fact that she became overwhelmed with lust and joy that she didn’t care what roleplay she must put in but just succumbed herself to her needs, and it’s just evident.

She’s peak submissive now, and you’re loving it. Maybe, all it takes is your hungry mouth to get a taste of her succulent juices and to be in contact with her needy folds.

And, she’s about to get her hopes up and her high oh-so-near—

“I c-can’t take it anymore, baby! I’m g-going to explode all over your face—all o-over your fucking face, baby—fuck—ahh!!”

She flicks the switch as the devil comes out to play, and she utterly succumbs to her carnal needs as a sinful moan signals the start of her orgasmic trance. She tightens her grip onto your hair as you bury your face onto her wet cunt, her pussy starting to spray such the paramount of her release, the treasured prize that the both of you deserve—such saccharine nectar filling every inch of your face. Every spurt she blesses your face with comes with a moan that adds to the symphony of sinful sounds that filled the entire room earlier, and it’s such a tremendous display of afterwork that you’ve exerted such effort into. You insert a finger while she’s still on her orgasmic trance as the wet squelching of your fingers spurts her nectar out like a fountain and soon, the inevitable has come into an end and Chaewon catches her breath, exasperated with what you’ve done and what she indulged into.

“God—hah—b-baby, that was—hah—so, so fucking good I can’t—hah—wow, you did it s-so well…”

“And you tasted good, baby.” You wiped the plethora of nectar that she blessed you with as you tried to catch everything but in the end, you were deemed unsuccessful. 

“I c-came so hard—fuck… I never t-thought it will b-be—hah, this good…” Chaewon further articulates what she felt as the euphoric essence of her orgasm earlier was making her extremely exhausted, her chest heaving for air shows that she’s slowly recovering from her high. Of course, a mild remark of concern paints your face and your tone, scared that she came a little too hard that it may cause some problems but gladly, there weren’t any signs of that.

“I told you, Chaewon—I’m gonna make you cum so fucking hard.” Chaewon’s ears weren’t deaf, as your words provoked her in the minimal bit, her lightly punching you from your mocks but as much as she’s going to be a hypocrite (and she won’t be), she’s not going to lie about the fact that you made her reach her high way up above, over the limits.

“I f-feel… exhausted, baby—I just wanna sleep now…” You then joined onto the bed as you can see her drowsy eyes, half-lidded as she felt a little too exhausted and overwhelmed—you can’t blame her for that if she felt everything was too fast and euphoric that it just hit her like a truck, and you’d want her to recover further because you value her the most than anything or anybody in this world.

“Then let’s go and sleep, baby—” You then got up to the bed and fixed yourself, ready to go to the bathroom until a snap of a thought enlightens you, wanting to ask Chaewon something before you do anything else for yourself, “I’ll be cleaning myself first, though, how about you?”

She didn’t respond as you can see her already sleeping soundly. You didn’t bother to break that and wake her up, so, you just coursed your way into the bathroom, wanting to clean off the filth that was bestowed to you earlier.

You pay each other with your own coins, and it ended up favorable for the both of you, but this just can’t end like this, on an anti-climactic matter—

Well, maybe, when she wakes up tomorrow or whenever she’s down to do it… And you’re there, to pay another price.

[pin-k-ink]

I WANT DADDY HOSHINA PT 2 ajsnusbssu THAT WAS SO HOT!!!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭 wanna see how he react if his baby mama disobeyed him and went on a simple mission behind his back NAUSNSUSNUSNSHSS

tempest // hoshina soshiro

tw ⇢ overprotective!hoshina, morning sex, mentioned somnophilia, daddy kink, dirty talking, he’s sorta misogynistic, lactation kink, riding, spanking, one clit slap, nipple play, biting/marking

wc ⇢ 6k

a/n: he’s our hubby in this one 🤭 this one can be read separately from the other one btw

Hoshina’s breath escaped in a low, guttural groan as he snapped his hips forward, burying himself to the hilt inside your pussy with one punishing thrust. From between your splayed thighs, you whimpered out a breathless mewl of pleasure, back arching wantonly off the tousled sheets.

"That's it, kitten...let Daddy hear how good he's fillin' up that greedy little cunt," he growled against the thundering pulse in your neck, the rough timbre vibrating straight down to your core. Teeth grazed your oversensitized skin as his palm smoothed over the swell of your abdomen possessively. "Such a gorgeous mama takin' my cock like you were made for it..."

Sparks of electric heat lanced through your nerves at his crude words, stoking the smoldering coals of desire raging within. You trailed one hand down the ridged planes of his abdomen, fingernails raking through the thatch of dark curls before shamelessly cupping the heavy sac grinding against your aching folds.

"Please, Soshiro...need you so deep," you rasped out, intentionally using his name rather than 'Daddy' if only to stoke his simmering dominance. Sure enough, you felt his powerful body go rigid above you, muscles coiled taut as bowstrings.

Then his eyes locked onto yours in a molten glare of reprimand, swallowing you whole in their depths. "What did ya just call me, wife?" he bit out in a tone laced with dark promise.

Meeting his smoldering stare boldly, you licked your lips in a slow, taunting sweep. "Soshiro," you repeated breathlessly. "I want Soshiro to fuck me harder and fill me up again..."

With a savage growl low in his throat, Hoshina shifted his weight onto one thick forearm, looming over you like an unstoppable force of nature. His free hand snaked up to fist in your hair, wrenching your head back to expose the slender column of your throat as he unleashed a series of punishing, piston-sharp thrusts that drove the air from your lungs.

"Ya want yer husband, huh?" he snarled against your gasping lips. "Then take what's yers like the greedy bitch ya are, wife..."

Afterwards, you lay draped against the broad expanse of Hoshina’s chest in a sweaty, sated heap as he lazily traced indolent patterns across your lower back. Every nerve in your body still thrummed with echoing sparks of residual pleasure...and something deeper, almost primal.

"I love watchin' ya swell up ripe and flushed just f'me," Hoshina rumbled out after a time, his fingertips drifting lower to ghost across the taut mound of your abdomen. "Can't decide if ya look more delicious dripping with my cum or fattenin' up with my kid rooting inside."

You shivered lightly at his carnal praise, feeling a molten curl of heat unfurling low in your belly despite your recent vigorous activities. As if sensing this, Hoshina let out a husky chuckle that vibrated straight through your lax frame.

"Insatiable little thing, aren't ya?" he purred against your temple, nosing the damp strands away from your face. "Well soak it in while ya can, mama. Once that belly really starts swelling up, ya won't be leavin' this bed until our brat decides to make their debut and I can start puttin' another bun in yer oven."

Drawing back far enough to catch your eye, he fixed you with a hard look of resolve that brooked no opposition. "I mean it, baby girl. For the remainder of this pregnancy, you're confined to quarters until the medics clear you for activity again. No missions, no training exercises...nothing that could jeopardize you or our child in any capacity. Are we crystal on that?"

You felt your breath hitch faintly, heart rate ticking upwards at his stern edict. Some deeply entrenched part of you instinctively bridled against any cage, even one meant for your own protection. Even as a deeper, rawer undercurrent of your subconscious thrilled at Hoshina’s implacable resolve to keep you safe and sheltered, untarnished by the harsh universe beyond your walls.

Still, you couldn't quite muster the will to argue just then. Not when you could all but taste his commanding presence, authority bleeding from every solid inch of his frame. Not when you were still buzzing from your joint pleasure and the hazy aftermath of orgasmic bliss.

So rather than speak defiance into creation, you simply nestled deeper into Hoshina’s embrace and focused on regaining your scattered wits. Soon you would need to make your excuses and slip away before his watchful gaze unmasked your subterfuge.

Hoshina’s boots rang out in a crisp staccato against the decking as he made his way back to your shared quarters, the familiar route ingrained into his muscle memory. After spending most of the day hunched over requisitions and other bureaucratic busywork, he was ready for a reprieve. More importantly, he was eager to find you exactly where he'd left you that morning - tousled and sated amidst their disheveled sheets.

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as Hoshina’s thoughts drifted to your earlier "conversation" before the daily grind encroached. He could vividly recall the way you trembled and mewled beneath his bulk, back arched in a perfect bow as he rutted into your velvet depths with punishing rolls of his hips. The desperate keen that spilled from your lips when he thumbed your swollen clit in tight, merciless circles until you seized up with a silent scream of rapture...

Hoshina felt himself growing half-hard just from the vivid recollection, arousal smoldering low in his abdomen. Perhaps once he reached your room, he would simply shuck off his clothes and slide up behind you while you were still drowsy from napping. Let you wake up by his fat cock, already sheathed to the hilt and ready to pick up where you'd left off.

His smirk stretched into a lascivious grin at the thought of your drowsy whimpers gradually giving way to breathless sobs of pleasure as he plunged into your syrupy tightness again and again. Hoshina couldn't quite resist palming the prominent bulge rapidly tenting the front of his fatigues, imagining it was your slick grip rather than his own calloused palm.

Yes, the sooner he reached your room, the sooner he could go about thoroughly reacquainting himself with your lush, ripening form splayed out and waiting just for him...

Unfortunately, when Hoshina finally reached your door and it slid open with a pneumatic hiss, he was greeted not by the sight of you languidly draped across their bed....but an empty, undisturbed space with no signs of life at all.

He felt his brows furrowing slightly as he stepped across the threshold, gaze raking across the vacant room as if searching for any clues that might explain your mysterious absence. The crisp military corners on the bed spoke of it not having been slept in since their morning exertions. Your datapad and official comm units sat undisturbed on the small desk, blinking their low-power indicator lights in a somnolent rhythm.

"Maybe she needed a snack after that workout," Hoshiro mused aloud, voice pitched low so it didn't echo too harshly in the empty space. It wouldn't be the first time your insatiable appetite had you seeking out extra rations so soon after—

His train of thought derailed as he turned towards the open closet tucked into the corner of the bedroom. More specifically, at the distinct vacant spaces on the interior racks where your combat suit should have been hanging at the ready.

Instantly, Hoshina’s hackles went up like a feral canine scenting blood on the wind. He crossed the small room in two powerhouse strides until he could lean into the closet and let his eyes hungrily devour every empty inch, every bare rack and shelf.

Sure enough, your full deployment array was conspicuously absent, as if someone - you - had already geared up and moved out. The realization slammed into Hoshina like a shock-pulse concussive round, momentarily leaving him winded.

"No...she wouldn't," he growled under his breath like a mantra, pulse rabbiting treacherously beneath his skin. "Not after I made it crystal fuckin' clear this morning."

But the longer Hoshina stared at the incriminating lack of evidence, the more his throat constricted with a combination of fury and spiraling dread. You had directly countermanded his order to remain safely sequestered away from potential harm. Worse, you had apparently felt the need to resort to deception and misdirection rather than simply voice a disagreement or concern.

"That stubborn, stupid little—" Hoshina bit off the venomous words before they could fully take shape, pivoting sharply on his heel. He needed confirmation rather than wild assumptions, no matter how damning the surface evidence appeared.

Yanking his comm unit free, he thumbed through to the general deployment manifest with hands that grew incrementally more unsteady the longer he searched in vain. Muscles ticked in his clenched jaw, heartbeat thundering in his ears like muffled ordnance as panic slowly crept its razor-edged tendrils through his synapses.

When he finally found the blinking indicator tagged with your name, the bottom simply fell out of Hoshiro's gut with a hollow lurch of pure, visceral dread. There you were, already deployed and well on your way towards a supposedly "low-risk" recon vector under the temporary command of some fool grunt who clearly had missed the override notice regarding your protected status.

"No, no no no..." The denials bubbled up in frantic repetition as Hoshina’s mind rapidly whited out save for one singular, incandescent revelation burning straight through his consciousness—

You, his wife and bearer of his child, had directly defied his explicit mandates in order to insert yourself into an active combat situation, regulations and mission parameters be damned. Heedless of the possible consequences to your own wellbeing, let alone that of the precious life nestled within your consecrated womb.

"That idiotic, reckless, gods-damned fool of a woman," he choked out through a rapidly constricting throat as white-hot fury began lancing through his veins like combusting thermite. "If so much as a single hair on her head gets so much as ruffled because of this insubordinate stunt, I'll—"

Hoshina’s tirade fractured off in a strangled snarl of pure, incandescent rage as he slammed his fist into the nearest console hard enough to buckle meter-thick plasteel.

One way or another, he was extracting you from that ill-conceived and untenable mission immediately. And there would be absolutely no force in this cosmos mighty enough to shield you from the full, unrestrained fury awaiting your return...

You tugged down the zipper of your combat suit, shrugging out of the sweat-dampened material with a weary exhale. The cleanup sweep had been relatively uneventful, but there was still a lingering tension thrumming beneath your skin in anticipation of Hoshina’s inevitable reaction.

The soft hiss of the door sliding open drew your gaze over your shoulder, unsurprised to find Captain Ashiro stepping through with her trademark inscrutable expression. You offered her a tight smile as you deposited your disengaged gear into the cleaning rack, suddenly self-conscious about being caught in nothing but your tank top and panties.

"Figured I'd check in and see what inspired this little off-book jaunt of yours," Ashiro said by way of greeting, circling around to face you directly. Her calculating crimson eyes raked over your body in a clinical sweep before settling on the slight swell of your midsection. "Especially given your...delicate condition at the moment."

You fought the urge to fold your arms defensively, forcing yourself to stand tall under her scrutinizing attention. "It was a routine recon run, nothing more," you responded in a level tone. "No hostiles, no risks beyond the standard regulated para—"

"And yet here you are, knowingly defying the explicit orders of your superior officer charged with overseeing you and this pregnancy." Ashiro's voice remained infuriatingly calm, devoid of any real accusation or judgment. "Not to mention the needless stress and potential fallout about to erupt once he finds out."

You opened your mouth, ready to defend your rationale one more time. But all the arguments and logic shriveled up on the tip of your tongue as the unmistakable sound of storming boots reverberated down the hallway beyond. Both you and Ashiro turned towards the door just as it hissed open, admitting one utterly furious Hoshina Soshiro with jaw clenched so tightly you could see the thick cords of tendons straining in his neck.

"Too late," the Captain sighed out in a low murmur, already taking an instinctive half-step back to get out of the oncoming warpath. "Here comes the fallout now..."

Hoshina’s burning stare pinned you in place as he prowled forward, practically bristling with tightly leashed menace from every taut line of his towering form.

"You," he bit out in a tone dripping with arctic bite. "Bedroom. Now."

Though his words were couched as a terse command, you could hear the low, thrumming undercurrent of mingled rage and sick panic bleeding through that had your nerves alight. He never took his eyes off you, even as Ashiro cleared her throat softly nearby.

"Hoshina, perhaps we should—"

"No," Hoshiro snarled without ever breaking his intense stare in your direction. "This is between my wife and I. And trust me, Captain...ya don't want to be present for the ensuin' discussion."

There was an undeniable edge of dark promise laced through that final warning that caused even the stoic Ashiro to pale slightly. With a tight nod, she pivoted on her heel and quit the room in a swift about-face, leaving you alone with the seething force of nature that was your husband.

As soon as the door slid shut behind her, you opened your mouth to try to placate and explain. But Hoshina was on you in a surge of heated movement, one hand lashing out to clamp like a shackle around your upper arm as he effortlessly herded you backwards.

"Startin' to realize ya women should listen more often when a man gives an order," he growled out acidly between gritted teeth. The words reverberated against you in a palpable wash of simmering fury and outright disbelief. "But no...ya have to go and prove yer the most pigheadedly stubborn bitch I've ever known."

You gasped at the cruel barb, shock and hurt ricocheting through your thoughts. Yet before you could even draw sufficient breath to protest, Hoshina spun you both around and propelled your stumbling form down the passageway.

"S-Soshiro, wait—!" you managed at last, craning your neck to glance back towards him pleadingly. But the only response you received was another rough jerk of his hand and a scorching glare potent enough to combust plasma.

"Don't think yer sweet little doe-eyes will save ya from a long-overdue reckonin' this time, wife," he growled, curling his lips with withering sarcasm around the endearment. "When I get ya behind closed doors, yer in for the harshest lesson of yer goddamn life about obedience and loyalty to those who actually give a fuck about yer well-bein'."

You knew better than to argue further once he got into this black, brooding demeanor. The colossal tempest of Hoshina’s fury would have to crest and break on its own before you could so much as attempt to insert any form of logic or reasoning.

So instead, you bit down on your trembling lower lip and averted your gaze, bracing yourself for the gathering storm looming on the near horizon. Somehow, you couldn't quite escape the sense that this would only be the opening salvo in a battle royale to test your relationship's bonds beyond any imaginable strain.

Hoshina all but flung you through the doorway into his private quarters, the door slamming shut behind you with a visceral finality. Before you could regain your footing, he was on you - powerful hands clamping around your biceps to shove you back against the nearest surface with bruising force.

"Think ya can just disobey my orders like that without consequence?" he snarled, mere inches from your face now. You could see the pulsing vein in his neck, the tic jumping in his clenched jaw as that blazing glare bored into you without mercy. "Risk putting my fucking child in harm's way like yer duty means jack shit compared to yer ego?"

"Soshiro, please—" you tried placating, instinctively cringing away from the full brunt of his withering fury. But he wasn't having any of your attempted reasoning. Not this time.

With a savage growl, Hoshina wrenched your tank top up until your breasts spilled out obscenely, baring your body from the waist up. You gasped as the chill air prickled over your exposed skin, making your nipples bead into stiff points as you reflexively moved to cover yourself.

"Don't ya fuckin' dare!" he barked out in a tone that brooked zero disobedience. Pinning your wrists above your head with one crushing grip, Hoshina leaned in until you were engulfed in the scorching heat pouring off his rigid frame. When next he spoke, his voice emerged in a low, resonant rasp thrumming with barely restrained savagery. "This body, this life ya put at risk so carelessly, belongs to me. Every inch is mine to do with as I please until that lesson gets beaten into yer skull permanently."

You whimpered as his free hand drifted down with clear intent, palming your abdomen in a shockingly gentle caress completely at odds with the ferocity radiating from him otherwise. Hoshina bowed his head until you could feel the rasp of his stubble rasping across your tingling skin, each hot exhale gusting across your thundering pulsepoint in a scalding brand.

"Such a gorgeous little thing," he growled against the slick hollow of your throat in a tone that seethed with smoldering possession. "So lush and heavy with my seed, ya fill me with primal need to rut ya into submission over and over..."

With that, Hoshina’s head dipped lower, mouth searing a path of open-mouthed kisses down to where his palm still cupped your midsection in an implacable claim. You sucked in a shaky inhale as his tongue dipped into your navel, swirling through the shallow indentation with maddening focus. But it was the low rumble of promise that finally doused your defiance in an icy deluge.

"I'm gonna spend the next few days reminding ya who you belong to, baby girl. Mind, body, and certainly this cunny that dared tempt me into riskin' my legacy." With that, his palm drifted lower, cupping your pussy directly as his burning stare skewered you in place. "Don't worry though, mama," he purred in a voice gone gravelly and sinful around the edges. "By the time I'm done, you'll have no doubts left about obeyin' yer husband from now until I decide to release ya again..."

"Please...you're being unreasonable," you pleaded breathlessly, squirming in his iron grip. Despite his earlier reprimands, you couldn't resist the urge to push his dominant buttons further, if only to spur him into action. "I'm not made of glass, Soshiro, and you know it."

For a long moment, he simply stared at you, the fire in his eyes blazing even hotter as they roamed possessively over your exposed skin. Then his mouth was crashing into yours with a savage ferocity, swallowing your whimper as his teeth latched onto your bottom lip and bit down. Hard.

"Oh, yer about to be so fuckin' sorry ya ever doubted my intentions, wife," he snarled against the sting of torn flesh, a trickle of iron blooming on your tongue. Then his fingers were tearing at your panties, ripping them away with a low snarl as he released his hold on your wrists.

You gasped as the cold air kissed your bare mound, hips bucking reflexively as Hoshina yanked you forward by the waistband of your ruined underwear. With a feral grin, he tossed the shredded scrap aside before hauling you up off the ground and tossing you bodily over his shoulder.

You couldn't contain a squeak of surprise as your world inverted, suddenly finding yourself staring at the ground while his massive palm settled across the swell of your ass. Before you could protest, a sharp, ringing slap echoed through the air as pain flared across your bare backside.

"Ow, Soshiro, what the—!"

He interrupted your indignant squawk with another resounding smack, sending a fresh wave of fire lancing across your flesh. You twisted against his hold, unable to fully process the strange mixture of humiliation and arousal unfurling within at this blatant display of his strength and dominance.

"Oh, kitten...that's just a warmup for what's about to come," Hoshina all but purred out, each word vibrating straight through your body where it was draped over his shoulder. You were about to lash out with a retort when you felt twin points of something sharp and unforgiving pierce into the pliant flesh of your rear.

"Fuck, yes...such a perfect little peach," he groaned out, the words garbled and muffled by his mouthful of your ass. He sounded positively ravenous as he sank his teeth deeper, sharp canines biting down hard enough to send sparks of mingled pain and pleasure spiraling through your synapses.

By the time he unceremoniously dumped you onto the bed, your entire lower half was abuzz with the lingering sting and his mouth-shaped brand. Still, you couldn't help the way your core throbbed traitorously as he loomed above you, expression utterly bestial and wild-eyed with unadulterated need.

"Soshiro...I'm sorry," you whimpered out, feeling the fight slowly draining from your body. It was no use resisting the inevitable, not when he was like this. Especially not when the ache deep in your core demanded to be slaked by the only man who could truly fill it. "I shouldn't have disobeyed, I was just—"

"Too damn bad, baby girl," Hoshina cut in, a vicious glint flashing through his eyes as his massive frame crowded into the mattress. You could practically taste his ire and lust intermingling as his gaze swept over you in a predatory leer. "Ya coulda just listened to me like a good little wife and we coulda been havin' the most mind-blowing sex of yer life right now."

He was between your legs then, calloused hands smoothing along the inside of your thighs in a scorching path. The friction had you gasping, arching against him as his touch stoked the embers of your desire higher and higher.

"Now you've lost all privilege of gettin' a reward for that tight little cunt," he continued, a taunting edge creeping into his tone. His thumbs were drifting inward, circling ever closer to your aching slit in a slow tease that had you writhing. "No, I'm gonna show ya exactly how a proper wife should behave."

You let out a needy whine, canting your hips towards his touch in a wordless plea for more. Hoshina smirked down at you, clearly relishing in your desperation as he drew the pad of his thumb directly across your slick seam.

"Fuck, yer already soaked and beggin' for me," he growled out, circling your entrance in a light tease. "And to think, you were trying to keep me outta this sweet little hole all day, huh? How selfish, baby..."

A ragged cry tore from your lips as he suddenly brought down three of his fingers in a punishing slap against your swollen cunt. The sharp bite of pain sent a flood of arousal coursing through your veins, causing you to arch and writhe against the sheets as you instinctively sought more friction.

"Please...please, Daddy, I need you," you sobbed out, unable to keep the petulant whine from bleeding into your tone. It wasn't enough, not nearly enough to soothe the burning ache deep within. You needed him to fill you up, to stretch and spread you wide open until you could no longer discern where you ended and he began.

"Oh, don't worry, kitten," Hoshina said in a voice gone soft and dark, the kind he used when he wanted to lure you into a false sense of security before sinking his teeth in. "Daddy's gonna take real good care of his wife..."

You whimpered, a frisson of anticipation zipping down your spine. His promise had you instantly on edge, muscles twitching faintly with the urge to buck and grind against the thick bulge tenting his pants. But before you could even consider trying to move, he was gripping your hips in a punishing vise and rolling onto his back, pulling you atop him.

"S-soshiro...?"

"That's right, ride Daddy's cock like a good little wife," he growled out, hands drifting to your hips and wrenching them forward in a rough jerk that had his fat length rubbing across your swollen slit. You could feel his hot, throbbing flesh nestled directly against the dripping crux of your thighs, every nerve in your body sparking into overdrive at the delicious friction.

"C'mon, baby, fuck yerself on my dick like the insatiable little slut you are," Hoshina snarled up at you, hips canting upward in a filthy grind that had you gasping. You were already dripping, juices soaking his pants as his tip caught and teased your aching entrance.

"Y-you're the insatiable one," you somehow managed, bracing your hands on his broad chest. He chuckled lowly at your attempt to rally, the sound vibrating through your core and fanning the flames of need burning ever hotter within.

"Is that right, mama? Let's see how much ya really think that." Before you could ask, he was gripping your hips again and guiding you back and forth. You couldn't bite back the needy moan as his clothed cock rubbed over your clit in a tantalizing friction, each pass driving you that much closer to the edge.

"I can feel ya leakin' all over me, kitten. So eager to cream yerself like a greedy bitch in heat," he murmured, voice gone rough and guttural with lust. The way his eyes darkened with naked hunger as he watched you rutting against his shaft was almost enough to send you careening into oblivion on its own.

"P-please," you moaned out, rocking your hips forward and back in a desperate bid for more. Your hands curled into claws against his chest, fingernails raking the fabric of his shirt. "Please, Soshiro, I need you inside me."

"Oh my poor, sweet girl," he rumbled out, the words tinged with mock-sympathy. Then he was lifting his hips, tugginghis fly open, and his bare cock was rubbing over your throbbing cunt, and you couldn't suppress a low keen of pure, animalistic want.

"This is what ya need, baby?" he purred, a darkly amused edge bleeding into his tone as he lightly slapped his shaft against your folds in a taunting tease. You nodded frantically, unable to do anything but grind back against him in a silent plea for more.

Hoshina simply chuckled again, gripping the base of his cock and guiding the head to nudge your entrance. The feeling of his thick crown spreading you wide open had your thighs trembling, inner walls already fluttering around the sudden intrusion.

"C'mon, mama, take what's yers," he snarled, his hips bucking upwards in a shallow thrust that had his crown breaching your entrance. The sudden fullness was enough to draw a breathless moan from your lips, eyes fluttering shut as you tried to adjust to the delicious stretch.

"Gods, I love how fuckin' tight ya are," he groaned out, fingers trailing up to splay his palms over your abdomen. His gaze was fixated on your baby bump, nostrils flaring with a low rumble of primal hunger as his thumbs stroked possessively across your skin.

Then he was guiding you down, forcing your body to stretch and accommodate his thick girth as his hips surged upward in a single, relentless thrust. The breath left your lungs in a startled gasp as you were filled to the brim with his cock, impaled so thoroughly you could feel him nudging against the very back of your channel.

"Look at that pretty little bump," Hoshina rasped, his palms pressing against your abdomen with an undeniably reverent caress. "Just knowing yer swellin' up ripe with my child, fuck..."

Before you could so much as register his intent, his hands were gripping your waist and lifting you up until only the flared tip of his cock was still sheathed inside. Then he was slamming you back down in a hard thrust that had your walls clamping around his shaft, a strangled sob bubbling up from your throat.

"Soshiro—!"

"Oh, that's it, baby," he snarled, the words garbled as his fingers dug bruises into the curve of your hips. "Show me how much ya love ridin' Daddy's fat cock."

You were helpless to resist as he set a punishing rhythm, driving up into your pliant body in a series of powerful rolls that had you mewling and writhing atop him. His grip was iron-clad, keeping you pinned in place and speared open as he hammered his length into you in a series of ruthless snaps.

"So fucking perfect," he groaned out, head dropping back against the pillows as his gaze devoured your breasts bouncingwith each jarring impact. You felt raw and exposed, utterly vulnerable under his unwavering scrutiny. And yet, the way his eyes darkened with carnal hunger had you moaning, clenching down around his cock buried deep within.

"Such a beautiful little thing," he said hoarsely, his free hand trailing up to cup the underside of your breast. You shivered, feeling the taut nipple straining against his palm in a wordless plea for attention. When Hoshina's thumb circled around the sensitive peak in a teasing flick, a ragged whimper spilled from your lips.

"Daddy, please," you gasped, back arching in an attempt to push yourself further into his grip. He simply smirked, eyes flashing with dark promise as he tightened his grip on your waist.

"Please what, baby girl? Tell me what ya need." His thumb and forefinger rolled your nipple in a torturous tweak that had your toes curling, inner walls rippling around his girth in a reflexive clench.

"Your mouth, I need your mouth," you panted, barely recognizing the high, breathless rasp of your voice. With a low chuckle, Hoshina's other hand drifted up until he was palming both of your breasts in a scalding grip.

"Mmm, ya always get so greedy when I tease these perfect tits," he purred, kneading your soft flesh with calloused fingers. You moaned, squirming on his lap and earning a sharp smack against your ass in reproach.

"But since you've been a good girl and finally showed Daddy proper respect," he continued, his hands drifting lower, tracing a scorching path down the quivering plane of your stomach. You trembled, feeling his fingertips tracing feather-light over your abdomen before finally coming to rest over the gentle swell where your womb held his child.

"I guess I can reward my pregnant little wife, hmm?" Hoshina's voice dropped to a gravelly rumble as his thumbs brushed the underside of your breasts, the pressure a delicious counterpoint to the way his cock throbbed and pulsed within your clenching heat.

Before you could so much as draw breath, he was arching up and wrapping his lips around your nipple. A startled moan slipped from your throat as he sucked hard, the sensation going straight to your clit in a pulse of pure electricity. You were helpless to do anything but writhe in his hold as his tongue flicked and teased your sensitive flesh, his cock grinding up against your fluttering depths.

"Ah, n-no, wait, I can't—!"

You didn't even register the fact that your breasts had begun lactating until a low growl reverberated against your breast, Hoshina's hips jerking upwards as the first drop of sweet nectar beaded onto his tongue. His eyes rolled back, a bestial groan spilling from his lips as he began sucking and lapping in earnest, drinking down the milk that flooded his mouth with a ravenous fervor.

"Holy shit, my sweet girl's lactatin' already," he rasped, sounding utterly wrecked as he moved to lavish your other nipple. Your hands flew to his hair, tangling in the sweat-damp locks as his lips and tongue worked in tandem. You were so wet now, the lewd, slick sounds of his cock slamming into your cunt practically drowning out his fevered groans.

"F-fuck, so good, Daddy—" you choked out, unable to control the desperate roll of your hips as you began grinding down against him. You were so close, the tension coiling low in your belly rapidly ratcheting tighter with every pass of his cockhead over that spot deep inside.

"Are ya gonna cum, mama?" Hoshina purred against your skin, the words muffled as he continued licking and suckling. He sounded absolutely euphoric, utterly drunk off the taste of you flowing over his tongue. "Are ya gonna cream all over my cock?"

You moaned, a shiver racing down your spine. The way he was drinking from you was so intimate, so raw, and combined with the relentless pounding of his cock it was more than enough to send you spiraling.

"Please...I need it, Soshiro," you whined, hands clutching at his hair with a feverish desperation. You were so close, muscles seizing and quivering around his thick shaft as the tension snapped taut like a live wire.

"Then fuckin' cum for me, baby," Hoshina snarled, his words punctuated by a sharp thrust that had his cock grinding over that perfect spot. He released your breast with a wet pop, his hands moving to your waist once more as his hips began jackhammering into your clenching cunt.

"That's it, cum all over Daddy's cock," he growled, fingers digging bruises into your sides. "Fuckin' milk my balls dry with this hungry little hole, show me how much ya missed being bred like the bitch ya are..."

Your world exploded into a burst of white-hot static as your climax crashed over you, body bowing taut as his name spilled from your lips in a broken cry. You couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't do anything but shake and sob as pleasure washed over you in a torrential deluge, sweeping you along in its current.

Dimly, you could feel the hot spurts of his seed painting your inner walls as his cock throbbed deep inside. Hoshina let out a guttural snarl, hands flying to your hips and crushing you against his lap in a single brutal thrust.

"Fuck, can't stop fuckin' cummin'," he groaned, his cock jerking and pulsing with each fresh gush of hot cum. His face was flushed, pupils blown wide as he ground himself deeper inside you. "Keep squeezin' my dick, mama, gods..."

When he finally collapsed back against the pillows, panting and sweat-slick, you slumped forward onto his chest. Your bodies were still connected, his cock twitching faintly within your thoroughly ravaged cunt as the final dribbles of his seed leaked from your core.

"Holy shit," Hoshina rasped, breath ghosting hot over the shell of your ear. His hands trailed up and down your sides in a soothing motion, calloused palms dragging across the hypersensitive skin. "Honey…"

"Mmmm, please don't tell me we're done," you mumbled, too blissed out to muster a proper protest. He snorted, one hand drifting up to toy with your tousled hair.

"Sweetheart, ya just had an orgasm that almost put you into a goddamn seizure," he said, sounding mildly incredulous. "And yer still thinkin' about getting railed?"

You let out a faint giggle, the sound vibrating through your torso until it buzzed around his spent cock. His hips jerked reflexively, a low groan rumbling deep in his chest as he rolled his head back against the pillows.

"Fuck," he mumbled, clearly struggling to regain his composure. "I’m still mad at ya, just so yknow."

You sighed, nuzzling into his shoulder. "I know, but...we'll talk about it after a nap, right?"

Hoshina went still, the fingers in your hair falling silent. For a long moment, you simply lay there, enjoying the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your cheek.

"Yeah," he said finally, voice gone soft and contemplative. His arms tightened around you, pulling you flush against his broad chest. "We'll talk about it then, sweetheart."

[diejager]

BEGGING I WAS LEFT ON A CLIFFHANGER FOT THE MONSTER AU 141 😭😭😭😭😭

pretty pretty please 🙏🙏

Only Human pt.2

Pairing: Monster Task Force 141 + König & Horangi x reader

Cw: canon-typical violence, hate, xenophobia, mention of racism, blood and violence, injury, fighting, protective 141, trauma?, anxiety, tell me if I missed any. wc: 6.3k

Only Human Masterlist

Previous

You still wonder, to this day, why you were needed on the Task Force. It worked like a well-oiled machine when put to the task, nearly unstoppable in the face of enemies. Although you were prideful to call it your home, you felt lacking compared to them, all much stronger, fiercer, and nimbler than you in every aspect, separated by miles of distance. One thing, however, that you could wield with an iron fist was your human nature and people’s fear of newly implemented hybrids. The public expression from governments about welcoming them into their ranks and their society without staying hidden under the pretence of being sick or behind a veil of secrecy. 

You, after seeing how many Joint Task Forces and other Teams treated the 141, decided to deal with the introductions, the medium, the pacifier, between every team. Humans tended to react differently to another human than to a hybrid, they were nicer, less brutal and honest (a kind that held little spite). Laswell seemed more agreeable to your idea when you first came up to her with it, having seen the hate sent to hybrids she worked with. She encouraged you to be the first to interact or stand beside Price when he greeted human soldiers. Price, unlike Laswell, was reluctant at first. His instinct of protection and possession of his hoard made him less open to such ideas, especially if it brought you some, if any, backlash from other humans (humans are cruel, they shun what they don’t understand, they fear it and push to control it, if not, they destroy it. The need to control every aspect of their life made humans ruthlessly unremorseful and unsympathetic to other causes.).

As a tight-knit TF, some decisions are taken in votes, by hearing what the others thought of the idea or plan and his one was harsh. Ghost was hard-pressed on keeping you between them, the little, fleshy human of their Task Force (the youngest) and to let them deal with xenophobic glares while keeping you protected. Alejandro was similarly worried, but he knew the outcome of letting you speak first or accompany Price. He was torn. The others, Soap, Gaz and Rudy, seemed onboard, with the kind of why the fuck not? kind of look on their faces. Soap especially, he’d be able to stick close to you without having to hover over you like a protective guard dog. 

Seeing the votes in your favour, he let it pass, and no sooner had they needed to meet a second team - human soldiers - for the next deployment. You stood beside Price when he strutted down the walkway, shoulders broad and back straight, an image of a strong and fearless leader with his draconic tail flailing lowly. He, as intended, greeted them first, rank and name before he presented you, his little human helper with humans. They’d taken better to speaking to you, being spoken by one of their own rather than a hybrid. He saluted you more amicably and more sincerely:

“Pleasure meeting you, Hunter.”

“The pleasure’s all mine, Captain.”

Although it wasn't without its setbacks, the operation went well, you had been able to come out mostly unscathed, leaving a few enemies on the brink of death for Ghost to savour. He was most thankful, a part of his body dissolving into the finest mist as they washed over the living bodies sprawled on the ground. You watched on, mesmerised by the uncanny way Ghost’s body absorbed the bodies of others, flooding the area with his shadow while you stayed unbothered, in the same condition as he first started. His darkness reached your neck, covering you in a soft cover of warmth as he ground the bodies to ash and dust. His skin was cold, but his powers were darkly hot, burning with the embers of hell, of a dead soul coming back for revenge and evilness.

Beyond the fact that your idea worked, you liked feeling useful to them, having a semblance of usefulness in a team of extremely competent beings. You felt with first greetings from then on, smiling and saluting to the leading figures of the groups you’d work alongside. It lessened the weight on Price to appease and pacify the new additions, he’d be able to fare better with the operators now that they had a different welcome, a different kind of greeting. It played into the minds of wary men that a human was the one to greet them, that one of theirs was leading the hybrids for them. You played the perfect example of a soldier for any xenophobic bastard. 

Ghost, while still feared, received fewer glares than he usually would, occasional ones from daring or bold soldiers holding a lower rank than him, but he appreciated your attempts at making them more comfortable. He’s used to the negative reactions, had been since his childhood, but you seemed to make him feel like he deserved better, like he shouldn’t be glared, spat and scoffed at.

Soap, Rudy and Alejandro looked like human men in peak condition, if only for Soap and Alejandro’s glowing eyes and heightened strength and agility. Rudy was somewhat human, he looked and acted like one, down to the DNA, but with the title of cadejos vessel came powers. Perhaps not as strongly affecting as the rest of the hybrids, but he had subtle changes in his molecular making. 

Gaz had stares coming left and right, daggers sent his way for having wings and talons he couldn’t will them to disappear, to recess under his skin and wear the appearance of a human man. He felt the heaviest blow by both not being able to cover his gifts and the colour of his skin. Although you wanted to proclaim that your new age came with more open-minded people, you knew that it simply couldn’t fix hundreds of years of standards in a few decades. People would still judge others by the tone and colour of your skin, they’d still hate the different and the strange; just like they hated hybrids. So you kept to his side most often after your introductions, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him close, letting him embrace you with a protective wing and a grateful smile.

You mostly worked hand in hand with human-filled teams and spear-headed human-led operations. So you were shocked, frozen to your core, when you saw a tiger haetae hybrid beside a tall, veiled operator walking down the cargo ramp. The hybrid, a tiger variant from the black-striped, orange tail that flickered slowly in a warning to any approaching beings. Dark glasses and a mask covered his face, his jacket and vest riding to the edge of his jaw, covering any skin from showing, though his lower back was left uncovered for the comfort of his swaying tail. He was neither short nor tall, he was tall enough to be slightly over the average height, but his teammate dwarfed him.

Perhaps his enormous height was an aspect of his monster half, or maybe he had the perfect genes to hold such a frame. He too, like his haetae operator, hid his face under a veil with maroon tears painted under his eyes. Like Ghost, he was covered head to toe in equipment and clothes, a jacket, a vest, gloves and black paint around his eyes. Whoever this was had both height and mass, burly arms and broad shoulders eclipsed by a slim waist and equally, disastrously thick thighs. On their left arm were flags, one from South Korea and the other from Austria.

They were the only ones to walk out, the only ones to approach you. Then your TF only had two new faces to work with rather than a whole team. You were tempted to say it would be easier, you waited until they stopped for Price - Price only - to greet them since they wouldn’t need a human to negate any aggressiveness between human and hybrid - or so you thought. They moved in synchrony, Price stepping forward to cover you with his body, his back facing you as he crossed his arms. Ghost and Alejandro had moved next to the captain, covering your sides. Alejandro had crossed his arm in a similarly menacing way, and Ghost stood still, body rigid but ready to strike at a moment’s notice; both were glaring ahead. Soap and Rudy took their places behind the colonel and the lieutenant, arms glued on their sides, weapons within reach with menacing stares towards the Korean and the Austrian. Gaz’s wings grazed you, soft feathers wrapping themselves around you and pulling you into his chest, acting as a protective cocoon for you. 

“What-?”

They moved so quickly and efficiently that they seemed to suddenly appear in place, back straight and protective. Protective of you. Hybrids, from what you’d heard from couples and families, were possessive of their own, caring and extremely wary of other hybrids they hadn’t formed a bond with. Your TF was your pack, they were all tethered to each other through the familial bond they formed over the years. Then you came in, small and weak with your human self into a den of lions, thrown to be subjugated to their loving mercy and sinfully strong personalities. 

The team of six hybrids encased you, barring the KorTac specialists from seeing you. Monsters and hybrids could sense one another - from what you heard - and they reacted instinctively. You saw their bodies tense as the two approached your team, muscles strained under the compacting anxiety and possessiveness. You could neither see over their shoulders nor feel what was happening, they stopped farther from you than you’d expected and you couldn’t see their feet. 

The only sign you had was your captain’s gravelly voice welcoming them, his tail swaying like a cat’s tail, a slow, cautious motion. It - knowingly or unknowingly, seeing as Price acted on a mix of instincts and worry - wrapped around your ankle, clinging tightly to your boot-clad leg while a rumble rattled his chest. Steam rolled from his lips, billowing over the top of his hat in a show of power and warning. You hoped they wouldn’t take this negatively. They worked hard to curb the harmful rumours of 141 being beasts in human skin, acting like blood-thirsty and ravaging monsters that cared for nothing but themselves. 

Although you couldn’t see them, the Austrian could, his towering height assured that he could see over almost any human, monster and hybrid alike. He was curious about the way they protected one of theirs as if you were weak. He cocked his head, green eyes gleaming red as he stared silently at the small mop of hair between them. What made you so important? What made you such a protected soldier? He couldn’t sense you like he could the others, their scent and magic masking yours in a violent torrent. 

Unlike him, his friend couldn’t be bothered with the show of protection, he’d enrolled for the money and wouldn’t be deterred by much. He was a tiger haetae, honourable to a certain extent and proud. He might be shorter than the hybrids around him, but he was as vicious and talented as the next. He, however, was slightly curious, but he wasn’t paid enough to inquire or worry about the doings of 141’s pack.

It went as well as anyone would expect for the 141 with the added help of two military, hybrid operators from an elite PMC. As the combat medic of the TF, you followed them from behind and moved to the middle when you entered the building. You’d usually be at the back, being a medic, but you were a combat medic, having seen and participated in complete ops dealing with infiltrations and hostage rescue. You were an integral part of every mission. Now that they had a medic on hand, the wounds the men suffered could be treated in place rather than wait for the long ride home with the possibility of letting infection take root in the gash and watching it fester during hours in the carrier. 

They had a habit of getting shot and slashed, a tad bit reckless in their ways but still effective. The stress of risking infection or the impossibility of reaching a medic after a mission was lessened, Price would still be able to live a few more centuries before his hair turned grey with nerves and his face wrinkled with frowns. You were a treasure beyond the fact that you were extremely helpful and insightful on your own. Your hands were steady and your demeanour calm and collected (albeit fidgety when put under too much pressure and fiery when someone looked at them differently.), you were a beauty, someone they needed to nurse and protect. 

“I warned you about standing so close to the explosion!” They watched you berate Soap, cheeks puffed and lips pulled in an adorable pout. You went on a list of things he could’ve done better and safer than the decision he made, hands pulling the bandage around his arm, your bag set beside you. 

“How was I supposed ta know?” The werewolf grumbled, giving you his best version of his “puppy dog eyes'' while he slouched back, trying to sit as comfortably as possible on the hard seats of the aircraft carrier. 

“You’re a demolition expert, you’re supposed to know, Soap.” You hissed, tightening the wrap and smoothing it over so that it would hold. Your hand dipped into your bag, pulling out a few alcohol wipes for his face. With a jerky motion of your hands, you broke the seal and started patting his bleeding cuts from shrapnel and grazes from bullets. He winces with every dab, fidgeting in his seat while you disinfected his wounds, wiping away the dirt and blood before deeming it clean enough to move to the next one. “You also have a habit of setting things on fire.”

Although you mumbled it so quietly, the others heard you clearly, laughter rumbling out of the others while they watched Soap being scolded by the youngest. You never feared reprimanding them for an idiotic act that would result in having you tending to them, it was something they appreciated, the familiarity and comfort you had with them. They weren’t monsters, hybrids or anything with you, they were your family. 

Seeing you so at ease with them had König and Horangi curious, most would cower or segregate themselves from other hybrids. You especially, seeing as you were the only human with them, they thought it’d be normal to see you shrink onto yourself and ignore the world around you while you waited to return home. Yet here you were, berating a werewolf for cuts and bruises that would heal in the following days, his metabolism prevented infection and permanent scarring unless it was too deep or deadly. They’d simply add to his rugged handsomeness.

König wondered if you’d show him the same amount of compassion and ease when you tended to his wounds - if he ended up having any at all. Would your hands be soft like his mother’s when cradling his arm? Would you whisper soft nothings to him while you cleaned his gashes with antiseptics? Would you also scold him for being reckless? He doubted that. Granted, he was extremely reckless and lost himself to the adrenaline pumping through his system when he entered the field, but he always came out unscathed. As a percht hybrid, his extreme enhancements made him practically numb to pain and sensations, with the small exceptions of a few primarily driven emotions or natural reactions to certain stimuli.

Perhaps, if your efforts were thwarted by his immense height, you’d hold and tend to him as softly as you did with the others, running your fingers through his hair and cradling him against your chest. He thirsted for something mundane, something so human-like that he would be reminded that he wasn’t completely a monster. He missed the softness in people’s gazes or the carefree way they spoke to and with him. He missed being reminded that he - too - was a living being with their rights. You could be the start of a regular life - as regular as a mercenary could have.

Even Horangi, who had vehemently stated to König that he could care less about the small, weak human in the operation, gave you the merit of being strong-willed and confident enough to stand beside them. He, the ever prideful and strong hybrid he was, deemed you competent for a human. Your usefulness started with your quick reactions and impeccable skills in your field and stopped when you couldn’t save someone, which had yet to happen. He was intrigued by the workings of your TF, how they managed to score a single human and an amicable one at that, strong and fierce, yet gentle and compassionate. If he’d grown up with someone like you, would he have turned out the way he did? 

He simply watched from his corner beside König, through tinted glasses his eyes followed your movement, memorising everything you did for your brothers. They felt like imposters in your small, seven-men group, seemingly standing awkwardly in their little corner. 141 had shown a bit of aggression towards them in warning words and deadly glares when they assumed you didn’t see them, hissing out threats to ensure your safety among them. Not only were they confused by the dynamic, but they weren’t told anything besides “Back off” and growls. 

After patting Gaz’s knee, giving him an oscar winning smile with gleaming eyes that were received with enthusiasm, you packed your things in your bag and moved to the next patient. You skipped Price, Ghost and Rudy, crouching in front of Alejandro. Rummaging through your bag and handing him a clean wipe for his dust-covered face, the soot clinging to his cheeks. He expected you to sit by your locked rifle after checking them, but you continued walking. You were heading towards them.

He knew König left the ground unscathed, clean of anything but dirt and blood, which meant he was the one you were heading towards. Hand on your pouch and a steady step backed up by a determined expression, you stopped before him. He tilted his head, a silent question. You blinked dumbly, holding out your hand to him, your small fingers backing him to give you something.

“Can I see your hand?”

His hand? He hadn’t thought much of it as he rested it on yours, palm upwards and gloveless. He saw it then, the small cut that bled red, small enough to be neglectable, but long enough to still be bleeding. He hadn’t felt anything from it before or after boarding the aircraft, he must’ve still been riding the adrenaline rush from the fight. He wondered how you knew he hurt himself.

Your fingers curled around his palm, holding it firmly as you lightly dabbed the inflamed skin with a sterilised tissue, being careful of the flared sides of his torn flesh. Under the blood and dirt, his skin was pale and swollen, the area having demanded his body to react to the potential bacteria that would worm its way into his system. You threw the bloody tissue aside and got an antiseptic wipe, being careful to not irritate his wound. Your care was gentle and patient. To a being like him, a hybrid and KorTac op, gentle and patient were foreign words to him. None were gentle to hybrids and none were patient with mercenaries. 

Even as you wrapped the gauze and bandage around his hand, you gave him all your attention, sweetly cradling his hand between yours and nursing his gash with utmost care. It felt alien, the soothingly soft care of a medic. Other medics would’ve stared at him with disgust or hate if he walked near the infirmary, or they were rough and uncaring towards his needs. 

“Thank you,” he mumbled, the sudden realisation of his silence in the face of a benevolent angel and the rush of embarrassment that flushed his neck hotly. He stared dumbly at his hand when you left, placed on his thigh with the white bandage staring right at him. The warmth of your hand had sunk into his skin, the feather-light tenderness of your fingers painted in his memory and your smile and determined expression stuck to him. 

Even as he let his mind wander and body thirst for another taste of your gentleness, he could feel the burning stares of the other men. König with his curious and envious gaze, wanting to feel the snippet you offered Horangi, wanting your hands and stare at his giant figure. The 141 with their protective and warning glare, resenting him for taking a few minutes of your attention from them. You’d moved on your own, making your decision to help him with his small wounds as you did with them, he hadn’t forced you or compelled you to treat him.

Perhaps there was more than money and experience that was worth in this joint operation. 

When the success of their first mission reached the prying ears of the General, he’d given them a few more joint ops - paid by the United States pockets, of course. Horangi and König were given temporary rooms in the barracks, in the same corner as the other hybrids and you, but far enough to show that they were excluded from them. Fortunately, they wouldn’t share the room, tigers were protective of one’s territory, and a percht hybrid - as rare as it may be - was documented to be hyper-possessive of their things, especially so for someone like König. 

Horangi didn’t ignore you anymore, wanting to start a conversation when he passed you or staring at you from the other side of the room until you waved at him, letting him know he could approach you. He worked relentlessly to close the gap he had made between you, wanting to attach himself to the one good thing he had. Yet he had to be cautious, any indication of him being a threat to you would make your team act out in unison, pushing him back and covering you like they did the second he descended the ramp. 

Ghost would hover over you, his body moving the darkness around him to seem more menacing. Ghost always glared at him when you turned your back to the Brit, his brown eyes swirling with the promise of death and devastation. Ghost wasn’t a physical hybrid, as Horangi had learned, but he had no qualms about keeping a hand on your hip or over your shoulder, acting as an imposing being that showcased his claim on you so publicly. It filled the Korean with envy and anger, he wanted to touch you as easily as the wraith did, he wanted a claim on you like the Lieutenant did, and he wanted to hold you close. 

If not Ghost, it’d be Rudy or Gaz crowding you. If you were in the rec room, Gaz would usually be there with you. His arm thrown over your shoulders, pulling you into his side while his wings curled around you two, dark brown feathers ruffled to look menacing but comfortable to your touch. With the way he sat, slouching and legs spread across the sofa, he took all the available seats on the cheap, brown couch. When Gaz caught sight of him, he’d purposefully moved to take up more space, showing just how much one of the nicest of the 141 ostracised him. Although when someone from his TF, he’d move aside, giving space to the man to join them. 

If you were walking around the base, Rudy - or Rudolfo as Horangi was forced to call him - would be by your side. Rudy had an arm wrapped around yours, seemingly like a military couple out on a casual walk, or he had his hand on your back, acting as the protective lover. Rudolfo’s smile was always wide and adoring when Horangi saw him walk you, exchanging words and making you laugh. It stung Horangi in an inexplicable way as if someone was knowingly sentencing him to death without any proof of his accountability. Rudy, the second nicest guy, also made glaring passes his way, pulling you closer to his side, directing you away and staring coldly at Horangi.

It rubbed him wrong, all the silent glares and insults at him to push him farther from you, but he was Horangi the Tiger haetae. He made his calculations, he was as smart and as resourceful as he was patient. Give it a few more missions together and they would loosen enough to let him swoop you off your feet. You were his source of comfort, of love and gentleness, he had to protect it. 

Unlike Horangi, König actively sought you out on the base, following the trail of your scent and the soft noises of your voice and heartbeat. He was like a dog on your trail, nose sniffing every bit of air for you and ears strained for any noise you’d make. His senses were stretched thin to find a moment with you. He was as animalistic as a hybrid could get, leaning towards his monster to help him with his ops and trials. 

You piqued König’s curiosity, making him wander the halls like a lumbering monster in a dark veil and glaring, red eyes. He saw how you treated big and dangerous monsters like the dragon hybrid you had as a captain, a respectable man, as soft as you treated the rowdy and rough werewolf and gracefully dangerous nagual. König wanted to feel your softness on him, your small hand grasping the tight muscles of his shoulders and back, kneading the tension away with grounding massages and stretches. You were their doctor, you cared enough to join them in the field, so you’d naturally be willing to mass the pain out of his body, no? 

He wanted moments alone, where he could speak his mind without fear of being interrupted or pushed away for his imposing stature and aura. He wanted to place a hand on your waist, to feel the plush roundness of your stomach and the firm contour of muscle on your thighs. He wanted his voice to carry easily in the void of silence, where his voice could be heard by you from a small whisper. He wanted your eyes to focus on him, solely, as if he was your world. 

He found it rather irritatingly difficult to find such moments. When he followed your scent through the halls and down to the medic's office, he’d find Captain Price crowding the room with his powerful musk of Ashe and fire - of metal and iron. Although Price was much shorter and lesser ranked than König was, he held the power of age and wisdom, an unfathomable strength that lay solely in draconic beings. This eternal power that none could rival apart from Eldritch beings, most cower, whimper and hide from dragons. He wore his power and wisdom on his sleeves, a warning for everyone, him and his KorTac operators included. König might’ve been reckless, but he wasn’t a fool, fighting headfirst with dragon seamed chaos and devastation. So, as any hybrid did, he backed away, an old dragon was dangerous, but a crippled one made it even more perilous.

When König tried to find you in the rec room, you were held in the tight embrace of a possessive wolf. Soap had you straddling his lap, facing him as he nuzzled his head into the crook of your neck. He purred and kissed your skin, making you squirm and giggle, but then Soap’s eyes gazed upwards and grew cold and unruly at König’s appearance. A proud - dare he say, cruel - smirk curled the corners of his lips. That was when he realised what the sergeant was doing. Soap, in the open, was scenting you, rubbing his musk over your neck, where - if you were another sifting hybrid like him and Alejandro - would’ve been your scent gland. It was a blatant show of possession. He nipped at your throat, drinking in your yelp and hiss, your back arching and moving to push him from biting too much. It filled him with rage.

If you weren’t with either dragon or werewolf, you were with Alejandro, the Hispanic scenting you as much as Soap did, but he did it with more finesse and subtlety. He would draw your hair back, the gland on his wrist grazing your neck and ears, imprinting you with him. Alejandro would hold your hand, fingers neatly intertwined with yours, his face laying on your shoulder as he spooned you in his lap. He purred and whispered sweet promises that had you nodding and smiling like a child on Christmas. He oosed of pheromones, filling the area with his scent and in turn, covering you completely in him. König watched with envy as Alejandro read to you, cradled between his thighs and falling asleep, his, Soap and everyone else’s musk laying a possession over you. 

König’s a determined person when he put his mind to it, willing his beaten and bloodied self back to camp, or his sleep-deprived and insomniac-ridden mind to concentrate on the enemy. He was a battering ram, he pushed forward forcefully, however hard he had to, all to reach the end goal. This time, it wouldn’t be the head of his target, or the capture of an asset, this time, it would be you.

They both wondered, with how close your TF was, what was the dynamic. Was it a pack that shared the same lover? Was it a pack that had formed such a close connection to a human that you were deemed an integral part of the pack? Or were you the child they watched over and protected?

The next few missions 141 and the two from KorTac went on were as successful as the first, the cooperation of two ruthless mercenaries and a hybrid, specialist group made these tasks easy, near child’s play for them. Along with the aspect of having a medic on hand, it let them run wild, play along the edge and act more recklessly than they normally would. Having Horangi and König for so long, made them become a standard in the base, seeing them walk among the shorter and weaker humans. That also meant they had seen their fair share of xenophobic soldiers with balls bigger than a dragon’s and an ego the size of an Eldritch creature. 

Every hybrid and monster was used to their hateful glares and sneering venom-dripping words. Ignoring them had become easier after the first year of enrolment. Horangi and König were, however, not used to someone defending them with their most honest heart of gold with earth-shattering words. 

The first time they’d seen you defend your team was right after a mission, haunches, lumbering bodies descending the carrier’s ramp with their bags slung over their shoulders and addled with fatigue after a week of deployment. Young, power-hungry sergeants who’d let their ranks get to their heads had slid before them, head held high and shoulders held wide. Every single one of them knew that the moment the sergeant’s mouth opened, nothing good would come out of it. Perhaps degrading insults or back-handed sneers.

When the first sentence slipped from the man’s tongue, you pushed your way between them, barrelling into the man who’d insulted them. A deep frown was etched into your lips, brows creased so darkly into you that it cast a dark shroud of anger over your face. If König hadn’t known that you were a human, he would’ve thought that you were a being of darkness. 

“You dim-witted bastards-!” Was the first word you let out, your usually soft-spoken self with gentle hands spewed acid at them, threatening to burn their skin. 

Dim-witted, indeed. Old, conservative assholes who thought they were better than the rest with their pro-human propaganda and xenophobic acts against hybrids. Horangi had expected you to continue your scolding, wringing the sergeant dry with your words, not your hands. You used your hands, fingers curled inward, thumb over the curves of your bones and decked the man. It shocked them both, you were smaller, shorter, human and seemed weaker than the men, yet here you were, sending him toppling on the floor, his friend gaping and pouncing on you. Only to be met with your foot to his crotch. 

“You bet your ass you won’t get any medical attention after this,” you hissed.

Although your words sounded improbable since you weren’t the only medic on base, you had built a connection through the system, every medic knew you and heeded your words. If one didn’t want a man healed, you and the rest wouldn’t help him. If you wanted a man to suffer, the rest would watch on with you. Medics were themselves, a tight-knit couple that helped one another. So your words were more than a threat, it was a promise. 

“Until I see your sorry asses on your deathbed or grovelling, none of us will lift a finger for you. Bleed and beg all you want, but you aren’t getting help.”

You acted with an iron hand, sending the rest to the ground, moaning and groaning, cradling whatever part of their body you’d hit. They wondered why Ghost hadn’t moved, and neither did Gaz or Rudy, the most protective ones. When König glanced down at Ghost, he saw pride in his eyes, dark curled on sadistic pleasure swirling in his brown eyes. When Horangi gazed at Gaz and Rudy, he saw simple amusement, their mouths threatening to curl in a smirk.

All of them had known you’d act this way, erratic and violent rather than calmly scold them and stomp over their ego. You were strong-headed and blunt to them, making them bow to you, like lesser men to a lady, a queen, a goddess. 

Horangi had experienced his own protection from you. After the men had loosened enough to trust him and König, he could walk beside you and hold a simple banter, albeit awkward at the start. You were much more violent this time, reaching for the downed man while hissing and screeching after you sent him to the floor with well-aimed kicks. You were like a gremlin, small and lively. He understood your anger, they’d called him racist things, calling out his Asian roots and hybrid characteristics. 

Horangi had to hold you from going off on him following your promise of neglecting his medical needs. It worked, though. The first group had searched to plead, to apologise and beg for medical attention. You’d sent them away with a small note lifting the ban for medical help. You were as ruthless with people as they were to enemies. 

Any other encounters with hot-headed men and women that glanced at them weirdly were met with a varying amount of anger and disgust from you. Horangi understood why 141 held you so carefully, so tightly in their hold. Why they worshipped you like a priest would do with his goddess. It was a sense of camaraderie that had evolved into love, affection dripping from their pores. 

König received a bit more attention for his size, the threatening nature of his ouster coupled with his brute figure, made him a subject of fear and rejection. That hadn’t stopped you from wanting to approach him, had it? Going as far as calling him cute when he stuttered while broaching the subject of him liking certain things. For a burly man with the height of a giant, he was nice to sit next to, his quiet but anxious stature when he wasn’t deployed made it easy to talk to. He might sometimes let his instincts drive him, but they were all well-meaning, wanting nothing but goodness for you. 

His turn came in quick succession, he was shunned and ridiculed left and right. It never helped that he would shy from others, preferring his little corner that made the room look stranger and claustrophobic (not that he let them walk all over him, he growled and glared, standing tall with the promise of lashing out or eating them. Even when humans feared König, they still attempted to rile his anger.). But with you, he wasn’t by his lonesome, he had someone to rattle on about the things he liked to do, or the things he wanted to do. His shoulders were relaxed and mind calm, free to speak his mind about the goriest and the sweetest dreams he had, his speech unperturbed by his anxiety. 

Unlike the others, König stood before you as an impenetrable wall of muscle and fat when you raised your hand at an insignificant pig. Why would he let someone so disgusting touch you (even though it was to hit and kick the man, he would do it for you instead)? He guarded you as if they were insulting you rather than him - though it was the reverse - and glared down at anyone with dreadfully scary eyes. Like the devil that had risen, he sent them running with their tails tucked between their legs. Although he was the one that had gotten rid of them, he was always so proud of you, holding you close to him and gushing about your brave and inspiring actions. 

He saw how the men in 141 looked at you, he wanted to be a part of it, to be able to freely nuzzle your face and hold you like Soap would, to cradle you in his arms and carry you around the base. König wanted a piece of your heart, to be able to show the world he held it in his hands, caring for it between his big, calloused fingers and soft affection. He might be dangerous, he might be deadly, he might be reckless, but if you let him, you would be his world like you were to the others (Horangi would agree, they spoke about it on their own.).

Next

[d1xonss]

Daryl with a fem reader who’s love language is physical touch? Like whenever they’re cuddling she’s always burying her head into his side or neck. Or another one is acts of service so imagine when they first came to Alexandria she noticed Daryl was the only one in the group who still hasn’t bathed so she offered to do it for him.. he just sits in front of her in the bath while she cleans his hair and scrubs his body

Soap and Bubbles

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Reader

✧ Era : Season 5

✧ Pronouns : she/her

✧ Genre : Fluff

✧ Word Count : 1.1k

AN ~ I’ve been slacking on requests big time:( But recently I got my wisdom teeth removed and the whole recovery has been kicking my ass, so sadly I just haven’t felt motivated to write anything new. Though I’m hoping this lil oneshot makes up for it and you guys don’t completely hate me lol.

Hope you enjoy! xoxox

He was stubborn. You were persistent. It was like when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. But in the end it was almost painfully obvious who won those battles most of the time.

When the group first arrived to Alexandria; a safe haven that was gifted to you by the grace of God himself, it was no secret that Daryl was one of the first who didn’t trust it. He was constantly tense and on high alert most of the time, when in reality there was never any real danger to begin with. But his thoughts seemed to haunt him, not necessarily because he felt the constant need to protect himself, but because he felt the constant need to protect you.

You were the most precious thing to him, like a delicate flower that he was constantly worried about squishing under his boot if he wasn’t too careful. And just the thought of you being in this unknown place that none of you really knew, it was safe to say it took him a while to even sleep. And it took him even longer to feel comfortable enough to bathe.

After the first few days of getting comfortable in the new community, you couldn’t help but notice that Daryl was the only one who hadn’t taken advantage of the luxury that was given. He hadn’t slept on one of the actual beds, he hadn’t even eaten any of the food that was stocked to the brim in each of the houses. The man just continuously hunted for his own food nearly every single day instead, working for it as if he felt like he had to. And he was one of the last people to use the nice new bathroom that everyone else had been hogging.

It was hard seeing him like this, knowing without even having to ask that he was slightly uncomfortable here. In the end when the place didn’t seem that dangerous, you knew he only really stayed so you had a roof over your head, and that was it. He always seemed to put you first before anything else and it never failed to melt your heart in the best way. But at the same time, you wanted to help him. You wanted to ease him into everything so he could learn to eventually call this place home.

Which is why you ever so slowly tried to coax him into taking a bath. Like a dog who was afraid of water.

“Nah.” was his original answer when you first asked him, that stubbornness really shining through as he put his foot down at the idea. Knowing that he didn’t feel safe enough to be so vulnerable.

But then you offered to help him, and that seemed to change the game as his interest piqued.

So after just a little more convincing, you finally got him into the tub filled with warm water, even adding some bubbles just to make it a little more enjoyable. And although he scoffed at the sight, he clearly wasn’t complaining as he practically melted into the warm water.

You sat yourself behind him as you ran your fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp as you cleaned it with a fresh shampoo. His eyes fluttered closed at your softness when touching him, even letting out a satisfied groan or grunt here and there just to let you know how much he was enjoying it. You couldn’t help but smile to yourself every time he did so, dragging the process out just a little bit longer upon seeing how relaxed he was.

Your nails gently scratched his scalp every once and a while which you knew he thoroughly enjoyed, loving the soothing feeling you provided as he slowly came to the conclusion that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. His muscles twitched as you rinsed the bubbles out of his hair, feeling the warmth running down his back.

A smile stretched across your lips as you looked down at him, “Feel good?”

He nodded slowly as he let out a long and satisfied sigh, keeping his eyes closed as he was certain he could fall asleep within seconds. “Thank you.” he muttered.

Your face softened at his gratitude, “You’re welcome.” your sweet voice spoke, leaning down to place a kiss on top of his head.

He smiled to himself when he felt the touch of your lips, relaxing even more as you continued on for however long you wished. He wasn’t complaining, nor was he going to stop you anytime soon.

You then ran some conditioner through his hair, being able to run your fingers through the full length of it smoothly as you removed all the tangles. It smelled like heaven and it made his hair feel nearly brand new after not having it clean and fresh in so long. You then took your time washing his body, which to him was his favorite part of this whole thing. Your hands worked delicately, watching the soap run down his arms and chest as the remaining dirt just melted off his body.

A few more cuts were now more prominent on his skin as you continued to wash him, making some kind of mental note to help him clean those when he got out of the porcelain bowl. With being on the road for so long you had no idea how long they had been there, now being thankful you had everything you needed to fix him up. Seeing him constantly putting you before him in every single scenario, you wanted to do the same for him whenever you could. Though he was thick headed and usually refused, he did occasionally like being showered with affection like this.

Once you were done and the water was now a bit colder, you opened your mouth to tell him that he should probably get out. But you stopped yourself upon seeing the look on his face, seeing him finally looking content for the first time in months. You figured a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt as you began to drag your nails through his hair again.

“I love you.”

It was so soft you almost didn’t catch it. But the second his words met your ears you couldn’t help but freeze. He had never said that to you before.

Though you knew he always loved you, showing it in the little ways he knew how, you knew he felt a deep love for you that he couldn’t even describe. His actions speaking much louder volumes than words ever could. But now hearing him admit it out loud, you could feel a warmth spreading through your chest as you smiled, continuing to run your fingers through his hair as if to pretend it didn’t affect you as much as it did.

“I love you too.”

~ Thanks for reading!

[dira333]

Unstoppable Force meets immovable Object - Tenya Iida x Reader

misunderstanding, friends to lovers - for @shoulmate for the Milestone Event Week 1

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Tenya is big, even at five years old.

He’s very respectful, always, though not always as careful with his hands.

“Ouch!” You hold your head, wondering about the size of the bump that’s going to come out where he hit you while waving, chopping through the air.

“I’m so sorry!” Tenya has a lisp too, barely there but only for those who know. You think it makes him sound extra sweet when he apologizes, when he repeats the word sorry over and over until he’s forgiven.

-

Your favorite Hero is the Space Hero: Thirteen, Tenya’s favorite Hero is his big brother.

“Turbo Hero: Ingenium!” He tells you to write it on every possible occasion because your handwriting is prettier and you can do the flashy letters that you often see on merch.

Childhood is easy with Tenya around, with his big hand around yours when you have to cross the street and his shoulder to cry on when you don’t get the best mark on your test, his earnestness when it comes to studying and his stupidly cute guilty smile when you manage to convince him to go play instead, knees muddy and faces stained with dirt.

Even when you have to part for the school year, for all three years of middle school, it’s nothing but a pebble in your path, just a few hours spent apart that make the time spent together all the more worthwhile.

“He said what?” You will ask, sitting crisscross applesauce on his bed as he retells his day at school and he will humm and haw as you practice makeup on him, figure out that mascara can also be used as a weapon and glittery eyeshadow really suits him.

-

And then summer will come and you will run out to play until evening, do your best to convince him to come to the beach with you, to just laze around instead of trying to break his record of how long he can swim without a break.

You will buy him an ice cream cone knowing he has more pocket money than you and sometimes, when the heat is going straight to your head, you will ask to have a taste of it and put your lips where his had been, thinking what it would be like to kiss him.

Tenya is home. 

He is home in a way that hurts sometimes, when you want to be free, want to explore, and yet always come back.

When you take a step outside and look back only to find him waiting, yet never dare to open the doors you desperately want to peek behind.

- - -

“I’m going to U.A.,” Tenya tells you over the phone, quietly, because he should be in bed and you should be too.

“Oh,” you hesitate, looking down at your letter. You haven’t opened it yet.

You’re not sure if you want to go to U.A. too. You know what you want to do, work in Search and Rescue like Thirteen, but you don’t know if you can endure another three years with Tenya this close and yet so far away. 

Though, what other choices do you have? You think about going away, to America, or just across the border. Tenya would still be here, only a phone call away, even closer in your mind.

So you open the letter with a jackhammer heart, find the sentence that matters in the jumble of words and don’t know if you’re supposed to be relieved or overcome with sadness.

“I’m going to U.A. too. Support Class.”

-

Tenya is fast and you are sturdy and yet you want to go, always go, further and farther than you have before, while he could care less if the earth stopped moving today, if he never got past the step he took this morning.

To him, growth is not about distance. To you, it’s nothing but.

-

Tenya’s Class is the one that gets attacked.

And though you’re surely not the last one informed, it feels that way.

Training sure is hard, even more so when you need to beat the Hero Class to get a shot at switching over, so you pretend you’re not disappointed when you see him less and less.

But then the Sports Festival Happens.

You’re not sure what feels worse.

Watching Mei Hatsume and Tenya fight, the sheer absurdity of it all, and the rumours already going around… or realizing that even after all this training, you’re still not good enough.

Your Quirk might not allow you to move mountains, but keeping them upright should not be met with this lack of interest.

You wonder, not without self-loathing, if the world forgot too that Atlas was carrying it still.

-

Tenya is home, but the doors are closed and your key lies inside.

You hear about Tensei from your parents, not him.

Your calls go to voicemail, your messages are left on read.

Maybe, if you could fly or throw a stone real good, you could make at least one last impression on him before he forgets you for real, but all you can do, will do, is make sure that his house will keep standing.

Tenya might have been your home, but you will survive not being his.

- - -

- One year later -

“Hey,” you look up from the newspaper in your hands, the morning dew cold under your feet. 

For a hilariously awkward moment, you think it’s Tensei down by the gate, his broad shoulders blocking out the sun.

But Tensei’s still firmly tied to a wheelchair and this guy is standing upright.

“Hi?” You ask back, digging your toes into the ground.

“Can I- come in?”

“Sure,” you shrug your shoulders. “Mom and Dad are in the kitchen.”

You turn your back on him, which is a big no-no for every soon-to-be Hero so you turn around again, pinprick showers going up and down your back. “I’ll follow you in.”

“I’m here for you,” he announces, not one step closer to the front door.

“Oh.” Time freezes to a halt. 

It’s been ages since you’ve last seen him in person. In the hallways after the Sports Festival in your first year, maybe? 

Or that awkward last visit to his house when he pretended to be sleeping so his mom would send you back down to the living room? You heard that mumbling from the inside of his room, you’re not deaf.

He’s grown taller, yes, but there’s a roughness to him now, like one dragged sandpaper all over his features.

You’ve seen him on TV, fighting for his life, read articles about it too.

Your best friend, your very own personal Hero, Turbo Hero: Ingenium.

You always leave out the ex, thinking about him. It hurts too much, even on good days.

“Can I still come in?” Tenya asks.

“Why?”

He hesitates. “W-why?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I-” He swallows. You wish he would step out of the sunlight. You long to see his eyes again, despite hating yourself for it. Are they still as blue as the deep blue sea?

“You’re not in school anymore.”

“I switched.” You swallow the pettiness that wants to make him ask. “I’m at Shiketsu now. Hero Class.”

“Why?”

You shrug. “There was nothing keeping me at U.A.”

It’s a lie and you wonder if he knows it. That you gave up, in more ways than one.

“I heard you fought in the war,” he adds now, still standing at the gate, still blocking out the sun. He’s stubborn, that one.

You snort against your own will. “That’s not fighting.”

“It is to me.”

You shrug. “Well,” you hesitate. Screw your heart for being too soft. “Do you wanna come in now or what?”

-

“I like your Hero Name,” Tenya adds in the privacy of your room, his voice too quiet for a boy this tall. “Atlas. Like the Titan, right?”

“Hmm,” you make, trying not to notice how his knee just knocked into yours, or how warm it is, skin pressed against skin.

“I-” Tenya hesitates again. “I need to tell you something…. about myself.”

So you sit there, listening, as he tells you about a man named Stain and the revelation that there’s more darkness hiding in a kind man’s soul than the two of you could ever have imagined.

“But I’m…” Tenya closes his hand into a fist. “I’m good now, I think. Better, at least. Worthy to be called a Hero, maybe. If you… if you can forgive me. For how I treated you. I pushed you away because I didn’t want to…” Helpless he moves his hands around, narrowly avoiding your head.

“Sorry,” he says, but without the lisp you haven’t craved hearing as much as you do today.

You sit there, with your hurt and your longing, looking at him. Knowing that he’s not the only one with a secret, though his had been darker than yours.

“I want to forgive you,” you admit. “And I wonder if that makes me a pushover. Because I always forgive you, you know. Even when you eat the last of my fries or make me do extra laps.” You only realize you’re talking in present tense when he smiles, shyly, back at you.

“But I cannot go back to just being friends, you know? I have… feelings for you, Tenya. Have had them for quite a while. And I can’t just be just friends again.”

He nods, turns his eyes up to the ceiling as if the answer to all questions is written there to see.

“I talked about this, a lot, with… uh… Shouto and Izuku, my friends. Ochako too. I’m not an expert on this, by far, but I… never questioned, that we’d be together, you know?”

You sigh. “At one point-”

“No,” he interrupts you softly, “not like that, I…” His hand reaches out, rests warm and heavy on your knee, like a hiker putting his hand on the first boulder of a mountain. “Like forever. Together, forever, the two of us. I just… didn’t know I had to tell you.”

And it’s there, his confession, in the faint red on his cheeks and the softness in his eyes, how he can’t fully look you in the eyes, but can’t look away either.

And unbidden, a question comes into your mind.

What happens if an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?

There’s only one way to find out.

- - -

Turbo Hero: Ingenium. That is Tenya, tall, handsome, yours.

He smiles when he sees you at work, always respectful and always a little bit too much of a fanboy.

“It’s Pro Hero Atlas!” He whispers in awe when he watches, useless, as you carry buildings on your shoulders, put them back where they belong.

Sometimes, when he’s feeling petty, he helps you start arguments with Pro Hero Dynamight, just to watch you win - you’ve got the public opinion in your bag after all.

He’s very respectful, always, carries your bags up from the car and pretends not to notice when you eat ice cream before dinner.

But he’s very human too, forgetting his phone at home and his wallet at work, tends to try and shoulder his worries alone when he’s got you to share the load.

-

Life isn’t easy but it’s easier with Tenya around.

With his big hand around yours when you cross the street and his shoulder to cry on when you don’t get to save everyone. His earnestness when it comes to safety and his stupidly cute guilty smile when you convince him to take a cheat day, laze around and eat cake for breakfast, mix the flavors with a well-meaning kiss.

Even when you have to part for work it’s nothing but a pebble in your path, just a few hours spent apart that make the time spent together all the more worthwhile.

“Shouto did what?” You will ask, sitting crisscross applesauce on his lap as he retells his day at work and he will humm and haw as you try Cosplay on him, figure out that he can totally pull off a bold red lip with the Shouto-Costume you bought. 

-

Tenya is home. 

He is home in a way that hurts sometimes, when you worry if it will hold out against every storm, when you figure out another thing that needs renovating, replacing, not just decorating. 

He’s willing to work on it, leaves the doors open for the sun to come in, knowing you’ll be here for the rain too.

[mochinomnoms]

Yo hear me out for the requests:

A yuu who loves cooking x Jade who never stops eating. It's an unstoppable force meets an immovable energy. Jade thinks theirs no more food coming and then Yuu sets another plate infront of him. Yuu thinks Jade is finally getting full but then he just holds up his plate and asks for seconds. Grim is in heaven snacking on the extra food and Azul is about to have a breakdown because how fucking fast does your metabolism work for you to eat like that?!?!?!

Also can the reader be male or transmasc? Thank you so much!

🦩

Describing this dynamic as unstoppable force vs immovable energy is so immensely funny for me for some reason alksjlakjaf

Jade is indeed a vacuum for food, and it's such a silly fun fact that goes over your head when you're playing.

Someone who enjoys cooking and feeding people is probably one of the best traits for a partner for Jade, though I don't think he really thinks about that.

Yes, he can acknowledge that he may be a glutton, but he doesn't actively think about it. So he doesn't actively think about how often his boyfriend is cooking and feeding him exorbitant amounts of food.

"How many plates have you eaten? You have to be full by now, poor (Name) is probably exhausted!"

The first bite of food of his sixth plate of pasta is already gone and a second bite ready to go by the time Azul finished his sentence.

"Hm? What do you mean Azul, this is a perfectly average amount to eat."

Azul gestured to you over the stove, Grim on the counter left of you licking the sauce off of one of three pans next to the sink, while you were happily measuring out your ingredients for another serving.

"Oh, it's fine Azul! I don't mind, I'm happy Jade likes my cooking so much!"

"That's right Azul, if (Name) places a plate in front of me, well it would be just rude to refuse his cooking! Are you suggesting I be rude to my dear boyfriend, Azul?"

Jade let our a soft chuckle at Azul's sour face, happily taking big bites of his pasta once again as you turned to place a plate in front of Azul.

"Here Azul, you eat too, I know you hardly do at lunch." You smile and laughed as Jade happily handed you another empty plate. That made seven.

"Do you even get full Jade?" You teased him, taking the plate and placing it with the rest and quickly making another serving.

"I swear, I can feed two entire families of six with how much you eat!"

Despite your words, you seemed blissful and finally sat down next to Jade, tucking his longer strand of hair behind his ear.

"It's fine though, I like doing this. It's nice to see someone I care about enjoy my cooking so much."

Jokingly pouting and poking at Jade's full cheeks, you whined, "You should be more grateful though! This isn't something boyfriends just do back home!"

"Oh?" Azul questioned you, taking small bites out of his own plate as Jade took another large bite. "What do you mean?"

Getting back up to ready another plate for Jade, you cooed out with a smile, "He's getting a sneak peek at life with me as a husband."

Few things can catch Jade of guard, but based on his surprised choking, you can safely say you succeeded.

[the-flying-robins]

Dick Fic Rec List!

Dick-centric

  look back in anger by vechter

Post-Spyral fic that just gets it (lets be real vechter just gets Dick). A lot of wonderful Fab Five moments, hints of Dickroy, and a fantastic look into the mind of Dick Grayson.

  persephone’s in hell by Whiskey

De-aged Dick Grayson. Unstoppable force (Dick) meets immovable object (Jason). Background Dickroy, everyone is present. Set in post-crisis.

  beat journalism by dustorange

After Bruce fires him, Dick becomes a reporter. Amazing Dick and Clark interactions.

Dick&Tim

  a soft place to land by unchosenone

Post Infinite Crisis, post Blockbuster. Two grieving birds.

Dick&Damian

  I’ll Wait With You by Sohotthateveryonedied

Damian steps on a landmine, Dick refuses to leave him alone. 

  The Rule Stands by Engineerd

Time travel brings a  10 year old Robin Dick Grayson to Gotham not long after Damian has been resurrected.

Dick&Bruce

  Got Stepped On All Over by whaleofatime

One of my favorite Nightwing!Dick era Dick & Bruce fics. Bruce pov of Dick’s casual competence.

  riding the blues by TheResurrectionist

One of the best outsider pov fics I’ve read. Dick flees the manor after another fight with Bruce, gets some life advice from a well meaning dad.

  arms tonight by one_step_closer_to_death

Long-term effects of Chemo. Angsty hurt/comfort fic about a father’s love and the one battle he can’t fight.

  License and Registration, Please by rogman

Rookie police officer Dick trolls Batman and the whole GCPD in one fell swoop (non-canon sort of crackfic but very funny) Who knew the Batmobile was actually just a Honda Civic?

Reborn Era

  to be buried alive by FromStarstuff

What we could’ve had if the writers hadn’t forgotten all the women in Gotham during Reborn. Cass and Dick split Batman duties and learn some things about each other along the way.

  the slumber party initiative by ScarlettSwordMoon

Mandatory quarantine in the bunker with Dick, Damian, and Stephanie. An attempt at light hearted slumber party games gets mean quick, turns into an opportunity for growth and acceptance.

Titans

  big d stands for big (demon)or by danishsweethearts

4 out of 5 chapters. Tower’s haunted. Good thing Dick is an exorcist right? Absolutely hilarious, one of the best Titans fics out there.

Dickroy

  It builds and builds and builds by vechter

Dick and Roy Outsiders era, the ones we love the most are the ones we know just how to hurt. 

  heavenly way to die by one_step_closer_to_death

Early Outsiders era. Roy gets seriously injured and flirts with Dick.

  there’s a hole where your heart lies by FromStarstuff

Dickroy through the years, finally getting their act together.

[novaursa]

The Last Flight

- Summary: You go to Dorne instead of your sister Rhaenys. And you never come back.

- Paring: sister!reader/Aegon I Targaryen

- Note: This short story covers one of possible endings of The Broken Crown series.

- Rating: Mature 16+

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @alyssa-dayne @oxymakestheworldgoround @fiction-fanfic-reader @fireandblood-mharmie @poisonedsultana

- A/N: You want another scenario? Let me know.

The scorching heat of Dorne clings to your skin, the sun a burning coin suspended high in the azure sky. The wind carries with it the dry, acrid scent of sand, yet beneath you, there is power—an unrelenting force. Tesaerix, your magnificent golden and cream dragon, moves effortlessly through the air, her deep red eyes scanning the terrain below. You feel her muscles ripple beneath your thighs as she soars above the arid wasteland, the pride of your House and the symbol of your strength. Her scales shimmer in the sun, the blood-red undertones flashing like molten fire beneath her brilliant hide.

Your thoughts are consumed by Aegon. You can feel the weight of his presence, even when he is miles away. His absence is a shadow in your heart, a constant reminder of your duty you accepted with time, not only as his wife, his queen, but as his sister. You are bound to him in ways no one else will ever understand. And now, as you carry his second child within you, the bond feels even deeper, even more unbreakable.

The Dornish, however, are not so easily subdued. Even now, beneath the beauty of the clouds and sky, you know they scheme. They have always been the most defiant, and as much as you admire their resolve, you cannot allow it to stand. Your mind drifts to the days of battle yet to come, to the throne you and Aegon are building together, stone by stone, blood by blood.

But then—suddenly—Tesaerix stiffens beneath you, her wings faltering for just a fraction of a second. You feel the tremor run through her powerful frame, an emotion you had never associated with her before: fear. Your hand grips the reins tighter, your body leaning forward instinctively. Something is wrong.

And then you hear it.

The sharp, mechanical twang of a scorpion ballista firing, followed by the deafening roar that reverberates from Tesaerix’s throat, echoing through the sky like the crack of thunder. A bolt of dark metal tears through the air, faster than you can blink. It pierces Tesaerix’s left eye, burrowing deep into the vibrant red that once glowed with ferocity. Her scream of agony is a sound that will haunt you forever in the afterlife, shaking your very soul. You can feel the shockwave of her pain radiate through your bond, filling your mind with white-hot anguish.

“Tesaerix!” you scream, your voice lost in the howling wind. She convulses beneath you, her massive wings faltering, her graceful flight collapsing into chaos. She spirals downward, her roars now guttural, filled with unending torment. The wind tears at your hair and clothing as the ground rushes toward you both. You grasp desperately at the reins, but it is useless. The beast that was once the queen of the skies, unstoppable and unbowed, is now at the mercy of gravity and death.

You feel her strength waning, her fire dimming. She struggles to keep you aloft, her wings beating sluggishly, a far cry from the power they once held. She has always protected you, shielded you, but now... she is dying, and there is nothing you can do to save her. Your heart shatters, not only for her but for the life inside you, for the child that will never know the world you fought to create.

The last thing you see before the ground rises to meet you is the faint glimmer of Tesaerix’s blood-red scales flashing in the sun, her body contorting as she crashes into the earth. And then, everything is fire and darkness.

Pain explodes through your body as you hit the ground with a force that knocks the air from your lungs. The impact shatters your bones, but it is the silence that follows that is the most terrifying. The bond you shared with Tesaerix, the link that had always thrummed with life, is severed. There is no heartbeat in your mind, no flicker of her presence. She is gone, and with her, your world unravels.

You try to move, try to reach out, but your body betrays you. Blood fills your mouth, the taste of iron sharp on your tongue. You can feel the life slipping away, faster than you ever imagined it would. Your hand instinctively moves to your belly, to the child within, but even that small motion is agony. Tears sting your eyes as you realize there will be no future for them. Aegon’s son or daughter will never be born.

Your thoughts drift to him, to your king, your husband, your brother. You wonder if he will feel it, the moment your life leaves your body, if he will know that his child is lost. You can see his face in your mind, the steely resolve that always made you feel safe. You want to tell him you love him, that you fought until the very end, that you died with your dragon by your side. But the words are lost in the blood that bubbles in your throat.

The sky above you dims as the world around you fades. You are alone now, alone with the silence of the dead, and the heat of Dorne’s relentless sun beating down on you.

With a final, shuddering breath, you close your eyes and surrender to the darkness.

The sun had begun its slow descent when Aegon received the news. He stood at the edge of the war table, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of Blackfyre, his ever-present symbol of command and power. But in that moment, the weight of the blade seemed insignificant, a mere tool in a world that had suddenly lost all sense.

A raven had come from Dorne, its message blunt and brutal, stripped of all the delicate lies courtiers usually crafted to soften blows. Tesaerix had fallen. She had fallen.

Your name was written on that small, crumpled piece of parchment, but it was as if he couldn’t comprehend it, as if it were not real. His mind swam, drowning in confusion, in denial. You—his sister, his queen, his love—were gone. The child you carried, his unborn son or daughter, gone with you.

For a moment, the world fell silent, save for the relentless beating of his heart, pounding in his chest like a war drum, louder and louder until it consumed everything else. His grip tightened around the edge of the table, knuckles turning white as the world blurred before his eyes.

Visenya and Rhaenys were there, though he barely noticed them at first. Visenya stood stoic, her sharp, regal face as unreadable as ever, though her eyes betrayed her. There was a glint there, something unspoken. She felt the loss too, he knew, but she didn’t speak. Visenya rarely needed words to convey the force of her presence. Rhaenys, on the other hand, had tears in her eyes, her lips parted as though she wanted to say something, anything, that would take away his pain. But nothing came.

He slammed his fist down on the table, sending maps and markers scattering to the floor. The room seemed to close in around him, suffocating. His vision darkened at the edges, a storm brewing in his chest, too fierce to be contained. Aegon, the Conqueror, the man who had never faltered, had never broken—was crumbling.

"How?" he finally rasped, his voice cracking in a way it never had before. He demanded answers from the silence, but there was no one left to give them.

Rhaenys stepped forward, her soft hand reaching for his, but he pulled away sharply, the touch unbearable. It was as if his very skin recoiled from the comfort, the warmth he could no longer feel. He didn’t want her pity, her gentle reassurances. They meant nothing. How could they, when you were gone?

"She... she died bravely, brother," Rhaenys said, her voice thick with sorrow. "She fell with her dragon—"

"Do not speak of her bravery to me!" Aegon roared, his voice filled with a fury that silenced even the birds outside. "She was my wife, my queen. I should have been there. I should have protected her!"

Visenya’s calm mask finally cracked. "Aegon, there was nothing you could have—"

"Enough!" he shouted, his chest heaving with each breath. The words felt hollow, empty. No matter what his sisters said, the guilt gnawed at him, tearing him apart from within. He should have known the dangers. He should have been with you, should have flown by your side. The image of you—falling, lost, dying with Tesaerix—flashed before his eyes. It was unbearable.

He turned his back to them both, his hands trembling as they hovered over the hilt of Blackfyre once more. It would be so easy to lash out, to let the sword take away this unrelenting agony. To cut down those who had taken you from him.

"I will burn them," he whispered, his voice cold, deadly. "All of them."

Visenya and Rhaenys exchanged a glance, but neither dared to argue. They had seen this side of him before—the part of him that was not just king, not just conqueror, but something darker, something ancient. The dragon that slept within him had awoken, and it hungered for vengeance.

Aegon turned, his eyes burning with unshed tears, yet blazing with the intensity of dragonfire. "Dorne will pay," he said, the words venomous. "I will rain fire upon them until their deserts turn to glass. Every man, woman, and child who had a hand in this... they will know my wrath. No one will escape it. I swear it."

Rhaenys, always the one to temper his fire, reached for him again. "Aegon, vengeance will not—"

"Do not speak of mercy to me, Rhaenys," he snapped, his gaze cold, distant. "I will hear no more of it. They took her. They took my child." His voice cracked again, and this time, it broke something in him. He sank to his knees, the weight of it all too much to bear.

For the first time in his life, Aegon Targaryen, the dragonlord, the Conqueror, wept. His shoulders shook, his hands gripping the cold stone of the floor as if it were the only thing keeping him tethered to the world. Visenya knelt beside him, her hand on his shoulder, but even her presence could not reach him now.

He had lost you, and in losing you, he had lost a part of himself. His sisters could not comfort him, for there was no comfort to be had. There was only the aching void where you had once been.

And in that void, only one truth remained. The fire of vengeance would consume him, just as it would consume Dorne. He would not rest, not until the ones responsible had been reduced to nothing but ashes and bone.

The dragons would fly, and the world would burn for what they had done to you.