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radiant-reid · 2 years ago

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Birthday Gifts

100% self-indulgent, it is my birthday but i wanted to share the love

Summary: Reader's birthday morning with Spencer and their kids!!

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader (fluff)

Word Count: 1.2k

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It's Spencer's voice that confirms you're awake and not in a light sleep still like the soft giggling and footsteps had you believing. "Shhh, you have to be quiet, or you'll wake her." He instructs softly, and you're guessing it's to the two Reid children.

"Don't we want her awake?" Daisy asks.

"I think..." Spencer's voice is louder now like he's right next to you. "She's already awake." He can always tell. You don't know how, but he knows if you're sleeping or awake.

You nod, stretching your arms out from under the covers and opening your eyes. "Good morning, everyone."

They all have the same excited look, the two of them mirror Spencer's expressions. "Momma!" Daisy cheers, scrambling to get onto the bed while you sit up.

"Hi, Dais." You greet her, wrapping her in a hug.

Olive squirms in Spencer's arms, wanting to be involved in the morning hug between you and his sister. Spencer puts her down on the bed and she crawls through the white covers to climb on top of you.

"Hi, sweet baby." You coo, pulling her into your hug.

"I thought that was me." Spencer jokes.

You chuckle. "You'll always be my sweet baby." You assure him, leaning up for a kiss.

He leans down to give you one and then another, dragging it out. "Happy Birthday, gorgeous." He says.

"I wanted to say it first," Daisy complains, frowning at her dad before pulling back from your hug to kiss your cheek. "Happy Birthday, Momma." She says.

Olive copies her sister's action, leaving a saliva mark on your cheek. "Thank you very much." You say, returning their kisses. "All three of you."

"Can we give her the gifts?" Daisy asks, looking back to Spencer.

"Mhm." Spencer agrees. "Do you want to go get them?"

She nods eagerly, slipping off the bed and running off to wherever Spencer has been hiding them. He gets back into bed next to you, pulling you into a side hug with Olive in your lap. His hand nudges your pajama tank up, fingertips touching your skin. You rest your head against his shoulder, wrapping your arms around his waist and cuddling into his side.

"I was going to wake you up earlier, but you looked too pretty sleeping." He tells you, kissing your hairline softly.

"I wouldn't have objected to you waking me up for a birthday morning surprise." You joke, smirking at him.

His eyebrows raise. "I'm shocked you'd even suggest that, Mrs. Reid." He says sarcastically.

You giggle, kissing his neck. "You shouldn't be."

Daisy gets back a moment later, holding one small gift, one large, and an envelope and walking carefully so as not to trip. She places them in front of Spencer before climbing back on the bed and sitting in between you and Spencer.

Spencer hands a small box to you, probably jewelry. "This is from Daisy and Olive." He explains.

"We went to the mall to get it," Daisy explains while you unwrap the perfectly wrapped gift. Wrapping is one of Spencer's special talents. "And I got a donut while we were there."

"Shh, you weren't meant to tell her." Spencer reminds her jokingly.

You laugh at her shocked reaction, hand over her mouth and her eyes wide. "Thank you for picking it out." You say appreciatively. It has to be jewelry, probably a bracelet judging by the size of the box, but you can't be sure until you pop it open.

They all watch excitedly for your reaction as you open it and take a look at the... bracelet. It's real gold, shiny with two stones on it- one dark green and one pink.

"Wow, it's beautiful." You say, touching it carefully.

Daisy places her finger below the pink stone. "This is mine."

"It's pink tourmaline for October birthdays," Spencer explains what she's meaning. "The other one is emerald for Olive."

"Aw, it's so special." You coo, gently taking it out. "Thank you so much." You lean down to kiss both girls' cheeks, overcome with gratitude and appreciation. They're both grinning widely, pleased by your reaction to their gift. You flash a smile to Spencer, too, thankful for the part he played in getting it for you.

Spencer takes your arm and the bracelet, slipping it on before fastening the clip. "It looks good." He says when you turn your wrist back around. He's not wrong: the gold matches your wedding and engagement rings, and the gemstones reflect perfectly in the light.

"Next one." Daisy cheers with an adorable little clap.

Spencer hands over the bigger box, and you're surprised Daisy had been able to lift it because of how heavy it is. You rest it on the bed, ripping the paper off.

Your eyes light up as you read the writing of the appliance. "Oh, my gosh! A coffee maker!" You exclaim, looking back to Spencer, who's grinning. A new coffee maker has been on your to-get list since Olive was born, but you've never gotten around to researching and picking one. Of course, Spencer took the time to google and find the right one.

"And it does hot chocolate," Daisy reports to you.

You smirk at her and Spencer. "Who is this really for?" You joke. There's definitely one of you that drinks more coffee than the other, and it's not you.

"You," Spencer answers with a grin, met with a skeptical look from you. "Alright, you can always get the first cup since it's yours."

"Mm, that's what I like to hear." You grin before leaning in to peck his lips. "Thank you."

"There's one more." He tells you, picking up the envelope and handing it to you.

You open it, pulling out the card with a painting that looks abstract enough to be homemade.

"Olive and I did it," Daisy confirms what you're thinking.

"It's beautiful." You tell her.

The words inside the card are just as beautiful: a long, heartfelt message from Spencer containing how much he loves and appreciates you, some of Daisy's writing in it, and a fingerprint that looks small enough to be Olive's. It almost has you in tears, and you wrap them up in a hug.

"You missed something," Spencer says once he's given you a few more kisses.

You frown, shaking the envelope upside down. What falls out is two plane tickets, making you gasp. "Italy?" You repeat what's written across them.

"This summer." He confirms. "Two weeks along the coast, luxury hotels, sand, sea, cocktails, whatever you want."

You kiss him again in appreciation, squeezing him tightly in a hug. "Thank you, thank you. It's going to be amazing!"

"Of course." He replies. "Only the best for you."

"I love you." You tell him before turning to your sweet girls. "And I love you two so much."

Spencer and Daisy repeat your words back to you, and Olive babbles something similar. By your next birthday, you have no doubt she'll be talking as much as her big sister.

All you can think about is how grateful you are for all three of them, and there's no gift better than getting to spend time with your favorite people in the world.

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x you #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid fandom #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid fanfiction #criminal minds #criminal minds fic #criminal minds family

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reysdriver · 1 year ago

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sirius black x pureblood!slytherin!reader where he takes her home for break or for the summer and walburga and Orion are enthralled by her which pisses sirius off for obvious reasons and he distanced himself from her and eventually she confronts him and reassures him

When Sirius brings you home to Grimmauld Place over the winter break and then starts to distance himself, you feel the need to confront him and talk about what's going on — sirius x fem!pureblood!slytherin!reader hurt/comfort

warnings: themes of a toxic/abusive family

words: 0.8k

a/n: I was kinda unsure how to write this one since the family is canonically super abusive to sirius so I'm just kinda pretending they're more just cold and rude to him so I could make this, I hope you like it :)

“Regulus,” You called alongside a knock on his door, pulling his attention away from the book in his hands. “Do you know where Sirius has gone off to?”

He sat up so his back was up against the hard headboard. “He’s probably moping in his room. That’s his favourite thing to do here.”

You would have laughed at that if it weren’t for the fact that you just couldn’t find your boyfriend. “I’ve checked there.” You sighed. “But that’s alright, he’s somewhere around here.”

After thanking Regulus politely—even if he couldn’t help find his brother—you left his bedroom and went back to looking for Sirius.

Over the winter break, you had noticed yourself having to play this one-sided game of hide and seek several times. It was frustrating, especially when you didn’t know why he was so distant. Nevertheless, you kept your head up and just continued the search.

You checked the drawing room and sure enough, there he was, sitting by the window and looking outside. You walked towards Sirius and tapped him on the shoulder to show him what you had wanted to show him in the first place.

“Siri, look at this bracelet your mother gave me. Isn’t it nice? She said I could even have the whole set as a wedding gift eventually!” You said happily, flashing him a silver bracelet adorned with small but shining emeralds.

He flashed a tiny smile, not nearly matching your emotions or genuineness. “Yeah, love, it’s pretty.”

You could tell he obviously didn’t care. Sirius was pretty fashion forward and has been enthusiastic in the past when you’ve shown him new clothes or jewellery, so that excuse couldn’t be used.

Running through different excuses and reasons as to why he was acting this way, you had thought that maybe he was upset that both you and his mother had been thinking about marriage. Insecurity surged throughout your whole body.

You had spoken about marriage before, but it was never more than pillow talk or teasing jokes; was your relationship getting too real for Sirius? Was he upset that you had been talking to his family about your future together? Had he lost his feelings?

The different theories flying around in your head were getting to be too much, and you couldn’t let them go unanswered. You were determined to figure out what was going on as soon as possible.

You sat down on the loveseat with him. You were close to him, but you still gave him enough space in case he wanted it.

“Sirius, what’s wrong?” You asked softly. “You’ve been seeming off lately.”

He just brushed it away. “Nothing’s wrong.”

You knew it was a lie so you kept pressing gently. “I know there’s something that’s upsetting you. Just tell me what it is so we can fix it.”

“I’m fine.” He insisted. “You can go back to hanging out with my parents, maybe they’ll give you my bedroom by the end of the week.”

That stung slightly, but it did at least partially reveal the reason for his recent distance. He was upset that his parents were so taken with you. Of course, you understood that Sirius didn’t have the best relationship with his family, but you had hoped he would be happy seeing you getting along with them. The thought of him being jealous hadn’t even crossed your mind.

You brought a hand to his upper arm and rested it there. You tried speaking softly to make it clear you weren’t judging him at all. “Siri, are you jealous?”

“They like you more than me.”

“They don’t. They’re just happy I’m in Slytherin. They like that they’ll have pureblood grandkids with the most Slytherin lineage as possible.”

“But you like them too.” Sirius said sadly.

“I only like them as much as they like you.” You explained. “If they’re gonna be awful to you, then I don’t like them at all. I can just pretend otherwise in exchange for some priceless family heirlooms.”

There was a smug smile on your face as you shook your bracelet in front of Sirius, causing him to chuckle.

“You’d steal from my family for me?” He asked you with a fake pout.

You cupped his cheeks and pressed a kiss to those soft lips you love so much. “Of course I would. And once we graduate and get the hell away from them, we’ll sell it all and buy a nice house without ever dipping into your uncle’s fortune.”

“Alright.” He sighed overdramatically. “If it’s for a great cause like that, then I think you should go ahead and ask my mother for a tour of all her priceless jewels.”

“I’ll make sure she gives me a nice brooch so we can have a pool, my love.”

#sirius black #sirius x reader #sirius black x reader #sirius black x y/n #sirius black x you #sirius black imagine #sirius black angst #sirius black fluff #hurt/comfort #marauders era #marauders angst #marauders fluff #xena's requests

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gojoswhitebabydolllashes · 2 months ago

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"Everybody wants somebody"

A song mingi x reader fic

Based on keshi's new song "bodies"

Songs could also vary to "skinny love" by birdy. "Exile" by Taylor swift and Bon iver. And also "the story never ends" by lauv

----

Overview: Mingi used to be your everything. Meeting at his debut performance, you were enamoured by him. Enchanted at first sight. And soon you found yourself 3 months into dating the man who stole your heart. But as time went on, mingi's fame became too much for you to handle and your relationship fell apart right infront of your eyes.

Warnings: mingi is a bit of an ass but he doesn't mean it. Rockstar themes. Idol!mingi. non idol reader. Rich!mingi. Kinda sugardaddy!mingi. Angst. Upsetting themes. Heavy themes of suicide and drug use by reader. Drinking. San and wooyoung are readers' comfort. Yunho can't pick sides. Seonghwa is adorable. Partial fluff. Band leader mingi! Mingis is a bit of a criminal. Mingis is a bit toxic but only a lil.

----

Mingi was everything you dreamed of. His personality, his laugh, his smile, and every part of him were intoxicating to be in the presence of.

The way he acted to you had you feeling like the Queen of the world. Being with mingi was all about expensive dates. helicopter rides, and private jets everywhere. Luxurious hotels and penthouses full of lush interiors and champagnes worth thousands of dollars. He would shower you in lavish jewels like emeralds and sapphires. special edition Cartier bracelets he Somehow got a hold of first. Rings of 24k gold encrusted with diamonds worth more than your house and earrings that could put a chandelier to shame.

Despite mingis rockstar attitude and tough exterior. He wasn't scary to you. A big softie at heart to you and you only. People often were confused at how he could upkeep your princess looks. A rockstar with alcohol dripping from his mouth every day so that his baby could wear the pearl earrings she wanted last week.

Mingi would do absolutely anything for you. But he wouldn't acknowledge that your relationship was falling apart at the seams. After one of Ateez's concerts in LA, you stood backstage, staring at yourself in the mirror, considering if runny eye-liner and smudged lipstick after every show was how you wanted to spend your life.

San knocked gently at your door, and you quickly turned your head away from him.

"You can't hide from me"

San came and sat on the red leather couch, his knees entering your sight as you stared at the black carpeted floor. Your head was racing a million miles an hour with the haze of a vodka + raspberry gin combination and the smell of cigarettes flowing into the room from outside.

"I can't do it anymore, San. This life is killing me, I can't take another die-hard fan on the internet telling me to kill myself because I get to fuck mingi and she doesnt"

The both of you lightly laughed, but San knew how serious the situation was. Threats and hate online were a normal thing you got. People messaging you and telling you that you're "just with mingi for his money" or that you were a "homie hopper" and are actually the groups sex slave.

Hundreds of fans harassed you in real life and otherwise. You felt that no matter what you did, you couldn't get them to like you. Luckily, there was a bigger portion of the fan base that defended you and gave you praise online, defending off the haters for you.

For that, you were grateful, but you couldn't take it anymore. Having to keep up with it was like trying to run on sand.

"It's a tough life" San started "everyone accepts that in this industry"

He cleared his throat. "But you don't have to"

You looked up at him with a messy face and glossy eyes. Your bun was in a tragic state and you had lost one of your dior earrings during the concert which you felt guilty about, you knew mingi had waited months to buy them for you.

You didn't feel like a million bucks anymore.

And while you tried to excuse the fans' behaviour toward you, tonight you had truly reached your limit.

"I can't just leave. What am I if I'm not the rockstar's girlfriend San?" Your hands were flopping around as you tried to make your point.

Gesturing toward photos of you and mingi at his vanity and the table beside you and on the wall. Photos that held memories worth billions. Ones that have and will last eternally. He had one lone photo of your tugged into his vanity mirror frame of you in a wedding dress the day you messed around and bought one for the fun of it.

In the photo, you're laughing and holding a dainty rose in your hand as your body tilts to the side. Moments before disaster. You smiled to yourself before turning back to San.

"There's always a person behind the rockstar. That doesn't have to be you. Everyone in the group knows how much you and mingi love each other, but you're not his shadow love, he knows that, everyone knows that"

San leant his arms on the arm of the couch and put his head in his hand as he looked at you. You picked at the diamonds of your fishnets before you heard the door open to reveal wooyoung.

As he walked to the couch, the smell of strong deodorant came into the room, and you coughed slightly. "I know you don't like the smell of cigarettes"

Wooyoung smiled at you. You were grateful for his gesture, but the strong smell of roses was somehow worse than tobacco.

"Where's mings?" You asked him as he sat at his vanity rubbing off his thick eye-liner.

"He's headed to the shops to pick some food up for everyone. Should be back soon. " Woo shrugged and threw away the ruined tissue.

Mingi, unlike most, didn't care for driving while intoxicated or high. Luckily, you knew he had taken a private ride as it had popped up on your phone that the bands car was arriving at the takeaway.

You rubbed your eye and put your phone on the table. You wanted to undo your tight denim shorts so badly as they crushed your stomach. Hopefully, when mingi returned, he would do it for you.

But you know what the answer will be, so you smile and lay back in your chair waiting for him to return as the rest of the band and their partners huddled into the room.

You weren't close with the girls. Keira, san's girlfriend, was a short dark skinned girl with tattoos and long black braids who had once tried to bring you to one of her and the girls smoking sessions but she was quickly told the fact that you didn't like smoking without mingi, which she immediately understood and politely apologised.

Milani had short red hair with black tips and a bunch of piercings. She was with hongjoong. Milani was quite shy and rarely spoke to you but often waved and gave small smiles. You got the feeling she was afraid of you and your demeanour, which you could only hope joong had told her wasn't personal, but you weren't gonna pry.

And then there was Ashley and Beth, two blondes who had it out for you. Despite the band's warnings that you weren't to be played with, they still tugged your strings like needle to thread. They never did it in front of mingi, afraid that he might tear them apart with his bare hands, but they did do it when the band wasn't around which made you laugh knowing just how pathetic their efforts were.

"Mingi just texted. He's running late because of traffic" Jongho announced.

You sighed and put your head in your hands. Seonghwa stood up and walked to you.

"Let me take you home" he smiled softly.

You didn't want to decline his offer, knowing that he was still sober for now, but later, he would be drunk with everyone else and then you'd have no way home but the bands car and you hated using it.

"Cmon I'll let mingi know okay?"

You nodded and grabbed your phone and purse, waving everyone goodbye before leaving with the hyung. You felt safe with seonghwa as he was the most responsible out of the lot. Of course he still did coke and drank a shit ton, but sober he was like a father to the group, which you were grateful for.

You couldn't deny you felt stood up by mingi. He had promised you that he'd come backstage with you after the show and let you show him your new dresses he ordered you. But he didnt show, and despite the fact that he was on his way here now, you were absolutely exhausted and truly did just want to go home.

On your way into the car park, you watched the bands black Mercedes pull in. Immediately, a confused looking mingi hopped out of the car, his hands curved at his shoulders.

"What's going on?" He asked before he leant down to kiss you softly.

You missed his touch and taste. The feeling of his leather jacket and tailored suit pants rubbing against your exposed skin made your head fuzzy. He smelt divine, and you wanted nothing more than to just push him onto your bed and have him to yourself.

"She wasn't feeling the best so I offered to take her home" seonghwa spoke.

Mingi blinked and looked at you with sympathy. "Are you alright, babygirl?"

You nodded and smiled sweetly at him. Mingi sweeped his fiery orange hair out of his face and turnt to seonghwa.

"Here," he handed the hyung the bag of takeaway containers. "I'll take her home. You go with the others"

Seonghwa politely nodded and accepted mingi's actions. "You want me to cancel the surprise?"

Mingi waved his words away. "No, just have them send it to the pent." he opened the door of his own car, a black vintage corvette.

"Will do. Drive safely, mings. " seonghwa waved the two of you off and walked back inside the building.

As you sat in the soft beige leather seat of his corvette, mingi knew something wasn't right with you. The way your body felt tense under his touch and your eyes drifting off to all different things around you.

"You wanna tell me what's going on?" Mingi looked at you briefly before turning back to the road.

He gripped the steering wheel as he drove with one hand, the other arm leaning on his window, of which was slightly down to let in a cool breeze.

"I just drank something nasty I think"

You yawned and rubbed your neck, sore from constantly jumping up and down to the songs.

"I'll run you a nice bath when we got home okay?" His voice soft and sweet as he reached for hand, switching to his steering wheel arm.

"That sounds really nice, mings."

----

At home, you were greeted by your lush penthouse. Ceilings of dark blue and tiles of black. The smell of sweet vanilla cherry candles wafting through the air made you feel warm and fuzzy inside as you sat down to the couch to take your tight heeled boots off.

Mingi came to you with two freshly poured glasses of orange juice. You tilted your head at the rockstar. "You're staying?"

Mingi nodded as he unlaced his heavy boots. "Yeah," he grunted as he took his shoes off. "I don't feel up to drinking tonight"

You wanted to gasp as a joke, but mingi had been struggling with his drinking for a while. He's been trying to cut back for you because he knows how much you hate the smell, and while you appreciated it deeply, you hated taking away that joy of being with his friends from him.

"Mings you don't have to stay here with me. You just bought all that food for the group, " you tried smiling at him but guilt was sucking at you.

"Ah," he put his index finger to the air, stopping you. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be that here with my-"

Mingis loving speech was interrupted by a phone call in his pant pocket. He reached for it and immediately on his face you knew it was one of the boys.

"I'll be back in a sec" he kissed your cheek and walked away. All you heard was a "Hey san" before his voice faded down the hall.

You were left alone with your thoughts, and the fresh juice mingi poured for you, and as the lights of the crystalline chandelier smashed, the clear view of the quiet TV channel became blurry and your ears rung out with voices and humming, you suddenly felt like this would be the last time you would see mingi tonight.

You stood up, shook off your thoughts, and walked down the hall toward yours and mingis bedroom where the conversation on call became more prominent.

"I'm not gonna do that San, I will not accept that fucking answer!" Mingi slammed the bedside table making you jump. "Either you tell them that I'm not doing it or I'm going to tear that pricks head off"

Mingi angrily ended the call just as you approached inside the room, softly pushing the door open to see him in full. Mingi turnt his attention to you and his face immediately softened.

"Did you hear all of that?" He asked as he put his phone by the bed.

You shook your head. "No. I just came from the lounge room, I was gonna make some food but I came to check on you first"

Mingi scoffed and sat on the large bed, sliding his slender tattooed hand through his bright hair.

"You're too sweet, babydoll. I don't deserve you," mingi smiled at you before moving two fingers at you, gesturing for you to come to him.

Like a moth to a flame, you immediately walked to him and straddled his lap. Mingi's large, ringed hands found your waist, snaking up your back. The rockstar let out a throaty sigh of pleasure as you rocked your hips against his bulge.

You whined and tucked your head into his nape as his strong arms held you close to him. Mingi's fingers fiddled with the strings on your Chanel corset top as he smirked up at you with his gleaming, mischievous black eyes. His delicate pink lips parted so slightly.

"You want me?" His voice was soft and taunting.

Mingis' hands held your waist, causing his sleeves to slide down his arms, revealing his rich black tattoos. The pieces were intricate and fine, detailed to precise specifications. His hand tattoos were your favourite. Roses all on the larger area on the top of his hand while thorned vines snaked up his fingers.

On his ring finger was your initial of your first name in a small delicate font.

"Mingi?" You spoke softly.

"Yeah, baby?, what's up?" He drew soft circles on your palm with his thumb.

You looked into his lustre dusted eyes, dark and smooth, like a captivating void. Something lingered behind them, something innocent and harsh. For the first time in a long time, you felt like you couldn't tell him anything. Your breath was tangling your words in your throat.

"Do you like me?"

You regretted the words as soon as they left your mouth.

"Baby, I love you so much. More than anything on this earth." mingi smiled and let a breathy chuckle out, assuming you were joking.

"I know you love me. But do you like me?"

Your eyes pleaded for an answer of any kind. You just wanted a few words or one or maybe two or however many words mingi could let out. You wanted to hear anything fall from his pink lips of despair.

"You're asking if I still like you? After 5 years of being together?" Mingi let go of your waist. "Well of course I do baby"

You shifted off of his lap. The silvery midnight light caught your body, creating a silhouette of ethereal glow. Mingis eyes drifted through your body, staring at your curves. You could tell he was looking past the bigger picture.

"Do you? I think maybe we've been on a date or two in the past 6 months. I mean, I don't even get to stand in the crowd of your concerts!"

You threw your hands up. Your voice was breathy. Mingi stood up, immediately mousing you in stature. "You know why that is baby, it's for yo-"

"For my own safety, I know," you nodded. "That's not the point I'm trying to make mingi"

He wished he could understand what he knew you were trying to say. Because he did love you to the absolute ends of the earth. Mingi would do everything and anything for you. He buys you jewels and clothes. Dresses and hair clips worth hundreds, shoes, and accessories worth thousands. He took you on dates that put billionaires to shame, to clubs and bars full of VIPs and high rollers. Brought you to parties and galas that held people who owned more money than your entire street combined.

But he didn't like you. He gave you the world, but he didn't like you. And while one would say you were stupid and foolish for saying that, but even a fool, deaf and blind, could agree.

"Where is this coming from, baby? Aren't you happy with me?"

You had hoped that mingi would've agreed that he wasn't treating you right so that he wasn't staring at you with his honey sweet eyes. You felt sobbing, breaking down and crying, like falling apart at your loose seams.

"I'm happy mingi. But I want our lives to move forward. I want to have a normal life with you. I can't keep doing this every time, i can't handle the drinking, and the drugs every night"

Tears were brimming your eyes sharply, and as much as it hurt mingi's heart, he didn't know what to do.

"I can't keep trying to kill myself because of your fans. I won't live like this mingi. I won't"

"Please baby, don't do this, I swear I will stop drinking, and I will stop doing drugs, I can change this I can!" Mingi pleaded with you.

You wanted to believe him.

"It's not just you, mings, its the band and their girlfriends and the life you live I just can't do it anymore"

As you said it, the realisation hit you like a bus. If you left, you might never see the band again. You might never get the chance to hug wooyoung again or play Mario kart with yunho, or see hongjoong's little sister graduate.

And you wouldn't marry song mingi.

"I want to believe you, mings, I do, but lately, I just don't believe anything you say. It's hard to when you keep changing dates and times and standing me up"

"I admit I have been doing that a lot, but I can't help my schedule. I have a lot to do and plan. I don't have a say in that"

You knew he was telling the truth. Mingi was in charge of the band themselves, but he wasn't in charge of the scheduling, unfortunately for his behalf. But time was fading quicker and quicker each day. Every night, you felt the sand of the hourglass dripping in grains of torture. Gripping onto you like a pathetic God was faith.

"I will leave the band!" Mingis eyes were hazed over and glossy.

His small plump lips fell into a frown, his nose and cheeks tinted in light pink hues.

"I will leave the band, and I will never speak to any of them again!" Mingi had damn near fell to his knees before you.

You scoffed. "Is that what you think I want for you?! Mingi, you love those boys more than that stuffed rabbit your own mother bought you! I will not let you leave them behind!"

You pointed sharply at the floor as if making your point. Mingis face became contorted into something you felt in the future would be all too familiar. In this moment, you couldn't imagine a future with him anymore. You wouldn't let yourself get to that point of even trying to find it.

"Please," Mingi's hands found your arms.

Slender ringed fingers slid up your arms in a dizzying motion. Slow and tortuous were his actions. Mingis smell invaded your nose, the intoxicating scent of tobacco and candied apples made your knees weak. You felt like jelly in his presence.

"Mingi-" you looked up at him.

How unfortunate it was that he was so beautiful. So pristine and picturesque like a museum of fine art on legs.

"I'm leaving tonight with or without your permission"

You pushed his arms off and went out to the kitchen, terrified of the footsteps approaching rapidly behind you. "You can't just leave! What about us? And our life together? What about all that I've given you? Aren't you grateful for this?"

He meant the penthouse. And the jewels and thousands maybe millions of dollars worth of items and clothing he's bought you. And the dates in helicopters and the VIP tickets into galas. And the beach house he gave you for your 25th and the number of times he's bought decorations for the penthouse that you wanted.

He didn't mean the love. He didn't mean him holding you against walls and fucking you into oblivion. He didn't mean the baths he's given you and the showers you've had together. Or the movies you've watched in bed while eating ice cream or the books you tell him about or the way that late at night he reads his lyrics to you.

You are always the first to hear them.

"What am I if I'm not your man?"

You suddenly felt deja vu.

"I'm so unbelievably grateful for the gifts you give me and the dates and all the things we've done together. But I can't take not having you anymore. Your barely around most days and when you come home after weeks or even months, work still beckons you. I can't have this anymore!"

"We were supposed to get married and spend our lives together! In case you forgot, you were the one who made me want that, " Mingi cried.

Ouch. That stung more than it should have. But you knew that was true. Mingi never wanted to be married or have domesticity before you. Before you he was happy with fucking 3 different girls every night and having flings he couldn't care less about. He was fine with getting drunk and passing out in a bush by the side of the road. He would sign girls boobs and lick whiskey out of their mouths to get them wet. And, of course, he would sneak bucks into their bras with a wink.

But this was before you. And since then, mingi wouldn't even touch another girl if She was his last chance to survive.

"I can change. I can. I know, okay? I know you don't believe me. I know I've been an idiot and a fool and that I've been sloppy with you and lazy in my actions, but I can change that. I will change it all for you in a heartbeat. Your absolutely everything to me"

It hurt you in every possible way that you wanted to just leave. But it hurt you more that feelings of wanting to stay was bubbling inside you. It hurt more that you wanted to get on your knees and hug him and tell him you were sorry for acting like this and that you won't ever be like this again and that you can live happily ever after now.

And it hurt, just a bit, that you knew mingi would forget it all in a blink.

"If" his voice broke "if your going to leave, if this might ever be the last time I'm going to see you in this lifetime"

He reached into his back pocket and gave you a wrinkled piece of paper.

"What is this?" You asked him.

"I won't tell you. I want you to experience it on your own" he rubbed his tears from his eyes.

"I'd hoped it would be easier than this", you whispered.

You sniffled as mingi pulled you into an embrace. "As much as I would kill to have you stay, I can't force you" he spoke into your jacket.

"A part of me hopes you'll grab my leg and tie me to the couch so that I can't" you lightly joked.

Mingi chuckled into your coat. You stood there for five minutes. "You should go", He mumbled.

"I should"

You could have broken down sobbing right then and there as mingi pulled off you. "Please" his lip trembled "please just go. It feels less painful if I ask you to leave",

You nodded and painfully, slowly, trembling, you walked to the door. This was it. This is it? Is this truly how you were going down? Would you really never see mingi again? Not wooyoung or San or yunho? Not any of them? You would never be picked up by seonghwa again or have jongho invite you to movie nights or have yeosang bring you cakes from the bakery he lived near.

You wouldn't have any of it.

"Goodbye, mingi. I hope in the next life we I can kiss you Goodnight"

"Goodbye to you too___, I hope you get everything you want in life"

---

Ngl I hope this broke some hearts🙏🥰🥰

#mingi.#song mingi #ATEEZ #rockstar!ateez #rockstar!mingi #ateez #ateez mingi #mingi x reader #ateez fic #angst #wooyoung #san #choi san #jongho #yunho #seonghwa #yeosang

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onpointedfeetandbrokendreams · 5 months ago

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Day 2 - DBDA Week

Day 2 of Dead Boy Detectives Appreciation Week: 10th-16th June by @dbdcentral

Prompt: Alternate Universe

Relationships: Edwin Payne/Charles Rowland

Tags: Alternative Universe - Magic, Star-crossed lovers

TW: None

Charles would always remember the day Edwin had to leave for the Academy. They had always known it would come, he wasn’t sure if they had been pretending not to, or if they just never realised completely what it meant. Edwin had kissed him with lips wet and salty from his tears, and Charles had watched until the car disappeared completely beyond his sight.

He felt empty, purposeless. His mind kept going back to all those happy moments they had shared growing up, first playing together in the woods, then the first time they held hands, the first shy kisses. The memories seemed more real than his present life.

He couldn’t deny that he had thought about following him to the city, but Wizards were rare, and precious to the society, and they weren’t allowed to mix with ordinary people like himself.

He moved his fingers to his wrist, to trace the shape of the bracelet Edwin had given him before he left. The feeling grounded him. He said the rune on the pendant would change colour when Edwin thought of him, it was pulsing a warm green now.

Six years after the dreadful day when he said goodbye to Charles, the memories of him still haunted Edwin every moment of every day. He wondered what the other boy looked like, if he had grown taller than him, if he still had that blinding smile that made the sun look pale in comparison. It had been torture to be separated for so long. Even now that he was finally about to graduate, he still wasn’t free. His path had been written for him long before he was even born, like every other child of one of the wizarding families, he was supposed to take its place among the Wizard’s High Council who protected the country.

He knew he should just give up hope to ever see Charles again since they were destined for different places. Surely, Charles would have become a Fighter by now, and an amazing one at that. But he held onto hope that one day, they could find a way back to each other.

He concentrated all his powers on the bracelet he had given him that day, hoping that the incantation was strong enough to still be working.

The city buzzed with excitement, the annual parade celebrating the country’s independence had brought everyone out in the streets. There were flags waving, music, food stalls and happiness all around him, but Charles didn’t spare a second look at any of those. He had only one goal. He pursed his lips, his gaze determined, focused on the tall building of the Academy, standing majestically at the other side of the square.

He knew he would find Edwin there, ever since he arrived, his bracelet had been pulsing a deep red, the strongest colour he had seen in it yet. It was the thing that made him certain that his feelings were still reciprocated, that Edwin expected him.

Hiding among the crowd, he made his way closer to the entrance. He just had to wait for the fireworks to start, so that the guards would be distracted.

The moment he saw the first burst of lights and colours from the corner of his eye, he slipped inside, trying to remain in the shadows. He ran through the corridors, in the direction of the rooftop, where he knew all the students gathered every year to watch the show.

When he peered inside, he found his favourite emerald eyes already fixed on the door. So many years, and their minds still worked in perfect harmony, understanding each other without the need for words.

He saw Edwin excuse himself and move towards the door, Charles felt like his heart was about to explode in his chest.

“I was hoping you would come,” Edwin whispered in his ear. It made a shiver run down his spine.

He thought about replying, there were at least a thousand things he wanted to say, to ask, but there were more pressing matters. He all but launched himself at him, hugging him close, his lips rushing to Edwin’s like a drowning man resurfacing and finding the first breath of air. The kiss didn’t taste like salt this time, it tasted like desperation, and need, and in one moment it managed to make six years look like a snap of fingers.

Edwin guided him by the hand along the corridor to a room, and locked the door behind him. Finally safe from prying eyes, they dared to look at each other more thoroughly. Edwin was even more beautiful than he remembered him, his shoulders had broadened, his eyes were shining with happiness and he wanted nothing more than to kiss his smile again.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t come,” Edwin said, breathless. “I kept looking at the door but I thought that maybe you had moved on, or you forgot about me.”

Charles shook his head in disbelief. “I thought about nothing else since the day you left.”

He entwined their fingers together, leaning his head on Edwin’s shoulder. They would have to separate again soon, or people would start looking for them, but at least they had this one day they could steal for themselves. And Charles would never give up hope.

#deadboydetectivesappreciationweek #dbdcentral #renewdeadboydetectives #dbda #payneland #edwin payne #charles rowland #I dont have a proper lore for this #like half grishaverse and half fate stay night probably #wizards #magic #alternative universe

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marketingbusiness2 · 5 months ago

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Curious To Know 7 Ways Emeralds Can Help Boost Your Health & Wealth?

#emerald #emerald jewelry #gold #eshli #real emerald bracelets #shop emerald necklaces online #buy emerald earrings online #emerald with traps

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ourloveisforthelovely · 2 years ago

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The Words "Best Friends" Become Redefined. Part 2

Regulus Black AU

Summary: You had been Regulus’ friend since childhood and now his mistress. The war had changed many things, Regulus among them. Now its time to decide if you should put your self-worth over missing someone who was gone.

Pairings: Regulus Black x Reader

Rating: M- smut

Song in Chapter: King of Wishful Thinking by Go West

Link to Part 1

______

I'll get over you, I know I will. I'll pretend my ship's not sinking and I'll tell myself I'm over you. 'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking.

Your eyes snapped open as the song on the radio began to register in your sleep-deprived mind. Groaning, you sat up and threw a shoe at the radio knocking it off of your chest of drawers. Anything about being “the queen of wishful thinking” made you want to barf.

It had been several weeks since the night at the pub and you were no closer to getting over Regulus than you were on day one. Every day seemed to be the same, emotionally. You would wake up, cry a little, get mad at yourself for being sad (because you were right and he was wrong), then get up and force yourself to put on a happy face.

Regulus wasn’t helping any matters by sending you letters every single day. He had sent you the emerald bracelet that you returned several times before you finally gave up and just kept it. When it came to the letters, you just gave them to Sirius to do whatever he wanted with them.

Sirius

You were more thankful than ever for your friendship with the elder Black brother. He was always a willing ear when you needed to rant. Sirius also took extra care to not tell Remus anything about the true nature of your relationship with Regulus. For all that Remus knew, in your mind, was your friendship with Regulus had ended and you were being a royal grouch about it.

Sighing, your mind went to the previous night when you were once again raging about Regulus to Sirius.

“I’m a real idiot, Sirius. I go around throwing away perfectly good boyfriends. Well, I don’t know if he considered himself my boyfriend but god damn it…Regulus is such a freaking jerk!”

Sirius sat on the couch watching.

“You’re still wearing his ring.”

You looked down at your hand. The ring that Regulus had given you years ago was still sitting proudly on your finger.

“I know that I am! I am a mess, Sirius. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. All I want to do is cry. You know me, I’m not a crier! I can handle a crisis!”

Sirius smirked.

“A trait that you share with your brother so well…look, love, just because you love him doesn’t mean he’s good for you…hey look at me being the responsible one. Normally that’s your brother's job”

You groaned dramatically before sitting down.

“I know you are right but I don’t want to accept it. I am having a shit time at just throwing away a ten-year friendship and slight love affair. Why wasn’t I good enough for Regulus to fight for? Why couldn’t he say no to your family’s psycho ways and fight for me? Am I not…”

Sirius held a hand up.

“I’m just going to stop you right there, Y/n. You are more than good enough! You have always been good enough! Personally, I think that you are too good for the bum. Now come with me, we are going to do something. I want no complaining.”

You reluctantly followed Sirius into your bedroom. He led you to your full-sized mirror and put you in front of it.

“Now I want you to stand here, look at yourself, and tell me some of your best qualities.”

You gave your friend a frown only to earn a slap to the behind.

“I’m your best friend. I can do that…now get going, sugar bean.”

You sighed and looked at your reflection for a moment before meeting Sirius’ waiting eyes.

“I’m smart. I’m a good friend. I’ll fight for those I care about no matter the cost. I have a giving heart…I may be a sass queen…”

Sirius snorted.

“May be?”

You chuckled before turning around and hugging Sirius.

‘“Thank you, Sirius.”

Getting out of bed, you felt somewhat better. While Sirius could drive you crazy, he also knew how to make you feel a lot better.

He really does remind me of Regulus.

A truer thought couldn’t have been said about that one. Whether they argued and swore that they were totally different. Regulus and Sirius’ friendship styles were extremely similar. Standing in you in front of the mirror and making you list off good qualities about yourself was definitely something that Regulus would have done.

Stepping into the shower, you sighed in relief as the hot water washed over your aching muscles. In addition to your poor state of mental health, you had been pulling extra duties for The Order. This meant nightly patrols, tons of research, and spying on unsuspecting death eaters with Sirius and Remus.

“Hi sugar, I know that you miss me.”

You froze. This had been the first time that you had heard Regulus’ voice in your mind. Legilimency. Of course, Regulus could do this. You internally smacked yourself in the head as you “chose” to ignore him.

“Oh, you’re still not talking to me, huh? That’s too bad. I miss you, princess. Do you really expect me to go from spending every day with you for ten years to nothing so easily? I miss everything about you.”

You closed your eyes. Even though you were quite good at Occlumency, you made no move to push Regulus from your mind. Maybe you were asking for what you were getting. Maybe you were being weak…but damn it was wonderful to hear Regulus’ voice in your mind.

“Still nothing? Y/n, you really are being so stubborn. Maybe you should know what I miss. I miss seeing your beautiful face underneath me. How beautiful you look after I kiss your lips until they’re swollen and your cheeks are flushed bright pink. I miss how desperate you get when I suck on those dusty nipples. I miss how you move under me. You can’t tell me, love, that you don’t miss how your pussy trembles when I’m pushing in. Don’t forget, sweetheart, that it was I that showed you how to please a man. Now, that I know you are wet, how about a word? Anything…tell me where you are and I’ll come to you. We can fix all of these nasty little issues that we are having and get back to us…the real us.”

You bit your lip at “the real us.” Regulus didn’t remember what the real “Regulus and Y/n” was. He forgot what your friendship meant. He forgot what actual love was…

Forcing Regulus’ voice from your mind, you quickly turned off the shower.

“I have got to keep him out of my mind.”

You spent the majority of the day trying your best to avoid having your mind fall back to Regulus. Thankfully, there was enough crazy going on at the ministry to keep you busy for hours. The less that Regulus graced your mind the better. You weren’t able to sit around and think about his cocky voice in your head that morning…and how deliciously deep his voice sounded.

Merlin, I am really fucked.

You thought before putting your head down on your desk. Maybe you were more screwed than your realized?

Later that day you were more than happy to meet Remus and Sirius for dinner at a bar. Seeing your friends was just what you needed to “get out of your head.” The moment that you walked into the bar, Sirius motioned you over to the table.

Taking off your jacket, you nearly collapsed at the table. Normally, you would have kissed Remus and Sirius both on the top of their heads. Today, that wasn’t happening. Both men looked slightly offended as you held your hand up.

“Rain check. What a day! I am beat!”

You commented as Remus slid you a glass of fire whiskey. He gave you a small smile. Remus wasn’t a fool. He knew that there was more to your friendship with Regulus ending than what he was being told. Remus wanted nothing more than to question you and then go kill Regulus…but that would get him nowhere. You were depressed enough as it was. If he “offed” Regulus, you would be inconsolable. If Remus was to do anything, it would be to let you tell him in your own time.

What is it with Lupins finding the Blacks so damn interesting?

Remus looked across the table at Sirius who gave him a small smile.

Oh, that…that right there.

Remus added to his thoughts before turning to you.

“Long day?

You nodded.

“We don’t have many short ones any longer. I swear, this war needs to hurry the hell up. I don’t think that I was meant for this being careful thing. I ran into Augustus Rockwood today and had to stop myself from saying you’re next mother fucker.”

Sirius giggled.

“I’m surprised that you didn’t. Y/n, I have to say that Remus and yourself are the sassiest people that I know.”

“Does that assessment include yourself?”

Remus asked, cheekily. Sirius rolled his eyes.

“See what I mean? Sass!”

You leaned back in your chair and took a sip of your whiskey as the lights in the bar went out. Immediately, you reached for your wand as some death eaters walked into the bar.

“Boy, they sure like to make a big entrance.”

You murmured as Remus, Sirius, and yourself dropped to the floor. Remus’ eyes were wide as he turned to you.

“Get out. There is an exit in the back. Sirius and I will take the exit over there. If we all go together it will draw too much attention. If you want to go with Sirius, I’ll go the back way.”

You shook your head. The last thing that you were about to do was let them be separated. Besides, you could handle getting out on your own.

“No, just go. I’ll meet you lot back home.”

You whispered before crawling off toward the back of the pub as people in the bar started screaming. As much as you wanted to go back and fight, you knew it would be stupid. The three of you were outnumbered.

Once in the other room, you moved to stand up but someone grabbed you from behind. You quickly threw your elbow back hitting whoever it was in the ribs. When they made a painful moan, you pulled away enough to get a good look at who it was.

“Going somewhere, sugar?

You froze as Regulus took off his mask. As much as you wanted to stand and stare at him, you couldn’t. Taking out your wand you launched hex after hex at Regulus only for him to repel them away. You wanted him to hurt as much as you were hurting!

“Come on sugar is that the best you’ve got?”

Regulus said, sounding bored. You stopped and glared at him. You wanted Regulus to feel your misery. If there was anything of the man that you cared about in there…you wanted him to see your side.

“I don’t kill things. Unlike you, I don’t hurt people that I care about.”

Regulus chuckled.

“Oh, sugar. You really are mad.”

You picked up an empty bottle and threw it at Regulus. He sighed as it only hit him in the chest.

“Go away, Regulus. If you’re going to kill me then just be a man and do it.”

You snapped. Regulus was about to reply but stopped the moment that he heard Lucius Malfoy’s voice. He stood motionless for a moment before rushing forward and wrapping his arms around you.

“Don’t scream. Be silent.”

He hissed before standing his body upright. The last thing that Regulus wanted was for Malfoy to have any idea that he had “company.”

“Black, we need to go. Nothing that we came for is here. It was another piece of bloody useless information.”

You stood wrapped in Regulus’ arms clutching tightly to his death-eater robes as he gently rubbed soothing circles on your back.

Soothing…what is happening here?

You thought before taking a moment and breathing him in. Never in a million years did you think that you would ever be in Regulus’ arms like this again…yet here you were. There you were and he was holding you just as he did before turning away from you.

“I knew it was a waste of time. Go ahead, I’ll be along shortly. There is something else that I need to take care of.”

Regulus replied. He waited until he was positive that Malfoy was gone before letting go of you. When you looked back at your love’s face, he looked ready to panic. His cool calm composure was gone.

“Take the second door and get out of here. Turn into your animagus form the instant you are outside and don’t turn back into a human until you are home. Run and don’t look back…just run.”

“Reg..I…”

He shook his head before pulling you into a kiss. Neither of you moved away from the other for a moment. It was savoring the moment… enjoying the closeness that both of you missed. You sighed as Regulus’ tongue caressed yours. This was the kiss that you missed…the kiss that you longed for in your dreams…

Regulus was the first to pull away.

“Go! Stop wasting time…just please…go.”

You gave him one final look before morphing into your cat animagus form and rushing out the door into the dark silence of the ally way…

______ @amelie-black @jessyballet @knreidy1 @georgeweasleydumbhoe @justfinishthis @acciosiriusblack @siriuslyceleste @mimisparkle12 @teletubiswszpilkach @ell0ra-br3kk3r @darkenwolfie @livshifts @stelleduarte @starsval @millies0bsimp @coffeeaddictednymph @readtomeregulus @daddyslittlevillain @rogue-nyx88 @panpride @saramaple @missgorldafirst @s-we-e-t-t-ea @taylor-will-be-the-death-of-me @f4iryluvy @buttercup-beeee @i-love-scott-mccall @gugggu6gvai @jag9000 @quinis @yousmellllikecaca @mentally-unstable-hoe @haroldpotterson @padf00ts-l0ver @goldensunshineshit @aurorasnape12 @ad-astra-again @rubyroscoe1 @dumybitch @spideyxalmighty @lucasfilms77 @lostarc24 @marichromatic @play-morezeppelin @ravenhood2792 @un-lovesherself @melaninnbarbie @criminalyetminimal @brokencasbutt67-writer @authoressskr @moldy-old-boot @hankypranky @summer-novak @emiwrites3reads @shaylybaby2032 @knight-of-gleefulness @deanwherescas @sprnaturallover @wontlookaway @shitfaceddaniel-blog @untoldshortsofthefandoms @li0nh34rt @tas898 @mycuddlycorner

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whositmcwhatsit · 1 year ago

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Chapter 3

AN: Well, this whole writing thing got away from me for a bit, sorry everyone! Thank you to my alpha @thatbanditqueen, who decodes my gibberish, and a big thank you to @vintageshanny, @ellie-24 and @be-my-ally for keeping me sane without even knowing it.

Here are the previous chapters since you'll definitely need to be remind yourself what it's all about!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

There was a sharp rapping at the door after lunch the next day. Sally had gone back to the room to change into her bikini and robe, deciding to brave the poolside because she was tired of looking like the washed-out spirit of some pioneer girl haunting the hotel.

Thinking it was Laura checking on why she was taking so long, Sally threw open the door as she went to the mirror and adjusted the bikini top beneath her loose peasant blouse.

“Do you think I should untie the straps on this thing? I don’t want to have white lines on my shoulders.”

The tall man standing in the doorway raised his eyebrows behind his sunglasses and flashed a wide smile.

“Uh, I don’t know that I’m qualified to answer that one, Miss,” he replied amiably with a shrug.

Sally whirled round, feeling her mortified blush tingle as it hit her hairline.

“Oh gosh, I thought you were someone else,” she mumbled lamely. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, my name’s Sonny. I work for-“ He pointed a finger up and Sally frowned.

“God?” Utah wasn’t a million miles away but surely they didn’t send missionaries to the Las Vegas casino hotels. That just seemed unfair on both sides.

“What?” He gave a sharp laugh. “No!” He shot her a look like he thought she was either dumb or crazy, maybe a mixture of both. But she wasn’t the one who cased the corridor like a secret agent before murmuring: “Elvis. I work for Elvis.”

“Oh.” She thought that he was maybe waiting for more of a reaction, but after worrying that he was a Mormon missionary, the fact that he was one of Elvis’ guys was a relief.

“Uh, anyway, my boss wanted me to bring you these-“ He whipped out the tickets for that night’s show. “And, uh, this.” He held out a small, dark green velvet case in his other hand. She took both and frowned again at his look of expectation.

“Do you… Oh, I don’t really have any cash on me right now. Hang on a second, I can check-”

“God, no.” He wiped his face with a big meaty hand and yanked off his sunglasses, fixing her with a look that she thought was supposed to be intimidating but just looked exhausted. “Can you open it please? I’m s’posed to let him know how you… acted.”

“No pressure,” she muttered, lifting the lid.

Inside was a gold bracelet interlaced around emeralds circled by little diamonds. It looked like something the Queen of England might wear to a soiree, not a teller from a bank in the middle of nowhere. Not without being accused of embezzlement.

All of that ran through her head as she stared open-mouthed. Finally, she remembered her audience and she glanced back up.

“Can you tell him that I was overjoyed and jumped up and down and was grateful?” she asked, worrying that she hadn’t accrued enough goodwill to get him to lie for her. “I am very grateful, really grateful, but this is… I’ve never even seen anything like this before, let alone touched it.” She tentatively put a finger to the metal; it felt cool against her fingertip.

“Yeah, I’ll tell him.” He slid his sunglasses back on and gave her a small smile and a nod. “I’ll see ya.”

Sally nodded back and closed the door, clutching the tickets and bracelet to her chest. “Well, that was weird.”

At the pool, Laura huddled over the bracelet, pulling Sally’s wrist close to her near-sighted eyes like she was a jeweler, appraising gems.

“You think they’re real?” she asked, tilting Sally’s arm to see the stones caught the sun. Sally looked around at the other people on the sun loungers, feeling slightly too conspicuous thrusting precious stones in the air.

“I don’t know.”

“And you didn’t even have to sleep with him.”

“Keep your voice down!” Sally hissed, snatching her arm away.

“I’m just saying, you’ve got to be careful playing hard to get, you know, Sal, they can get tired of it real suddenly.”

“That’s not what I’m doing. I wouldn’t do that.”

Sally could imagine that he would be able to see through that pretty quickly too. He seemed to do that, to see deeper than people thought he did, or at least it felt like he did when his eyes were on you.

Almost as if she was afraid of being caught, she glanced up at the towering white façade of the hotel. It rose up and disappeared into the shimmering heat of the endless blue sky. Somewhere, right at the very top, which she couldn’t make out from the bottom, he was there. She wondered if he was thinking about her. Maybe he was looking down at the pool… She felt her cheeks heat up and she had to look away just in case.

That evening, she and Laura were standing in line for the dinner show. At the front were the devoted fans who had probably started queuing while they were still at the pool.

“Imagine if they knew you what you got up to last night,” Laura remarked, wiggling her eyebrows. She seemed more excited by the cachet of Sally’s relationship, such as it was, with Elvis, than Sally herself was. “What? It’s okay to enjoy things, Sal, Jesus!”

Sally opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Emilio the maître de who had somehow picked them out of the crowd of heavily made-up glamorously dressed women.

“The Beatles fan… Sally, is it not?” He pecked both her cheeks and then grabbed her fingers, wrapping them around his crooked arm. “We have been told to take extra special care of you.”

Sally glanced back at Laura, who had snatched hold of her other arm, and pulled a face. They giggled as they were escorted past all the baleful looking people in front of them in the queue.

“It’s like being a movie star!” she whispered to Laura.

“Now you’re getting it.”

Sitting in the central booth again, they felt highly visible as the room rapidly filled and staff served dinner. Sally watched the tables beside the stage fill up, the biggest tippers sitting central, women only closest to the stage.

“You know, some people come all the way from Japan and England and Australia just to watch these shows. Not even on vacation, just to see Elvis. The other night, I was talking to some people from South Africa!”

“Well, older folks have more money I guess,” Laura murmured, sipping her champagne.

“It’s not just older people,” she murmured, hearing how defensive she sounded. Laura shrugged, but didn’t reply as the lights started to go down.

The show passed in a blur of lights, sounds and, of course, music. Sally could tell that Elvis was getting more comfortable on the stage with each show, the patter between each song was becoming longer, sometimes surreal, usually funny, and he was cutting up during the songs more, swapping lyrics, usually for something dirty. The audiences seemed to enjoy it, and he certainly seemed to thrive on that.

Joe appeared during the piano intro for ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love.’ This time, he didn’t ask them to come backstage, he just gave them a smirk and gestured for them to go ahead of him.

In the wood panelled outer dressing room, Sally recognised some of the stars in the crowd, there were the actors from the Mod Squad, over there was Glen Campbell, but there was only one face she was looking for. She stayed back as the inner dressing room door opened, there was a glimpse of fleur-de-lis wallpaper, and Elvis came out.

Sally thought he looked anxious as he emerged, but even as her brain was registering it, his face relaxed into his usual charismatic smirk and he scanned the room. She averted her eyes, her stomach fluttering manically, and tried to look casual. She twitched a nervous smile at a stranger across the room and looked around for Laura, finding her beaming up at a tall, tanned older man.

Shaking her head, Sally turned back and almost banged her nose on Elvis’ chest.

“Oh!”

“Snuck up on ya, didn’t I!” He looked pretty pleased with himself even as he grabbed her forearm so that she didn’t stumble back. He pulled on her arm a little harder, tugging her towards him so that he could lean down and give her a lingering kiss on the cheek. She felt a wave of goosebumps ripple up her spine as her hand brushed against his suit jacket and his cologne tickled her nose.

“You did, I almost pulled out my pepper spray.”

“Pepper spray?! Hell, that ain’t no good, honey, that’s just seasoning. We oughta see about getting you a gun.”

“Oh, no thank you,” she replied, pulling a face.

“Not a big one,” he reassured her, like that was the problem. “You know, they make ‘em small enough that you can just put it in your purse.”

She envisioned fishing around for a mint or lipstick and shooting herself instead.

“I think I’m more comfortable with the pepper spray.”

Elvis pulled a face that told her that he wasn’t, but luckily they were interrupted by one of his famous guests, who leant right across her to shake Elvis’ hand and pat him on the shoulder. Sally moved back before she was elbowed. She almost stepped on the foot of a man behind her who was wearing a jacket covered in Elvis pins. It was a comedy of errors as she shuffled and circled and edged out of everyone’s way. She found herself pressed up against a decorative carpet that hung against the wall, overshadowed by a dark wood cabinet. It didn’t feel that different from the showroom, standing at a distance, watching him say his lines and his audience beaming at him. Even off stage he was still always giving a performance.

After about half an hour, the tall man who had delivered her bracelet- Sonny- gave her a pleasant smile and asked her to come with him. She glanced over at where Elvis was explaining something with animated hand gestures to a rapt group of men and women. The group let out a loud collective laugh as Sally grabbed Laura and they followed Sonny from the room.

“Where’s Elvis?” Laura asked as they walked along the bland tiled corridor towards the elevators.

“He’ll be coming along,” Sonny replied, pausing to introduce himself. Laura’s eyes lingered on him a little longer and Sally looked down to hide her knowing smile.

The elevator ride felt like an interrogation as Laura questioned Sonny on himself, on Elvis, on Hollywood, and anything else that caught her attention. Laura’s enthusiasm was unphased by Sonny’s stoicism, even after he mentioned his fiancée. Sally envied her friend’s confidence and self-assurance. Laura was the top saleswoman back home every month because she had a knack of dragging customers into conversations and building rapport with them so that when she mentioned that she was worried that they were not sufficiently covered by insurance, or that they could get that home renovation done now if they just signed up for a little, low-interest home loan, they felt they were being advised by a friend. If anyone had told Sally that one of them would get noticed by Elvis while on vacation, she would have bet all her cash on Laura.

Up in the Imperial suite, Sonny brought the women a drink and settled them in the den like they were his house guests. He seemed to have succumbed to Laura’s charms, sitting beside her on the couch and stretching out his arm behind her. Sally clutched her drink and surveyed the room, pretending to be intensely interested in the chandelier as Laura giggled quietly off to her right.

Finally, the door of the suite burst open and half a dozen guys strode in together. They all seemed to be talking at once, laughing at some in-joke. Elvis appeared amidst the group and the corner of his mouth twitched up as he caught sight of her. He made a beeline for her as his entourage peeled off and headed in different directions. Joe handed him a bottle of water, still talking to him, but it didn’t slow Elvis’ stride as he came and stood in front of her.

Without a word, he took the drink from her and placed it on the side table, then grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her to her feet.

“C’mon, honey, let’s go hide.”

Sally bit down on her lips to stop herself grinning like a cartoon as he tugged her along behind him. He took big strides so she had to half jog in her heels to keep up and she kept her eyes on the floor to make sure she didn’t trip on the thick carpet or any hidden steps.

In the bedroom, he slowed down as he purposefully closed the door, leaning on it for a moment before he turned round and smiled at her. She shivered involuntarily at the light twinkling in his eyes.

“Hi.”

“Hello,” she giggled and he bit his lip as he moved toward her, his eyes taking her in with an almost predatory hunger. His lips pressed softly against hers even as she felt him gathering her up, his hand around the back of her head, the other on the small of her back, sliding up as he pressed her into him.

Sally almost sagged in his arms as the anticipation and tension she had felt since leaving him passed liked waves from her body. She didn’t realise he was moving the both of them backwards until the side of the bed hit her calves and she made a squeaking noise against his mouth as she wobbled. Elvis’ grip of her tightened even as her arms tensed around his athletic frame, trying to keep herself upright.

Elvis pulled back from the waist up, his eyes opening slowly, thick black lashes flickering against his cheeks, as if he didn’t want to quite let go of the kiss. It only made her want to launch herself back at him, but she suspected he knew that.

“Man, I been thinking about this ever since I saw you in that dress,” he murmured, his hand dragging around her waist from her back and his long fingers tickling underneath the short hem.

Sally had already worn all of her good outfits to his shows, so she had borrowed a green mini dress from Laura and had spent most of the evening tugging it down.

“You wear this for me, honey?” His warm breath tickled her neck as he leant in to pepper her jaw and throat with soft butterfly kisses. “You ain’t trying to get me in trouble now, are you.”

At the same time, her thighs tingled with goosebumps at the feel of his callused fingers trailing up to the edge of her underwear beneath her skirt.

Part of her was protesting that this was too fast, that he was too much of everything: too experienced, too rich, too famous, too handsome, too Elvis for her. She was so far out of her depth that drowning was inevitable. The problem was that he made drowning look both exciting and pleasurable.

“I wore it because it matched my new bracelet,” she said, slipping her fingers through the opening of his jacket, warmed by his skin and the feel of the coarse chest hair against her fingertips. She could feel the thudding of his heart reverberating through his rib cage and sternum.

His chin dimpled as he peered down, grabbing her hand and pulling her wrist up for examination. She gazed at his face as he inspected her wrist, his left eyebrow twitching with self-satisfaction. She loved the creases at the corners of his mouth, how they made his full lips look sullen even as she knew he was suppressing a smile. It felt like a secret between them.

“You like it, baby?”

Sally shot him a look of disbelief. “Of course, it’s beautiful, Elvis, so beautiful, but you shouldn’t have. It looks expensive.”

“That don’t matter,” he murmured, frowning. “It looks pretty on your little wrist here.” He dipped forward and pressed his lips to the bony part of her wrist. Sally’s whole arm twitched at the heat and velvety softness of his mouth and her stomach fluttered as his pout continued its path round to her pulse point. His hair brushed against her jaw and throat as he leant over pressing kisses up the delicate skin on the inside of her forearm.

“I -uh..” She dropped down onto the bed, even as she was thinking that she was starting to feel a little lightheaded from holding her breath.

He looked like he was holding back a laugh as he asked, ‘You okay, honey?”

“I meant to do that.” She frowned, daring him to contradict her.

“Uh huh.” He nudged her legs open with his knee so that he could step closer and she could feel her skirt sliding to the top of her thighs as he drew in, his thumbs on her jaw tipping her head back so that he could kiss her as he slowly and gently lowered her back onto the bed, his tongue teasing its way into her mouth.

“Well,” he said, pressing his knee into the mattress right at the apex of her thighs, the pressure of him answering the ache beginning to throb there, “I might not get around to the next show, but-” He lifted a mischievous eyebrow. “It’ll be worth it.”

It took every drop of restraint in Sally’s being not to grind down on his thigh, but her self-discipline was almost immediately undermined by Elvis pressing down on her, and she let out a sigh mixed with a moan, catching a glimpse of his smirk before he kissed her again. Yet again, he was performing exactly the show he knew his audience enjoyed.

Trying to find some sense of balance, she let her hands glide down from his shoulder blades, feeling the mechanics of his lean muscles working beneath his suit jacket, and cupped his perfectly round ass. She felt him pause for a second, before he tried to cover his surprise by moving with even more authority, rolling his hips and driving a moan from her that had her turning her face into his neck and hiding in embarrassment. He didn’t seem to realise this was what she was doing as he shuddered and showered kisses on her throat and shoulder, pulling back her neckline as far as it could go so he could taste her pink, sun-kissed skin.

Sally felt his teeth clamp down lightly on the muscle in her shoulder before he drew back, depriving her of his spicy warmth, so that he could shrug off his suit jacket. As usual, he wasn’t wearing anything underneath and she couldn’t stop herself reaching out to touch his skin, running her fingertips up his sides and making him twitch and hiccup a laugh before he grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head. Her bracelet bit into her skin from the pressure, but she didn’t fight it or protest.

“This okay?” he asked softly, his face looking suddenly very boyish and vulnerable. It was unexpected and helped ease some of her nerves as she gazed up at him and nodded. Her lips were swollen and tingly, seemingly a side effect of being in close proximity to him, and she bit down on her bottom lip, trying to stop herself from panting too needily. He groaned, mumbling about how she was going to be the end of him, and sank back down into kissing and rubbing and pressing against her as she shivered and writhed and pressed right back.

Sally’s skirt was now somewhere around her waist and her restraint was buried somewhere in the sand outside of Las Vegas along with everything else that people from this city found themselves forsaking. She hooked her fingers into the tight waistband of his pants and tugged impatiently even as her tongue was sliding against his.

“Hey, whoa whoa, easy, baby,” he mumbled into her mouth. “We got plenty of time. I got you to myself all night, right?” She nodded dumbly. “That’s right, we made a deal.”

Despite his words, he walked his fingers up her thigh and her breath stuttered in her throat as he slipped his thumb into the warmest, wettest part of her. His eyes crinkled slightly and his mouth fell slightly open as he studied her face, which she was desperately trying not to screw up into unflattering expressions as he circled and dragged the pad of his thumb over her slippery skin, flooding her with sensation, before slowing and ebbing back, letting her breathe and float for moment. He seemed to take her efforts to be quiet and composed as a personal challenge, shifting his hips to get more comfortable and pressing himself against her thigh, before pulling out his thumb from the leg of her underwear and insert his whole hand into the front.

“S’okay,” he whispered, panting softly, as he played her like an instrument with his delicate fingers and she bit down on a whine. She could see where his mascara was beginning to smudge below his eyes as they both lost their cool both figuratively and literally.

Sally felt sweat trickle from her hairline down behind her neck and she shifted slightly. Elvis glanced up from where he was watching the movement of his hand and his heavy-lidded eyes seemed to assess her. In one smooth movement, he rolled onto his back, his hand still working in her underwear, and reached over to grab a pillow from the top of the bed.

The next thing she knew she was being thwacked lightly in the face with it.

“No, wait, that ain’t right,” he remarked dryly, picking it up again and smirking at her disgruntled expression beneath. “Lift your head, honey.” She clasped her hair in one hand and raised her head so that he could tug the pillow into place with his free hand, grunting slightly as he tried to keep himself up at the same time.

As soon as he was satisfied she was comfortable, he leant back over to kiss the air from her, increasing the pressure of his fingers as they began to sink into her while his thumb strummed at the bundle of nerves, making her twitch and writhe.

“Oh God,” Sally breathed, clasping at his neck and the damp tendrils of his hair. She couldn’t decide where to touch him, still not able to believe that she could. Her hands moved from his neck to his shoulders to his back, brushing his narrow waist, kneading his perfect ass and squeezing his thighs.

As the knot tightened in her belly, her muscles tensed and she began to moan freely, losing her inhibitions, she palmed at the firm bulge in his pants. He growled softly, pressing his face to her chest and resting his warm, sweaty cheek against her decolletage, scratching her with his sideburn. It felt like he was everywhere, leaving nowhere for her to retreat and hide, making it impossible to stay calm and demure, giving her no way to hold it together.

His fingers prodded deeper, causing the swell of the waves of pleasure in her gut to break and ripple through her body. She whimpered into his damp hair as stimulation so intense that it was almost painful rolled over her, making her thighs clench and her toes curl. The aftershocks made her twitch and he huffed a laugh into her temple, giving her pussy a scritch like it was actually his pet.

Sally shot him a disapproving look, a little embarrassed at how completely he had taken her apart with just his hand. He raised his eyebrows and shrugged as if he wasn’t responsible for what he did.

While she slowed her breathing and felt the unwelcome return of her inhibitions, Elvis hovered over her, straightening her underwear and diligently pulling down her skirt. He moved up, adjusting her neckline and pulling the shoulder of her dress back into place. Sally hoped they hadn’t stretched it, because she knew Laura would make her pay for another and she suspected it wasn’t from a catalogue like Sally’s own dresses.

“All better,” he pronounced in a soft, babyish voice, looking down at her body. When his eyes returned to her face however, he snorted softly. “Up here’s a different story though, baby, up here you’s a mess!”

“Noooo!” she protested, her hands going up to her hair, feeling the damp frizz and knots as he gave a cartoonish cackle and nodded. She pouted and reached up, vigorously ruffling his hair and pushing it in his face. “There, now we match!”

There was a pause and her stomach dropped as she thought that maybe she had crossed a line, but then he laughed and shook his head, swiping his black hair out of his eyes before he swiftly straddled her and obliterated any hope she had that her hairdo was salvageable. She wrinkled her nose and blew a lock of hair off her face.

“You made me do that!” he informed her. “I didn’t have no choice.” He did one of his patented sullen smirks as he picked up a long lock of her hair and laid it across her forehead like a monobrow. His laughter vibrated through her and his thighs tightly clamped her hips as she batted at her face and knocked her hair away.

“You are a public menace,” she informed him.

“You ain’t the first person to say that,” he nodded. “First person with a bird’s nest on their head to say it though maybe…”

In spite of his playful tone and the calming endorphins flooding her body, she was starting to feel self-conscious and she tried to roll over and escape his grip.

“Okay, let me up.”

“Honey, I’m just teasing. It ain’t that bad.” The expression on his face contradicted his words. She shoved at his thighs, trying to push herself free, and quickly discovered when her hand slid up that she might have been a mess, but she was apparently an exciting mess.

It was another twenty minutes of rolling around on the bed before she made it to the bathroom to examine the damage to her hair. It was as bad as she had feared, and she rooted around in the drawers and cabinets looking for a brush or comb to attempt triage. During her search, she found three pistols, some amber bottles of medication with a range of names printed on them, and a photo of a cute blond-haired baby, before she finally found what she was looking for.

Two hours of curlers and teasing and half a can of hairspray wasted, she vigorously brushed her abused hair into long brown curtains on either side of her face and wet some tissue to wipe away her smudged and smeared eye make-up.

When she emerged from the bathroom, Elvis was laying on the bed and he did a double take as she came out.

“What?” she asked, pausing nervously.

“Nothing… Nothing, honey.” He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You just look different with your hair all down like that.”

“I didn’t have much choice now, did I?”

“No, I guess not.” He rolled off the bed and somehow made it onto his feet before he hit the floor, striding over to clasp her head in his hands and kiss her almost chastely. “It looked so pretty before though, honey.”

“Thank you?”

He shook his head sharply. “I mean, you’re still pretty. I don’t even know what I’m saying, man. Sorry, baby.” He kissed her again, this time with more force. “Every time I get up on that stage I think I must shake something loose up there, losing my damn mind. You’re pretty, you’re beautiful, honey.”

Before either of them could speak again, there was a gentle tap on the door.

“E, it’s time.” The guy’s voice was no louder than speaking volume and clearly audible through the door. Sally was horrified, thinking about what they might have heard on the other side of that door. Elvis didn’t seem bothered though, just annoyed that their time together had to end, but then he was probably used to all of this.

“I gotta go to work, honey. Sold my soul to Kirk Kevorkian for a hundred thousand a week and I’m starting to think I’m the one that got snowed.” One side of his mouth twitched up into a half smile as he rose, but she didn’t quite understand what his expression was trying to convey. And in in an instant, it was gone.

“You coming to the show?” he asked with a bashful smile.

“If that’s okay with you?”

At this, he cupped her face in his large hands and kissed her, nipping her bottom lip between his teeth before pressing his forehead against hers.

“You ain’t real,” he told her, to her confusion. “There ain’t no way you’re real.”

“Funny,” she replied, “I think the same about you.”

As he walked her to the main door of the suite like they were on a surreal date, he told her not to bother coming down to the stage for a kiss at the midnight show.

“Oh,” she murmured, a little deflated. “I did exceed my allocation after all then?” He gave her an amused little frown.

“The way you talk, honey! Naw, I just got something else in mind. Don’t go messing with my plans, now, okay?” He gave her a peck, motioning to someone behind her. Laura reappeared, straightening her dress slightly and looking sheepish. Sally looked from her to Sonny wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

The midnight show, her fifth now in three days, confirmed that the tummy flip when Elvis appeared on stage was a permanent thing. Meeting him, talking to him, hadn’t lessened her wonder and awe at his talent and energy. If anything, seeing him up close in the flesh and learning more about him only made that huge presence he projected seem that much more impressive.

“Does it bother you?” Laura asked curiously, pouring herself a glass of champagne from the magnum resting in an ice bucket. They hadn’t ordered it, it had just been presented to them with the assurance that there was no charge.

“What?” Sally asked. Laura nodded towards the stage where Elvis was crouched down in front of a couple of women who were giving him a gift. He gave them both deep, effusive kisses, going back for seconds from one of them.

“Why would it bother me?” she laughed. “if he didn’t do it, I wouldn’t have got to kiss him.”

“Exactly,” Laura said cryptically, raising her eyebrows. Sally rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the show.

Elvis didn’t introduce Love Me Tender until later in the set, leaving Sally wondering what he was talking about when he said he had a plan. When he finally started the introduction, she suddenly became vigilant, like she was waiting for an ambush.

At first, nothing seemed much different, Elvis sang a little, kissed a lot and the band persevered, playing verse after verse. Then, after walking to the wings, he just… didn’t stop. She watched his dark head drop down into the crowd and pandemonium broke out. People- women- were charging down from the back of the showroom, the audience were laughing and whooping as girls called Elvis’ name and begged to be able to touch him.

“God, they’re going to eat him alive!” Laura laughed, as they both craned their necks to follow the knot of people moving through the crowd.

Sally watched as people tried to climb over tables just to reach out and touch his arm as he passed by. He was being jostled by the press of his own bodyguards and then the fans begging for kisses. Her eyes widened as she realised the procession and growing mob were heading toward their booth; blue uniformed security guards were already appearing behind her, ready to marshal him through safely.

A beautiful blond managed to step into Elvis’ path as he almost reached the back of their booth. Sally and Laura had turned in their seats and were kneeling up on the red velvet cushions, watching the circus. He clasped the blonde’s face, just as he had done Sally’s only an hour earlier, and kissed her on the lips. Sally wondered if maybe she should be feeling jealous, but the truth was that she really just felt empathy with the woman, understanding how exciting and delicious it was to be kissed by him.

Despite the pressing and the chaos, he managed to pause at their booth, his tanned hand replete in gold rings gripping the white scrollwork to fight the momentum pushing him on. He gave her a lopsided grin as he leant in.

“How’d you like my plan? Seemed a good idea at the time.” He almost stumbled as he was jostled from behind.

“Not bad for a public menace,” she grinned, wrapping her fingers around his sweaty neck and almost sighing against his soft lips. A security guard stepped closer as if she was an overexcited fan that he was going to have to drag away, but she drew away before he could reach out and grab her.

“See ya later!” Elvis called over his shoulder, taken by the current. As he was swept on, she only heard the word ‘deal’ float back through the screams and whooping and laughter.

Turning round and smiling at Laura, Sally licked her lips and savoured the salt there.

Tag list:

@itsnotthatserious03 @everythingelvispresley @bigromansgirl-blog, @sillybookmarks, @returntopresley

As always, shout out to the Elvis harem: @thatbanditqueen, @be-my-ally, @vintageshanny, @ellie-24, @from-memphis-with-love, @missmaywemeetagain, @peskybedtime

#elvis presley #70s elvis #elvis fanfic #elvis x oc #elvis fanfiction #elvis presley fanfic #elvis smut #1970

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longitudinalwaveme · 1 month ago

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Fictober 2022

Day 4:

Prompt: No, We’re Not Doing That

The Flash Rogues vs the Queen of Fables

When Sam Scudder had first discovered the land that lay beyond mirrors, he had been amazed by the vast dimension, with its millions of shimmering mirror portals. That astonishment had quickly turned into caution when he realized that it was inhabited by what he called mirror monsters—-creatures composed of shards of glass—--and then into a true fear of the place when he started to realize how easily it shifted, changed, and warped; how easy it would be to start following a path, only for it to disappear and leave you stranded, unable to ever find your way back. While he never stopped venturing through the Mirror Realm—it was far too convenient as a method of transporting himself and his partners in crime—-he never strayed far from the paths he had mapped out. He was much too wary of the place to wander through it randomly.

Which was why Sam had never considered that being trapped inside the Mirror Realm for two weeks would be mind-numbingly boring .

He had been wrong. For all the parts of the Mirror Realm that were beautiful, wild, dangerous, and wonderful, there were also parts of it that were little more than an endless expanse of gray nothingness, with nothing but the distant twinkling of thousands of mirrors to indicate that the rest of the dimension existed at all. And it was in one of those gray voids that Sam had found himself trapped for the past two weeks—which meant two weeks with no physics textbooks, no notes, no TV, no music, none of his fellow Rogues, no way of contacting the real world, and, worst of all, no way to look at himself in the mirror. He could only imagine what sort of state his hair was in by now.

Suddenly, a rectangle of bright white light, about as tall and wide as Sam himself, appeared in the expanse of the gray void. Sam sighed. After two weeks of this routine, he knew exactly what the rectangle’s appearance meant.

After a few seconds, the glow of the rectangle faded, allowing Sam to see into an opulent throne room, made out of the debate chambers in what had once been City Hall. Standing in the middle of the room was a tall, graceful, and almost impossibly beautiful woman, with skin the color of paper, eyes like sapphires, and thick, wavy red hair. She was dressed in a long, elaborate purple gown, wore a mink stole around her neck, held an elaborate scepter, and was bedecked with diamond necklaces, emerald bracelets, and a gem-studded golden crown that would make the reputation of any thief who managed to steal it.

Unfortunately, when it came to topics of conversation, she also had a seriously one-track mind.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who in this land is fairest of all?”

“Hello to you, too, your highness,” Sam said. The woman narrowed her eyes.

“The spirit in my last magic mirror was not nearly so insolent.” Sam had given up trying to convince the Queen—as she was insistent on being called—that he wasn’t some sort of ghost or something several days ago.

“If I had to hazard a guess, your highness, that would be because you weren’t responsible for trapping your last spirit inside the mirror.”

“Continue in that tone, spirit, and I shall use my arts to strip you of more than just your freedom,” the Queen replied.

“My apologies, your highness,” Sam said quickly. While he wasn’t quite sure he believed the woman’s claims that she was a “mistress of the dark arts”, she had had the power to trap him in the Mirror Realm in the first place. He didn’t want to push his luck and find out what else her powers might let her do.

“Then answer my question, spirit. Who is the fairest of all?” After two weeks, Sam still had no idea how to answer this question. It wasn’t like there was some objective measurement of how beautiful a person was. Was he supposed to answer based on his own personal preference? Poll everyone in the world and see which woman was mentioned most often? Guess?

The one thing he couldn’t do was lie. The Queen had informed him immediately after she had trapped him in the Mirror Realm that he could only speak the truth so long as he was bound to her mirror—which was very inconvenient, because it meant that he couldn’t just tell her what she clearly wanted to hear and be done with it.

“The answer hasn’t changed, your majesty. I don’t know who the fairest is, and I don’t know how to find out. You’re definitely the fairest woman I’ve seen in the past two weeks. Does that help?” The Queen frowned.

“If you cannot find the answer yourself, I will have to provide you with the power to find the answer I seek,” she said. She waved her hand over her staff, and a wave of energy passed through the barrier and slammed into Sam’s chest, nearly knocking him off his feet. For a few seconds, nothing seemed to change, but then he felt a surge of power. A series of images flashed through his mind before settling on the face of a very attractive young woman with curly black hair and dark brown eyes. She looked vaguely familiar, but he was sure he didn’t know who she was—which made it all the more surprising when a name suddenly popped into his head.

“You, my queen, are fair; it is true, but Lashawn Baez is still a thousand times fairer than you.” Sam could hardly believe what was coming out of his own mouth. Did using magic powers force you to talk in rhyme for some reason?

“Where is this Lashawn Baez?” the Queen demanded.

“Why do you want to know?” Sam replied. The Queen gave him a nasty little smile, and suddenly Sam realized that he already knew the answer. He wasn’t exactly a big reader of fairy tales, but as the Mirror Master, he was kind of obligated to know about the Evil Queen from Snow White.

“So that I may put an end to this girl who is fairer than I am.”

“In that case, you can find out where she is by yourself. Answering your stupid questions is one thing; helping you kill some random girl so you can win a beauty pageant that exists only in your head is another.”

“That was not a request, spirit. Tell me where she resides.” Another image suddenly sprang into Sam’s mind, and, in spite of himself, he found himself answering the question.

“Lashawn Baez, O queen, terries now in one of the local inns. ‘Tis there she can be found.”

***************************************************************************

Evan McCulloch was alone in the bar—or tavern, rather, ever since that witch had turned Central City into a storybook come to life—-drinking a flask of ale. He had tried to get some of the other Rogues to come with him, but all of them had refused, saying that they weren’t stepping a foot outside of their safehouse until things went back to normal.

Evan thought that they were overreacting. True, it was a bit weird to suddenly have your city and everything in it magically transformed into a medieval village, but that wasn’t going to stop him from enjoying a pint or two. After once having been lost in the Mirror Realm for weeks, strange happenings just didn’t bother him anymore.

Suddenly, a tall, cloaked woman, with skin as pale as snow and eyes as blue as the heather, walked into the tavern. Every person in the tavern—not that there were many; most of the civvies had been even more frightened by the sudden changes to the city than the other Rogues had been—-turned to stare at her as she made her way towards Evan.

The woman moved gracefully—like a dancer, but somehow more—and Evan almost felt disappointed when she stopped and sat down in the chair beside him.

“Can I help ye, hen?” The woman gave him a slight smile.

“That is no way to address your queen—but as I came here in disguise, I will forgive you your lapse in manners this once,” she said. Evan laughed.

“Haw! Just like the storybooks! Well, your highness, if you’re wanting to know if you’re the fairest of the land and all, I’d have to tell ye truthfully I’ve seen bonnier lassies in my day.” The woman gave him a smile.

“If I elevated you to some title—say, a dukedom—would you re-evaluate your position on my beauty?” Evan laughed.

“A title’s naught but air—air that comes with obligations I dinnae want or need. I’ve naught to do with big castles or fine manners or ruling anyplace. Keep your titles—I’ll keep my opinions.”

“Then how about your weight in gold and jewels—paid to you once a day for the rest of your life? Would you change your opinion then?” Evan grinned.

“Aye, your highness, that I would. But I didn’t come up the Clyde on a banana boat, ken? You won’t give me so much dosh just for saying you’re the bonniest woman I’ve seen. What do you need me to do for you?”

“My magic mirror has informed me that there is a woman in this kingdom who is fairer than I am. As such, I find myself in need of a new royal huntsman.” Evan laughed.

“A huntsman! Haw! That’s pure deid brilliant, so it is!”

“Then you’ll do it?”

“Aye, aye. I’ll do it. For that kind of dosh, I’ll do anything.”

“Excellent. Bring me the lungs and liver of Lashawn Baez, and you shall have your reward.” As the Queen handed him an elaborately-carved box, Evan grinned. Miss McCulloch had read him the story of Snow White hundreds of times when he was a wee lad, and he knew exactly what he needed to do to ensure that he got his payday. He didn’t kill bairns, and he didn’t kill women—but so long as the Queen thought that he had, she’d still give him his weight in gold.

As soon as the Queen left the tavern, Evan slipped through the Mirror Realm to a local slaughterhouse, killed a pig, cut out its lungs and liver, and put them in the box before traveling by mirror back to the tavern. Then he began the arduous process of trying to find the Queen’s castle. As a relative newcomer to the twin cities, Evan wasn’t familiar enough to make his way around the city now that all the landmarks were transformed.

After forty-five minutes and several wrong turns, he arrived, and was quickly ushered inside by the Queen, who had changed her cloak and simple clothes for the regalia of her title and was holding a scepter.

“You work quickly. I’m impressed.”

“I was worth the price, then, eh?”

“Give me her lungs and liver, and I’ll tell you.” Evan grinned and handed over the box. When the Queen opened it, she let out a triumphant cheer.

“Lashawn Baez is dead! I am now the fairest in the land!” Then she smiled at Evan.

“You have done me good service, my huntsman. Here is your reward.” She waved her hand over her scepter, and suddenly a wagon loaded high with gold and jewels appeared in front of Evan, who stared at it in shock. In spite of his extensive criminal career, he’d never seen so much wealth in his life. This plan had worked out even better than he’d expected!

“Thank you, your highness.”

“Your work has earned your pay, and then some. Should I ever be in need of a huntsman’s services again, I will send for you.”

As soon as he left the castle, Evan found a safe hiding spot for his newfound wealth, then went to warn Lashawn that she should probably find someplace to hide.

****************************************************************************

“I don’t know, Lashawn. I think I look pretty dashing in these new clothes,” Owen said as he looked at himself in the mirror.

“You look like you should be greeting guests at Disney World. No real person has ever dressed like that,” Lashawn replied as she paced the floor of the room she and Owen had rented from a cheap motel, which had been transformed into a fantasy inn.

“What, you mean you don’t think any real woman wore a gigantic princess hat in combination with a dress that looks like it came from the 1930s?” Owen asked with a smile.

“How are you so casual about all this? Our entire city has been transformed into a Renaissance Festival, no one can enter or leave, we’ve been completely cut off from the rest of the world, some sort of evil queen has made herself the ruler of the city, and the Flashes can’t help us because they were off fighting an alien invasion in Rio de Janeiro when she showed up!” The smile slipped off Owen’s face.

“I know, Lashawn. I’m worried, too. I mean, I’m used to weird stuff, but actual magic is a bit outside my wheelhouse,” he said. Lashawn continued to pace the floor nervously.

“And since actual magic is real—I’m starting to think I really am cursed. I mean, Warden Wolfe is finally forced to acknowledge that I’ve served my time and that he has to let me go—and the second I’m free, a witch shows up and transforms the whole city into something out of a storybook,” she said.

“I’m just glad I was able to come and pick you up at Iron Heights before all the craziness started. I mean, I’m not glad you got pulled into all the weird fairy tale stuff, but if the witch had shown up and transformed the city a few hours earlier, you would’ve ended up stuck in the middle of nowhere outside of the prison,” Owen replied.

“I still don’t understand why you volunteered to pick me up in the first place.”

“Because I know a thing or two about making mistakes and then having to try to set things right. And, admittedly, because you’re beautiful.” Lashawn blushed furiously. Except for her father, no one had ever called her beautiful before. She’d been too busy with medical school to bother with romance before her father had gotten sick, and after she’d made the stupid, desperate decision to try to steal a kidney for him after months of him getting pushed back on the waiting list, boys weren’t exactly lining up around the block to date the latest “Rogue”.

“You’re not bad-looking yourself,” Lashawn mumbled. That was an understatement. Owen was very handsome, with thick red hair and twinkling blue eyes. He must have gotten his looks—and his manners—- from his mother, because his father, Captain Boomerang, had early male pattern baldness, the manners of a dingo, and a face like a brick wall.

Owen laughed.

“I inherited my dad’s throwing arm, but I’ll admit, I’m glad I didn’t inherit his face. Or his apparent aversion to bathing.” And, in spite of the seriousness of the situation, Lashawan found herself laughing too.

Then Evan McCulloch came through the mirror, and their laughter was stopped dead.

“Stay behind me, Lashawn. I know this guy. He’s dangerous.” McCulloch laughed.

“Aww, don’t get yer knickers in a twist, chief. If I wanted to hurt you or the bird, you’d both already be dead,” he said. Lashawn debated if she should grab Owen and teleport out of the room. She didn’t want to risk hurting anyone by the explosion her teleportation would create, but, at the same time, she and Owen were in very real danger. Even though she hadn’t personally interacted with the second Mirror Master the way that Owen apparently had, she had heard more than enough about him to know that he was powerful, violent, and completely unhinged.

“Then why are you here?” Owen asked.

“Because your bonnie wee girlfriend made me a fortune, and I figured I owed it to her to tip her off that the Queen wants her dead.”

“But I’ve never even met her!” Lashawn protested.

“Don’t matter. She says her magic mirror declared you the fairest in the land—and that means she wants you dead.”

“How did that help you?” Owen asked.

“The queen offered me my weight in gold and jewels if I would kill the lassie and and bring her her lungs and liver. I said I would, then I killed a pig, cut out its guts, told her it was the lassie’s, and now I’m swimming in dosh.”

“Why didn’t you just kill me, instead of going through all the trouble of tricking her?”

“I may like dosh, but not eno to kill women or children for it. ‘Tis hoora bad business, so it is. So I tricked her instead.” Owen raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t you think she might be angry when she asks her magic mirror if she’s the fairest of the land tomorrow and finds out that Lashawn isn’t dead?”

“She won’t be mad—she’ll be furious. Which is why I’m here to tell you and the bird to clear out of here.”

“And go where ?”

“Follow the fairy tale, laddie, and you’ll know.”

“Care to translate for those of us who aren’t crazy Scotsmen?” Owen asked. Evan laughed again.

“As I was going through the Mirror Realm, I spied a small house with seven wee men. If you go there, you should be safe, at least for a time.”

“How do you know?” Owen asks.

“Come on, laddie. Didn’t anyone ever read you the tale of Snow White?” Evan asked. Lashawn groaned. She’d thought Evan’s description of the Queen sounded familiar…

“Let me get this straight. You expect Lashawn—and me, since I’m not leaving her—to show up at the doorstep of some random people because a fairy tale is telling us to? ”

“Aye, laddie. That’s the general idea.”

“No. We’re not doing that. Are you completely out of your mind?”

“Aye. But I’m also right.” Lashawn sighed.

“Owen, I don’t like this any more than you do, but given the fact that this witch or evil queen or whatever has turned the entire city into a fantasy kingdom, and is clearly reenacting Snow White, I think McCulloch might be right. Unless the Flashes manage to break through the barrier and save the day, the only way to put an end to this mess might be to let the fairy tale play out.” Evan nodded.

“Aye. Ye see, that’s the problem with wicked witches—they’re bound tae the rules of their own stories.”

“And you know this how , exactly?” Owen asked.

“Easy. The Mirror Realm told me!”

Lashawn couldn’t help but wonder: had McCulloch always been crazy, or was this a recent development?

*************************************************************************

Four days after their flight to the house of the seven dwarves, who were surprisingly good hosts for a bunch of guys who had probably been created less than a month ago by the Queen, Owen was hunting in the woods that had mysteriously sprung up around the city with his dad’s trusty boomerangs. He had already brought down a few rabbits, but was hoping for a deer, since that would really impress his dad. And, if he was lucky, maybe Lashawn too.

Crack! Owen turned in the direction of the sound, and, sure enough, there was his deer. It was a magnificent specimen—so much so that he almost hated to hurt it—but since all of the supermarkets and refrigerators had disappeared when the Queen had transformed the city, this was really the only way to get meat. Owen pulled his arm back and was about to release the boomerang when he heard a loud, cackling laugh coming from the dwarves’ cottage.

Lashawn!

In a panic, Owen dropped his rabbits and ran back to the cottage. He burst through the door—and found Lashawn lying on the floor in a heap. An apple was lying on the floor next to her, with one bite having been taken out of it, and an old woman was laughing triumphantly over her.

“Lashawn Baez is dead! Now I am the fairest in the land!” Owen ran over to the old lady, who was obviously the Queen in disguise, and grabbed her by the cloak.

“What did you do to her?”

“I gave her a poisoned apple, and she ate it—though it wasn’t as simple as it used to be. In the old days, the fairest would always be trusting enough to take a magic wishing apple from a kindly old lady, but this Lashawn—she wouldn’t let me in. I had to cast a spell on her and force her to eat the apple—but she’s out of my way all the same. She will spend the rest of her days in the sleep of living death, unable to be woken by anything but true love’s kiss—which is why I’ll need to get rid of you.”

“Me? Why me?”

“You’re the handsome prince. Your kiss will break the spell—and I’ve been foiled too many times to let that happen again.” Owen was about to protest that he wasn’t a prince, and that, while he liked Lashawn a lot, he wasn’t sure he was in love with her, but then the old hag cast a spell at him and he had to roll desperately out of the way. He threw the boomerang he had intended for the deer at her, but she simply disintegrated it with her magic, and then cast a spell that trapped him in a mass of magical chains. Owen struggled against the bonds, but to no avail.

“Say good night, sweet prince.”

Suddenly, a red blur knocked the old hag off her feet and into a wall. The magic chains fell away just as the blur solidified into the Flash.

“Deus ex machina, baby!” he exclaimed.

“Thanks, Wally.”

“No problem. Dealing with weirdos like the Queen of Fables is kind of in my job description.”

“The…Queen of Fables?”

“Yep. She’s a refugee from fairy tale land in another dimension, and she uses her magic powers to recreate stories. One time she trapped me in the story of Little Red Riding Hood, I guess because my costume is red, and I had to deliver food to my grandmother, who was Joan Garrick. That was a weird experience.”

“Who was the Big Bad Wolf?”

“Gorilla Grodd.” Owen shuddered.

“Suddenly, being Lashawn’s Prince Charming doesn’t seem so bad.”

Wally looked down at Lashawn’s body and gave Owen a weak smile.

“I guess you’d better kiss her, then. It’s the only way to break the spell—both on her and on the city.” Owen blushed. He had been thinking a lot about how nice kissing Lashawn might be lately, but definitely not in this context.

“I don’t know. I mean, it’s not like we’re dating or anything, and, well…she’s unconscious and—”

“Yeah, I can see how that might be awkward. Maybe you could just kiss her on the cheek or something?” Owen took a deep breath.

“Well, I guess if it’s the only way to save her, I can manage that.”

Nervously, he knelt down to Lashawn’s body and pecked her on the cheek. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and he started to worry that he might have to kiss her on the lips, but then her eyes fluttered open and the dwarves’ cottage transformed into the postal office of all places.

“Owen?”

“Good morning, princess. Your Prince Charming has broken the spell, and is here to carry you off to his castle, where you will live together forever and ever.” Lashawn rolled her eyes.

“Don’t push your luck.”

“Does this mean that you don’t want to go out with me this weekend?” Owen asked. Lashawn paused and seemed to think things over before responding.

“That’s a happily ever after I think I can manage.”

******************************************************************************

Evan McCulloch was busy sorting through his stack of gold and jewels in the Rogues’ current safehouse when an obviously irate Sam Scudder suddenly emerged through a nearby mirror.

“YOU’RE the Mirror Master who’s freakishly obsessed with the Mirror Realm. Why weren’t YOU the one who got forced into playing “Magic Mirror on the Wall” for three weeks?”

“Oh, so that’s where you went. I was sort of wondering about that,” Evan said as he held up a particularly nice jade necklace.

“I was trapped in a void of empty gray nothingness, with no entertainment and no hair care products , for THREE WEEKS! Do you have any idea how boring it is to—where did all that gold come from?”

“I tricked the evil Queen into paying me for a hit I didn’t actually carry out, and now I’ve got more dosh than I know what to do with. Hoora great, int it no?”

“Let me get this straight. I got stuck in a gray void in the Mirror Realm for three weeks—and you got a hundred million’s worth of gold?”

“Aye, that sounds about right.”

“I. Am going. To kill you,” Sam said quietly. Normally, Evan would have laughed off a threat like that—he was stronger than Sam, and better at using the Mirror Realm to fight—but there was an intense look in the man’s eyes that actually made him nervous. He might not be able to take Evan in a straight fight, but Scudder was still a genius, and Evan didn’t want to find out what would happen if he decided to turn that genius against him. Besides, there was plenty of gold and jewelry to set them both for a very long time.

“How about this, chief. I give you half of the shinies, and we both try to forget this ever happened.” Sam looked at the gold, then at Evan, then back to the gold.

“If you also promise to stop showing up in my hideouts unannounced using the Mirror Realm, you’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Fair eno. Deal.” The two of them shook hands, and Evan grinned.

“See? Happy ending for everybody.” Two seconds later, the Weather Wizard came down the stairs .

“Hey, where’d all that gold come from?”

“The Mirror Realm,” Evan said.

“And you can’t have any of it. It’s ours,” Sam added.

The resulting indoor thunderstorm blew out three windows, ruined the linoleum floor, destroyed three-quarters of the gold and jewelry, set fire to Mick’s favorite “Kiss the Cook” apron, which he had unwisely left in the middle of the living room, alerted the Flash, and resulted in Evan, Sam, and Mark all getting sent to jail, but over the course of their desperate attempts to survive their perhaps ill-advised decision to not share any of their loot with someone they knew was able to whip up storms, Sam and Evan actually buried the hatchet with each other and became, if not friends, at least capable of tolerating each other. So in a way, there was a happy ending after all.

#flash comics #flash rogues #mirror master #sam scudder #evan mcculloch #owen mercer #peek a boo #captain boomerang jr #the flash #wally west #queen of fables #fanfiction #fictober24 #mark mardon #weather wizard

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