#or something. maybe it has no meaning. you decide

[erwinsvow]

𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞

summary: jack abbot thinks he's too broken to fix. you just want to take care of him the way he takes care of you.

author's note: here it is! the first longer night shift reader and jack fic ♡ i hope everyone enjoys!

word count: 3.7k

tags: night shift reader x attending jack, comfort and angst, people are making bets (guess who wins!), patient death/loss, age gap relationship (implied but no ages specified!), idk i went a little crazy for two hours

it’s not an easy thing to take care of him. 

he knows that. there haven’t been that many people in his life who have been able to manage it. his wife was one, robby’s sort of another. jack has this thing—he has to at least try to take care of those around him before he can accept any of their help for himself. it’s almost a test of worth, to determine that it’s not a burden he’s placing unduly on anyone. it’s an exchange, he decides, a fair exchange. that way he’s not forcing anyone, because he knows how hard it is, how hard it can be. robby sees a side of it. his wife saw another.

and out of the black, heading into the blue, you are beginning to see it. he doesn’t know how it happened this way, just knows that the sweet resident who had come onto his night-shift because the day shift was beginning to be too much, was now the very reason he doesn’t head straight up to the roof after a very, very long night. 

he knows it’s not easy, that every time he loses a patient, he glances at the clock. the moment someone’s life was over, and the very moment that is going to ruin the lives of all the people who loved them. before he’d start the countdown—how many hours left on this shift? how many until he can go to the roof and breathe, scream and yell and sit in silence and watch the city wake up beneath him. 

it’s selfish. he momentarily checks out after time of death is called. robby does moments of reflections. maybe that’s how he’s able to manage it sometimes, break up the grief into little pieces throughout the day. 

jack isn’t like that. he’s always been the kind to bury, nestle it somewhere deep inside and keep adding, adding, adding. add until it’s about to burst, and then go to the roof and let some of it out. maybe if he tried robby’s way, he wouldn’t have felt like this for so long.

where can so much grief go? there’s no outlet for it, not the way jack does it. some of the things he buries are lost inside him forever, no escape, no exit.

and then you come along. 

jack’s prided himself in the fact that he’s good to the residents. they get more confident under his tutelage, make decisions more firmly, make them quickly and execute them correctly. that’s why robby had sent you over to him, hadn’t it? because you doubted yourself too much. because you felt like you weren’t making the right call.

from seven in the morning to seven at night, the place is crowded. it’s all hands on deck but there’s just a smidge too many hands, especially when there’s students. you were able to blend into the background for a couple months, but it’s just plainly wrong to let it hinder your education.

that’s why robby had sent you to him, right? for your education. to make you a better doctor, better than you already were, which was saying something. 

because jack abbot thinks that you’re incredibly gifted. gifted in the things that he can’t teach someone, in ways that he can’t explain. you have a special touch. patient-care is your forte. if he had to pick the nicest resident, it would be you. but you don’t believe in yourself. 

and he had sent himself to the task of fixing that. it’s what jack does, what he’s always done. patch it up and send it out.

(you’re a little different—he wants to make you believe in yourself more. he wants you to prove it to yourself. make yourself say it and mean it, not just because he’s telling you. that you are capable, that you were meant for this. that this is where you belong. that you have a safety net in the form of your attending—that he’ll be there with an outstretched arm, waiting incase you need him. you won’t, he knows. but you still need to feel him there. it’s working, he knows it is.)

it had been working perfectly fine so far. you build your routine, get yourself settled, start answering trauma calls with a run. 

one time he has you and ellis start the incoming together. tells parker to ask you questions, justify all of your decisions to her, but let you call the shots. when the charge nurse tells you the details, you head straight outside. you pull a yellow gown for yourself and the gloves in your size—those ones are baby blue. and then you pull another gown and the black gloves—the ones in his size. he watches from the nurse’s station, watches ellis take them and watches you look around, like you’re waiting for him to show up. he doesn’t, not this time.

you handle the case perfectly. oddly enough, he can’t seem to remember any of the specifics about it, even though he’s the one who signed off on your detailed note. 

jack watches from the door. you’ve got your back to him, and ellis looks up and sees him, but he shakes his head. he wants to see how you do without him, after so many with him. and you’re perfect—just like he knew you would be. the nurses move in tandem around you, listening closely to your orders. ellis asks questions and you answer, and you don’t sound like your answers are questions themselves—though you had at one point, not too long ago. 

that’s something he’d worked you out of, he thinks, a certain smugness seeping into his veins, satisfaction rolling through every muscle. 

you look out the other door, the opposite of where he’s standing. you stretch your neck like you’re trying to see what’s out there, and then you turn your attention back to your patient right away.

and once the patient is stable, that’s when he comes in. you’re doing it again, looking out the wrong door and as much as he wants to deny it, as wrong as it is, he knows you’re looking for him.

“good work, doctor,” he says, and you jump a little. you turn to look at him, but he’s looking at your senior resident for the assessment.

“dr. abbot, i-” 

“she did great,” parker comments, and you stop to beam at her.

“thank you.” ellis peels off her gloves and gown, black gloves that had been meant for him going into the bin. she gives you further instructions and you nod, and when it’s just the two of you, he finally turns to meet your eyes.

and the way you smile at him blows him away. it’s all over your face—from your gleaming eyes to the cheeks that must hurt, the lips that he can’t stop thinking about. there’s something else there too. neither of you want to say it, though you try.

“thank you, dr. abbot. i-” the words falter and die on your tongue. but in your joy, how pleased you are with yourself for once, you find the confidence he’s been wanting you to have all along. “i was looking for you.”

and jack swallows hard. it’s one thing to have a flirtation, to teach you, to mentor you. to make you cups of coffee and tea and buy a box of those protein bars that you like the best, because the other ones taste weird. to defend your yellow cup with his best glare, to stop in the aisle at costco and buy a duplicate pair just incase he ever needs to replace it. you love that yellow mug, and well, he loves—

“dr. abbot? you okay?” 

and it’s normally him asking you that.

“i’m fine, kid. you did great.” 

“so did you.” 

-

when jack walks by dana at around seven-ten, her and the other nurses go remarkably silent. 

“yes?” he asks, grabbing the black thermos from the counter where he’d been finishing his notes. it’s also from costco—chipped and bent all over the place, little flecks of silver making an appearance around the bottom. you’d made a joke about it once—even your cup is salt and pepper. and now he thinks about it every time he picks it up.

“what? i didn’t say anything,” dana replies, settling an ipad back in the charging port, moving around papers at the station. “but just so you know, the pool’s up to three hundred.”

jack sets his cup down a little harder than he means to, forearms resting on the sterile counter.

“what pool?” he demands, and dana shrugs. if he didn’t love her so much he would kill her.

“i’m just saying. if you’d like to help your favorite nurse contribute to her retirement fund, then you can—”

“oh? i can what?” 

it’s just not this easy for him anymore. you are full of all the good things that he so clearly lacks, made of so much sunshine it’s pouring out of you. you have love in stores, ready to be doled out at any time, to anyone. patients, coworkers, even the medical students you just met a couple minutes ago. he hears you—offering the flashcards you made for boards and the interview tips that got you to match at your top choice. 

he is entirely unworthy of your love. he knows it, deep down. loving him would break you. trying to piece him back together would drain you dry. and he doesn’t want to do that to you, you deserve better. maybe he can take care of you at work, but outside of these four walls, if you saw what he was like with idle hands and an empty apartment, or if you saw him up on that roof-

“dr. abbot?” 

your voice seems to always be enough to snap him out of it. 

“goodbye, dana,” he says, walking up next to you, thermos in hand. your eyes briefly glance down at it, smiling. “what’s going on, kid?” 

“remember what you had said? about breakfast?” and you smile at him like getting breakfast with jack abbot sounds like the great thing in the world right now. it’s almost seven-thirty and you probably haven’t slept in fifteen hours, and yet you keep smiling, big eyes blinking at him while you wait patiently for an answer.

“yeah.” he clears his throat, looking back at dana momentarily. she’s smiling at him, and then she turns to smack the side of robby’s arm, pointing him the direction of you two. “that sounds great. after you.” 

he shouldn’t have said yes. he knows what’ll happen if you start thinking that you can fix whatever is wrong with jack abbot, and he would like to avoid that entirely. but you beam at him again like you had earlier with ellis, and jack is a lot of things, but one thing is he is not, is a jerk. he won’t disappoint you about this, not when he’s secretly relieved you’re eating after shift. he’s seen you with sugary granola bars and pastries when you should be filling up on protein after a shift like this.

so he follows you out, ignoring the exchange of money behind him. 

breakfast is nice. you get chocolate-chip pancakes and he makes you get eggs too, and then hands you strips of bacon from his plate too. he hasn’t seen you like this before, and he tries to soak it into his memory. 

(something deep inside says that he should cut the tether before you get too attached. it’ll only hurt more to prolong it, to let it linger. the possibility of something between the two of you. and then you offer him a bite of a pancake drenched in syrup and everything in his head goes silent.)

breakfast becomes a weekly recurrence. there’s a twenty-four seven diner he loves just up the road from the hospital, and he’s been before with shen once, robby a couple times if their schedules lined up. it’s not particularly unusual to see him there with you, though he feels like he’s committing some sort of a crime.

you wear pullovers from your alma mater. the backpack you bring to work is the same one you used all four years of college and medical school, a fact you are very proud of. when he looks at it—his chest hurts. it’s hardly worn, looks like it’s in great condition—a couple of pins tacked on the side where your water bottle sits and a pocket for your badge and wallet in the front. he has to force himself to remember that you’re younger than any woman he’s seriously talked to before. his wife had been two months older than him, something he used to tease her about all the time. 

would you do that? would you tease him about the age difference? or would you prefer to ignore it, set it aside and try to forget about it? it’s a heavy question for breakfast after twelve hours on. 

you take him to another place that you like, too, closer to your apartment. you both eat bagels and sip on juice—orange for him, apple for you—and that’s where you learn more about his time as a medic. the breakfast burrito place near the park is where you tell him about how you’ve wanted to be a doctor since you were twelve, that you thought you’d had a calling for pediatrics and you’d even been the president of the peds club in medical school. and then you’d rotated through the emergency department third year and completely changed your plan.

you share a stack of waffles—chocolate chip with strawberries and whipped cream, at your insistence. he doesn’t know how he’s supposed to say no to you, not when you ask him so sweetly. he learns about your kitten and how you’ve always been scared that you’re going to do the wrong thing and until very recently, that you’ve just been playing pretend and you’ll get caught one day. 

and back at the diner is where he tells you about his wife. and you listen intently and nod and hold his hands when his voice breaks and run your fingers over his knuckles. you don’t let go of his hand the entire walk back to your apartment, and outside the door, you give him a hug. and the two of you stay like that for a while. that’s when you and jack kiss for the first time. slow, steady, a kiss that you’ve been dreaming of for months. it takes all the air out of your lungs and when you finally go inside, you realize your shoulder is a little wet and your lips are swollen. 

even hours later, jack can still taste apple juice on his tongue.

another week after that, you both answer the incoming trauma together. it’s six-thirty, so someone might come and take over, but it doesn’t work out that way. it’s a man who got t-boned at an intersection on the way to school drop-off. his wife and daughter are getting their cuts stitched, you think, and the patient had been slurring at you when he came in. thank god i put her behind her mom today. thank god, thank god- and jack does something he doesn’t always do. 

“get the mom, get the kid. let-let them talk.” 

and while you do the ultrasound and the e-fast and order for type and cross-match, you hear his daughter crying and a wife telling her husband how much she loves him. 

and you and jack try everything, everything you can think of, but sometimes, there’s just no coming back. he doesn’t even make it to surgery. jack walks out first, and then you, and you see his daughter turn away from the medical student that’s tending to her wound, standing up with hopeful eyes like you and jack have good news for her.

and you feel incredibly broken. your day hasn’t even started yet. and you lock eyes with jack for a second—just a second, and he stares back at you, hardened, in a way you haven’t seen before. you’ve both lost patients, lost patients together. sometimes it’s just different, in a way that you can’t explain. 

it must have been an hour, an hour and a half you spent in the trauma room. the entire day shift is there now. 

“head home, kid,” jack says. “i’ll talk to the family.” 

you bring your hand to his shoulder, pulling back until he turns to face you. 

“i’ll talk to the family.” 

it’s not an easy thing to take care of. he tries to tell you something but you shake your head at him, the hand on his shoulder lingering. people are looking, he thinks. but then again, he’s never cared that much. and in this moment, neither do you. 

you head over to the family, excuse the nurses and the student doing the stitches. you pull the curtains, and all he hears is sobbing. 

and when you come back out, he know you held it together in front of them, but your shoulders are shaking, your chin is wobbling. and in front of all those people, he brings you in for a hug. 

a real hug—like the one you had in front of your apartment. jack’s grip is tight on you, his arms caging you in, covering everything so you can’t see anything, can’t think about anything else but him. he rests his chin on your head, and closes his eyes, and then the two of you walk back to the lockers together. 

it’s not an easy thing to take care of him. and somehow, without ever telling you, you know all about how to do it. you know a lot of things about him. you know what this job does to him and that if he had gone to tell that family they lost their father and husband, that he would’ve ended up on the roof this morning. you know that jack abbot doesn’t halve any of his burdens, that he’s been afraid to rely on you like how you rely on him. to need you in the way that you need him. and you know that he won’t tell you what he needs, but you’ve gotten somewhat adept at figuring him out, just like how he has with you.

that day you leave holding hands. neither of you are in the right mood to go out for breakfast, so he elects to take you back to his apartment, an arm swung around your shoulder the entire walk there. you’re still a little teary-eyed, wiping them away at his front door while you head inside with him. 

you’ve never seen the inside of jack’s apartment, but he’s mentioned it in one of your many conversations. the record collection, his wife’s plants that he takes care of, the kitchen that’s too big for one person. 

the morning light hits the place beautifully. you stare out of his window while he heads to the kitchen, and you look around. first the records, then the plants, just like he’d described. there’s pothos and peace lily and little succulents along the windowsill. you look at the rest of it—incredibly fitting. a brown leather couch and a bookshelf with medical textbooks and a couple of mystery thrillers. you laugh to yourself, imagining jack curling up with one of those books at night.

when you turn back, he’s cracking eggs and laying out strips of bacon on the pan. you head over to the other side of the island, taking a seat on one of the stools. 

“no pancakes?”

“you’re gonna get cavities, y’know,” jack says, and you smile at him. 

“it’s worth it.”

“i love your smile the way it is right now. don’t go changing it on me.” and that does make you smile, staring at jack making breakfast for the two of you. it all feels so domestic. like you’re just walking into the life that was meant for you all along.

you’ve only been on the night shift for a couple of months. 

how could he have been so stupid? trying to fight what you did to him when it was like gravity, like the tide, like every other force in this world that he knows about and cannot control. you’re exactly where you’re meant to be, and so is he.

“mel texted me. she won the bet,” you say, setting your phone down. you lean against your hand, inhaling the smell of the first of many home-cooked meals you’ll eat, made by jack abbot.

“that so? i thought dana was a shoo-in.” 

“dana got the timing wrong. thought it’d happen during the night shift. but technically, you hugged me at eight-thirty, so..” 

“and what was the winning combo?” he stares at you, probably for the millionth time since you met him. and still, somehow, it’s enough that you feel it in your bones. you want to look away but you don’t. “you want toast, kid?” 

“yes please. she didn’t say, but i’ll ask. later.” 

you and jack settle at his wooden dining table ten minutes later, a plate full of protein and a promise that he’ll get you something sweet when you wake up later. jack lifts up his pant leg and takes off his prosthetic, setting it against the chair and relaxing a little bit more. you can see his shoulders loosen up. when he catches you staring, he smiles back.

“what?”

“nothing. do you have juice?”

“i think there’s some apple in there. i can-”

“no, i got it.” you get up, walking towards to the fridge. “i thought you didn’t like apple.” you know he doesn’t—he prefers orange. 

“i changed my mind.” you smile back at him, finding the apple juice and setting it on the counter. 

“cups?” 

“the cabinet on your right. no, your other right.”

you laugh and open it up, your laugh dying in your throat as you stare at two yellow mugs sitting front and center in the cupboard. you pick them up, bringing them over to the table with jack, and stare at him.

“oh,” he says. “i can explain. it’s incase-” but you don’t want to listen for another second, so you sit on his lap, pressing your lips together and forgetting all about breakfast and apple juice.

♡ thanks for reading!

[inuiiwonderland]

PARENTS?!

You knew something was off the moment you woke up a few minutes before your alarm went off and how you and grim were able to have a peaceful morning without chaos.

Words: 2k

Heartslabyul x gn reader!

I just combined the word mama + papa and got MAPA so yeah…..

-

Something about today didn’t feel right

For starters, you woke up a few minutes before your alarm went off, you and grim were able to shake off the sleep and actually got out of bed without a fuss for once!

And then, the two of you actually got ready on time and even had time to eat some breakfast before heading out to class. For the first time in forever!

Then, the whole walk to class was peaceful and no one came by to disturb the peace. In fact, you two barely saw anyone on your walk to class.

Which was….weird

You and grim for once made it on time to class, 10 minutes early to be exact!

Okayyyyy…..maybe the sevens are finally giving you a break!

As you and grim chatted, you couldn’t help but look around.

“Hey, where’s Ace and deuce?” Grim also looks around before shrugging.

“Don’t know and don’t care! Anyways, we should definitely have tuna salad for dinner-“

Suddenly the door slams open with a loud BANG

Both you and grim yelp and turn to see who the culprit was behind the loud noise.

There by the door stood a boy who seemed to be a student at heartslabyul huffing and puffing as he tried to catch his breath.

“What is the meaning of this?” Crewel says sternly. One perfectly trimmed eyebrow raised as he waits for the poor student to explain why he nearly knocked out his classroom door from its hinges.

“S-so *GASP* S-Sorry - professor *GASP* crewel!”

“Mind explaining?”

“T-the p-prefect! We need the prefect!”

Ah, there it is

You knew it was too good to be true

“Why?” You asked. Both confused and a little annoyed.

“It’s urgent! The housewarden has requested you to come to the dorm!” The boy says. You look at crewel, the man just sighs as he gives you the go ahead. You pick up grim and walk down to where the student stood.

“Lead the way…”

-

Every step you take as the boy leads you to the chamber of mirrors causes the pit in your stomach to grow worse and worse than before. You have absolutely no idea what type of trouble awaits you in the heartslabyul dorm.

Was it another overblot?

Did someone accidentally lose all the hedgehogs and decide to put the blame on you???!

Did Ace and deuce do something that caused the whole dorm to be in ruins and have riddle ask for you specifically because you’re their friend?!?!?!

You don’t know, and you’re not ready

Upon arriving at heartslabyul, you were confused by how calm and peaceful the dorm was in. No ruined hedges, the roses are painted red and aren’t dead or ripped apart, the maze or anything isn’t on fire, no one is running around with a lost head!

The dorm looks to be fine

So

What’s the emergency?

You turned to the first year, confused.

“Uhh….the dorm seems to be fine? What is the emergency-”

“Follow me!” He quickly grabs ahold of your hand before YANKING you inside the maze. You and grim both yelp and you quickly try to match his pace as he expertly moves through the maze.

Jeez this is one of the more confusing mazes in the whole dorm and this first year already knows it like it’s the back of his hand!

You noticed some muffled voices in the distance, the closer the three of you got the more clearer it became. You could make out both Ace and deuce! Seems like they were running after something or… someone by how loud they were and the sound of “stop!” And “get back here please!” Left their mouths.

Oh sevens help you

“I brought them!” The first year shouts.

You could not believe your eyes

It was like a scene from a cartoon. Ace running around after what seems to be a- KID?!

Wait wait wait-

EVERYONE IS RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO CATCH MORE THAN ONE KID???

You see Ace chasing after a 8? 7? Year old boy while deuce seems to be holding something- wait no he’s holding a freaking baby!! Deuce is holding a baby in his arms while he chases after another little kid.

And then there’s cater. He’s busy running around trying to catch the two little girls who currently have his precious phone in their hands. The two giggle while cater prays to the sevens they don’t drop or break his phone.

Trey is busy listening to the little girl yap about the different baking techniques that even HE didn’t know existed and you swear he’s taking notes.

And riddle? Actually you don't see riddle anywhere. But you do see two children awkwardly standing near a corner as they watch everything unfold before their very eyes.

“What the actual fuck is going on” Everyone stops at the sound of your voice. The first year that was standing beside you gulps before BOLTING out of there. Not before whispering a small “good luck” on his way back to the maze.

Now with everyone’s eyes on you, you feel uneasy.

“Henchmen….I think we should also run back inside the maze” Grim whispers as his eyes don’t leave the scene in front of him.

“Yeah…good idea” You whisper back. You take a couple steps back, ready to also bolt out of there but was stopped when all the kids screamed and RAN their way towards you.

“MAPA!!!” They all scream. Both you and grim also scream but in terror as you both were tackled straight to the ground by the little mob.

“Mapa mapa! Where were you?!” One of the kids screams excitedly. She has bright orangish hair that reaches her back along with very interesting eyes. Both her and what you assume is her twin sister because of how eerily similar they look, they each have different eye colors. Similar to the leech twins.

One of them, her right eye was a beautiful green and her left was a nice e/c, while her sister's right eye was e/c and her left was green.

Yep definitely twins

“W-what? Mapa? W-what’s going on?”

“Mapa! I'm so hungry! Can we go home and eat?”

“Mapa, I’m tired. Can we go home?”

Mapa mapa mapa

Sevens you are going to go crazy!

And then when you think it can’t get worse, you hear a loud and whiny cry.

You turn to deuce who yelps and quickly tries to calm down the crying baby in his arms. One of the kids that was one of the reasons you got tackled quickly got up and ran towards deuce. She made little grabby hands signaling him to give her the baby. He gently gave her the baby and she was able to calm down the poor little boy as she rocked and hummed him a lullaby.

Yep that’s older sister right there

“Okay….seriously what’s going on, who are these kids, and where is riddle because the only reason I’m here is because of him who rudely requested me!”

“Yeah! Also where did that freshman go? He’s about to get a good a-”

“You’re a parent now”

“WHAT?!” Both you AND grim screech.

You look down to one of the kids. He eerily resembled Ace but the one thing that made you pale was the sight of his eyes.

Then you turned to the two more quiet children. They both had the same striking red hair along with the cute heart shaped strand on top of their heads.

Okay…

You then turned to the last one. She had short green shoulder length hair and the cutest dimples ever. She stared at you worriedly.

“Mapa are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost”

“I-I think I did”

After a very long and confusing conversation, from the kids and the others. You have come to terms that you are now officially a parent.

Eh you were hoping to wait until you were 26 but I guess it’s okay.

From what the other have told you, you now know who the kid’s fathers are.

Ace: one 8 year old son named Aiden

Deuce: two kids, one 7 year old daughter named Evelyn and a 3 month old son named Luka

Cater: two twin daughters named ruby and Amelia, age: 9 years old

Trey: one 7 year old daughter named Emma.

And lastly, riddle: two kids. One 9 year old boy named Felix and a 7 year old daughter named Alice.

“Mapa, have you seen father?” Felix asks quietly. Alice stands behind him with the same look.

“Ah! Uh no I haven’t….where is riddle?” And just like that, the housewarden was summoned.

He looks puzzled to say the least. His eyes scan the area before stopping to look at the kids that were in the room.

“What in the great sevens is going on here?!”

“Father!”

“Papa!” Both Felix and Alice say. They were excited to see their father and quickly jumped to hug riddle.

“F-father? What-” Ace whistles as he watches the flustered housewarden.

“Fatherhood is looking real nice on ya housewarden” he teases. The housewarden face turns a bright red as he tries to form simple sentences.

“I-I w-what?!”

“Father, when are we going home?” Felix asks curiously.

“Yeah when? I’m starting to get hungry!” Little Alice chirps.

“I think we should feed them something first. Half of them have complained that they are hungry” You suggest. You carefully took baby Luka from Evelyn as you could tell she was getting a little tired. You smiled down at the small cute bundle in your arms.

He had the same bluish hair and cyan eyes just like his father. While Evelyn was the exact carbon copy of you.

Cute

-

“So you’re telling me you have no clue on how they got here?”

Crowley stood behind his desk with the biggest grin ever as you, crewel, and everyone from heartslabyul gave him the most deadpan look.

“Wellllll I do have a small theory! Oh look how cute they all look! This one looks exactly like you my dear!” Crowley beams. You rolled your eyes.

He has no clue

“Is there any way to get them back home? I’m sure their parents are freaking out” Riddle says.

“We all know you are” Ace mutters. Deuce nudges him with a small glare as Ace just shrugs.

“What’s your theory?” Trey asks the headmaster. He tries not to sigh in annoyance as Crowley begins to coo and play around with his quote on quote “grandchildren”.

“Ah! Didn’t the kids say they all saw a bunny before waking up here?” You frown.

“Bunny?”

“Rabbit!” Emma corrects.

“All the kids have mentioned seeing one” Trey says.

“Do any of you guys remember what else happened?” You ask. All your kids turned to you. Some think and others just as confused.

“I-I remember” You all turned to Felix who slowly went a bit red after seeing everyone’s attention on him.

“Oh now thinking about it, the bunny did lead us somewhere!” Young Alice chirps.

“Where did it lead you my dear?” You ask softly. She smiles as you caress her hair.

“The bunny led us to a hole!”

“A rabbit hole” Felix adds.

“Ah! So some sort of portal!”

“Did all of you also get led to a hole?” Deuce asks curiously. Emma's eyes light up as she nods.

“Yeah!”

“The rabbit had my ball! So I went after it” Aiden says. Slowly all the kids tell their side of the story before being transported here.

“But I don’t get it, how do they go back?”

“Mm, seems like there must be something else to this” Crewel says. Brows furrowed in deep thought.

“For now, I think it’s best that you guys take them in and care for them while me and Crowley find a way to return them safely at home” He says.

“So we’re babysitting?!” Ace screeches. Deuce smacks him upside the head as he scoffs.

“That’s your kid! Maybe you should’ve wrapped it before tapping it”

“Deuce!”

“What? It’s true!”

Now then…..these next few days are gonna be interesting.

To be continued?

[gatorbites-imagines]

Sinners Remmick x male reader (preferably poc) where is a singer at the juke joint and Remmick sees him and tries to seduce him lmao. But male reader is low-key insecure of his singing tallent + kind of shy and Remmick finds out and is like "????? what do you mean" because male reader is like so good at music, and Remmick has to uplift him lmao.

you can make thiss smutty if your up to it

Remmick x POC male reader 

Headcanons 

Hate to admit, I dont know much about POC culture in America. I'm European, and we barely even mention America in history class. This also means I don't know a lot about African American culture, especially during the 30s and in the south. 

This means I won't be mentioning a whole lot about the times, cuz I don't know enough about it, and I wouldn't want to be disrespectful. I would love to read about it though, if yall know any good sources. 

Not as smutty as I had hoped, but hope it's good anyways 

You knew the Smokestack twins, as much as anyone around here did. Maybe you even knew them a little more than most, enough to know the truth about their father. 

Music had always saved you when times got tough. It started out as you simply singing to yourself, humming tunes that came from somewhere deep within. Then it became a harmonica that Stack had stolen as a gift. 

From there it advanced further, flutes, a banjo, a guitar, over the years you even learned the piano, and more devilish instruments, if Sammies father had to be believed. 

Music was all you had though, be it during the war you were drafted into it, and when you returned to the state to learn your mother had died, leaving you on your own. You didn't sing much anymore though, in public at least. 

You were still close with Annie after all this time, and you two would sing together at times. There were times she invited you over to sing for the very fact that you seemed to call only the good and wanted spirits. 

Part of you wanted to be mad when Smoke and Stack appeared, dressed as finely as they were and speaking of opening a juke joint of all things. For leaving, and all that. 

Stack had always been able to sweet talk you though, and when Sammie jumped into their truck, you followed, lugging your own guitar with you. It was old and patched in many places, but you loved that thing. 

The party was in full swing, and everything felt so alive. When you and Sammie sang together it felt spiritual, like something you couldn't put into words. It was an otherworldly experience. 

One that left you sweating and your legs shaky. It was easy to stumble over towards where Annie was serving up drinks, to let Sammie embrace all the attention for now. 

You were already known as the guy who could play most instruments, and could sing like his life depended on it, but that was all you could do. And even then, you never felt like it was good enough. 

You had been distracted with your drink and conversation to know what had happened at the door, of the white folk who claimed to hear your singing and had felt compelled to join. 

You hadn't caught how Remmick had craned his neck, trying to look above or around the group blocking his vision, trying to find “that other beautiful voice”, after he had paid attention to Sammie. 

Whatever Smoke saw on his face, he didn't like, and he had been itching to grab for his gun. It made an uncomfortable clammy feeling run down his spine, like it was something he wasn't meant to see. 

When the strangers left, the party returned to what it had been before, for the most part. You were still sweating and woozy, your shirt sticking to your back under the strap of your guitar. 

It was then that you decided that you needed some fresh air, all these people were making you itchy, and everything was starting to be too much. 

You waved at Stack and Mary as you passed them, giving them both a look up and down as if saying “just get on with it you two” as you trotted outside. Cornbread patted you on the back as you passed, as in his words, it had been too long since you let yourself go like that. 

Seeing the three white folks seated out by the front made you slow down though, there was something off about them. You were still far enough away so that you couldn't see Remmick's nostrils flare, or the way his pupils expanded at the sight of you. 

You were always weary when you knew you needed to be, you couldn't play white like Mary could. Somehow you still found yourself waved over, sitting down on the log beside the man you learned was named Remmick. 

“You must've been that other voice we heard all the way out here. You have a real gift” he said, voice almost reverent as he leaned in just a little closer, eyes boring into you in a way that made your hair stand on end. 

“Oh, nah. I'm not that good, it's all Sammie” you laugh, feeling flushed as you look down, hands messing with the strap of your guitar. Compliments always made your skin crawl, it didn't feel like you deserved them. 

“No, it was all you. Compared to him, you? You were like an angel” he exhaled, voice raw and raspy like a church goer who had been praying all day and night, Remmick's hand touching your upper back. 

Joan and Bert melted away into the night, not that you noticed, too busy staring at your feet as Remmick saddled closer, both his hands sliding over your body as he came so close. 

His breath was strangely metallic, it reminded you of the smell of old nails, or how it felt to chew on a fork for too long. “You bewitch me, how do you do it?” was murmured, his voice feeling... more. 

You should have gotten up, yelled, ran back inside the juke joint, anything. Not only were the both of you men, but he was white, it just made no sense. 

But still, Remmick's lips brushed against your neck, a shaky audible groan leaving him as he inhaled you. You couldn't have known that he was also feeling your racing pulse against his lips, and how it made him yearn and ache. 

“Sing for me?” he asked, voice thick like honey as he started kissing down your neck, Remmick's hands pulling your guitar into your own. It was sensual, the way he guided your fingers to the strings, intimate and heady. 

It was almost impossible to form words, this all felt like some kind of wild dream as Remmick's hands so expertly undid your belt and buttons, the Irishman sliding to his knees in front of you. 

Your eyes flicked from his burning look, towards the juke joint not that far away, but even as Remmick kissed at your growing hardness, nobody seemed any wiser. 

“Come on. Please? I'm on my knees beggin you and everything” he rasped, tongue flicking against your wet tip like one would a popsicle. 

All you could get out was a breathless yelp as he swallowed you down whole. Some sick part of your brain reminded you of a time where you saw a snake swallow a rat whole, that was the fervor he gulped you down with. 

Remmick held you there, throat flexing around you as he stared up at you, eyes so intense and unblinking, waiting for you to do as he asked. Sing, give him what he wants and needs so badly. 

Your fingers were shaking as you strummed the strings of your guitar. This was all wrong, this couldn't be real, but Remmick's mouth was so slick and hungry around you as the shaky words left your throat. 

If you had had any past experience, you might have noticed that his tongue was too flexible, or his mouth was too cold. It wasn't icy, but clammy, like waking up with a cold sweat.  

And it was wet, so incredibly sloppy and wet. Hearing and feeling him try to slurp up all his frothy drool around your length as you struggled to form verses and play your tongue was downright demonic. 

It seemed the more you sang, the hungrier he got. If you hadn't been shaking in your boots you might have worried about Remmick choking himself with how he gagged you down, his hands gripping the back of your thighs like a lifeline. 

There was no way the noises you were letting out sounded good, and the clumsy twitching of your fingers ruined any tune you tried, but it lit an unseen fire inside the man sucking the soul out of you, so you kept trying. 

Had you not been sitting down, you would surely have collapsed as you tumbled over the edge, your fingers scrambling at your guitar as your body locked up, a half-formed verse melting into an embarrassingly loud moan. 

But no matter how loud you got, nobody inside or outside the juke joint seemed to notice what you two had been up too, even as Remmick audibly gulped your release down, moaning like it was ambrosia and honey mixed into one. 

You hugged onto your guitar, like a blanket you would hug for comfort, as Remmick pulled back, moving slowly enough that you could feel the tight clenching of his throat a last time. 

“See? Gorgeous. Perfect” he gurgled against your thigh, looking at you the same way a cat looked at a mouse, licking your seed of his spit-soaked lips as he rose to his feet. 

“You just need to see it from my point of view, then you will see how great you are. Hold still for me” he whispered, moving closer until his lips hovered above your neck again. 

“W-whuh?” you get out, head still all steamy and thoughts all jumbled, your soft spit shiny length still hanging out of your slacks, trying to understand what had even just happened. 

You barely felt his lips kiss your neck before he struck, tearing into your sweaty salty neck like a vulture upon a carcass. Your scream as cut off with a gurgle as he pushed you back, pinning you against the ground as he feasted upon you. 

You should have trusted your gut, as much as you loved Smoke and Stack, they always brought trouble. It had never been like this though, being feasted on by a man who had just feasted on you in another way, just to hear you sing. 

A thought passed through your mind as everything was turning dark. Would you still be able to sing after the way Remmick ripped into your neck? But that was a dumb thought, you wouldn't need your voice anymore after you died. Right? 

[narnian-neverlander]

One Night Stands Only [Jason Todd x GN!Reader]

Summary: It’s obvious Jason only has one night stands - right?

Genre: fluff, tiny bit of hurt/comfort

Word Count: 4,6k

Warnings: none

A/N: Came across the DC Valentine’s special again and… yeah. Decided to do sth about it 💁

If you use any of my works for AI I will hunt you down for sport 😬

“You were right, it’s a nice place.” Bernard nods appraisingly, glancing around the newly opened bookstore, little café situated right in the middle. It’s not a new concept by any means, but the high ceilings and big windows allow the little natural light Gotham has to brighten the entire place and the cozy couches and booths scattered between shelves make for a nice and different respite from what the city usually has to offer. Tim hums in approval as he glances over the menu again. “Yeah; quiet, comfy, good coffee selection. I should thank the person who recommended it.”

“And who was that?” Bernard asks over his shoulder before greeting the girl working the counter and placing their order. Tim’s brows immediately furrow. “It was… I heard about it from… Uhm…” The blonde chuckles as he steers his boyfriend towards a nearby table, eyes flicking towards a corner sofa. “You think it might’ve been your brother?” Tim snorts. “Which one?” He receives a gesture at something behind him as an answer and finds Jason sitting on one of the couches a little further back, book propped open in his lap and a few more stacked on the small, round table in front of him and Tim nods. “Okay, sure, that tracks.” Bernard watches over Tim’s shoulder a few moments longer, then a small smile forms on his face. “I mean, yeah, it is a nice place for a date.”

Tim’s head snaps back around so fast it’s comical, a disbelieving, almost scandalized ‘Date?!’ out of his mouth before he can stop it. Sure enough, someone else has joined his brother, just in the process of placing two cups on the table - or trying to anyways; an almost impossible task with the amount of books already occupying the small space. And while he might not be able to hear either of you, he wouldn’t be part of a family of world class detectives if he couldn’t read lips.

‘Okay, should I just get like, a whole teapot now? How long do you plan on being here?’

‘Eh, not long.’

‘Jay, even you can’t read five books at once.’

‘Watch me.’

A cocky grin and an eyebrow waggle, which earns him an eye roll from the mystery person, albeit attached to a fond smile, followed by a shooing motion to scoot further down the sofa and make space, to which he obliges immediately. Tucked into Jason’s side, his arm coming around your shoulders entirely too naturally as both of you go back to your books, seemingly all settled and content to simply be in the other’s presence like this.

Tim turns back to his boyfriend with brows drawn together, lips pressed into a thin line and fingers tapping his chin in thought - and Bernard knows exactly what that look means. “Tim, switch outta detective mode. Your brother has a date, so what?” But the gears are clearly already turning and not stopping anytime soon. “It’s just… Jason only has one night stands.” It’s a look somewhere between surprise, disbelief and even offense before the blonde speaks up again. “Isn’t that a bit presumptuous? You don’t know if—“ Tim vehemently shakes his head to interrupt him. “No, no, I mean that’s literally what he told me; what he tells anyone from the family who asks, as far as I’m aware.”

Bernard’s eyes move over to the couch again, simply observing for a few seconds before he shrugs. “Well, one night stands don’t exclude a date. Or maybe he’s changed his mind. People are allowed to do that, you know.” he says with an easy grin right as the little round sensor on their table starts vibrating, indicating their order is ready. He snatches the device up and stands, placing a hand on Tim’s shoulder, effectively gaining his attention. “Either way, I don’t think it’s anything for you to lose sleep over. Or any of your business, to be honest. If he is in a relationship and you don’t know, I’m sure he has his reasons.” He grabs the hand Tim has been busy biting the cuticles off of and presses a kiss to his knuckles. “Just let it go, detective.”

With that he’s gone to pick up their drinks, meanwhile Tim almost turns his head to look at the couple again, but ultimately decides against it, instead racking his brain for wether or not any of his other siblings ever mentioned Jason having a partner, but nothing comes to mind. Fingers drumming against the table, he’s one spiraling thought away from getting up and going over there to satisfy the annoying itch of curiosity, but then he watches Bernard walk back towards him, a coffee cup in each hand and a happy smile on his face, his own heart skipping a beat at the sight, and he realizes that his boyfriend’s right. It doesn’t matter right now, nor is it any of his business; if this is someone, important to Jason, he would tell them - in his own time.

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

“Okay I had my doubts, but that was pretty good.” Stephanie states as she stretches her arms over her head, following the crowds out of the theater into the big entrance hall. Cass grins and nods enthusiastically in agreement, while Babs only shrugs and hums in thought. “I mean, sure, it was good; solid storytelling, breathtaking visuals, but—“

“I still think the book’s better, though.”

They all know it’s exactly what the redhead was gonna say, but it doesn’t come from her. Even so, the voice is familiar and all three of their heads snap up almost in unison to look for the source.

A joyful laugh, from around the pillar a little ways in front of them, followed by, “That’s the most Jason thing you could’ve said, ya know.”

Now that voice isn’t familiar to any of them, neither is the person who appears in their field of view a second later, hands linked with someone still hidden by the pillar - not that it’s still much of a secret who it is.

“So? It’s still true.”

The soft grin on the stranger’s face morphs into something more mischievous. “Riiight. I’m sure you hated every second of this. That’s why I saw some tears during a scene or two.”

A squeak as the person gets yanked forward, disappearing from sight again; then laughs can be heard accompanied with, “It was dark, you didn’t see shit.”

The three girls exchange glances, all wide eyes and raised brows. Then they watch the couple walk out into the open of the entrance hall, towards the exit, one of Jason’s arm’s wrapped tightly around your shoulders as he presses a kiss to the top of your head.

Cassandra is the first to shake off the stupor, a soft smile spreading across her face. “They’re cute together.” she signs. “Yeeeaaahhh…” Steph starts, staring at the doors the two had just left through. “Too cute. And definitely too familiar to just be a one night stand.” The wicked grin is a telltale sign of trouble and Barbara pinches the bridge of her nose because it doesn’t bode well for anybody.

“Just leave it alone, Steph.”

“Oh come on!” the blonde complains. “He’s the one who’s been telling us for ages that he doesn’t do relationships and now he’s out here all sweet and cozy and lovey dovey with someone? And you’re not the least bit curious? I say we investigate!”

Barbara levels her with a blank stare. “And you don’t think that might be the exact reason he doesn’t tell us anything?” Stephanie narrows her eyes at the redhead in suspicion. It’s unlike her, unlike Oracle, not to want all the details of a situation. “Did you already know?”

“Whatever gives you that idea?”

“Because you know everything. And wouldn’t you—“

Barbara doesn’t let her finish. “Would you want a date to be interrupted by your siblings just cause they feel like annoying you? Pestering you about your partner? Jason isn’t the most open, conversational person at the best of times; what do you think is gonna happen if he catches onto your little investigation?”

Steph is about to argue back that sure, while there’s some personal entertainment value involved, she just doesn’t like the idea of someone she cares about being with someone she doesn’t know. What if they’re not a good person? What if they end up hurting him? What if—

Her thoughts are interrupted by a hand on her shoulder and she turns to find herself looking straight into Cass’ dark eyes, her expression serious.

“They really like him, don’t meddle.” she signs.

That takes some of the wind out of Stephanie’s sails and she visibly deflates a bit. “You, uh… you could tell, huh?” The black haired girl nods eagerly and Steph runs a hand through her hair in contemplation. People are an open book to Cassandra, without her ever having to have exchanged a single word with them. If she says you’re fine, that you truly like Jason and have no bad intentions, then… then Steph could leave it alone with an easy conscience. For now, anyways.

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

“Thank you for the assist, Master Richard, but I assure you, while welcome, it was not necessary.”

“It’s fine, Alfred.” Dick reassures while loading the last of the groceries into the back of the car. “I know you can handle the regular grocery shopping just fine, but it’s rare to have that many people at once at the manor; I’m glad to help out.”

The older man gives him a grateful smile in return, then plucks a piece of paper from inside his coat pocket and checks it over. “Oh dear, I do believe I’ve missed something.” he mumbles and hands the list over to Dick. “Master Richard, would you mind looking our current purchase over again, just in case? I’ll be right back.”

He watches Alfred hurry back towards the store, someone else exiting when he’s a few feet away from the entrance. A short exchange, quick thanks presumably, as the person holds the door open for him. Then you steer left, in his general direction and—

Hold on. He wasn’t here when him and Alfred got outta the store a few minutes ago.

The parking lot is situated lower than the actual store, some stairs to his right leading up to the higher level, so Dick takes a few steps backwards and cranes his neck back slightly, a leafless hedge partly blocking his view, but the tall, broad stature clad in a leather jacket and the black and white hair are a dead give away. He’s about to call out, surely his brother just didn’t spot him yet, but someone beats him to it.

“Okay, let’s go home.”

The person who’d just left the store. Most definitely talking to Jason. And you seem more than a little annoyed and exasperated.

Meanwhile his brother looks like he’s trying not to burst out laughing.

“What?” the mystery person barks, eyes narrowed at the tall man suspiciously.

“I know I did not just watch you whack an old lady over the head with a magazine cause she tried to take the steak from you.”

“It was the last one!” you complain and the tension bleeds from Dick’s shoulders as he realizes that this is in no way a serious altercation. “Besides, Constance had it coming, not the first time she tried to pull a stunt like that; she’s a fucking menace to everybody.”

Silence for a few long seconds. Then, “If you laugh right now, I swear to God I’m leaving you out on the street tonight, Todd.”

Jason snorts. “And then who’s gonna make the food you fought so hard to get? Sure as shit not you; last time I left you alone with the stove, I thought Firefly had broken into the apartment.”

Dick watches his brother’s conversation partner huff, arms crossed over your chest in defiance as you stare Jason down - until your shoulders sag in defeat and you break eye contact, because apparently, he’s right. “You’re lucky you’ve got other talents besides just being pretty, you know that?”

Jason takes the bags from you, met with only mild complaints, as he grins. “You think I’m pretty? Aw, thanks, babe.” You roll your eyes at that, but there’s a smile tugging at the corners of your lips either way. “Leave the corny flirting to Nightwing, it doesn’t suit you.” And Jason actually has the audacity to scrunch up his face in distaste. “Hey now. I was only teasing you; comparing me to him is a straight up insult, take it back.”

“Make me~” you taunt with a sing-song voice and a mirthful smirk, then take off full speed in the opposite direction, past the store, with Jason hot on your heels not a second later.

And Dick hasn’t seen his little brother wear a smile that big in such a long time, he almost forgets to be offended.

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

Damian isn’t sure why he’s even here. It’s not like this has any actual academic value for him.

That’s Chrysaora fuscescens.

Over there, Hippocampus hippocampus.

And that one’s Anguilla dieffenbachii.

He’s studied all these creatures and more before and even if he wouldn’t learn anything new about aquatic dwellers, his father had insisted on him going on this field trip. Something about a chance to ‘improve his social skills’.

Tt.

If that’s the mission he’d been given, he’d succeed. Even if he thought it utterly unnecessary. At least he could do it in the presence of one of the most beautiful creatures on the planet, the mighty—

“Shark! Jason, look, there it is!”

With the level of excitement, one would think it’s coming from a child, but no, it’s very much an adult, standing in front of the big glass tank, in the company of Todd of all people. Damian slows his steps to a halt, coming from one of the smaller side entrances that lead to the huge room, and simply observes from a safe distance.

“Uh huh, I see it. And I feel like now would be a good time to remind you that you have plenty of shark memorabilia and that we’ll simply be walking past the gift shop later.”

An inelegant snort, as the person side eyes him with amusement. “Would now be a good time to remind you that we both know that’s not happening?”

Jason pinches the bridge of his nose as he heaves a sigh, but Damian detects no true malice in it. He’s seen him truly irritated, angry - this is nothing of the sort. Fond exasperation, if anything.

“I know they’re nowhere near as dangerous as the media likes to make them out to be,” Jason starts, “but I’m still not sure how you can look at something decidedly dangerous, built for killing, and think it’s… cute.”

The look he receives in return is one Damian can’t quite identify and apparently neither can his brother.

“What?”

“Really? You can’t figure that out?” You cross your arms over your chest and cock your head to the side in thought. “Well, I think you should meet my boyfriend, then. Cause ya know, he’s pretty dangerous and rough around the edges, too, and I still think he’s cute.”

Jason mimics your stance as he responds. “Oh, do you now?”

You nod eagerly, grinning ear to ear. “Of course. When he gets up all groggy with a bed head cause he works late? Cute. When he pretends to get annoyed at his best friend cause he called him a silly nickname? Cute. When—“ That’s as far you get, interrupted by your own squeal, as Jason brings one arm around your shoulders to pull you in and smoosh your face against his chest, the other around your waist so you can’t escape. “Yeah, yeah, got it; I think I’ve heard enough about that guy now.”

Meanwhile you’ve managed to gain enough wiggle room to loop your arms around his neck and pull back to look up at him, lopsided, lovesick smile plastered all over your face. “Sorry, I can’t help it sometimes; I love him very much.” And it’s embarrassing, Damian thinks, how fast Jason breaks, all affectionate grin and soft eyes, just because someone is batting their lashes at him. “Well, he’d be a fool not to love you back.”

Damian turns away in disgust right as the couple is about to share a kiss and retreats down the hallway he came from. He’d never taken Todd for a particularly… honorable man, but courting someone he knows to be in a relationship with someone else? That’s a vile breach of trust that he won’t stand for. And, if he bothered to be honest with himself, not something he could actually see Todd engaging in. Despite his many flaws, he’s proven himself a loyal man often enough. But Damian can’t ignore what he heard with his own ears, that would be disregarding incriminating evidence, so he’ll need to have a talk with his father as soon as he gets home.

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

You’re curled up on the couch book in hand when the front door all but flies open, your boyfriend hurrying inside and immediately locking the door behind him again. Before you even get a chance to greet him, he’s speeding through the rest of the apartment, making sure all the windows are shut tight and locked, too. You’ve put the book away, instead staring at him over the back of the couch with raised, quizzical brows when he comes back down the hallway into the living room, finally kicking off his boots at the entrance and hanging up his jacket. Then he beelines for the sofa, lifting up your legs to make room and plop himself down, settling your legs in his lap before he tips his head back and scrubs his hands over his face with a groan.

“Okay, Jay? I need you to talk to me; what kind of apocalypse should I be preparing for here?”

He doesn’t answer for a few long seconds, simply drops his hands from his face, his fingers coming to draw anxious patterns into your thighs instead. “Yeah, we’re totally busted. They know about you now.” And as miserable as he looks, as much as you know that spending time with his family is often draining and challenging for him, you can’t help the relieved laugh that bubbles up out of your throat, because with they way he’d just put your apartment on complete lockdown, you’d been expecting something - or someone - way worse.

Still chuckling, you grab one of his hands and squeeze. “Sweetheart, your family literally consists of detectives. In my opinion, we’re damn lucky to have even made it this long without them knowing.” He sighs, eyes still fixed on the ceiling. “I’m not convinced Babs didn’t know before tonight. That woman knows everything.” While you’ve only heard stories and seen some pictures of the redhead, you have absolutely no trouble believing that. “So what happened, anyways?”

He mulls it over for a moment. “Well, I think it started when Damian tried to have me disowned.” You almost choke on nothing but air, a sound somewhere between a snort, a cough and a laugh leaving you. “Okay, you’ve completely lost me, babe.”

“Honestly, I was mostly just surprised I’m even still in the will.” A not so gentle nudge of your foot, an annoyed whine of his name because sure, you’d play along for now. Let him get the jokes and sass out of his system and pretend that you don’t see that the lazy grin he gives you is forced. That you don’t feel one his feet tapping the floor anxiously. That you don’t notice the way his eyes keep flicking towards the window and the door, like he’s expecting them to be kicked down any second now. “Apparently Damian saw us at the aquarium together and somehow assumed I’m your, uh, your mistress? And thought it dishonorable enough to bring up disowning me because of it.” Admittedly, picturing that elicits a real laugh, one you try to hide, but the next part still comes out as more of a wheeze than anything else. “And he just… what? Brought that up casually over dinner?” Jason shrugs. “Basically. Tried to talk my way outta it, but turns out some of the others saw us together, too, and things just spiraled from there.” It’s quiet for only a moment, then you, very much still intent on helping him distract himself from whatever it is that’s truly eating at him, but mixed with just a tad of entertained curiosity now, hit him with, “Well, yeah, makes sense; you have been getting sloppy.” His head shoots up from the back of the couch so fast you’re afraid his neck might snap and he actually looks offended. “How exactly is this my fault?”

“Come on, Jay. First couple of months of this relationship you wouldn’t even leave the house with me. Now? Grocery shopping, the movies, café dates, the aquarium - we’re barely apart, so it really was only a matter of time till they figured it out.” Rolling his eyes, he slides further down his seat and pouts, fully aware that technically you are correct - doesn’t mean he has to like it. “Great, helpful as ever, darling. And what do you, in your infinite wisdom, suggest we do about this now?” You regard him in silence for a moment: how he fiddles with your fingers, the set of his jaw, the furrow in his brows, the way every muscle in his body seems tense.

“Hey…” you murmur gently, interlacing your fingers. “Why do we have to do anything about this? What are you so worried about? I promise not to bite them when I meet them. Unless you want me to.” Careful prodding, still interlaced with humor - to let him know he can talk to you about it, but only if he wants to. He huffs out a quiet laugh, giving your intertwined hands a squeeze. “You can be such a gremlin sometimes, do you know that?” Bringing a hand to your chest in mock offense, you grin at him. “Oh, you do not get to call me a gremlin when you’re the one who consistently feeds me after midnight and gets me plenty wet.” The following eye brow waggle from your side is what breaks him; a full blown, joyful laugh as he shifts, picking you up and depositing you on his lap sideways, his arms encircling your middle, some of the previous tension visibly leaving his face. “See, that’s the exact kinda shit I don’t need you saying around them, cause I’ll never live that down.” Humming in thought, you get comfortable in your new position, resting your head in the crook of his neck. “Sounds like a you problem, though.” It earns you a playful pinch to your sides that has you batting at his arms and hands to try and get him to stop; a fruitless effort of course, but he eventually settles his hands back on your hips. In turn, you place a hand on his chest, feeling for his heartbeat; most definitely too fast for simply fooling around with and teasing you. He’s not just worried, he’s scared, so you decide the time for games is over. “I’m being serious, though, what’s the matter? This isn’t anything you actually need to be concerned over, is it? It’s really not that big of a deal. So what if they know about me? So what if I eventually meet them now; not like it’s gonna change anything between us.” It’s small and if you didn’t know him as well you did, you probably would’ve missed it or written it off as irrelevant: the way he ever so slightly flinches at the last part.

Bingo.

But you don’t push, you know better. You let him get his thoughts in order, shifting restlessly beneath you while he does and let him answer in his own time.

“It’s stupid…”

“It’s not stupid if it’s bothering you.”

A sigh, then you feel him rest his cheek on the top of your head.

“I dunno. Being around you is always so… easy. Comforting. Being with them isn’t. It’s complicated and it’s messy and overall just exhausting, most of the time. It’s not all bad, just…” He shakes his head slightly, like he’s trying to get rid of an onslaught of memories; good or bad, you’re not entirely sure. “I guess I just don’t want them rubbing off on you, is all.” Pulling back to look at him, you find his eyes elsewhere, anywhere but you, desperate to avoid your scrutiny. “In other words, you’re worried your relationship with them, their opinions of you, are gonna affect mine, right?” He still can’t bring himself to look at you when he mumbles, “Basically…”

You shuffle about until you get your legs back under you, straddling him and cupping his face in your palms, running your thumbs along his cheek bones until he willingly brings his unnaturally green eyes back to yours and you feel like your heart might crack at the uncertainty you find there. “You’re forgetting that, aside from you, I’m probably the most stubborn person in this city; once I’ve made up my mind, it’s hard to change it. If anything, you should be worried about me not shutting the fuck up about how amazing and wonderful you are around them.” He scoffs and tries to turn his head out of your hold, but you refuse to let go and press a quick kiss to the tip of his nose instead, effectively stunning him into obedience. “Uh uh, you’re not going anywhere, I’m not finished yet. I’m on your side, okay? Even if it feels like nobody else is. I’m judging you based on my experiences with you, not theirs. And sure, not everything’s been great; you’re not perfect and neither am I, but that’s human. We live and we learn and we fuck up and then we try again. And I know you try, Jason. Every day, I know you’re trying. Trying to navigate a second life you never asked for. Trying to live in a body that never feels right, no matter how much time passes. Trying to mend the bonds with a family that more often than not still sees the ghost of a boy looking back at them, instead of the man you’ve become. Trying to make things better in this city, so that no one has to go through the same things you did. And nothing your family could say or do or show me is ever gonna change what I see with my own eyes.” He’s been silent this entire time, letting you speak, but you watched his shoulders slump, the tension that’s kept him wound up like a spring finally dissipating, and his own hands are now gently holding onto your wrists.

“And what do you see?”

It’s barely above a whisper, so quiet, you almost miss it despite how close you are.

You don’t have all the answers. You don’t actually know what meeting his family is gonna be like, how it might affect your relationship, but this? Oh, this you can answer just fine.

“A man who’s scarred and deeply flawed, but is still trying to do better, to be better. A man who wants to make up for the mistakes he did make, but sometimes nobody cares to listen. A man who, for all his efforts to appear ruthless, is still the most caring person I know. I see a man who, despite life never having been kind to him, retained a kind soul.”

And with the way he’s looking at you right now? Nothing but wonder and admiration and affection written all over his face? How could you not be sure about what you’re gonna say next? Sure that no one, absolutely no one, would ever be able to change your mind about him.

“I see the love of my life.”

[marookiee]

༚༅༚˳. “Easy Like Sunday Morning” ༚༅༚˳.

summary: caleb comes to pick you up for your weekly gym session, but he gets a little too excited to see you…

cw: MDNI, fem reader, smut, masturbation, pet names, unestablished relationship, vaginal sex, dry humping, kissing, unprotected sex

pairings: sub caleb x mc/reader

music: Novacane - Frank Ocean Father Figure - George Michael Surrender - Kut Klose F.U.C.K. - Victoria Monét (play when mentioned for the best experience)

It's just another Sunday. You and Caleb have plans to go to the gym together, something that has become a weekly occurrence.

Although you couldn’t sleep last night, your head was filled with thoughts about him. You’ve had this crush for months now. Yes, you have always been very close, but recently something about him.. awoke something in you. His biceps have gotten bigger, his face slimmer, his demeanor more intimidating. But only you knew what a softie he truly was. And also, what kind of “best friend” tells you they get off to the work pictures you’ve sent them? Not a normal one. So why would you risk your valued friendship for some silly romance.. that might not even be reciprocated? The answer seemed obvious. You shouldn’t.

So after breaking a sweat last night, you woke up an hour early to take a shower before Caleb picked you up at your apartment. Little did you know, he got up 2 hours before you.

To pretty himself up, and to get you both coffee. he knows you both have packed schedules, so he tries to take maximum advantage of the time you get to spend together. Like friends do right?

As Caleb made his way down to your place, you had just woken up. Face flushed and disheveled, pajamas wrinkled and on the floor. Hair a mess.

As you hopped into the shower, Caleb showed up at your door. He has a key and knows where the spare is, but he always knocks before entering. After about 5 minutes of knocking and waiting, he decided you were probably still asleep. He came in and took his shoes off, dressed in a black compression shirt and black sweatpants, he looked way too good.

He heard the sound of your speaker, Novacane by Frank Ocean playing. Meaning you must’ve been awake. Sitting the coffee down on your kitchen table, he realized you were in the shower.

No biggie.

Oh, but the door is cracked.

None of his business…

A peek won’t hurt!! Right??

Just to make sure his best friend was okay…

Creeping over to the door, Caleb put his body behind the door and his eyes in the thin opening of it. You were washing your hair.

No big deal.

But man…You sure did look good all wet.

With your eyes closed.. hands moving in circles through your pretty brown hair.. making your boobs bounce…

WHAT??

Caleb moved his head behind the door with the rest of his body. No way he’s having this freak-ass thought about his closest friend.

He couldn’t let this continue any longer.

That would be absurd.

What a perv, dude. Stalking his best friend in the shower. Gross. Caleb thought to himself, arms crossed over his chest, still behind the door.

It’s not like you know though. That’s a relief.. what you don’t know won’t hurt you.

Oh, exactly.

So.. maybe it wouldn’t hurt for him to have a look for.. just a little bit longer..

Quietly, Caleb settled his body on his knees, directly in front of the door crack. One hand on the door, and one hand on the frame, he watched as you poured body wash onto a rag, rubbing it together and then onto your body.

Furrowing his brows and letting his mouth hang open just a little, he was dumbfounded. This was exactly how he envisioned your body to be. Plushie breasts and a cute stomach.. complimented by smooth thighs.

I mean.. not that he’s imagined it.

The suds multiplying and slipping down your entire body, combined with the vanilla scent that’s now made its way through the crack of the door, really affected him.

Removing one hand from the door, his hand made its way to his sweatpants, making him realize how painfully hard he was. The contact made him jump a little, his brows furrowed even more, mouth now all the way open.

He can’t go to the gym like this. he can’t let you see him like this. he has no choice but to take control. “this is so wrong”, he whispered as he reached one hand into his sweatpants, pulling his flushed, leaking cock out.

He looks back up to where you're still standing, now attempting to wash your back.

Caleb swipes the tip of his cock, letting out a quiet wince at how sensitive he is right now. As you reached your arm around to get to your back, Caleb focused on your ass.

It always looked so soft.. so plushie.. so.. perfect. The suds dripped down your back, onto your ass, and down your legs.

He started stroking himself to this sight, having to bite his lip to contain his whines. As you started to rub the soap off your body, grabbing onto your breasts and sliding over your thighs and stomach, Caleb began to wonder what it would be like to be under your control. To just be yours.. even for a night. Even if you were just using him for your pleasure. he wouldn’t mind.. as long as he could make you feel good. as long as he was the one making you feel that way.

Picking up the pace of his strokes, it became harder and harder to hold back his moans. Pressing his head against the door frame with one hand holding onto it, he started to let out small whimpers. “y-yeah.. fu-fuck..” Caleb glanced back at your body, trying to get one last look before he finished and attempted to act nonchalant.

You were completely washed off, and completely wet. just enough to send him over the edge. His abs and biceps were sweaty, they tensed as his hands and legs shook, he closed his eyes and threw his head back, letting out a loud, pornographic moan, as cum shot out onto his shirt, which was lifted just slightly.

He immediately came down, mortified at what just happened. he thought to himself, “how could anyone possibly cover this up”.

He was never going to see you again. You were going to hate him if you caught him like this. And when he thought things couldn’t possibly get worse, you opened the door.

Although he felt like the dirtiest filthiest creep, you loved the sight before you. Caleb was on his knees, his abs and biceps swole against his tight shirt, his pretty red cock on display, resting on his abdomen. cum all on his shirt, his eyes were big and puppy-like, and his cheeks were getting redder by the second.

You were in a black silk robe, hair wet and clean, looking down at him. and before he knew it, he was hard again.

But to his surprise, you smiled at him.

“H-hey. I’m so sorry.. please let me explain..”, He managed to stutter out, still obviously shaken up.

“No need.” You said, settling down on your knees in front of him, looking him in the eyes.

“W-what? You’re not mad? You’re not gonna punch me in the face and kick me out?”

“No. of course not. As long as you can answer me this.”

“Oh um..okay...”

“Have you done this before?”

“…Huh?” Caleb’s eyes grew bigger, scared to say the wrong answer. His ears practically steaming because of the eye contact.

“Have you done this before. to the thought of me.” Your voice wasn’t questioning of him, it was almost.. demanding.

Caleb’s brain was practically mush right now, functioning with barely enough energy to muster up a lie.

“Yes.” He said almost immediately, making you stand up to look down on him again.

“Have you ever.. wondered what the real thing felt like?” you said, crossing your arms as a quiet blush crept across your face.

“Of course I have.” Caleb’s cock twitched at your words as his head hung, sending you even more obvious signals.

“Do you want to?” His head whipped up to look at you once again.

“You want to? With me? ”

“Yes.” You sighed out, secretly just as nervous as him.

“You like me? Like that?”

“I do.”

“I never noticed.”

“Yeah me either. I-… I think about it all the time.”

“I-I do too.” Caleb looked back down, then up again, giving you the most pathetic doe eyes, making your knees buckle.

Leaning back down, your hand cupped his cheek. He was burning hot. You smiled at his flustered state, running a hand through his soft hair. He nuzzled his face in your other hand, alarmed at how natural it felt to be like this with you. It was weird.. even though he hates showing people how vulnerable he could be, he liked it with you. It came naturally.

“Are you sure you want to?” You asked again, wanting to make sure he meant what he said.

“I do I do. Please. T-the gym can wait..” You had completely forgotten about the gym at this point, so focused on the tension that nothing else seemed to matter. Your hand sliding down his neck, you thought of what was soon to come.

“C'mon then pretty,” you said to him as you grabbed his hand, leading him to your dim bedroom.

He followed you like a lost puppy, the tip of his cock peeking out of his sweatpants just slightly. This felt like a dream.

He had been in your room before, but not like this. All the windows were closed, with an orange lamp illuminating the space. A candle lit on your nightstand filled the room and made it smell sweet. It all seemed too good to be true.

Your bed was messy, pillows in every direction and your comforter wrinkled. At the side of the bed, you let go of his hand and turned around to meet him. Although he was significantly taller and bigger than you, that didn’t stop his submissive nature.

He looked down at you with big eyes, waiting for you to guide him through what you wanted.

Walking up to him slowly, you ran both your hands through his hair, sitting both of them on his neck.

He hesitantly put his hands on your waist, the silk cooling his hot palms. You were so close. You could feel the heat coming off his body, and the song suddenly changed. Father figure by George Michael played, making the tension 10x thicker.

“C-can I kiss you?” Caleb asked lowly, his breath hitching. You slowly nodded, analyzing his expressions like any could be his last.

His warm hands slid up your waist to your face, cupping it ever so gently.

Your lips finally met, and it was like heaven on earth. Caleb was so warm, and your bodies were pressed so tightly against each other, you could smell his cologne.

Caleb always smelled husky and manly, a scent that always had you trying to smell him again and again. It invoked something in you, as you dragged your hands from his shoulders over his pecs, to finally wrap your arms around his waist.

He twitched at the sudden sensation, and he swiped his tongue against your lips, quietly asking you for access. You immediately parted your lips slowly opening your eyes, to see he was already staring back at you with a low, pleading look.

He made you weak. His tongue met yours, as he dragged one hand up to your your cheeks, fingers pressing in on them for easier access.

He was still staring back at you, making you break a sweat.

He tasted like coffee and dark chocolate, with a hint of cigarettes. You always thought he was so sexy when he smoked.

Caleb was a sloppy kisser, saliva now making its way down both of your chins. He licked a sudden stripe on your neck, sucking the spot a few times before he cupped your ass, picking you up and wrapping your legs around him with ease.

With a hand at your back to support you, he turned around and sat down on your bed, you now straddling him. You could feel how hard he was on your bare pussy, your wetness making a stain on his sweatpants.

He was still holding onto your ass, his hand at your back pushing you forward to kiss him once again. Coming to your ear, he whispered, “Can I take this off?” as his hands rubbed the silk robe tied around you.

You immediately nodded as he met your face, taking his hands and slipping the robe past your shoulders to reveal your breasts. He stared at them for a while, before leaning down and taking one in his mouth, massaging the other in his hand. The sudden warmth and slight graze of his teeth made you let out a choked moan, causing him to look up at you, silently teasing you.

Although Caleb wasn’t the most experienced, he knew what you wanted.

How could he not? You always told him about your past relationships and experiences.. “he was just too dominant, he only cared about his pleasure, I just wanted more foreplay..” he remembered. Always making mental note of what you liked and disliked, he’s been preparing for this moment. Although, he never truly thought this day would come.

You began to move your hips against him, snapping him back to reality as he let out a whine, not stopping him from sucking and biting. You were both a moaning mess, both craving more friction.

Caleb let go of you with a sudden pop, and slid your robe off and to the floor. You took the chance to lift the hem of his cum-stained shirt, revealing his beautiful upper body. You took his face in your hands, kissing him once more, as he analyzed your body.

He sighed out. You’re perfect. You had the body of a Greek statue, not to mention the face of a goddess. His dream girl.

Waking him out of his trance, you got up and got on your knees, grabbing the hem of his sweatpants and tugging them down. Just the sight of you below him made him twitch.

You finally pulled his boxers off, revealing the thing that got all this started. Caleb's arms holding himself up as he sat there, manspreading, ready for you to do something to him. Anything.

His cock was laying on his stomach, dripping pre-cum. You came closer, putting your hands on his knees, you licked a bold strip from the base of his cock to his tip, sucking it a little. The song switched again, Surrender by Kut Klose. Which was exactly what he wanted to do for you.

He sat there in awe, mouth wide open and forehead sweaty, as you stood up to face him.

“Lay back baby,” you said to him in a hushed, sultry tone. He did as you said, laying back on your pillows. You straddled him, your bare pussy just barely grazing him, making him wince.

“Are you that sensitive honey?”

“Yeah I- I don’t do this a lot..” He responded, looking at you with dilated pupils.

“That’s okay. I’ll make you feel good Caleb.”

His mouth filled with drool at your words, as you began to kiss up and down his neck and chest, his shoulders, and his face. Finally, to meet him in a sloppy kiss, your teeth crashing together and your tongues practically fighting.

Your hands fell down his chest and met with the tip of his cock. You swiped it a few times, making him moan in your mouth, you had your hand on the nape of his neck, pushing him into the kiss.

You lined him up with your entrance and finally sunk onto him.

Painfully slow.

The most pathetic whimpers came out of Caleb, his lips now red and swollen.

He sat back to look at you, he’s never seen someone so beautiful. Your hair was still wet and slightly dripping, your perfect skin glowing, your lips wet and your nipples red and hard from him sucking on them. He couldn’t take it anymore. he yearned for you. To feel you.

He wrapped his arms around your waist moving you up and down on him.

“S-shit.. mmh..” He whined as he buried his face in the crook of your neck, he’d never felt this good before. Your chests were flush against each other, both of you lost in pleasure.

Your mouth hung open, you having no control of what came out of your mouth. Although, you weren’t nearly as noisy as him. He was so damn whiny, it was almost pitiful.

You loved it.

He moved his hands from your waist to rub your thighs, watching them moving with every thrust. he took a minute to stare at them, only to look back up and cover your neck and collarbone in kisses.

Your head flopped over to the side, closing your eyes tight.

It was so different with Caleb than with other guys. Not only did he care about how you felt and your experience, but he was also so big. His large biceps made it easy to lift you up and down on him, his strong thighs sat you forward, making you the closest to each other you could possibly be, and his big cock stretched you out just right, hitting all your weak spots.

He looked up at you for a minute, making sure you held eye contact with him. “Am I doing good? Tell me I'm doing good.” You were so close. And he was about to send you over the edge.

F.U.C.K. by Victoria Monet playing, the orange lights hitting his pretty face so perfectly, this was like a dream.

“So good baby. You make me feel so good.”

With these words alone you could both feel what was to come, quickening your pace just a little. Caleb took notice and snuck his thumb down to your clit, rubbing small circles. He watched your face as you threw your head back, a choked moan leaving your lips.

You suddenly felt him shoot up into you, his whimpers loud and broken. He kissed all over your face, as his hot load began to spill out of you.

He grabbed your waist, moving you up and down once again, stuffing it back into you. You continued to hold onto his shoulders, too tired to protest.

He pulled out of you, laid back, and scooted you even closer to him. One arm wrapped around your shoulder, the other holding onto your waist. your cheeks were right against each other, both of your faces covered in sweat.

“Was that good for you?” Caleb asked, out of breath.

“Too good. But.. can I tell you something?”

“Of course, anything.”

“ You’re so easy. “

© marookiee ‘25. do not repost, translate, or modify my work.

[exquisink]

cw. Oral (f receiving), dubious con, stalker ex bf geto

WC. 1K

No matter what, you always find yourself back into his clutches. He makes sure of it.

You have to admit. A part of it is your own fault. He just can’t resist you, and so he has to make it known. For Suguru, the little things matter just as much as the big ones.

And so it starts small. Small enough for you to notice but for others not to make a big deal out of it, convincing you not to let it get to your head too much. 

Little things. Leaving your bedroom door slightly ajar while you’re occupied doing other things for work or class, knowing you left it shut when you turn around to check every so often. He just wants to check to make sure you’re not slacking off, because even if he no longer is an active part of your life, he still feels responsible for you and your success. 

But if he truly thinks that, then shouldn’t he be leaving you alone, you wonder?

Another time is when you go about your… private business. Showering and patting yourself down, applying lotion but you can feel his eyes on you. From where? You don’t know, but you know he’s in the same room because when you twist around, you find something written on the shower door which has been all fogged up from the condensation. 

You look as beautiful as the day we broke up… 

-G.S. 

You should fear for your life, but you don’t. Not because you don’t think he’s going to do anything, but because if he wanted to, he would have by now. But he wants you to think you can play it safe… he wants you to think he won’t stoop to even lower levels.

But you have always known better. That doesn’t mean you have to think ahead. You just decide to wait it out. Because maybe there’s a part of you who enjoys the thrill of him chasing you like this, trying to torment you but you don’t falter, you’re better than that and that probably drives him fucking nuts.

His eyes are trained on you while you’re sleeping. You don’t need to peel your eyes open to know that he’s standing in a far corner of the room looking like a shadow creature of some kind, because he doesn’t hide the fact that he’s always with you. You don’t stir even as he stalks toward you bed, admiring your slumbering form while it’s bathed by the soft glow of the moonlight leaking through the window just above your bedframe. You don’t stir even as he traces the contours of your face and neck and shoulders. Maybe you wear sheer pajamas on purpose so he gets a little peak at everything he’s missing and he’s not afraid to touch.

He observes you for a moment longer, then finally seizes the opportunity, squeezing your swollen tits through the sheer fabric of your baby pink pajamas, thumbs flicking over your nipples. You don’t protest, in fact, you welcome it, because yes there’s a part of you that misses the way he knows your body so well that he doesn’t have to do a lot to get you going but that doesn’t mean he has to know that too. What you are going to allow is him thinking he’s getting away with this.

He kisses between your breasts, prying apart each button to reveal your bare, milky skin to him. He stifles a groan to himself, dragging his tongue down your stomach and stopping just before your shorts which he yanks down to your ankles and slips it right off. A little gasp escapes.his lips when he sees you’re not wearing any underwear, almost as if you knew he was going to steal you away like this. 

He runs his tongue past his lips before closing his mouth over your folds. You don’t react, and he is mentally thanking you for that but he sorely misses your voice and your sweet oohs and aahs while he coos sweet nothings to you. He doesn’t need the label to still do that and you both know it, but it is a nice add on because it’s not like anyone else can deliver the things you need like he can. 

He keeps his mouth glued to your nethers for what feels like hours. It might as well have been because by the time your eyes blink open he’s still at work between your legs, grinning up at you with soaked lips glistening in your juices. 

“Good morning, gorgeous. Don’t worry, I’m far from finished here.”

You don’t have the energy to fight back, and he should consider himself lucky that you don’t, bucking your hips closer to his mouth as he feasts off of you like it is purely for his amusement and indulgence, and obviously it is. He takes pride in the fact that he can still get away with this and you won’t go squealing to your friends or the authorities that your ex still has some kind of power over you. Maybe because you’re always going to allow him in no matter what you think.

Once he nurses a final orgasm out of you out of the countless he’s stolen throughout the night, he kisses between your thighs before finally pulling away, wiping his mouth clean with his sleeve before planting a kiss to the corner of your lips. 

“I’ll be back,” he promises with a wink. You nod dumbly, it’s clear you’re still trying to wake yourself up even after a mindblowing experience like that, something only he can give you and so he gives you some grace. “This is still all mine, isn’t it, gorgeous?”

You nod again. 

“Good girl,” he purrs, “Have a good day, my love. Like I said, I’ll be back for more.”

And so he saunters off, leaving you to recuperate after that. He almost decides against leaving but he knows you have your own obligations to take care of first.

[prettydaisygirl]

can you do a part 2 about the bf james and peter story? maybe james ghosts her and she runs into remus one day, tells him what happened and he goes back and tells james

Just for you, love! This one turned out way longer than I thought it would, haha! Hope you enjoy <3

(ex)boyfriend!James Potter x fem!reader who finally talk about Peter ✿ 1.7k words

cw: fem reader, break up, Peter is the worst, Remus is the best, angst with a happy ending

james potter masterlist

°˖✧✿✧˖°

please read part 1 here

You hate breakups.

Not that you’re entirely sure that is what is going on, but you haven’t heard from James in three weeks. That has to mean you’re broken up, right?

The first week, you’d held out hope that James might call you. Even though deep down you knew, when he’d kissed your hair instead of your lips and Peter looked at you with that smirk… It was pointless to wait around, but you’d been hoping for an opportunity to explain yourself. To tell James that it’s Peter who was saying horrible things, not you. You were trying to defend him!

But the call never came.

So your days go by in a blur, aimless routines and rituals that keep your body occupied and alive while your brain and heart ache for him. Things aren’t the same without James’ bright smile and beautiful aura. Your home feels dull without the promise of his shoes by the door next to yours, or a goodnight kiss where neither of you really want to fall asleep. You miss him. 

The park is your only escape. The light on your skin and the breeze in your hair makes you feel lighter, even if it’s just for a moment. You let the excited dogs and giggling little kids make you happy. It’s enough to get you out of the house. Enough to keep you going. Enough to make sure your heart doesn’t fully shrivel up and die. 

It’s one of those days, the ones where you feel a bit lighter sitting at the park bench and letting your mind go, when you suddenly find that you aren’t alone.

“Hello.” You know that voice. The smooth, honeyed tone you know to belong to James’ friend, Remus. 

“Remus,” You greet him with a smile that doesn’t entirely reach your eyes, “How are you?”

“I’m alright, love. But I’m more interested in how you’re doing. You look…” Remus’ words trail off but you can think of a million different ways he could end that sentence: bad, tired, upset, broken, etc.

“I’m… alive.” You decide on, but the words sound empty even to you. Remus eyes you, clearly deep in thought. 

“It was Peter, wasn’t it?” He asks the question like he already knows the answer. His words surprise you, head turning and brow raising, especially when he continues. “Peter said something that made you upset.”

You nod, throat tightening as you remember that horrible dinner all those nights ago. Your fingers pick at the wood of the park bench, your shoulders sagging.

“Peter is horrible.” You say, and you don’t care if you sound cruel, “From the moment I met him, I knew he was horrid. I know he’s your friend but you all let him say the most disgusting things about people. About each other!”

“What did he say?” Remus asks, and when you turn with your mouth open ready to argue, ready for Remus to defend his friend, he doesn’t. His face is only open, understanding.

You wring your hands in your lap and purse your lips as you think about what you want to say. Remus sits in patient silence, giving you time without complaint.

“He asked me if I think James is obnoxious.” You start, and Remus’ brows raise just an inch on his forehead. But he doesn’t speak. “He told me that… James would be getting bored of me. That someone new would catch his eye and everything we had would just…” You look around the park, eyes scanning everything without really seeing. You just will yourself not to cry. 

“I mean, I guess he was right? James and I haven’t talked in three weeks, he won’t even respond to my texts.”

Remus nods slowly, and your heart sinks a bit more. Maybe Remus agrees with Peter. Maybe he is just here to destroy your last bit of hope and put the final nail in the coffin.

“Peter and James have been friends since before I ever met either of them.” Remus says, finally, his voice cutting through the rest of the peaceful park sounds. “Peter has always been… for lack of a better term, a small man. James is larger than life, and Peter has always been jealous of him, even when we were young.”

“As boys, Peter would scare off anyone who wanted to be friends with James. It was only through Sirius’ stubbornness that he managed to break through them and become a part of the group. And Peter only allowed it if he was there too. I came along a bit later.”

“But even in our group of four, it was obvious that James is Peter’s best friend. He would get… antsy if we ever spent time together without him. It’s gotten better now as we’ve gotten older but it seems as though Peter has shifted his attention.” 

“What are you saying?” Your voice cuts through Remus’, eyes wide and your body turned almost fully toward him at this point.

“I’m saying you aren’t the first girlfriend of James’ that Peter has gotten rid of.” Remus runs a hand through his hair and sighs heavily, face turning serious. “I should’ve known he was going to do this.”

The two of you sit in silence for a while, a mutual anger bubbling in the air around you both.

“Has he said anything?” You ask finally, your voice weaker than you’d like it to be. “James, I mean.”

“Oh, he’s devastated.” Remus’ voice is thick with emotion and his face morphs into obvious frustration, “The man is so in love with you.”

“Then why-” It’s like Remus can read your mind, he answers before you can even get the words out of your mouth.

“James loves Peter like a brother. Peter has been by James’ side since before the two of them were in diapers. I think… I think James doesn’t want to see what Peter is doing. He wants Peter to be good but…” Remus’ voice trails off again and you find your stomach churning.

“I love James.” You say, and you’ve never said anything truer in your life. “I just want him to be happy.”

“You both deserve to be happy. I’ll talk to him.” Remus says, and he continues to speak before you can open your mouth to argue, “I mean it. Then, if he doesn’t want to be with you, we’ll know. But he does. And you both deserve to be happy together.”

“Thank you, Remus.” You say, and you hate the way hope creeps back into your soul.

But four days pass after your conversation with Remus, and you still don’t hear from James.

It’s been devastating, almost worse this time, like breaking up all over again. You really tried not to get your hopes up when you spoke with Remus, but you can’t help it. All you want is James back.

You’re in an old t-shirt and putting a frozen meal in the oven when there’s a knock at the door. You groan, moving through the living room to the front door and you open it. 

Your heart stops when you see James’ face. He looks… dull. Not that bright, bubbly ray of human sunshine he always is.

“Jamie.” His name leaves your lips as a breath of relief and also a cry of pain.

“I’m sorry,” He says, and his voice is just as strained and pained as your own. “Remus told me about what you said. About what Peter said…”

You lean against the front door a bit, letting it hold some of your weight since you don’t trust yourself to stand fully on your own at the moment. You watch James, heart pounding in your chest. You’re sure it’s loud enough that he can hear it too. 

“I tried to tell you, but you all just left.” You say, and your eyes burn as the emotions resurface. “And you never called. I just wanted to explain…”

“I know.” James’ eyes squeeze shut and you feel your heart squeeze too. “I know, I’m sorry. I thought Peter was my friend…”

“Friends don’t talk about each other like that.” You step out onto the porch, standing in front of James. You miss being close to him, even just like this.

“No. They don’t.” James agrees, and you find yourself wanting to reach out and touch him. He seems to read your mind, placing a hand on the side of your neck and placing his forehead on yours. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” You say, your voice cracking at the end. “I don’t want to break up.”

“I don’t either.” James agrees softly and it’s like you can feel the broken parts of yourself start to let him put you back together. 

“What about Peter?” You ask, pulling back enough to look into his eyes. You’re worried this is too good to be true. 

“I’m done with Peter.” James shakes his head, his curls swinging in front of his forehead as he moves with vigor, “I confronted him about what happened after I talked with Remus. And he admitted everything! He bragged about it, he said he thought he was helping me out because he thinks you aren’t good enough for me.” James rolls his eyes, but you can still see the emotional turmoil he must be going through.

You pull him close, your two bodies fitting together like the pieces of a puzzle, reuniting after weeks apart. 

“I’m sorry.” You say. “I know you love him.”

“I love you.” James says, and presses a kiss to the side of your head. “I’m sorry I believed Peter.”

“I’m sorry he wasn’t a good friend to you, Jamie.” Your voice is muffled as you bury your face in his neck. His scent is comforting, soothing the ache of weeks without him. You squeeze him a bit tighter.

And this time, you’re not letting go.

°˖✧✿✧˖°

© prettydaisygirl

[elbiotipo]

When you put something into an AI, what are you learning? What are you gaining for your skills or yourself? How to craft a good prompt? That’s a technical skill, based on the whims of the AI, not a creative one. And eventually it’s not going to need gaming to get a good looking output, which is also what’s going to kill human creativity. As soon as you turn to the AI for anything, you’ve lost all creative control. The AI is making all the decisions. Not you. Hell, you’re still bound by its limits, by what IT can make. It’s not even limitless!

Is it making the decisions, though? I was the one who thought by myself "I have this idea, I am going to put it on a AI generator to see what happens". Nobody placed that idea on my head but myself. I could have simply decided not to use an AI, but I wanted to, for whatever reason. Perhaps I just felt like it, perhaps I wanted to see what a tool like that could come up with.

I also had to reach the idea by myself. Maybe it's a shitpost, maybe is something I love that I wanted to see as a visual drawing, maybe it's just something I wanted to experiment with. The idea had to come by myself in the first place.

As for being bound by its limits, I am not a programmer myself, but I know people that are training AIs to do what they wish. I mean, a pencil or a guitar also has limits, you can't do a symphony on a guitar. You can get a passable rendition with an electronic piano, though. Or is that evil too?

On a philosophical level? On a creative level? These are absolutely not the same and it’s an incredible insult to say otherwise. The AI is not creative based on the reasons I’ve already gone over, it’s not creating anything it’s generating, etc. etc. but the people? They aren’t fucking tools like the AI is and this comparison is saying they are.

I'm not saying that people are tools. I'm saying that the process of making movies, animation, and much of the art we consume is already industrialized, way before AI appeared. There was never a world where a lone genius like Miyazaki made a movie drawing frame by frame. He was in charge of a team of people, of workers, who made his vision. Some maybe don't even wanted to work on that (animation is a a field that heavily exploits its workers), but they did it anyways. Yes, the result was art, but it wasn't created by a lone genius with an idea ex nihilo. This is something I want people to understand when we're talking about art. Most of the art we ALREADY love, even before AI, was made by industrial processes and workers. My point is that it seems nobody really cared about them before AI came along. In fact, my idea is that people shouldn't be treated as tools, but as tool users in a social context.

It can NEVER be made in the same context because the context is fundamentally different when one option is to use a MACHINE and one is to allow HUMAN BEINGS to create something!!

Remember (perhaps you don't) when people mocked electronic music, saying that it was just people pushing a button and making music? Again, what is the difference here, what makes an analog tool inherently more worth it that an electronic tool

"AI kills human creativity!!!11!11!!"

I don't know, maybe AI could make an image of Liam Payne donating a kidney to Jorge Lanata in heaven, but I'm pretty sure only a human could have thought of that in the first place

[beenbaanbuun]

skirts w/ jeong yunho

words - good question…

genre - nsfw

warnings - perv!yunho, boyfriend!yunho, afab!reader, semi-public indecency, upskirting, yunho is just a creepy little guy

not proof read // mdni

——————————————————————————

i am of the belief that if you were yunho’s girlfriend, you’d never be able to wear a skirt in public. not because he’s the jealous type, but because he simply would not be able to keep his hands to himself.

it doesn’t matter if you’re walking through a crowded mall, his hand will find his rightful place beneath your skirt, cupping your ass like it belongs in his palm. it lifts the fabric of your skirt, showing all too much of you to everyone around you. it makes you hot, a deep seated embarrassment that goes as deep as bone. and you can push his hand away as much as you want; it’ll always find its way back home.

fingers play with the elastic of your panties, taunting you with the idea of snatching them away from you right there. you know he won’t — he’s a perv, but he’s not quite that bad — but that doesn’t stop the strange anxiety that fills you from head to toe. it’s not a bad anxiety, as such! after all, can ‘bad’ anxiety really make the seat of your panties stick to your folds like this? make them so wet that when a breeze brushes past you, a shiver runs up your spine.

and maybe he’s merciful. maybe he decides he won’t torture you with the threat of putting you on show for everyone else to see! it doesn’t mean he’ll keep himself entirely in check.

his phone has a camera for a reason, right? and it’s not difficult to just sneakily tuck it beneath your skirt for a quick shot of what he would be seeing if the two of you were at home. he keeps these images in his camera roll for later use; when he can’t be by your side and needs something to spur him on. there’s something so delicious about your obliviousness to the whole thing, and even if the photo isn’t the best — too blurry and shadowy to even really make anything out — he still can’t help but cum extraordinarily quick at just the thought of you not knowing.

if you did, you probably wouldn’t mind. at least not enough to make him delete them, that is. sure, you’d pout and whine about it, all pouty and flustered, but he knows you. you’re soft. too shy to snatch his phone away and delete them yourself. too submissive to insist that he do anything he doesn’t want to.

god, maybe one day he’ll tell you, just so he can get off to the image of you all upset with him. you look so sweet like that, after all.

[birrdies]

cactus wall

(from the vault collection part 1/?) written in April 2023 basically me realizing I have thousands upon thousands of words of fanfic written that I have never posted and never intended on posting, so I think I'm gonna start posting some of them because why not!

One by one, Grian plucks the thin cactus spines from his fingers and palms. He loses count on spike twelve, but still lines them up on his knee in neat little rows. It’s all he can do to keep himself from going mad in this desert heat and Scar’s company (a dangerous combination). After hours of growing, harvesting, and replanting cacti, the two of them only have half of a wall to show for it. 

At this point, Grian doesn’t even remember whose idea this was. Or whether or not the wall was meant to keep others out or trap themselves in. If the small, bleeding punctures in Grian’s hands are anything to go by, it seems to be the latter. 

He winces as he pulls the last spike free and places it in the final row. He counts them again. Nineteen. 

Scar slumps in the sand beside him, sweat dripping down his chin. He holds his palms out in front of him, cringing as if the splinters between his fingers are more of an annoyance than a pain. “Why are cacti so sharp?” he wonders aloud. 

Grian tilts his head back and closes his eyes when he says, “Probably because they don’t want to be messed with. You know, like, whatever we’re doing to them now.”

“Kinda like you?” Scar asks, shaking some of the spines out of his hand. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Grian opens his eyes again only to narrow them at Scar. 

“You’re all… prickly,” Scar says, and he has the audacity to laugh. Grian can’t help but think he’s remarkably cruel in a way no one gives him credit for. 

Something in Grian’s face must give him away, because Scar takes one look at him and adds, “Not that it’s a bad thing, G.” 

Grian’s gaze returns to his hands. Bleeding and scabbed, pricked to hell by the very thing meant to be protecting them and their fragile home in the dunes. Then, he looks to Scar’s. Just as battered, bleeding between the fingers. 

“How can it not be a bad thing?” 

Part of him immediately regrets asking— he isn’t interested in whatever assessment Scar has to offer. After all, this is the man who decided monopolizing sand and making Grian his number two were good ideas. 

Wait, no. That was technically Grian who decided on the latter. Less of a decision and more of an obligation, but it was his actions that landed him here all the same. Was he the one who thought to make the cactus wall too? 

God, he wishes it wasn’t so hot. Maybe then he could think. 

He wipes the sweat from his head and tries to pretend like he doesn’t notice Scar staring straight at him. There’s nothing to gather from those yellow eyes; and even if there is, Grian can’t bear to go digging for it, whether it be pity, distaste, disinterest or something worse. His hands hurt enough as it is. 

“It keeps you safe,�� Scar says as a gust of wind cascades across the dunes, chasing away the worst of the heat. He pulls another spine out of his hand and pinches it between his fingers to study it. “That’s the whole point of these guys, right? Keep the plant safe. And now it’ll keep us safe with the wall.” 

Grian can’t help but think safe isn’t nearly synonymous with good. Not for him, anyway. But he doesn’t dare say it. Nor can he— there’s something wedged in his throat now. 

“Did I ever tell you about the time I ate cactus without realizing?” Scar blurts out, turning to face Grian with a newfound gleam in his eye. 

“Uh… no?” Grian tilts his head, perplexed at the sudden shift. “Why… why would you try to do that?” 

“I was in a rush, okay?” Scar crosses his arms over his chest and all but pouts. “You know, G, I’m a very busy man, I have lots of places to be. But I’m also very hungry. So I grabbed the first green thing I saw thinking it was melons. I shoved it in my mouth before I could realize and bam! Tongue full of spikey bits.” 

It’s a ridiculous story— one only Scar could tell and Grian would believe. And despite himself, Grian finds his frown cracking. A bubble of laughter, somewhere deep and private and reserved for the man next to him, pops out and catches him off guard. 

Grian braces his hands against his stomach as he laughs, feeling dizzy with the desert heat and Scar’s sunshine smile. If his head were a little clearer, he’d see through Scar’s little ruse easily. A way to make him laugh, to take the edge off, to pull Grian’s gaze from his bleeding hands. 

Because that’s what Scar’s always been best at— making Grian laugh when it’s the last thing he wants to do. It doesn’t fix anything. It doesn’t make it okay. But it makes it easier, so Grian can eventually get back on his feet and get back to work.

[kathryn-maraudersversion]

The Serpents and Stars Pt 11

Summary: You’ve somehow found yourself in the middle of a Gryffindor-Slytherin girls’ night. There’s lingering tension, playful rivalry, and a surprising amount of laughter. Maybe this whole “friendship” thing isn’t so bad after all. Pairing: Poly!Marauders (James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin) x Slytherin!Fem!Reader

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3 Pt 4 Pt 5 Pt 6 Pt 7 Pt 8 Pt 9 Pt 10 Pt 11

You weren’t entirely sure how this had happened but then again now days you weren’t sure about most things.

One moment, you were in the library with the Gryffindor Girls, and the next, you were being dragged into the Gryffindor common room for what Mary Macdonald had called a “proper girls’ night.”

“Not that I don’t love being kidnapped,” you deadpanned, crossing your arms, “but why am I here?”

Marlene McKinnon grinned, slinging an arm around your shoulders like you weren’t still debating whether to hex her or not. “Because, love, we’ve decided you’re fun when you’re not being a terrifying Slytherin menace.”

Pandora laughed. “That’s actually a compliment coming from her.”

You narrowed your eyes. “I don’t know if I should be offended or flattered.”

Dorcas smirked. “Both, probably.”

The Gryffindor common room felt wrong. It was too warm, too golden, too full of roaring laughter. The red-and-gold decor clashed horribly with your green-and-silver uniform, making you feel like you stuck out even more than usual. But then Mary shoved a mug of butterbeer into your hands, and Marlene flopped onto the couch beside you, and Lily of all people tossed a blanket in your direction, and suddenly, it didn’t feel as suffocating.

It felt… comfortable.

Unfortunately, comfortable did not mean peaceful.

“Alright, let’s get one thing straight,” Marlene declared, pointing at you with a mischievous grin. “If you’re gonna be part of our group, we need to discuss the most important topic of all.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Which is?”

“How you’re so bloody pretty,” Mary said bluntly, tilting her head.

You blinked. “What.”

“No, seriously,” Lily added, narrowing her eyes as if she were studying you. “It’s actually unfair.”

Dorcas, smirked. “Told you.”

You stared at them, unsure whether to feel flattered or deeply uncomfortable. “Are we really just sitting here and-”

Pandora cut you off with a dramatic sigh. “It’s true, though. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were part Veela.”

You groaned, sinking further into the couch. “This is ridiculous.”

“It’s facts,” Mary countered.

“Complete facts,” Marlene agreed.

Lily just shrugged. “Honestly, I can see why the Marauders are obsessed with you.”

That caught your attention. You stiffened, your grip tightening on your mug. “They’re not obsessed with me.”

Mary wiggled her eyebrows. “Oh, love, they so are.”

“They adore you,” Pandora added, nudging you playfully.

You huffed. “I hate all of you.”

“No, you don’t,” Dorcas said smugly.

You threw a pillow at her.

That was the beginning of the chaos.

“Alright,” Marlene said, rubbing her hands together. “Let’s settle something important. Who throws better parties Gryffindor or Slytherin?”

“Are you joking?” You scoffed. “Slytherin. Obviously.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Please. Gryffindor parties are legendary.”

“Legendary for being loud and completely disorganized,” Dorcas shot back.

Mary gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest. “You wound me.”

Pandora smirked. “She’s not wrong, though.”

Marlene huffed. “Alright, fine. What about Quidditch?”

You tilted your head, smirking. “Gryffindor has James Potter.”

“And?”

“And that’s your whole argument.”

Lily snorted into her butterbeer. “She’s got a point.”

Mary waved her hands. “No, no, no. Gryffindors are braver than Slytherins. That’s not even a debate.”

“Oh?” You leaned forward, eyes glinting with challenge. “Braver? Or stupider?”

Marlene grinned. “Both, probably.”

Dorcas smirked. “Both, definitely.”

Lily groaned. “This was a terrible idea.”

“I told you inviting Slytherins in here was going to be a mistake,” Mary said dramatically.

“Oh, come on,” Pandora said, nudging her. “You love us.”

Mary sighed. “Unfortunately, yes.”

The conversation drifted from rivalry to gossip to ridiculous hypotheticals. At one point, Marlene and Dorcas got into a heated debate about the best way to sneak out of detention, while Pandora and Lily tried to convince Mary that no, sneaking into the Forbidden Forest for fun was not a good idea.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, you realized you weren’t just tolerating their presence.

You liked it.

Maybe, against all odds, this ridiculous mix of Gryffindors and Slytherins could actually work.

And then it was the next week and you were still hanging out with them it started with a friendly game of Wizard’s Chess.

Which quickly turned unfriendly.

“You’re cheating,” Marlene accused, narrowing her eyes at Pandora.

Pandora blinked, all innocent smiles. “Cheating? Me? Never.”

Dorcas snorted. “Oh, she’s definitely cheating.”

You smirked, watching the game unfold from the couch. “And yet, you lot insisted Gryffindors were better at games.”

Mary grinned. “Marlene’s just a sore loser.”

“I am not,” Marlene huffed, crossing her arms. “I just strongly dislike losing.”

“You always lose at chess,” Dorcas pointed out.

“Not the point.”

Pandora hummed, casually moving her knight. “Checkmate.”

Marlene groaned. “I hate you.”

Dorcas blew her a kiss, while Pandora said, “No, you don’t.”

You watched the whole exchange with an amused smirk. There was something strangely comforting about it all like you weren’t a Slytherin sitting in the Gryffindor common room, but just… a girl surrounded by friends.

That thought was only slightly terrifying.

Unfortunately, the peace didn’t last long because, of course, the Marauders had to show up.

The entrance to the common room burst open with a dramatic BANG, and James Potter strolled in like he owned the place. “Ladies! You are all looking particularly radiant tonight.”

Sirius followed, grinning as he leaned against the doorway. “What he means is, we were bored, and Lily wasn’t answering her summons.”

Lily sighed. “Because I was ignoring your summons.”

Remus, looking much more apologetic, stepped in behind them. “I did warn them not to intrude.”

You raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. “And yet, here they are.”

James flopped onto the couch beside you with zero shame. “We missed you.”

Sirius waggled his eyebrows. “And we were curious about what exactly you lot have been doing.”

Dorcas smirked. “Plotting against you.”

Sirius gasped, hand over his heart. “You wound me, Meadows.”

You shook your head. “No, that’s coming later.”

Sirius grinned. “Merlin, I love when you talk like that.”

Mary gagged. “Get a room.”

Remus sighed, rubbing his temple. “What are we actually doing?”

Pandora perked up. “Drinking game?”

Lily groaned. “Absolutely not.”

Marlene grinned. “Truth or dare?”

Sirius’ eyes gleamed. “Now that I can get behind.”

You smirked, tilting your head. “Are you sure, Black? I play ruthlessly.”

James grinned. “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

The game started innocently enough.

Remus was dared to charm his hair bright pink (which, to be fair, suited him). Marlene had to serenade a very unimpressed Lily. Pandora admitted to accidentally setting off fireworks in the Slytherin common room last year.

But then, of course, it escalated.

Dorcas smirked; eyes locked onto you. “Alright, y/n. Truth or dare?”

You met her gaze evenly. “Dare.”

Her smirk widened. “I dare you… to sit on Sirius’ lap for the next two rounds.”

Sirius, ever the dramatic one, grinned like Christmas had come early. “Oh, please say yes.”

James cackled. “Oh, this is excellent.”

You rolled your eyes, but the challenge was already set. So, with the most bored expression you could muster, you stood, walked over to Sirius, and gracefully dropped onto his lap.

He let out a very dramatic sigh. “This is the best day of my life.”

Mary gagged again. “You’re all disgusting.”

Remus just pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is chaos.”

And it was.

But it was your chaos.

Authors Note: lord have mercy on me but I am obssesed with the girls.

Taglist: @amatoanima @nymanas @flaviaandbooks @bridkesby @yvessentials @maraudersgirlsposts @treefairy-28 @navs-bhat @ill-be-okay-soon-enough @zoleea-exultant @hermionelove @starmaniii @kitcat912 @hopperbopper @forgottenandfree @b-i-h-i @nahhoz @jillyun @mysexy-anxiety @msmarklee1213 @luv-wonyoungism @bellatrixscurls @psychobitchsthings @chicken-flux @marina468 @sherwoodforesttales

[sorryimananti-romantic]

The Leaders | Chapter VIII

"maybe a place where light and darkness meet, the choice between truth and lies is mine."

masterlist

ot8!ateez x f!reader, mafia au

chapter warnings: drinking, smoking, illegal businesses, mentions of war/military, drugs, gangs and corruption, impending doom sort of arrives, lots of kissing so we can call luna a serial kisser now-

chapter wc: 11.7k

chapter synopsis: jaemin informs you about the political shift with the sirens turning on president lee because of his involvement with a strictland official. you finally have a conversation with yeosang and at the bar, you decide to confirm your relationship with the boys. they warmly welcome you as a true leader. meanwhile, at the port, the illegal shipment to mist island returns unexpectedly with the navy hot on the crescents’ tail.

prev chapter recap: on your last day in edenary, you go prepared to the ju residence where eden newspaper’s 50th anniversary is being celebrated. you learn about the cuff bracelet hongjoong gave you from sunmi, heiress to maddox and co.. you meet chan of wolfgang and he shares tips about assemblyman kim. you are surprised when the assemblyman recognises you from years ago and you offer him the crescents’ support. you return to sector 1 and the crescents catch up with each other. you make up with hongjoong and he admits the bracelet he designed was intended to match the crescents’ rings. he has delayed madame tiffany’s deal and you are still waiting to hear back from madame cha. anxious, you go to the bar to find yeosang but run across san who offers a drinking session at his house. you get honest with each other and you learn about the crescents’ relationship. the night ends on a romantic note and you make up your mind about the crescents. you hear back from madame cha’s gang member, jaebeom, only after hongjoong signs the deal. he implies that the crescents’ doom might be around the corner.

“Good day, Missy,” the fifteen-year old Jaemin took off his newsboy cap to bow, ever the gentleman.

“That’s Miss Luna for you,” you tried keeping the smirk to yourself but the young informant was far too observant to miss it.

“Just Luna then,” he set his cap on his hair. “I bring news for the Captain.”

“And if you’re his informant, you must know that I am the Captain when he’s not present– sort of. At least, for you.”

“I’d say you’ve become the chief mate,” Jaemin considered, attempting to do some justice to the rankings. “I should make this official. The Captain has found his mate.”

The Captain has found his mate. You covered your cheeks to hide the flush creeping up your cheeks.

“Considering you’re lounging in his office and all,” he added with a shrug, continuing to inform you that he never saw this coming. The last time you had interacted, you were still a bookkeeper bordering the lines of a secretary. 

“Lounging is not the right word. I’m working,” you motioned at the documents splayed out on the table and he pointed at your cross-legged position.

“Don’t let the Captain catch you like that. He’ll discipline you.”

“Oh, shut up already,” you told him, beckoning him to sit. “What’s the news?”

“I still don’t know if I can trust you, so if you do me wrong, I will be out for blood, but,” he stopped you before you could throw something at him. “There’s been a shift in politics. The Sirens have crucified President Lee.”

“President Lee?” You asked. “Not General Wi? I thought he was their target. Doesn’t the Siren Rebel Party work to make sure that the military does not pull the strings of the parliament?”

“That’s right,” he folded his arm, proud to be the bearer of this news. “The Sirens have been protesting against a possible martial law for a while, because that would mean the army gets to make decisions regarding the issue with Strictland and its immigrants here. But anyways, they won’t publish this in the newspaper. Mr. Jang of Eden News is acquainted with President Lee so he will take special care not to publish anything about the scene the Sirens created. He’ll make sure nothing gets out.”

“Hold on,” you said. “One thing at a time. What scene did they create?”

“I’ve heard that they made a puppet of President Lee and set it on fire,” he said and you grimaced. “The cops got to them and they had to flee. They will try to torture the information out of the ones they caught, but I think they will still get away with it. They always do.”

“Woah,” you grimaced. “Now, how are Mr. Jang and President Lee connected?”

“I thought you would know, considering you’re an Edenary citizen and all,” he said and you shrugged. You were aware that the partners, Mr. Jang and Mr. Ju, didn’t see eye to eye on all things but made good partners nonetheless. 

Jaemin continued. “I don’t know how much they go back but when President Han was killed, there weren’t many articles published in the newspapers. Only the Edenary citizens who were present at that time have an idea of how exactly the events of her death took place– the rest only know the rumours that she was assassinated, some not even aware that it happened at a public event.”

“Hmm… why would he not publish articles about his wife getting killed like that? It could have earned him votes, if nothing else.”

“That’s what’s strange. He claims he kept it under covers to respect his wife but he never shuts up about it in his campaigns and broadcasts,” Jaemin said. 

“Why do you think President Lee was targeted this time?” You asked.

“Oh, right. That’s the thing– apparently a Hala Official is arriving soon for ‘discussion’ on the improvement of relations between the two nations. The Sirens claim that the man should not be the face of that discussion because he usually handles the Strictland affairs and is known to play dirty–”

“He’s related to Strictland?” You narrowed your eyes.

“That’s what I said,” Jaemin leaned forward, clasping his hands in a manner similar to a certain boss of a certain company. “He was present when the Treaty happened. He’s not very famous even in Halaland, so it’s kind of strange but not strange at the same time because he is a Hala official. The Sirens must have thought things might take a weird turn after their meeting, so that’s what they protested.”

“And they won’t mention this in the newspaper.”

“Right,” Jaemin concluded with a grin. “Juicy, isn’t it?”

“Very,” you muttered. “How did you find all this out?”

“Oh, I just run errands for the elites,” he said casually, getting up. “But I only answer to the Captain.”

“How loyal,” you smiled. “How did you manage to get him to take you seriously?”

“I told him a Captain must have a pet by his side– someone who can shapeshift and be his eyes and ears. Someone as loyal as a dog, as sneaky as a rat, as sly as a fox, and as cute as a bunny–”

“I’m pretty sure you didn’t mention the last part,” you chuckled.

“You wanna bet?” He said in all seriousness. “You’ll take me with you the next time you go to the warehouse.”

“Why do you want to go there?”

“Because it’s been a while. The warehouse boys spoil me,” he grinned. “And don’t worry about finding me– I’ll find you when you’re about to go.”

With that, he bowed mockingly before leaving, your smile falling as you processed the new piece of information. 

You really needed to dig into everything that was happening. There had to be a connection somewhere with the things happening in Strictland. If President Lee himself really was involved… you shuddered at the possibility. 

You wished you had asked Jaemin the name of the Hala official but you weren’t sure you would recognise him anyway. You decided to wait for one of the boys to come who might be able to identify the man with the description you had. You felt like you really needed to talk about everything related to Strictland again, to look into the Sirens and their involvement, to look into Mr. Jang and his media censorship–

But your mindspace was still occupied with Jaebeom’s warning. It had been three days and you still hadn’t heard back from him. No one else was aware that you had met up with him, and you intended to keep it that way. Every moment, you prayed that his suspicions would simply be that– suspicions. Not facts.

Burying yourself in work was easier now. You were finding that you had a special talent for multitasking when you were stressed. You could work speedily but then you would have a moment where you would zone out for a significant period of time until someone would interrupt you.

And it was Seonghwa who interrupted this time, whistling in a low volume as he entered the room, apparently feeling good. You didn’t move, only shot a glare at him before continuing to stare holes into the stained glass of the window.

“Well, someone clearly forgot to have lunch,” Seonghwa checked the time. “Weren’t you going to wrap this up and go home to rest for the evening?”

“I’m almost done,” you told him, sighing at the bundle of paperwork. “I think I’m more suited for field work.”

“Should I have a car prepared for you–”

“No, I think I’m good here,” you buried your face in your hands momentarily. You are only suited to stay in the shadows, your father’s words rang in your head. Maybe he was right. Maybe working from the spotlight was finally taking a toll on you.

“What are you stressed about?” Seonghwa asked gently, sitting in front of you across the table. He passed you a bar of chocolate that he must have grabbed from the reception on his way upstairs. You popped a cube in your mouth, letting the rich texture of it soothe your nerves.

“Stuff. I’m always stressed though, don’t worry,” you tried to joke it off, knowing it would never work in front of Seonghwa.

“Is it about Madame Tiffany?” 

You shrugged in obviousness. “You know I won’t relax until I hear back from my sources.”

“Ah, nothing that can be done about that then,” Seonghwa slumped back. “Anything else bothering you, my love?”

My love.

“Uh,” you bit your lips in nervousness– he clearly had no idea of the recent progression. Yunho had kept his mouth sealed for once, and you were glad because once everything was official, you wouldn’t be able to hide how these casual terms affected you to your very core. “Yeah, Jaemin came by. Have you heard about the recent news?”

“Oh, yeah, I caught him on my way to the port earlier in the morning,” Seonghwa told you. With the recent shipment of Black Shadow due for export to Mist Island soon, he had been quite occupied at the port since he came back from Edenary. “Strange happenings.”

“Do you know who the Hala official is?”

“That would be Major Sung Dongil,” Seonghwa said. “He’s a very respected and a hated personality in Halaland. Some believe that his aggression caused Halaland most of the war casualties.”

You nodded slowly. “So he’s not very loved back home, and he’s related to Strictland in some unknown ways.”

“He’s basically in charge of Strictland’s status– kind of like a pseudo-governor of that area.”

“So… he would be well aware of whatever goes on in Strictland, right? Nothing would go past him,” you said.

“He should be. If he isn’t… that means he needs to do a better job.”

“And now he’s meeting with President Lee,” you folded your arms, voice dripping with suspicion.

“Not the first time this has happened, and it’s not unusual for him to meet with President Lee,” Seonghwa mirrored your position. “Whatever happens in Eden affects Strictland too– especially because there’s still the matter of illegal immigrants. That’s probably the reason they’re meeting, and if the Sirens Rebel Party heavily comprises those immigrants of which most are illegally residing here, it makes sense that they got angry and protested the way they did.” 

“True,” you scratched your chin in thought, slumping back again. “I’m probably just overthinking again.”

“That’s why we like you,” Seonghwa chuckled. “Sometimes overthinking makes sense– especially when it comes from you.”

“Well, the overthinker in me wants to look into Major Sung and why President Lee keeps using media censorship to his advantage. I heard about how he never talked about his wife’s public assassination yet brings that up for pity votes every now and then.”

“Understandable. Let’s just wrap up the new deal first, yeah? I can have someone look into Major Sung for you in the meanwhile,” Seonghwa asked and you agreed, thanking him. He took over the files and asked you to go and take a breather and you laughed, staying to finish it before eventually leaving with a kiss blown his way. He shook his head in amusement, smiling through work for a good while after.

It was a little awkward, very overwhelming and kind of nerve-wracking but very familiar to wait for Yeosang in his office in the Crescent Bar. 

But it was something that needed to be done in order for your relationship with the boys to progress. In order for there to be a clarity to who and what you were– as a Leader, as a Crescent and as their romantic partner. 

You still were not sure how your relationship was going to progress with some of them– that included Hongjoong, first and foremost. There certainly was palpable tension between you two, but he respected you perhaps as much as you did (despite all your squabbles). He held you in high reverence and reminded you how important you were to them and to their cause at every step, and it was thanks to him that you were Luna of the Crescent Company now. 

As for the boys in the warehouse… you couldn’t say anything about it yet. You were content with your current situation– three of them already reciprocating your feelings felt unreal. Perhaps, this was how it was supposed to be. They were the ones opening you up to the idea of love and how it came in all forms. They were also teaching you how to be good at receiving love. They sure knew how to give it.

You were now on the way to shift your relation with Yeosang. Four of the Crescents wanted you. No wonder you felt like you were drowning, overwhelmed with the idea, while also feeling as if you were taking your first breaths after remaining underwater. 

The warm atmosphere of his office room and its familiarity comforted you like a lover’s embrace while also soothing your nerves for the discussion. Yeosang entered after a few moments in the middle of instructing one of the employees. When he finally finished and turned towards you, he clapped with a pointed look.

“I see you’ve almost finished my precious wine.”

“It was there for me,” you said as you shifted awkwardly, realising that he was right. The previous three quarters were down to a few sips. “It was looking at me.”

Yeosang laughed, settling down on the couch beside you. “How have you been? And what’s stressing you out so much that you almost drank the entire bottle? Not that I mind a tipsy Luna…”

“I’ve been well, for the most part,” you said. “The stress– you know why. Work stress. And… I wanted to talk to you about something, but first tell me how you have been. I heard you’re almost prepared to ship Black Shadow to Mist Island?”

“Yep,” he sank down, a tired groan escaping his mouth. “The police have been sniffing around so it was tough to get around them. We just hope it can leave the Eden territory without any trouble. Once it crosses the Eden waters, we’re mostly safe.”

“I sure hope so,” you said. “Why are they sniffing around? Is there a mole?”

“There actually might be– far too many strange coincidences have been happening, but San and Yunho are looking into it so I’ll leave it to them,” he said. 

No wonder Yunho had been so busy these days– you hardly caught him in the office anymore. 

“So? What did you want to talk about?”

“Well,” you turned towards him, stifling a smile– he looked far too welcoming in the brown tones of his outfit that perfectly complimented his hair and milky skin, almost creating a coffee-like contrast. It didn’t help that he was rolling his sleeves again, showing off his sculpted forearms. 

“Well?” Yeosang repeated, noticing how you zoned out, oblivious to your gaze stuck on his arms. 

“Right– uh… I wanted to tell you that, uh…”

“You sure you want to talk?” Yeosang teased. “Maybe another glass of drink to loosen your lips?”

“Shut up,” you glared at him. “I like you. That’s what I wanted to say.”

“Yeah…” he nodded after a moment of silence. “Never would have known if you hadn’t told me.”

“Yeosang,” you groaned and he laughed heartily, finally pulling you closer by your wrist. “It took me so much courage to come here and you can’t stop joking around.”

“Think of it as my coping mechanism,” he said in a serious tone, looking at you with caution and anticipation in his eyes. “Because I’m trying to find the words and the courage to tell you that I like you too.”

“I know,” you nodded and he looked at you pointedly, but soon the two of you were sharing soft, guarded smiles.

“This is kind of weird,” you admitted and he agreed. “But yeah. I wanted to tell you that I like you. And I like… the others too.”

“Elaborate,” he requested gently.

“Well, I like Yunho, you know that,” you said with a laugh and he smiled. “I like Seonghwa. It happened in Edenary– he’s just so… you know? Comforting. Caring. He’s so gentle.”

“That he is,” he agreed wholeheartedly.

“And… I don’t know how it happened but it happened recently with San. I went to his place–”

“You didn’t!” Yeosang gasped scandalously and you smacked his arm, making him snicker.

“Just to talk! I was actually here for you but you were out and he offered to take me anywhere I wanted. We decided to go to his place to drink and whine, but one thing led to another. We only kissed though.”

“Nothing else?” He teased.

“Just… a lot of kissing and cuddling– god, do I have to share everything with you?”

“I mean… he is a good kisser–”

You gaped at him. “Yeah… He is.”

So that’s what you were getting into. 

You narrowed your eyes. “Who else have you kissed?” 

“I thought you knew everything by now?” 

“Yeah, but I need answers from you. Who else have you kissed, Kang Yeosang?”

“Do you really want to hear the answer?” Yeosang leaned forward, inches away from your face. “Shall I add another to the list?”

You gulped visibly, making him grin and he pulled back, caressing the skin on your arms to let you know that he was only teasing. He cleared his throat and asked, “Have you made up your mind yet?”

“I have, but I wanted to talk to you before I made it official,” you told him. “I want to be with you, Yeosang. With you, and Seonghwa, Yunho, and San. And with more, if they will have me. I want to be a part of… this.”

“You sure, sweetheart?” Yeosang tucked your hair behind your ear, caressing your cheek in the process. 

“I’m sure,” you insisted, your gaze steel. You had never been more sure of anything, and it was not just the thrill you felt in your veins. It was your heart singing for them, something like a knot in the middle of your chest that tightened with yearning everytime that you thought about them.  

Yeosang smiled and kissed your forehead. “Welcome to the gang, sweetheart. I think I should tell you the obvious while I’m at it?”

“Go ahead,” you nodded. 

“First and foremost, confidentiality,” Yeosang said and you nodded in understanding. “Us… we know everything about each other. We’re one. You can choose to share that with us, or keep your business with each of us private among us– that doesn’t matter. If you choose to remain private, we will make sure not to discuss relationship dynamics with you among each other.”

“I think if I’m sharing all of you, I don’t mind. We’re all together, so…”

Yeosang smiled proudly, very pleased to hear that. “Don’t worry, we don’t always talk in such detail. In the beginning, it was a little awkward navigating our way through this. We had to talk to learn about each other. Now… it’s become a habit.”

“No, I like it. I like how close you are. It makes it feel like you all have this little bubble.”

“And now you’ll be a part of that bubble,” Yeosang said and you smiled. “The thing about confidentiality is that we keep our relationship from anyone who is not us private. Very private, and you know why.”

“Because it’s unconventional,” you said and he nodded. “And because they will wish they were us.”

Yeosang laughed darkly at your comment. “They still do. But that’s just another weakness they can manipulate to take us down. They already know we are each other’s strength and weakness, but it’s better if our relationship is kept in the dark.”

“Understandable,” you agreed. 

“The second thing is something you already know– that it’s okay at any point moving forwards if you want to be with only one of us, or a few of us, or even none of us. You’re not bound to us in any way, Luna. You can explore outside of us if that is what you wish for. Of course, we would prefer to keep you all to ourselves. All of us have at some point tried something out of our circle but we never liked it. No one understands us like we do.”

“What about me? Do you feel like I could fit?”

“That’s what I mean,” he caressed your cheek again. “You don’t have to fit in. Just be yourself, and find what you like. Let it progress naturally.”

“Ah,” you nodded in understanding, suddenly having a moment of clarity. “Thanks for telling me that.”

Yeosang tapped your cheek lovingly. “Lastly… have fun. And be careful.”

“Of who?”

“Of your desires,” Yeosang said. “Being with us is not as complicated as it sounds. You can find comfort and solace in anyone of us– whether it be of platonic, romantic or sexual nature. I just want you to navigate these waters without worrying about the consequences within our group. That means that we won’t mind what you do with one or the other. But we would also like for you to be clear of what you want with us to avoid confusion. We will respect your wishes and boundaries and will expect you to do the same, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, understanding and also surprised how eloquent Yeosang was as he talked about this. “Just keep it undramatic and have fun?” 

“That’s a loose translation of what I said,” Yeosang chuckled. “But yeah. There’s no jealousy going on, nor will there be in the future. We’re all one, but if you don’t want all of us, that’s fine.”

“Have you had previous partners like me?”

“We tried, yes,” Yeosang nodded. “It always ended badly– silencing them wasn’t the problem. They tried to break us, and it made us wonder if that was their intention from the beginning.”

“I hope none of you got that vibe from me?”

“Well, there’s a reason you’re here, Luna,” Yeosang smiled knowingly. “Do you think Yunho, of all the people, would have warmed up so quickly to you? Do you think Seonghwa, who wanted to kill you that night, is kind to anyone like he is to you?”

You shook your head. He was right– they must have felt something different with you. Something good and pure.

“Do you think the maknaes will accept me?” You asked cautiously.

“Oh, they are the accepting ones– you just overcame the hurdle that was us,” Yeosang admitted and you scoffed in shock. “It would have been hard to win us over if you got acquainted with them first.”

“Good thing that I was your bookkeeper then, right?” 

“Yeah, that’s probably how it started,” Yeosang kissed the back of your hand. “I’ve had my eyes on you for quite a while, Luna.”

“I heard,” you admitted and he nodded, knowing someone must have told you already. He simply couldn’t believe you were here, wanting to be a part of them. Wanting to be with them, accepting them as they were. He had shot every arrow at you in this conversation, scared to find you having cold feet but here you were, letting him kiss your hand repeatedly, watching with glazed eyes. 

“We waited far too long, didn’t we?” You asked in almost a whisper and when he spread his arms, you immediately scooted closer, melting into his embrace and enjoying the kisses he planted on the top of your head. “I’ve always had a thing for you, just so you know. It’s hard not to, because you’re very handsome and charming.”

“Stop,” Yeosang laughed– in all of his life, he would never get used to people telling him how handsome he was. Even when the boys told him, he always got shy.

“But you are,” you pulled away to look him in the eyes. “You’re too good to be true. And to me, you always feel like home, Yeosang.”

Yeosang’s heart felt full. He cupped your face with one hand, his brows scrunching with something like amazement and disbelief and you were sure your own expressions reflected exactly that. You were finally in his arms, his. You were his, and he was yours.

Yeosang swiped his thumb across your lower lip and you shut your eyes momentarily, exhaling shakily. When you dared to look at him, you found his gaze flickering between your eyes and your lips.

“May I?”

You nodded and he stifled a smile, pecking the tip of your nose first and making you relax as you giggled. You both moved closer naturally until there was no distance between your lips, sharing the softest of kisses that made your heart melt like candle wax. You moved your lips along his, alternating between deep kisses and pecks, caressing each other’s skin wherever you found easy access. 

Being in his arms filled a void in your heart that had been there for a long time now. The void of yearning. Oh, how you had restrained yourself from crossing boundaries with him while you worked as his bookkeeper. All to hide your identity– if you had known earlier that he would be so accepting of you, you would have yielded right there. 

It had taken far too long, but you wouldn’t have it any other way, and you hoped you conveyed that in the way you held him and kissed him– with deep respect and love. Once you felt short of breath, you drew apart, eyes fluttering open and finding his cheeks flushed.

“You’re a good kisser too.”

Yeosang choked on his laughter. “I didn’t imagine you would weaponise that piece of information.”

“Well… that’s how it’s going to be with me. Get used to it,” you pecked his lips and he deepened the kiss while keeping it soft and undemanding. You smiled through it and snuggled into his warmth.

You could definitely get used to this.

“Do I have to set up a meeting to make this official?” You asked. “What’s the next step?”

Yeosang chuckled, caressing your back assuringly. “San is handling that. It’s only going to be dinner with lots of wine so don’t worry too much. Just think of it as another work agenda– we’re basically doing this to congratulate you on becoming a Leader, but you can make an announcement there. Also, that man is the most obvious being on this planet– it’s clear as day that he was pleased about the other change.” 

“Oh my god,” you laughed. “He’s so goofy.”

“Don’t let anyone hear that. He’s supposed to be the scary one of us. At least first impressions.”

“I think first impressions… Hongjoong wins in that department,” you shuddered lightly as you recalled the ice cold gaze he gave you when he first saw you in the office. “Or Yunho, if he tries.”

“Wait till you see Mingi or Wooyoung look at someone like that. If looks could kill.”

You made a mental note to witness that, and the conversation steered from one thing to another. Never once did you feel out of place in his arms.

You belonged there.

The calm before the storm. 

It was always a short period of tranquility after a storm would wreck everything in its wake.  Impending doom seemed to be your life’s companion. It stuck at your side at the calmest periods of your life like an old friend, and then grew in intensity as the calm wore off to welcome the storm like a lifelong enemy. 

It felt like you were standing at the borderline between calm and storm– your gut was restless with anxiety and that was only a sign that something was about to go wrong. You could just pray that the intensity of it would be mild. 

Perhaps, this was not even the calm before the storm. Maybe you were simply getting squirmier with each passing day not hearing back from Jaebeom, or mulling over little pieces of information that did not sound too bad in retrospect, but put in a certain context or connection seemed more damaging to the business.

Whatever it was could wait a little longer. 

You were in Room no. 1 at the Crescent Bar tonight with all the boys present, sharing a hearty dinner. They welcomed you warmly, making a huge deal and you were half-sure it was just to annoy you, courtesy of a certain Kang Yeosang who knew you didn’t like being the centre of attention very much especially when you were going to be talking about important things here, but you could pretend this was all about your promotion from secretary to a Leader. 

However, the boys who knew– Yunho, San and Yeosang– kept exchanging suggestive glances with you and you kept mouthing at them to ‘stop’, which they were getting quite a laugh out of. The rest were thankfully oblivious, but that didn’t mean they were doing anything less. 

The warehouse boys got you a few gifts– a gun designed by Yerin, its hilt encrusted with a pearl which gave it ‘the Luna touch’, as they quoted. It was a beautiful beretta and they promised to teach you with that gun so you could get familiar with it. They also gave you a small dagger with a customised engraved cover that you could carry in your purse or even your boot. 

You asked them if you needed to expect an attack anytime soon but they laughed, saying every Leader carried a few guns and daggers on them. Wooyoung went as far as to say that it was a part of their ‘style’ and you accepted the gifts, amused but also appreciating their sentiments.

You were done eating and were now watching the boys talk about the little things, their voices intermingling in the room. Wooyoung and San were having a heated debate over something related to working out and Yeosang was intently listening, sometimes agreeing with one or the other. Yunho and Mingi, as usual, were in their own little bubble and you watched them with fondness spilling out of you– you loved the way the two looked at each other. Not only the two, all of them. The way they all looked at each other and cared for each other was something otherworldly.

Seonghwa was explaining something to Jongho– it looked like they were discussing something related to work with the way Jongho sketched over the table to make his points clear to Seonghwa. And here you were, watching them, your eyes travelling to Hongjoong who had also finished eating and was now looking at you from across the table.A smile graced his lips as your eyes met, making your heart flutter. 

He raised an eyebrow as if to ask if you were doing okay and you nodded, the silent communication carrying on when Wooyoung’s voice rose and San burst into laughter, the two of you shaking your heads at the duo. You took a few deep breaths, looking at your left where Yunho sat. You didn’t interrupt his conversation with Mingi, simply brushed your fingers against his and he understood, wrapping his fingers around your hand to give you strength. You knew that you did not need to hide that you were holding his hand but you still kept it under the table, silently letting his touch calm you. 

You waited for the conversation to die down a little and then you signalled Yeosang who got up and clapped to get everyone’s attention.

“What?” Jongho asked.

“I just want everyone to shut up for two minutes so Luna can talk about something,” he announced and you groaned, curling into Yunho’s side as everyone laughed knowingly or in confusion. Yeosang pretended he could not see you, finding the ceiling incredibly interesting, knowing damn well that he should have phrased it differently–

But this was his charm. 

“Right, so…” you started, squeezing Yunho’s hand. “I just want to thank all of you for giving me such a warm welcome for finally joining the inner circle.”

“No need for a thanks, darling,” Wooyoung waved his hand in dismissal. “This wasn’t anything special– we could have done so much more!”

“No, this is enough,” you laughed. “Just… thank you for accepting me and considering me someone worthy of becoming a Leader.”

“Honey, we’re not as good as you make out to be,” Seonghwa admitted, some of them agreeing. “There’s no such thing as being ‘worthy’ of becoming a Leader.”

“You are a mafia organisation, though,” you commented. “I think there is such a thing. It sure felt like it.”

“Yeah, tell him!” Mingi clapped. “Not anyone can be a Crescent!”

Seonghwa shook his head, laughing at the attack. “I just mean that because you felt like one of us, you became one of us. That’s all there is to it.”

“Well,” Hongjoong began. “We do have a strict code here, as you very well know now. We actually were not open to having another ‘Leader’, if you must. It’s just that you earned it. You found your own spot here– we were pretty much helpless watching you become one of us. It was as if you were always meant to be here, yeah? And not anyone can achieve that.”

Your heart swooped at his admission. He was always so clear about his views and feelings, and to hear that from him felt like an accomplishment. He always insisted there was no boss among them but he truly was the captain. 

“Yes, that’s what I meant,” Seonghwa added and you all laughed. “Anyone can become a part of our organisation, the Crescents, but you found your own spot in our little circle.”

“Running on sheer confidence, holding key information and being able to hold us accountable? I think we needed that,” Jongho laughed. “I mean, we, the younger ones, don’t spend everyday with you but from what we’ve seen… the hyungs really needed a dose of someone like you.”

And then started bickering and finger-pointing because whatever did he mean? And how dare he? While Mingi and Wooyoung defended their precious youngest, asserting that while they were away, the hyungs started to get too pompous and they really needed someone to humble them– that someone being you who was a mere bookkeeper telling them what was wrong and right, stopping them from sabotaging their business and working to improve it while also entrapping them in the little ‘love bubble’ they had going on, according to Jongho. 

“We see the way you look at her!” Mingi continued, pointing at San, Yeosang, Seonghwa and even Hongjoong. “You’re not fooling us! She’s becoming your favourite. Rightfully so,” he added the last bit as he looked at you and you gave him an okay sign. 

“I like the warehouse boys more though,” you commented, earning gasps. “They’re… my type of boys.”

Chaos erupted in the room, San and Yeosang clinging on to each other in a fervent display of heartbreak, Seonghwa covering his ears with his hands as if he could not hear anything, Hongjoong sitting with his hurt pride and Yunho bringing your joined hands up in the air for everyone to see– an act of betrayal, it was. When you recovered from laughing, you placed your joined hands on the table for everyone to see.

“While we’re talking about this, I would also like to say that… I want to be your partner. All of you, if you will have me,” you said, meeting eyes with each one of them. 

There was a moment of confusion because what did you mean? You were already partners. And then it hit, Yunho’s hand caressing yours all the confirmation they needed. 

“You mean, like… partners? In our relationship?” Seonghwa was the first one to ask, unaware of the recent progression.

“Yes,” you felt a bit exposed with all their eyes on you, but you held strong, watching the boys talk among themselves, those who knew explaining to those who didn’t. “I want to try it with my whole heart. And I want to know if all of you are willing to accept me– you don’t have to–”

“But we will,” Hongjoong said in finality, the rest agreeing immediately. “I suppose you’ve talked in detail about this? To someone?”

“Yes,” you looked at Yunho, Yeosang, and San. “I know what I’m getting into. I’m ready.” 

Mingi whistled at your admission. “I hope they told you that you can take it easy? You don’t have to be so stressed about it.”

“Of course,” you nodded, relaxing and realising you must have appeared to be a bit tense. “I just wanted to say it out loud while all of you were present. And I’d like to hear what each of you think about it.”

“I mean, I’m good,” Mingi shrugged and you smiled at his casual nature. “Wherever the flow takes us, right?”

“Exactly,” you agreed. 

“I’m more than good,” Wooyoung grinned. “When can I officially take you out on your first date? Because I bet none of these fuckers have taken you out yet–”

And that started another finger-pointing session, though Wooyoung was officially winning that one. None of them had actually taken you out on a date yet. Even the ones you were intimate with. 

“I’ll make sure my first date is you,” you promised Wooyoung and he raised his fist in victory. 

“Can I tag along?” San asked expectantly.

“No, you lost your chance!” Wooyoung smacked his hand. “Give me some alone time with my girl!”

You grinned, looking at Jongho who was highly amused by the turn of events. You raised a brow and he shook his head. 

“Like Mingi said, wherever the flow takes us?”

You nodded, a silent understanding passing between you both. While it was not awkward with Jongho in any way, he was still more like a friend than anything else, just like Mingi was. Wooyoung, being Wooyoung, was going to take his chance and see where it takes him, but these two were the more cautious and reserved ones. You were not going to push them, just like they were not going to demand anything from you.

“So you’re officially our girl now,” San clapped once and rubbed his hands, a devilish smirk on his face. “I actually really like the sound of it. I think our group needed a feminine touch.”

“Shut up,” you groaned, laughing. “Don’t make it sound weird!”

“No, he’s right,” Seonghwa agreed, downing his drink in a single gulp. “Too much testosterone around here.”

You shook your head, letting them argue further and getting to hear stories about them now that you knew everything. How the boys depended on each other and barely cared about each other’s personal space– they might be criminal lords but were just boys at their hearts. Seonghwa revealed how San would always hang out in his room even when they were doing nothing. Mingi liked his alone time and he wanted others to respect that but that did not stop him from making his home in San’s room or Seonghwa’s room– or even in someone else’s house. 

From what you heard about Hongjoong’s shared house with Wooyoung and Jongho, Wooyoung was basically the housekeeper, which made a lot of sense. He made sure everyone ate their meals, mostly cooked with Jongho and complained about how Hongjoong was a baby who needed a nanny to take care of him. Apparently, the mafia boss did not know how to look after himself and Hongjoong admitted being guilty of that. 

Yunho and Yeosang shared a house and you thought it was a good combination in the sense that the two always brought out the calm in each other. You were imagining their space to be the most soothing, and you made a mental note to ask them both how it was like to live with the other.

Just like that, the night of drinks, admissions and acceptance passed and wrapped up with a beautiful conclusion. Your heart felt full and you never felt out of place. This was where you were meant to be, and they made sure to never make you feel anything less– and the funny bit was that they were not attempting to do that consciously. This was just how it was supposed to be– the pieces had fallen into place.

You said your goodbyes to everyone, and oh, you got a sneak peak of what would soon be called normal now. Yeosang pecked your cheek before leaving, and Seonghwa cupped your face and planted a deep kiss on your forehead, saying he couldn’t wait to talk to you in private. San and Wooyoung both also kissed your cheeks but it seemed to be an inside joke and they disappeared into another room, snickering about something. You were mostly in shock at the sudden demeanour change though you could not complain. It was heartwarming. 

You spotted the boys exchanging hugs and kisses too– the ones who wouldn’t be seeing each other any time soon. Jongho was mostly avoiding any physical contact but he tapped your cheek teasingly as he exited the room, laughing devilishly at your shocked face. Mingi was supposed to leave with Jongho so he rushed to catch up with him, ruffling your hair and you shut your eyes in defeat.

This was what you had signed up for. You laughed as you looked at Yunho, who was leaving the room with Seonghwa, speaking about something in an urgent tone. 

That left you with Hongjoong. The air felt cold all of a sudden as he walked towards you, swirling his cane and poking his tongue in his cheek to keep himself from grinning.

“You look like you want to kill me and feast over my bones,” you commented and he scoffed.

“Feast, maybe, but kill? You think too lowly of me, love.”

Oh. you pursed your lips as he drew closer, watching you with a sort of curiosity. 

“I heard something interesting, recently,” he said in a low voice for only the two of you to hear. “‘The Captain finds his mate.’”

“Just another title to add to my name, eh? Bookkeeper, secretary, chief mate,” You tried joking your way around it but he wasn’t having any of it. He took your hand and placed a soft kiss on your knuckles, all the while maintaining eye contact with you and successfully melting your insides.

“Well, I quite like the sound of it,” Hongjoong said, smirking. “See you in the morning… mate.”

“Aye aye, Captain,” you raised your fist for emphasis though your voice came out weak, making him chuckle. You muttered a curse. Forget the warehouse boys– he was going to be more challenging than all of the boys combined. 

You exited the room and took a turn to the corridor that led to the backdoor when Yunho appeared out of the shadows, taking your hand and leading you to an empty, dark corner. Before you could ask him what was happening, he twirled you around and pressed your back against the wall, swallowing your surprised gasp with his lips, making you instantly drop your bag and melt in his arms. 

“Our girl,” Yunho muttered in your ear, voice thick with desire. “Do you have any idea how much I love the sound of that?”

“Oh, god,” a shaky breath left your lips, your senses heightening in pleasure. “You’re crazy.”

“For you,” he kissed your jaw. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Definitely,” you brought his lips back to yours, sharing another passionate kiss. “I missed you so much. In Edenary. Here. Don’t you ever give me space again.”

Yunho chuckled, the deep timbre of his voice sounding inside your skull and you wrapped your arms around his neck, letting him pick you up. You laughed at the height difference and he melted into your hug, content in this position.

“Someone could see us,” you whispered. 

“I don’t care,” Yunho whispered back, kissing your neck and burying his nose there. “I only have a few moments before I need to go. Let me make the most of them.”

“Where do you have to go at this hour of the night?” You asked, cupping his face and tucking his hair back. 

“To the port– the situation does not look good. I’ll let you know when I actually know something about it,” he said and you nodded. “I’m just waiting for Johnny.”

“Stay safe,” you kissed his forehead, going back to hug him. You stayed like that, limbs wrapped around each other while he gently rocked your bodies until you heard Johnny’s very loud voice call for Yunho, the both of you laughing at his arrival. With a final soft kiss to your lips, he let you go reluctantly. You wished you could keep him all to yourself for the rest of the night.

He did steal a few more moments, insisting that he drop you off on his way– it was only going to take him a minute, and he wanted to make sure you were safe, something about how the police were becoming a problem so the gangs might take this opportunity to create another ruckus again. He managed to steal one last kiss before watching you disappear inside your house and Johnny shook his head at the sight.

“You big chump, you.”

Yunho shot a glare at him but the men ended up laughing, Johnny making an effort to keep the mood light because he knew Yunho was absolutely going to snap when he would hear about the events at the port in the past couple of hours that took place in his absence. 

The storm had arrived, in the literal sense and the metaphorical. 

The night had been washed in a fierce torrent of rain, the sharp patter of it accompanied by globs of ice which kept you restless throughout the night. You and Wendy were light sleepers so the next morning began with a groggy start, both of you sitting next to each other to process the weight of being alive and drinking coffee to help with that. You took to the corner of the living room next to the window to watch the sky open up. Since you were on the second story, the view from up here wasn’t much, crowded by other apartments in the area. 

Still, you could tell that the storm wasn’t going to end any time soon. It had only magnified the confusion and anger of the Crescents at the Sector 1 Port. Their shipment of Black Shadow to Mist Island was rumoured to be returning back, and in the previous evening it arrived accompanied by the navy who had not let it pass the Eden territories, insisting that the shipment was illegal. 

It was illegal. That wasn’t the problem– the problem was who told them? It had been about three years since the Crescents started smuggling Black Shadow to Mist Island. They always knew that one day they would get caught and would have to pay a hefty fine, at the very least. They found ways to involve the police, to make fake licences, to make it seem like the shipment was meant for some other land instead of Mist Island, and made basically every preparation in case they were caught. 

However, the Crescents had also familiarised themselves with the police procedure. In case of suspected smuggling, the nation that was about to receive the shipment was going to deal with the police first before sending the case back to the country of origin. That was the international law, which meant that in no possible scenario would a shipment return from halfway across the ocean.

Yet, that was exactly what had happened. Mist Island never received the shipment and they would not be able to help calm things down. The navy would report to the main office in Edenary and it would be hard to get out of it unscathed– the main office was full of scavengers waiting to have a taste of the Crescents’ doom.

The atmosphere at the Crescent Office today was thick with tension. Everyone was busy clearing the records in case the police decided to investigate the whole company for illegal trade. Yunho had been out almost all night for damage control. He went to rest in the morning and Seonghwa took his place, the boys from the warehouse accompanying him. You stayed in the office with Hongjoong, trying to pull some connections and keep the news from blowing up.

It was not a good time for this to happen, considering the pharmaceutical side of the business was just about to flourish thanks to the new deal to launch silver light as a medicinal drug. If they started investigating all the shipments going out from the Crescents, they might catch on to the copper the Crescents import for weapons manufacturing, and Pledis Manufacturers, the partners of the Crescents, could be under threat too. If Pledis pulls out at this sensitive time to protect themselves, the weapons channel might be exposed or come to a stop altogether.

So it was no wonder that Hongjoong sat grim in his chair, staring into the distance and strategising while you helped him check discrepancies or flaws in his plans and made calls. 

“I think you could really send a few men to look into who tipped the navy,” you suggested, having just finished making sure that the next shipment to Utopia was rescheduled. It would be a mess if they found out that you were exporting weapons parts to them. 

“I think it’s a shot in the dark,” Hongjoong said and you knew that he was partly right but also highly focused at solving the problem first. 

“Think about it, Hongjoong,” you said, placing the pen back on the table and unbuttoning the cuffs of the sleeves of your black shirt, wanting to roll them to avoid discomfort. “Not anyone can tip the navy– they don’t take everyone seriously. And while we’re at it, we might want to look into why they tipped them now. This isn’t your first time trading with Mist.”

Hongjoong sighed deeply. “You’re right. Who could tip the navy? Is someone trying to distract us from our new business prospect? Is this a bait? Or did some bastard get lucky with the timing?”

“Someone of influence– that’s who the navy listens to. That means it’s not just any other bastard who lucked out. It has to be someone who knows about the recent happenings.”

Hongjoong curled his lips in thought. “Secretary Park?” 

“I thought so too, but it’s unlike him to tip the navy. He shoots from the front, not from the back,” you said and he agreed. “Some reputable gang?”

“Unlikely,” he said. “They know very well that they can’t mess with the Crescents and get away with it.”

You made an impressed face, making him smile for a moment. “I think it’s probably someone who knows about the silver light business, and they’re trying to throw you off while they pull another stunt which would be far worse.”

“But Madame Tiffany is the only one aware of this silver light business,” Hongjoong folded his arms. “Secretary Park may have an idea but if he was aware of what we were doing, he wouldn’t have simply watched it happen all along– he would have done something earlier before we ever made a deal. That leaves just the Crescents, MX Pharmas who I don’t suspect at all, could be a mole but they wouldn’t tip the navy…”

For a brief moment, your father’s knowing smile flashed before your eyes when he said that he wanted the Crescents to make a deal with Madame Tiffany. You felt a wave of anxiety in the pit of your stomach, recalling Jaebeom’s little warning. 

Could everything be connected? But Secretary Park wouldn’t do that, you both were right about that. Madame Tiffany had just heavily invested in the deal, so why would she hurt herself now? She could have pulled this stunt before she made a deal with the Crescents.

“God, I’ll go insane. Are we doing something to keep this from the media?”

“Wooyoung’s handling that– he has connections with some people in Eden News,” Hongjoong told you.

“Great. I’ll make preparations for all the possible outcomes then?”

“You do that,” Hongjoong let out a tired sigh. “I’ll help you out–”

“You’ve been up all night. You should go and get some sleep, I’ll take care of things here,” you said softly but he opened his eyes a fraction wider as if to show you that the lack of sleep didn’t affect him. However, his eyes were bloodshot and you snorted.

“You’ll start to look like death, Joong,” you joked. “Just take a nap– go. I’ll handle things in the meanwhile, and if we need you, we won’t hesitate to call your residence. Hopefully you pick up the phone.”

Hongjoong poked his tongue inside his cheek and you wondered what the smug expression was for until you realised you hadn’t addressed him by his name. 

“Joong, eh? Heard that from Seonghwa?”

“It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” You suppressed a smile. Hongjoong shrugged in response, considering if he should take a nap or just stay–

“Just go,” you laughed. “Shall I order you to go?”

“I’d like to see you try,” Hongjoong narrowed his eyes but you weren’t one to back away from a challenge.

“Kim Hongjoong. Joong,” you said in your most assertive tone and he shook his head in amusement. “Go and get some rest. That’s an order.”

Hongjoong got up and sauntered around the table, stopping in front of you and tucking his thumb under your chin to raise your face so he could look you in the eyes.

“One day, I’m going to do something about that mouth of yours, y/n.”

It was a promise, and it registered in every part of your body. It was an effort to stop the noise that threatened to leave your mouth at the suggestiveness of the situation. He licked his lips slowly, swiping his thumb on your lower lip before drawing away with a smirk and leaving.

You pursed your lips, lightly slapping your cheeks so you could come back to your senses and get some things done. After collecting yourself, you straightened and picked up the contacts diary to call the Crescents’ residence in Edenary.

After a few rings when you were starting to lose hope, Jaehyun finally picked up the phone and you made small talk before asking how the situation looked in Edenary.

“It’s not being blown out of proportion yet,” Jaehyun began. “Which is both a good sign and a bad sign. I feel like there’s another hit coming and we’re just waiting for it.”

“And that’s why I called,” you said. “Remember what we did the last time I was here?”

“Had fun,” he laughed a bit and you hummed in amusement. “But yes. I got you.”

“Yeah, and while you’re at it, see who the public suspects. Also, can you see if we have a connection in the Edenary station?”

“The police station? We don’t, actually,” Jaehyun admitted. “But I’ll look around. I think Inspector Gong might be our best option because as much as he hates us, he’ll actually look into this fairly. We might also need a favour from General Wi– he could certainly pull some strings.”

“Yeah… remind him that he owes us a few and let’s find the source as soon as possible, yeah?” 

Jaehyun agreed and you ended the call, taking a few deep breaths. Now that you had sorted things out, you felt a bit more at peace, just waiting to hear back from one of the boys. You went towards the couch, curling on the very welcoming soft seats and shut your eyes, feeling the throbbing headache grow more intense with every second. 

You didn’t realise when exactly you dozed off but upon opening your eyes, you found Seonghwa mirroring your position on the couch across you, though wide awake. You looked around trying to get your bearings, checking the time on your wristwatch.

“Oh dear. I napped throughout the afternoon!”

Seonghwa chuckled. “That’s alright. Hongjoong is probably still asleep, and I just came back about half an hour ago. We sorted the mess at the port.”

“How’s it looking?” You asked, stretching your limbs.

“I honestly can’t say yet,” Seonghwa admitted. “I’m just hoping they don’t conduct a full investigation– now’s not a good time. And on that note, we must transport some important documents elsewhere.”

“You mean the ones in the safe here?” 

“Yes,” he said. “Mingi owns an apartment near the warehouse. It’s registered under his cousin’s name so it’s a safe place to store them.”

“Alright. Do you want me to go ahead and do that?” 

“No, it’s alright,” Seonghwa straightened. “I can go, I’m just waiting for Yuta.”

“Oh, you look tired, though. At least I got my rest,” you joked and he smiled wryly. “I can go with Yuta. We go to the warehouse first, right?”

“Yeah. Are you sure, though? I’m perfectly good to go, Luna–”

“Hwa,” you called his name in warning and he pursed his lips. “Do I have to order you like I ordered Hongjoong?”

“You ordered Hongjoong?” Seonghwa laughed in disbelief. “What did you tell him to do?”

“To go take a nap,” you said. “And you– you don’t have to take a nap, you can just… shut your eyes for a few moments like I did.”

Seonghwa nodded sarcastically and you smiled– he didn’t look as weary as Hongjoong but you knew that he put more effort into appearing put together too. His hair was curling at the ends probably due to the wet weather, not styled to perfection like it usually was. His eyes still sparkled with energy but his shoulders seemed to be drooping.

“You need a massage while we wait?”

“Oh, that’s an offer I can’t refuse,” Seonghwa sat a bit straighter and took off his coat. You walked behind the couch where he was sitting and smoothened his white shirt around the shoulders, rubbing your fingers into the tight spots on his neck and collarbones. He groaned in relief and you smiled in satisfaction, continuing to rub and pull the tightness from his body. 

“Where did you learn that?” 

“Madame Cha,” you told him. “She would make me massage her sore parts until she was content, which means I had to learn to do a good job.”

“Did you ever hear back from her?” Seonghwa asked and he noticed your fingers pausing for just a second.

“Kind of. She’s acquainted with a gang and one of their members is here on some business. He’s still looking into some things so he promised to let me know what’s up once he has a clearer picture.”

Seonghwa also noticed how vague your answer was. “Everything okay?”

He really noticed everything.

“Yeah, he’s actually looking into some political stuff and he’s just making sure Madame Tiffany is not a part of the people who’re stirring up trouble lately.”

“Hmm…” Seonghwa tapped your hand to let you know that you could stop now. He held your hand and steered you in front of him so he could look at you. “Did you tell Hongjoong?”

“I don’t want to tell him anything before I’m sure of what I have,” you explained and he nodded, understanding. “You know that it’s too late anyway– I only heard back from them at the beginning of this week.”

“That’s okay,” Seonghwa squeezed your hand in assurance. “Can you let me know first when we hear back?”

“Of course,” you frowned. “I didn’t take a wrong step, did I?”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant,” Seonghwa pulled you closer and made you settle on his lap, your eyes widening in surprise. His other hand went to rest on the small of your back. “Hongjoong is handling a lot at the moment and I don’t want to burden him with more. I’m sure you feel the same.”

“You all are dealing with a lot,” you said, noticing the bags under his eyes. “That’s why I decided to keep it to myself until I had an answer.”

Seonghwa smiled. “You and I think alike, in that sense. Remember that you can lean on us at any time, Luna. No matter when, no matter who.”

“I know,” you brought your hand up to cup his face, hesitating a bit and he raised a brow. You locked eyes with him– you hadn’t been intimate with him in any way after the kiss in Edenary, and now that everything was finally sorted out… 

“What’s stopping you?” Seonghwa whispered, squeezing your sides as if to comfort you.

“I just had flashbacks to when you were about to kill me–”

Seonghwa laughed loudly. “You want me to beg for your forgiveness, love?”

Your lips curved into a mischievous smile. “Hmm… I quite like the sound of that.”

Seonghwa shook his head, scoffing and you finally cradled his face to make him look at you. You traced his cheekbone and sucked in a breath– he was beautiful. He pulled you closer on his lap and you continued to entangle your fingers in his hair while you caressed his face.

Seonghwa heard the honk of his car and whispered, “Yuta’s here.”

“I know. I should get going, right?” You asked, eyes fixated on his lips and he nodded, wanting nothing more than to keep you in his arms for the rest of the night. 

However, none of you was ready to let the other go. You moved in tandem as your lips met, kissing leisurely as if you couldn’t hear the honk of the car outside. You dipped your weight against him, curling your fingers in the soft strand of his hair. His own hands rested on your hips to keep you in place and he swiped his tongue along your lips to make you open up.

His tongue explored the cavity of your mouth and you hummed in pleasure, the surroundings disappearing into nothing– all you could feel was Seonghwa kissing you ever so gently, his hands squeezing your hips, the warmth of his body radiating on yours, just Seonghwa, your Seonghwa–

A sharp knock sounded on the door and you drew back with a startled gasp, gazes still stuck on each other’s parted lips. Before you could make a move, a familiar voice sounded.

“Mr. Park? Luna?”

Oh, Jaemin. That menace. He had promised to find you when you would go to the warehouse and here he was. 

You shared a quick peck and a giggle before you went to open the door. Jaemin stood with narrowed eyes, observing the two of you.

“Were you… fighting?”

“Oh, yes. Absolutely. Let’s go,” you squeaked, grabbing your things while Seonghwa’s laughter boomed in the room. You shot him a glare before leaving the room, asking Jaemin to wait in the car. You joined him after grabbing the documents from the safe, cooling your cheeks with the back of your hands.

You greeted Yuta as you got inside and passed him the documents which he slid under the seats. Jaemin asked if he could take the passenger seat but Yuta insisted it was unsafe right now and he was better off sitting in the back with you. Jaemin’s annoyed expressions thoroughly amused you and you patted his back in a sign of comradery.

“Tell you what– next time, you can sit in the front. We’ll have Yuta sit in the back and I’ll drive.”

“If you’re driving, I’d rather stay at home,” Jaemin folded his arm and you and Yuta shared a laugh.

“Oh, I was a good driver. I used to drive a lot when I lived in Edenary.”

“Really?” Jaemin asked. “What car?”

Thus, the forty minute drive passed in a breeze as the three of you talked about cars and your lifestyle in Edenary. The conversation steered to Yuta’s past and how he found the Crescents a good few years ago, the group of them hired as bodyguards for their commendable street skills. 

Finally, you got to learn about who Jaemin really was– an orphan boy who had taken upon himself to take care of the younger kids in the neighbourhood where he lived. He told you that the first few years when he left the orphanage for the streets were hard but it was Seonghwa who had found him before anyone else, and you weren’t surprised in the least to hear that. Seonghwa always kept a watchful eye on the kids and the women. A guardian of sorts.

Mingi had remained in the warehouse, waiting for your arrival. He told you that the boys were running some errands– Wooyoung was making sure the warehouse would be ‘clean’ in case of an inspection, and Jongho was out bribing some police officers. Apparently, Jongho was an expert. 

Jaemin and Yuta disappeared inside after Yuta handed Mingi the documents. You stood next to Mingi at the entrance, your hands stuffed in the pockets of your coat and you took a deep breath– it was chilly here since it was an open area.

“Would you like to stay here, catch up with the girls? Or would you like to accompany me to the house?”

“I’m okay either way– if you’d like some company I can join you.”

“Come along then,” Mingi smiled. “I’ll show you around.”

It didn’t feel awkward to drive with Mingi– it was the first time the two of you were alone yet there was a sense of familiarity especially because of the stories you had heard of each other. Surprisingly, though, you did not talk much about work or the boys. The conversation somehow steered from the documents to silver light to the war.

“I heard you were a soldier during the war– who was your commander?” You asked. 

“Captain Byun,” Mingi said and you looked at him in surprise. “You know him?”

“You know his partner, Captain Yoon?” You asked and he nodded, glancing at you in between driving. “I was drafted in his medic squad.”

“Oh, that means we must have crossed paths at some time,” Mingi laughed in disbelief and you agreed, surprised at the revelation– who would have thought? Perhaps, you had even treated him at some point– the two captains had often worked together.

“I don’t recognise you, though,” you told him. 

“I don’t either, but it’s been years,” Mingi said and you supposed that he was right. “I don’t think I would recognise most of the soldiers who worked with me either. Everyone scattered, and we all changed a lot after the war.”

“True…” you said and Mingi dug out his wallet from his back pocket.

“Take a look inside– there’s a photo,” Mingi said and you opened the wallet, finding a worn out photo of a group of men in uniform. You extracted it and checked the date. It was from February, 1962, a whole eight years back.

“Where are you?” You asked and he laughed, urging you to look carefully. You did and a gasp left your mouth– 

“Is that Jongho?” You asked and he grinned. “And that– that lanky tall boy has to be you!”

“That’s me,” Mingi laughed. “There’s another one in there if you can recognise him.”

“It must be San, he told me you were all in the same platoon but I don’t think I can find him…”

Mingi stopped the car, having arrived in front of the house. He drew closer and you passed him the photo. When he pointed at a small boy, you put your hand over your mouth.

“No way that’s the Choi San.”

“He’s changed the most out of all of us,” Mingi said almost proudly and you took a closer look. That was a boy in the picture and the San that you knew… he was a man, all muscles and presence. Mingi continued, “He’s still the same person, but physically, he’s changed quite a lot.”

“Unbelievable. Jongho is very recognisable, so are you though you’ve also changed, but San? I’ll have to ask him to show me more photos of him from before the war.”

Mingi chuckled. “You do that. Come on, let’s hide the documents.”

Mingi did a quick scan around the neighbourhood before opening the car door for you and you accompanied him inside the shabby house. It looked like no one lived inside which you supposed made a good spot for a hideout, even. Mingi told you that the house had a lot of secret compartments so you would be scattering the documents. You memorised each spot, making small talk as you went back to the warehouse.

On your ride back to the Crescent Office, Jaemin fell asleep, tired from all the energy he spent– he had as much a busy day as the rest of you, if not more. You let him rest his head against your shoulder, feeling a sense of peace, Yuta’s low humming lulling you into a calm headspace.

Things were going to be okay. The storm would pass.

But before a storm dies down, it leaves something irreparable in its wake. For you, for the Crescents, the storm was no longer a sign of ‘impending’ doom, because doom had arrived in the form of a whisper, a news carried by someone who was only a messenger yet felt the burden of the news on his own shoulder.

And that messenger was Jaebeom, finally bringing a message of confirmation in your office in the early hours of a morning in Eden when the sky had just started to clear, the clouds having wrung every drop of water they held. With each word that he spilled from his mouth, you felt the walls of Yunho’s office room tighten until they threatened to swallow you whole. 

For once, you were sorry to be right about someone.

And once again, you were surprised at how wrong you were about the same person.

next chapter

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[ashwhowrites]

Hello hello my wonderful friend!

I’m not sure if you’ve done one of this trope before, you’ve written so many so it wouldn’t surprise me! But this may be a little different? I’d like to request sex pollen trope with Eddie and then some miscommunication and angst with a happy ending. ❤️❤️

I was thinking maybe they’re in the upside down and some weird plant/mist/etc down there does it? Or honestly it doesn’t have to be so literal. Whatever way to get the sex pollen effect you like best. But basically the whole older group is affected, whatever happens with the others is off-screen. Reader and Eddie have both been in love with each other forever but she doesn’t think Eddie likes her back and Eddie thinks she’s way beyond his league and wouldn’t ever want him. The sex pollen happens and then after when the group is embarrassed and getting ready to move past it a few comments are made by the others like “I’d never have done that in my right mind” or like joking comments about “let’s forget this ever happened”, “my eyes - I need bleach!” Basically trying to make light of it and move past it. And Eddie makes some kind of joking comment as well, sure that reader is mortified to have done that with her best friend. Reader is devastated because she hoped that it might have meant something and that he’d meant what he’d said to her during as much as she had meant what she said to him. She distances herself from Eddie which upsets him but he understands (thinks it’s because of the pollen stuff, not his comment). He’s talking to Steve about it one day, unsure what to do to fix it and Steve is confused. Apparently the others (minus Jonathon and Nancy or whoever you prefer to ship as an established couple) all just touched themselves with the exception of the established couple. The pollen didn’t make you do anything you didn’t want to do, it just made you crazy horny and more uninhibited. It also didn’t make anyone else say things, or compel them to say things. They were in control completely. Cue realization. Eddie goes to reader, confronts her (“did you mean what you said?”), she’s like please don’t do this, you said yourself *insert joking comment*. He reveals what he learned from Steve. Reader is embarrassed and blushing but realizes Eddie said some things during too. Actual confessions happen, happy ending, tears and kisses.

I feel like I did an awful job of explaining but don’t feel like you have to stick exactly to that mess above. I just wasn’t sure how else to describe the idea I’m going for? I’m just wanting the Ash spin on sex pollen trope that has your signature delicious miscommunication angst and then happy ending. Full creative control is yours obviously and I’ll be happy with it because you wrote it and you’re my fave 🥰

My first take on sex pollen trope so 🤞🏻 I hope I do it justice. I hope this is what you wanted and you enjoy it! Thank you for requesting ❤️

Mysterious plant

⚠️smut

It was summer break, Y/N, Robin and Eddie just graduated, Nancy and Steve needed a break from the work life, so they all decided to take a camping trip. They packed all their stuff into Eddie's van and hit the road before sundown.

The trip was everything they needed. Time in the sun, time away from responsibilities, and a whole lot of drugs and alcohol. They only spent a few nights there, before they headed back. None knowing they were bringing something back with them.

"Yo, is this poisonous?" Eddie asked as he reached forward to touch a strange looking plant.

"Don't touch it!" Y/N warned him, slapping his hand away. She looked down at the plant, truly having no idea what it was.

"Nothing I've seen before. But we are in the woods so we probably shouldn't touch it," Nancy said as she looked down at it.

They all surrounded it as they looked at it. A gust of wind came and ripped the roots right out of the ground. The dirt flew up and made them cough as it filled their nose.

"Welp, at least it's dead now," Robin said as she coughed. The strange plant caused them to cough for a good few minutes as they packed everything up.

As Eddie drove them back, he felt a little funky. His body was getting really warm and he could feel himself sweating.

"Is anyone else hot?" Y/N asked from the passenger seat. She cranked up the AC.

"Yes," Steve groaned as he uncomfortably shifted in his spot in the back. Nancy and Robin groaned in agreement.

Eddie couldn't help but speed as the air continued to get thick and hot.

~

"Finally!" Eddie groaned as he walked into his trailer. He quickly tore off his shirt, throwing it in the bathroom as he walked to his room.

Y/N ran a towel under the sink, putting it on her forehead as she tried to soak in the cold water. She closed her eyes as she took deep breaths. She heard Eddie walking around and the sound of him running the sink. She kept her eyes shut as she focused on not getting sick from how overheated she was.

Eddie splashed the water on his face, letting the droplets run down his naked chest. His mind was blank as all he could feel was how hot he felt.

He turned off the sink, quickly tying his hair up. "You want to change? I've got some boxers you can throw on," he asked. For the first time since leaving, he looked at her.

And this different feeling ran through his body. A shiver up his spine. He always had the hots for her, it was obvious she was attractive. But he'd never make a move on his best friend. Not after all the years they spent together and the friendship they created. He knew he had feelings for her, but his body was practically aching as he looked at her.

She opened her eyes to answer him, words stuck in her throat as he stood in just boxers. She gulped as her body seemed to have a mind of its own. She felt her face burn as she shifted, feeling a pool of wetness between her thighs. She knew for a fact it wasn't because of the heat.

She had a thing for Eddie for years. Started as a little schoolgirl crush and developed into something much more when they both went through puberty. He grew into his body and she's been dealing with falling in love with her best friend for a while now.

Eddie was nowhere near the type to be in a relationship. So, she figured not to bother wishing on a star he'd feel the same. She was always so good at keeping her composure, which is why she was shocked that she couldn't form words as he stared at her.

He must have felt something too. Because the longer they stared at each other, the longer their bodies craved each other.

"Uh, sure," she finally got out. She pushed herself away from the counter and walked to his room.

Eddie didn't feel in control of his own body as he followed her. He was a nice guy, he knew to give her privacy. But it was like he had no choice, in a trance as he walked in. She could feel his eyes on her, and she loved it. Normally, she would push him out but something in her wanted him to watch her.

She turned as her body smacked into his. She gasped as she could easily feel his hard cock against her. She looked into his eyes as she stripped off her shirt. She held her breath when his hands wrapped around her, palms against her back as he slid up and unhooked her bra.

She didn't feel nervous or self-conscious as the material fell to the floor. His hands skimmed to her hips, holding her softly. All his mind was focused on was the burning heat in his stomach and the throbbing of his cock. He wasn't worried about it being his best friend, he wasn't taking the time to be in awe of her naked chest in front of him, he needed to fuck her.

The only thing both of them could think about.

He was fast as he smashed his lips on hers. The simple kiss brought moans out of them as they gripped each other. The kiss was messy and desperate, trying to relieve the sexual tension they felt. But it only edged them on. Their tongues danced with each other as he pushed her down on his bed, keeping his mouth on hers.

She rubbed her thighs together, the amount of wetness she felt was indescribable. She had never been this wet before. She could physically feel her cunt throbbing and her clit ache to be touched.

When he pulled away, a line of spit connected them from his lips to hers. His eyes bored into hers and it was as they were communicating without words.

In quick movements, they stripped each other. Their hands were fast and uncoordinated as they tried to feel every inch of each other.

Her hands burned as they ran up his chest and then down his back. The feeling of his skin drove her insane and she wanted to feel more and more. He shivered as she touched him, his hands moving to her chest.

His cock twitched as he massaged her breasts, fingers rolling her nipples as precum leaked out of him. She thought having his touch would settle the fire in her stomach but it only fueled it more. They both understood there was no reason for foreplay, too impatient as their bodies ached.

Eddie could barely think straight as he shoved himself into her. Loudly moaning in bliss he felt her wrap around him. She whined as she felt him fill her up, wasting no time as she moved her hips.

He pressed his lips against hers as he began to thrust into her. He felt insane as he fucked her as fast and hard as possible. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as he hit every spot inside of her. Their sweaty bodies rubbed against each other.

He pulled away as he panted into her face. Both had no control as their moans filled up the room. He could feel his toes curling from the way his balls slammed against her. It was something he wanted for so long and it was way better than he imagined.

"More, please. I need more," she whined as she clawed at his back. His body felt perfect against her. She was addicted to every part of him. The smell of sex and sweat made her arch.

She shivered as he laughed. A dark mocking laugh.

"Yeah? Fucking beg for it, slut,"

She figured she'd gasp at his words but all that came out was a loud moan. She should have known he was dominant and rough.

"Fuck. Please! You feel so good. I just need more. I'll take anything just fuck, please, something," she begged.

Eddie kept his focus on fucking her as he reached for his nightstand. He yanked it open, mindlessly searching. Y/N felt her cunt pulse with excitement as he pulled out a small vibrator. She wasn't surprised Eddie would have sex toys hiding somewhere. She tried to make a mental note to look back at the nightstand in the future.

She jolted as he pressed it against her clit, the vibrations adding more pleasure.

"Moan for me, beautiful. I've dreamed of hearing you moan my name," he whispered as he flicked the vibrator on a higher level.

She gasped as her bundles of nerves reacted to the new vibration. She also loved knowing he thought about this before.

"Eddieeeeeee," she moaned as she clawed at his back. Her back arched as she felt herself cumming. She's positive this was a record speed for how quickly she needed to cum. "I need to cum, Eddie."

"Good girl, cum for me, baby. Let me fuck you through it," he encouraged as he allowed himself to get close. "Can I please fill you up?" He begged.

Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she continued to cum. Her ears loved the sound of his choked begs.

"Yes,"

The second she said it, his stomach snapped. He tossed the vibrator to the side as he used his fingers. She squirmed as her clit burned. Moaning as he continued to fuck her.

"Oh my God, FUCK," she screamed as her cunt grew sensitive. Every thrust and circle pained her as another orgasm started building.

He dropped to his elbows as he gave his final thrusts, hot spurts of cum painting her insides. Both moaning at the feeling.

She figured the heat and burn would disappear, but nothing changed. Her cunt was soaked and now pulsing for more. Eddie noticed it within himself too, his cock already hardening inside of her.

He looked up at her, a sexy smirk as he slowly began to slide himself in and out of her. He watched her face to see how well she'd take him again. And he didn't see a slight bit of discomfort. She moaned, moving her hands down to his chest as she softly clawed.

"I'm not ready to be done with you, can you handle more?" He asked, halting his movements in case she wanted to be done.

"Yes, but I want to ride you," she admitted as she placed her palms against his chest and pushed. He slowly slid out of her.

A huge smile crossed his face as he dropped on his back, wrapping a hand around his cock. He slowly jerked himself as he looked at her. "You're breathtaking."

She blushed as she moved on top of him. She placed her hands on his hairy thighs and sank down on him.

"You'd kill me if you knew how many times I've thought of you in this position," he moaned as she began to bounce on him. He gripped her hips and helped her move her hips.

"I probably should but this feels too good to care," she moaned. Her body was feeling things she had never known before. She couldn't get enough of how amazing he felt inside of her.

He laughed, sitting up as he wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she used the new balance to bounce faster. He sucked on her neck, loving the taste of her sweat. She yanked out his hair, letting his curls fall on his shoulders.

"Why did we never think to do this before?" She asked as she shivered in pleasure. They could've been doing this for years at this point, instead of robbing themselves of how amazing their bodies worked together.

He released her neck as he pulled back to look at her. He was sure it was an in-the-moment comment, but he thought the same thing for months. "Didn't think you'd ever see me that kind of way."

Her hips slowed at the honesty in his voice. Her heart melted for him. She rolled her hips forward as she brought her arms around his neck. The closeness made the moment more passionate as she looked into his eyes. "I see you in the best kind of way."

He smashed his lips on hers, thrusting his hips up to fuck her as she moaned into the kiss

It didn't matter how much they touched each other. Or how deep he was in her. The burning desire for each other wasn't lessening. It was making them want it more and for it to never end.

She rocked her hips against him, feeling a familiar burn in her stomach. Eddie felt every strand of his hair soaked in sweat, sticking to his face.

"Fuck you're so beautiful, so wet, so perfect around me," he praised, biting his lip as he fucked up in her as hard as he could. "I could fuck you for the rest of my life."

Her heart pounded at his words. Breath hitching as she bounced on him. "Yeah? You promise?"

"Is that what you want? To be wrapped around my cock forever?" He whispered as her breath fanned his face. Her body reacted to him by squeezing around him. "Fuck do that again."

She repeated the action, loving how he let out a long moan. "Tell me you want it too," she whispered, her lips inches above his.

"I want you for the rest of my life," he admitted. He shocked himself by saying it but he meant it. "I think I'm in love with you."

She froze on top of him, blinking a thousand times. Did he just admit he was in love with her?

"No, I know I'm in love with you," he corrected. His hands ran up her back, holding the back of her head as he brought her lips against his.

She kissed him back. She moaned into his mouth as his left hand moved down to her clit. She pulled away, smiling in pleasure and bliss.

"I love you too," she confessed. Her forehead was against his as she felt her orgasm building. She rocked her hips against him, soaking in the feeling of his fingers on her clit. "Make me cum."

"My pleasure," he smirked, cockily circling her clit as she began to fall apart.

She felt her stomach burn with the familiar feeling, she leaned down and sank her teeth into his shoulder as she came again. Eddie growled out at the feeling, loving the harsh sting as she broke his skin.

~~~

Eddie woke up to the sound of a phone ringing. He rubbed his eyes as he looked around. His room was a mess, everything scattered everywhere, shit was falling off his walls, and his desk was no longer together properly.

The ringing continued, and Eddie felt a body next to him move. A reminder of who helped him create the mess. He gulped as he looked over at her. She was still asleep, on her stomach as she faced the other direction. He slowly got up, hissing as he stood up straight. A burning sensation ran all over his back, he wrapped his sheet around him and he practically limped as he walked to get the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Eddie. I talked to Robin and Nancy, and we all think something was up with that plant. We are going to meet up to talk about it, can we meet at your place? Call Y/N too," Steve said. Eddie agreed to meet them and hung up.

He walked towards his room, Y/N awake as she held a blanket around her body as she looked for her clothes.

"Morning, um, Steve wants us to meet here to talk about something," back to his shy self, Eddie turned around to give her privacy.

"Okay, yeah. Just gonna go get ready!" She squealed as she gathered her clothes and ran towards the bathroom. Once the door slammed, Eddie changed into new clothes. His body was sore which made everything harder, he was curious if her body was in any pain.

He held his shirt in his hand, waiting for her to exit the bathroom.

"Oh! You um, still are...not dressed," she said as she awkwardly tried not to look at his naked heavily marked chest. She felt her face burn as she saw all the hickies and scratch marks.

"Yeah, I kinda need help with my back. Could you put this on me?" He stood up and handed her the small tube of ointment. She gasped as he turned, his back far worse than his chest.

"Oh fuck, is it bad?" He asked upon hearing her gasp. She was embarrassed for what she left behind, but also enjoyed having her mark all over him.

"Just a lot of them. This might sting," she warned as she began to rub the ointment along his skin.

Just like that, the same fire burned in his stomach as she touched him. But this time, his brain was awake and active. Making him think logically that whatever happened yesterday only happened because of that damn plant.

He couldn't get excited by the feeling of her hands rubbing his back. Or how her breath hit his skin and made his spine straighten.

After she finished, he turned around. As they stared at each other, the air got thicker. She blew out a nervous breath.

"Can we talk quickly? I want to talk about some things we said last night." She asked

"Maybe after?" Eddie asked, feeling like he needed to throw up. He was nervous about what she wanted to say and he wanted time to deal with it.

"Um, yeah," she nodded. Her stomach turned with anxiety. She didn't want to wait. She wanted to clear the air about what happened and she needed to know how he felt about it. She turned around and walked out to his living room, needing to be out of his room and the aftermath of themselves.

Eddie took a few deep breaths and walked out. He walked to his front door and left it unlocked. He wanted to sit next to her but he felt terrified. So, he sat on the opposite side. Y/N felt the blow to her chest but tried not to show it. They never sat this far apart. The air was awkward as they sat in silence.

A loud commotion came from outside as everyone traveled in. Steve, Robin and Nancy all stood in front of the couch.

Steve awkwardly coughed as he started, "So, Nancy and I did some research about the plant we saw. I'm going to be blunt, I did things I wish I never thought of."

Y/N scrunched her face, uncomfortable with the idea of her friend sleeping with each other.

"I can't even look at myself," Robin laughed as she tried to make light of the situation.

"Moral of the story," Nancy said as she rolled her eyes, "It was a sex pollen plant. And we are moving past it and nothing happened!"

"Sex pollen?" Y/N questioned out loud, "Never heard of it."

Eddie was silent as he listened. It was confirmed that the plant was the reason all of that happened. He knew he wanted to do it because he liked her. But she did it because of the damn pollen.

"Wanna go get food?" Steve asked as he clapped. Everyone nodded, ready to move on from the awkward conversation.

Y/N grabbed Eddie's hand before he walked out, "We still need to talk."

"It was the pollen, it's okay. We can move past it like they all did," he explained. She dropped his hand and accepted his answer. Clearly, there was nothing else behind what happened.

She was absolutely shattered. And it hurt that he refused to talk about it. He admitted he was in love with her and now wanted to pretend it never happened.

~~~

A few weeks passed and Y/N tried to be okay with not expressing how she felt to Eddie. She tried to fake it and return to normal. It seemed everyone else did.

Robin, Nancy, and Steve didn't seem like anything happened between any of them. Y/N was never going to ask for details so she had no idea who got involved with who, and she was fine with not knowing.

Y/N walked up to the small diner as the gang was meeting for breakfast. She walked in and everyone was already sitting. She slid in on the end next to Eddie.

"I wish I could bleach my eyes so I wouldn't have the vision of it anymore," Steve laughed. The table laughed with him and Y/N wasn't sure what the topic was.

"I know. I'm ashamed of my own body. I didn't think it could do all it did," Robin shivered.

"Me too. I feel like I can never go to church again," Nancy groaned as she covered her face.

Y/N figured it was about the recent event they all moved on from, except her.

"All I know is if I see that plant again, I'm walking away because I never want to experience that again. Horrified from that night" Eddie laughed. The table joined in but Y/N felt a kick to her gut.

She hugged herself as she felt embarrassed. Was having hours of sex with her that horrible? She'd be fine to do it all over again but that's where they were different. She was in love with him and he got infected. She meant what she said and confessed, and it was all a joke to him.

"What about you? You haven't said anything about what you did," Steve said as he looked at her. Y/N felt her body burn as everyone turned to look at her.

"I'd prefer not to talk about it," Y/N said. She didn't want to say anything after the horrific comment Eddie made.

Eddie gave her a side glance, slightly relieved she didn't say anything. He was sure she was horrified by what she did with him. And wanted to take back everything she said. Which is why he kept hiding from the conversation he knew she wanted to have.

They accepted her answer, finally moving on from the topic.

~

The second Y/N got home she allowed herself to cry in the comfort of her room. She admitted everything to that boy and he wanted to erase the night from history. She felt crushed and heartbroken.

She should have known Eddie wouldn't touch her that way without a substance. She should have known he wasn't the type to say how he felt and that everything he said wasn't true.

She hated that she was the only one who seemed to have true feelings about what she did. The rest of the gang clearly could move on. Eddie didn't mean anything, and she was stuck feeling everything.

~~~

Y/N had to distance herself a bit from Eddie because everything was still hurting. She couldn't face him knowing she meant everything she said and did. He'd probably laugh in her face if he knew that.

Eddie noticed the distance, but he understood why she needed it. She fucked the freak and now had to deal with the thought of it. He was disappointed that the events ruined their friendship because that's what he was scared of the most. He spent days ignoring how he felt for her so she didn't leave. And now, she is gone.

He went from spending every day with her to nothing at all for two straight weeks. He missed her.

He called Steve over for help, which meant he was desperate.

"Y/N has been a ghost to me for like two weeks. I don't want to rush her or anything, but I mean, we are all in the same boat. We all were infected by that pollen and did things with each other. But you three all moved on like nothing happened. How did you do it? How can I make it easier for her?" Eddie asked question after question.

Steve looked at him, confused, "Wait, did you two sleep with each other? Like as in you and Y/N had sex!"

"I don't understand how you are confused by that," Eddie rolled his eyes, "obviously we had sex otherwise there wouldn't be an issue!"

"Wow," Steve said, a slow smirk forming on his face, "you guys really fucked? Was she any good?"

"I'm about three seconds away from decking you in the face," Eddie growled, "You have Nancy, don't worry about how Y/N is."

Steve backed up from the threat but laughed at Eddie's clear jealousy. "Alright, calm down. Clearly, she's all yours; I got that. Nancy, Robin and I were all alone when we dealt with the pollen. I did research on it and everything. It's basically just a pollen that makes you crazy horny, barely able to satisfy it and that's why it continues on for hours. None of us had sex with each other. It doesn't make you desire whoever is with you. That's not how it works. So whatever you and Y/N did, came straight from your guys. Just with a push," Steve explained.

"But maybe it's because we were together when it happened! So we desired each other" Eddie tried to explain.

"I was with Nancy in the same car when I started to feel it. Touching her or sleeping with her never crossed my mind," Steve said as he crossed his arms. He leaned back against Eddie's couch, "You my friend are in love with her and that's why it happened."

"Woah now," Eddie laughed, "I never said anything about love."

Steve rolled his eyes but a playful smile on his face. "Don't bother trying to cover it. I told you, I did all the research. It doesn't make you feel anything you haven't already felt. And it doesn't make you say anything you didn't mean. Whatever happened between you two, happened because of how you guys already felt."

Eddie soaked in his words, his stomach fluttering as he thought about everything they said during their time together. "So, let's say she admitted to loving me and something like that. That's the truth? Not the pollen?"

"Bingo," Steve smiled as he leaned forward, "So, seriously, how was it?"

Eddie rolled his eyes, but a smile broke on his face. Steve shoved him as he saw the smile.

"You totally are into her!"

"Oh shut up!"

~

Eddie was terrified to face his feelings but he wasn't going to be the reason he lost her. The only way she's allowed to leave his life is by her decision. He'll never drive her there and he'll beg before she does.

All he had to do was admit he was in love with her. He was doubting himself, but losing her forever scared him more than any confession. He already had the suspicion she felt the same, if what Steve said was true. It gave him comfort he wouldn't be shooting in the dark.

He softly knocked on her bedroom window, the moon his only form of light. She took a deep breath as she flipped her lamp on. Only one person knocked on her window, and truthfully she missed him. She quickly got out of bed and walked over, unlocking it and allowing him inside. She shivered as she felt the cold night air, shutting the window.

"Well, at least you are prepared for me to stay. That has to be a good sign," Eddie tried to joke as she closed the window, instead of leaving it open for an early exit.

She smiled at him and walked to sit on her bed. "You don't have to be so nervous," she said as he stood in one spot. "You can sit. I won't bite you."

"Liked it last time you did," he joked back as he sat next to her. The joke landed flat as she awkwardly looked away. "Moving on. I just want to check on you. I understand things are a little weird for us. But I don't want you to think I'm not here for you."

Her heart swelled at his words, she turned to look at him with a soft smile. "I appreciate that. I'm sorry I've been weird. I just needed more time to move on. But I've missed my best friend."

He ignored the sadness he felt when she called him her best friend. He was glad he was, but he wanted to be something more to her. A best friend that's in a boyfriend.

"Did you need more time to move on because you meant what you said?" He threw the question out there like a grenade. No warning as it landed in her lap.

She hugged herself, looking down at her lap. "We don't need to do this, Eddie." She heavily sighed, "You said it yourself that we can move on like they all did and I don't want to make you relive such a horrifying memory of what sex is like with me."

Eddie kicked himself as the words were tossed back at him. She remembered what he said; that meant it stuck with her, and he felt like an asshole.

"I found out from Steve that none of them had sex with each other. It was just us," he explained. That caused her to look at him.

She shrugged as she thought it over, "probably because we were with each other."

"That's what I said. But it turns out, the pollen makes you crazy horny and nothing else. Steve said everything we did and said was because it was already in our body, the desire and tension. The pollen was just a push."

She looked at him horrified, her body burning in embarrassment. "That was far more than a push!" She covered her face with her hands. She liked the idea of blaming the pollen for the crazy shit she did to her best friend. It was embarrassing enough to have a crush, but now she did every sexual fantasy she thought of with him, and it was because she wanted to.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to die more because he knew she loved him or because he knew she wanted to fuck him.

"But isn't it nice to know we wanted to?" He asked, trying to remove her hands but she wouldn't budge.

"No, Edward. I want to cry in a hole and disappear. Because now, you know how I feel and I can't even blame it on that fucking plant!" Then it hit her, he couldn't blame the plant either.

She slowly removed her hands as she looked over at him. He was bent down as he tried to look into her eyes. His brown eyes looked at her with worry and softness.

"You...you said things too!" She gasped, pointing at him. "You! You told me you think about me sexually all the time. And that you-"

Eddie covered her mouth with his hand, "Yeah, I was there, gorgeous. I don't need you to remind me." He blushed embarrassed. "I meant the other things I said too."

She had never seen Eddie so serious. Not a single twinkle of tease in his eye or a twitch of his mouth. He slowly removed her hand.

She couldn't believe it. Years spent thinking about how good they'd be together, how much more love she could offer him if they went past friends. And it was truly something that could happen. She teared up at the thought. All the hurt she felt pining after him and it all was worth it.

He cupped her face as the first tear dropped. He wiped it away, licking his lips. "Are you okay?"

"Do you want to do this?" She whispered, looking down at his lips.

"Yes," he said without hesitation. Then finally, his lips pressed against hers. She eagerly kissed him back. She had been craving to do this again and she figured she never would. But fuck, she's glad she was wrong.

Eddie softly pushed her on her back as he crawled on top of her. The kiss deepened as he moved his hands down her body, swinging her leg around his waist.

She ran her fingers through his hair, head in the clouds. She pulled away, moving her hands to rest on his shoulders as she looked up at him.

"I love you," he whispered as he leaned in to press his forehead against hers. His eyes staring into hers, his warm hands on her hips.

"I love you too," she smiled, leaning up to softly kiss his lips.

@bmunson86 @mxcheese @ladymunson @michaelfuckinglangdon @z0mbie-blah @biittersweet @mirrorsstuff @somethingvicked @micheledawn1975 @ago-godance @magnificantmermaid @tlclick73 @hargrovesswifee @cityofidek @silky-luxe @lokiofasgard616 @loving-and-dreaming @eddiemunsonsbitch69 @ashlynnkennedy @strangerthingsstories5255 @pleasinghellfire @whoscamila @stusdollface93 @gretavankleep37 @bellaisswagger @arlxt @ineedmentalhelp123 @emxxblog

[mysterymachine67]

PAIRING -> Castiel x M!reader

SUMMARY -> Cas giving you a blowjob for the first time.

NSFW. MINOR’S DNI.

This was unfamiliar. Something he thought he’d never be doing. Being an angel didn’t mean being down on your knees in front of the man you love. But hey, he was willing to try. He wanted to, has been wanting to. Just never told you or mentioned it till now.

So now, Castiel’s on his knees in front of you. Staring down your dick. Your hand rose and cupped the side of his face. Watching as his gaze switched to your eyes instead. You were patient, understanding that this was his first time giving someone a blowjob. Anyway, he finally, but slowly, kitten licked at your tip. Once. Testing the waters before doing it again. You let out a shuddering breath, watching very closely as he got more comfortable. Soon he was taking your tip into his mouth. Sloooowly moving his eyes to look up at you. “There you go,” you cooed. And God, your heart raced and you had to rip your eyes off of him because if you didn’t you’d end up doing something other than guide him gently.

Letting out yet another breath, you decided to look back down, see how he’s doing rather than feel it. Cas was doing great. Adding more inches into his mouth the more comfortable and hornier he got. Tasting you on his tongue was something he couldn’t get enough of. He didn’t know he could be so addicted to something that was so unfamiliar.

Cas got a little too greedy and took too much of you, which resulted in him gagging and pulling back. But not all the way till you weren’t in his mouth anymore, he still wanted to taste you. “Careful, baby. Take your time, you’re doing wonderful.” He tried to nod but it didn’t work out to well. You still understood either way. This time, he was more prepared. Taking more of you and just before he gaged he swallowed. Tears prickled in his eyes but he blinked them away. Soon pulling back and beginning to bob his head. His hands came up to your inner thighs, stabilizing himself. You decided to move your other hand that wasn’t already on his face, to his head. Not grabbing or pulling yet. “Doin’ so good. Y’sure this is your first time?” You winced, in a good way, not bad way. Cock twitching in his mouth because your imagination decided to run loose, and think of Cas in a complete different position. He hummed, which made your hips buck up slightly. “Jesus—“ Castiel furrowed his eyebrows at that. He brushed it off, continued to move his head. Though sometimes he’d stop to suck and to flick his tongue. You let out noises. A few moans ‘n grunts here and there. But when you seemed to let out way more than usual, and move your hips more often, he noticed. Course he did.

You must be close.

And you were. You didn’t want to rush him on, though. Just hoping that he’d notice and do something more. Which he did. Thank God. You let out a groan, your hand on his head pushing down instinctively. He looked up at you again, maybe for some validation or something. But when his eyes made contact with yours, that was the cherry on top. With a grunt you came down his throat. Hips stuttering. ‘N he swallowed everything you gave him. Pulling off once you were satisfied. Cas sat back on his knees, looking up at you once again.

“I want more.”

[81pastrys]

Rebel

Summary— Isa sneaks out and Max has to figure out rules for her not to.

Warnings— defiant teen ; strict dad!Max ; underage drinking ; mention of alcohol sickness ; puke

A/N— this one is longer than I expected it to be

Dad Max List

Dividers @bernardsbendystraws @dollywons

Request— Helloo, could you do something angsty with teen daughter x dad max? your choice, but maybe she's done smth rebellious or what you prefer!

“Dan please??” Isa begged on the phone quietly to her uncle. “Just one night! Dad knows!” She continued whining to where Max and Kelly couldn’t hear.

“Isa, I told you if you go out with me you need to have your dad’s permission and it sounds like you don’t.” Daniel explained. She had done this before, told Daniel she had permission to go out as long as Daniel was there when she quite obviously did not.

Daniel was in town and was going partying, which is knew he was going to do. So, she called him and asked if she could go, being 16 and all. When Daniel shot her down she started whining and begging.

When Daniel ended the call and stopped answering she resorted to her backup plan. Charles. He could never say no to Isa, even if Max scolded the fuck out of him time and time again.

Charles answered the phone with a quick greeting and Isa began her spiel. “Uncle Cha, can you come get me? Uncle Danny said I can go out but he can’t pick me up.” She sounded innocent and truthful.

“Oui, I’ll be there in 15?” He said. “If I see your window open I’m leaving.” He tried to resist the urge to just not give in, but Isa was a little princess in Charles eyes.

She smiled and ended the call, getting ready in a two piece party outfit. She had Daniel’s location along with a few other drivers, which were in the same club. She could easily pass off as drinking age and sure as hell could flirt her way into anywhere.

Max and Kelly were sound asleep, her only obstacle: Penelope. She got past her door, not wearing the heels. Perfect it was her time to shine. Charles pulled in the driveway and she walked out the front door, quietly able to lock it.

She got in the passenger seat and put the heels on. “Thank you uncle cha.” She said, dolled up and ready for the club. Charles was too, a loose fitted shirt and some slacks.

“Does Max know you’re going out?” He asked. She lied and he believed her. He knew she was going out with the rest of the drivers so that’s where they headed. It was easy getting in, an F1 driver exiting the car with a girl who looked overage? Yeah, the club had no chance.

There were no bands so she easily got hold of a drink and started dancing away. Some drivers noticed her and either smiled or gawked at how she even got there without Max present. He would never bring her out.

Her big mistake, talking with Lando and Oscar. “Isa, did you ask Max to go out?” Oscar asked her. She never lied to Oscar, he could read every single micro expression. She looked away guilty and mumbled a ‘no.’

Lando grabbed her hand and brought her over to the drivers table. Nearly every other driver present, including Daniel. He took a deep breath and set his cup down. “Isa Rose.” He said warningly.

Charles perked at her name and smiled at her. “Having fun little Verstappen?” Pierre laughed. Daniel was now walking off with his phone to his ear.

“Snitch.” She mumbled to Oscar. “I was having fun until the McLaren boys decided to ruin it.” She said out loud.

“Ruin it? You shouldn’t even be out!” Lando said. “It’s fucking 2 am and you have school in the morning.” He was yelling but to be fair school could mean college.

Daniel walked back and yanked her away. “Ow! Danny!” She whined. She was a bit drunk thanks to the drinks she kept getting. “I’m in heels slow down!” She scoffed.

“Max is not happy.” He said shaking his head. He got his car from valet and her phone was blowing up with texts and calls, silenced from the do not disturb feature she put on earlier.

Daniel drove her home in silence. Anytime she tried talking he would shush her or blatantly say to shut up. They pulled in the driveway and she got out, still drunk, holding her heels and Daniel trodding behind her.

Max was waiting in the kitchen for her. He huffed a heavy breath and held his hand out. She placed her phone in it. He started quietly scolding her but her head was spinning and she was swaying side to side slightly. All she could manage was hums of agreement.

“I don’t feel so good.” She slurred before Daniel led her to her bathroom and she puked her brains out. “Do you really need to punish me when I clearly punished myself.” She shot at him standing in the doorway as Daniel held her hair back.

“Yes, Isa. Your mother is not going to be happy about this either.” He said. “You’re lucky they were even there, what if they weren’t?” He whisper yelled.

She disregarded all his words, allowing her body to flow through the motions of alcohol sickness. Once she was done they got her in bed. Water and crackers on her nightstand.

In the morning she had a blaring headache and groaned. She drank the water and ate the crackers. Her body was itchy and she realized they never changed her clothes. She got up and did just that, comfy sweatpants and a hoodie.

Kelly and Max were waiting for her in the kitchen. It was obviously too late to go to school, Penelope was already gone it had been a few hours since she even left.

“You went out, again.” Kelly said, the anger so high she could barely hear herself. “Who brought you this time? Obviously not Daniel if he brought you home as pissed as your father.”

Isa groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Charles.” She was nonchalant, like she isn’t about to be punished for life. “It wasn’t even that fun.”

“You have been defying all of our rules Isa.” Max said. “You sneak out, you’re failing classes, is there something else going on?” He was more concerned now. “Are we not giving you enough attention from this?”

“I don’t know, I just like sneaking out and not doing my work.” She shrugged. Kelly laughed, walking off as to not piss herself off more. “I never have fun, the boys do.”

“So let me get this straight.” Max said. “I invite you to go and play padel with us, you say no. I tell you we’re going to races and you roll your eyes.” He said. “But for some fucking reason sneaking out is more fun than that?”

“I guess.” She was still calm minded and not anxious what so ever. “Penelope is always out with her friends partying.”

“Do not bring Penelope into this, she actually listens when else say she can’t go out.” Max said. Penelope was the golden child, good grades, never in trouble, and basically the favorite.

“Well then I guess it is an attention thing.” Isa said. “Penelope gets good grades and scholarships and I’m fucking nobody.” She starts tearing up at her own words.

“That is not true, Penelope has worked hard for her grades and scholarships.” Max corrected. “Penelope actually feels left out.” That’s probably something Penelope told him in confidence not to repeat but it seemed to help his stance.

“If I’m not breaking rules it’s all about her, so maybe that’s why I do it. If I can’t get praise I might as well act out to get some sort of recognition.” She stormed to her room and Max decided he needed to talk this over with Kelly.

This was not okay, one kid feels left out for being nearly perfect and the other feels neglected by them. “What do we do?” Kelly asked him.

“I mean, how do we make things more equalized between them?” He asked. “They’re very different girls.”

“Sadly one has your mentality.” Kelly joked a bit to lighten the mood. They decided it’s best they start both girls off with a clean slate. No harsh punishments but trust should be earned, not just taken for granted.

Once Penelope got home they called them both to the kitchen. They laid our ground rules and privileges they have. “We want to trust you girls, but it has to be earned. If we deem you can’t go out, you simply can’t.” Max said. “If we say you can go out we want to know with who and where and why.”

“I always tell you that stuff.” Penelope said innocently. Max and Kelly nodded at her and looked to Isa.

“You’re both starting on a clean slate, no strikes or privileges being taken away, but if one of you breaks our trust and sneaks out or defies the rules we set, those things get taken away.” Kelly ended the speech.

“I’ve talked with the boys too, no special midnight rides anywhere unless they ask me first for confirmation.” Max said. “In which I expect whoever asked them to ask me as well.”

Isa hated the fact he dragged Penelope into this after he said not to but ultimately agreed with the stupid rules. She followed them, even asked for a tutor to get her grades up.

Her instincts never died down, knowing the boys were in town and wanting to ask one of them to come get her, but she didn’t. She went to Max first.

“Dad, can I go out with the boys tonight?” She asked. He smiled at her. He was getting ready to go out with them to celebrate Lando’s birthday.

“Did you ask one of them already?” He asked her. She shook her head no and bit her lip. “I’m proud of you for coming to me first, but I think for tonight it’s going to be a no.” It was a test.

“Okay.” Isa said and went back to her room. She had no urges to text one of the other guys or sneak out on her own. She just let it be a no and went to sleep.

Constructive parenting 🙂‍↕️

@chertik-007vvv @il0vereadingstuff @pandabiiissh @itznotsophia @angelluv16 @kallanfiona

[ilostthewar]

Hello children time for angst. The 141 boys come home and their SO has packed up and left while they were deployed. Left a breakup note on the bed, and just left. Who's tracking them down to sort this out, all proper like? Who's getting smashed at the pub? then blasting a boom box of love songs outside their apartment? (it's probably Soap).

Firstly, thank you for the ask! Secondly, they’re all going to be horrendously toxic in this, so warning for that.

How the 141 react to you up and leaving?

John Price saw the signs. Knew what those displeased expressions and charged silences were leading to. He had been foolish enough to think he had time to sort this out. He thought he had more chances to smooth this over, have you complacent again. John wasn’t a perfect man by any means, but he did his best to do right by you. Ensured that you never had to want for anything, except for maybe his attention. But that’s alright. John realizes where he went wrong. Too much freedom and not enough structure leads to rebellion. And what’s what he decides this is. He determines that this is you acting out. He wishes you would have said something sooner instead of this out of control fit you’re throwing, but that’s fine. He’s patient and he’s tracked much harder targets. He’ll be finding you soon. Til death do us part, remember?

Simon Riley hadn’t known what to do at first. The last time he entered a house that should have been lively only to meet silence… he couldn’t stomach the idea. So it was almost worse to find your note, to realize that you hadn’t been taken from him, rather you willingly walked out. Took the life from your shared home and left him with the undead remains. He had wandered the rooms, searching for any bit that you could have possibly left behind. And that only compounds the rising dread in his chest. Everything of yours is meticulously scrubbed away. This was preplanned, not an act in a moment of hectic frustration. And in the place of pain grows betrayal. You know his name, his face. You burrowed into his chest nestled in his ribs and you just… left? He exposed parts of himself that he swore wouldn’t see the light of day, you cradled those fragments and now what was he supposed to do with them? You can’t just leave him now, not when you are engrained in his routine, in his life, in his very DNA. So you will be coming home.

Kyle Garrick had been staring at his phone for the better part of an hour. No calls or text messages went through. He had tried just about every messenger and app you both shared only to find himself blocked. So. this was really how you wanted this to end? This long together and this is what he deserved? No conversation, no chance to fight- just war wounds and a concussion and an empty house. If you won’t talk to him then Kyle can work with that. It’s not hard to whisk the story together, reaching out to those who would give him the information he knows he wants. Your mutual friends, your family, your boss. And the story isn’t hard to whisk together, truths layered into overly sweet deceit. That he’s worried, concerned, about you. That he just got back, after weeks away in war-torn places, and you aren’t home. That your mental health wasn’t always in the best place and he just wants to make sure you’re okay. Planting doubt wrapped in sympathy for the boyfriend who just wants to be sure. It’s child’s play, really.

Johnny Mactavish walks into his flat and nearly turns around and walks right back out. He almost assumes you have been robbed, though that thought is quickly squandered when he realizes how neat everything is. Nothing of his is out of place, no, only the items that were yours. Your shoes no longer beside his, your blankets no longer over the couch. The only thing that is yours is the key left on the table and a letter that he almost tears apart in his eagerness to open it. He almost assumes it’s a cruel joke, a prank at his expense, but no one is laughing and he is alone. His calls all go to voicemail, all of which range from desperation for answers to anger. He takes a drink to try and cool the edge off, to level his head. Of course, this doesn’t entirely work. Instead, he ends up on your doorstep. Rage fine tuned into something more precise, something deeper. He’s overwhelming, it almost escapes you that he’s managed to find you already, before you even realized he knew you were missing.