#or i guess in my setting it wouldn't take much to turn a mirror into essentially a non-electric lazer

[sidereon-spaceace]

sometimes it's a gradual waking-up other times it's getting sledge-hammered out of a dream by my alarm

[flowersforbucky]

devil's in the backseat

bucky barnes x reader

word count: 3.7k

summary/prompt: a night at coney island with your friends turns out much differently than expected.

or getting fucked in front of a mirror

author's note: this is my first halloween fic!! this was so much fun to write. if you've read haunting adeline, then you know exactly what inspired the mirror maze scene! also disclaimer i have never been to coney island so if any of this is inaccurate then just pretend ok it's fiction :))

warnings/tags: smut, 18+ only content, sex in a public setting, mirror sex, oral (female receiving), unprotected p in v, friends to lovers, romanogers makes an appearance! kind of grumpy!reader, protective bucky, random men being creepy, language, reader is afab, she/her pronouns, reader pov, no use of y/n, porn with a little plot, fluff

my masterlist

“I can't fucking believe I let you talk me into wearing this.”

You tug the tight, cherry red colored velvet fabric of the babydoll dress in place for the dozenth time since arriving at Coney Island.

“What? You look hot. Plus, our costumes go great together.”

Natasha's costume mirrors your own - except hers is a pearlescent white and instead of a pitchfork and horns, she dons angel wings and a halo.

“I don't feel hot. I feel cold. It's fifty degrees and the sun hasn't even set yet.” If it wasn't for the black thigh high boots that cover the majority of your legs, you'd be shivering in the chilly late October weather.

“It's not my fault that you put off getting a costume until the last minute and had to pick through what little was left at Spirit Halloween,” she mumbles, passing you one of the cups of apple cider that the cashier hands to her. You gladly accept, sucking down the hot liquid in hopes that it will warm you from the inside.

Her phone dings as the two of you walk towards the rides. “It's Steve,” she informs you as she reads the text message. “They just got here,” she looks back up at you with a smirk on her face and a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Bucky decided to come with them.”

You roll your eyes, suddenly hating your borderline provocative costume even more.

“I thought he was leaving for a job in Denver this evening?”

It's not that you didn't want to see Bucky. It's that you didn't want to see Bucky dressed like this. As if you don't already get flustered around him when you're dressed in normal, everyday clothing. The hem of your dress barely conceals the curve of your ass and your tits are practically spilling over the low neckline.

“Guess it's been postponed,” she shrugs, nudging you with her shoulder.

The two of you turn to look in the opposite direction when a familiar voice calls your names. You see Steve, Sam, and Bucky walking towards you. Steve is dressed as a pirate, eyepatch and all. Sam wears a cowboy costume with an oversized hat, concealing the upper half of his face entirely.

And Bucky? Bucky wears jeans and a navy blue Henley.

Yeah, you're regretting any of your life choices that lead up to this moment.

“Well, well, well,” Sam drawls as he tips his hat back enough to take in yours and Natasha’s outfits. “Look what we have here. An angel and a devil. Have you two already entered the costume contest for best duo or should I go add your names?”

“You wouldn't dare,” you scold him. Natasha just laughs, falling into Steve’s embrace as he plants a kiss to her forehead.

“We should, you know,” Natasha agrees. “I think we'd have a pretty good shot at winning.”

“Yeah, right,” you retort, looking around at some of the more elaborate, creative costumes that many of the strangers around you are sporting. You notice a man and woman dressed as Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz and know that you and Nat wouldn't stand a chance in a costume contest. “And what about you?” You acknowledge Bucky, your eyes skimming up and down his civilian clothes. “Didn't have time to pull together a costume?”

He smirks, his eyes trailing up your figure for a heated moment before he responds. “I'll have you know that I am in costume, actually.”

Steve and Sam both snort in laughter.

“Oh yeah? And what are you supposed to be, exactly?”

He tugs up the sleeve of his shirt, showing off the shiny vibranium that is his left arm.

“I'm the Winter Soldier,” he says with a smug grin. “Obviously.”

“How creative,” you praise sarcastically.

“Cut me some slack,” he feigns insult. “I was supposed to be halfway to Colorado right now. I didn't have time to pull together anything too cute.” His eyes flicker to your dress and boots at the word cute. If anyone else notices, they say nothing.

“What are we doing just standing around here?” Natasha exclaims, tugging Steve in the direction of the rides and games. “I want to ride every ride and eat funnel cake.”

They race ahead of the rest of you, with Sam close behind, leaving you and Bucky to fall into step beside each other.

“So, why did your mission get postponed?” You ask casually, trying to fight down the nerves that threaten to bubble over every time you're alone with him.

“Beats me,” he shrugs. “Fury didn't give much of an explanation. I got the text as I was loading my bags into the car to head out.”

“That's annoying,” you mumble, swallowing the remnants of your hot apple cider. “I'm sorry,” you tell him with a glance in his direction. “I'm sure it was for a good reason.”

He shrugs. “I'm here, so I can't be too mad about it.”

Before you can overthink exactly what he means by that, you're both brought to a halt when a jolly looking man in a Ghostbusters costume steps directly in front of you, blocking your path.

“This little devil looks like she needs a giant sloth!” He exclaims, gesturing towards the prizes hanging above the balloon darts station next to you.

“Oh, no,” you start. “That’s okay–”

“Come on!” The red-faced vendor insists, looking at Bucky. “Don't you want to win your girl a giant sloth? Perhaps a giant giraffe? If she was mine, I'd be winning her any prize she wants. I'll give you five throws for ten doll–”

“Fine, fine,” Bucky relents, digging into his back pocket for his wallet. You notice a faint hint of pink blooms along the apples of his cheeks, but he doesn't correct the man when he calls you his girl. “You've worn me down,” he sighs as he shoves a crumpled ten dollar bill into the man's hand.

The man accepts the money with a satisfied, toothy grin and hands Bucky five darts.

“If you get three out of the five throws, you can choose a prize from here,” the man gestures towards a section of smaller prizes. “And if you get all five throws, you can choose–”

The man is cut off by the sharp popping sound of a balloon, and then a second, and a third, until all five darts have been impaled on the board in a consecutive line in a matter of seconds.

“She'll take the bunny,” Bucky tells him before he can erase the stunned look off of his face. He points to a large, flop-eared purple bunny hanging from the upper row of prizes.

Unlike the vendor, you aren't shocked by his perfect aim at all. Anyone who knows Bucky would have known that he wouldn't miss a single shot. You are shocked, however, that he chose the bunny without even asking which prize you want.

The man in the Ghostbusters costume grabs the bunny and hands it to you, surprise still etched on his face. He mumbles a quick goodnight before he's moving onto the next people approaching the stand.

“How did you know I'd want the bunny?” You ask Bucky, trying to juggle the stuffed animal, your empty cup of cider, and your pitchfork all in your arms.

“You like bunnies, right? It was an educated guess.” He shrugs, moving through a thick crowd of people away from the game stations. “Here, let me carry it for you,” he offers when he notices the large stuffed animal is obstructing your vision. You hand it over to him and he tucks it underneath his metal arm.

“Thank you,” you tell him, your cheeks heating at the realization that he'd remembered such an inconsequential piece of information about you. You do like bunnies. The cold night air suddenly feels a lot more balmy.

“I'm - uh - I'm going to find a trash can real quick,” you say as you wiggle the empty cup in your hand. Truthfully, you just need a moment to collect yourself.

You begin walking in the opposite direction before he can reply, your eyes scanning the throng of people for a garbage can.

So what if he knows that you like bunnies? It's a pretty trivial fact that probably means nothing. You know that Natasha’s favorite animal is flamingos - because she's your friend. It's normal for friends to know things that their friends like.

Right? Right.

“I like that outfit a whole lot, baby. But I think you'd look even cuter in just the boots and those horns.”

You're so lost in your internal monologue that you don't even notice two men closing in on you as you toss the empty cup into a trash can. Unlike most of the people here tonight, neither of them are in costumes. They stand so close to you that you can smell booze on their breath.

“Oh, fuck off,” you groan as you attempt to walk away, but they've effectively blocked you between their bodies and the large garbage can behind you. Wicked grins grow on their faces as you realize that you can't get by them.

“Look, I don’t have the patience for this tonight. Get out of my fucking way.”

“Or what?” One of them taunts. “You'll use that little pitchfork on us? Jokes on you, because we're into that.”

“What if I used it on you?” A familiar voice comes from behind them. “Would you still like that?”

Before they can even turn around to identify the voice, Bucky is pulling him back by the hood of his sweatshirt and throwing him on the ground with little to no effort. The other one attempts to stumble away as Bucky turns his attention to him.

He still has your bunny clutched in his flesh hand - despite the seriousness of the situation, you have to bite your lip to keep from smirking at the sight. You don't know of anyone who could be quite as intimidating while holding a stuffed purple bunny.

“What about you?” Bucky asks, towering over the guy by half a foot. “You got anything you wanna say?”

“I - no - we didn't know she was with someone,” he half slurs, half stutters out. His gaze flickers to Bucky's vibranium hand. The man on the ground manages to stand back up, following after his friend.

“Now you know,” Bucky calls after them as they quickly hobble away.

“I had that handled, you know,” you tell Bucky with a nod towards your pitchfork. “But thank you, anyway. Really.”

He places a gentle but firm grasp on the top of your arms and begins to tug you in the opposite direction, guiding you through the small crowd that had stopped to witness the altercation.

“I have no doubt about that,” he sighs, releasing his grip on you when the two of you are a reasonable distance away. “But I also don't doubt that you handling it would have drawn even more attention.”

He's right. If he hadn't stepped in, your method of handling it would have been even more dramatic.

“They would have deserved it,” you mumble. “I knew I shouldn't have worn this stupid costume.”

“They definitely would have deserved it,” he agrees. “And your costume isn't stupid. You should be able to wear any costume you like without getting harassed by drunk assholes.”

The two of you approach the ferris wheel as it comes to a slow stop, a couple getting out of one of the cars. You and Bucky flash your wristbands to the operator, who offers to hold your pitchfork for you while you’re on the ride.

“Besides,” he continues as you sit down next to each other in the car, the operator locking the gate in place. “I happen to like your costume. A lot.” He turns his head to you, his gaze trailing from the tops of your thigh high boots and up to the felt horns that adorn your head.

There's a shift in energy as the ferris wheel suddenly comes to life, sending you sliding across the limited space of the metal bench seat and right up against him.

“Oh, yeah?” You tease with your face a few inches from his. Close enough to see your reflection in his irises. “Is that why two different people have implied that I'm yours tonight and you haven't corrected either of them?”

“Your costume had nothing to do with that. I wouldn't have corrected them even if you were dressed as a giant banana,” he says, his tone and face both serious. “Does it bother you that I didn't correct them?”

“No,” you answer automatically - eagerly. You should feel embarrassed, but with the way he's looking at you, and how good it feels to be pressed so snug against him, you can't find it within yourself to care. “I didn't correct them either,” you point out.

The ferris wheel comes to a stop to let new people get on when your cart reaches the peak.

“And why is that?” he asks lowly. If you weren't sitting so close to him, you wouldn't have been able to hear him over the obnoxiously loud carnival music that pours from speakers in between the ferris wheel's carts.

He wraps his metal arm around your shoulders, pulling you further into him.

“Because I liked the sound of it,” you answer honestly. Your voice quivers - from nerves, or from a gust of wind that sways the pod still perching at the top of the wheel.

“Is that right?” he murmurs. He places his flesh hand on the exposed skin of your thigh - just above the top of your boot and just under the hem of your dress. His fingertips rest near the crack between your thighs. Instinctively, you spread your legs apart - not much, but enough for him to smirk at your body's automatic response to his touch.

“You like the sound of being my girl?”

“Yeah,” you breathe. “I do. Is that okay with you?”

He chuckles, his fingers inching further up your thigh. You spread your legs open further, giving him the go ahead to go as high as he wants. He stops when he reaches the apex of your thighs, just an inch away from the cloth of your panties. He applies pressure with his fingertips, his short nails digging into the sensitive flesh and making you clench your legs around his hand.

“That depends,” he contemplates. “Are you my girl?”

You open your mouth to answer when the sensation of his index finger grazing the fabric that covers your cunt makes you forget how to speak. You sit there with your mouth agape as he hooks a finger into the cotton panties.

He eases a finger through your folds, lubricating it in your slick before adding a second finger and massaging the pads of them over your sensitive clit.

“Feels like you're my girl.”

You become vaguely aware of the fact that the ride is now in motion once more, heading back down to the ground, when Bucky places the stuffed bunny on your lap in an effort to conceal what is happening in the cart that you and him share.

He alternates between slow, languid circles and quick strokes against your clit as the ferris wheel makes its way down and then back up again. You can feel yourself soaking your underwear as the world dizzies around you. You hide your face in Bucky's neck to conceal the pleasure written across your face.

You're seconds away from coming against his fingers, the pressure in your belly building to a climax, when he pulls away and tugs your dress into place. Your gaze snaps up to his, shooting daggers, as the ride comes to a slow stop. He looks back at you with an amused smirk as the operator approaches the cart to unlock the gate.

“Sorry about that, sweetheart,” he tells you in a strained voice as he snatches the bunny back from you. “After you,” he motions with his head as the operator holds the gate open for you.

Stunned and speechless at what just happened, you stumble out of the cart and down the stairs to the ride's exit with Bucky behind you - both of you completely forgetting about your pitchfork. You can't help but snort a laugh at the position of the large stuffed animal - directly over Bucky’s crotch.

“Real discreet,” you tell him, glancing down at the bunny and then back up to the semi-pained expression on his face.

“I have to admit, right now this thing is worth every penny that I spent on it,” he sighs, and then removes one hand from the bunny to place it on your lower back. “Follow me,” he instructs with a smirk.

He guides you through the crowd and you follow him without question, just trying to ignore the wet ache between your legs.

You shoot him a quizzical look when you arrive at the house of mirrors. You haven't been in a mirror maze since you'd gotten lost in one at ten years old.

There's an attendant sitting in a chair outside of the entrance who unenthusiastically greets the two of you. Bucky reaches into his pocket, digging out his wallet for the second time that evening. He pulls out a hundred dollar bill and flashes it at the elderly man smoking a Pall Mall.

“Take this and don't let anyone else in until we come out,” Bucky tells him before dragging you into the attraction. You and the gray haired man both go wide eyed.

“What was that?” you cackle as the door slams to a close behind you. Bucky doesn't answer, just grabs one of your hands in his and begins guiding you through the maze of mirrors as if he's been here a hundred times.

The entire place is lit by bright, neon red lights that only aid in further confusing your sense of direction. Bucky doesn’t seem phased in the slightest, finally coming to a stop after a few minutes of maneuvering through the endless mirrors.

“You never answered me, you know,” he says as he drops your bunny to the floor. “When I asked if you're my girl.” He smirks at you, stepping closer to you and backing you against the mirror behind you.

“You just paid that man a hundred dollars to get me alone,” you jab as you pull him to you by the front of his Henley. “I think it's safe to say that I am.”

He smiles as you pull him down to you, crushing your lips to his. His hands trail down your back until they land where your thighs meet the curve of your ass cheeks. You release months worth of tension into the kiss, sweeping your tongue along the swell of his bottom lip before slipping it into his mouth the second that he parts his lips for you. He groans into the kiss, kneading the globes of your ass with his fingers. You can feel a prominent bulge through his jeans against your stomach.

Adrenaline begins to kick in when he pulls away, looking down at you with lust blown pupils. He sinks to the floor below you, kneeling in front of your cunt as he raises your dress around your waist and tugs your panties down your legs and over your boots. He slips them into his back pocket before hiking one of your legs across his shoulder.

You can already feel your juices leaking down your inner thighs before his mouth makes contact with you. When he does, you lean your head back against the glass behind you in pleasure.

He sucks your clit between his kiss-swollen lips with an obscene pop before running his tongue down your folds. He plunges his tongue inside you and you grind yourself against his face, chasing the release that you were seconds away from on the ferris wheel.

He moans at the taste of you and the vibration has your walls clenching around his tongue. You ride out your orgasm on his face, the neon red lights blurring and spinning around you.

Despite the fact that your legs feel like jelly, you pull him up to you as soon as you're able to form a coherent thought. You clumsily paw at the button of his pants and his zipper, and he shoves both his jeans and boxers down over his ass, just far enough to free his cock.

He places both of his hands just under your armpits and lifts you as you instinctively lock your legs around his hips.

The head of his cock nudges your wet folds, your juices coating his length before he nudges it inside you.

You feel full before he's even halfway in you. Your walls constrict around him and he digs his teeth into his bottom lip as he adjusts to the sensation of you.

“Fuck, that's tight. You're perfect,” he grunts as he sheaths the rest of his length into you. You let out a sound somewhere between a whimper and a gasp.

He has total control as he cradles you between his body and the cold, hard mirror behind you. He sets a harsh pace, his head ramming against your cervix at the sweetest angle from his position beneath you.

He manages to support you with the strength of only his vibranium arm as he brings his flesh hand between your bodies, once again massaging your clit in rapid circles as he fucks up into you.

You cum around his length in a shockingly short amount of time, digging your teeth into the flesh of his neck as he follows after you, filling you up with hot ropes of his cum.

You stay in the same position after you've both reached your climax, panting against one another in the claustrophobic feeling space.

“We should probably go find our friends,” you say breathlessly with a kiss to the side of his face. “Sam's probably getting sick of being a third wheel.”

He pulls out of you, his cum running down your thighs and ass cheeks. He gently lowers you back down to the ground as he begins to tuck himself back into his pants.

He laughs, cupping your face in his hands as he pulls your lips to his once again.

“If he hates being a third wheel, just imagine how much he's going to hate being a fifth wheel.”

[all-purpose-dish-soap]

29 / 2.1k / soap soulmate au, part 6

...

Ghost looks up as Soap storms out of the weapons closet.

"Still herself, I take it?" Ghost asks.

"She's a stubborn pain in the ass is what she is."

As expected. Soap misses the dry amusement that crinkles the corners of Ghost's eyes very slightly. "Didn't talk, then," Ghost says.

Soap scowls. "Not a goddamn word we can use. She won't listen to reason. Thinks she can face down an army. Dense, irritating--"

"Strong-willed," Ghost says.

"To a damn fault. Canny see what I'm trying to do for her. I'm-- she's--" Soap can hardly articulate his frustration. He's got this sick feeling in his stomach like he's been kicked in the gut hard enough to make him hurl.

It's not just you being too stubborn to give up the intel. What happens when you’re freed? You’re not going to stick around. What if Graves snaps his fingers and you go right on back to him?

Soap lets out a rough sigh. "There's more than Graves keeping her from talking. I don't like it."

"You've got a plan?" Ghost guesses.

Soap nods. "Aye. I need to talk to Laswell--"

"Done." Ghost produces a beige folder and drops it into Soap's hands. "Had her look into it for you."

"I'll be damned." Soap flips through the pages in the folder. "Christ. Bloody thin file." He fans the pages inside like a flipbook as if checking for extra pages. "Where's the rest of it?"

"Not much there to dig up."

"Then she's gotta be missin' some--" Something catches Soap's eye as he skims through, and he pauses, lingering on a photo.

Hell's fuckin' bells.

"Think that'll help?" Ghost asks.

"I'd wager so."

"Good. You goin' back in?"

"Aye.” Soap folds the file into his jacket and gives Ghost a good-natured fist bump to the arm. Then he brushes past him, knocking into his shoulder.

Ghost grabs Soap’s arm again before he slips past. "We don't have much time. Price wants to move on Alejandro. Says if you can't get the intel, we go in blind. Rodolfo leads."

Soap sets his jaw. "How long?"

"Three hours. Tops." He claps a firm hand on Soap's shoulder and turns to leave. "Get some sleep."

…

A moment later, the metal grate door slides open. You straighten back up and steel yourself again.

There's something different about the way Soap carries himself this time. He's not wound as tightly. But the way his eyes settle on you is... odd. The shift in his expression puts you on edge.

He sits down across from you. "We've not got much time. If talking gets us nowhere, we'll try something else."

You lean back, mirroring his posture. "You gonna torture me?”

“That what you’re expecting?”

“Maybe. You ever tortured someone before?"

"Aye. Can't say I care for it, but I know how if that's what this takes." He examines you again with that sharp gaze. You don't feel like he's undressing you with his eyes anymore. It's more like he's searching for something. "Why ask? You want me to put my hands on ya?"

You ignore the mental image that imprints. "I want you to waste your time."

Soap smirks. "What I wouldn't give to let you waste my time. You, me, all this animosity between us... I've got a few negotiation techniques I'd very much like to try." He leans back into the chair, his hands folded in his lap with an easy grin. "But you're no' the type to break under pressure."

"Better men than you have tried."

"Tried torturing you?" His grin tightens just slightly. "Anyone I know? Names, locations?"

Your cheeks heat up again. At that, for some reason. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can."

He produces the thin file and tosses it onto the table between you.

You look down at the papers that slide out. They're grainy and covered in redactions as if printed and bound, pulled from the deep end of some filing cabinet, scanned, rescanned, and printed again. But you glimpse your name. Your real name--the one printed on Johnny's skin, too. Your chest twists and your stomach sinks.

Soap sees the change in you and leans forward, elbows wide. He opens the file and pushes it across the table. "I'll do anything to protect you, darlin'," he says. "But I need information."

The file is everything you don't want anyone to know. But what catches your eye is that photograph. "Who else has seen this?"

"Me and Laswell. Maybe Ghost if he was feelin' nosy. Does Graves know?"

You pull on your cuffs, wanting to reach for the pages and push them away. "Captain Graves said he'd make this disappear."

Soap leans back, broad palm sliding out to touch the edge of the pages, and his expression softens for a moment. "Some things you can’t make disappear."

You look at him, twisted up with pain and anger. "So, what, if I don't talk, you're threatening to expose all this? Is that it? It won't work," you add with false confidence. "Captain Graves knows everything."

"What I want to know," Soap says, voice quiet, "is what he did with it."

"What?"

Soap leans forward again. "Did he threaten you? Did he say he’d make this go away if you worked for him, hold it over your head?"

"No!” you snap. “After this happened, I couldn't-- I was discharged from the military. I couldn't find work. He reached out to me. Said he didn’t mind if I had… history. Then he offered to have it scrubbed if I wanted.” You stare down at the papers. “He never threatened me. He helped me."

Soap lets out a breath. He was prepared to deal with something a lot worse than that. Maybe he hoped for something worse. If Graves were blackmailing you, the solution would be easy. He'd give you protection, offer to have Laswell erase that file from existence instead, CIA-style. After all, if Graves got his claws into you and onto his payroll that way, why couldn't he? Probably got you dirt fucking cheap, too. Bastard.

Part of Soap wants to press that angle. He could tell you Graves never intended to deliver on his side of the deal. But the truth is that Graves would've had little control over this. Seeing the state of the file, Graves likely did what he could to have it redacted, sealed, destroyed--but someone over his head intervened. Shepherd, maybe. There'd be nothing Graves could do.

Soap wants you more than anything, but the pain in your eyes when you look at these documents tears him up inside. He can’t manipulate you that way. Even if he got you to himself in the end, he'd never forgive himself.

"That's... that's good. He protected you." Soap crosses his arms, squeezing his fist hard around the object inside, the one he pickpocketed off Ghost a few minutes ago. Much as he hates Graves, the man kept you safe. But that's his job now.

"I don't care who you tell," you snap, suddenly full of anger and spitting fire. The sight of those pages puts you on edge. You feel like a cornered animal. "I'm not telling you a goddamn thing. Do whatever you want to me. You're no better than--"

"Am no' blackmailin' ya." Soap's expression sours. So much venom in that mouth of yours. He runs his thumb over his tightened knuckles to suppress his own temper. He's amazed at how easy it is for you to get under his skin, how you push all these buttons when he's the one who's supposed to be pulling the strings.

But he realizes how this must seem. You act tough, but you're vulnerable, exposed, and he has every reason right now to drive the knife in and twist it hard. Maybe he should. Going into the Las Almas base blind means danger for his squadmates.

Christ, he’s tired. He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Darlin’, I... I know now you've done things you're not proud of. But that doesn't change anything. Not to me, not to Ghost-- hell, none of us would bat an eye. You don’t need to protect yourself anymore. I need you to talk to me. We're out of time."

He thinks this is about you protecting yourself? You shake your head. "If you’re storming the Las Almas base, you're going up against Shadows. You're asking me to help you kill my own."

"If that matters to you, then tell me how to get to Alejandro without alerting the guards. Nobody has to get hurt."

You scoff, looking away. "There's no way to do that and you know it."

"We don't have to shoot them if they stand down first."

"That's not going to happen. They'll shoot you on sight. It'll be a bloodbath."

"Not for us."

You close your eyes. "I know. That's what I'm worried about."

Soap lets out a frustrated breath. "We're going in whether you talk or not. The blood's on our hands. Not yours."

You keep your gaze angled away, clearly not believing that. "I don't see why you care about security. I don't see why you need intel at all. This is what you're good at, right? This is what 141 does. You break in doors, you kill people."

Soap grips the edge of the table. "The only thing gettin' you out of here is information. I don't care what it is or if it's useful. Price wants intel."

"I don't have it." Your voice is flat and cold. Whatever you can do to make him understand you're not worth the effort.

He leans in and grabs your chin, gently forcing you to look at him. "Then lie to me."

"What?" You stare at him, feeling pinned under that intense gaze. "Are you fucking insane?"

"Might be," A small, sly, half-smile curves his lips. "I'm also desperate, runnin' out of time, and at the end of my rope after starin' at you this long, knowin' I can't have you." He runs his thumb along your cheek. "Maybe I'm bankin' on you losin' your mind before I do."

You swallow. "You'll be waiting awhile."

He smirks. His thumb moves from your cheek to your chin, fingers trailing down the side of your neck. "Do you think you're a good liar?"

Before you can answer, someone bangs on the metal door, rattling it. Price's voice echoes in from outside.

"Get some sleep, Soap," he calls. "We're briefing soon. Give it a rest. We’ll press her for more intel after we’ve got Alejandro back.”

Soap tenses at the sound of Price's voice. "Wasn't planning on sleepin'," he calls back.

"Wasn't a question," Price calls back. You hear him walk away.

Soap withdraws his hand, letting out a soft curse.

"Why would you give your own Captain false information?" you hiss. "You could lose your job. You could get court-martialed. Even if it worked, what if Shepherd finds out? He's still in your chain of command."

"Guess that's a risk I gotta take."

"Then what if I tell you something that gets your teammates hurt, huh?"

"Won't happen. I'll be in the front when things get risky."

"Then how do you expect me to-- if it means you're the one who's--" You huff, words failing you. "You're so goddamn thick."

"Am I? Because here I am, tryin' to make plans and get a read on you, and all you wanna do is piss me off and run your mouth. I'm learnin' a lot." He tilts his head. "In fact, it's startin' to sound like you're worried about me."

"Absolutely not."

"Could always tell me the truth. Extra insurance if you do. Maybe it’ll keep me alive."

"You don't need it," you snap.

"I think I do." He leans in, crossing his legs and folding his arms. "Got a bad feeling about this one. No Shadow worth their salt wouldn’t send us straight to hell if it meant finishing the job. Especially Graves."

You feel another pang of dread in your gut. He's right.

He watches you for another long moment. Neither of you speak.

Finally, he stands, sighing deeply as he goes to the door. "Alright."

"Are you coming back?" The words spill out of your mouth before you can stop them.

He pauses in the doorway. Then he turns back, staring at you like there's something he wants to say. He looks down at the stolen object still clutched in his hand--the key to your cuffs.

He opens the door, slipping through without another word.

...

part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / [part 6] / part 7 / part 8 / part 9 / part 10 / part 11 / part 12

more Soap / masterlist tag

[loggiepj]

For Your Eyes Only

Cheerleader Wanda x Nerd Fem Reader Short Stories

"Ooohhh, Wanda came prepared," Natasha teases her bestfriend, who's busy watching herself on the mirror while picking what swimsuit to wear for tomorrow's Seniors outing.

Wanda has no trouble choosing before, she knows she looks just amazing as she is in a cheerleader's uniform.

But when she found out you'd be going to said event, she wanted to look perfect for you that your eyes wouldn't stray to anyone else.

"Wanda, you've tried out a couple already," Maria comments. "Give it a rest. Y/n only has eyes for you, you know that."

Her friends have managed to convince her to stop trying out different sets of swimsuits. She picks the navy blue one giddily.

But when she sees Christine in a skimpy dark red swimsuit the following day, Wanda should have chosen better.

You on the other hand is fully clothed as you are busy taking pictures of everyone.

"Look at all these hot babes," Yelena says, making you turn to glance at who she is talking about.

And as if in slow motion, Wanda walks in with her friends wearing the sexiest two piece that makes your mouth almost water.

Yelena notices you staring as she jokes, "Close your mouth or a fly could get in."

You ignore your friend laughing your way as you turn back to Wanda's direction. She is now talking to Vision, the school's basketball team captain rather animatedly while the guy places his arm around her shoulder.

The sight makes you hurt so you decide to walk away from the pool, making Yelena wonder why you're leaving.

"Okay, I guess, the ocean's view is beautiful," Yelena mutters when she sees you taking photos of the seashore instead.

Unbeknownst to you, Wanda has been looking for you for quite a long time now. At least, she sees Christine talking to someone else other than you. But then she catches your friend Yelena going inside the beach house to replenish her drinks.

"You seen Y/n?" Wanda asks.

Yelena purses her lips. "Somehow enjoying the ocean's view over there."

Wanda smiles as she thanks the blonde girl, before running towards your direction.

When she sees your back as you look through your camera's photos, she creeps behind you before she covers your eyes with her hands.

"Guess who?"

The angelic laugh of Wanda makes you smile from ear to ear as you turn.

"I thought you couldn't come," Wanda adds, smiling. You try to avoid looking at her below the neck.

"Change of plans," you say, "And Piet needs some photos for this month's issue. You know how dedicated he gets."

"Come on, let's meet the others," Wanda says as she threads her fingers through yours and pulls you to the pool's direction.

"I don't know, Wands," you reply, letting the girl lead the way, "I'm not really good with crowds."

"Don't worry," she assures you with a sweet smile on her face. "I won't leave your side."

Author's note: I truly appreciate your continued support in reading my stories. You can help me create more stories by supporting my writing thru this link. Thank you so much. ❤

[minminbunny]

Stalker X Stalker AU - Dom! Lee Minho/Sub Gender Neutral! Reader

*smut part - AFAB/AMAB

💕Drabble Masterlist

❤️Ultimate Masterlist

"Good morning, gorgeous," you whispered, taking a few silent photos from the roof into Minho's room. His sleeping body looked so precious with Dori snuggled against his face. You shuddered an exhale, licking your lips as you pulled away. Minho chuckled, watching you through his phone, "Kitty, you look so desperate," he cooed, zooming in. You realigned your camera, disappointed to see him sitting up, "It's too early, darling. You should sleep more," you whispered, watching Minho scroll on his phone. 

Minho crossed his legs, his back facing the window, "Aww, they're sulking," he chuckled, endeared by your obvious pouting. You hummed, watching the time on your watch, "It's almost here," you whispered, keeping your camera in exchange for a burner phone. The parcel arrived at Minho's doorstep, "I didn't order anything," he murmured, bringing it into his room. You gulped, shakily calling his number. 

Minho felt his phone ring and picked it up, "Hello?" he asked, making your breath hitch. You turned on your voice modifier, "Hope you like the gift, darling. It's curated for you," you said, breathing heavily. Minho bit back a smirk, "How did you find my address?" he asked, faking a worried victim. You shivered at his voice, "You shouldn't sign random forums, pretty. You wouldn't know who's getting them," you said, before hanging up.

Minho faced away from his window, chuckling into his palm. Making it seem like it was crying with his shaking shoulders. Guilt swirled within you but you knew the gift would cheer him up. Minho wiped the tears in his eyes, "Such a sweetheart," he cooed, tugging on the ribbon. The box was a stunning red with a cream coloured ribbon. 

Minho lifted the lid and his eyes widened, "This isn't fair, kitty," he smiled, seeing his favorite pudding, cat treats for his children and a lovely looking letter. He shuddered, smelling a tinge of blood coming from the letter, "As much as I don't like knowing you got hurt, kitten. You really do excite me," he groaned, opening the letter. It wrote: 

"To my dearest darling, 

Was my gift to your satisfaction, I wanted to make you feel special. I hope I didn't scare you too much. The way your face lights up when you take a bite of pudding makes my heart swell. I'm always watching, gorgeous. Please dream of me.

Your admirer,"

At the bottom of the letter lies a kiss mark, Minho gulped, tracing the perverted stain, "Fuck, your lips look pretty," he whispered, checking his phone if you were still on the roof. After seeing the empty rooftop, he kissed the mark and held the letter close to his chest, "Definitely one for my collection," he chuckled, opening a secret door being his clothes, a room filled with pictures and items you've used before. "I wanted to extend our little game but after today. I don't think I can hold back," he chuckled, messaging his friend to set him up on a blind date.

You huffed, getting dressed for a date you don't want, "Lix, I told you. I'm not interested in dating right now," you sulked, letting him comb your hair. Felix chuckled, "It's just one. Plus, Jisung said it was their treat. So, you get a free meal and have a good time," he said, patting your shoulders. You frowned, "I guess," you murmured, looking into the mirror. Felix really dolled you up, your lips plump and glossy. 

Your eyebags covered nicely. It was a total one-eighty from your usual attire. Felix nuzzled his cheek against yours, "Ready?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. You gulped, "Ready as I'll ever be," you said, grabbing the necessaries. Minho loosened his tie, "It's time," he whispered, waiting for you at the table. He laced your glass with sleeping powder, hoping this date would go smoothly. You exhaled, pushing open the door. 

You faked a smile and looked for the table number. 'No way,' you thought, seeing your darling, sitting where your date was suppose to be. Excitement flooded your senses, 'Is this a dream?' you thought, making your way to the table. You tapped the table, "Are you Jisung's friend?" you asked, trying to be calm as possible. Minho smiled, nodded his head, "That's me. My name's Minho," he introduced, reaching out his hand. 

You wanted nothing more than to screenshot this moment like an otome game, "Nice to meet you, Minho," you said, taking his hand. Minho crossed his legs, hiding his growing bulge, 'My name just glides off their tongue. I can't wait to hear them cry it,' he thought, gesturing you to sit down. You took a sip of water, finding the taste to be odd but you didn't want to ruin the mood, "Have you ordered?" you asked, wondering why the table didn't have any menu. 

Minho nodded, "I have, it's allergen free. I didn't want to you wait long for dinner," he said, pouring you more water. You beamed, "Thank you for your consideration," you said, sipping more of the water. Minho allowed his mind to spin, your pretty smile, your stunning figure, the way you dressed up for the occasion. A brief thought of jealousy surged through his thoughts, 'They dressed up not knowing it was me. Does that mean that anyone would've since my kitten like this?' he thought, gripping his knife. 

You anxiously glanced peeks at him, his pronounced jawline, his piercing eyes, the veins on his arms. 'Fuck,' you thought, trying to keep your eyes from rolling back at the thought of his fingers pounding your hole apart. The waitress placed your dishes on the table, "Enjoy," she said, walking away. You jolted from your dazed, smiling at Minho, "Dig in," you beamed, eating your dinner. 

Minho did the same, watching your movements get more sluggish from the powder. 'Don't worry, kitty. I'll take great care of you,' he thought, enjoying the night.

You groaned, waking up in an oddly familiar room. One you've only seen through your digital camera. One you've come to love over the years. You tried to sit up, only to feel your wrists tug against the bed frame. Minho chuckled, sitting by the window the whole time, "Slept well, kitten?" he asked, moving towards you. He stroked your hair, gently grazed your arms and thighs for any weapons you kept hidden. 

You gulped, pressing your legs together, trying to hide your dagger between your thighs. Minho clicked his tongue, "Now, now. Good kittens don't hide dangerous things," he cooed, brushing his hands between your inner thighs. His smirk grew, feeling a leather holster. He unclasp the holster and placed it aside, "There we go, all helpless for me," Minho chuckled, brushing your hair. 

You couldn't help but feel aroused, every sense in your body melting into his dominating presence. Minho hummed, "For a perverted little kit, you sure are obedient aren't you? Did you like watching me, sweetheart. Do you touch yourself while stalking me?" he asked, holding your neck. You moaned from the pressure, you eyes hazy with pleasure, "I do. I'm sorry, Minho. I'm sorry," you whimpered, tears spilling down your cheeks. 

Minho cooed, tightening his grip, "You're not sorry at all, kitten. I love hearing your unbashful moans when you ride your pretty little dildo," he chuckled, loving the confusion on your face. "What?" you whispered, staring up at him. Minho traced your bottom lip, "You should really close your windows, kitten. It was so easy to hook up a camera in your room," he said, booping  your nose. You moaned at the realisation, "You know everything?" you asked, desperation lacing your tongue. Minho kissed your forehead, "Everything, kitty. You're not the only one who's been watching," he chuckled, stroking your cheek.

NSFW BELOW CUT

AFAB

"Hhgh, hah, hah," you moaned, riding his cock at a relentless pace. Minho chuckled, spanking your plush ass, "Clench for me, kitten," he growled, thrusting his hips upwards in tandem with your bounce. You did as told, your ribbed walls contracting around his girthy veiny hot cock, "Hah! Good, so good," you whined, burying your face into his chest. 

Minho groaned, his fat cockhead kissing your tiny crevix with each thrust, "How many times have you imagined this, kitty? Tell me," he growled, gripping your hips hard enough to bruise. You hiccuped, gasping and moaning into his chest, "Every other day. Needed you, needed you so bad," you sobbed, licking his puffy nipple. 

Minho groaned into your hair, his face buried in the scent of your shampoo, "Yeah? Needed my Fat. Throbbing. Cock. dragging within your swollen little cunt, huh? I watched you play with that girthy dildo the other day. Tell me which is better, kitty. My cock or that toy?" He rambled into your ear, his tongue licking your earlobe with a lewd squelch. 

You whimpered, shuddering within his hold, "Your cock. Yours Minho," you cried, tears dripping onto his chest. Minho grunted, pumping his thick shaft up your cunt, his hand reaching down to rub your puffy clit,  "Say my name. Say it," he growled, picking up the pace. You arched your back, clawing his chest in sheer pleasure, "Minho! Min, Min, Hhgh," you whimpered, your thighs sore and aching. 

Minho groaned, feeling his cockhead ease beneath your cervix, "Cum for me, sweetheart. Let me feel your obsession," he hissed, feeling you clench hard around his shaft. Broken moans escaped your lips, drool got mixed with your tears and snot. "Hah, hhgh, cumming!" You gasped, creaming around his throbbing cock. Minho groaned, his head pounding from your tight searing cunt. 

"Fuck, fuck, hah," you moaned, his semen coating your inner walls white. You panted, catching your breath from the raw intensity. Minho kissed your forehead, "You can't escape me now, sweetheart," he whispered, licking your jaw. You clenched around his sensitive cock, "Neither can you, darling," you beamed, staring into his equally possessive gaze.

AMAB

"Hhgh, hah, hah," you moaned, riding his cock at a relentless pace. Minho chuckled, spanking your plush ass, "Clench for me, kitten," he growled, thrusting his hips upwards in tandem with your bounce. You did as told, your ribbed walls contracting around his girthy veiny hot cock, "Hah! Good, so good," you whined, burying your face into his chest. 

Minho groaned, his fat cockhead kissing your tiny prostate with each thrust, "How many times have you imagined this, kitty? Tell me," he growled, gripping your hips hard enough to bruise. You hiccuped, gasping and moaning into his chest, "Every other day. Needed you, needed you so bad," you sobbed, licking his puffy nipple. 

Minho groaned into your hair, his face buried in the scent of your shampoo, "Yeah? Needed my Fat. Throbbing. Cock. dragging within your swollen little hole, huh? I watched you play with that girthy dildo the other day. Tell me which is better, kitty. My cock or that toy?" He rambled into your ear, his tongue licking your earlobe with a lewd squelch. 

You whimpered, shuddering within his hold, "Your cock. Yours Minho," you cried, tears dripping onto his chest. Minho grunted, pumping his thick shaft up your hole, his hand reaching down to rub your puffy cockhead,  "Say my name. Say it," he growled, picking up the pace. You arched your back, clawing his chest in sheer pleasure, "Minho! Min, Min, Hhgh," you whimpered, your thighs sore and aching. 

Minho groaned, feeling his cockhead ease against your prostate, "Cum for me, sweetheart. Let me feel your obsession," he hissed, feeling you clench hard around his shaft. Broken moans escaped your lips, drool got mixed with your tears and snot. "Hah, hhgh, cumming!" You gasped, creaming between your torsos’. Minho groaned, his head pounding from your tight searing hole. "Fuck, fuck, hah," you moaned, his semen coating your inner walls white. You panted, catching your breath from the raw intensity. Minho kissed your forehead, "You can't escape me now, sweetheart," he whispered, licking your jaw. You clenched around his sensitive cock, "Neither can you, darling," you beamed, staring into his equally possessive gaze.

[vivwritesfics]

Set The World On Fire

Chapter Five

Lando Norris had been incredibly angry when they met. Incredibly angry, but sweet enough to help her. Turns out he just needed somebody to talk to, somebody to be there for him.

He was easy to fall for, and that put her in a world of danger

Mafia AU

1.2K

Series Masterlist

"I still can't believe he's actually taking me on a date," she said as she searched through her wardrobe for something to wear, her phone pressed to her ear.

Although she couldn't see it, her friend rolled her eyes. "Are you sure he's not gonna murder you and ditch your body in a... ditch?" She asked.

Y/N laughed. "I do know the guy. But, if my body is found in a ditch somewhere, you get all of my stuff," she said and pulled a nice top out of the wardrobe. Paired with some nice jeans, she could look pretty good, she thought as she looked in the mirror, holding the top against her body.

"I've got to go," her friend said. "Keep me updated through the date, okay? If he is a murderer, let me know."

They said their goodbyes and Y/N threw her phone onto her bed. She looked at herself in the mirror again, looked at how the top looked against her. Pretty good, she thought. She made light work of getting changed and started on hair and makeup.

At seven o'clock, Lando arrived at her house. His car was incredibly fancy, maybe to the point of overkill. He pulled the classic Porsche up outside of her apartment and climbed out.

Immediately he regretted it. Her neighbourhood wasn't exactly the nicest, he was so sure that somebody would steal it if they came across it.

Pulling his business card from his pocket, he left it on the dash for everybody to see. Just his name alone would scare anybody out of trying to steal it. He straightened his jacket and started up to her apartment.

Lando had the address memorised. He'd been there more than he liked to admit, watching over her apartment. Surely, if she'd lived somewhere a little nicer, he wouldn't be by her apartment every night, watching over her.

Who was he kidding? Lando was enamoured with her. Plus, him watching over her kept his mind off of his sister and it kept him away the club, where he was drinking far too much and doing whatever was dusted over the table.

He sucked in a breath and knocked on her door.

"Coming!" She shouted. She ran through her apartment as she attempted to put her earrings in. With the back of the earring between her lips, she pulled open the door. "Hey," she grinned, placing the back of the earring where it was supposed to be.

"You ready to go?" Asked Lando as he offered her his arm. She grinned and took his arm. Pulling her apartment door shut, she locked it and followed Lando down to his car.

His incredibly expensive classic Porsche.

She let out a low whistle as she stepped out of the apartment building. "Is that yours?" She asked. She knew Lando had serious money. Like, he owned his own strip club! What kind of guy owned his own strip club? Of course he'd have some crazy car.

Lando just offered her a smile as he pulled the door open for her. The car smelt incredible. It was hard to describe, but there was nothing that could beat the smell of a classic car. That mixed with Lando was amazing.

The engine rumbled to life. It sounded like a dream. She let out a low whistle as Lando pulled away from her apartment building, heading further into the city. "Is she yours?" She asked, patting the dashboard.

"My dad's," Lando answered. "But she'll be mine soon, I guess," he muttered under his breath.

"Are you sure you wanna park her in the city?" Asked Y/N, raising her eyebrows at him. "Something might... happen to her."

Lando shook his head. He pulled into a car park and, once again, left his business card on the dashboard before climbing out. "I'm not worried about that," he said and pushed the door shut.

Walking around to the other side, he opened the door for Y/N, took her hand and helped out of the car. "You're a weird guy," she muttered, but she was still wearing a smile.

"Thanks." He linked his hand with hers and led her away from the car park, towards the restaurant. Lando could have booked it out. He had that level of power around here. But he didn't want to scare her off, especially not before she joined him in Spain.

The dinner was rather uneventful. They talked and laughed like this wasn't a date, like they were just in the back room of his club. Lando ordered for the both of them, which she thought was a little strange, but she didn't mind. He had good taste.

(Actually, no. Lando rarely had good taste. His pallet was that of a child. He was putting on a brave face for this date).

"How about we get out of here?" He asked after they had finished the main course. The dessert was incredibly fancy and Lando wanted something less.

She grabbed her bag and reached for her purse. Lando held up his hand, halting her. "It's already been taken care of," He said with a grin.

The look she gave him with sceptical. "You're not like... a mob boss or something, are you?" She asked quickly.

The way Lando's heart was beating, shit he thought he was going to die. But then she laughed and he visibly relaxed. "I paid on the way in," he confessed (it didn't matter that it wasn't true).

They strode out of the cafe, arm in arm. Lando led the way out of the restaurant, towards a dessert shop. It was just around the corner, one that Lando's family owned the building to. He got them two thick milkshakes, incredibly unhealthy and topped with cream.

They sat in the park, drinking their milkshakes. The stars appeared above them and the air turned cold. "Here," Lando said as he took off his jacket and handed it to her. She took it gratefully and pulled it onto her body.

With the sleeves pulled over her hand, she held her milkshake and leaned against Lando. "You paid for everything tonight and I feel shitty," she mumbled against him.

Lando laughed. "Trust me, it's fine," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "Just... thank you for agreeing to come to Spain with me next week."

Suddenly she pulled away from him, just enough that she could look at him. "Is this a thank you date, because I agreed to join you in Spain? Or is this a real date because you actually like me?" As nice of a gesture as it was, she didn't do thank you dates. Not when she had already caught feelings.

Lando shook his head. "It's not a thank you date, I swear," he said quickly. "I invited you to Spain because I actually like you. This date sounded like a good way to... start things off," he said.

She couldn't hide her grin. Leaning against him once again, she closed her eyes and let out a content sigh. "So, you could say that Spain will be our second date," she mumbled.

Lando kissed the top of her head.

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[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 92 (Conrad's First Love)

cw: Conrad getting pretty spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️ and not with Heather; references to human and drug trafficking (not depicted).

Follows the events of this post.

As she passed him to put away her gloves, a stunning redhead at Pappy Murphy's Boxing Gym caught Conrad's eye. Though he'd been deep in another bout of anger and self-pity over the death of his mother years earlier, he stopped his workout. Every inch of his being compelled him to talk to her.

She turned with a smile before he could stammer a single word. "Hi, handsome. Did you want a better look?"

He nervously introduced himself and she told him her name. "Ximena." The word floated from her lips like a song. He was instantly smitten.

"Ximena, could I buy you a drink?"

They spent the day in a local pub. He told her everything about his mother's death and his distance from his father in the years since. She listened, but she had a lot less to say about herself. "I live here with my brother. I'm a student, and I'm the only caretaker he has. Our parents aren't around anymore, and it's been just Rafa and me for years."

He could hear an accent when she spoke, and most people in Britechester weren't locals, so he made an assumption. "How long since you moved from Selvadorada?"

Surprised by his guess, she turned defensive. "I don't talk about Selva."

He liked her too much to press and push her away, so they spent the rest of the day flirting and discussing their interests until Ximena invited him back to her place. "You make me laugh, Conrad Gordon. My brother's still at school and I want to get to know you better without all this noise. I hate the music they play in here."

Once Conrad followed her out of the bar and back to the small home she shared with her kid brother, Rafa, he started following her everywhere.

He lost his virginity to her a week after they met. That night, she told him why she left Selvadorada.

"I was going to die or they were going to kill me. I wouldn't let them sell me to anyone anymore, so I made a plan and left with my brother in the middle of the night to come here."

She showed him the scars left by the cartel, and a resolve to keep her safe coloured his already steadfast affection. He let her cut his hair when she said she wanted to show him how freeing it felt to change his look. "It's nice not to recognize the person in the mirror, sometimes," she said.

She told him she was a student, often meeting him at Larry's Lagoon to study but usually distracting him into other activities. One afternoon, she introduced him to an old friend, Jimmy Stefano. "Can you help him out around campus? You're in the same major."

Something about Jimmy Stefano rubbed Conrad the wrong way, but he assumed it was jealousy. Despite this, he would already do anything for Ximena and agreed to take Jimmy under his wing.

He called his father to say he planned to stay at school for Spring Break. "Sorry, I know I said I'd come home to see you."

Stephen Gordon laughed him off, but masked slight disappointment. He had no idea whether his son was flourishing or floundering at college, unsure how he'd been coping so far from home. "Don't worry, son. I'm just glad you sound happy. You're making me and your mother proud."

He skipped classes to spend time with Ximena, but made no mention of this to his father, of course. He spent time with Rafa when Ximena said she had late-night classes, taking him to the park to play pirate captain versus sea monster, and talking endlessly with him about video games.

Rafa wanted to become a pirate captain in Sulani or a game tester in San Myshuno. He had almost no memory of life in Selva before his sister left, but he knew it was "the bad place." He liked spending time with Conrad because he said his sister was too strict. "She just loves you," Conrad assured him. "Parents have to set rules, and she can't just be your sister. She has to care for you like a parent, too."

He realized then how important it was to be a model for Rafa, who needed guidance as much as anyone his age. Conrad had always had his father, but who did Rafa have besides Ximena?

Conrad discovered how she paid for an entire house for her and her brother by accident, stumbling on an argument between her and Jimmy Stefano near the campus fountain. "The deal was thirty pounds for three grand."

"They said if I didn't have five grand they'd only give me fifteen. They had guns, Ximena."

"They all have guns! Knives, too. Get your own and figure out how to use it. Watcher, please, don't screw this deal up for me, Jimmy."

"Who has guns?"

"The cartel," said Jimmy, so nonchalant, yet it still hit Conrad like a missile. His stomach turned as he read Ximena's expression. Every lie she'd told him unravelled with a look.

"Are you really a student here, Ximena?"

"No. They're my customers."

He'd had his suspicions, but he'd always told himself he was wrong. Ximena was supposed to be perfect. Hoping against hope, he still tried to play the fool. "What do you mean?"

She dragged him back home to tell him the truth - how she'd bargained with the cartel to escape a life of servitude to the men who ran product all over Simlandia. She refused to serve them, but her way out was to join them instead.

Conrad was angry, but he couldn't stay mad at her for long. As they lay in bed that night, she asked, "Are you going to break up with me because of what I do?"

"Not a chance. I love you."

"I love you, too." She smiled, resting her head on his chest as he ran a hand through her newly blonde hair. "You look nice without glasses, Conrad."

"You already gave me a haircut, Xime. You don't like glasses?"

"Conrad, you're very sexy. But you hide it and it's silly."

"If you're going to give me a makeover, what should I get you?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Ximena, I want to give you everything you could ever want."

She blushed. "I want you, Conrad. But since I already have you, maybe...jewelry? Like a ring."

"You don't wear any rings."

"Because none are special enough, Conrad."

He smiled. "Alright, that's one idea. But say I wanted to surprise you, what else did you want?"

"You could join me running product for the cartel. Our lives would be made, and we'd always be together."

"I don't want to run product for the cartel, Ximena. But I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be there for you. Rafa, too."

"Right, but what if I go? Rafa loves you, Conrad, almost as much as me. But what if the cartel moved me somewhere else? Would you come with me? Maybe you could be, like, my security. No running, just keeping me safe. Always with me and Rafa."

He'd do anything to protect her, but he didn't answer her that day, refocusing on his studies until he returned to San Myshuno at the end of the semester.

He'd missed his father more than he expected, and they went for walks in warm sunshine by the Spice Market. They talked about school, and Conrad talked about Ximena - leaving out details of her career and focusing instead on her relationship with her brother. Conrad rarely asked his father about work, but Stephen hinted he was inching closer to retirement. "Chester's daughter Nancy is ready to take over the company, but Chester's not quite ready to retire. I think she's plotting a coup, but you didn't hear that from me."

"What happens to you if she pushes out her own father?"

"Hopefully, a retirement package. Chester may not be ready, but I think I am."

On one of their walks, they passed a jewelry store, and Conrad made a beeline for the ring counter. A confident salesman smiled as the Gordon men walked inside. "Welcome. What are we shopping for today?"

"I'm just looking," Conrad said. "What rings do you have?"

The salesman beamed. "Are we thinking of an engagement?"

Stephen eyed his son carefully, but Conrad shook his head. "Not right now. Just like, for an accessory."

"I don't know, son. A ring says you're ready for forever."

Conrad took his father's words to heart, considering what forever with Ximena might look like. He wanted to be with her, but he wasn't ready for a ring. He left that day with a nice bracelet for her, instead.

"Even leaving with a bracelet as nice as that one...she must mean something. I'd love to meet her."

Conrad nodded. "She might be able to visit this summer, if she's not too busy with work," he said.

Stephen smiled and the Gordon men continued their walk, strengthening the bond nearly severed by grief before Conrad returned to Britechester for another semester. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

NOT FUN FACT: Conrad got crab lice from Ximena when they slept together for the first time, which is gross but also fitting I guess. And yet I didn't make it canon because it didn't quite fit the vibe. Plus, he wasn't supposed to find out that early on that Ximena was problematic.

WCIF Poses Used? Various from packs Old Souls Love Differently by @simmireen (when Ximena is blonde), Our First Time by @eclypt0sims (redhead), The Kiss by @simmerberlin (black hair) and Nights Like These by @sakurasims-world (also redhead).

WCIF Jewelry Store? Jewelry Store by Guinifere on the Sims 4 Gallery. Very elegant interior and comes with crafting tables, a vault, charging stations - very nice lot! Needs dressing up with completed jewelry on the counters and in displays to look really spectacular (and I of course went the lazy route), but I wouldn't if I was playing a retail career, and this is a great lot for someone who wants to be a jeweler!

[delusionalbitchinthehouse]

Can't get the whole "Do you think you'd kill for me one day ?" "Yes, of course I will my darling" out of my head, but make it the Papas x their most devoted ghouls. Basically murder ghouls offering very morbid gifts to the Papas. They like it.

TW for morally grey characters - both Papas and ghouls - blood, kind of body horror, I guess ? I think it is. It might be a bit disturbing, so. Read with caution.

Earth bringing a beautiful bottle to Primo's office one day, something definitely meant for rituals, a masterpiece of carefuly crafted glass, full of a dark red liquid. Too dark to be wine. He simply sets it on a shelf, under the First's cautious eyes, and in an instant, Primo knows.

"Won't it...coagulate, or...I don't know, dry, rot ?" he asks from behind his desk, setting his glasses down in front of him. Earth smiles, adjusting the bottle so that the light catches it just right.

"I made sure it won't."

Primo smiles when the ghoul takes his hand and presses a kiss to the ring he's wearing.

"Take care not to drink it, your body wouldn't like it much."

Primo cocks an eyebrow.

"You gift me a full bottle of blood - human, i presume - and I'm not even allowed to drink it ? How very tragic."

Earth's chuckle rumbles in his chest.

"You can only wish to be a vampire, but, do not act like this isn't a power trip for you. Having someone's blood displayed in your office. Being able to admire its unique color."

Primo's smile widens.

Secondo looking up from his work, carefully setting the ancient book he's restauring on the side when Alpha leans against the doorframe, hands behind his back.

Once he's sure he has the former Papa's full attention, Alpha steps in, setting something on the desk, between Secondo's hand.

It's a paperweight, the kind he loves, heavy half globe of glass, in which is trapped a curiosity ; Secondo has a growing collection of those.

It's the first time, though, that an eye is staring blindly at him from within its transparent confine. A beautiful shade of brown, that eye, rich and deep, with flecks of gold ; Secondo leans closer to examine it.

"Fascinating," he comments, "you know me too well."

Alpha grins, rounding the desk to stand behind Secondo's chair, massaging his tense shoulders as he whispers against his ear.

"Took me a while to find the color I wanted, I know you have a thing for that kind of brown eyes."

Secondo hums, turning the paperweight this way and that, letting light bounce off it, projecting rainbows on the wall. It will definitely have a special place on his desk, so that Secondo will be able to gaze at it whenever he wishes to.

Alpha kisses the corner of his mouth, almost reverently, and Secondo puts the paperweight down, letting his eyes flutter shut.

Omega helping Terzo dress one morning, but just as the former Papa is about to move away, his ghoul tugs on his sleeve, shoving something in his hand.

What the rosary is made of is, Terzo immediately knows. The beads, the inverted cross, they're an ivory white that is quite impossible to mistake for anything other than it is.

By the way Omega hooks his chin on Terzo's shoulder, arms wrapping around his middle, the former Papa has no doubt it's important for him, that gift.

"It's lovely, my dear ghoul. Did you make it yourself ?"

Terzo really means it. The piece of jewlery is delicate and elegant, something he'll wear with pride.

"I did. I'm glad you like it."

A pause. Terzo takes a moment to bask in Omega kissing up his neck, before he slips the rosary around it.

"Should I ask who's bones I'm wearing ?"

Omega chuckles, face now burried in his hair.

"You know better. All that matters is that you look fantastic, wearing someone's bone."

Terzo does, so he simply smiles, admiring how the necklace rests on his chest in the mirror, sinking into Omega's embrace.

Dew, wordlessly slipping a bracelet around Copia's wrist after practice. He looks down, surprised, as the ghoul lingers, hovering at his side.

A thin chain, trinkets dangling from it, mostly tiny coins with infernal symbols engraved on them and....oh. Teeth. Well, they sure look healthy.

Copia takes to examinate them, tests the point of a canine, pleased to find it still sharp, humming under his breath.

"That's quite the work you've put in, Dew, thank you. It's beautiful."

The fire ghoul takes Copia's hand, turning it until he can kiss the inside of his wrist.

"I figured you'd like it. They're perfect, aren't they ?"

Copia takes another teeth between his two fingers, holding it up for further inspection, smiling at how flawless it is.

"They sure are. Wish I had that kind of dental care, eh."

Dew snorts, tail gently squeezing Copia's hips, who let himself be pulled in the ghoul's side.

[shaylogic]

"Oi, don't wait up for me, yeah?" Charles informs Edwin, "I'll be in Crystal's room all night."

"Charles! I'm surprised at you," Edwin exclaims, looking flustered.

"It's not like that, mate--she's been having nightmares about David and I've agreed to keep her company. Said she feels safer with a friend looking after her, y'know?" He shifts from one leg to the other, one hand rubbing his other arm, absent-mindedly. "It's not a big deal, alright? Just didn't want you wondering after me." He shrugs non-chalantly and gives his partner a gentle clap on the shoulder before re-entering Crystal's room.

She's already changed into her sleep clothes and curled up under the covers. Crystal meets Charles' eyes and pats the bed beside her. With a small smile, he approaches and sits on the side of the bed, leaning on one hand and looking down on her.

"Would you like to talk before bed, or should I leave you to it?"

Seeing him only sit on the edge, she takes his hand and guides him to lay down next to her. "C'mere. Just lay with me, okay? If you don't mind. . .?"

His eyebrows raise and a twinkle of excitement crosses his eyes that he fails to suppress.

Crystal rolls her eyes at him and he chuckles. She pulls his arm over her side and holds onto him as best she can, letting out a long sigh. Charles feels a fluttering sensation in his chest, like a memory of a quickening heartbeat.

"Thanks for doing this. I'm sure it'll be less interesting than however you usually spend your nights, and I'm not much company to you when I'm asleep."

He grins, fingers attempting to brush lightly along her back. "I wouldn't say that."

She looks him up and down. "Oh, geez, you're not gonna' like, stare at me all night are you?"

"Well, I don't sleep, but I could try closing my eyes and laying here with you. Seems restful, anyway, doesn't it?" Her brow furrows, and he mirrors her expression, sobering up. "I'm not sure, uh, what your plan was?"

". . .I guess I'm not sure, either. I just didn't want to be alone in this big, empty room tonight."

"You could invite Niko across the hall for a sleepover," he teases, tempting her to explain why she chose him.

She recognizes this immediately and narrows her eyes playfully, pursing her lips, and refusing to take the bait. "You've got a cricket bat handy if any other ghosts or demons decide to pop up overnight. Niko would probably just talk their ear off and try to set them up with each other."

He chuckles. "Tough to argue with that."

. . .

After a while, Crystal's breathing slows, her chest rising and falling in smaller increments. Charles does observe this for a moment, before realizing he's doing exactly what she told him not to do. He shifts so he is staring up at the ceiling.

He can't feel Crystal's breath and warmth beside him. Without looking at her, he could forget she's there. He could just be laying alone in this bed for no reason.

He turns onto his side again, facing her and snuggling as close as he can without phasing into her. He has to focus to keep his form solid enough for her arm to rest on.

He closes his eyes and replicates breathing, concentrating on being present, and trying to remember old sensations. How would this moment feel, if he still had his body?

A cold chill runs down his core and he tries to focus on the memory of body contact sharing warmth.

While Crystal has one of the best nights of sleep she's had in weeks, Charles struggles to remember how it felt to be alive.

[roses-r-rosie3]

Prank You Very Much

Jason Todd x M!Reader

Warnings: Crack, Jason & Damian being pranksters,

Summary: Jason and Damian are having a prank war and the reader gets caught in the middle of it

A/n: This is very inspired by the "Prank you very much" Episode from lab rats.

Quote: "You two have been pulling pranks on each other for three weeks straight and I always end up paying for it!"

✁ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You didn't know how Jason and Damian's whole petty prank war started, nor did you want to know. But what you did know was that you were always caught in the middle of it. Like last week when you were hanging out with Jason. Jason was in the middle of playing some type of video game and you got up to use the restroom, leaving only Jason and Damian in the room.

"Hey Damian could you grab me a water, I'm trying to beat my high score, and if I stop this cyborg will melt me, and if that happens the colonial bomb will go off and if that happens-"

"I will get your water just stop talking" Damian said in annoyance.

But then Damian stopped and remembered the prank war that was still ongoing.

"I know your tricks Todd you're not going to fool me" Damian said confidently.

All of a sudden you came out of the hallway and into the kitchen area.

"Hey Jay, I was thinking I should make your family something to eat before we have to go" You said as you walked up to the fridge.

"DON'T OPEN THE-"

BAM!

(Btw I love this episode of Lab Rats sm😭❤️)

When you opened the fridge a mix of mustard, ketchup, and mayo blasted onto your face and body.

"Fridge.."

You slowly turned around in anger to give Jason the death-glare. Damian stood there, trying to hold in his laughter.

"Someone's getting put in the doghouse~" Damian whistled.

"Would it help at all if I said that was supposed to be Damian's face?" Jason laughed nervously.

"Jason Peter Todd!" you yelled.

Jason scrambled out of the room quicker than even the flash could.

"Well y/n because of this whole.. fiasco.. I would assume that you are taking my side in me and your boyfriend's little rivalry" Damian suggested.

Now it was Damian's turn to receive a death-glare from you, and he too scrambled out the room.

And a couple days ago when you were getting ready in your shared apartment with Jason. When you got out the shower and looked into the mirror your hair was hot pink.

"Jason!" You yelled.

Jason came rushing into your room and saw your hair and immediately bursted out laughing.

"This isn't funny! I had things I had to do today!" you complained.

"I'm guessing Damian put hair dye in the wrong shampoo bottle. HA! wait a minute.. how did he get into our apartment.." Jason said.

"Can this day get any worse" you whined as you picked up the blow dryer.

When you turned on the blow dryer, baby powder and glitter came flying out of it, causing Jason to laugh even harder. It took you all day to get the dye and glitter out of your hair. You finally decided that enough was enough, and that you were going to end it. You asked Alfred for a little favor and your plan was complete.

That day, Jason and Damian were walking upstairs from training, and the fresh scent of Alfred’s famous chocolate chip cookies filled the air. Jason and Damian were immediately alured by the smell and went straight to the kitchen. As soon as they stepped inside, a trap was set, and little did they know, they were hanging upside down.

"Hey! What is this!" Damian yelled.

"It was me, with a bit of help from Alfred, but that's not the point" you said as you revealed yourself.

"You two have been pulling pranks on each other for 3 weeks straight and I always end up paying for it!" you said.

"He started it!" Jason said as he pointed to Damian.

"Well if you didn't dye Titus pink then-"

"Enough! I am sick of your pranks so if you don't stop, for Jason, I will burn all of your pride and prejudice books" you said as you held Jason's book in your hand.

"You wouldn't dare!" Jason gasped.

"Pffft, really you're that concerned over a book?" Damian scoffed.

"And for your Damian, I will shave off all of Alfred's hair" you said as Alfred (the cat) snuggled next to your leg.

"That's evil!" Damian yelled.

"Now, will the two of you stop your prank war? Or do I have to stick to my word?" you asked.

"Yes!"

"Deal!"

You clicked the button on your phone, and both of them were let down. After that day, both Damian and Jason learned something important. Damian learned not to get on your bad side, and Jason learned to hide his books in a safer place if he ever pissed you off.

[hyunjinsbelovedamericano]

Skz's reaction to their s/o wanting to do their makeup

FLUFF

Not proof read

Bangchan

"Baby I just took my makeup off", "Okay? what's your point?" Bangchan sighed and he sat on his bed. "Okay fine", " YAYY"you squeal as you take the makeup bag out. "Are you done?"Chan whines as be noticed you've been doing his makeup for a while"No, be patient"You saying this only receives a sigh from chan "stop sighing, my god"." I just wanna sleep mate!" A few minutes pass and his makeup is done. "Okay! It's done" you say pulling out a mirror"Look!".Bangchan looks impressed "wow i can't believe you can do makeup like this,If your this good then I wonder why your makeup looks shit on you". "WHAT"

Lee know

"No"

"PLEASE"

" Do the makeup on yourself I'm not a canvas"."but you can be"you say wiggling your eyebrows", "No" "I'll do your chores for a week", " okay" you smiled and got the makeup set up, happy that he finally agreed "I'm so good at doing makeup", " y/n, theres no need to lie"."what are tryna say rn"You said pausing doing the makeup to look up at him.He just shrugged and you continued to do his makeup "Done!", he looked in mirror analyzing his face. "I look like a clown","Not that different from your normal face.. " you mutter, "What was that?"." Nothing!"

Changbin

"Binnie", " yeah", "can I do your makeup?", he turns to look at you slowly. "For real?", you just nod. " I THOUGHT YOU'D NEVER ASK"he grabbed your arm and rushed you to the bedroom "okay go" you followed his instructions and got the makeup out. It was so hard to do his makeup because he wouldn't keep still I guess he was just too excited"Are you done yet?","no", "Are you done yet?"," What does it look like-".He sounded like a eager child on their way to a vacation with their family."Okay done"you moved away so he could see the mirror "OH MY GOD BABY IT'S SO PRETTY" He said and peppered your face in kisses

Hyunjin

"Jinnie can I do your makeup pleasee"." Of course baby start now".You rushed to go get the makeup bag not wanting to waste any time. You took out the makeup and started applying it to his face, the process went quickly just a little of Impatience from hyunjin but nothing that big.Once you were done you announced it to him and he looked in the mirror, "I'm gonna post it on my insta, everyones gonna be so shocked because s/o is so good at doing makeup" He claimed posing for a picture making you laugh a little. He posts the picture on Instagram since the makeup was different from his usual style, there were a bunch of comments guessing who it was and some compliments on the makeup style.

Han

"Han can I do your makeup", "why"."do I really need a reason?" He stays silent for a bit "I guess not, go" As he finishes his sentence you go to get the makeup bag, you decide to put some lip balm on but he kept laughing "why are you laughing?", "tickles"he says then continues you laugh, you just roll your eyes playfully and continue with his makeup. " Okay,I'm done".The first thing he does is look at his lips since that was making him laugh so much."Are you gonna give me a review orr??"."I give you 5 stars"

Felix

"Okay, you can do my makeup if you'll let me do yours", " Deal".After your agreement with Felix you got out the makeup supplies and did his makeup. It went smoothly but Felix tried kiss you here and then. But you thought it was cute so you didn't do anything about it, just smiled. "Okay donee" You confirmed giving him a mirror, "ahh, it's so cute" he gushed admiring himself, "okay my turn" he used the same makeup supplies you did and did your makeup. Once he was done he showed you in the mirror "omg it's so pretty!!" You compliment making him blush in embarrassment

Seungmin

"You can do it tomorrow", " Noo, I wanna do it noww"Seungmin got under sheets not listening to your whining"PLEASEEE".He just ignored you and went to sleep.But of course that didn't make you give up, you got up and got the makeup bag and started doing his makeup in his sleep.He did a few toss and turns but didn't wake up, when you finished you took a few pictures and got ready to sleep. "WTF" You shot up from your bed to see seungmin look at his reflection and started smiling once you saw why he was screaming. "what did you do!" He complained turning to you."I have no idea what your talking about"

Jeongin

"Jeongin", "yeah?"." Can I do your makeup".He would look at you with a suspicious look on his face "Why🤨?", " I just want to", "that's what you said last time and you made me look like a clown", him mentioning this made you laugh because he was so dumbfounded when he saw his reflection, " No it'll be normal this time!"of course it wasnt,this time you went for a smurf look grabbing everything blue you saw out of the makeup bag. Jeongin was a bit confused about this but let you continue.You told him to close his eyes through the process so he wouldn't be suspicious of you, also so you could snap a few pictures. "Okay open your eyes" You ordered trying not to burst out in laughter. A gasp left jeongins mouth as he saw he was blue "WHAT DID YOU DOO" You could only respond in laughter as he struggled to get the makeup off

-------

I just wanna say this was not my idea @han-jiquokka gave me this idea so credits to themm!!

[shawtyfromdirtydocks]

Thin Palace Walls

Pilot

Tags; könig x black!reader, monarch!reader, stress induced paranoia, first ppov, use of she/her and other feminine terms for reader (subject to change)

First fic series i’ve ever written so dont expect much. Also, don’t expect any part of this story to be realistic when it comes to government, im not a government official and pray I never will be. Take it as it is or don’t idgaf 😚🫶🏽 enjoy!!

I woke up that morning more drained than usual. Unfortunately for me, this was only the start of a miserable season.

The smell and sound of the light rain outside soothed me only a little. After returning home, anxiety started stirring in my stomach and doubt plagued my thoughts.

I was even more paranoid than usual. Everywhere I went I remained hyper-aware of my surroundings, not willing to be caught off guard even once.

Footsteps approach my bedroom door before it opened. In walked my footman, he bowed his head in respect before walking with me to my vanity.

“Rough night?”

“I couldn’t even sleep!” I complained, feeling my frustration pour out of me.

Sinking into my seat, I huffed and let my head fall onto the back of the chair. Yesterday was the last day of my continental tour. I’d been away from home for just over two months, visiting each country’s capital after the threats we’d received from the United States to boost morale.

My traveling party only got back to the palace just before the end of twilight. Alltogether I probably only got a half hour of sleep.

“I know you probably don’t wanna hear this right now, but everything will be fine. You’ve done everything right.”

“You’re right lamar, I really don’t wanna hear that shit right now.”

Then he had the nerve to laugh like something was funny. It felt like I was the only one who saw the danger I’d put everyone in. That one emotional decision I made could've just set a war against a power much greater than mine in motion, and everyone else is looking the other way.

“You be in your own head too much. Look around. You’ve built an empire of steel.”

Through the mirror I watched him walk to my bedside table. He picked up what looked like a newspaper and brought it back with the dumbest smile on his face.

“Do you see how great we’re doing? We have the entirety of the west scrambling and shaking in their boots.”

He gave me a knowing look and handed me the paper for me to read myself. The front cover alone was enough to make my head big.

“Atland Sends The West Into It’s Death Throws.”

I folded the newspaper in half and started reading the article as Lamar unwrapped and styled my dreads. The president of the States was trying to paint me as an aggressive and naive little black girl. He said I was a traitor and a danger to the U.S., which is rich coming from him.

“Did you hear Austria wants to form an alliance with us?”

I whipped my head around to look at Lamar. Then he laughed again because the excitement on my face was funny I guess. Austria has a strong military that I’d been eyeing for a while. With their help, we could do a lot. It wouldn't be smart to ask them for something with nothing to give in return though.

“You know ima always be nosy for you.”

He turned my head back around and picked up some bobby pins. Reading the article made me more anxious. Bouncing my leg, my eyes darted across the thin pages.

“Girl I was in my office organizing your mail and shit right?”

I hummed absently and continued to read. The newspaper even had an entire column dedicated to foreign news and how it could affect us. Some of these events were completely new to me. Are the pillars keeping stuff from me?

“Well the interns were in the kitchen on the otherside of the wall behind me. And you know the young ones always know whats going on.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. Schools across Atland have a Palace Internship program that allows adolescents in their late teens to get work experience in the Palace. Ever since the first batch came in, I noticed that they kept the palace young with their gossip. Which I appreciated because I was too busy to do it myself.

Some of the official palace staff had filed complaints. One even quit because one of the interns found out that he was an anti-royalist and was telling everybody all the shit he was talking about me. They bullied that man out of the palace.

“They was in there loud as hell just yapping. Apparently, Serenity’s wife had a meeting in Austria and she gonna request an audience with you today.”

My eyes lit up and the gears in my head started turning immediately. The timing is suspicious, but I could use it to my advantage. They need something from us so we can force their hand if need be.

The whole reason I’ve been freaking the fuck out is because I did something petty. The United States wanted to build an embassy in Atland’s capital and I refused…then publicly supported the ICC. Indirectly declaring the U.S. an enemy of Atland.

“Gods that could mean anything. I’m far from impartiality and they don't do conflict. What do you think they want?”

“Do you know how big your sphere of influence is? They don’t wanna be on our bad side. And they’re tryna keep it on the low, so you know what that means.”

——————————————————————-

For the remainder of my morning, I roamed around the palace. Staff and Interns greeted me as I made my way around. Some stopped to inform me of changes around the place, others walked with me and shared their concerns or gratitude.

My spirits had been raised significantly. Settling back into palace life wouldn't be easy, but it wouldn't be unbearable either. Everywhere you go there are smiling faces. It was impossible to not like it here. Sweet scents of warm vanilla and pomegranate flowed through the halls and there was always an excitable buzz lingering nearby.

Eventually, I remembered to eat and made my way to the kitchen. The tall swing doors loudly indicated my presence. Kitchen staff greeted me with warm smiles and head bows before returning to whatever they were previously occupied with.

My eyes examined the inside of our walk-in refrigerator. Eating was beginning to feel like a chore. How could I focus on anything when I was trying to ameliorate a potentially catastrophic fuck up?

A shiver ran down my spine, an unpleasant reminder that I had stood in the refrigerator for way too long. Settling for an apple and giving a small wave goodbye to staff, I started towards my study.

As I walked down the hallway, biting into my apple occasionally, I kept glancing over my shoulder. There was an unsettling feeling in my gut. I couldn't shake the feeling I was being watched.

“Already thinking about work I see.”

My heart raced. Turning to the direction the voice had come from, I let go of a shaky breath and held my hand over my heart. Korynn, my best friend’s wife had snuck up on me.

“I’ll be damned! How’ve you been Korynn?”

I laughed off my paranoia and hugged the tall woman. Korynn is Atland’s Core Pillar. She acted as a royal advisor and messenger to the public. Without her, I’d be under far more stress.

“Busy as all hell. Serenity said she’d stop by soon.”

I nodded and took a mental note. Serenity is Lamar and I’s long-time best friend. She doesn't live in Atland’s capital anymore. Said it was too grey and serene for her. Ironic right?

“I was just walking to my study, you can come with me if you’d like”

“No it’s alright, this should be pretty quick actually.”

Korynn gave me a brief overview of major events I missed while on tour. My dramatics sent the pillars into initial panic but things turned out surprisingly well for us.

“You just made the power move of the century! Nato is upping their military. They’re afraid of you.”

We’d received support from several different nations across the globe. Partners in Asia have also publicly defended my statement, and made it clear they would step in if the States decided to become aggressive. Allies of our partners also expressed their support for us.

“The only thing we need from you right now, are signatures. Citizens will vote on it and nothing will be publicized until you say it’s okay to do so.”

I glanced back at the newspaper header. A big part of me liked the idea of my face being the first thing people think of when the Death of the West comes up in history books. Another part, however, knew just how ugly things could get and how fast.

Sure everyone was standing behind us now, but what if I slipped up? What if they’re just trying to butter us up so they can screw us over? The competitive game that these world leaders set up is something I don’t want to fall victim to. Something I can't fall victim to.

“History can’t repeat itself Korynn. This nation will not be looked at as weak and pliable.”

She only shook her head, not in disappointment but in acceptance. My youth lead people to underestimate me, which I was fine with, but it also made me overly cautious when making big decisions like this.

I chewed the skin on my bottom lip as I watched her turn to leave the palace. Before she got too far, I called to her.

“Have the papers sent to my office by the end of the week.”

With a smile and a small bow of her head she left me with my thoughts.

I dragged a tired hand down my face. Things are about to get serious a hell of a lot faster than I’m ready for. On the bright side, the sun hasn't reached its half-point. I have time to plan.

————

I moved through my study frantic as ever. Shuffling around and rummaging through random drawers. Cool air that blew in from my window kept me grounded but did little to soothe my nerves.

There was a notebook that was given to me by the Pillars lost in my study somewhere. Retracing my steps didn't help me either. I rushed to the window and looked to the sky. The sun was a quarter past the half-point now.

“Shit!”

Defeat pummeled me to the floor. That journal is probably the most important thing I’ll ever own and now it's missing. Pages of plans and expansion ideas could be in the hands of an anti-royalist right now. Or worse!

“Girl I been looking-.”

Tears burned my eyes when I saw Lamar in the doorway. He made haste to shut the door and join me where I sat. The comfort of his hug made me break down. I sobbed into his suit jacket. All the pressure from the stress I kept bottled up was starting to release.

“What happened?” The concern in his voice didn��t make me feel any better. What if they force me to abdicate? They’ll use this as proof of my being unfit to rule.

“It's gone! The journal- the PLANNER is gone!”

He held my face in his palms and wiped away my tears with the cold silk thumbs of his gloves. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. What was I missing?

As if he could hear my thoughts, he answered my question before I could even begin to search for an answer myself.

“You’re overthinking still. Why won’t you just ask for help?” his question sent a pang of hurt through my chest. How could he not see the position I’ve been forced into? Asking for help isn’t an option.

“They already think I'm incompetent.”

“Do you think being a good leader means doing everything yourself?”

He sounded like he was asking a genuine question. Why would he ask me that?

“Of course not.”

Lamar has been my best friend since 1st grade. He was like a brother to me. Throughout our lives, he’d been beside me during every trial and tribulation. Whenever my head drifted too far above the clouds, he reminded me to look to the stars for guidance and never to reach for them.

“Okay then. If you want to prove to them you’re fit for the position gifted to you by an entire nation, show them you know when to ask for help.”

The expression on his face was a clear picture of true heartbreak, and it was at that moment that I realized just how foolish I must seem. With the support and constant praise of hundreds of thousands, which I witness daily, I still let my fear of letting down the ones I'm devoted to cloud my judgment of self.

“Well, now I feel stupid.” I wiped my tears with nervous laughter. The stress has taken a bigger toll on me than I thought. Feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders is one thing. But forgetting that there are people who would voluntarily help me carry that weight is another.

“You know what, we’ll host the first ball of the season this year. I’ll tell Serenity to cancel hers.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. Since Atland’s founding back in the States, Serenity always hosted the first ball of the social season. It felt almost like a federal crime to tell her not to.

“I'm sure she won’t mind when I tell her why.”

He didn’t give me the chance to give a counter argument before standing to his feet and stretching out a hand for me to take. “It’ll also be a great way to welcome our Austrian Allies. Yes?”

With a smile, I took his hand and stood to my feet. “Yes.”

[yuri-is-online]

I guess I can call myself a returner of interest in Fyuuture kid au to the masses, and I'm proud of it🏅 the part with other four dorms was absolutely amazing! Thank you! And your reply to my previous message was so heartwarming. My baby boy🥹 Yuu really should beat the magical marshall with a slipper when they meet again, no one touches THE bestest boy😤

It seems like I'll have to write down my questions, cause I tend to forget them in two minutes 😔 but there's the one I remember:

It was discussed in one of the posts (Riddle!Yutu), how does Yutu look like?🤔 I thought he would bear more resemblance with Yuu, so everyone wouldn't quickly (or immediately with some fathers) make conclusions. Does he have beastmen characteristics if his dad's from Savannaclaw? Does he inherit Idia's hair? Can he transform into octopus/eel/dragon form? (In twisted wonderland, I mean, not in Yuu's homeworld. I've read that post💅🏻) Is he as tall as the twins? 🤔 imagine 190 sm or 6ft 3, duckling following you

Have a nice day/evening, take care of yourself!

You should be very proud of yourself annon I am having a lot of fun with this! The Magical Marshall's are a government organization so the image of Yuu charging a fed with a slipper gave me a laugh, but yes they should. How dare they hurt Yutu ୧(๑•̀ᗝ•́)૭

imagine 190 sm or 6ft 3, duckling following you

Hand slipped. Anyway Yutu wears a pretty big sweatshirt sweater dress type thing that obscures a lot of his facial features though I did briefly play with the idea of him wearing a sort of mask similar to an FFXIV ash mask:

The justification was that the air in the future timeline! Twisted Wonderland was so polluted by blot and Yutu was so used to breathing it he needed some magical assistance... I think I also wrote some bullshit about the mask applying a glamour to Yutu so he didn't need to wear the big sweatshirt, but I feel like the mask would be more suspicious than just some guy who wants to keep his hood up.

As for those unique features, yes. With the exception of Malleus! Yutu, all of the non human Yutus found themselves transforming into an entirely different species when they came through the mirror into Twisted Wonderland. It was an extremely painful experience, imagine having your parent basically die in your arms and the next thing you know you are turning into a giant pacific octopus on the floor of a castle in front of a bunch of people. Yutu should be rewarded for not losing his shit then and there. The beastmen Yutus needed some time to adjust to having stronger hearing and senses of smell, the merfolk Yutus basically missed the first few months of magic education getting used to their merfolk forms, and Yutu Shroud had his hair instantly set itself on fire and had a massive panic attack. The beastmen Yutus have to keep their extra features tucked underneath their hoodie, which is very frustrating for Jack! Yutu who has a lot of floof that suddenly has nowhere to go. Lilia! and Sebek! Yutu don't have any noticeable appearance differences (unless you like the thought of him having Sebek's hair color), but I do like the idea of their teeth getting sharper. I prefer to leave a lot of Yutu's appearance up to the reader, but I had a super clear picture of Riddle! and Epel! Yutu as being short, and the more I think about the merfolk... I see Floyd! Yutu as being a sort of middle ground between his parents's height and Jade! Yutu as being about as tall as his dad. Oh and Azul! Yutu is taller than his dad, he is a bulky boy.

Now. Malleus! Yutu. So dragon fae hatch from eggs that can only be created out of love and constantly need to receive magic from their loving parent. That clearly didn't happen with Yutu, so I don't think he can transform into a dragon. He is still clearly inhuman, he has Malleus's eyes and ages much more slowly than other humans, even in your world he looked really young for his age. Think of Malleus! Yutu as sort of playing by half-elf rules, he's going to be living for hundreds of years and as he gets older he will grow tiny horns and some scales around them. He is also the strongest of the Yutus magically speaking, he did get some love from his father after all.

I did have a thought of sorts about the whole egg thing... I mentioned before that I had played with the idea of giving certain Yutu's siblings, and while I am still uncertain of the others I can see Malleus! Yutu having a twin of sorts who did hatch out of an egg, who can transform into a dragon, and who would have been left behind in Twisted Wonderland. I have so many ideas I wrote a lot of them down but this au is already so complicated I don't know if I want to add her. I do really like it though...

[r0ckgoblin]

Would that I- bella ramsey xreader

“true that i saw her hair like the branch of a tree”

summary: bella is a person of many trades, your favorites just so happen to be when they play guitar and sing. you have always admired this about her, as any friend would. b/c you and bella have always been supportive of each other’s interest, they always come to you first when he’s written a song or learned a new one. why would this time be any different?

a/n: idk how to write summaries… but anyways enjoy:) (p.s. hc wise, i think they listen to hozier…yea she definitely does)

warnings: unproper grammar(maybe) how i've passed all my lit classes i will never know. probably not fully proofread, i miss the smallest things smh

*all pronouns for bella used*

you wiggle the key into the stubborn door of bella’s apartment, eventually winning the fight against it. opening the door you’re met with the sound of guitar strings being plucked and you smile softly. setting your bag on the kitchen counter you begin wandering around looking for your best friend.

“hey bels?” you call out.

“in here” he says from the sunroom.

you laugh softly grabbing a small throw blanket from the couch.

"hi" you smile, bending down to hug her, finding it a little difficult due to the guitar in their lap. the smell of old spice wonderfully clouds your sense of smell as they reach up to hug you back. the two of you gently sway for a few seconds before you pull back to adjust yourself next to him on the small couch, covering your legs with the blanket.

"how was your day?" he asks smiling over at you.

"it was good, slow, it was just a lot of cleaning up some scenes" you exhale recalling your most recent project, a movie you had been working on for the last few months, one only the people a part of it and the people closes to you knew about. acting was stressful sometimes, but the final project was always worth it, and that's something you and bella could both agree on.

"those days are inevitable, but i believe in you." they say as the lean back to rest their head on your shoulder. this caused you to blush a light pink color, luckily, he couldn't see your face at the moment. you didn't know what it was but lately you've been feeling certain ways about your best friend, and you were scared you wouldn't be able to hide those feelings for much longer. the only thing stopping you was the incessant fear of losing her friendship if they didn't feel the same way.

after moments of peaceful silence bella breaks it be jolting up excitedly. "oh! i learned a new song!"

"really? show me!'' you smiled mirroring her excitement. for as long as you've known bella your favorite thing about them has been her ability to play guitar and sing. they were so good at it, and it seemed to be a big passion of his as well.

"of course! you're going to love it, it's a hozier song" they beam at you holding eye contact waiting for your reaction, which didn't take long because you immediately grinned so big.

" you learned another one? which one?!" you question with giddy.

"you'll have to guess."

"c'mon that's no fun" you whine putting on a fake frown.

"you'll live" she jokes.

"okay, fine go." you pout resulting in a laugh from her.

she plucks some cords before playing, listening to them intently. you just stare at him in awe. before you know it, you're hearing the first notes of hozier's "would that i". you gasp in amazement, and they let a small laugh leave their mouth, somehow without losing focus. as if it couldn't get any better, he also starts singing the words along with the music.

you feel your eyes water, you have no idea why that would be happening. was it the emotional toll of being in love with your best friend, someone who you've watched grow into a beautiful and talented human being? the fear that if you were to express how you feel, it could all turn against you, and you lose the one person who means the most in the world to you? or maybe it's just because the song is so beautiful? its defiantly the song.

you got so lost listening to his voice and the way the sun setting through the window made their skin glow and made his hair shine like honey. shit you were head over heels.

by down you had drowned out her voice due to your staring that you didn't even realize they had finished. not until they're talking directly at you. you blush a little realizing you 100% got caught staring.

"so what do you think?" she ask not making eye contact.

"i loved it," you smiled,

"thank you so much." he grins, and you swear you see faint pink on their cheeks.

"i, um-", you go to say something, but you stop yourself.

"what was that?''

"i uh... i should get back to my hotel.''

"just stay here'' she says but its more of a begging question.

"no, i can't, ive got an early morning and we both know i'm not quiet in the mornings, i wouldn't want to wake you that early.'' you try and lie.

"y/n please'' he begs, grabbing your hand giving you those big brown puppy eyes.

"i'm sorry.'' you shake your head.

they tug you closer, your chests touching. they stare you in the eyes, you notice her give a quick glance to your lips. you in return look to theirs.

"there's something uh... i've mean meaning to tell you," they exhale nervously, "and i really need to get it off my chest. this um..." they swallow hard, "this is harder than i thought."

"shut up" you say with a fake serious tone.

"what i haven't even gotten to what i wanted to say." they knit their eyebrows in confusion.

"you don't have to, if it's what i think it is, i already know," you smile, "because i want to tell you the same thing."

"y/n-"

"i like you, like REALLY like you okay!"

"i-" they were speechless. you two just stared back at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

"i like you two, like reeaallyy like you." they smile wide.

you smile and release a breath of relief, resting your forehead on theirs. you two stay like that giggling back and forth.

"can i kiss you?" they speak up.

"of course." you smile.

she then softly presses their lips to yours, grabbing your face, she deepens the kiss making it more passionate but soft. his hands travel to your hair gently brushing it while your hands find the small of their back caressing softly. this goes on until your both pulling away for air, laughing breathlessly.

"so... stay the night?"

you laugh hugging them as they spin you around like something out of a movie.

the rest of the night you spend cuddled on the couch watching your favorite movies until you're both passed out in each other's arms.

a/n: AAAAHHH LETS GOOOO!!!! so BAHAHAAHAH this took longer than i wanted and it's not even as long as i wanted it:( anyways here it is, i hope you really enjoy it. there will hopefully be more in the future:) feel free to request, also let me know if my replies are off bc i clicked on one of my post and it says my comments are turned off??? idk, but my asks should be on:) love you! have a great day/night!🫶

[royal-chandler]

Got my writing mojo back after four years and just thought I'd share some WIPs to keep the spirit from sagging. *throws some kidfic into the void*

--

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” Bianca grumps, stomping into Henry’s office with her high ponytail of curls swinging behind her. 

“Bianca, Bianca, Bianca,” Henry says back, his own arpeggio.

“I’m so bored.” And with that statement, she collapses onto the loveseat that sits against the wall adjacent to his desk, flinging her arms out with all the exasperation a six year old can muster. Which is plenty. She laments, “And it won’t stop raining! I can’t even go outside now.”

Henry turns fully to her, putting aside his manuscript and the neon orange highlighter he’d be using for edits. “I’m sorry, kit. Is there anything else you’d like to do?”

“I wanted to play with Arturo but Papi said I’m not allowed to wake him up from his nap because he’ll be fussy and then Papi would get in trouble with you. Summer’s just a drag,” Bianca says, out of school for all of two and a half days. She stretches her words out like taffy, in perfect imitation of Alex. Despite his daughter’s pressing predicament, it smuggles a smile onto Henry’s face. He hides most of it behind his hand, leaning on his elbow as he considers her.

“Well, a fussy Arturo wouldn't be much fun, yeah?”

“I guess.”

Bianca continues to pout and truthfully it’s hardly a crisis, this case of the Mondays, but she plucks at Henry’s heartstrings even so. Then and there, he decides that he’ll be devoting his mid-morning to her. 

“I’m sure that we can think of something.”

“Like what?”

“A board game?” A headshake. “We could watch that new robot movie.” Another headshake. “Or we could paint with the new brushes that your gigi got for you?” After some internal debate, Bianca ultimately shakes her head in the negative.

She’s set to start day camp in a couple of weeks but Henry sees no harm in borrowing from the activities that had been listed on the calendar sent to the parents. The first thing he remembers is, “A scavenger hunt?”

This suggestion lights up Bianca’s face, her dark eyes going wide as she pops up in her seat. “To find hidden stuff?”

“Sort of,” Henry answers because he’s hidden nothing but he’s sure can figure out a creative workaround. “I’ll make a list of things to check off—”

“Chores?” Bianca wrinkles her freckled nose. 

“No chores,” Henry tells her solemnly. “I promise.”

“Pinky promise?” She asks. 

He holds his finger out for her and she hugs it with her own. 

“Perfect! We should start now, Daddy.”

So, Henry jots down items for her to complete, switching between highlighter colors and different pens to ornate the sheet of paper while Bianca, distractedly browsing the library and knickknacks, recounts her dream from the night before in which she had been bowling with pineapples. For pins, bowling balls, or friends, Henry doesn’t find out for another five or so winding and twisting minutes.

--

“A silly face? What does that even mean?” Bianca asks, baffled, looking down at her tasks and then up at Henry. “Where are we going to find that?”

“Well, darling, you have to use your imagination.”

“Hmm, a silly face, a silly face,” Bianca says, tapping at her chin. She walks around her room where they’ve come to retrieve her turquoise polaroid camera to take pictures as they go and scans their surroundings with investigative eyes. A range of teddy bears, her penguin, her unicorn, and Doc McStuffins don’t make the cut. Instead, curiously, she pauses at her vanity, making a noise of triumph. “I’ve got it.”

Henry expects her to make a goofy face in the mirror but instead she pushes away some of her scrunchies and headbands, picking up a mini plastic square with various glittering pink hues from her makeup set, also a gift from Ellen.

“Daddy, no moving, please,” Bianca chides him, the two of them perched on the edge of her bed. At his side, her knees dig into his lap and her tongue peaks out as she uses a brush on his cheek and and then on half of his nose. A small dust cloud of purple powder emerges from her flourishes. “I’m almost done. These polka dots are going to look really, really cool with the silver eyeshadow.”

“I’m sure you’re doing a fabulous job,” Henry says. 

“Definitely,” Bianca nods. “You’ll see soon. You have the silliest face ever.”

“Well thank you, Bianca.”

“You’re welcome!”

Bianca reaches for her camera when she’s finished, instructing him to smile and Henry contorts his expression into something ridiculous just to hear her windchime laugh. She grabs the photo the second it prints out and says, “We have to wait a minute.”

The grey of the polaroid vanishes slowly and the photo fills with colour. In it, Henry sees himself presented as somewhat of an art project. Where there aren’t purple circles, are soft triangles in the rosy pink tint that Bianca had dipped an applicator into. Heavy metallic silver covers his eyelids all the way up to the line of his brow and a messy bolt of hot pink glitter bisects his face from crown to chin, paints his lips.

“Do you like it?” Bianca asks, watching him closely.

“It’s absolutely brilliant, love,” Henry praises, pressing a careful kiss to the top of her head. He still manages to get a swatch of colour on her skin that he has to lightly rub off.

“We should go show Papi,” Bianca suggests, beaming with excitement and a tooth missing from the front. “He’s gonna lose it.”

Henry heaves a great sigh but she’s so bloody adorable he has little choice but to oblige. 

--

Henry gently reminds Bianca to knock on the closed door of Alex’s office and wait for his okay before they enter.

From the inside, Alex calls out, “What’s the secret password?”

Bianca answers back, “Kookaburra!”

“When did the password change?” Henry asks, cracking open the door. 

“Yesterday,” Bianca informs him before barreling in. 

“Hey, Binks,” Alex greets happily, behind his desk and computer. With a shit-eating grin, he adjusts his glasses and sing-songs—because some things never change, “Henry.”

“It’d be useless to tell you to ignore my new look?”

“Oh, you know it, hubby. What’s going on here?”

“We’re on a scavenger hunt,” Bianca says, making her way over to Alex and slipping under her father’s arm when he raises it, nestling into his side.

Laughing, Alex lightly tugs on a wayward curl of Bianca’s hair. “And you had to find a man with psychedelic measles?”

“Uh-uh, I had to find a silly face. What’s psychedelic?” Bianca wonders, always inquisitive. “And what are measles?”

[starlostastronaut]

━ PAS DE DEUX

PAIRING: lee minho x reader

GENRE: fluff (i guess), ballet au

WC: 1.15k

CW: some curse words, ballet lingo?

SUMMARY: when your dance partner gets injured, he recommends you his friend to take his place

this one had been in my drafts for some time haha. it's inspired by titania and oberon pas de deux from a midsummer night's dream. i tried to cut down the ballet terminology as much as possible, but there's still some, so don't hesitate to ask if it's unclear :) btw this story is supposed to be set in sydney, don't ask me why lol. anyway, hope you enjoy <3

masterlist here

You walked into the empty studio, throwing your bag near the wall. After fixing your hair and changing your sneakers for a pair of ballet slippers, you walked over to the barre. You figured you might as well warm up before your partner arrives. You placed your hands lightly on the barre for extra support and began with a simple set of pliés and relevés, thinking about your current situation.

When you heard that a part from A Midsummer Night's Dream was on the list for your dance program's showcase, you immediately signed up for an audition, hoping you would get to dance the pas de deux. The odds were in your favour, because you ended up getting the role of Titania and your Oberon turned out to be a boy from the year above, Chris. You never really talked to him properly outside of class, but the rehearsals have been going fine. He was an easygoing person and you worked together really well, becoming somewhat good friends during the first few rehearsals. Until he came to you earlier this week with his hand in a cast, apologizing that he wouldn't be able to dance with you. He told you he fell from his skateboard and broke his wrist.

So there you were, waiting for your new dance partner. Everything you knew about him was from Chris. This guy was apparently a new transfer student from Korea and Chris was helping him to get used to everything. According to Chris, the new guy was an excellent dancer and he convinced him to dance the pas de deux with you. You were hesitant at first, you never even met him, but it was either that or getting cut from the showcase completely, because everyone else had their own numbers to prepare.

Just as you looked at the clock for the third time, debating with yourself if it is worth waiting here any longer, the door opened. A guy in a grey hoodie walked in, his face covered by the shadow of the hood. "Sorry I'm late," he muttered, dropping his bag on the floor before he joined you at the barre.

"You're Minho, right?" you asked after introducing yourself, because the dancer didn't seem to start talking. To your disappointment, this didn't start a conversation either - Minho just nodded and muttered a simple "Yes". The rest of the warmup was spent in silence.

When the time came to actually practice, you went to your bag to get your bottle of water first, while Minho finally took off his hoodie. You saw only his reflection in the mirror, though it gave you the option to secretly properly check him out. And he was beautiful, you had to admit that. Sharp, cat-like eyes that looked both mysterious and welcoming were what you noticed first. Then it was longer, dark brown hair, kept out of his face by a white bandana. Even in his comfortably loose clothing he wore to practice, he looked like a faerie prince. Oddly perfect for the role of Oberon, your fae husband.

“Do you know the steps or do you need me to walk you through it?” you asked when you were both ready to practice.

“I watched the videos Chris gave me. I'm good with the solo parts and I know the rest too, but I only practiced on my own, so…” He shrugged. You couldn't help but look at him with admiration. It had only been a few days and he claims to have learned it? If that was true, then he must be really talented, you thought to yourself.

“Okay, so let's try the first part? Until my first arabesque.” Minho agreed and got into position while you prepared the music. He was the one starting the number, while you were supposed to join in a bit later.

As you searched through your playlist, for a moment you considered putting on your pointe shoes. Ultimately, you decided against it for now. You already knew most of Titania's steps on pointe and besides, Minho was learning it. It was very likely you would go over tiny details over and over again and you reached the conclusion that it wasn't worth it.

After you found the song, you confirmed with Minho that he was ready and you pressed play. As soon as he began dancing, you were mesmerized. His moves were light and fluid, but there was a certain sharpness in them as well, perfectly embodying the essence of a royal. He had a concentrated look on his face, but still found a way to portray emotion. You could only stare with your mouth hanging open. This boy was good. Amazed by Minho, you almost missed your cue and registered his outstretched hand towards you at the last possible second.

Placing your hand in his, your eyes met and you saw mischievous sparks in them as he pulled you along, guiding your movements just like the choreography instructed. His grip on you was firm but not too tight and you managed to get through the part without any troubles.

When the time for the next steps came, you began to feel a bit nervous. After all, this was the part with penché en pointe and the only thing stopping you from falling onto your face and breaking your nose would be Minho. He had not given you a single reason to think he would let you fall. In fact, you knew it would be okay, but the tiny voice of doubt in your head persisted. It was like that with Chris too, though.

“Come on, we have to practice,” Minho said. Waiting for you to come join him, he fixed his bandana using the wall mirror. In order to do that, he had to untie it, letting his hair fall over his eyes. In a moment he, with a prince-like gracefulness, brushed them away and readjusted the headband on his head. “What, worried I'll drop you?” he asked, smirking. You rolled your eyes at that, but he was right. That was your main concern, apart from his beauty, but you decided there would be time to unpack that later.

Anxiously, you assumed the correct positions as Minho stood behind you, gently helping you balance the arabesque. “I'll never let you fall,” he whispered into your ear as his strong arms circled around your waist, sending butterflies into your stomach. And when he safely guided you into the penché, you believed him. Somehow, you knew you could put all your trust in your new dance partner. He made you feel safe.

All that was left on your mind as he helped you through the move back into an arabesque was a single word. Fuck.

The next rehearsals were going to be hell, you thought, already making a mental note to both thank Chris and curse him for getting you Minho as a dance partner.

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