#or unless Ciri asks

[grlsbstshot]

Pairing (Original Characters): Jameson Lucas (Aaron Pierre) x Imani St. Cirie (Megan thee Stallion) Story Synopsis: R&B singer/songwriter, Jameson Lucas, is well known as a charming playboy. The latest in his line of 'loved em and left em' behavior? Imani St. Cirie, an emotive singer/songwriter herself. A common sense pulls them in opposite directions – friendships are tested, old flames resurface, and new opportunities threaten to tear them apart for good. In this industry, dreams can make or break you – but what happens when love becomes the gamble of a lifetime? Chapter Synopsis: Jameson makes a late night appearance in his ex's life after a year apart. Warnings: Smut (18+), toxic relationship, possessiveness infidelity mentions, explicit language (mild dirty talk), unprotected sex, daddy kink (very much so), unintentional breath play, dirty talking, creampie Word Count: 6.7k Divider Template: @cafekitsune Notes: The following characters are original creations. Their voice claims are Usher / Lucky Daye (Jameson) & Summer Walker / SZA (Imani). We have no affiliation to any of those artists. There will be alternating POVs between our two leads.

Chapter I: Real Games

[ blockdt unless horny ] : wya?

imani rolled her eyes and tossed the phone back across the couch. of course jameson decided that after a year of not seeing one another, he'd reach out NOW. a year after he broke her heart and ruined their three year relationship, he decided to contact her. with three letters? pathetic. even more pathetic was the fact that she picked the phone back up...and thought of a response.

jameson lucas was like a drug to her. when they met, he was cocky but never without reason. he pursued her relentlessly and it didn't take long until they were everywhere together. the son of a r&b legend, jameson took his own path into music. they just fit each other. imani's own career was in its early stages but she took off like a rocket. soon enough, they were the first names called in their fields. especially when they used their love affair to inspire music. they took a hit of each other and it was nonstop. he knew all he had to do was get his foot in the door and she'd be gone. but imani was determined not to play his game this time. he was almost out of her system. she'd get rid of him for good now.

[ imani ] : why do you care? [ blockdt unless horny ] : i miss you. that better? [ imani ] : no. it's still not explaining what the fuck you want [ blockdt unless horny ] : if i'm looking for you and i want to see you. what do you think i want? [ imani ] : sex? got it. okay, not interested [ blockdt unless horny ] : if i wanted to fuck, i wouldn't have a problem finding somebody to do that with. i want to see you because i miss you. am i being clear enough? [ imani ] : lmfao yeah i guess you wouldn't. i'm not dumb. you want something. [ blockdt unless horny ] : you. i want you. i am literally saying what i want. [ imani ] : and why should i give you access to me? [ blockdt unless horny ] : because i'm asking? begging, really. because i love you? [ imani ] : love me? let's be fucking real, jameson [ blockdt unless horny ] : if i don't love you, i don't love nobody, mani. you not tired of fighting yet? [ imani ] : lmfaoooo you're a fucking joke. you don't cheat on the person you love. [ blockdt unless horny ] : i made a mistake. that doesn't change the fact that i love you. i know we'll never be together again because you don't trust me but what am i supposed to do with the shit i feel? [ imani ] : stop saying you love me. idk maybe you need to live with that shit. i'm doing perfectly fine without you. [ blockdt unless horny ] : okay

jameson exhaled sharply, frustrated with himself. he knew deep in his heart that getting in touch with imani had been a mistake. their relationship came crashing down after his infidelity. a night with a woman he shouldn't have been with spiraled. guilt-ridden, he had confessed the next day then spent months trying to get her back. when his efforts failed and she'd gotten a quarterback as her next man -- jameson had moved on. he'd had another girlfriend for a few months but imani hadn't left his mind. he watched every instagram post with an eager eye but it wasn't like he could avoid her. imani st. cirie was r&b's favorite lover girl. her lyrics were captions more often than his own. he could feel her scolding him with every record release but he listened anyway. the two of them played a game where they pretended not to care or notice one another...but in the dark of night, his finger always hovered over that button to call her. even as another woman lay in his bed. sometimes he fought the urge to press it but most of the time he failed -- and got her voicemail. he wrote songs for her, keeping the object of his affection nameless but their fans could connect the dots. he wasn't over her and never would be.

now his bed was empty and he allowed hope to carry him away. they were both single for the first time in a year. maybe now was the time to work it out? imani's texts quickly shut the idea down. he was losing her and any minute, she'd block him. jameson shuffled uncomfortably in the front seat of his mercedes benz. his gaze strayed up to the gates of her home, wondering if she could see him and knew how atrociously down bad he was. his phone beeped on his lap and he peered down in surprise. she responded ?

[ imani ] : now the cat got your fuckin tongue? [ jameson ] : what would you like me to say to that, imani? nothing, right? [ imani ] : it's just so funny to me. why should i give you what you want? [ jameson ] : why are you asking me questions you really don't care about the answer to? you miss me too. you want to see me too. you love me too. so why are we doing this? [ imani ] : i do want an answer. all that's true but you know it's not good for us to see each other. [ jameson ] : i know, baby. i know you deserve better than this. i just miss you. let me see you for ten minutes. [ imani ] : no. [ jameson ] : baby, please. i swear to god i'll leave after that. [ imani ] : fine. i'm at home. [ jameson ]: i'm outside

imani stared down at her phone with wide eyes, in shock as if she wasn't the one who just texted the words 'fine. i'm at home'. she dropped her phone and jumped off her couch, hands over her mouth. "shit, shit, shit." the woman muttered behind her palms. what the hell was she going to do now? she hadn't expected herself to invite him over and she sure as fuck didn't expect him to be sitting outside.

she took a second more to panic before sprinting up her stairs and down the hall into her bedroom. she tugged her t-shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Her shorts followed as she dug into her drawer for another outfit. something that said 'i'm not thinking about you, bitch! but you think i'm cute?' she ended up with a cropped sweatsuit. it showed the tiniest bit of skin and was still comfortable. she didn't bother trying to wrestle with her hair. she left it in a ponytail and practically broke her neck going to brush her teeth.

her doorbell hadn't rung but she could feel the moment he was in front of her home. an electric undercurrent made her body tense. she finished in the bathroom and forced herself to take slow, measured steps back down to the first floor. she wouldn't be seen trying to look her best for him. he was only visiting for ten minutes anyway.

she was crazy for agreeing with this. she knew she should have left the conversation alone but she couldn't help herself. everything that jameson said was true. she missed him. she loved him. she wanted to see him...and imani hated herself for it. yet there she was opening the door for him. "hey." she managed to utter uninterestedly, taking her time before she met his gaze. when she did, she could have choked on her damn spit.

to his mother and god be all the fucking glory...he was beautiful.

it hadn't been as if she hadn't seen his face since they split. he'd released an album, won three grammys for it, and embarked on a very public relationship with a co-star from that little comedic show he was doing. but seeing him up close and personal again? insane. imani grasped the doorknob tightly to keep herself from moving toward him.

freshly braided cornrows lined his scalp and met at the back of his head. she couldn't see the tattoo at the back of his neck but she knew it was there. she had traced her nails across it often enough. it was the soundwave of his first platinum single. he'd been so proud of it. he had numerous other tattoos but that was the one she loved the most. his warm, golden brown skin that she'd kissed and licked so much that she knew every inch of it practically glowed. he had shaved his beard down to a goatee. it framed full lips that could do the most devilish things to her. he lifted his long, incredibly agile, fingers to give her a wave and it broke her out of the spell she was under.

"hey. you got a timer going?" he asked her, humor evident in his tone but she was too distracted by the sound of his voice. deep, soothing, commanding. imani abruptly turned away from the door and stopped in her living room, folding her arms over her chest. the sooner they got this over with, the sooner he could leave.

"i thought you would have it since you said you were only staying for ten minutes." they both knew that he often made promises that he couldn't keep but she wanted to see how long he'd keep up with the charade. imani crossed one leg over the other as she peered at him. why did he have to be so fine? maybe if he wasn't attractive, things would be easier.

"would rather spend my time looking at you than watching a clock." he told her softly, lowering himself onto the same couch as her. as close as he could get. jameson leaned back against the cushions, settling comfortably. he didn't say anything else for a few moments, one hand patting at his chest lightly. "i feel better seeing you." he admitted lowly. "i know you think i'm full of shit...but that's true. i miss you when i'm not with you. i only feel better when i'm right here."

imani sighed softly. she could feel herself crack at the confession but she refused to go down without a fight. "you just wasted two of your minutes." her stony expression didn't hold up so she chose to look away, not responding again. she just didn't know how to. instead, she slightly shifted so she wasn't as close to him. the perfect storm was brewing between them and she had to decide if she was strong enough to withstand it. "is that all you came over here for? we both know you're just gonna get bored with me, cheat, and then leave again. quit while you're behind."

"i'm okay with whatever you want to do." jameson told her, knowing that the day was coming when she would get tired of this and cut him out for good. he'd have no choice but to let her go. but today wasn't that day. he could tell that even though she was sick of his shit, she didn't mean that they should cut things off. and being the man he was...he was glad. instead of answering her question, jameson was quiet. "but i was never bored of you. i swear."

he didn't quite know why they never seemed to get things right. he drifted away from her and then couldn't stand it so he came right back. she got pissed at him and told him to fuck off but then let him come back. it was crazy but it was them. "you know what you mean to me." he said softly, pulling his hand from his pocket to lift his hand. he brushed his thumb against her cheek, tilting his head to watch her expression. "don't you?"

when imani turned to meet his gaze, he knew it hadn't been wrong to contact her. it had been a year but the same energy was between them. he watched her try to pull herself again, try to pull the hardass out and build the wall back up between them. that was the thing about loving someone you knew like the back of your hand -- you saw everything. even the shit they didn't want you to see. "enough with the bullshit, jameson."

literally no other woman could have him open like she did. he spent years sniffing after her. and when he cheated, he spent months begging. he'd never begged a woman for anything. but he knew he'd get down on his knees for her each and every time. "i fucked you over and i regret it everyday." he said softly, pulling his hand from her. "i never loved anybody before i saw you. i can't prove to you it's not bullshit but i swear on everything...you are the love of my life."

it was the one thing he had never told her and he knew saying it shifted things for him emotionally. but damn it, he was running out of answers. "i can't breathe unless i know you're a phone call away. i can barely fucking function if i go too long without seeing you. you are everything." 

silence lapsed between them as they both processed that there was some kind of breakthrough happening. their communication had been better in bed than anywhere else but jameson knew he'd strip as many layers as he could to get down to the heart of it all. the longer they went without speaking, the more he wondered what she was thinking.

"you hurt me, jameson. you do that shit every time and I let you." she said, looking into his eyes. "i don't know why i fuckin' let you do it. but i do." she moved from her spot, positioning herself in his lap. jameson made room for her, wrapping his arms around her waist. the two fell into tandem -- as if they hadn't spent any time apart at all. imani straddled his lap, he could see the regret in her face but he couldn't bring himself to let her ponder on it. he lifted his head and pressed the gentlest kiss to the corner of her mouth. she melted against him and he heard her whisper against his ear. "just don't promise me shit this time. i don't want to hear any lies."

jameson knew he should be a better man and let her be happy with someone else. but he couldn't find it in himself. "okay, baby." what else could he say? he was a piece of shit. "just...don't give up on me." he said softly, surprising himself with how much he meant the words. "i need you. ain't no me without you." his hand pressed against the small of her back, fingertips stroking against her spine as he sighed. "my ten minutes are up, i think. give me a kiss goodnight."

there it was. she had let him just waltz back into her fucking life. folded quicker than a cheap umbrella in a hurricane. a few apologies, kisses, and touches -- imani was partially disgusted with herself. she was relieved to see she wasn't alone in her addiction though. he clung to her body like a man who hadn't been touched in an eternity even though she knew that was far from the truth. maybe she couldn't leave him alone but she could establish a set of boundaries. not lying seemed easy enough.

she sighed as he relaxed into her body. her arms wrapped rightly around his neck and she placed a kiss on his forehead. "i guess you can stay a little longer." imani slipped her hand under his chin, bringing his lips to hers. that familiar feeling washed over her just from the feel of his lips.

imani could feel him smile against her lips and she couldn't help but nip against his lower lip to settle his ego. jameson gave a lingering groan at the contact. it'd been so long since she'd touched him but every single time, it felt like coming home. "mm. mm-uh." he exhaled, breaking the kiss and shaking his head as he swiftly rose from the couch. imani went up with him, thinking quickly and wrapping her legs around his waist. "i can't stay. i gotta go." he muttered, "i promised i'd leave after ten minutes. i just said i wouldn't lie to you."

it was obvious he didn't want to go. if it hadn't been obvious from the way he kept leaning into her, his body begging for those little kisses from her -- it was obvious when he rose from the couch. he braced his hands underneath her, fingers sprawling across her ass. imani was pressed against him, the evidence of what he wanted to do pressed against her thigh. he couldn't lie to her even if he wanted to. "i'm gonna put you down...in a minute." he mumbled, burying his face against the crook of her neck.

suddenly, she didn't want to talk. she didn't want to think of the shit he'd done to her, the way he'd broken her heart. all she wanted to do was feel. That's what she wanted to focus on right now. "no, no, no." she murmured, shaking her head. "this is a promise you can break. it's okay." she placed her hand on the back of his neck. her acrylics grazed his skin -- claiming him once again. imani left a trail of kisses against his neck to his earlobe then sucked it into her mouth. "you're not leaving." she told him in a demanding whisper.

imani pressed herself to him, nails grazing the skin at the back of his neck, and he felt himself break out in chills. the slight pressure there pleased him. his arms tightened around her as he sighed softly. imani pulled back and he saw the smirk gracing her lips. she knew. she knew he was weak for her and knew exactly how to get what she wanted from him. nobody knew him better than her -- whatever she might think of their relationship, she got him in a way nobody else did. she knew exactly what made him tick and she proved it just then. jameson didn't bother to vocally agree. he just began to walk through her living room, headed to the stairs to get to her bedroom. 

"i hate your house sometimes." he huffed as he shifted her in his arms, tossing her onto his shoulder. she gave a short yell of surprise at the move, her hands pressed to his lower back as he carried her up the stairs. the couch wasn't big enough for what he wanted to do with her. "i can't even fuck you on these uncomfortable ass stairs."

"you don't think so?" she asked. "i don't know. that sounds like a challenge to me." the palm of his hand swatted towards her ass, the stinging in his palm probably not as intense as the one she felt. "a challenge for both of us to break our necks." he walked up the stairs easily, her weight against his shoulder going unnoticed. jameson didn't even bother to answer her question any further. he was sure it'd be uncomfortable but he was also sure he'd fuck her anywhere he could. it was the exact reason he walked down her hallway and took the first left he saw. it wasn't the direction of her bedroom...but it was the closest one to them.

even as the heat and tension spiraled between them, he managed to keep his senses alert enough to flip the light switch. in the brightness of the spare bedroom, jameson carefully lowered imani from his shoulder, standing with her next to the bed. for a moment as he placed her onto the bed. he hadn't been lying when he said he'd rather look at her than anything else. he watched as she struggled to get out of the sweatsuit. she tugged her arms free but seemed too jittery to completely get undressed.

jameson began to move closer...leaving her no choice but to fall backward onto the bed. she began to crawl up it, watching him the whole time. "you impatient, mama?" he asked her, a grin gracing his full lips. imani nodded, meeting his gaze. he dropped his hands to her hips, fingertips grazing against the band of her sweatpants. without a word, he gently pulled them over the curve of her ass then down legs. "me too." he confessed. before she could say anything, he was kneeling in front of her. "show me you missed me." jameson said softly, kissing her thigh.

he saw the moment it clicked in her mind what he wanted from her. her hand moved between her legs and jameson spread her thighs greedily, not wanting to miss a moment. they clicked into their typical roles when it came to sex so quickly that he was practically moving on autopilot. he talked to her like he was still her man, like no time had passed at all. imani's fingers parted her folds with ease, wetness sticking to her fingers. she let out a hushed moan as her fingers pressed into her pussy.

some games he and imani played were painful. some pissed him off. some were even amusing. but the best kind of games were the ones where they drove each other crazy. he watched her play along with him -- following his command with ease. "i forgot how pretty she gets when you're turned on." he murmured, slowly pulling his own sweatshirt over his head. jameson tossed it aside, not caring where it landed. "spread. let me see it all. make me remember." he was pleased when imani whimpered softly and did as he said. fingertips parted her folds, exposing her clit to him as her legs parted further as well.

he didn't have any charming shit to say, nothing smooth or seductive. all he knew was that he wanted her more than he wanted his next breath. so jameson descended to the bed, settling himself between her legs. his hand reached out for her own, gently grasping her fingers to pull them to his mouth. he sucked at her digits, carefully pulling each from his mouth to savor the taste of her until he tasted nothing but her skin. both of his hands came to her thighs, pulling her further down the bed and toward his mouth. jameson pressed a kiss to her clit before his tongue pressed to her folds. no sooner had he slid his tongue between her lips did he groan, happy to be home in a sense. and then he went to work.

imani couldn't believe how gone she allowed herself to be for jameson. the woman she was a few months ago would be sickened to see her writhing across a bed, doing his bidding. that thought should have been enough to make her push him away but they were silenced with the kiss to her clit. her back arched, the shock of pleasure bringing a cry from her lips.

the only thing that stopped her from pulling at those big ass ears to stop him and demand he fuck her right then was the fact that he owed her. for every moment he pissed her off or disappointed her, he owed her this pleasure as recompense.

he unwound one arm from around her leg -- pressing his fingers into her. imani lifted his head to watch as her pussy enveloped his digits, pulling and squeezing. he pressed his fingers deeper, harder -- wanting to see how she would react. eventually, he settled into a familiar rhythm. his index and middle finger delving deeply into her, his thumb lazily teasing against her ass. jameson leaned in again, closing his mouth over her clit as he ran his tongue back and forth...back and forth, timing the movement with that of his thumb. he kept it up until arousal soaked his tongue and knew he swallowed it down with glee because he groaned every single time.

her senses were already overloaded. She didn't like the power that jameson had over her. from his slightest touch, she was putty in his hands. "fuck, jameson." she whimpered. her hands palmed the back of his head, fingertips clinging to his braids, pussy grinding against his face. she wasn't going to last long and she hated that. hated him for it. "baby, wait." it hit her like a cramp to the stomach and imani jackknifed up from the bed, one hand pressed to the bed behind her to keep her upright. "i'ma cum, baby." she whimpered. before he could do anything else, her body jerked and her eyes shut close tightly.

she had prepared for him to be right where he was for a while. but it was going to be over before she knew it. jameson picked up his pace and added another finger, at her confession. she was sure he didn't even need the warning but even with her eyes closed, she could feel him watching her -- pleasure written all over her face. "let me see." he urged her own. "give me my shit."

her body jerked and imani felt him slow down. three fingers pressed into her, a thumb pressed to her clit, and another one teasing at her ass -- it was too much. her legs shut tightly over his hands as he pulled the orgasm free. it hit her hard enough to make her thigh shake. imani thrust herself against his fingers, praying he wouldn't stop. and he didn't. as much as she wanted, he gave it to her. she was breathless by the time her hips stopped arching up, begging for more.

only when she came down did she realize he was speaking to her.

"i missed my greedy pussy." "get what you want, baby. take it." "you better keep this energy the same when i get up."

every word brought a moan from her lips and jolt from her hips. imani watched as he pulled his hands free, sucked on his fingers, and stood from the bed. the two didn't exchange a word as she watched him undress. first went his shirt and then his sweatpants. she hadn't even noticed when he took his damn shoes off. his boxers followed next and...behold. a thing of fucking beauty. his dick bobbed freely, fully erect, and she had the urge to taste him. she wanted him sliding between her lips and down her throat the way he used to but she didn't move. she only watched him climb back onto the bed and settled between her legs. then he hesitated.

"fuck." jameson muttered, "baby...i didn't bring shit with me." he told her quietly. imani genuinely felt fear in the moment. fear he would pull away and get up. she wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him from pulling away even as he continued speaking. "please tell me you have a couple here." imani parted her legs wider, pouting up at him. "you really didn't bring anything?" she repeated, still not processing it. jameson shook his head, his hands pressed to her hips as he kissed her neck and mumbled his apologies. in the moment, she really didn't give a fuck. "it's okay." she whispered. her hand slipped between them and wrapped her hands around his dick. she moved her hips forward to slowly guide him inside of her. she would think about the consequences later. all she knew was that she wanted him NOW.

jameson knew how these things went with imani. they always ended up here one way or another. he cursed himself for not bringing protection. but it didn't matter — they were both desperate for one another. he froze when she reached for him, his breath trapped in his throat at the feel of her hand. he only exhaled sharply when she widened her legs and pressed him inside.

the last time they had sex without protection had been when they were together. now, they were...well, complicated. but he couldn't deny that it felt right. it's why he didn't pull away. "you sure?" he asked her, lust making his speech slurred. even before she nodded her head, he gave a short, gentle thrust — enveloping himself in her entirely. "oh my god -- you feel so good, daddy." she whispered against his ear. "i'm daddy already? i like hearing my baby say that."

their eyes met as he eased deeper into her. imani's hands found his back and jameson fought off a smile as she replied to him. "you never stopped being daddy." she said lowly. He was incomparable to anyone else. despite what happened between them, she still could acknowledge that he was the only one that could make her feel like this. imani sealed their fate when she arched her back, lifted her hips, and told him that she needed him. jameson wanted to be wanted. he wanted to be needed. and he could tell from the sound of her voice that she meant it -- she didn't just want to get off, she meant it. she needed him.

jameson moved his hand from her hips to the small of her back, keeping her hips lifted and pressed against his own. he tested their position -- slowly pulling out. his gaze dropped to watch the movement, a groan leaving his lips as he saw how she coated him in her arousal. as turned on as he was, he still found the time to joke. "don't come so fast this time.", he teased her, his hips moving forward to fill her again. "we're just getting started."

he laughed out loud when her blissed out face turned into a frown. she opened her mouth -- likely to tell him to shut the fuck up -- and he silenced her with a sharp thrust. any insult turned into a moan. "i'm playin, i'm playin." amusement filtering into his tone as he moved his hand from her hip, fingertips gliding down her leg to grasp her thigh. jameson shifted her leg around his waist, picking it up higher so it rested against his back as he slowly fucked her. once he got her leg readjusted, he ran his thumb against her lower lip, his eyes lowered to watch where they connected. "suck."

her brow was still furrowed as they rocked together. it was almost as if she was deciding if she wanted to curse him out but she opened her mouth and took his thumb between her lips. the more precise his movements, the harder it became for her to keep his thumb in her mouth. he didn't think it was possible but it felt like she became even wetter after his command. imani playfully swirled her tongue around his finger and jameson had to close his eyes for a brief second -- lust making his abdomen clench. "shit, mani. oh my -- fuck." jameson panted, slowly pulling his thumb from her mouth. he let it trail across her lower lip before leaning in to kiss her circle his tongue around a nipple. he pressed his body to hers, hips rocking as he wedged his hand between them.

the bedroom was bright and he could see everything -- a blessing, he figured. he dropped his head, looking between their bodies, and made sure he was pressing his wet thumb against her clit. jameson pressed gently, circling there with ease. he was multi-tasking pretty damn well. he could hear his thighs making contact with hers, the squelching between them as he drove himself deeply into her, sucking and gently biting at her nipple.

"jamie. oh baby..." imani hummed, unable to focus on anything besides the sound of her pussy loudly welcoming her lover home. he slid in and out with precision, angling his hips in the exact way to drive her crazy. her moans and screams accompanied the sound of her love. "you're gonna make me -- i'ma cum again." she whimpered, locking her legs around his thighs.

"this my pussy, ain't it?" imani nodded so fast that he was sure she'd cause a sprain in her neck. "then act like it. give me that shit." he knew she was reacting to what he was doing and saying but jameson could hardly hear imani. he was in his own little world, grazing his teeth against her nipple. he kept his thumb pressed to her clit as he kept up the pace of his hips. when he lifted his head, he found that he didn't have much of anything to say. he was in a daze. he heard himself moan, unashamed of the fact that she knew how far gone he was over her.

"i swear to god...i fucking love you." he muttered, eyes drifting closed as he quickly reached out for her leg, pulling it from around his waist to extend. he pressed it to his shoulder, both hands moving to her hips to pull her onto his length harder. all pretenses of taking things slow were out the window. he was fucking her now, his thumb shifting from pressing to quick circles against her clit. "ooh fuck! daddy, i love you too. i swear." she panted.

he could feel her fighting it. she fluttered over him, shaking in his grasp. she didn't want to make this as easy as the first orgasm she experienced but jameson didn't have a problem working for it. her body shifted again with her leg on his shoulder. He picked up his pace and the speed of his thumb. "sh-iiii-t, fuck me daddy. just like that!" imani clawed at his back and tightened her walls around him. her hands grasp at his ass, firm and full in her hands.

he liked the way she called out for him. but he liked the way she told him she loved him. the words had an effect on him. he grunted, gritting his teeth as he tried to rein himself in. it sent chills up his spine and he couldn't shake the desire to hear the words again. jameson slowed down when he should have kept the same pace. "like that?" he asked imani, his hand slowly moving from between her legs and up her abdomen. "yes! yes b-baby." she stuttered. her hands left his body and found the sheets, gripping them tightly as she blinked up at him. it was like she couldn't ground herself no matter what she held on to. good. he didn't want her sane at all. jameson could tell that she wouldn't last much longer.

his other hand caressed her calf, his head turning to press kisses to her leg. he moved slowly, twisting his hips and biting back another moan. it's even better than what he was doing before. how the fuck could she do that without even trying? she made his head spin half the fucking time and he was still in awe of her. "tell me you love me again." he asked her quietly.

she didn't even hesitate to repeat it. "i love you, baby." mani hissed. "i love you so fuckin' much." her eyes shut and she seized so hard that it was almost as if her body froze. she didn't get to warn him that time. her back arched and her eyes fluttered shut. he could feel her holding her breath. he didn't slack up, lifting his hand to slap down against her clit. her body flinched but still, she didn't release her breath. jameson dropped her her leg from his shoulder to give her a moment of rest. "breathe, mani." he commanded. no sooner than he spoke did he feel her let go. she inhaled sharply, whimpering and moaning out as she did so. nobody could tell him this woman didn't belong to him. the evidence was in the way she let him have his way and her essence covering both their thighs.

she moaned and convulsed around him, wringing a groan from his throat. jameson lowered his body to hers, kissing imani deeply. his tongue slipping between her lips as she clung to him. it was his turn to collapse under the pressure of pleasure. "how you want me, baby?" he asked her between kisses, his release nearing the more he pressed into her. she shook her head as if she didn't understand him and jameson held off with a grunt. "where you want this nut, mani? tell daddy." he was asking for permission and holding off until he got it. even if it killed him.

her voice got caught in her throat and finally, she managed to croak out a response. "inside." one word, the last word she should have said to him. they both knew that. she soaked his dick, the wet spot under them expanding each time he pressed into her. it practically spurted from her. she was spent, he knew she had very little left to give him so now it was time for her to take.

her hands lifted to frame his face, her lips pressed to his cheek, and jameson allowed himself to relax into her. he felt the thrill of lust race down his spine, pulling back only to bury his face in the crook of her neck. he thrust into her roughly, his body losing the sensuous sense of coordination he'd used to get her off. there was no focus or gameplan, desire was driving him now.

he whispered words against her neck, mindless praise about how good she felt. how beautiful she was. how much he loved her. he whispered until the words turned into moans. his hips shuddered and then he came. one hand against her hip, the other over her head -- clenched around the sheets. jameson sagged against her, pressing kisses to imani's shoulder as his hand caressed her hip.

post-nut clarity was a bitch. she had given the man permission to do what he wanted with her body and only now -- when he sagged against her -- did it hit her. her unfaithful, untrustworthy ex had come into her home, hit her with some bullshit about love, and she fell on top of his dick. he breathed heavily against her skin, sleepily pressing kisses to her neck. as much as he pissed her off, she ran her hand up and down his back on instinct. "i really do love you." she heard him say.

despite the fact that they exchanged 'i love you' several times while fucking, it took coming on his dick a few times to remember that she didn't believe him anymore. "mhm." she hummed, patting his shoulder. "i gotta clean up." jameson took the hint and pulled out, surprising imani when he placed his hand against her abdomen. "stay here. i got it." she was silent as he left the room, not even watching his ass as he walked away. she was disappointed in herself. even though her thighs and pussy ached, her clit practically tingled, and her eyes felt heavy with exhaustion -- was it worth going on this damn rollercoaster with jameson again?

he returned to the room with a wet towel. neither of them said a word as he went through the motions of cleaning between her thighs. he even rolled her out of the wet spot that she had been unable to escape. she expected him to take the same care with himself but he didn't. once he was done with the towel, he tossed it aside. the air between them had changed. she could feel it and knew he did too.

"mani." "get out." "...baby, we don't have to do it like that. we can start over." "i don't want to start over with you. i wanted to cum and i did that. so now you can get the fuck out of my house."

imani watched the words impact him and knew he was trying to decide if he believed her or not. she slowly sat up, hating that her body still trembled while she was trying to be strong. "get out, jameson." part of her was pleased that he seemed to give up in the moment. she watched him redress mournfully. they didn't trade words. he was fully dressed and she still sat on the bed, undressed.

"i'll call you." "don't bother."

despite the heat in her words, jameson still leaned in to kiss her. she let him do so, telling herself it was easier than to shove him away. when he finally turned to leave the room, imani let her mask slip. she fell back onto the bed, breath shuddering. she had done the right thing. fucking him was a mistake but she could bounce back. she didn't have to let him back into her life anymore. that chapter of her life was over.

We hope you guys like the start of Neon Lights. If not, please keep it to yourself. No, I'm kidding. Constructive criticism is very welcome!

[inexplicifics]

You posted so many funny Lambert povs! Do you have any more? Like I mean similar to the tribute!Lambert or the bird!Milena wips you just posted. I love his pov

More Lambert POV, you say. Hm. Have some Hallmark Yule with grumpy baker Lambert!

“So,” Aiden drawls, lounging back on the counter and grinning at Lambert wickedly, “no Yule decorations this year?” “I don’t do Yule decorations,” Lambert grumbles, flicking his towel at his best friend, who yelps and scrambles out of the way indignantly. “I have never done Yule decorations, I am not doing Yule decorations, and I fucking well will never do Yule decorations. Now stop leaning on the counter, you’ll leave butt-prints and the health department will get on my ass.” Aiden snickers and shoves away from the counter, taking the broom and scampering around to start sweeping up the crumbs that litter the floor. “Unless Ciri wants you to,” he teases. “Yeah, well,” Lambert sighs. He can’t say no to Ciri’s pleading eyes; then again, nobody else can either. It’s a wonder that girl isn’t spoiled rotten. But she has contented herself thus far with having them decorate the family ranch, and not asked Lambert to put anything up in the bakery. She also bought him a black Yule hat instead of the traditional red one, which made his brothers and Aiden laugh so hard they cried. Lambert is so proud of his sarcastic little niece.

[catscraftsandcommentary]

So I had some time to think tonight at work (in between operating heavy machinery, swearing at the materials, and trying to keep the line running, fun times!) And I asked myself, "self, hypothetically, what might @inexplicifics Accidental Warlord AU look like in another generation or two - once people really get used to witchers being The Good Guys (TM) and helping out?"

And I was like "well, they'd probably get invited to social events - ooh! Who'd like which events best?!? What would that look like?"

Geralt, as we all know, detests anything too formal or Warlord-focused. He enjoys weddings and receptions, but his TRUE favorite is baby christenings. Seriously. Put him in a room with a tiny baby and he's happy as a clam. He'll happily growl away (or weaponize his puppy-dog eyes against) grannies, aunties, and other family members to hold the baby for as long as possible. He's also 90% of the reason that witchers are now rumored to be able to bless babies.

When Mouse and Treyse bring this new rumor to the council, everyone has to just sit. And process for a minute. Because what the ever-loving fuck?!? (Jaskier immediately writes the sweetest lullaby ever, "A Witcher's Blessing", and it is the ONLY song that Geralt ever sings in public, and only ever to babies and small children. Multiple women blame this for their immediate conceptions.)

Jaskier adores weddings and festivals of all types, and if a happy couple includes details of how they met and/or fell in love with their wedding invitation, there's at least a 50% chance that he'll show up to the wedding with a personalized love song, holy shit.

Ciri loves tourneys. Loves watching them, loves displaying in them, loves sneaking into competing in them (omg, heir, NO), loves WINNING them. She's a menace. She has various stealth coats of arms that she rotates between when she's not supposed to be competing, but her favorite is the battle goose. Obviously.

Eskel doesn't like crowds or being the center of attention, which are almost inevitable with public invitations, but he does enjoy being the +1 for his family. Several of his and their interests overlap, and even where they don't, he likes to see them enjoying themselves.

Yennifer becomes well-known as an extremely efficient - albeit terrifying - treaty negotiator. She'll talk to both sides, get a list of their must haves, deal-breakers, would-likes, and don't-wants (as well as - perhaps more importantly - the reason why each of those are on that particular list). Then she draws up a draft and viciously negotiates a compromise. She is genuinely surprised the first time that both sides thank her for her help.

Vesemir, with all his long years of teaching, loves visiting schools and seeing any sort of student performance or sporting event. Kindergarten to university, drama to music to dance recitals to track and field meets to football games to student symposiums to science contests to... He buys out bake sales and funds club field trips and donates several fortunes worth of antique knick knacks to various schools. He's invited as a guest lecturer, a commencement speaker, a competition judge, a referee.

Lambert and Aiden, at some point, discover bachelor's parties, call dibs, and never look back. People learn very quickly not to invite witchers to their stag nights unless they want the entire party to get horrifyingly drunk - but at least Lam and Aiden will make sure that everyone makes it home (or to the wedding) safely. Perhaps not soberly, or sans hangover, but definitely without major injury. (And if the bride asks nicely and the groom and friends weren't total jerks, Lambert can usually be counted on to make a hangover cure. He really is a softie at heart.)

Dragonfly and Serrit get tapped for the odd bachelorette party or ladies' birthday parties. Anything that falls under "I want to be able to drink and party with my friends without worrying about some strange guy hurting one of us." They are extremely protective and have both been drunkenly proposed to several times. (Livi finds this terribly amusing. Gweld just wants to know if he can watch.) Milena and Zofia sometimes go with them.

Milena loves going to wedding showers and baby showers, but outside Kaer Morhen, she has to stay in sight of Lambert or one of his brothers. Lambert's rule. (She got KIDNAPPED, okay? He's allowed to worry!) Usually she'll take Geralt (there might be babies! He's excellent protection!) or Eskel (he's very quiet and has excellent manners, and his signs are impossible to fight) for the more, ah, female-heavy events. If anyone asks, they're her brother-in-law and genuinely like spending time around kids. And very, very married.

[procrastinatingsoicanreadfanfics]

witchers x maleficent!/fae!reader

summary: how witcher characters would react to someone having maleficent type horns/wings and magic

notes: got this out just in time for the new season phew

warnings: gn!reader, lambert the middle schooler, jaskier's composing

tagged: @majesticwren @obsessiveformiyatwins @levithestripper @lu-in-the-library @sunndust (msg me to be added!)

based on this request | masterlist | requests are OPEN!

Geralt

He’s mostly just praying that fate isn’t throwing another curveball at him

Sureeee he’ll spend time with you!! (his fingers are crossed and he’s praying let them be normal let them be normal

Will end up totally accepting you, but he doesn’t love the attention that comes from being a witcher in the company of a fae

He secretly adores your wings

Jaskier

Immediately in song-writing mood

Will make up things about your life to fabricate contents for his ballads

Won’t treat you very different from his other ~weird~ friends

Loves loves loves the attention that comes with it (read: basks in it like the sun)

Yennefer

Yen is fascinated

The academic in her wants to tell her colleagues

And the girl who was all alone and abandoned in her absolutely adores you

You’d do good to make sure that she’s on your side, or she might sell you out

Definitely wants a piece of your magic either way

Ciri

Poor ciri

Eugh she just wants some friends

That don’t die…

She loves your horns and wings

Definitely adores you for also being *different* and having your own magic thing going on

Eskel

He adores your wings

If there is a wing care routing, please let this man do it

Otherwise, he might invent a conditioner-potion for your wings

Don’t scare him in the beginning though, or you may get stabbed

Lambert

Has the reaction of a seventh-grader

Might literally go woahhhhhh

Big hater, but not against you

Will protect you, but will also ask you if you can carry stuff with your horns constantly

Yeah becoming a christmas tree-esque creature may be a con

Coen

Coen honestly just enjoys a helping hand

Your magic will in fact be contributing to his work

Tbf he also makes sure you don’t get killed by angry farmers

The whole thing starts off as a symbiotic relationship but will turn into a friendship (if not more hehe)

Vesemir

Bro does not trust you

Thots and prayers girldude

Oh you have horns and wings? LIKE A MONSTER??

Unless one of his witchers (read:children) introduces you to him, he may attempt murder

[batbusiness-schooldropout]

Ciri: I have a question

Jaskier: Ask away my dear

Ciri: You and Yen can handle bandits and small monsters on your own, right?

Jaskier: Most definitely

Ciri: So why do you guys mostly just stand aside and let Geralt deal with them?

Jaskier: My dear girl, you have to learn to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. And for Yen and I, one of those pleasures is watching Geralt get sweaty

Ciri: Gross

Jaskier: You also need to learn not to ask a question unless you're sure you want the answer

[thedemonofcat]

In Jaskier's childhood, whenever he was injured or ill, his parents would tell him that he was exaggerating his symptoms in order to make the situation worse. Throughout his life, Jaskier had learned how to hide his injuries and sicknesses except those that were really serious, such as the time he was bed-ridden with a high fever for weeks on end. In the same vein, Geralt did not pay attention to Jaskier's pain unless he was literally dying. Jaskier kept silent after Rience burned his hand.

Considering everything going on in Kear Morhen, Jaskier has no right to complain. Then Jaskier's hand get infected and he falls very sick. When Jaskier lies in bed with a dangerously high fever, he can hear Yennefer and a few other Witchers nearby. Wondering why he did not speak up. Geralt desperately reassures Jaskier that everything will be okay

Geralt asks why Jaskier didn't say anything about what Rience had done to him a few days after Jaskier fever broke. Jaskier tries to play it off as if it was nothing but a little burn that wasn't so bad. However, Geralt yells about Jaskier almost dying. After a moment or two, Jaskier started to cry a little bit thinking Geralt is mad at him. As Jaskier cries, he is upset that they are worrying about him and his burns when they have other things to worry about.

In that moment Geralt realizes that Jaskier truly believes that his suffering is something that should either be ignored or punished for it.

When Geralt thinks about how he contributed to Jaskier's state of mind, his heart sinks.

Geralt tells Jaskier how brave he was for not succumbing to Rience's torture and how thankful he is for Jaskier's help in protecting Ciri. Geralt reassures Jaskier that it is safe for him to ask for help when someone has hurt him and that simply sneezing will never lead to him being beaten up again. 

Eventually, Geralt will tell Jaskier that being scared is okay, because he is not alone. As Jaskier sits there in the midst of Geralt's arms, he just tears up telling Geralt everything that has happened to him since they parted on the mountain. From being the sandpiper to Rience. As for Geralt, he is just holding Jaskier.

[syndrossi]

back to the idea of what if Daemon had twin daughters in the Vale instead of sons, I just so happen to have the perfect casting idea for them, hear me out:

Freya Allan (for both)

she plays (or played I’m still confused about it) Ciri on the Witcher, and she has the perfect Valyrian hair and a quick edit of her eyes to change them to purple is easy enough. but the real kicker about this is that in the new Planet of the Apes movie, she plays a character with dark hair and bright blue eyes that almost look grey at times.

naturally, this led to me making these edits:

the names would be interesting in this case. I assume Jon would go to Jeyne and Rhaegar might opt for Rhaena, unless you have another idea. the ages would also change, i assume they’d be thirteen going on fourteen, they could even be twelve going thirteen if you stretch it but they simultaneously work as late teens as well. the fun bit of HOTD is the wide range of actors having to play ages all over the place so it doesn’t matter much in this regard. Daemon and Criston look the exact same age and it’s been twenty years.

again, i have no idea where i’m going with this, but i know i wanted to get it out of my head so please enjoy. and if you have any possible Jon and Rhaegar fancasts, either as kids or teenagers please let me know, i’d love to edit them to fit their look

Confession: I initially skipped straight to the photos and went "huh, impressive, those two actresses look pretty similar, nice find to portray twins" then read the rest of your ask and was like OH WELL THAT EXPLAINS THINGS. 😅 It's actually impressive that hair/makeup/lighting can make that much of a difference!

That's a lovely cast! I'm terrible at fancasting, so whenever someone asks me I'm usually like *mumble* idk *mumble*. (I also like to leave things open so that folks can make their own without me laying down anything proscriptive.)

Names are fun, I hadn't thought about what their female equivalents would be. Jeyne and Eleyna for their Vale names, perhaps? For their Targaryen names, I think Rhaegar honors his mother with some Rhae name, perhaps even Rhaella or Rhaelle. Jon's probably less stubborn about Jeyne, since it's not a name he has any prior attachment to, but I don't know which Targaryen name he'd gravitate towards. Visenya, perhaps, for her prowess? We know Daemon would approve, given that it's a name he and Rhaenyra used in canon. Otherwise maybe something in Dany's honor.

Now I'm imagining them going with Rhaenys and Visenya, and Otto and/or Viserys being like "clearly one of them is meant for Aegon" to Daemon's consternation.

And ah yes, the Hollywood propensity for casting twenty-something (and sometimes thirty-something) actors for teens!

[geraltyen-of-corvobianco]

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦

They say that Toussaint is a fairytale land - and that is true even for its starry skies. And though their family already enjoys stargazing as an activity no matter which part of the continent they go to, Toussaint somehow always makes the activity feel even more magical, soothing and therapeutic. When Ciri is not around, Geralt nonetheless still brings Yennefer out on most nights, searching for the best stargazing spots together. He enjoys hearing her little sighs of happiness and relief, and watching her violet eyes glisten in the moonlight.

Yen will never admit it; her proud nature obviously forbids it - but that one year of captivity in Stygga Castle had made her feel more comfortable outdoors. Geralt could see it in her eyes - the contentedness and relaxed gaze as she looks around her surroundings. She would rather stay outdoors during the day than indoors, unless he were home. Even so, it seems they spent more time lounging outdoors then lazing indoors. Sometimes he would wonder if only he had not been such a fool, to believe that Yen had betrayed him and Ciri, and had worked harder to find her, she would not have suffered that much. Her discomfort of confined spaces might not have existed. She would not have had to wiggle her fingers unconsciously at the dinner table all the time, her eyes widening slightly, as if surprised that her fingers have been fully healed for a long time…

"Oh stop it, Witcher."

"What? I'm just calmly looking at the stars, just like you."

"You know I'll never blame you for that. I was —"

Geralt didn't let her finish. He leaned over and kissed her at the side of her head, at the same time breathing in her scent. Lilac and gooseberries. As usual, her presence calms his mind.

"I know." He said softly, "but sometimes we just can't seem to escape from what haunts us in our past."

A sad little smile played on Yen's lips. She knows it all too well.

"Your presence calms me too, you know." Yen said, as she leaned even closer to Geralt.

Just at that moment, a shooting star shone across the sky. Both their eyes lit up, feeling grateful to be able to see it that night.

"Still believe in wishes, Geralt?" Yennefer asked.

"Of course."

"Despite everything?"

"Despite everything…"

[shy-urban-hobbit]

Lambert tried to let the yelling and squealing fade into the background as he sat at one of the picnic tables keeping one eye on his niece, the bright pink bunny ears he'd bought her on the way in paired with her blue dress making for an excellent marker as she ran around in circles like something possessed in her hunt for chocolate eggs. Ciri had talked about nothing but the children's Easter egg hunt at the local petting zoo all week and then of course, both Geralt and Jaskier had to fall sick when Yenn was also out of town and Eskel's car was busted, leaving Lambert to step in to save the day. Or giving him a convenient excuse to not work on that paper which was due when college classes started up again. Potato, potahto. So long as Ciri was happy, right?

Speaking of, Lambert frowned when he saw Ciri attempting to climb the fence on the far side of the playing field. They'd been expressly told the perimeters of the hunt before they started so unless she'd gotten distracted or bored, there was no reason for her to be over there. He made to yell her back before realising she'd probably be too far away to hear him and started walking over. He picked up the pace when he saw a dark skinned man who looked to be around his age in the bright yellow t-shirt which marked him out as farm staff come over and lean on the other side of the fence, smiling as he said something to Ciri. Lambert was still too far away to hear but he caught the gist as Ciri diligently placed both feet back on the ground and instead started gesturing to the large tree which the other man was stood underneath.

Lambert reached them both just in time to hear him laugh before he practically launched himself into the branches and disappeared amongst the thick foliage.

"Ciri?" He asked coming to stand next to his niece, "What are you doing over here?"

"He with you, sweetheart?" A voice from above piped up and Lambert looked up to see the mystery employee perched on a branch, staring down at him critically with eyes so green they could almost blend in with the leaves.

"It's Uncle Lambert. My daddy's his big brother and that's why he's my uncle!" She called back happily, giving the explanation which had now become routine ever since they'd explained the basics to her of how family trees work and proceeding to hang off his arm for emphasis.

He nodded, seemingly satisfied, "Well, Uncle Lambert. How are you at catching?"

Lambert barely had time to process the question before an egg wrapped in bright blue foil was plummeting downwards, Lambert lunging to catch it on instinct before dropping it into Ciri's basket. It was swiftly followed by many others in various colours, the two adults building up something of a rhythm somewhere around the fifth.

"Think that's all of them!" Was the only warning they got before the other didn't so much climb down the tree as drop down, startling Lambert a little with the suddenness and impressing him with the fact that he'd managed to stick the landing from that height.

"Thank you!" Ciri cried out happily, giving him a gap toothed smile, "Uncle Lambert, I want to play on the slide." She shoved her now near overflowing basket into Lambert's side before darting off towards the playground, leaving Lambert to follow behind.

"She's got a good eye." The other said, vaulting over the fence and falling into step next to him, "Name's Aiden by the way." He said pointing to the name badge plastered with various animal stickers which declared as much, "Figured it was only fair seeing as I found yours out."

"Who the hell decided to hide eggs up a god damn tree anyway?" Lambert asked looking back over his shoulder, "How were the kids supposed to find those?"

"I don't think they were." Aiden replied. Lambert raised an eyebrow, inviting him to elaborate, "That tree has a hollow about halfway up. I think one of the guys who was in charge of setting this up stashed a bunch for himself up there and accidentally left that blue one your niece spotted poking out." Aiden gave him a wide grin, "Honestly, that's the best karma ever for literally trying to take candy from babies."

Lambert gave a matching smile, allowing himself to share in the enjoyment of karmic justice, "You being serious?"

"Unfortunately. If it's who I think, they can be a bit of a dick whenever they get scheduled during the holidays. You should've seen the Christmas display, they put a few of the elves in some rather suggestive poses."

Aiden pulled out his phone and started scrolling before holding it out for Lambert to look at, sure enough there were numerous shots of plastics elves in various positions and poses which would have had Geralt and Jaskier covering Ciri's eyes but had Lambert laughing in delight, "Ok, but those are pretty funny."

"We thought so, too. The parents very much wouldn't have though. Luckily our supervisor noticed before we opened for the day."

Lambert gave another laugh before looking over to where he could see Ciri waiting in line for her turn on the slide.

"Hey uh, nice job too by the way. Not just on the egg retrieval but-" Lambert petered off awkwardly.

"Checking that she actually knew you?"

Lambert nodded.

"Of course. Can't be too careful with kids, right? Especially at something like this, although you'd be surprised how many guardians take offence. Still, I'd rather get yelled at than be the one who let a kid go off with a total stranger, you know?"

"Uncle Lambert, come push me!!" Ciri yelled from the swings.

"And that's my queue." Lambert sighed, adjusting his hold on Ciri's basket. Surprisingly, he'd been enjoying the others company, "Thanks again, Aiden."

"Don't mention it. I'd better get back to work too." He turned to leave before seeming to think better of it and turning back, looking slightly hopeful, "Hey. Our baby pygmy goats should be old enough to meet the public next weekend. If you guys are free you should come and say hi, they're seriously cute."

"You working that weekend?"

Aiden nodded, "I'm scheduled for the Sunday."

"Then we'll see you on Sunday, Aiden."

[geraltofriviacollection]

Chapter Four

Paring: Geralt x Reader

Summary: Reader is thrown into the Witcher’s world. Will she survive? Eventual smut may come about😉

A/N: This is the fourth part in a series. I as usual have not edited or proofread. Please do not repost, translate or copy my work without permission. Please leave comments! ❤️ @sparks363​ - I didn’t forget you babes xoxo

Chapter One    Chapter Two   Chapter Three

“I’m not talking about it.” I whisper shout at him across the fire. I peek over at Ciri to make sure she’s still asleep.

“Avoiding talking about it won’t make it go away.” He says looking at me with those stupid golden judgmental eyes.

For the past 2 days I have avoided talking about my little power show at Nevillen’s. Partly because I’m freaked the fuck out about it and partly because I’m freaked THE FUCK. The look Geralt has been giving me is not the ‘I want to slam you against the wall in a hot way’ but the ‘I’m going to get this out of you one way or another. You might not like the other.’ Kind of way. So far I have managed to dodge every question about this. I definitely feel myself losing my resolve.

“Really? So far avoiding it has been working.” I reply looking back down at my hands. I hear his frustrated sigh for the 70th time about this.

“Must you be this stubborn about this?” He says with a slight edge in his voice.

“Must you be so fucking pushy about this?” I quietly hissed.

“For her safety, yes. Now are you going to tell me or keep wasting my time?” He growls lowly. I look over to Ciri for a moment and then back to Geralt.

“I..I don’t know what happened. When I heard Ciri cry out… it felt like something snapped. Like a rope pulled too tight. The next thing I knew Vereena was impaled and I was exhausted.”I look back at the flames flickering in the fire.

“Can you control it?” He asks.

“No..I…I don’t know. Maybe?” I shrug.

“Fuck.” He murmurs. Fuck indeed.

The road to Kaer Morhen was a long and cold one. My favorite part was how uneventful it was. No dangers lurking around the corner. Ciri and I grew closer, sharing loud laughs and swapping stories . He liked it, I know it made him happy if only to see Ciri laugh even when we got a bit loud. During the journey Geralt and I stayed clear of each other unless Ciri was awake. No idle conversation unless it was a “Are you hungry? I’m going to get firewood. You should sleep. Type of things. Our relationship mimicked awkward divorced parents forced to live in the same house sharing custody of their kid. My whole glowing energy thing has been rather non existent. Ciri and Geralt seem to think it only happens under extreme stress. Which doesn’t exactly explain why I didn’t kick some as at my kidnapping. Sleeping outside in the cold though not a big fan of that. Eating outside in the cold. Peeing outside in the cold two words fucking bullshit.

When we finally had Kaer Morhen in our sight I sagged in relief even if it looked considerably worse than in the show. The snow still falling around us as Ciri and I dismount from Roach. I look around trying to remember where I can find a door that leads to warmth. How Geralt and Ciri aren’t anxious to get inside puzzles me. Eventually I follow Geralt into a hall considerably big for the amount of people in the room. I look down at ciri and give her a “reassuring” smile. Ciri then looks to Geralt who gives her the only smile I have ever seen from him which is huge.

Geralt walks up to one of the men in the room and they meet in the middle. After an odd welcome they embrace each other with smiles and laughs. Ciri and I look at each other in slight shock at the sight in front of us. I shrug as our attention turns back to the men. I begin walking to them with Ciri right by my side. An older man with white hair that almost matches Geralt stands. I can only assume that’s the famous Vesemir. Ciri walks to stand behind Geralt with me on the other side of Ciri. The ever needed buffer between the two of us. Vesemir nods questioningly at the two of us. Vesemir locks eyes assessing narrowing at Ciri before he looks at me. I raise my eyebrow in a slight challenge before a smirk comes to his lips. Geralt moves to greet all the men in the hall.

Soon we sit and begin eating. My favorite part more than food was being warm even with the gaping hole in the ceiling. I laugh at the stories the men swap becoming drunker with time.The relief only lasted a short time before remembering the next part in this story as Eskel entered the hall. While everyone is making toast.

“Too forgetting the fucking path for one fucking night. Who’s ready?” He shouts as feral goes to greet him.

“Eskel.” They all say warmly. As Geralt hugs him. They share a laugh at Eskel’s expense when suddenly he notices Ciri. Before he can get too close I step in front of him.

“Who the hell are you?” He frowns at me. I let out a small breath when he focuses on me instead.

“Not the one that took six hours to fight a monster.” I say. The room breaks out in concealed laughs at my comment. Eskels face scrunches in dislike. He looks around me to look at Ciri.

“And who the hell is she then?”

With all the poise of royalty she leans back. “I am Princess Cirilla of Centra. Pleasure to meet you.” I look down to hide my smile.

Sometime later I find myself wandering the castle. If it weren’t for the gaping holes, the rats, and the complete lack of indoor plumbing it wouldn’t be so bad. Trying to find a bathtub around here has proven less than fruitful. I keep my search going only to run into Vesemir.

“If you tell me what you are looking for I might be able to help you ,my lady.”

“I’ve been looking for a bathtub. It’s been almost two weeks and I’m smelling pretty ripe.” I laugh a little awkwardly. Vesemir looks at me and chuckles.

“There’s a hot spring in the lower parts of the keep. I will escort you. Where is the girl? I’m sure she would like to bathe as well.” He says, leading me to the hot springs.

“I’m sure she is somewhere she shouldn’t be. Doing something Geralt told her not to do.” I sigh just thinking about it.

“You protect the girl as if she is yours.”

“She certainly feels like it these days. What gave me away?” I laugh.

He chuckles. “You putting yourself between her and Eskel certainly didn’t help with keeping your secret if that was what you were intending.”

“Well I suppose subtleties are best used for politicians rather than Witcher’s.”

“Geralt told me about you,” He said looking at me.

“I’m not surprised by that. If he told you, you know I can’t answer any questions about the future. Trying to talk about it or interfering in critical moments leaves me in pain.” I explain.

“Geralt said that you know him. That you know all about his past and Ciri’s.”

“I know more of the major moments than the small details.” I say. I begin to hear music playing and the faint sound of happy voices.  “I know that Deglan was the one who created the monsters that witchers kill and are killed by.” The shock on his face lasted for a split second, but I still see it. “These things are known where I’m from.” I explained.

“How did you get here? Why are you here?”

“I don’t know. I simply woke up here in the middle of the snow. My best guess as to why I think I’m here to protect Ciri.” I sigh and shrug.

“You know about the night she fled Cintra. You also know what she is.” He states more than asking ,eyes narrowing again. I say nothing. “What are you?” He asks.

“Fairly fucked I’d  say but only time will tell.” He laughs at my words and I can’t help but smile. Better to laugh than cry. We start to pass the great hall as the cheering becomes louder. I turn the corner to see topless women and half drunk men grinding against them. I sigh in annoyance.

“They all become idiots when women are involved.” He says laughing as he watches on.

“It’s nice to know men stay consistent no matter where I go.” I say and Vesemir laughs again. I look to see Geralt come out. I look around for Ciri and see her nowhere to be found. I turn to Vesemir to speak, he interrupts me before I can get the words out.

“Go on, find the girl. I will show you the spring once you have her.” He gestures with his chin. I give him a grateful smile. I walk down the stairs to find where Geralt has left Ciri. When I get there I see one of the women holding his hand in her’s. The smallest part of me is annoyed watching that.

“-softest thing about you was that you paid.”

“She’s not my daughter.”

“Oh well in that case I could take her in. She’d have the boys eating out of her hands.” She says still rubbing his arm. I interrupt just as Geralt takes a step forward threateningly. He wouldn’t kill her but Unwilling to take the chance I step in front of him.

“That’s a big fuck no. I’d say thank you for your interest but I would be lying. I’m not sure I’d like to waste her education on whoring. Tell me, can you read?” I give her a toothy smile. She starts to say something when I hear a slight growl from Geralt before he turns with an irritated look walking away.

“I didn’t need your help.” He says as I turn around.

“I know you didn’t but she did. Where is your not daughter, daughter at?” I ask him. He looks down at me, narrowing those golden eyes before grunting. “I feel like we have been over this before. Grunting is not an answer. Where is she?” I snap.

“In the armory. I told her to stay there.” I sigh. Pinching the bridge of my nose because if we have learned anything Ciri rarely listens. I turn and begin but before I even take a step I see Eskel. I pause. My chest falls into my stomach and I feel myself growing warm like with the bruxa. Geralt pushes me in the door frame behind us.

“You were starting to glow. What is it?” He asked. I meet his eyes. I start shaking my head. “Something is going to happen isn’t it? He questions me again. I look down at my feet.

“I can’t tell you. You know that.” I feel a wave of sorrow come over me for Geralt. Knowing the next part won’t be easy for him killing his brother. On instinct I grab his hand giving it a light squeeze. “I’m sorry Geralt.” I whisper.

I let go of his hand and turned away, beginning to walk through the crowd to make my way to the lab. I see Eskel with a blonde haired woman. I stop for just a second and he meets my eyes for a moment before turning around and places his lips to hers peeking at me. Geralt passes me and pulls him away from the women. I turn and rush to Ciri. I run around forgetting where the armory is. Eventually I find the armory and Ciri in it with Vesemir and feel relieved.

“I’m not sure if I should be more surprised that you are where Geralt said you would be or if you actually listened to him and stayed.” I laugh. She turns and smiles at me with a blush of embarrassment and Vesemir laughs. “Vesemir agreed to take us to the hot springs. Only if you are finished here?” I grin. Ciri nods her head when the room shakes a bit and dust falls from the ceiling.  Vesemir and I lock eyes and he leaves without a word.

“What is it?” Cir ask looking at me. I grab her wrist and start pulling her behind me to our rooms. She pulls her arm from my hand and I stop. “What’s happening?” She demands.

“Geralt is in trouble and I need to make sure you’re safe.” I grab her and turn to walk again. She pulls away from me again. “Ciri we don’t have time for this!” I shout.

“If Geralt is in trouble then we need to help him.” She says Bolting to find Geralt. I run after her but she’s fast.

“Fuck. fuck. Fuck. fuck. Fuck. fuck.” I chant running after her. This is not what happens in the fucking show!! 

I finally catch up with Ciri at the lab she enters and Geralt turns his head to Ciri telling her to run, getting him impaled by Eskel. He grunts in pain as Eskel pulls the branch back out of Geralt’s side. I run to grab Ciri and just as I am about to reach for her a branch wraps around her waist and pulls her away from me. The burning starts quickly. I scream and go after her. I manage to doge the branches. Vesemir is trying to wiggle out from the branches surrounding him. Ciri screams, reaching for Geralt. I see Eskel start squeezing Ciri and Vesemir tighter.

What happens next feels like someone has pulled me out of the front seat in my mind. I watch myself  shatter the branches that have slid up wrapping around me. Every branch that comes my way sets fire as soon as it touches me. I vaguely hear the screams from the leche as I walk forward. It lets go of the girl  throwing her across the room. I throw out a hand that catches her in a shield and I lower her to the ground. The black eyed man tries to chase after her when another vine wraps around him, tossing him into a wall.

My head snaps back to the monster in front of me. The vines that once held the girl all come shooting from me and they quickly burn away.  When I finally reach the Leshy at the center of the room, I stop and look at him. His head cocks to the side as his vines loosen around the old man. I see his mouth move but I don’t hear the words as I shove my hand through his chest and the center of him begins to smoke. The sounds around me still don’t register. I pull my hand from his chest and watch as he falls to the ground.

The older man approaches me. I look at him. From the corner of my eye I see a man walking to the girl. I throw out a hand that blasts him back. I move to the girl and see her lying there eyes closed. I lean down to touch her when I hear someone calling a name. My head whips around. The black eyed man is coming near me. I feel myself burn hotter as he nears and I sneer as he steps closer to us. He holds up both of his hands as he takes another step.

Some part of me must finally recognize him when I feel the energy burning against me start to dissipate. I feel my breathing calm and I slowly feel like I am being pulled back into my body. I stand there looking at Geralt confused. As to why he’s standing like that. I open my mouth to ask him when I lose the ability to stand. Geralt catches me before I hit the floor. My eyes feel incredibly heavy and I sink into oblivion.

[littlestsnicket]

title: In which ciri acquires an emotional support bard (1/5)

word count: 6k

ciri character study, focused on her developing relationships with jaskier, geralt, and yennefer; pre-season 3 fic; grief; families of choice; weird uncle jaskier

special thanks to @soymimikyu and @kuwdora for the hand holding and cheerleading and idea bouncing

excerpt:

Geralt looked Jaskier over again. “What else can’t you do without?”

“Changes of shirts and socks.” Geralt nodded towards his saddlebags to indicate he’d already thought of the items as Jaskier ticked off his requests on his fingers. “Paper, pen, a cloak would be nice—my coat isn’t that warm—and the spare lute you keep in the basement as a prize for the bards that manage not to die of exposure.”

Geralt shook his head.

“No, I didn’t really expect that to work, but you were being so agreeable, I had to try.”

Geralt squeezed Jaskier’s shoulder and, wordlessly, went back inside.

Jaskier immediately began rummaging through Geralt’s saddlebags—which Roach tolerated—until he found an apple and a knife. He sliced the apple into pieces, held one out for Roach on a carefully flat palm, and fed the rest of the pieces, one at a time, to the chocolate gelding. 

“You’ll spoil her,” Yennefer said. It was the first thing she had said all morning. 

Jaskier shrugged and petted the horse’s muzzle. “Him? It’s a gelding, so maybe not a him. Hm, in people having your balls cut off doesn’t make you not a man unless you want it to but you can’t ask a horse. Anyway, not a her. And better spoiled than mad at me.”

“You’ll have both spoiled and mad at you when you run out of treats,” Ciri said, mostly to see what Jaskier would do.

He smiled blithely at her. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. No reason not to enjoy the apples while we have them, isn’t that right, Fredrick?”

“That’s not…” Ciri trailed off and Jaskier looked at her quizzically. None of the Witchers would name their horse Fredrick, but Ciri didn’t know the gelding’s proper name, wasn’t even sure which of the now dead Witchers it had belonged to. She hadn’t spent enough time in the stables to learn these things but it still felt like a failure not to know.

Ciri frowned and mounted her horse, riding in tight figure eights around the courtyard. She kept an eye on Jaskier and Yennefer. They stood where Geralt had left them with their respective horses, but Jaskier made silly faces across the distance and Yennefer visibly struggled not to smile. This man was utterly unremarkable, or, more accurately, he was only remarkable in his ability to be dramatic, wordy, and irritating. He was not funny. Ciri didn’t understand why Yennefer was acting like this—like she liked him. What had he done to earn her affection? 

[on ao3]

[grlsbstshot]

NEON LIGHTS

Pairing (Original Characters):

Jameson Lucas (Aaron Pierre) x Imani St. Cirie (Megan thee Stallion) Genie Adesanya (Jayme Lawson) x Ellington “EJ” Dupree (Kelvin Harrison Jr.)

Chapters:

Neon Lights Masterlist

Chapter Synopsis: Imani and Jameson show all sides of their feelings for each other and come to a devastating realization.

Warnings: smut (18+), toxic relationship, emotional breakdown (x3) -- if we missed anything, let us know!

Word Count: 5.2k

Divider Template: @cafekitsune

Notes: 

The following characters are original creations. Their voice claims are Usher / Lucky Daye (Jameson) & Summer Walker / SZA (Imani). We have no affiliation to any of those artists.

The liquor brought a different Imani to the surface. She was less level-headed, more vulnerable and needy. This Imani thought about what her heart said above anything else. It told her to text Jameson. It told her to call him when he didn’t answer. It told her to tell him to come get her. And it told her to go through all of those texts he left while she had him blocked. Then it told her to read his RHYTHM article she never got a chance to read. 

Fuck. This man was obsessed with her. Deep down, she knew that, but reading the article and seeing his texts opened her eyes to his love even more. A huge smile formed on her face when she got the text that he was outside. She strutted out of the gala and over to his car to see him, standing there in sweats and a simple tee, black jacket unzipped as he waited for her. He was holding the door open, a look of trepidation on his face. My poor baby. She grabbed his shirt, pulling him into her embrace. 

Imani kissed his lips, not caring what onlookers were watching. She missed him and she was going to let it be known. “I missed you.” She said, her speech slightly slurred. “This bald head lookin’ real good on you too even though it brings out your dumbo ears.” Her fingers caressed his face before she gave one of his earlobes a tug. 

He seemed shocked before he began abruptly laughing, shaking his head. “No wonder you called. You’re drunk as hell. Get in the car, Imani.” 

“I’m not drunk. Just a little tipsy.” She corrected him. She took his hand, using it for leverage as she slipped inside his car then he shut the door. Her eyes never left him as he walked to the driver’s side and got in. They stayed on him as he put the car into drive and drove away from the party. 

She noticed the way his muscles popped out of his shirt. How his eyes looked when he was focused. And his lips. Those damn lips. Imani didn’t even feel the car being in motion. She didn’t know where the hell they were going. She was just happy to be with him again. That’s all she knew. She leaned forward, touching his thigh and kissing his lips. “Baby, you really think I’m your soulmate?” She blurted out. 

Jameson gave her a sidelong glance, the answer obvious but he seemed almost reluctant to give it to her. “...Yes. I believe my life ain’t a full life unless I’m loving you. I’m always loving you and living for you. Nobody else.” Fuck. She could feel the dampness fill her eyes. She didn’t want to cry right now. Not in front of him. She batted her eyes, hoping that her tears would hold off. 

He told her he loved her in many different ways, but she never thought he viewed her as his soulmate. “You shoulda been with me the whole time.” She murmured. “I thought about you all fuckin’ night. I felt so…off without you. How do you do that? Invade my thoughts like that?”

“I should ask you. You do the same to me. I’m always thinking about you.” He replied, his voice soft and the words coming easier.

“I’m always thinking about you too. Even when you’re blocked. I was searchin’ your name on Instagram, just so I could see you.” Imani pressed kisses against his cheek then his jawline then his neck. She couldn’t keep her hands off of him.

“Baby,” he murmured. “Baby, baby...I love to hear that. I love that you’re just as obsessed with me as I am with you. But I need you to put your seatbelt on. Tell me where to take you.” he said, hand reaching out to touch her thigh.

She should have said home. It was what sober Imani would have wanted. But she wasn’t her right now. She was drunk Imani and she knew exactly where she wanted to go.

“To your house, daddy. I want to be with you tonight. No one else.”

Alarms were ringing off in his mind. Picking Imani up? Bad idea. Bringing her to his house? Even worse. But he couldn’t help himself. She needed him and even though he swore to himself that he was done trying, he didn’t want to disappoint her again. Getting her inside proved to be more difficult than he thought it would be. She couldn’t keep her hands off him, constantly touching his face and arms. 

He could barely unlock the door to his house with her hoisted up in his arms and it was even more difficult because she kept kissing him. When they finally stumbled into the house, he thought he would be able to get a breather. Maybe help her out of her heels so she could clean up and get into bed. But instead, she was kissing his lips and it wasn’t like the kiss she gave him outside of the gala. It set him on fire from the inside out. 

Chills broke out across his arm and he kissed her back without thinking – his tongue pressed to hers. Jameson slowly placed Imani on her feet, pulling her closer by the waist. He felt her acrylics pressed to the back of his neck and it made him groan. It would have been so easy to pull her out of her dress. It would be just a small shifting of fabric…but no. He had to do this right. They had a chance. He had to get it right this time. So he forced himself to pull back. He groaned lowly and spotted the pout on her face. He was not God’s strongest warrior and was sick of being tested.

“Don’t stop.”

He dropped his head to her shoulder, fingers toying with the fabric at her waist. “Fuck, g-go get cleaned up baby, so we can get you in bed.” 

Imani shook her head, refusing his request. “No. I’m still mad at you. I wish I wasn’t so mad at you. I want to be with you.” She said softly. He looked up, gazing into her eyes. He saw everything. Her hurt. Her anger. Her pain. Her love. It tore him to pieces. He wanted to talk about it all but she wasn’t in the right state to do that. 

Instead, he cradled her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. “I know, baby. I know. I wish I could take it all back. Trust me, I do. But let’s talk about it in the morning, okay?”

Reluctantly, she agreed. “Okay, daddy, but I want you to know this. I love you. I will always love you even when I’m mad at you. I can’t get enough of you, Jameson Julian Lucas. You’re all I ever think about.”

It was like everything he ever wanted to hear from her was free-flowing. Every single word weakened his resolve to stay away from her a little more. She needed a new start – he wanted to give that to her. But he was torn between his selfish desire to love and be loved by her.

“I believe you. Come on, let’s get you out of those shoes so you can go take your shower. I’ll be right here when you get back, I promise.” He bent down, undoing the strap of her heels one after the other. She carefully stepped out of both. His hand rested on her waist as he encouraged her to ascend the stairs.

Her dress hugged her curves, a flash of her thigh showing every time she lifted her leg to rise up the stairs. This was going to be a long night. 

Imani turned around to face him with a lopsided grin. “I won’t keep you waiting long, I swear.” She kissed him again, deepening the kiss as soon as it began. Her head tilted, giving her easier access to his mouth then she slowly pulled away. “Just somethin’ to remember me by.”

After that, she sauntered to his bedroom. He exhaled loudly – frustration eating him up from the inside out. He was happy she was with him, because she was safe, but she was making things very hard for him. His head dropped down and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You got this.” he whispered to himself. 

He didn’t know what to do with himself. He paced the hallway, went back downstairs and grabbed cold bottles of water, then went back upstairs to shift things around his bedroom. It was pristine, but he needed a distraction. 

He heard her before he saw her. “Daddy,” she said softly, the door creaking open. “I need to borrow one of your shirts. Or I could sleep naked. What’s better for you?” Jameson turned to veto the idea of her sleeping naked – and was greeted by the sight of her without clothes, soaking wet. She didn’t even bother to wrap up in a towel. He took his time gazing over her, his eyes sweeping her frame.

He could not have her in his room, in his bed, naked. Not when he was already losing his mind. 

Jameson quickly moved across the room, heading into the adjoining walk-in closet and pulling a t-shirt from a drawer. He ignored a pile of her clothes in his closet. He wanted her in something of his to lay in his bed. He tossed it over his shoulder and strode out of the closet toward her. “You can wear this one.” 

Stepping closer to her was a mistake. He saw her frame up close and could smell the faint vanilla on her. He noticed all of her body piercings – her nipples, her belly button and her clit. Got damn it. He closed his eyes, counting to ten. 

“Jamie, open your eyes.” She said. “Are you scared of naked me?”

He didn’t answer her question. This was like being in heaven and hell all at once. The heaven part was obvious: he had Imani’s full attention, they weren’t arguing, and she was naked. The hell part wasn’t so obvious: he couldn’t touch her the way that he wanted, there was a big ass elephant in the room they couldn’t address because he had no idea if she would remember this conversation, and she was naked. 

Instead of focusing on this state, he tried to focus on getting her half-dressed. Jameson pulled the shirt from his shoulder, opening the fabric so that she could put her head through. An excuse to touch her but she didn’t complain. Imani lifted her arms and he slipped the t-shirt over her body. She was still naked underneath but something was better than nothing.

“Thank you, baby.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured against her lips. Jameson picked up the water bottle, twisting the cap off of it before he handed it over to her. “Drink this.”

Imani wrinkled her nose but took the water bottle from him, taking a huge sip before placing it on the nightstand. Without any prompting from him, she turned and pulled the covers back on the bed. Jameson sighed in relief, believing that once she lay down, she’d be out. “Come here, please,” she asked him softly, crawling under the sheets. “I can’t sleep without you.”

What else could he do? The truth was that he didn’t want to do anything else. So he did as she asked. Jameson slipped in beside her, draping his arm across her body. He placed a small kiss on her neck, nuzzling against her. He didn’t know if he’d ever get to have this again. Everything between them was so chaotic and fucked up. So he wanted to savor it – but a thought occurred to him while they lay there. He knew she’d answer honestly because she was drunk…and he asked before fear could snuff it out. “Imani…why do you love me? I mean I’m a piece of shit. Always have been. So why do you love me?”

Imani was quiet for a moment and he thought he missed his window. But when she spoke again, he knew she was thinking. “Because I never had anybody care for me in the way that you do. You’re always looking out for me in a way that no one has. I’ve never had a man care for me like that before.” 

A sense of sadness washed over him. What did that say about the other people in her life? There was no doubt that he loved Imani. But he knew he wasn’t always the best to her. If the way he treated her was the best she ever had in a relationship – no wonder she gave in to their dysfunction every time. What else did she have to compare it to?

“I can be better.” He told her softly. “I will be. I’ll take care of you better.”

“You not finna make me cry tonight, Jay. You can forget that shit.” 

“I’m not trying to make you cry, baby.” He told her softly, holding her closely. “I’m just trying to figure us out. I think it’s time that we do. I want you to be happy to be with me.”

“You are the love of my life” Imani whispered against his chest. “I will never love anyone like I love you. I know one day you will get it together…we will get it together because I can’t imagine life without you.”

Sunlight hit her like a hammer to the damn head. Her eyes were still closed, but she could feel the warmth of it on her face, an unrelenting brightness that made her groan softly. The dull ache in her skull throbbed in time with her heartbeat, and her mouth felt like it had been stuffed with cotton. She was never going to drink again.

Imani shifted slightly, wincing at the stiffness in her body. That’s when she noticed it—the unfamiliarity of the sheets covering her, the faint scent of cedarwood. This wasn’t her bed. It was Jameson’s. She’d know the smell of that man anywhere.

She cracked one eye open, her vision swimming as she took in the room. It was dimly lit, the curtains drawn halfway, but she could make out the minimalistic decor: dark furniture, muted tones, and plush sitting chair across the room. Her stomach sank. She gave in. She remembered feeling sad, mournful. Wanting to call him. And then…she did.

Fuck.

Imani’s eyes darted to the other side of the bed. It was empty, the sheets rumpled but cool to the touch. She exhaled a shaky breath, relief and something else—disappointment?—mixing uneasily in her chest.

Before she could dwell on it, the door creaked open and there stood Jameson with a tray of food. “Good morning.”

It was unfair he looked so good that early in the damn morning. Imani lifted her hand, brushing against her hair as she tried to at least look like she hadn’t been drunk as shit, emotional, and all over him. “Hey.” she said softly, gathering the sheets around herself as he came further in. The tray had a plate of eggs and french toast, a bowl of fresh fruit, and a glass of grapefruit juice. Her stomach growled loudly and Imani met his gaze with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

Jameson nodded and let her eat. For twenty minutes, he watched and she ignored the fact that he was watching her. He didn’t say a word but patiently waited for her to clear the plate. When she was done, he picked it up and took it out of the room…silently.

Imani blinked as she watched him go. She didn’t know what to do next but slowly made her way out of bed and tried to find something to wear. She had to get the hell out of there.

When he got back upstairs, she was out of his bed. “Mani?” he called out, relieved when he saw her emerge from the closet. She was wearing her clothes – shit she had left behind in the many nights they spent together. Even though she hadn’t said a word, Jameson could feel that the wall was back up between them. Last night may as well have been a fever dream.

“Hey.” She said softly.

“Hey.” He replied.

The two just watched one another, cautious. Last night, they said everything they wanted to – freely and happily. But that was last night and now they were in a new day. Jameson sighed softly. He didn’t know how to start this but he knew it had to be done. “We should talk.” 

Imani seemed to freeze at the idea. “I-I’m not even supposed to be here.” Her movements slowed and for a moment, Jameson thought she would agree. “You go first. I said all I needed to.”

He shrugged, lifting his hands as if confused before clasping them together behind his back. “What are we supposed to do? Do I just…let you go? Do I fight for us? I need you to tell me what you need, Imani.” Last night, he’d cycled through two different emotions: determination to get her back and crushing realization that the rollercoaster process was hurting her. He had decided to let her go. But that one phone call made him come running back. He knew he always would when she called.

Imani spoke again, interrupting his thoughts. “I don’t know anymore. I don’t know how to get past you choosing her over me.”

He opened his mouth to deny it like he had last night at the gala but if he was going to be honest with her – he had to go all the way. “You’re right. I may not have said it but I did turn my back on you. But…Sloane is in the past.”

“Okay…but that can’t fix the issue between us now.” She chided him with a shake of her head, “You said nothing while she joked about our relationship. You took up for her when I called her out on it. I stood there alone – by myself.” She said, glaring at him. “You didn’t have my back and I...I never expected that from you.”

Jameson had devastated her with his affair. The first betrayal had cut deep but that was some faceless girl she had never met before. A fling he had immediately regretted. Sloane was different. Jameson stood at her side and she just knew she had him wrapped around her finger. It made Imani feel like a fool…and she couldn’t quite forgive him for letting her do that to them.

“I was wrong. I’ve said that already. And I’m sorry. But our relationship is about more than Sloane. I’m trying to be what you need."

“I..” She looked down at her feet and when she looked back at him, her eyes were cloudy with tears.  “I don’t think you can be what I need anymore.” She said quietly. “I thought we could move past everything but I need someone that’s going to have my back, no questions asked. And I don’t think that’s you.”

Jameson was silent for a second. She could tell he seemed stunned but he rebounded quickly.

“Okay.” All he wanted to do was hold on to her. He managed to talk himself into letting her go, wanting her to heal, but then he held her in his arms last night – and he couldn’t quite imagine his life without her. But as Jameson watched tears fill her eyes, he knew he couldn’t say anything to change her mind. This was what she needed. He swallowed thickly, nodding his head. “Why’d you call me back last night?”

“I was drunk. I shouldn’t have.” She answered quickly. Imani blinked a few times. The tears fell rapidly down her face.

He shouldn’t have asked that. 

Jameson knew it the second she began to cry. He was making this harder for her. “It’s okay.” He tried to reassure her, moving closer without thinking. His thumbs brushed at her eyes, trying his best not to cry with her. “It’s okay. I understand.”

Loving her meant being willing to give her anything. He could do it. He could give her this. A good, clean break. 

“It’s not okay…” She sniffed. “Why couldn’t you just–” her voice cracked and her demeanor changed. Suddenly, Imani needed to get out of here. “Where’s my phone? Have you seen it?” She pulled away from him, walking around the bedroom. She pushed the pillows away.

“Mani, don’t…” They had been together and broken up before but this felt more brutal. “We’re saying goodbye.” He said morosely. “I think we owe each other this last conversation. Don’t we?”

But she continued tearing his bedroom apart, looking for her phone.

“I can’t do this. I need to go.” Imani said shakily. “Where’s my fuckin’ phone?” She mumbled, tossing the covers back. She opened drawers, making a mess.

Jameson finally forced himself out of his stupor and followed her around the room, stupidly picking up things she tossed aside. “Mani, please…” he muttered, torn between his desire to make this easier for her and the need to soak up every minute he had left with her. “Imani, stop! Fuck! This is how it ends? You can’t sit down with me and talk about it?”

His voice stopped her in her tracks, breaking him from her shock. Her cheeks were stained with her tears. She knew he had never seen her like this before. “I can’t do this, Jameson! I have t-to go. I can’t say goodbye to you! I don’t want to say goodbye to you.”

“When you leave…that’s goodbye.” he said softly. “That’s it, baby. So why not just…say everything you need to say. Let me hold you. And then – then that’s it.”

She shook her head, sniffing. Imani sat down on the bed. She sobbed, “I’m not ready to say goodbye to you…that makes — that makes everything harder.”

Jameson watched her breakdown, alarmed because it didn’t matter what he did – he couldn’t fix it. He couldn’t make this simple and easy for her. How could it be that they loved each other enough to not want to let go…but that was the exact thing they needed?

He kneeled in front of her, his hands framing her face. “Okay. So we don’t say goodbye. What about…what about space? Just space? Hmm? It means one day. Just not now.”

Imani paused, looking away. “Space.” She sniffed. “Ye-yeah, we can call it that.”

He didn’t let hope fill his chest. It didn’t matter what they called it, she didn’t believe in them anymore. He couldn’t blame her. She had plenty of reasons not to. But she seemed to need to say they were going to hold on to each other. “Space.” Jameson repeated, blinking away his own tears. “I can help you find your phone but I…I bought you something for Christmas. I want to give it to you before you go. Can I?”

She wiped her eyes, sighing loudly. “Yes. You can give it to me.”

He felt if he got up, she’d disappear from right in front of him. Still, he rose from his knees and moved to the closet. He was a single man in a lonely ass house. Decorating wasn’t his forte or his interest so he hadn’t put up a tree. Instead, her gifts were expertly wrapped and waiting in his closet.

The rectangular present contained two gifts inside it. One was a letter he’d written before…well, before his world fell apart. She had stopped talking to him but he never really thought things would be over. Maybe the letter would be some comfort to her but he knew there was none for him.

“I uh – I pulled this together a few weeks ago. After everything happened. I wanted you to know I was sorry and that…That I love you.” Jameson told her when he emerged with the box in his hand. “You can open it at home.”

If she opened in front of him, he’d fall apart. He’d beg her to stay. And he couldn’t afford to do that.

Imani watched him with wary, red eyes. When she reached to take the box, they both gazed at the fancy wrapper. Everything had changed. A break was a break. They wouldn’t be able to make each other smile anymore. They wouldn’t have those annoying long phone conversations in the middle of the night. But she also knew he would make her cry less. She would be less agitated at the inconsiderate way he behaved. 

Imani knew some time without Jameson would be good for her. But she didn’t want what was good. She wanted him. 

“Jamie, I…” she began before stopping abruptly. Her throat practically closed on her when she tried to say anything like goodbye. The way he kept looking at her like he’d never see her again brought the anxiety right back to her chest. She jumped up, swiping at her eyes quickly. “I’ll see you when I see you.” Imani said quickly, ignoring the way he didn’t take his eyes off her as she moved. 

“I love you, Imani.”

He chose his final words with precision. Imani stumbled over the dress she wore the night before, caught off guard. When she glanced down, she saw her phone had been hiding underneath the fabric. She wasted no time snatching the device up and calling for her driver as she left him standing in the middle of his bedroom.

All he had left was a dress and some memories. 

All she had left was a wrapped gift and a stomach full of nervous regrets.

Imani thought she would be okay once she left his house. She thought that she would realize she was making the right decision. But she couldn’t break away from that sinking feeling of regret. It was like quicksand underneath her. Was she making the right decision? The question plagued her mind as she rode in the SUV. It only sickened her more when she was by herself. She sat on the couch curled up in a ball. The sounds of some random HBO show bounced off the walls along with her sobs. 

Imani wanted to call him. She couldn’t live like this. But she refused to give in. She couldn’t. She made her choice and she couldn’t go back. It was better for both of them. At least that’s what she convinced herself. 

Instead of dialing his number, she sat on her couch, staring at the boxed gift, which had become a box of torture. She was scared to open it. Imani had done enough feeling for today. She was tired and didn’t want to feel anything anymore. 

Yet she hadn’t looked away from that damn box since she got it for him. She sighed softly, knowing the only way she would be able to get over this is if she got through it. 

She sat up. Imani picked up the nicely wrapped box. Her hands were trembling as she opened it. There was a small box with a ring and two pieces of paper inside. One of them was a deed with her name on it to some land in Los Angeles. The other was a letter addressed to her. She picked up the letter. The tears already started to fall as she read her name. 

Each word it felt like it chipped away at what sanity she had left. She read it over and over again. To the point that her sobs became uncontrollable. Her breath became shallow and her vision was clouded with tears. She felt like she was drowning and the one person she wanted to call to save her was out of reach.

 It was time she saved herself.

The knock at the door and ringing of his doorbell barely registered over the haze of whiskey and regret clouding Jameson’s mind. He stumbled to answer it, kicking over a bottle he'd finished off last night. He damn near fell down the stairs. With a last second grasp onto the banister, he saved himself from falling. Squinting against the harsh sunlight, he managed to make it to the front door. There stood a man he didn't know with a package. "Mr. Lucas?" he asked.

Jameson nodded slowly, unfazed when he was handed a small, neatly wrapped package with a letter. He mumbled something polite and signed for it without any questions. He didn’t give a damn what it was, he just wanted to be left alone.

Then just as he wanted, the stranger was gone.

He stood there for a moment, the little package heavy in his hand. The handwriting on the envelope containing the letter was unmistakable. It was hers. 

Jameson quickly closed the door, stumbling to his couch. His movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, the alcohol from the past few days catching up to him, but he wanted to open the damn thing very badly.

His hands shook as he tore the paper, the sound of ripping edges too loud in the quiet room. Beneath the wrapping was a sleek black box. He opened it with unsteady fingers, his breath hitching when he saw what was inside.

A watch.

He lifted it from the box, gazing at it in appreciation. The design was understated and elegant, the kind of thing he wouldn’t have picked for himself. He turned it over and saw a date – and immediately knew what it was. Jan. 28, 2020. The day they met.

He immediately put the watch down and tore open the letter she sent, reading it with greedy eyes. Each word hit him hard in the chest. He blinked quickly, vision blurring the more he went on. He read it over and over before carefully placing the letter onto his table and then picking up the watch again.

His breathing was short, choppy as he tried to calm himself down. He was grieving her all over again. The tears he wouldn’t let himself cry for days finally came down. Jameson couldn’t even be ashamed about it. Besides, he was all alone. Who could see him?

Placing the watch on his wrist, Jameson put it on. He adjusted the band, making sure it looked just right, all the while thinking of Imani. Every word in her letter and every word she uttered the last time he got to wrap her in his arms. He had thrown it all away.

The watch was a reminder. Not a sense of hope – even though her letter had been sweet and encouraging. This was a punishment.

Jameson closed his eyes, lifting his hand to roughly clear his eyes and dry his face. His heart ached and he was already tired of feeling it. He rose from the couch, slowly walking back up the stairs to his unfinished bottle of whiskey and a bed where he couldn’t quite escape the smell of vanilla no matter how many times he washed his sheets.

[fangirleaconmigo]

Follower Appreciation I Will Read-Your-Fic-and-Comment Activity

So I reached a nice round number of followers on here. (Thank you my friends!) and I thought I'd do an appreciation post for the other witcher fic writers who follow me.

I do this occasionally and it is always fun to read fics that may be outside what I usually search for, and to get an idea of what people are writing in the fandom. I'm always blown away by the talent and passion in the fandom. SO,

IF YOU FOLLOW ME and have

a Witcher fic from any Witcher canon or mix thereof

that centers any ship* (or it could have no ship/gen, platonic)

and is under 30k words complete (I'm going to try to get through multiples here, so to make sure I get to everyone I'm doing a word limit)

any rating (I read smut, no worries about that!)

and you would like me to comment on it

and you can send me a link in the next two weeks by March 15 2024

Please do! *grabby hands* Put the link in the replies! (you can also send an anon ask with it if you're shy.)

And if I've already commented on your fics, but you have a new one for me to read, send it along!

If you don't have any witcher fic but would like this post to reach more folks, please RB!

Disclaimers below!

Disclaimer:

Obviously, I'm a regular ol person with their own triggers and squicks and whatnot, so if I don't think I can read a really dark fic without it fucking me up, I will read something else you've written. (I'll poke around on your ao3) or I'll have to say no. That would be like 'on the page' noncon between shipped characters, mcd, that kind of thing. I read some dead dove stuff but of course we all have limits. If you're not sure, feel free to send and let me decide for myself what I can do. No judgment, we just all have our things, right?

*Again, I'm just a mere human and have my Notps like anyone else. I can read them anyway unless its Ciri with her parents. That's my one I just cannot. We are all allowed one lol.

[kirkenovak]

The Witcher AU where everything is the same except Jaskier and Radovid have been married the entire time.

Like, that day that Jaskier and Geralt meet for the first time Jaskier has just recently run away from the Redanian court and is desperately trying to get as much adventure as possible before he is inevitably dragged back to his husband. Which is exactly what happens when one day Radovid - a very disappointed and exasperated Radovid - shows up in the inn they are staying and asks nicely (ok, demands) that Jaskier stops this idiotic temper tantrum and come back with him. Has he not humiliated him enough? Even the king noticed that Julian has not been around lately and given the amount of interest the king has in anything that Radovid has ever done (which is near zero), that is saying something.

So Jaskier leaves, leaving a stunned Geralt behind not to be seen again… until several months later when he is is once again “out and about”, bothering Geralt. Court life is grand and splendid but if he had to sit in the castle for one more day, he’d jump out of the highest tower.

And so the cycle continues. Sometimes Jaskier is the one that leaves, sometimes he announces that him and Radovid had a falling out and he’s being exiled (temporarily), sometimes he says nothing just… shows up and stays until he’s once again summoned or decides to go back.

Pretty much all the events happen as they happen until s2 and 3 where all the politics and intrigue starts to catch up with Jaskier. His work as Sandpiper is twice as dangerous and carries a lot of political implications for Radovid (how easy would it be to say he’s complicit, get him executed for treason, shift the balance of power a bit, set up some worthy cousin as the heir). Dijkstra and Philippa cackling in glee realising that they have the husband of heir presumptive to the throne of Redania in the palm of their hands. S3 comes and the mess gets even worse. Suddenly Radovid and Jaskier have to spend time together actually talking and not just politely existing in the same spaces at the same time, and, to make the matters worse, after 20 something years of marriage they are suddenly, inexplicably starting to fall in love with each other? Like, for real? The hell??

And then Vizimir dies. Radovid ascends to the throne. Lord Julian, Duke of something or other becomes Prince Consort Julian. And you know what is the one thing that everyone would very much like to see? Radovid marrying Ciri. Alas, he’s married…

Unless… 🔪 👱‍♂️

Jaskier once again has to run but this time not because he wants to go on an adventure but because he’s literally hunted by a lot of interested parties with a lot of clashing interests and Radovid can only help him as much.

[dez78]

Multi-Fanfiction Blog

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My name is Dez, I write in a lot of fandoms. Including video games, movies, and tv shows. Healthily into vampires and elves. (Not really though, I'm obsessed.)

This blog is poly safe and LGBTQ safe.

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I usually write for female characters, unless you guys want to request otherwise, I don't want to exclude anyone. See down below at the lists of dos and don’ts for me and my writing! 

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Requests are open and welcome, ask away.

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What I will write: 

 Smut

Fluff

Hurt to comfort

Light Bondage

Angst

I'm also open to writing for your ocs if you wish.

I will write about my ocs as well.

Dom and Sub

Character Redemption or Character Condemnation

AU

Tame Kinks

What I won’t write: 

I won’t write about hard core slapping during intimate scenes (Only booty taps)

Being called slut or whore, or partners being disrespectful to each other (unless it’s during an argument and they don’t mean it later) 

Nothing with an excessive amount of spit, and hard-core bdsm. 

Won’t write about incest, unless it’s for the Game of Thrones franchise.

Nothing derogatory or abusive (Unless it's for a specific setting)

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RULES FOR MY PAGE: No destructive criticism, no negative comments, if you don’t like my writing then don’t read it, please (Constructive Criticism is welcomed)

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Fandoms and Characters I will write for: 

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Baldur’s Gate 3: 

Astarion

Shadowheart

Gale

Durge

Tav

Ocs

Star Wars (Clone Wars)

Fives

Rex

Wolffe

Anakin 

Obi-Wan

Plo Koon 

Hondo

Ahsoka

Jango Fett

Boba Fett

Ocs

Fallout 4: 

Hancock

Nick Valentine

Nate 

Nora

Danse

Piper

Mara (R4)

Heather 

Ellen

Yekvad Company (My OCs)

Ocs

Skyrim: 

Rumarin

Vilkas

Harkon

Roggi Knot-Beard

Ondolemar

Inigo

Lucien

Serana

Dragonborn

Caryalind

Taliesin 

Ocs

True Blood: 

Eric Northman 

Sookie Stackhouse 

Jason Stackhouse 

Jessica Hamby

Ocs

Witcher (Netflix and Witcher 3): 

Geralt 

Yennefer

Jaskier

Ciri

Ocs

LOTR: 

Legolas

Aragorn 

Thranduil 

Kili

Ocs

GOT: 

The Hound (Sandor Clegane)

Jon Snow 

Jaime Lannister

Ocs

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[cenviswasteland]

Re: The Roche/Ciri anon.

hi cenviswastelanders lol.

so uh. how the hell did we get here. im just trying to laze around and watch anime. i didnt wanna get hit with any of this. please be kind to each other.

fun fact, i used to be a klance shipper in the heat of the VLD fandom. i know what its like to get hateful over a pairing. i hate seeing it happen to other folks. holy hell.

thanks again to @she-sends-these-asks-to-anyone and co. for reblogging me and giving me a little more context. go check them out if you want some background info on The Incident.

i'm bowing out unless something funny happens. logging out for a little while and what have you. please dont explode while im gone.

peace love and little donuts. have a nice day. :)