#please at least just a plush of him. I’m begging somebody I don’t know who but somebody please

[foxgirl87]

I need this stupid twink so bad it’s not even funny anymore. ok maybe it’s still a little funny. just a tiny bit

[aizawaskittenwhore]

𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦.

𝘧𝘵. 𝘪𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘶, 𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘨𝘰, 𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘪 (+𝘩𝘢𝘸𝘬𝘴), 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘸𝘢.

𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦: 18+ 𝘴𝘮𝘶𝘵. 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵.

𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴: 1.5𝘬

𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘰𝘺𝘴/𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨/𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘶𝘯𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘹, 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘺𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢, 𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺/𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘧𝘦𝘮!𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 18. 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵, 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬. 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘪 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘴. 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺. 𝘮𝘸𝘢𝘩.

“man, fuck you, the horse you rode in on, and your weak ass dick! just leave me the fuck alone.” you spit, arms crossed as you shoot the man in front of you a glare hot like jet fuel.

𝘪𝘻𝘶𝘬𝘶:

izuku midoriya is one of the sweetest people to grace the earth

there’s no doubt about it.

but know he is not afraid to put yo ass in a fucking headlock and pound his way into you, voice thick and raspy as he asks you just who the fuck you think you’re talking to.

he’s grown up quite a bit since high school

and refuses to get bitched by anyone, especially his own girlfriend.

a saccharine smile inches across peony pink lips, spreading over porcelain teeth

“you uh... you wanna repeat that, honey?”

you know you’ve made a mistake

he’s got that look in his eye, ravenous and wicked

“look...izuku, baby, i’m sorry. i didn’t mean to snap like that—“

“that’s not what i asked. i asked you...if you wanna repeat that.”

would definitely strap your ankles to a spreader bar, reveling in the way you continue to writhe against it

only to cry out in desperation once you realize that the more you struggle, the wider your legs go

or he’ll make you cry as you struggle to form a coherent apology, words choppy from the the remote controlled vibe is sending shockwaves through your heavily sensitive clit

he’d kneel above you, smile wide and innocent as he turns it up to the second most powerful setting, hard-on growing at the sight of your head lolling back while you try to appease him with sorry after sorry

“i-izuku—fuck, fuck! mmh— it’s too much....please, please, ‘m sorry! i didn’t mean it, ’m too sensitive—please just let me make it up to you baby—“

“all you gotta do is say the magic words sweetheart, and i’ll give you what you need.”

yeah, he’s one of those motherfuckers.

“remind me who’s pussy this is, and this’ll all be over with.”

“god, fine!! it’s yours okay! nobody else’s..now please, please fuck me izuku, i need you—“

doesn’t hold back for a second when he’s staking his claim all over your body, a calloused thumb roving over your clit gently, mindful of your sensitivity but edging you closer and closer to a fifth orgasm

happily smears strings of thick, sticky cum all over your stomach to mark you as his

and doesn’t hesitate to lick it off the supple, soft skin of your torso, the milky white substance congealing with transparent slippery saliva

he grasps your face firmly, fingers pushing your cheeks inwards and causing your spit slicked lips to jut out in a pretty little pout

“open.” he mutters before dripping the salty concoction onto your awaiting tongue, a throaty groan rumbling in his chest as he watches you happily swallow every last drop

“good girl.”

the aftercare is immaculate, izuku taking his time to wipe you clean so tenderly, lips pressing against each and every bruise, your body pliant as he whispers sweet reassurances into your sweat soaked skin

“much better now, right?”

you nod, eyes heavy as you sink into the warmth of his chest, hands clinging to him like he could disappear at any moment

“happy i could help you relieve some of that tension honey.”

“but talk to me like that again, and i promise you that’ll be the last time you call anything about me weak, especially how i fuck you. got it?”

prepare to be not only throughly sore the next day, but to have to conceal fingerprint shaped bruises on your hips and thighs

takes pictures of your fucked out face to have for future incidents where you decide you wanna talk like you have zero home training

and isn’t afraid to flash katsuki one or two whenever he gets to talking about how he could take you from him.

𝘣𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘨𝘰:

“so that’s how you wanna act, hm? if you needed some dick you should’ve just fuckin’ said so instead of always runnin’ your damn mouth.”

he whirls you around, pelvis pressing into the small of your back, rivulets of sweat beading at the base of your neck from his close proximity

he’s such a glutton for putting little bitches like you in their place.

blade sharp canines dragging against the curve of your neck, pathetic attempts to maintain your resolve falling from unsteady lips

“the hell’s wrong with you—you already know i’m with izuku...i’m not doing this shit to him again—”

but you were already gone when his lips slotted against yours, body throbbing at the contact

now izuku was a good lover, a giver, a pleaser at heart

always putting your enjoyment above his

but eventually one grows tired of slick tongues and curved fingers, pretty whines and gentle kisses

you wanted “fuck you”s, spit flying along sick expletives hurled at your bowed, desperate figure, sweet sticky semen coating your throat after it was abused and stroked as though you were a piece of plastic.

and as luck may have it, katsuki was more than willing to provide.

yet today you’d had enough, his subtle touches when you passed one another had garnered izuku’s attention; you’d reassured the male that it was nothing to bother with, that the two of you were just coworkers.

at least when his balls aren’t in your slutty fucking mouth, thick bubbled spit dripping onto your home screen as you text izuku that you’ll be home late for “stir-friday” once again.

the best sex was on days like today, when you got just a little too reckless at the mouth

when you needed a not so gentle reminder of who’s leaving you breathless all hours of the night

takes his time with you, fingers teeming with a slight brine as they’re sloppily thrust into your mouth with a “shut the fuck up talking to me like you don’t know who the fuck i am.”

degradation? baby, you’ve met the man.

“wanna act like a bitch, that’s fine. just don’t complain when i leave you limping like one, got it?”

you’re shoved atop a desk, it’s contents forgotten as katsuki latches onto a tit and proceeds to leave mark after mark, striving to rid any trace of your lover

panties tugged to the side, fingerpads waltzing up the length of your—no, his pussy

kisses down your sternum and the plush skin of your stomach, flipping you opposite him before snaking his tongue between your southernmost lips, devouring you like a man starved

but doesn’t let you cum, not yet anyway

“katsuki—please, i need it, don’t fucking tease..”

hates when you whine because it chips at his hard exterior, he’d give anything to pull another cry from you

“beg for it then. you had so much to say earlier, eh? go ahead and put your mouth to better use, fuckin’ slut.”

spanks you while he eats it from the back cause he can

and don’t even get me started on his size kink

lives for making you feel small against his large stature and even larger ego

“damn, you’re tight...thought deku would’ve broken you in a bit more for me by now—”

his pace is angry and unforgiving like his mouth, leaving you no mercy when he finally takes his place between your thighs

“that’s it...take that shit. don’t run...come on, tell me who’s dick you go dumb for, say it—“

“yours! j-just yours, never ‘zuku. fuck! m’ so fucking close please, please—“

cant fill you up like he wants, but settles for painting your body with splotches of white, watching them mix with your now-purpling bruises

and when izuku calls your phone on the hour to ask when you’ll be home, that cocky fuck answers

“relax. your little girlfriend and i are at the office with some reports, she’s so damn uptight...been on my dick this entire time. “

“should probably loosen her up more, maybe she’d be less annoying.”

𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘪:

he secretly loves it when you get like this

while dabi loves the rush of tossing around some brainless slut with a thing for fucking mass murderers

pussy was much better when it came with a little resistance, a little push back before he got what he wanted

“dabi come on..let her be. i’m sorry sweetness, this guy botherin’ you?”

his counterpart, keigo, was a top tier scumbag with grade-A looks, words mingling with a dulcet voice that could turn water into wine if he pleased

sienna wings bristled against his shoulder blades as he leaned down, an arm coming across your chest casually, bent over the back of the couch

“don’t call me that shit. actually, both of you are bothering me.” you grit, a hand swatting away tanned nimble fingers that were slowly making their way towards a breast

“see what i mean kei? she’s being a fucking brat. can’t stand bitches like her, always thinking they’re too good for guys like us.”

dabi takes a seat to your left, cyan eyes raking over the curve of your hips ravenously, staples gleaming in the bar’s gentle yellow glow

he was going to have so much fun breaking you in.

“ i think i know what her problem is....somebody just wants a little attention, right? hell, look at how she’s dressed...”

keigo’s eyes have taken on a darker energy, a hand winding around the width of your neck and squeezing lightly

“i don’t want anything from either of you assholes—wait, the hell are you trying to—ah!”

taking advantage of your pliant state, dabi’s hands begin to roam over exposed skin, a scarred set of hands slithering up your top

his abrasive fingers tweak your nipples roughly, rolling them between a forefinger and thumb with a lustful glare

“come on...don’t you want us to make you feel good? tell us you don’t want us to cream you like a fuckin’ twinkie, and we’ll leave your bitchy ass high and fucking dry, just like this.”

you hate them, the last thing you want is for either of these douchebags to be what gets you off

but god do keigo’s lips feel like heaven on earth when they’re against your pulse point like that, and dabi’s profuse experience shows in the way he manipulates your body to make you sigh in ecstasy, fingers slipping past drenched lace with ease to tease your sensitive clit...

“we—we shouldn’t do this out here, someone might see...s-shit, ah fuck—”

“so what? don’t want everyone to see how much you like getting double teamed?” keigo taunts, tongue darting out to soothe the harsh bruise he’d finished sucking into the skin beneath your ear

“nah, i think we’ll take you right here. besides, it’s just us and the boss man tonight. ‘should let him watch though, maybe he’d learn a thing or two about what a good fuck really looks like instead of that hentai shit.”

“so...you in or not? my hand’s starting to cramp.”

you nod, the motion serving at the catalyst for a number of debaucherous things that would soon happen to your body

marking is an absolute must

keigo’s practically feral once he knows you’re his to play with, love bites littering the expanse of your tits, neck, even the inside of your thighs

dabi marks you too, but he’s not nearly as nice as keigo, leaving handprints all over your ass, each one accompanied by a harsh yet tolerable burn

you can thank his quirk for that

they’re sloppy and they know it, dabi’s spit creating web-like strings connecting your pussy lips together, the metal barbell wedged between tongue muscle retreating from beneath your trembling thighs

meanwhile keigo’s reveling in the way your spit coats his dick in an effortless gloss, a hand keeping your head steady as he drives into your throat with reckless abandon

the saliva making its way down through the valley of your breasts while you struggle to breathe, eyes watering in both panic and pleasure as the two use you like a toy

they take turns, metal and heady sweat flood your tastebuds when dabi takes on keigo’s previous stance

dabi certainly makes sure you give his balls special attention. it doesnt enhance his pleasure, he just likes seeing you get so nasty for him.

not so high and mighty when you’re gargling the dick of one of japan’s most wanted, are you?

keigo’s dick reaches depths you didn’t think possible, tip prodding your innermost spots and making you sputter pathetically around dabi’s length, eyes burning as you try to control the heat in your lungs

“nah nah nah, don’t get all teary eyed now—thought it was “fuck us and our weak ass dick”? hm? well this weak ass dick’s makin’ you choke like a two dollar whore, and keigo’s about to pump that sloppy cunt full of cum...still think you’re better than us?”

you’re tossed between the two men like a ragdoll, until your body’s spent and you’re bred so good that you drip with their mix of fluids every time you shift a little

the men don’t hesitate to compliment your endurance, praising you for being “such a good little fucktoy”.

which in dabi’s words, is the closest you’ll ever get to a “sorry for bothering you”.

𝘢𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘸𝘢:

let me tell you a thing or two about shota.

he has no time, or tolerance, for bullshit.

between his atrocious sleep schedule, nightly patrols, and his day job as a high school teacher, he doesn’t have the capacity for mind games

so when you’d snapped on him like that, he did what he felt like was the most logical thing

he left you alone. he wasn’t about to get into some childish argument all because he didn’t give you the reaction you’d wanted over a dress

aizawa’s not a reactive man by nature

so when you’d purchased the sultry number, seams tight and neckline waivering on indecent

he’d merely hummed at the article of clothing in approval, committing the sight to memory before going back to finish reviewing his lesson plans for next week

which to you, wasn’t good enough. you wanted him to exhibit some sort of lust, something that made you feel like you still had him in the palm of your hand

it wasn’t like the two of you weren’t having sex, no not at all. but you wanted to feel like he wasn’t just attracted to you, but craved, desired, was desperate for your touch every now and again

and when he’d given his...lackluster feedback, you exploded, the two of you briefly exchanging words before you’d said that. shota was in no mood to argue, so he excused himself from the room to continue his work

“sorry if i actually want to, you know, feel desired by my own boyfriend? god, it’s like you don’t even look at me anymore.”

that comment stung, even recalling your wounded tone made his heart ache

was he really not paying attention to you?

but, unsurprisingly, the feelings of anger didn’t abate. just what made you think you could play these games with him, the two of you were grown, you knew if you wanted something all you had to do was ask—it made no sense

steel pen tip digging into the hurried scrawl of kaminari’s essay....if you could even call it that, he rose from his desk, relieved his tense neck from the presence of hair by knotting it into a high ponytail

beginning to strip as he made his way toward your shower

you wanted him to look at you? alright. he’d do exactly that, and then some. just remember, be careful what you wish for.

“shota? look... i’m sorry for how i acted earlier. i should’ve just communicated how i felt instead of blowing up on you like that, i just get frustrated with how much you work and how we never see each other, and it makes it hard for me to—mmph!”

he meets your lips with a subdued roughness, hands splayed across your hips, water trickling across stiffened knuckles while he fumbled and scoured for any piece of you he could manage to grasp

“you said you feel like i don’t look at you anymore.”

“lets fix that. i have a proposition for you. if you manage to hold eye contact with me for however long it takes for you to cum, my body’s yours to do whatever you want with.”

“however...look away for even a second, and i’ll have no problem reminding you just how much you can take before you’re begging for me to fuck you. you know how...efficient i can be. sound fair?”

now something he’d alluded to, but never said about this little agreement? there was no way for you to win.

on days where his exhaustion levels weren’t at an all time low, he’d find himself lapping at the slightly acidic, rich nectar between your thighs for hours and hours on end

so what made you think you even had the resolve to maintain eye contact the entire time?

you lose, though that was to be expected

and shota couldn’t be happier about it

now while it’s practically canon that he’s into bondage, let’s switch things up a bit

honestly, he’s the type to love proving a point.

he’ll make you ride his dick, not letting you stop for a second even though he’s practically in your stomach at this point

bad at it? he doesn’t care. your knees are giving out? not his problem.

“sho-please, i can’t, ‘s too big...fuck—“

“damn, and to think i had ‘weak ass dick’ before. now you can’t take it? pick a side sweetheart, your desperation is showing.”

he’s not incredibly vocal in the bedroom as that’s just not who he is

but makes an exception when it comes to making fun of you

“come on, you can swallow more than that, right? tch. you’ve gotten lazy.”

is another one of those “take a photo for future reference” type of people. but he’s respectful of not only your privacy but his own, and keeps it in the hidden photos folder of his camera roll like a sane adult.

he had to learn the hard way about the importance of concealing scandalous materials that one time hizashi was using screen sharing to suggest a new learning course during a staff meeting

only for the blonde to scroll and several pairs of eyes in the room to be blessed (or cursed) with the sight of a rather ecstatic looking woman bent in a position that would make a gymnast blush

also likes to give you sloppy, shallow half strokes to drive you to the point of insanity before spreading your ass cheeks and molding your body to the bed beneath you

“you wanna know what i was thinking about when you walked out with that dress on? hm? i wondered... ‘how long it would take before we used it as a cumrag after i was done with you?’ i thought about doing this.”

oh, and by the way, there’s a mirror above your bed for a reason. but we’ll get into that some other time, won’t we?

[ohbuckie]

i would die for an angsty college!bucky cheating fic oml

wc: 653

warnings: cheating, fighting, angst

He’s on his knees in front of you. Hands on your waist, forehead against your stomach, mouth running a mile a minute, spitting out excuses for the girl that you caught in his bed. Tears soak your shirt, and it makes you sick to see how desperate he can be.

“Bucky, stop it.” You beg quietly. “Stop.”

He stands and puts his hands on your face, looking at your eyes. “Y/N, please-”

You push him away weakly. “Don’t touch me. Just let me get my things. Let me call somebody. I need somewhere to stay.” You sniffle. “You’re so fucking pathetic, you know.”

“I know.” He replies, and wipes his eyes with the backs of his hands.

“You could’ve at least been smart about it.” You tell him, bending down to the floor to pick up the clothes that you left there last night. “Could’ve gone to her place.”

He doesn’t know how to answer. You look at him—at his slouched shoulders, and his puffy eyes, and the way that he’s crossing his arms across his bare chest. The chest you’ve spent so many nights tracing shapes into while you try to sleep.

“I’m sorry.” He whispers.

“Don’t give me that shit, James.” You shove dirty clothes and loose makeup into a bag haphazardly. “You’re a prick.”

“It was a mistake.” He covers his face with his hands. “I just so caught up in-”

“Her pussy?”

“No.”

“So you weren’t slamming her, then?”

“Well-”

“Was she good?”

“What?”

“Was she good, Buck? Was she tight? Was she worth it?”

“No, God, no. Nothing is worth this.”

You shrug. “Shouldn’t have fucked her, then.”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“Oh, you don’t mean to? You tripped and your cock just landed inside of her?” You shout, slinging the bag over your arm, searching for anything else that might belong to you.

“I wasn’t thinking straight. We were at a party.”

“Are you drunk?”

“No.”

“High?”

“No.”

“Then there's no excuse. You’re a fucking idiot.”

“I know that.”

You push past him and find your things in the bathroom—a towel, your slippers, a hairbrush. “I’m leaving.”

“Where are you going?” He asks helplessly.

“Anywhere but here.”

“Can I call you tomorrow?”

“If you wake up tomorrow, James, and you aren’t you anymore, then you can call me. If you can find a way to un-fuck her, and to get that image of you nailing her in our bed out of my mind, then you can call me, okay?”

He swallows thickly. “Okay.”

You tap your phone screen, sifting through your contacts for somebody to call. “Jesus Christ, I don’t even have anywhere to sleep.” You laugh frustratedly. “You’re such an asshole.”

“Stay here tonight.” He offers.

“I’m not sleeping in that bed.”

“Stay on the couch.”

“I don’t want to be anywhere near you, Bucky.”

You step into the hallway and nearly bump into the chest of a tall blond, who you weren’t even aware was home. “Stay in my room.”

You sigh. “Steve, no, it’s-”

He shakes his head. “Come on, stay in my room. In my bed. It’s okay.”

It’s tempting, to curl up under the covers right now instead of waiting for a friend to pick you up so that you can sleep on their dorm floor. “Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

You flash a sad smile and duck beneath his arm, into his bedroom. You hear voices from behind the door after you close it, but you can’t make out what they’re saying. You don’t care.

You peel the blankets from the mattress and slip under them, closing your eyes when your head hits the plush pillow. You drift off before Steve comes back, and wake up several minutes later to him maneuvering you so that you’re laid on his chest. He kisses your head comfortingly, and whispers for you to sleep.

You dream of Bucky Barnes. The good parts of him, anyway.

[fruitcoops]

hi! i was the one who asked if your requests were open :) so you write remus with a praise kink, and you do it in the bEst way possible!! like, it gets a big reaction every time, but it’s not demeaning in any way, and i fucking adore that. i was wondering if you could write abt how sirius found out remus liked it? like in the gag fic he says “good boy” by accident and the reaction it gets is just sooo good and i can imagine him saying it without thinking about it and remus just going 😳!! if you don’t feel like writing this, by all means don’t!!

Hello, and thank you for your kind message! I never want to display kinks/ smut dynamics as demeaning, so I’m really glad it doesn’t come off that way. Coops credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for smut, praise kink, and a bit of brattiness

Sirius closed his eyes as the sting on his rear end faded. “Really?”

“What?” Remus asked, quirking an eyebrow at him with a grin playing at his mouth. “You don’t like it when I do that?”

“You know I do.”

He shrugged. “Then I don’t see a problem.”

Sirius snagged him by the belt loop and reeled him in, feeling a flare in his gut at the false resistance act Remus put on. Slender hands splayed over his hips and squeezed; something devilish gleamed in Remus’ eyes. “You know you can just ask, right?”

“Ask for what?”

“Come on, Re,” he scoffed, leaning closer.

Remus’ hands slid down to his ass and rested there, just heavy enough that Sirius felt his thighs tingling. “I want to hear you say it.”

With a quiet laugh, he cradled Remus’ jaw in his palms and tilted it up, then tugged his lower lip between his teeth for a moment. “If you want a good, solid railing,” he murmured, skimming his mouth over Remus’ cheek. “All you have to do is ask.”

“You want me to beg?” Remus breathed out a snicker. “That’s more up your alley, babes.”

“Depends on what direction this afternoon is going in.”

He felt Remus’ soft huff against his neck before lips brushed his earlobe. “Not a chance.”

“Fine, then.” Sirius rallied his self-control and stepped away, raising his hands in surrender before turning back to his crossword. “Just know that it’s your own stubborn fault.”

“My wh—” Remus spluttered, knocking their hips together. “Somebody’s feeling grumpy.”

Sirius propped his chin on his hand and glanced over. “And somebody else is too damn proud to admit they’re just gagging for it, eh?”

The tips of Remus’ ears turned pink, as did his neck; he wiggled his way between Sirius and his crossword, then hopped up onto the countertop and pulled him in for a knee-melting kiss as his ankles locked around Sirius’ lower back. “What’m I supposed to say?” he asked. Sirius could feel his heart hammering beneath his palm and grinned. Just how long have you been pent up?

“Baby,” he began, moving down to litter Remus’ neck and jaw with kisses. “Please take me to bed and fuck me so hard I forget my name.”

Remus paused, then dissolved into laughter. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And you’re horny,” Sirius countered, bumping his nose with his own. “Are you going to say it, or should I go back to my crossword until you find your words?”

“You’re really going to make me say it?”

“Mhmm.”

“Do I have to use those exact words?”

“I can write it down if you weren’t paying attention the first time.”

Remus rolled his eyes, then cleared his throat and suppressed another laugh. “Baby, please take me to bed.”

“And…?”

“And fuck me so hard I forget my name, you menace.”

Sirius untangled his legs and gave him room to slide back down to the floor. “That last part wasn’t necessary.”

“It’s the truth!”

“It’s mean!” he protested, tickling his ribs until he jerked out of the way with a yelp. “Now c’mere, I want to carry you to bed.”

Remus eyed his hands warily. “No way.”

“I won’t tickle you again.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

Sirius threw his hands in the air, torn between exasperation and giddy affection. “Then how do you propose we get upstairs, oh wise and wonderful one?”

He regretted his words immediately. Remus’ chin tilted just so, and a sweet smile spread over his face as he rocked back on his heels, then turned and took off running up the stairs. Sirius laughed in spite of himself and sprinted after him, missing his belt by half an inch as Remus skipped the last step and swung around into the hall.

Sirius tackled him onto the mattress and latched his hands onto his sides. “You’re such a brat!”

“No,” Remus managed, kicking and flailing to no avail as Sirius pinned him down. “No, no, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, shit—”

“What are you sorry for?”

He scrunched his face up and made a valiant effort to get his hands near Sirius’ ribcage, only to yank back when fingers found the soft place beneath his chin. “I’m sorry—I’m sorry—I’m sorry you’re such a bastard.”

“You little shit!” Sirius redoubled his efforts until tears of mirth gathered in Remus’ eyes.

“I give,” he said at last. “I give. I’m sorry for running away, alright?”

“I don’t believe you, but okay.” Sirius settled himself on Remus’ chest, then pressed a kiss to the bridge of his nose. “Cutie.”

“Ew. Affection.”

“I love you.”

The chest beneath him rose and fell in a heavy sigh, and Remus’ whole face softened. “I love you, too.”

“Ready to get back to forgetting your own name?”

“God, yes.”

And so, both still snickering like a couple of teenage boys fumbling around in some janitor’s closet instead of their shared bed, they managed to get their shirts off between messy kisses and wandering hands that still made Remus jump when they got too close. “I’m not going to tickle you!” Sirius said, rubbing his flat palms along the smooth skin and all its bumps. “See?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Remus squirmed all the same, though, and planted one more kiss to his lips before shimmying out of his fantastically high-waisted jeans that always made Sirius’ brain lose a few neurons. “One of these days, I should really start doing workouts like you and the team.”

Sirius hummed in question as he mapped the curve of Remus’ shoulder with his teeth and tongue, sliding his own pants down.

“Just to keep up, you know?” More space opened up as Remus turned his head into the pillow, and Sirius made a noise of delight. Fuck, he tastes incredible. “I put on muscle pretty quick—”

His mouth came off with a light pop that made them both grin. “Sweetheart, if you get buff, I won’t survive.”

“No?” Even the mental image of Remus with enough corded muscle to manhandle him a bit—or, god forbid, pick him up—made him stir in his underwear, and his mouth watered. “Oh, okay. I might have to do it anyway, just to see that look on your face.”

“And you call me a menace,” Sirius teased, kissing those plush lips for all he was worth before slipping his hand beneath the elastic waistband.

Remus’ mouth opened against his own with a harsh exhale and his knees knocked against Sirius’ thighs. “Ngh, fuck me.”

“In a minute.”

“Baby.”

“Be patient.”

“No,” he practically whined, bucking his hips up as if to flip their positions. Sirius tightened his grip by half a degree and slid a finger down to press against the soft bit of skin below his cleft; Remus went absolutely still with bated breath. “Oh.”

“Be. Patient.”

Deep copper eyelashes fluttered on Sirius’ cheekbone as he kissed Remus’ temple and began stroking him, slow and steady even while long legs twitched on either side of his waist. “Come on, come on, come on,” Remus panted, shivering slightly while he pushed down on the muscle of Sirius’ bare back with his strong hands.

“I missed you last week,” Sirius murmured. He licked a stripe up his neck and felt Remus writhe in pleasure.

“Uh-huh.”

“FaceTime is not the same, and texting is extremely inconvenient on the bus.”

A lazy grin revealed sharp teeth. “How much did Pots chirp you for—oh—that?”

“He didn’t see anything.” Sirius moved his free hand down to stroke Remus’ inner thigh and watched his jaw go slack. “But Harzy is far too perceptive for his own good. Next time, wait to send nudes until I tell you I’m alone.”

“They weren’t nudes.”

“Were you wearing clothes?”

“…not many. At least I was tasteful about it. Did Harzy actually see them or—” His breath hitched when Sirius pressed beneath the head of his dick. “—or can I continue to look him in the eye?”

Sirius laughed and nuzzled into the scar on Remus’ shoulder. “I had a window seat, so you’re safe for now. He put it together pretty quick, though.”

Remus flexed his fingers and tugged on the waistband of Sirius’ boxers, sliding them as far down as he could. “Off.”

“Alright.” Sirius took his hand away and Remus’ face fell into abject sorrow. “I need both hands, mon coeur.”

“No, you don’t.” Remus ground upward and Sirius swallowed hard as more precum dampened the front of his underwear, then suppressed a shudder when cold fingers closed over his wrist and guided it between them once again. Remus licked into his mouth and pulled him down for more, trapping him with gentle touches and steely thighs. “You’re just dripping for me, huh? Come on, baby, I asked so nicely earlier.”

Sirius could hear his heartbeat in his ears and dragged the last bits of fabric away, sighing at the skin-to-skin contact after over a week of absence. Fuck, it must have been…what, a week and a half since they went beyond hurried blowjobs? More? He growled low in his throat and pushed one of Remus’ legs toward his chest, feeling his sharp smile.

“Finally.”

“I’m not fucking you yet.”

“Is that so?” He sounded amused by the very idea of it.

Fine, then, fuck you too. “Yep. I’m going to work you open until you beg for it and mean it this time.”

“You won’t last that long.”

“Try me, Loops.”

Remus threw his head back and laughed. “Pulling out the nicknames, huh? Alright, Cap.”

Sirius’ teasing smirk dipped on one side as he let the nickname roll over him and tingle up his spine. “Say it again.”

Golden eyes turned dark, glimmering dangerously. “Why should I?”

“You’re just being contrary now.”

“Baby, I’m always contrary.”

“I’ll start opening you up if you say it for me,” he wheedled.

Remus thought for a moment, narrowing his eyes, then settled into place and kissed Sirius’ forehead. “Promise, Cap?”

“Promise.”

Remus inhaled deeply in pure bliss as Sirius’ index finger pressed in to the first knuckle, prodding gently while he grabbed the lube out of the nightstand. After a moment of preparation, he pushed two slick fingers in and kept a careful eye out for his favorite expression.

There.

With a cut-off breath, Remus squeezed his eyes shut, brows pitching up as he bit down on his lip. Part of a moan slipped through and his throat seized when Sirius ran the pads of his fingers along his sweet spot; his jaw ticked at the edge and he buried the side of his face in the pillow with a soft sound.

“You are a work of art,” Sirius said before he could stop himself.

A deep blush spread over Remus’ torso and he smiled. “Yeah?”

“Oui, mon coeur. I could look at you all day long and never get bored.” His back arched and Sirius had a sudden thought as he pushed his own hips into the mattress for some kind of relief. “Have I ever told you that?”

“Hmm, you tell me I’m pretty all the time.” Remus cracked an eye open. “I like it. ‘Work of art’ might be a bit of a stretch.”

“No,” Sirius said. He felt a sudden tightness when he went over a certain spot and concentrated his efforts there, moving carefully and methodically while he tried to keep his wits about him. “It’s not a stretch at all. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, from your toes to your curls.”

The vibrant color reached Remus’ cheeks; he seemed to be struggling and happy at the same time. Outside of the bed, he would’ve brushed off the compliments with a snarky comeback, but Sirius’ words turned him soft and sweet around his fingers. Sirius couldn’t tell who was leaking more. “Stop it,” he mumbled, though his hips rocked slightly.

“Stop what? Telling you how wonderful you are?” Sirius pressed down a little harder and watched his shoulders shake at the heightened feeling. “I don’t think I want to if it means you keep riding my fingers. This is a new development, and I’m curious.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Why?”

“I dunno.” Something frantic crept onto his face and Sirius pushed his boxers down, then took Remus’ wrist and pulled it down to his shaft. “This—is this weird?”

“Complimenting you? Not at all.” Sirius muffled a moan in the hollow of Remus’ throat, feeling his grip grow smoother with each motion. “Fucking hell, you’re fantastic. Just keep doing that, d’accord?”

Remus nodded—all his muscles relaxed as Sirius let up some of the pressure on his prostate and returned to stroking his dick loosely. “Don’t know why I like it. Just do. Are you adding another?”

“No.”

A pleading whine made Sirius smirk. “Why not?”

“Because two fingers are plenty when you’re like this. You can handle it.”

“I still know my name.”

“Then sit and stay until I make you forget it.”

“Sit and stay,” he muttered, though there was an undercurrent of fondness that Sirius didn’t miss. “I’m not a dog.”

“Good boy,” Sirius said with a cheeky grin.

Remus’ eyes flashed open and his free hand gripped the sheets; with a jolt of shock, he came all over Sirius’ hand. “Oh!”

Sirius froze, unsure whether to keep going or call an ambulance. “Re?”

“Say it again,” he demanded, gripping Sirius’ shoulder with a wild edge to his voice. “Say it—say it again, please. Cap, Cap, fuck just say it again.”

“Um…” Sirius shook off his surprise and gave him a light stroke. “Good boy?”

Remus rolled his hips with a low hum. “ ‘s me?”

“…yes?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just—” He pressed his lips together with a noise of pleasure. “God, it’s—Sirius.”

Find the rhythm, figure it out, he told himself. “Can you go again?”

“Yeah, yes, please.”

Remus was already hardening in his hand and Sirius took a few deep breaths to stop himself from coming at the sight before rolling a condom on and grabbing the lube. It wasn’t difficult to get him into the right spot; all his earlier brattiness had faded under the glow of their new discovery. Remus was tight and warm when he finally pressed in, and Sirius knew neither of them would last long. “You’re so good for me,” he said, testing the waters with the few coherent thoughts he had left. “So good, Re.”

“Oh my god,” Remus gasped.

“Fuck, um, what do you want me to say?”

Remus’ legs trembled around his waist. “Tell me I’m good, and—and anything you want to say, oh my god.”

He wrapped a hand around the back of his knee. “You look amazing like this, good boy. So pretty.”

“Holy shit,” Remus laughed in disbelief without opening his eyes. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Um, fuck, I’m gonna come.” The realization slammed into Sirius and he picked up the pace, losing himself to Remus’ breathless moans as his own noises tumbled from his lips and the edge crept ever closer.

“Yes, yes,” Remus hissed, hiding his face in the junction of Sirius’ neck and shoulder, littering it with sloppy bites that wouldn’t leave proper marks but still sent tingles through Sirius’ whole body.

His orgasm did not sneak up on him by any stretch of the imagination, but it still caught him by surprise and he fell apart in Remus’ arms, then jacked him with a clumsy hand as soon as the world came back into focus. “You’re fucking perfect, mon coeur, now c’mon, come for me—”

Remus stifled a shout into his skin, followed by a drawn-out whimper as he shuddered to pieces. They laid there in total silence for a full minute, save for their heavy breaths. “Um. Hmm.” Remus’ voice was wrecked.

“You okay?”

“Oh, definitely.”

Sirius hesitated. “Are you…going to let go of me?”

“Nope.”

He pulled out, then rubbed his face against Remus’ sweaty hair. “Are you hiding?”

The skin plastered to his own heated up. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed. Not around me.”

With a grumbly sound, Remus peeled his hands off Sirius’ back and tucked them into his own chest; he made a face when his forearms touched the not-quite-dried come on his front, all flushed and flustered. “That was…interesting.”

“You seemed to like it.”

“Did it bug you?”

“Not even a little,” Sirius answered honestly, kissing the side of his mouth. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. Do you want to clean up now, or do you need a second?”

Remus bit his swollen lower lip and winced. “Can you grab a washcloth or something? I need a minute to think, but then cuddles sound really good.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart.” Sirius kissed him softly and got up, dropping the condom in the trash before using the bathroom. He was halfway through dampening a washcloth in the sink when he heard a sigh of relief from the bedroom. There’s no way he got off again that fast. “Re? Everything alright?”

“I’m not weird!” Remus called back.

“Okay?” He wrung out the cloth and headed back in, wiping his own stomach and thighs before cleaning Remus off.

“Thanks, love, that’s really sweet.”

“No problem. Found something interesting?”

“Mhmm.” Remus passed him his phone. “Apparently, I’m not the only one.”

Sirius squinted at the screen, still a bit addled from the events of the past forty minutes. Praise kink: when someone derives pleasure from being praised by their partner(s), usually in a sexual context. “Cool.”

Remus fit himself under Sirius’ arm with a slow breath. “I’m glad that didn’t freak you out.”

“Nothing that makes you that happy will ever freak me out,” Sirius said, pulling the covers up higher. “I like learning new things about you.”

“Ditto.” A small, contented smile lit his whole face and he closed his eyes, spreading a hand over the left side of Sirius’ chest. Sirius was definitely going to be sore in the morning—sex after a long week of travel always made his hamstrings cramp up—but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

He wrapped his arms tight around Remus and basked in his warmth. “Mmm. Good boy.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

[hello-everyfandom]

“I’m sorry I’m not what you signed up for.”

Warnings: N/A I believe

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Words: 1.7k

Summary: Draco Malfoy’s constant disappearing leaves a strain on your relationship.

Prompt: Requested

23 “I want you to list every lie you ever told me. Then I’ll forgive you.” 

24 “I don’t hate you. I hate that after all of this, you’re still trying to lie to me” 

26 “I’m sorry I’m not what you signed up for.”

(Wow, this one was a long one. Poor Draco, he just wants somebody to love. Please leave some requests! Likes and reblogs are greatly appreciated!)

The Slytherin common room, to most, was home. Though it was dark, with green lights illuminating off the cold stone walls, the fireplace glistening and crackled. And while most students feared to be in the dungeons with the Black Lake pushing against the emerald windows, you found it fascinating. The common room was indeed cozy for you. The couches were plush and velvet and the chandelier’s held candles that were dimly lit. In most instances, you’d be curled up with a book or chatting to your friends or even cuddling close with your boyfriend, however tonight you found yourself alone. It was late. Most of the students, even the students who heavily studied and would rather die than fail a quiz or essay, had gone to sleep. Truthfully, you yourself were exhausted after having a test in Potions and an essay in Herbology, not to mention your extra apparition classes which seemed to suck all the energy out of your body. And yet, you sat there alone. The common room had gone slightly cold and a chill brushed against your arms. You were waiting for Draco. Ever since your sixth year had started, your boyfriend had become increasingly more distant. You noticed his lack of appetite and his noticeable eye bags that dragged on his face. You first thought his personality shift was due to stressors like school or upcoming OWLs however you dismissed that idea. Draco was always keeping up with his studies. 

Is it me? you would ask yourself every day to yourself, watching your boyfriend’s eye glaze, and his lips drop into a frown. It was only until Draco began to forget dates and spending time together that you felt a lump in your throat. He seemed to always be disappearing into thin air, his absence was undeniable and earth-shaking. Sometimes, when he was with you, he wouldn’t even look at you. Instead, he’d merely squeeze your hand weakly with his. 

Is he cheating on me? you dreaded the idea of his lips touching someone else’s or his hands wandering over someone’s body who wasn’t you. So you waited. Your eyes began to droop until you heard the creak of the common room door and the sound of someone descending the stairs. You stood and dusted yourself off, holding your hands in front of you nervously.

“Draco,” you called. His blonde hair emerging from the shadows. Your boyfriend, face heavy with exhaustion, stared doe-eyed at you. 

“Y/N,” he began cautiously, looking around the common room, “what are you doing awake? It’s late.”

You cleared your throat. You were never one for confrontation but Draco’s disappearance was beginning to drive you mad, “I could ask you the same thing.”

Draco walked forwards, scanning your face. “I was doing work in the library.”

Lie. 

“The library has been closed for hours.” 

“Madam Pince allowed me to stay to finish my essay.”

Another lie.

“Where is your schoolwork then?” Draco seemed to be at loss for words and struggled to come up with an excuse. He shifted and began to lightly sweat as he looked around the common room. He couldn’t tell you what he was doing. Draco couldn’t put you in that type of danger, he could’ve put your life in danger. He was lying to you, and it was killing him so he just stared at the floor while you processed his lies. “Draco?”

He didn’t look up, “Yes?”

“Do you want to break up?” you asked, it hurt to even ask but it needed to be said. You couldn’t go on in this relationship feeling so abandoned and alone. 

His head shot up, “What? Of course not,” he said almost annoyed, “I’m just bloody exhausted. Can we just go to bed? I don’t want to have this discussion. Come to my dorm, you can borrow one of my shirts.” 

You shook your head, fighting back tears, “I can’t do that.”

“What?”

“I said, I can’t do that, Draco,” you repeated softly.

“And why the bloody hell not?” 

“Because,” you exhaled, “I think you don’t love me anymore.” 

Draco froze. Why couldn’t he think of anything to say? Why can’t he just explain what was happening, how scared he was? How terrified he was for you? Why couldn’t he move and swiftly kiss you like you deserved to be kissed? What was he doing to himself? He was destroying every piece of good in him and you were the last thing to go. He needed you. He needed you. “I do love you.” he managed to finally say. 

You shifted on one foot to the other, hugging your self, “Are you cheating on me, Draco?”

“What? N-no!” he stuttered out.

“Then where do you keep disappearing off to?” you questioned.

“I-I... I can’t tell you,” he said guiltily.

“If you’re cheating on me if it’s someone else, please Draco. Please just tell me. I can’t take this anymore.”

“Y/N-” he began,

“No, please Draco. Tell me. Tell me what’s going on. I feel as if you’re torturing me.” Torture? He felt physically ill when you said that, he wanted to vomit up the contents of his stomach and felt the taste of bile in his throat.

“I can’t do that,” Draco said.

“Yes, you can. I deserve that. Draco,” you sniffled, “we’ve loved each other for years, been friends for longer. We know each other, but you’re distant. It’s almost as if you’ve left and your body is just this-this corpse that walks around and sounds like you. You’re not you anymore and- and I just need to know what’s going on before I tear out my hair and go mental. So if it’s someone else, if you are in love with someone else or just not in love with me then you need to tell me.”

“I’m not in love with anyone else, for fucks sake!” Draco yelled, he hated hearing those words come out of your mouth. He hated the person he had become. Draco loosened his tie and slid his fingers through his hair, distress in his eyes.

“Then where the hell have you been this entire year? Where have you been sneaking off to if not to go shag some other poor girl,” you asked both dejectedly and annoyed. Draco had never seen you in such a state, you were almost desperate.

“I haven’t been anywhere.”

“Is that so? You told me you loved me last year and now you’ve gone and vanished every second you see me. Do you know how many dates you’ve ditched me on? Or were the times you were so distracted that you didn’t even notice me right next to you? What happened to us, Draco? We used to be so in love and so...” 

“I’m sorry I’m not what you signed up for,” he said, clearly vexed, “but I do have a life outside my girlfriend.” 

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Don’t push me away, you coward!” your voice quivered as you yelled, tears slipped down your face as you wiped them angrily. Draco softened at the sight of your tears. He wanted to wipe them away and bury you in blankets and kiss your sweet nose, but he couldn’t.

“Y/N,” he reached forward to hold you, but you flinched away.

“No, Draco. No more. Tell me what’s going on.” your voice became extremely distressed, you could feel the metaphorical string between you and the love of your life slowly begin to snap. 

“Nothing!” 

“Then where are you always sneaking too? Why won’t you ever look at me? Why won’t you just tell me what’s going on? Why can’t you have a conversation without me without bloody staring off or lying your fucking ass off? Can you at least admit to me that you were lying to me? At least give me that,” Draco watched in anguish as you began to beg.

“I-” Draco ran his fingers through his hair again, “Yes. Okay? I was lying to you.”

You felt your body go slightly limp, not fully expecting him to admit that “then I want to break up.” you whispered. 

“No.” he shook his head, “no you don’t.”

“Yes, Draco. We. We need to break up.”

“No, we don’t.”

“Draco. Look at us! We’re a mess, we don’t even look at each other anymore like we used to, you don’t look at me anymore. And... I think we should break up.” trailing off, the man in front of you began to unravel. He gripped your arm in one hand and cupped your face gently with the other.

“No, baby. Please. I. Please, I’ll be better. We can spend more time together, and go on dates and-”

“Draco,” you begged.

“Please. forgive me. You’re my life, I’m helplessly in love with you, but I can’t tell you... Please. Please, don’t leave.”

“I want you to list every lie you ever told me. Then I’ll forgive you.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Then we can’t be together, Draco. I’m sorry.”

Draco let out a shuttered cry, something that shattered your heart and made your eyes blurry with salty tears. He clenched his jaw and forced you to look him in the eyes. His grey eyes flickered, a wretched feeling in his throat. He couldn’t lose you, but he’d do anything to keep you safe. The silent moment between you two was intimate as he held your cheek. Neither of you wanted to let go, haunted thinking about being without each other. Draco leaned in, closing his eyes to kiss you one final time. He wished to feel his lover’s lips before submitting into his doom, his future that his parents have planned for him. But you pulled away.

“Draco,” you said softly, heart broken beyond belief.

“Please, don’t hate me,” he whispered back against your lips. You blinked tears away and turned to leave a lasting, loving kiss on his hollow cheek.

“I don’t hate you. I hate that after all of this, you’re still trying to lie to me.”

And there stood Draco Malfoy, watching his soulmate slip from his fingers, unable to do anything about it. 

[paintedface]

King of Anything (2/2)

Prompt: Part 2 of 2 for @nataliarxmanxva ‘s season writing challenge! ‘Are you…wearing a suit? At the beach?’

Summary: You’ve avoided going to New York because you don’t want to run into your old best friend, Carter Baizen, but a supposedly relaxed day at the beach proves that you can’t run from your past.

Pairing: Carter Baizen x Reader

Word Count: 3009 words

Notes: Y/N/N means your nickname, you choose what it’ll be!

Part 1 

Previously: 

You take a deep breath, ignoring Nicole’s confused look at you.

“Carter?”

The man pauses his talking suddenly, and turns around, showing Carter Baizen’s face to you for the first time in years.

His brows crinkle in confusion, before giving you a charming smile.  It's too fake, too smooth, as if he uses it all the time.

"That's my name, sweetheart. Do I know you? I'm sure I'd remember a sexy girl like you." He says with a smirk, and your fists clench by your side, heart racing. He doesn't fucking remember you, even after being friends for years, and you remembering him. Seriously, how arrogant did he get? And 'sexy girl?' What the hell?!

"You know fucking what? I'll leave you to figure that out yourself, Carter." You grind out, knowing that you can at least try to make your voice intimidating, even if you in your pretty good looking swimsuit won't help your cause.

You brush past him in fury, moving towards the restaurants in the shore, so you don't look stupid stepping one metre back to Nicole. Who, is watching in surprise, and is sipping at her lemonade like it's a movie she's watching.

"Wait!" Carter grabs your wrist suddenly and you whip around, glaring at him.

He's searching your face intently, before realisation flashes over his eyes, gripping your wrist tighter.

"Y/N?" He breathes in shock, taking a step towards you. Before you can respond, he takes your other hand, his mouth parting slightly. "Y/N, oh my god..." 

Butterflies set flight in your abdomen, and you try to push them down, though more and more of them give you a fluttery feeling in your stomach.

"I'm glad to see you slightly remember me, at least." You mutter, and his face falls, and it's hard not to feel guilty about being the cause to that.

"L-look, I can explain..." He begins, but you cut him off, wrenching your hands out of his grip.

"No, you don't get to explain, Carter Baizen. You're wearing a suit at a fucking beach, you have that cocky smirk on your face whenever you're not talking to anybody, and you didn't even recognise your childhood friend when you first saw them. Not to mention calling me a 'sexy girl?' Do you try to hit on every girl you see?" You're seething by now, wanting to punch him in his beautiful face. "I can tell how much you've changed, just from a few words. You left me, you didn't keep in contact and you didn't say anything at all."

It's embarrassing how you're blinking back tears, and you can see his mouth twist into something reminiscent of the old times at the sight of your watery eyes.

"Doll, please, just give me a chance." He begs, his friends giving him strange looks as he makes to take your hands again.

You want to give in, but you can't forgive him that easily for years of him being gone. So you take a step back, looking away from him and his designer outfit.

"Carter, I can't. You know what you did. One text, was all it took. One fucking text, Carr." You whisper, and you ignore the clenching of your heart.

He looks away, ashamed, and you can't help but notice his hands shaking a little. "I messed up, I know I did. But please, can I please make it up to you? At least let me be a good friend and keep in contact with you from now on."

You sigh heavily, before grabbing your phone from your shawl's pocket after a moment. "Fine, but I can't guarantee that I'll answer you." That was an obvious lie, you wouldn't be able to resist replying to him.

You let him input his number into your phone, the tips of your fingers brushing when you exchange the phones, sending shivers up your veins, travelling to your chest. You put your number into his contacts, surprised that he only has a few contacts, most of them male. You'd have expected a lot more female contacts, judging from his reputation. You can't help but put in your nickname that he used to call you, as well as a heart next to it. You know you're going to regret it, but you've clicked save before you know it. You hand him back his sleek new phone, and you take yours from him.

If your heart skips a beat when his whole face lights up when he reads your contact, nobody else needs to know.

"I'll see you later, Mr. Baizen." You say quietly before he can say anything, turning and walking away. But out of the corner of your eye, you can see that he bites his lip harshly and looks down at the ground at 'Mr. Baizen.'

Stepping out of the shower, your eyes flick to the notification on your phone, sitting on the sink top. After you came back from the restaurants on the shore, Carter's gone, and Nicole's ready to grill you about everything that just happened. You spent the rest of the day, mostly carefree, but with that lingering thought of your old best friend still present at the back of your mind.

Grabbing some fluffy towels from the heated rack, you wrap them around yourself, basking in the afterglow of your pampered shower.

You take your phone up, before heading back into the bedroom, expecting it to just be an Instagram notification. But you can't help a smile spread across your face as you read the message, and the contact name.

Carr B 💙

The blue heart made you wipe your eyes hurriedly, in a reference to when he got you a pastel blue plush heart when you were dumped by your boyfriend in Year 10, before Carter left. You brought it with you to New York, it's sitting on the crisp white bedsheets of your hotel bed. You pick it up, squeezing it close as you get ready to reply to him.

Carr B 💙:

Hey Y/N/N

You:

Hi Carter

Carr B 💙:

Can we please meet up? I need to see you

You pause, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

You: 

Okay, when?

The response is almost immediate

Carr B 💙:

Now?

Your eyes widen, and you quickly start getting changed into your lounging clothes.

You:

Uh, sure, can you come to my hotel?

Carr B 💙:

Of course, where're you staying?

You:

Highland York Hotel, Suite 906

Carr B 💙:

I'll be right over

You get up from your bed, sticking your head through the interconnecting door between you and Nicole's room.

"NIC, DON'T COME INTO MY ROOM, CARTER'S COMING."

The response is Nic making kissy noises and "ooooh, somebody's gonna get..."

You slam the door before you can hear something you'll regret hearing, and calling reception to tell them that you have a visitor coming.

A soft knock sounds through the room and you nervously get up, heading towards the door.

After a moment of hesitation, you open the door, and feel heat creeping up to your cheeks, without your permission. Carter's wearing more casual jeans, though they still must be designer, as well as a shirt with rolled up cuffs and his hair not styled, just ruffled a little and looking soft and wavy. He looks so much more beautiful better when he's laid back, you think to yourself. And thank god he didn't bring any elaborate gifts, that would've put you off instantly.

"Hey." Carter says softly, stepping into the room.

"Hi." You reply tentatively, closing the door behind him and leading him into the main room.

He sits down on the edge of the bed, and it's not long before he notices the blue heart. He picks it up slowly, turning it over in his hands.

“You still have this?” Carter whispers, staring up at you.

You shift uncomfortably from foot to foot, before leaning back against the marble desk. “Yeah, I do.”

You clench the edge of the desk, looking away from him.

“God, I really messed up, didn’t I?” You look back to him, and you’re horrified to see tears running down his fucking perfect cheekbones. He doesn’t bother to wipe his eyes, just letting them pool at the edges of his crystal clear eyes, his lip trembling.

“I messed up everything, and I-I’m so sorry for how I greeted you this morning, I was horrible.” He chokes out, hands gripping his knees so tightly that it must hurt.

You can’t stop yourself from moving towards him and pulling him into a close hug. He lets out a soft sob that makes your heart shatter into pieces, as he buries his head in the crook of your neck, clinging onto you. You let out a shaky breath that you didn’t realise you were holding in. It’s been so long since you’ve hugged him like this, and you’ve forgotten how comforting it is. And how it makes heat settle in your lower abdomen at such close contact with him.

“Hey, hey, calm down Carter.” You tell him kindly as he sniffles. You wipe away his tears with your thumb, smoothing the water into his soft skin.

“I’ve missed you so much, Y/N, you can’t believe, when I saw you this morning... I was hoping that it was you because... you looked the same, but it’s been so long that surely, surely you couldn’t be real, surely I was just imagining things and...” He cuts himself off, hunching in on himself a little. You hold him closer as he looks up at you, eyes round though still sparkling with tears.

“Just... why did you never tell me?” You say quietly, trying not to put harsh judgement into your tone.

His shoulders slump further, raking a hand through his hair nervously. “It’s-it’s a long explanation, but I’ll tell it to you cause you deserve to know.” He takes a deep breath, hands wringing together anxiously. “My father’s business skyrocketed, almost overnight. He instantly proposed that we move upstate, which I was reluctant to do, because, ya know, I liked school. But he told me that this was a chance for me to become a business man.” Carter lets out a breathless, biting laugh and you know why. You’ve always known that he’s wanted to become an innovator, not a person stuck in a dull office building.

“I didn’t want to, but he said that if I didn’t, he’d...he’d fucking threaten to disown me and put shame on my name. So I had to agree, thus making me enter my final two years of my school life in this fancy private boy’s school. Dad monitored my phone, telling me that my previous connections were useless and irrelevant, when I was going to become a rich and wealthy businessman. I tried to get my phone and all forms of contact to you and the others from school, back, but it didn’t work.”

“I finished school, and went to college. By then, I couldn’t find your social media, or try to get in touch with you, cause you changed your phone number. I hadn’t forgotten you, I promise, and I tried so hard to find you again, but there was no trace of you.” He finishes heavily, and your eyes are even wider than before, your mouth parting in surprise.

“What?” You breathe in shock, and he chuckles humourlessly again.

“Yeah, it sucked. I’m sorry, I wasn’t allowed to tell you or as I said, he’d disown me. My dad was, and still is, all about his reputation. I couldn’t ‘diminish’ his reputation by talking to my old friends.” Carter mutters in disgust, shaking his head.

You bite your lip, feeling slightly awful for jumping to conclusions. “Why’d you greet me like...you did?”

He shrugs lightly. “I’ve gotten used to it, I’ve been doing this for years now, it’s become the normal for me. It’s not like I wanted to, at first, but I don’t know, I’m the resident asshole, remember? Everyone expects that from me, and it’s not like I can change that with a click of my fingers. But really, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that to you, I was being a dick.” Carter pauses, before the edge of his mouth quirks up a little. “And I still am. But what I said at first wasn’t far off from the truth, just I wouldn’t have said it in such a douchey way.”

Your eyes widen, pulling away a little. “Wait, what?!”

Carter’s hands fly to his mouth, as if to catch the words that had just slipped out. “Shit, no, I didn’t mean to say it like that, just ignore what I said!” He squeaks, his cheeks now painted with a bright red.

Your heart is racing rapidly, comprehending the words that he had tried to cover up. “Are you saying that you wanted to say that I was...sexy?” You cringe a little at those words, but it doesn’t stop you from feeling lightheaded with hope.

He groans in embarrassment, covering his face with his hands.

“N-no, I didn’t want to say it that way! I meant...” He trails off, before looking up at you, with a sheepish look. God, it’s so unfair that he looks so adorable like that, you think yourself.

“I meant that I think you’re...you’re really fucking pretty, Y/N.” He finally murmurs, and your heart almost stops at that moment.

“W-what do you mean?” You stutter in confusion, grabbing him by the shoulders before he can turn away.

He scrunches up his nose, exhaling heavily. “I mean what I say, Y/N. I’ve had a crush on you since we first met and when you started to get boyfriends, I knew I had to make a move. But before I could, I moved away.”

Carter shakes his head despondently, making to get up, biting his lip harshly. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that, that was totally uncalled for on my side.” He mumbles, and shit he thinks that you don’t return his feelings. When in reality, you’re pretty sure you’ve had a crush on him since the first time you met him.

Making an impulse decision, you put your hand at the back of his neck and pull him to you, pressing your lips to his gently. He lets out a startled whimper that totally doesn’t get you hot and bothered, before grabbing your waist and bringing you closer. And damn, that impulse decision was the best choice you’ve made in frankly, years.

“Wait, Y/N,” He pulls away and for a second you thought you did something wrong, and ruining your renewed friendship.

“I don’t want you to do this just because you feel sorry for me, because...”

“Carter, Carr,” You slowly take hold of his cheeks again, and he relaxes in your hold. “I’m not doing this because I don’t want to make you uncomfortable if I didn’t return the feelings. I’m doing this because I want to, and have wanted to for a while, and because I also can’t stand you calling another girl sexy.”

He laughs, before leaning forward and capturing your lips again. “I won’t, I promise you.”

“D’ya mind if I stay here tonight? I wanna be with you.” Carter says, squeezing the blue plush heart.

You nod, but you point a finger at him warningly. “If you try to make a move...”

“You’ll kick me out, got it.” He confirms, before giving you a bright smile, something you won’t get used to quickly, because it’s been so long since you’ve seen it.

You pull the covers back off the king bed, and climb in, basking in the cool, clean white sheets. You look at him expectantly, waiting for him to get in beside you, as he fumbles a little.

“What’s wrong?”

He tugs at the edge of his shirt, and you realise what he’s implying. “You can take it off, as long as you have boxers, because if you didn’t, I probably wouldn’t be able to resist.” You snicker, and he rolls his eyes, before starting to unbutton his shirt.

“I am pretty irresistible, I mean look at...”

“CARTER!”

“Sorry, sorry!” His eyes flicker with mischief, as he tosses his shirt over the sofa, and pulls off his shoes and pants.

Your eyes trail down to his navel, and your mouth quirks up at one edge. “Why am I not surprised that you’re wearing Versace boxers?” You lean back on the bed head and he tilts his head with a grin, getting in beside you.  

“Oh don’t worry, doll, you’ll be getting the same brand very soon.” He tucks a stray piece of hair behind your ear as you glare at him.

“I’m just kidding! Well, not really, because you will, but I swear I’ll earn your love in a different way!” He squeaks as you whack him with the plush heart.

“You better, because you are not going rich kid all over me.” You groan, giggling when he brushes a kiss by your cheek.

Suddenly, the interconnecting door clicks open and you jump before...

“GET THAT FINE PIECE OF ASS Y/N, I HEARD EVERY WORD AND DAMN HONEY, THAT BROUGHT ME TO TEARS.” Nicole screams, from the threshold.  

“GO AWAY NICOLE!” You yell, though not scathingly, smiling widely at your best friend’s expression.

“HI CARTER!” She waves enthusiastically at him, and he chuckles to himself, before offering her a wave back.

“Hey Nicole.” He smiles, running a hand through his hair and giving you an affectionate side glance. She opens her mouth to say something but you give her a withering glare.

Raising her hands in surrender, she mutters, “I’m going, I’m going!”

As the door closes, Carter reels you in by the waist, pecking your lips gently. “I’m not letting you go anytime soon, okay?” He says quietly, and you nod, cuddling into him closer.

He reaches over and turns off the bedside lamp, before pressing his lips to the top of your head.

“Night Carr.” You mumble softly, curling around him.

“Night Y/N/N.” You can see his smile in the dark, and you can’t help but smile back lazily as you feel your eyes droop shut.

A/N: hi i suck at writing whoops, the ending is really crappy ahah, I’ll work on something better. I’m trying to work on black shaded love, comfort series, a new series, next part of glory and glore etc. once again, nicole is based off @carriefish-er cause she sends me great pics of her cat and random axolotls. she deserves carter just as much, or more, than the reader. 

permanent tags (OPEN): @thecrownedrose / @vibranium-arm / @gallifreyansass / @omalleysgirl22 / @girlwith100names / @buckysinthesinbin / @cameronahugenerd / @imsecretlyromanburki / @megan-atthedisco-blog / @buckys-fossil / @iamwarrenspeace / @sofiathearab / @yikesbuckster / @buckyappreciationsociety / @debbielovesbucky / @metal-armed-dino / @helloitscrowley / @sebastian-stans-thighs / @fantastic-fantasy-fanfics / @natalia--alianovna--romanova / @feelmyroarrrr / @mjuikoli / @meganliiz / @psychicwitchphilosopher / @srgntjbarnes / @carriefish-er / @jurassicbarnes / @ssweet-empowerment / @shieldagentofthemonth / @palaiasaurus64

tagged for this fic: @timid-darkness

(strike through means I couldn't tag you, sorry!)

[illusionoftransience]

“Lizard, do you read me? Over.“ “Helen, I don’t get this game... can’t we just play something else already-?“ “You don’t get it Lizard, this mission is of grave importance. We CANNOT disregard th facts. Over.“

Sigh.

Seriously, sometimes she’s just so weird! Are all girls like this? Linus couldn’t remember his sister acting up like this even once, though his sister didn’t have such worrysome siblings... “Yes, float sock, loud and clear.“ “OVER.“ “...roger float sock, we should review the operation, just to be sure... over.“

The blonde girl outright hissed at hooded boy, with sitting right next to her it gave him quite the scare. “How often do I have to tell you now? Sis has been spending more time than usual in the girl’s shower rooms, I don’t want to trust her on that... aren’t you worried over Naria as well?” “She can take care of herself...” Linus declared sheepishly, to which Helen could only give a disbelieving look. “Besides, they’re just girls, what’s the worst that could happen?“ “SHE could happen!“ now the girl almost snapped, what horrors did she witness over the course of her... well, ‘life’. “You don’t know the things I know, trust me, and  I need your help!“ Couldn’t she just quiet down for a bit though. They’d been in front of the showers for a whole while now, enough that their ramblings had caught the attention of a few people...

“Naria, did you see? Helen and your brother are being so close, I’m almost a bit envious of them... “, the spectator hopped gleefully as she watched the children mess with each other. “Do you have any idea what they might be talking about?“ The other woman gave these two a testing stare. “From what I gather,” she started, pausing to judge their interactions for a bit longer. “Helen’s accusing Siúsaidh of peeping in the girls shower again. I don’t get it, where’s the point of that? The ones who complain the most are the guys anyways. She’s your colleague Niamh, so shouldn’t you be keeping an eye out for her...?” Niamh sulked as her diligence was put into question, just how could Naria know? That she put so much effort into keeping Siúsaidh in check as well. It was then, when another conversation was interrupted. The girls had a hard time suppressing a shriek when a third party leaned in to leave sound advice. “You know, I happened to listen along, and I have just the plan for you~ ♥“ A well-known woman with emerald eyes and pink hair merely giggled as she shared how to put her plan into motion.

SHRIEEEK!

Helen looked up, it had finally happened. Grapping Linus by his hood, she pulled the protesting boy along into the girl’s shower dormitory, promptly greeted by a desperate, really well-endowed lady. “It’s... her, the demon has returned, to rob me off my innocence and pride!” “Be calm and tell Niamh, what did she do.“ Helen demanded, holding her dear friend by her shoulder as Linus just covered his eyes, not knowing whether to run or simply screech. In some distance, Naria was just covering her eyes in annoyance, how could they dare involve her brother in all of this? Somebody would have to pay later on. Helen continued shaking Niamh to her senses, so that she may finally reveal the core of this whole situation: “This... girl, robbed me off my panties as I was showering, and exchanged the towel with her own, alone the thought of rubbing myself with her odor...!“ That’s where the busty one started sobbing, in reality, she was just covering her tomato-red face. Alone the thought, would Shou really do this to her? This couldn’t be the valiant knight who saved her so long ago, could it?

“I understand.” Helen patted the white-haired girl in front of her, reassuring to the best of her extend. “I’ll stop my sister, get you a towel and return your panties. This I promise. Let’s go Lizard!” ...again with the nicknames? Why now of all times?! Ominous laughing from inside, so this is where she must’ve hidden!

“I see, you have finally arrived! Alas, it is too late, the maiden’s purehood is already within my grasp!“ The mastermind had shown herself. Clad in a white tunic and armed with her signature spear, though the blade had been exchanged with the most well-known black garment of the crew. “I, Siùsaidh Riòna carry the ultimate artifact! There’s no way you can... YEOWCH! Hey, that’s not fair!” Helen on her end had already started kneading something within her pocket, carefully bringing it into view of the bystanders. A tiny plush-doll, a blue strain of hair carefully woven within. Having no way to resist, the girl called Siùsaidh was forced to her knees.

“I’ve always kept this close to me, in case you’d lose your senses. Your reign of terror ends here and now, so return the garments to me!“ By unknown means, a long rope was thrown inbetween the fighters, Helen didn’t hesitate to command her loyal underling to bow to her will. “Linus, tie her up and disarm her, we shall no longer abide by her rules!“ The blonde bestowed her friend with a serious glare so that he just couldn’t resist the least. Apologising over and over, he tied Shou up and retrieved the panties from her lance.

As the children returned to their victim for reward, praise and headpats, the least-mentioned character up to now kneeled down to a talk with the evil mastermind. “Thanks so much for playing along, I’m sure the children enjoyed that little show just as much! ♥“ “Krysta, please...“, the mastermind begged. “You don’t know how much this dark magic hurts, do you? Playing along was fine, but by now I just wanna go to bed. Cleaning the showers for you lot wasn’t supposed to end up this way.“ “But the children had fun, hadn’t they? Speaking of beds, I guess it’s about time for me as well... but you better stay her for authenticity, you hear? I’ll have Niamh pick you up later, please stay strong until then...“ And as quickly as she turned up, she disappeared again. You could bet your ass the rope was her idea as well, it didn’t feel bad on the skin at all, where’d she get all these things? Wait, that’s no time to wonder about that... “Krysta? Hey, Krysta!! The ground’s still soaked, you know? I’m gonna catch a cold like this... even worse, can you at least fetch me a bra...? PLEASE?!“

Unbeknownst to them, Niamh had a hard time appeasing the children, it would probably take some more hours for her to tend to her dear volunteer-

[idornasequel]

Chapter Two: Beatrice and Calix

"What!?" Beatrice screeched. She stood up suddenly and set her hands on the fine, white linen covering the antique table, minuscule drops of red wine begging her to spill blood. "You're getting married again and you decide now is the best time to introduce me to my new stepmother?"

Garreth groaned and reached forward, taking a long, languid sip of his wine, the beginning of a migraine brewing behind his brow. He looked over at his fiancee who sat passively beside him in the low lit dining room of the Selwyn Hunting Lodge, her caramel brown eyes glinting prettily in the candlelight.

Mira patted her beloved's weathered hand and turned her angelic gaze upon her soon to be daughter, who was only seven years younger than herself. Brushing aside a delicate beachy curl of her ashy blonde hair, she batted her eyelashes at the incensed Samoan across the table. "Now, Trixie...may I call you 'Trixie'?" she asked politely.

Beatrice narrowed her eyes, her jaw falling agape in abject amazement, which Mira seemed to take as a cue to continue.

"I know this is all very unusual, but I want to assure you that I do love your father. He's been exceedingly generous in helping me with my research. Out of all the grant proposals, I applied for, I never dreamed I would actually get to work on magical virology at St. Mungo's, of all places," she said. Mira's smile gleamed like the three-carat engagement ring sitting on her tan, bony finger, beautiful and dazzling.

Garreth's gruff apprehension melted away staring into his fiancee's bewitching eyes, forgetting all about his daughter's presence in the room until a tell-tale cough brought him hurtling back to reality.

Beatrice shook her head, her pearl earrings swinging back and forth like pendulums, her thick onyx hair tied up in a crown of braids. "So, you fell in love with my dad because he offered the most amount of money, allowing you to spend your days studying dragon pox?" she growled, bunching the Egyptian cotton in her hands.

"Not at all! I love your father because he loves me," Mira said, a defensive tone cutting into her light, Swedish voice.

"That's all you have to say? Dad, you're going to let some gold digger waltz in here and sell you some cliche story so she can spend your money on researching diseases we already have cures for?" Beatrice impatiently tapped her foot beneath the table, the black leather stiletto echoing in the cavernous room over the sound of the crackling fire.

Garreth stood and buttoned his suit coat as he strutted around the room toward his daughter, silver-bearded jaw clenched, bright blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "While I appreciate your concern for my money, I would caution you to watch your tone, young lady. You never questioned your mother like this when she remarried, if memory serves," he stated flatly.

"That's because, by the time you allowed me to go back, she was already married, and pregnant with Keise," she said. Crossing her arms over her chest, Beatrice smirked menacingly. "And I doubt Mahana ever cared about money a day in his life."

Pinching the wrinkled bridge of his nose in his pale fingertips, Garreth shook his head and retreated toward Mira who stood by the fireplace, hands clasped sweetly in front of her. "Go. You have to leave tomorrow for...for work," he grumbled, leaning against the stone mantle, his fiancee soothingly rubbing his shoulder.

"Fine. See ya later, Dad," Beatrice spat before storming out of the dining room, throwing her napkin at the table, absently hoping to knock over the wine glass in her wrathful wake. Outside in the foyer, she snatched her purse from the deer antler coatrack, muttering Welsh curses under her breath as she searched in vain for the key to the Observatory when a demure little cough sounded beside her. Whirling on her heel, Beatrice gasped when she nearly smacked into Mira standing behind her, jewel-bedecked fingers laced together in rest at her waist.

The petite medical researcher's warm smile eased the Samoan's startled nerves, though the look left her wanting for the comfort of an Irishman's company. "Look, I know this is...well, weird for you. I'm only a couple years older than you and Gary did spring the news on you quite of the blue," she said, a rosy hue welling up in her sharp cheeks like two rubies in a mine. "But I do so hope that we can get along. You are his only family, and you're his whole world. I don't intend on usurping your place in his life; all I ask is that I can share a little place in his heart with you," Mira pleaded, taking hold of Beatrice’s hands, her pointed silver painted nails digging into her skin.

Beatrice chewed nervously on her bottom lip, glad she charmed the rouge in place so it wouldn't end up on her pearlescent teeth. It wasn't right to believe her father should spend the rest of his life all alone, especially when her mother had found happiness and a home with somebody else. She stared at the thirty-year-old in front of her, searching her flawless visage for any reason she should deny such a simple request, apart from the gut feeling that Mira was very plainly wrong for her father.

Releasing a heavy sigh, the stench of steak clinging to her breath, Beatrice nodded her consent, eliciting a squeal of delight from her stepmother to be. "I'll be away for work for the next four months, but perhaps when I return we can spend some time really getting to know one another," she said, fingers itching as they curled around the key in her silk clutch.

"Four months? That'll be too late! Gary and I are getting married on December 15th," Mira said with a defeated pout, her cold hand going to the emerald necklace sitting on the collar of her ivory cocktail gown. "Oh! But you could join my bridal party! Then you could spend a whole week with me when you return. By the time the wedding rolls around, we'll be best friends, won't we?"

Beatrice was sure her pupils were the size of saucers as the woman's proposal hung in the air over her head like a guillotine. Dad, I hope you damn well appreciate how much I love you. "Sure, yeah, uhh...that sounds great, Mira," she said, taking a step back from the sugar baby before she was trapped there all night. "I'll just see you when I get back then," she added hastily before tossing her black fur cloak on and heading out the door, the peal of gleeful laughter sending shivers down her spine.

Shoving the key to the Observatory in the lock of the Hunting Lodge, Beatrice unlocked the front door and stepped into her home, immediately kicking her shoes off. "I'm home boys!" she shouted, levitating her cloak and heels back down the spiral staircase towards the Master Bedroom where her suitcase lay open and half packed.

“God damn it, Ry!”

Calix’s booming words echoed loudly through the Observatory, the exasperation and annoyance in his voice contrasting the childish laughter of his younger brother, shaking and rolling around on the couch with gleeful delight at Calix’s anguish as his kart sprang to victory.

“I should’ve won that bloody race,” Calix said, throwing his controller onto the plush seat as he pushed himself upright, huffing and puffing under his breath.

“You didn’t cross the line,” Ryker protested, “All’s fair!”

“You blue shelled me!”

“So?”

Calix smiled helplessly, his anger vanishing like early morning dew under the Samoan sun when he saw his girlfriend, roused from his games by her lilting tone. Although, he thought he heard a sharpness in her song, a serrated edge and hostile chemistry that was sugar-coated by the warmth of being home again. He hoped her dinner with Garreth had gone well, and that he didn’t play a huge part in their mealtime discussion

Calix was happy to have her back again.

Beatrice paused, leaning in the doorway from the library into the living room, letting the warm Pacific breeze wash away the chilly Welsh evening that threatened to spoil her last night with her Galen men. A relaxed smile crept onto her face as the sight of Calix’s avatar banging its fists against the steering column while Ryker’s danced victoriously around the room forced a laugh from her lips. “That makes what, at least five losses this week?” she teased, winking playfully at her boyfriend.

“Woah,” Calix reared, his eyes opening wide like the gibbous moon shining softly outside the living room windows, “You’re supposed to take my side in this. You’re my girlfriend, not his! And, he was never this good at Wizario Kart.”

Calix drew his head back, scrunching up his face: “Did you curse my controller?”

“I don’t have to, darling. It’s hard to curse somebody’s skills when they have none, to begin with,” Beatrice joked, pecking his cheek affectionately on her way into the kitchen to grab a pint of coconut ice cream in the freezer, having left before dessert was served.

Ryker erupted into joyous laughter, his legs flailing wildly in the air. His avatar, a small blue-skinned dragon with terrifyingly sharp fangs and a spiky hairdo, pointed a grubby finger at Calix and joined in the mockery.

“Load it up again!” Calix snapped, a tremendous smile on his face, “I’m gonna best you and your poxy dragon.”

“It’s only gonna get worse, Cal,”

“Shut it, and load the game,” Calix called out. Waving his hand in the air, uttering a few harsh fricatives under his breath, the tiny dragon hurtling across the room, thrown from his kart and landed in a heap beside Ryker, still overcome with rapturous delirium.

He followed Beatrice into the kitchen. Calix had missed her while she was away with her father, the Observatory felt almost empty without her when he came home from his internship at her mother’s hospital. He had no doubt in his mind that Garreth Selwyn was still not pleased with the young Irishman for putting his pride and joy in danger.

Exhaling deeply as his heart began to beat quicker inside his chest, he stepped closer to her, placing his rough hands delicately on her hips and his lips to the nape of her neck, peppering the soft skin with a string of kisses.

“How was dinner, sweetheart?”

“Well, there’s good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?” Beatrice asked. Leaning back against Calix’s chest, she poured some rum into a blender with a few scoops of her coconut ice cream, hoping the boozy sweet treat would ease the gnawing feeling left in her stomach after the thoroughly unpleasant meal.

The sickly sweet rum bubbled menacingly as it hit the ice-cream, the generous splash of alcohol a clear sign that whatever was awaiting him had deeply upset Beatrice. He could feel it, being so close to her; he could feel the anxious butterflies in her stomach take flight, their wings of steel cutting her happy tone to a million tiny pieces.

“Let’s start with the good news,” Calix murmured, tightening his grip on Beatrice, who was unusually demure and placed another flurry of kisses to her neck.

“Well, I don’t think my Dad hates you,” Beatrice said with a small giggle, the sensation of his lips peppering kisses across her tan neck leaving her helpless to fending off a fit of laughter. “He’s probably still concerned about us living together, but I don’t believe he hates you,” she explained, summoning a milkshake glass from the cupboard as she turned around in his arms, clasping her hands behind his head.

‘Just barely respects you enough to have you fired without actually firing you,’ Calix thought.

“Well, that’s okay,” Calix whispered, leaning his forehead and looking lovingly into her rum-colored eyes, “Now, what’s the bad news?”

Beatrice sighed and slouched against the countertop, charming her drink to pour itself as she hopped up on the island, her long, yellow skirt fluttering with the movement. “Guess who’s getting a new mommy for Christmas this year?” she asked in Mira’s sickly, uber bubbly Swedish accent.

“What?” Calix stuttered, completely taken aback by the seriousness of the question, his searching eyes looking for the humour in the bubbly remark.

“He’s… he’s, eh, remarrying?”

The tired witch nodded and popped a neon yellow paper umbrella in her drink with a metal straw before quickly downing half the glass. “Some thirty year old who works at the hospital researching magical viruses,” she admitted quietly. “Dr. Mira Nyman.”

The name sounded familiar to Calix, nevertheless, it took him a few seconds to place the researcher. He gently scratched the back of his head, wondering how Garreth Selwyn has become embroiled and engaged to a notable mediwitch without anyone noticing.

“Well, she’s not a bad person, really. A bit, how would you say…”

“Airheaded?” Beatrice asked, swallowing a burp with the rest of her frozen cocktail, levitating the empty glass over to the sink, starting to feel the rum melt her worries away on warmer, friendlier tides. “Self-involved? Nearly half my father’s age?”

Calix pressed his lips to hers, biting down on her rum-splattered lip teasingly, in an effort to quieten her. “Not a concern tonight, my love. Okay? Just me, you and Ry - and, just me and you later tonight.”

Beatrice sighed happily and let out a soft moan against his lips, carding her fingers through his thick hair, her long nails trailing down the base of his head. “How I’m ever going to say goodbye to you boys when I leave tomorrow for school is beyond me,” she said with a small pout. “I’m gonna go take a bath and then I’ll come join you for the last round of Wizario Kart, okay?”

“It’s already running, love,” Calix said, ignoring her remarks on leaving for Idorna without him the following day, leaving Calix and Ryker at the Observatory, alone with her family. She was upset enough and he didn’t want to make her feel any worse than she did.

“Go on, I’ll see you later. I need to wipe the smug look off Ry’s face!”

“Good luck with that,” Beatrice called over her shoulder before hopping off the counter, sauntering across the hall to their bedroom. “I can tell you right now, the stars are not in your favor, sweetie.”