#renegades (leave a light on)

[magicinavalon]

Harrington snorts and kicks his ankle lightly. He’s tossing a stress ball up and down that he got at Goodwill with a curling smirk, looking straight at Eddie when he said, “Murder prevention investment.”

Art for Renegades (Leave A Light On) by @queerofthedagger <33

Read the fic here!! It is excellent

[cevansbrat0007]

The Scent of You

Summary: Ari loves the sweet scent of you, which is why he's content to live between your thighs.

Warnings: Smut, Mature Themes, Ari Being A Menace, Begging, Oral Sex (fem rec), Pussy Spanking, Slight Chase Kink, Light D/s themes, Minors DNI

A/N: Written for @curls-and-eyeliner. Hopefully this is okay, ya'll. I'm honestly not sure if it worked the way I intended. Part of my Sweet Renegades Series. Semi-proofread, not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are always appreciated. Thanks for reading!

It’s no secret that Ari adores you, but you’ve learned over the course of your relationship that he is particularly fond of the way you smell. Your natural essence of spiced, sugared vanilla draws him in like a moth to a flame. 

Which means he was always looking for a reason to touch you – to pull you close and breathe you in. Whether he’s hauling you against his broad chest to bury his nose in your hair while you’re cooking dinner, or he’s busy cascading soft, sweet kisses along the delicate column of your throat when you’re both snuggled up on the couch.

Your scent is like a drug. It calls to him – like a siren’s song – demanding that your handsome Bounty Hunter give in and help himself to his next hit. 

This man is hooked on you and it’s honestly one of the most exhilarating things you’ve ever experienced. Growing up, you’d never dreamed someone would desire you like this; that anyone would want you in such an all-consuming way.

“I’m going to burn the chicken if you don’t cut it out.” You hum, smiling when you feel his brawny arms tighten around your waist. “And then we won’t have anything to eat but mashed potatoes and asparagus.”

“Mm. Then maybe we’ll just have to order-in.” His warm lips dance along your skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

“Beast.” You try again, intending to issue a light reprimand. Instead your voice comes out soft and breathy. 

“You can feed me my dessert while we wait.” Ari’s long, talented fingers travel to the waistband of your pink sleep shorts, lightly tugging at the drawstring. “Just think about it.” You briefly lose your train of thought as you find yourself trying to remember if you were even wearing panties. 

You’re pretty sure that you’d neglected to put them on again after your shower. At the time, you’d told yourself that you were trying to save yourself from having to make another trip to Victoria’s Secret. 

It wasn’t your fault that your Beast wasn’t always house-trained. He was the kind of man who had a propensity for ripping off your underthings and tucking them into his pocket. Which meant you often had to make adjustments to your wardrobe.       

And all of it because the scent of your arousal drove him wild.   

Your musings are interrupted when a sudden pop of grease splashes out of the cast iron skillet, just missing both you and your man. “Alright, hands to yourself now, Beast. We’re working around hot oil and I’d feel terrible if you got hurt.” 

Jesus H. Christ, you should’ve picked another day to fry this incorrigible man some chicken.

Ari nuzzles his nose in the crook of your neck, gently nipping at your pulse point. “I just need a fix, baby. One little hit and I’ll be good for the rest of the night.”

“Ari…” You blow out an exasperated breath as you reach for your tongs to flip your meat. “You don’t even know if I’ve showered or not today.”

“Don’t care.” He grunts, one big hand reaching into your shorts to possessively cup your increasingly damp pussy. “You know I love how you smell. Almost as much as I love the way you taste.” Ari lips move on to kiss along the shell of your ear. A shudder courses through you when he tugs the sensitive load between his sharp teeth.

“I’m proud to wear my girl.”

Your thighs clench of their own accord, your empty walls clenching around nothing. Apparently your body was just as hungry for him as he was for you.

“Y–you can’t go around just saying things like that.” It comes out as a whimper as your cheeks heat, meanwhile Ari busies himself with grinding the heel of his lightly calloused palm against your already throbbing clit. 

“Why not, Duchess? Am I being too crass for you?” He teases as his free hand comes up to knead your breast, squeezing with just the amount of roughness he knew made your knees weak. “Turn that shit off and come feed me. I’ve been dying to get between those thighs all fuckin’ day.”

“But–but…” Your eyes flutter closed even as you reach for the knob that controls the burner, switching it off. Maybe he was right. You hated to waste this, but you could always try again another day.

Preferably on a night when your very persistent Beast was working late. 

“There we go. I knew my woman wasn’t the type to let me go hungry.” Ari murmurs, releasing his grip on your now very wet pussy in favor of tugging down your shorts. A growl rumbles deep in his throat as he watches them fall to the ground at your feet. “I knew you couldn’t be that mean.”

“You owe me chicken alfredo from Guiseppe’s, you animal.” You snarl, removing the pan from the heat. 

“Consider it done, baby.” You could tell without looking at him that he was obviously pleased with himself. 

God this man was an absolute menace. But he was yours, which meant you had to keep him. Hell, you were pretty sure that if you ever tried to put him up for adoption you were pretty sure he’d find his way home. 

Back to you. Wherever you were.

Feeling bold, you wiggle out of the Bounty Hunter’s grasp, only to be surprised when he lets you go. 

“Bet you can’t catch me.” You challenge, making a sudden dash for the stairs. 

Of course you knew he’d catch you. But sometimes you liked running from your Beast – because he was the type to always give chase which would only add spice to the proceedings.    

And just like you knew he’d be, your Bounty Hunter is on you before you reach the fourth step. A scream escapes you – but you both know it’s one of excitement. After all, Ari Levinson was every inch the predator. It’s why you lovingly referred to him as “your Beast”.

“Gotcha now, Duchess.” He hisses, a heady mix of exhilaration and pride coursing through his veins. And that’s when you finally notice the impressive tent hidden beneath the fabric of his light gray sweats. 

God, you had a feeling this man was gonna wreck you tonight. You just hoped you’d be able to walk in a straight line come tomorrow morning. 

Ari takes that moment to flip you over before gently maneuvering your body in such a way that allows you to slide down a couple of steps.

“Yeah, you caught me.” You breathe, your body aching for him. And then you part your thighs, feeling more than a little empowered when you notice the way his imperious gaze darkens with lust at the sight of your glistening cunt. “Now…what are you going to do with me?” 

Grabbing the edge of your nightshirt, you slowly pull it over your head, baring your breasts. If this man wanted you and was so willing to *ruin* your dinner for it, then who were you to deny him?   

Immediately, Ari buries his face between your slick covered thighs, his powerful hands coming up to quickly throw your legs over his muscled shoulders. A deep, satisfied groan of appreciation escapes his throat as he sucks your pulsing clit into his warm, waiting mouth.

“Holy shit!” You cry, burying your hands in his soft, chestnut strands. “Sir, please!” Your body begins to tremble as you’re treated to the most sensual of assaults.  

One thick finger gently prods at your entrance, seeking refuge in your slippery cunt. At the same time, you feel Ari release your sensitive bundle of nerves, content to lap at it with his wicked tongue.

“That's it now. Fuckin' drench me, Bird.” He orders softly, his voice coming out slightly muffled.

And then pauses he pauses again – this time to nuzzle his nose against your slippery folds. Your entire body quivers when he takes a deep breath, inhaling your scent and reveling in your wetness. 

“My fuckin’ pussy.” Ari snarls, his flat tongue dragging a long, greedy swipe along your cunt. “Mine.” He pulls away long enough to slap your core in silent demand.  

“Fuck yes!” You agree, eagerly rocking your hips in time with each delicious lash of his tongue. He swirls it over your little bundle of nerves, making your toes curl.

“Would wear you all day if you’d let me.” His nimble fingers begin to work you over, stretching you in the way he knew would make you crazy. “Proud to wear my girl.”

“Omigosh!Omigosh!Omigosh!” You wail, your velvety walls clenching around his fingers as he pumps them in and out of you. 

“Promise to always feed me when I need it, little Bird.” You feel his teeth lightly graze your clit once more, loving the way it makes you thrash and moan.

That’s right. This man was breaking you down on your living room stairs. And it was so good that you couldn’t even be bothered to make yourself give a proper fuck. 

Dear God, this was the most exquisite kind of pleasure.

“Don’t you dare let me starve.” His fingers curve inside you, expertly finding your spot.

Holy fucking shit your man was making one hell of compelling argument, as evidenced by sweet cries and your shaking legs. 

“Never.” Your thighs tighten around his head, threatening to smother him even as you gush around him. 

Just the way you knew he fucking loved.     

“There we go -- yeah, that’s it.” Ari rasps, smacking your right flank, reveling in the way you clench around him as you continue to ride his face. Meanwhile, you’re busy writhing in your man’s arms, trying not to escape his grasp as that familiar coil of pleasure begins to tighten in your belly.

You know he knows you’re close. So he picks up his pace, clearly enjoying the way you’re coming apart under his feral loving. 

“I just need one good one from you – just one good one to start. And then I’m gonna give you my cock.” He increases the pace of his fingers, not missing the way your head is thrown back in complete submission. “And after that, I’ll order you dinner.” 

“Fuck, Beast!” You pant, your eyes rolling in the back of your head. "Whatever you fucking say - ooh!" Your open palm slaps against the wall as you try to run. But his grip is too strong.

Instead he simply chuckles before pausing his feast long enough to press one hot, open-mouthed kiss to your inner thigh - his teeth scraping over your damp flesh as he takes you higher and higher.

“And while we wait, I’m gonna go ahead feed you my cock.” He quips with a feral flash of teeth. “And don’t worry,  I’ll make sure you eat every bite.”

END

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[eupheme]

— renegade

joel miller x f!reader

rated E - 3k words

tags - light angst, established situationship, nightmares, mutual yearning, lots of pretending, soft!dom Joel, restraints, face fucking, fingering, PiV

a/n - inspired by ‘renegade’ by big red machine

“Is this why you’re here?” Joel asks you, shifting his hips, pushing himself deeper into your fist. His voice rough with sleep, the sound making you squirm behind him.

It was easy to pretend it was.

That it was just physical. Fucking the nightmares from your head - that it could be anyone else burying themselves inside you, and the outcome would be the same.

You sleep better here. Anything is better than a night spent alone in the room that isn’t yours, and never will be. Nightmares find you there - seeking out your sorrow, draining you dry.

When it becomes too much, as it often does, you go to him. Going out into the night, slipping like a ghost into the shadows.

Finding the familiar way to inside - finally able to breathe again when the window slides shut with a click. When you’re curled in his bed, the blankets pulled over you like a shield.

It will get you shot, one day. Sneaking in like this. With anyone else you might have been already - but not with Joel.

You think he doesn’t really mind your nightly visits. The way he keeps the crates stacked just so, beneath the fire escape.

How he only locks one side of the window after you leave - the other just out of the reach of your knife, when you wiggle the latch open from the outside.

It smells like him - these faded, patterned sheets. Ones he’d never pick out for himself, in another life.

Before.

Ones that you can’t imagine him not having, because this is the only way you know him.

The familiarity soothes you, even though he’s not here. Exhaustion starting to weigh you down, starting at the tips of your limbs and curling around you like vines.

Eyelids growing heavy, listening to the rain that’s just begun to sprinkle down. Drowning out the stomping rows of boots outside - a white noise that lulls you to sleep.

This time - you don’t dream.

———

He almost missed that you’re here. The sound of your breathing, the little hitches of breath while you sleep, engulfed by the downpour.

Only seeing the lump in the blankets as he sheds his rain-stained coat, the canvas soaked-though at the shoulders.

A mark deepening between his brows as he glances at your form - the jacket and pants thrown over the broken radiator. Moving to the window, flipping the latch on the left side back into place.

You’re slippery. Squeezing through cracks. Worming your way into his room and under the hardened armor of his skin.

For anyone else, this layer you’ve peeled back and crawled beneath would be no more than surface-level. An acquaintance, perhaps.

But with Joel, it’s so much more. It makes his skin itch, as if it was flayed back - exposed and raw.

Uncomfortable. But not unwelcome.

He hadn’t seen you today - the silent check he does. Just needing a glance of your hair, your shape in the crowd. It’s enough, a second in the long minutes and hours that make up his day.

It’s a small relief, a fresh breath of air he didn’t know he needed.

Silently, he strips down. Clothes folded on a chair with chipped paint - someone old DIY gone wrong. Looking like The End had already hit, years before it did.

A hand running through his hair, pushing the damp strands back, padding over to the edge of the bed.

“Come on, honey.” His words hold a softness that doesn’t exist when the sun is shining - a moment he knows you won’t remember.

Gently easing you over, so he can fit himself in behind you. Curling into your warmth, the blankets tucked back around you both.

The frown easing from his face when you murmur - face burrowing into the pillow, fingers brushing against the arm that wraps around your ribs. The hand that flattens against your stomach.

His name, no more than sleepy murmur, as you get comfortable again.

“Joel.”

He wonders if you’re dreaming about him.

He wonders if he’ll dream about you.

———

He’s solid, strong back and broad-shouldered. Shifting in the night to face away from you, as he often did. For comfort or another attempt to keep others out - a literal barrier - you’ll never know. Your chest presses against his spine, an arm curling around his waist.

Your eyes crack open. It’s still dark out, the sky just starting to streak with grey. You hadn’t slept long but you had slept soundly - the best you’ve had in days.

The tip of your nose brushes against the cotton of his shirt. Shifting so you can move higher, so it can skim against the base of his neck, instead. Press into the soft hair that curls - smelling like rain and sweat and him.

Your fingers trace the cotton at his hip, skim across the elastic waistline of his boxers. It had been over two weeks since you had last caved - had last come here.

It had been a good run. But the nightmares had come back - flashes of your past that you can’t bear to relive.

He shields you from them. Waking easily at the first sound of your muttering - his hand curling around your shoulder, low voice pulling you back out.

You know he understands. How he talks in his sleep as well, how you do the same for him. An unspoken agreement.

He shifts, against you. Only the slightest change in his breathing - he can wake from a dead sleep in an instant.

A hand, warm and calloused, finding yours as it brushes the strip of bare skin where his shirt has ridden up.

Dragging your hand down, to where he strains against the fabric. The pressure of his fingers curling yours around his length as he groans.

His hand leaves yours to tug down the waistband, removing the barrier between your palm and his hot, bare skin. Pushing them down his thighs, kicking them off to twist in the blankets.

The tip of your thumb brushes over the head, smearing precum over the tip. Air hisses between clenched teeth as he inhales, as you press yourself closer, crushing yourself against him as your arm pumps.

“Is this why you’re here?” Joel asks you, shifting his hips, pushing himself deeper into your fist. His voice rough with sleep, the sound making you squirm behind him.

It was easy to pretend it was.

That he didn’t go to bed hard, like this - the only thing keeping him from waking you up was knowing how much you needed the sleep.

That it was just physical. Fucking the nightmares from your head - that it could be anyone else burying themselves inside you, and the outcome would be the same.

It’s a lie, though. You both know it.

He’s the only one you go to. You’re the only one he’s let in.

You hum your response, trying to peek over the bulk of his shoulder. To watch him fucking your hand, skin sliding against skin.

Lips press against his neck again and he shudders. Moving your hand from him, twisting in your grip until you’re trapped beneath the spread of thick thighs.

The heavy jut of his flushed cock swaying, as he adjusts himself on top of you. Leaving a damp patch smeared across your breast, as he takes himself in his hand again.

He hasn’t meant to end up quite like this.

Had just wanted you warm and soft beneath him. Moving up too high on your waist on accident - still hazy with sleep - ending up with your arms pinned against your sides.

Making to move, until he sees the way you’re focused on his hand, your lips parting. Showing off a pink flash of tongue. Fingers gripping on to his ankles - the only part of him you can reach - nails digging in.

“You want this?” He asks, stroking himself - his fist fitting in the valley between your breasts. His other hand cupping his sack, squeezing.

Leaving you to watch the flex of his forearm, the flushed tip appearing between thumb and forefinger. Nodding, your tongue peeking out to wet your lips.

“Ask me for it.” It’s not a request, his head tilting as your hands tighten around him.

As he angles his cock down, shifting until it’s hovering, just out of reach. Your chin lifts, mouth opening as your eyes fix on his.

Joel’s jaw grits. You can see the heave of his chest, the hand cupping himself dropping to the curve of your breast. Thumb rolling over the tight bud - the sensation dulled by your thin top, but it’s him and your body still sings.

You crack first.

“Wanna taste you.” Your eyes are still on him, can see the way he swallows hard, how he shifts over you.

“Fuck, baby.” He growls. The hand around his cock drops to curl around the back of your neck, twisting in your hair to angle you.

All while he moves forward, pressing himself against the flat of your tongue. Where you’re open and waiting for the weight of his cock, to taste the salt of his skin and the drop that still clings to the tip.

Wet and aching for him already - a dull thudding between your thighs, where they press and rub together.

You groan, as he inches inside. Lips wrapping around and sucking, causing him to hiss out a breath, his hips hitching.

Nudging him a little too deep, as you cough - tears springing to your eyes. He shifts back with soothing words, the hand on your breast moving to cup your jaw - thumb rubbing against your cheek.

“Sorry, sweetheart,” There’s a pinch to his brow, your head shaking minutely to tell him it’s fine. A second, as he thinks, “Tap my leg if it’s too much. You got that?”

He waits for you to listen, giving an experimental tap. Before he tries again - hips rocking, a slow and shallow press into your mouth.

You take him, relaxing into the cup of his hand. Eyes wandering across his stomach, chest - whatever you can see when he draws back. Closing, so you can listen to the groans that reverberate in his chest. Letting him use you, to fuck your mouth - trusting him, putting yourself in his hands.

A hand that flexes and twists in your hair. His thumb of the other sweeping against your cheekbone, the hollow under your eye - brushing away the tear that glistens against your skin.

So tender it makes your chest ache. Fingers curling against his leg, squeezing. He’s pulling himself from you, then - out of the warmth of your mouth, as you swallow.

Trying to protest that it wasn’t the signal, your lips glossy and shining. He’s shifting back, nudging your thighs wide to fit between them. Lowering himself down, his cock wet and thick and digging into your hip.

“I know.” He murmurs. Before his mouth presses to yours, the kiss sloppy. Tongue brushing where his cock had been, as he tugs at the waistband of your underwear.

Dragging them down to join his, fingers dipping between your thighs. Groaning into your mouth when he feels how wet you are from sucking him off, the tips pressing and circling against your clit.

You whine his name, the stubble on his cheek scraping against your skin. Breath hot in your ear as his weight pins you down. Thumb smearing your slick across your clit, so he can fit a finger inside.

You’re tight, molten hot. Gripping him already as you arch into him, as he slips in another. Curling them until they drag against a spot that makes you moan - strung tight beneath him.

He need to calm down, make you come, before he fucks you. A pressure swiftly building in his belly when he watched you, the trust in the way you took him.

The sound of his fingers is loud, the wet suck as he fits in a third. Stretching you out, each of your breaths harsh, your nails biting into his skin.

Already so needy, already near the edge. Each of your breaths coming shorter as his hips press against yours. Letting your fingers drift to feel the hard curve of his cock, hearing his grunt in your ear when you tug on him.

“Don’t worry about me.” He groans, voice rough before his lips press against the column of your neck.

As if you ever weren’t.

As if you didn’t always want him.

His words were unneeded, because you’re losing concentration quickly. Only focused on the tension in your belly - the pressure like a finger squeezing down the trigger, about to fire.

He’s relentless, fingers pounding, the wet flick of his thumb. Feeling your racing pulse beneath his lips, the sharp gasp of each breath, your muscles flexing.

Tightening around him until that tension snaps. Pleasure thrumming through you as you buck into his hand, your mind going blissfully blank and fuzzy - your moan strung out and pitched high.

Missing his words, feeling the brush of his other hand over your legs, smoothing over your hips. You can just make out the timbre, leaving you to imagine the rest.

Christ, just like that.

Good fucking girl.

Fingers slow as he pushes himself up, only removing them to tug at your shirt - pulling his own from his shoulders.

Folding himself between your limp, spread thighs, before hooking his elbows under your knees. Opening you up, where you’re soaked and the fluttering is still ebbing.

The twist of his wrist as he lines himself up - smearing his tip across your slit. The briefest tease, indulgence, before he slides in. Sinking inside of your tight heat in a long, fluid motion.

“Fuck, I missed you.” You breathe, brow pinched as he fills a chasm you didn’t realize you had.

His breath comes out ragged.

It’s not in the script. The words you both know. No, this had come from the soft pulp of your heart, a late night confession.

He doesn’t know how to take it. Mouth crushing against yours as he sinks deeper, swallowing your words to keep them safe.

Trying not to think about how his own answer had sprung to his lips, unbidden. It’s dangerous. To think like that, to have any sort of claim on anything, now.

It’s easier to pretend you just miss his cock.

That you just came here to forget.

That’s something he can do - drawing his hips back, snapping back in. Watching the way your tits bounce, everything softened and hazy with the thin grey light that creeps in.

Shifting, lifting a leg to brace on his shoulder, pushing him deeper as you gasp. The other pressing against his ribs, curling around his waist.

Freeing up his arms so he can taste your release on his fingertips. Licking you from him before he presses the calloused pads against your own mouth.

You take him, tongue curling around spit-slicked fingers. Tasting yourself on them, your sighs muffled when he presses down on your tongue.

Thumb dragging against your lower lip, before he pulls himself from the heat of your pretty mouth. Finding his way to where you take him, tracing slick fingers up your slit. Feeling where you’re stretched wide around him, puffy and slick.

Teasing at your clit - as your hands clench in the sheets, twisted up near your ears.

In a world where the right protection can mean life or death - where a bite can end everything - it’s a wonder how you bare yourself to him. His hand ghosting across soft skin, from breasts to hip. Fingertips indenting flesh, gripping, pulling, tugging.

Watching with greedy eyes how you gaze up at him, an ankle digging into his shoulder - trying to force him deeper. He leans forward, putting more force behind his thrusts, watching the way your lips part with a soft “ah!” with every breath.

Fingers pressing and swiping against the tight bud of your clit, the way he knows you like it.

He needed this too - to bury himself in you. Feel the way you wrap tight and warm around him. His own tongue loosened like this, his own release building again.

“Christ, look at you.” He grits out.

Admiring. It makes you preen, lips stretched wide in a grin, a bright flash of teeth in the dark. Eyes half-lidded and heavy, doing your own slow sweep.

Over a tight waist that your leg hooks around. Bare stomach and broad chest, dusted with dark hair, only the slightest hint of grey. Not like the strands at his temples, the ones that streak throughout the curls. Peppering his facial hair.

Ruining you again. It had been a long time since you wanted something, and you can’t get him out of your head. Always coming back, even though you’re sure it won’t end well.

Because nothing does, any more.

You won’t let your soft heart ruin tonight. Not when his thumb sweeps across your hip. His eyes dark and glittering as he watches your face, as he works you up again.

The sharp rut of his cock and swirl of his fingers so perfect, that the tears start to well up, again.

“Joel,” You say his name again, “F-fuck, I’m gonna come.”

You felt like heaven on his fingers - tight and hot and sopping wet for him. It doesn’t hold a candle to now, how you squirm beneath him, the slap of his skin against yours.

The snug fit of your cunt, as you clench around him.

“Want you to.” He rasps out, resisting the urge to fuck you harder, faster. Keeping the same pace, the same circle of his fingers, “Let me feel you, baby.”

Need you to.

You come with a cry. Back bowing against the mattress, limb wrapping around him. Turning his thrusts into a sloppy grind, your hands coming to grip at his forearms. The waves crashing over you stronger and longer than before, your vision turning dark and hazy.

“Fuck. Fuck-” He growls - as the tight pulse pulls him to the edge.

It’s too much.

It’s all he can think about, as he pulls himself from you. Fisting his cock, jerking himself until he spills across your mound, your slick pussy.

How he wishes he could have stay buried, throbbing inside you, coating your walls with his release. Marking you, only pulling out so he can watch it leak from you later.

The word echos in his ears, layered with the thudding of his heart.

Dangerous.

———

You’re gone, when he wakes up.

The hazy morning sun is just barely casting warm rays of light onto the worn wooden floorboards as he drags himself from bed - a hand passing over his face, pressing into his eyes.

Pushing himself up, making his way over to the window.

But there’s nothing - just puddles collecting in the broken ridges of the roads. The streets washed clean from the rain.

Fingers drift, tracing up the cool frame of the window, until it’s touching the chipped white paint of the latch. Lost in thought for a long moment - before his hand drops back down to the sill.

He leaves the right side unlocked.

thank you so much for reading! 💕

[justaparsec94]

Feeling

Summary: When you and Hunter are left alone on The Havoc Marauder the feelings the two of you have kept well hidden finally come to light...

Pairing: Hunter x Jedi!Reader

Word Count: 5,271

Author's Note: I really don’t know how Hunter’s senses work, especially since they seemed to forget about them as the seasons went on. I like the idea most of fandom subscribes to that all of his senses are heightened but I saw a post once comparing his electroreception to that of a platypus which absolutely kills me. I guess we’ll never know for sure but no matter what I love our dear platypus man LOL

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

The Havoc Marauder was uncharacteristically silent as you sat in the cockpit. Most of The Bad Batch, minus Hunter who had stayed behind claiming headache, had left for a supply run earlier and likely wouldn’t be back for a few standard hours. Hunter had retreated to his bunk to sleep moments after the others had left, effectively leaving you alone.

Normally, the chance to explore a new place on a new planet would have thrilled you but like so many other things that had changed recently too. What had once brought excitement now brought fear. You had volunteered to stay with the ship as you didn’t want to risk being seen in a busy spaceport. Not that there were many left in the galaxy that would recognize you, but you just didn’t want to take any chances that might further endanger the squad. Having a former Jedi amongst your ranks was essentially a death sentence these days, and The Bad Batch already had enough heat on them as renegade clones. 

With a sigh, you sunk further into the copilot seat as you stared out the viewport. As much as you appreciated some peace and quiet, which admittedly was hard to come by with the squad, the silence left you with too much time to think. Somedays it was hard to wrap your head around all that had happened. The weight of the grief you felt threatened to drown you when you took a moment to stop and acknowledge it. Everything you had once known, had once believed in had been completely turned upside down. Your friends, your former master, all gone in a moment. 

As far as you knew you had gone from being one of thousands to one of only a few that remained and even then you had only just barely survived. You weren’t sure if your survival was the will of the force or simply just the result of being in the right place at the right time. In your more cynical moments, you believed it really had only been luck. If Jedi masters with far greater power than your own hadn’t survived you felt you really had no right still being alive. It was a thought that kept you up most nights, survivor's guilt. 

Having only been nighted a few rotations before the Clone Wars had started you had never been assigned your own battalion. Instead, throughout the war you had often completed recon and special ops missions that had the GAR assigning small squads of clones to you as needed, mostly commandos. It had been how you had met The Bad Batch in the first place. You’d been paired with the squad on several missions towards the end of the war. In the end, this use of your skills as a Jedi had likely been what had saved you. You hadn’t been near any clones when the order had come through, instead you had been klicks away from the nearest squad scouting. The clones had known you were on the planet though and the manhunt that had happened in the days that had followed Order-66 had nearly claimed your life multiple times. But despite everything that had been thrown your way you had still managed to escape off-world with a blaster wound burning in your side and a broken arm. 

Your first thought had been to simply disappear in the galaxy, to find some small backwater planet to live out the rest of your days but without enough fuel or credits to get you anywhere far, desperation had driven you to seek out Cid. You had used the Trandoshan as an informant many times throughout the war and while you still didn’t trust her it had turned out to be a good idea after all as it had led you directly back to The Batch. 

You’d been terrified at first, drawing your lightsaber on them the minute they had entered the bar, but it had become clear rather quickly that they were not following orders like the other clones had been. They’d explained everything, Order-66, Palpatine, the inhibitor chips, everything that had happened in the days following the end of the war. To hear the truth, that the men you had fought alongside for so many years, your friends, had been used like pawns in a game, treated in such a horrendous way by both The Republic and the new Empire had broken you more than anything else. It had been in that moment as you stared at the squad in front of you in Cid’s dingy bar that you had come to the realization that everything you had once believed in, everything you had fought for had amounted to nothing at all. All it had done was bring about the demise of nearly everyone you had cared for. You hadn’t been protecting the galaxy, you’d just been one part in bringing it to ruin. 

The thought continued to haunt you, even now, months after the end of the war. It had been hard to keep going afterward but being with the Batch and Omega had helped. You had always gotten along well with the squad during the war, in fact, they had become your favourite team to work with and despite not often working with Jedi they had seemed to accept and respect you. You’d always felt welcome amongst them. When they had suggested you stay on with them as they worked with Cid you had initially refused, not wanting to put them in any more danger than they were already in. Even if you had mostly shut yourself off from the force to better hide yourself you still didn’t want to take the chance of being detected. But Cid being Cid hadn’t really given you the option, if you wanted to get the credits you needed to disappear into the galaxy you were going to owe her, and running jobs with the Batch became the only way to do so. 

You sighed as you slid further down in the seat if only your master could see you now. Jedi Knight turned mercenary. Your eyes began to sting as you thought of your lost master. Master Antar Wei had been so very kind, wise, and caring. He’d been a true keeper of the peace, a gentle soul with the strength of a warrior. He had taught you so very much, without his teachings you would not have been the person you are today. He had been as close to a father as you had ever had and his loss was nearly unbearable. Tech had been able to get access to some of the Empire’s files and when Master Wei’s name hadn’t appeared on any of the wanted lists you knew he had likely succumbed to the same fate that nearly all of the Jedi had. 

You startled slightly as the door to the cockpit opened, so lost in your own thoughts you hadn’t heard the approaching footsteps. You swivelled the chair around to turn and look at Hunter as he entered, trying your best to school your features into an expression that would best hide your inner turmoil.

From the look on Hunter’s face, you hadn’t done the best job. His warm brown eyes were filled with concern, the lines of his face taught as he hovered hesitantly just inside the doorway. He shifted from one foot to the other as his eyes briefly swept the cockpit, as though searching for signs of danger, before they settled back on you.  

“Are you… alright?” He asked stiffly, as though he found it uncomfortable to ask you such a thing. His long hair was ruffled, likely from his sleep, making him even more ruggedly handsome than usual. You felt momentarily guilty for disturbing him before you noticed the air of tension that usually surrounded him when he had one of his migraines was no longer present. Only the same unease that had been clinging to him for the past few weeks was there.

Of all the members of The Batch, you had always gotten along best with the Sergeant. You admired his intelligence, his straightforward manner, the sly sense of humour that he let escape every once and a while, and the way he was fully devoted to his brothers. He was one of the most honourable men you had ever met and watching him go from stoic soldier to caring older brother to Omega had been a joy to witness. 

Truthfully you had been wrestling with feelings for the gruff clone that were decidedly not Jedi-like since the very first mission you had been on together. There had always just been something about him that had drawn you to him. His signature always seemed brighter to you in the force, and like a moth to a flame, you had struggled to maintain your professionalism around him. Attachment was forbidden after all and some days when you looked at the ridiculously handsome man you knew your feelings were treading into dangerous territory. That had been before though, you reminded yourself, the Jedi were gone and with it, you supposed the rules you had once lived by were as well. 

At one point you had been certain that your feelings were not just one-sided, Hunter kept his emotions very closely in check, but there had been looks, touches, conversations, and jokes just between the two of you that had set your heart pounding. But that also had been before. It seemed that whatever had been there was now long gone. In the last few weeks, all you had been able to sense from him was tension. He had done almost a complete 180. He no longer talked to you directly unless absolutely necessary, whenever you entered a room he left as soon as he was able to, even on The Marauder he always retreated to the space furthest away from you. A part of you wondered if you were just overreacting but the other knew that you weren’t, something had changed in him and you had no idea what had caused it. Hunter’s cooling towards you had just been another knife in your already fragile heart. You had lost so much and watching him slip away too, even though he’d never been yours in the first place, had only added to your pain. 

You realized suddenly that you had been quiet for longer than what was considered polite you finally spoke, shaking yourself fully from your melancholy thoughts, “I'm fine,” Your voice was soft as you nodded at him. You did your best to plaster a gentle smile on your face in an effort to ease his obvious discomfort.

“Your heart rate was elevated,” Hunter said, answering the question that had been at the forefront of your mind. Though you thought with amusement that you should have known, Hunter’s heightened senses meant there was very little on The Marauder that could be kept secret, “I thought something had happened…” 

“No,” You replied with a soft sigh, shaking your head sadly as you continued, “I just got a bit lost in my thoughts. I'm ok.”  

His warm brown eyes were still intense but some of the worry had drained out of them as he looked at you for another long moment, “Are you…sure?” He asked hesitantly, looking somewhat like he’d rather be anywhere else. 

“I’m sure, thank you, Hunter,” You replied with another nod, hoping to reassure him even though internally your heart was aching at the distance between the two of you. 

“Ok, I’ll uh - leave you to it then…” While Omega’s presence had forced him to get better at dealing with emotions he still had the tendency to avoid emotional confrontations like a plague. But this complete avoidance was new, in the past you might not have talked about it but he had still always seemed to know when you were feeling down or conflicted. You’d spent many hours and missions together sitting side by side, usually, no words were needed as you had always just found comfort in his solid and warm presence, sometimes he would distract you with stories about missions the squad had been on, but often it was just his silent company that he offered. Those moments together had always been your favourite. You still didn’t know where things between the two of you had gone so wrong. 

You watched as he went to turn around and suddenly you found yourself moving from your seat.  Silently and quickly you closed the gap between the two of you, your hand reaching out to grasp his wrist, pulling him to a stop before you could really even consider what you were doing. You were so tired of everything but especially this unspoken conflict the two of you seemed to be in, “Hunter, wait…” 

He turned to look at you with wide eyes before his gaze darted between your face and where your hand was on his wrist. You let go of him, trying your best to ignore the way your palm was tingling from touching him. He’d always had that effect on you but whereas it had been comforting before it now only brought a sense of sadness, a sense of loss.  

“I’m sorry if I’ve done something wrong, or something to upset you in any way…” You said softly, the words suddenly flowing out of you without really thinking. Your heart was beating painfully in your chest and your stomach rolled with anxiety. You couldn’t bring yourself to meet his gaze as you continued to speak, too afraid of what you might find in the depths of his eyes if you did, “It was not my intention and if there is anything I can do to fix it I will. Or if my presence isn’t wanted here I understand. I know I’m putting you all in danger by simply existing.”

Finally, you looked back up at him just in time to see Hunter’s expression morph into one of confusion and shock, “What? What do you mean? You haven’t done anything wrong. Why would you think that?” He shook his head, “And no, that’s not - you’re part of this squad and we don’t abandon our own.”

“Then what is it?” You asked, suddenly nervous about confronting him. You’d faced down thousands of droids, beasts, criminals, and other adversaries in your life but staring in the face of your friend as you prepared yourself for rejection was almost more terrifying than going into battle, “You can’t seem to stand being in the same room as me. You always seem to leave as quickly as you can, you only talk to me when absolutely necessary, and even then it’s usually through someone else rather than directly. So, I felt the only reasonable conclusion was that I’ve done something wrong, that I’ve upset you in some way. But I can’t change if you don’t talk to me about it.”

Hunter seemed shell-shocked as he stood in front of you, his mouth opened and closed a few times. You could feel the rush of emotions from him without even really trying, but it was so jumbled you couldn’t make sense of any of them. Even in the dim light of the cockpit, you could see his face flushing, which was something entirely new. You had never seen Hunter this nervous before. He was quiet for so long that you were beginning to think he wasn’t going to answer. 

“I don’t - I’m not angry at you. I’ve never been more relieved than that day you showed up at Cid’s. I - I thought you had died but then you came back to us, to m-, and you’re a part of this squad. You haven’t done anything wrong…” Hunter finally spoke, his voice deep and rumbling in his chest, “I’m not upset…” 

The way he trailed off left you with more questions than answers, so you simply stayed quiet, hoping he would continue. 

He took a breath, as though he was steadying himself prior to battle, “You’re…You’re not the problem,” he said finally, “I am.”

You waited another long moment for him to elaborate, but when it seemed like that was all the explanation he was going to give you took a few steps towards him, closing the gap between you.

“What do you mean?” You asked. He seemed to tense at your proximity and at this distance, you could see the way his pupils dilated, the way his nostrils flared momentarily, the slightest flush of red on his cheeks. Your own heart was suddenly pounding in your chest at the intensity of his gaze.  

“I just…I…” He started then stopped, redness was beginning to creep its way up his neck and you were surprised to hear he sounded… embarrassed.

“I can…” He tried again, his voice suddenly lower and rougher than you had ever heard it before, “I just feel you more than anyone else. I always have.” 

Suddenly everything seemed to click into place, the feeling that had always been there between the two of you, the looks, the touches, the soft way he had always spoken to you, his sudden running away, the emotions he tried so hard to dampen around you. You couldn’t believe you hadn’t figured it out before, that his sudden avoidance was not a rejection of you. It was fear.   

You took another step closer, watching his face closely as you grasped his wrist gently once more. His eyes widened at your touch and his entire body seemed to stiffen but he didn’t pull away from you. 

“What do you feel Hunter?” You asked softly, your voice steady despite the fact that you were thrumming with nervous energy. You couldn’t stop the question from flowing out of you. Maybe it was wrong to ask, maybe it went against everything you had been taught, but you found that in that moment, as you stared up at him you didn’t care anymore. 

He let out a shuttering sigh before his head dipped just slightly to meet your gaze. His eyes were molten and so intense that you felt as if suddenly every nerve ending in your body were alight. You had kept your connection to the force limited in the past few months but you let your hold on it loosen in that moment, letting it surround the two of you. You listened to it sing, just as it had done every time the two of you had been together in the past. 

“Everything. I can hear your voice in a crowd of a hundred, I can smell you even when you’re not around, and I can feel your heartbeat in a different room. When you’re near me I can’t take my eyes off of you and even when you’re gone I can’t stop thinking about you,” Hunter’s voice was a husky whisper, “It-it’s not appropriate but I can’t seem to control myself. So it’s just better if I leave you alone.” 

You were quiet for a long moment, considering before you spoke softly again, “Better for who?” 

His eyes widened, as though he couldn’t quite believe what you had just asked. Before you could have enough time to second guess yourself you reached out gently to place your hand over his heart. Even without your own heightened senses, you would have been able to feel the way it was pounding in his chest. You had never been so close to him before in such a way and the sensation was thrilling. It was as if the air itself between the two of you was humming with energy. 

The brown of his irises had been almost completely engulfed by the black of his pupils as you looked back up at him, “I feel you too Hunter. I have from the moment we first met. The force feels different around you too, like you’re calling to me.” 

You closed your eyes as his hand reached up to cup your jaw ever so tentatively as if he were afraid that his touch would shatter you. Your skin thrummed under his touch and you pressed further into his hand, revelling in the sensation of finally being so close to him. For so long you had been so worried that his feelings for you had shifted. To have the truth finally out in the open felt as though the weight of the galaxy had suddenly lifted off of your shoulders. 

“But you’re a Jedi,” Hunter said softly, hesitantly, causing your eyes to pop open once more, “It’s not allowed.” 

“Attachment,” You replied as a wave of sadness washed through you. The words the Masters had once preached echoed through your head, “You’re right, it is forbidden. Or it was. I’ve spent so many days and nights thinking about the Jedi Order, about all that has been lost. And I still don’t know the answers to the questions I have, I don’t know that I ever will. But I can’t help but think that our ways only led to our downfall. Perhaps if we had done things differently if we hadn’t been so blinded by our own morality…” 

“I suppose we’ll never know. But the one thing I do know is that I want whatever this is between us. I’m not sure how something that feels so right, something that seems to be part of the force itself, can be considered wrong. I don’t know how many days are left to me, I am no longer a Jedi but I will live the rest of my life in danger. I do not wish to live the way I was before. I want you Hunter, I have since the moment I met you.” 

As you had spoken Hunter’s head had slowly lowered down towards yours until you were nearly touching. At your final words, his forehead had pressed against your own. His gaze was still intense as ever so slowly the hand on your jaw tipped your face up towards his own. His voice was so low when he spoke again that you felt it more than heard it, “I’m yours.” 

His words were all the encouragement you needed to close the final gap between the two of you, capturing his lips with your own in a desperate kiss. He was warm and wonderful and everything you had ever dreamed of. The hand you still had resting over his heart curled in the fabric of his blacks, pulling yourself closer to him as he deepened the kiss. His free hand came up to press against the small of your back, the heat of it searing into your skin as you gently nipped at his lower lip. You’d had dalliances with others before, that hadn’t been forbidden , but you had never experienced anything quite like this. The force seemed to come alive as the two of you melted into one another, thrumming in the air around you. Everything else seemed to fade away into nothing , there was only Hunter. 

A soft moan escaped him as you pressed further up into him, the sound rumbling in his chest and sending a shiver down your spine. You lifted your free hand to the back of his neck, fingers threading through his surprisingly soft hair. You’d always wondered what it would have been like to run your fingers through it and reality was proving to be better than expectation. He seemed to shiver at your touch, the hand at the small of your back flexing just slightly as he pulled your hips flush against his own. You could still feel his heart racing beneath where your other hand was still fisted in his shirt as his tongue pressed against your lower lip. You parted your lips, giving him access and gasping at the new sensation as his tongue explored your mouth. It was dizzying finally being so close to him, to be this connected. 

After what could have been simply minutes or hours Hunter pulled away from you, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. Your own pulse was still racing as he tipped his forehead back down to rest against your own. His eyes were closed as he pressed further into you, nose just brushing against your own as he held you close. 

You were both silent for a long time, simply basking in the warmth and feeling of being in each other's arms. But finally, Hunter spoke, his voice low and rough, “I’m sorry that I’ve been avoiding you, that I made you feel as though you’d done something wrong,” 

Your eyes opened, gazing up into his face that was suddenly filled with sorrow. You let the hand at the back of his neck slowly move until it cupped his jaw, mimicking his own hold on you, “It’s ok Hunter, everything has been so complicated lately. And I understand how conflicted you must have felt, I’ve felt that way too.” 

Hunter let out a soft sigh and with it you felt all of the tension he had been holding dissipate, his muscles relaxing beneath your hand as he seemed to melt further into you. He closed his eyes as his thumb gently stroked along your jawline, the sensation of it was electric and you wanted nothing more than just stay there and bask in his presence forever. 

His breath was warm against your face as each inhale brought you closer together. He tipped his head just slightly, his lips gently brushing against your own in the barest hint of a kiss, once, twice, before you pressed deeper into him. You shivered as your lips melted into his, tongue sliding over his full bottom lip before giving it the gentlest nip that made his chest rumble with another groan. 

The two of you came slowly together and apart, gasps and gentle moans escaping you both and you discovered this new part of one another. Your heart was racing in your chest, your skin tingling with each soft touch of his lips to your own, your skin flaming beneath his hands. The feeling is intoxicating and you have just enough wherewithal to briefly wonder if this is exactly why attachment was forbidden, because truthfully now that you have him you never wish to let him go. 

Eventually, you do pull away, instantly missing the contact but forcing yourself to look up at him as he moves both arms to wrap around your waist. You take a moment to simply look at him as your breath begins to even out once more, eyes tracing the lines of his face, the dark shadow of his tattoo. You’ve always appreciated how handsome he was but being so close is something special. You get lost in him for a moment as you notice the flecks of green in his warm brown eyes, the freckles across the bridge of his nose that are so faint they barely stand out against his deeply tanned skin, the dimple that appears only on the left side of his face as his mouth lifts into a soft smile as he gazes right back at you. 

You blink once, twice, trying to clear your mind of the distraction that he is and focus on the thought that had originally pulled you away from him. 

“How is your headache?” You asked gently, a small wave of guilt for having woken him in the first place rushing through you. It had been the reason he had stayed behind after all, and it wasn’t very often he had the chance to get any extra rest with the lifestyle you all led. 

His mouth curled into a smile and he let out a small huff of laughter, his hair flopping over the top of his bandana as he shook his head, “It’s fine. Forgotten actually,” He replied as he moved his hand to cradle your face once more, his touch feather-light. 

“Good,” You answered before you turned your head just slightly to press a soft kiss to the palm of his hand, “But you should still get some rest. It’s not easy to come by these days.” 

He hummed thoughtfully, his gaze still intense as he moved his hand away from your face, both trailing down slowly until he had your hands grasped in his own, “Only if you join me though.”

You felt your face flush at his suggestion, you wanted to, desperately, but another worry suddenly entered your head at the idea, “The others might be back soon, though…” This was still new and while part of you didn’t care if his brothers and sister saw the two of you together the other part wanted to keep this budding thing between you secret for just a little bit longer, if only for his sake as you knew how intensely private Hunter was. 

Hunter’s mouth ticked up into a smirk again, his brown eyes dancing with amusement as he answered, “Tech has been calculating the odds of us getting together since our very first mission and Omega has some Mantell mix riding on it.” 

You couldn’t stop the soft laugh that burst out of you at that, a bright smile overtaking your face, “Well, we wouldn’t want to let them down, now would we?” 

His eyes were warm and there was the barest hint of a smile on his face before he lifted your hand closer to his mouth, pressing a soft and quick kiss to your palm. Your smile brightened at his replication of your earlier gesture, the skin beneath his lips tingling from the contact. 

You let him lead you back towards the bunks, your pulse racing beneath your skin as he climbed up into the middle first before holding a hand back out to you to steady you as you found your own footing. It was a tight squeeze, but after some mild shifting you finally settled, your head resting against his chest as he laid on his back, his arms coming up to wrap around you and hold you closer to him as you let your leg rest over top of his own. Being so close to him every feeling you had ever sensed from him was amplified and it was easy to just get lost in the sensation of him as you listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat. Neither of you said a word, for there really weren’t any words to be said. Nothing had ever felt so right before and there was no way you were ever going to let that go, ever let him go again. 

It didn’t take long for your eyes to slip shut or for his own breathing to even out, his grip on you never lessening though even as he slept. The trauma of the past few years still haunted you as you lay with him but the thoughts were easier to push away as you focused on the force and the way it moved around the two of you, calming, gentle, right. You knew that nothing could ever truly repair the damage left by your losses but for the first time in a very long time, there was a glimmer of hope brewing in your chest. With Hunter, there was a chance at a future, something you hadn’t been able to even consider since Order-66 had been issued. 

You weren’t sure what that future would hold, for any of you, but right now, wrapped up gently in Hunter’s arms you felt safer than you ever had and there was nowhere else in the galaxy you would rather be. 

[lila-lou]

✨ His only exception - Pt. 2/? ✨

Summary: 12 months ago, Butcher went above and beyond to have you join his team. You had a simple office job at Supe Affairs. The same thing every day, working from 9 to 5 and watching Butcher and his team defeat one renegade after another. One evening, however, something changed.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! light smut, language, Soldier boy being too rough

Word Count: 1121

A/N: This is part 2 of "His only exeption".

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

As quickly as Ben smashed his lips into yours, you couldn’t even understand what was happening. Your whole body was covered in goosebumps that Ben caused as he pressed you against the cool wall behind you. Unwitting, he tightened his grip on your upper arms until it hurt.

Before you could even return the kiss, you pressed your palms against his chest as hard as you could, trying to push Ben away from you. At the same time, you turned your head to the side, which surprised Ben enough to pull his head back.

“The fuck, Ben! What’s wrong with you!”, you breathed, shocked and slightly disappointed. Ben, on the other hand, just furrowed his brows and looked at you, the corners of his mouth not even twitching. His expression was colder than ever. Without another word, he turned away from you and headed towards his room.

"I'm talking to you!", you said a little louder as you caught up with him and slapped his broad back from behind. Not particularly hard, although you could never hurt him anyway. At least physically.

“Leave me the fuck alone!”, he slapped your arm away, at the level of your wrist, way too roughly, which ended with an audible crack. A short, pained scream escapes your mouth, apparently loud enough to wake up Butcher and Frenchie.

“Fuck (y/n)! I... didn't mean-", Ben started, but his voice broke when Butcher and Frenchie came out of their rooms and saw you and Ben facing each other in the hallway. Butcher was just as dumbfounded as you. His gaze fell on your wrist, which you were clutching with your free hand, your eyes already glazed over with pain.

“Oi! What the fuck is going on?!”, Butcher grumbled with his arms crossed, looking from you to Ben as Frenchie walked towards you. “Nothing”, you whispered as Ben tried to open his bedroom door, but Butcher grabbed his forearm.

"You don't fucking want that Buddy!", Ben growled threateningly, his head turned to the side just enough to maintain eye contact with Butcher. He ripped his arm out of Butcher's grasp and looked at you one more time before disappearing into his room with a loud slam of the door. It was a miracle the door wasn't broken.

Butcher, driven by the fact that he was now permanently a supe, was about to drag Ben out of his room, but your voice stopped him.

“Leave him alone! Please”, you murmured, almost pleading.

Meanwhile, Frenchie examined your wrist and led you to the couch where you sat down. He quickly found a pressure bandage and wrapped it around your wrist as carefully as possible while you couldn't help but let out a small whimper.

“Now, can you tell me why Soldier Boy is pissed like hell and your hand looks like you taped it upside down?!”. Butcher was anything but rays of sunshine. He never was, but even less right now. However, you couldn't blame him. It was the middle of the night and the scene he found wasn't exactly promising.

Even though Ben had behaved quite peacefully, aside from his orgy escapades, Butcher still didn't trust him. However, he had gotten used to you by now. You could almost say he liked you.

 "It's not a big deal. It was an accident", you murmur, looking back at your wrist. "I... provoked him". Your acting must have been pretty good because Butcher obviously didn't question your statement.

“And why are you doing such bullshit? You know him and his fucking temper! Fuck. This guy is a fucking ticking nuke...literally!", he raised his eyebrows at the end of his sentence, as if he was slightly impressed by his pun.

“I know, I know”, you mumbled.

“All done, mon Coeur,” Frenchie said quietly before getting up and disappearing into his room without a word.

 “Butcher, look, he-”.

He didn’t even let you finish your sentence. Instead, he waved at you and muttered some words under his breath. “Just stay away from him. You’re doing yourself a favor, believe me”. Butcher’s gaze traveled from your face, down your body, back to your wrist. His furrowed eyebrows showed he was deep in thought. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but then stopped. Without saying another word, he walked barefoot back into his room and rubbed his hand on the back of his head, slightly overwhelmed.

With a deep sigh, you sank back onto the sofa and closed your eyes. Your head hurt more than your wrist as your left hand slowly moved to your mouth.

Lost in thought, your index and middle fingers slid over your lips as you reminisced about the kiss with Ben. Those little thoughts alone were enough to make your heart stumble. It felt like a hot ball was traveling from your heart through your stomach straight between your legs.

You couldn't imagine that one kiss was enough to make you see Ben completely differently. You could still taste his lips, whiskey mixed with weed and mint. What would have happened if you hadn't broken the kiss? How far would Ben have gone? How far would you have gone? Your thoughts slowly but surely drifted away. You looked around. The living room was still dimly lit. Everyone was back in their rooms and you were alone. While your injured wrist rested on the armrest, your other hand automatically slipped into your shorts.

“Oh hell no! Don't fucking do this to me! Not now!”, Soldier Boy growled almost desperately as he heard your rapid heartbeat and breathing, while he lay on his bed. It wasn't the first time he had listened to you getting yourself off. And well, you're definitely helped him quite a lot without even knowing it. You always tried to suppress your moans and make your movements slow and quiet, but Ben was always so focused on you that his ears would immediately perk up when you gave yourself a hand.

At first, he was a little surprised that he couldn't stop focusing on it, but after a few weeks he was really enjoying it.

At the moment, however, it was pure torture. His emotions were already overwhelming him, so there was no way he needed to be any hornier than he already was. Especially after he had just hurt you in more ways than one.

However, his cock clearly had more to decide than his head or his heart.

Meanwhile, you couldn't stop yourself. As you pumped two fingers inside you, your thoughts were on Ben. You imagined feeling his lips on yours again, his rough hands on your hips. You imagined what it would feel like if your fingers were his. Or something else.  

_

Part 3

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Taglist: @deangirl96

[celaenaeiln]

Ive been reading the older comics (1950s) of World’s Finest, and I just realised Batman is so smiley and full of expression while Superman kind of isn’t. Is there a reason for this change or is it just the authors and time changing haha

YES!! Yes to both but I have so much to say about this because it's not just about time changing, but the way real life changed is intertwined in the comics in their character growths.

Batman

Let's start with the grim avenger. Here's the thing - the grim avenger wasn't grim because he had Dick Grayson by his side and I'll explain how the medal ages and Bruce's happiness is connected to how close Dick was to Bruce and the relationship Dick had with Bruce influences his view later on of his father in comparison to how the rest of the batkids see Bruce.

As you said, Bruce was the happiest he's ever been in the 1950s. He and Dick had the time of their lives, sunshine, glory, joy, adventure - you name it and they had it all. This was the Golden Age.

Batman (1940) Issue #46

Detective Comics (1937) Issue #95

But as time passed, Dick eventually began to grow up. When the Teen Titans first formed, the Golden Age of comics transitioned into the Silver Age as Dick began to work more independently from Bruce but was still close. The Bronze Age was when Dick was on the cusp of leaving and then just left (1970s-1985s).

The reason I'm bringing this up as to why Bruce changed, it has to do with Dick. When Dick went off to college, Bruce actually shut the cave down and moved out of the manor with Alfred because he didn't know how to be Batman without Dick. He said he was going on a little soul-searching to find himself again.

Batman (1940) Issue #217

But real-life readers got really mad this and said, "Bruce was always a grim detective. When he was with Robin, he was too happy! We want to see him angry like he used to be!" So the writers realized that Bruce turning away from Batman was huge mistake so this set forth the grim avenger batman thing again.

Dick also feels the same way, that him moving to college was what changed the dynamics between them.

Secret Origins (1986) Issue #13

Granted Bruce is mad that Dick decided to drop out of college in favor of being Robin but it's also about the fact that Bruce wouldn't have responded like this before. Something's changed. And overall it can be summed up to Bruce being angry, frustrated, upset, and lonely with Dick gone, those emotions compounding into a new or renegaded form of Batman, Dick coming back and realizing - he doesn't want to be controlled and he doesn't want to be this new darker version of Bruce. The change in idealisms were Dick is more light-hearted and Bruce is slowly becoming Darker weighs on Bruce too.

Bruce's pov of the situation -

Batman (1940) Issue #138

Dick's pov -

Secret Origins (1986) Issue #13

Dick didn't want to be like Batman, Bruce was already upset but Dick's gradual distance from who he was turning into combined with his frustration of himself - it led Bruce to become the person he is now, someone he doesn't like and it's this circling self-hatred of what he become that keeps him perpetually angry and moody.

It's so important to talk about this because it's not just a time change, it's actively part of the comics. It's part of who Bruce is and why he is this way now. To explain more on what I said and elaborate further on what you said about Bruce becoming less smile-y :

Batman (1940) Issue #359

He lashes out at Dick, feels bad about it, and grumps over how he can't trust anyone in the world and this just keeps continuing over the years.

Tim and Dick actually talk about this too, the idea that Bruce was different with Dick then he was later on. Going on a slight tangent here but during one time in Gotham Knights Dick gets "dismayed" at Tim because Tim questions Bruce's morality and Dick's like "How dare you! He's a good person, he's amazing." And Tim's just like "No, he's not??"

Batman: Gotham Knights Issue #26

Dick grouches about this with Barbara and she tells him -

Batman: Gotham Knights Issue #26

slayy

Again what she says "First of all, the Bruce who raised you and the Bruce who works with Tim are not exactly the same man. Tim has had a very different experience, and is likely to have very different thoughts and beliefs."

Tim says it too in Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying when he's comparing Dick and Jason's Robin eras -

Batman: A Lonely Place of Dying

And Dick talks about it again with Checkmate in the Checkmate (2006) comic about how he used to make Bruce laugh. He's quiet for a moment and then they talk somberly about how Bruce never laughs anymore.

So to sum it all up, the reason Bruce changed was because Dick drifted apart from him as he aged and he grew more independent, and Bruce as a result felt stifled and upset by this change and grew more independent too but in a darker way, and all these changes between Dick and him as well as within himself led to him being gloomier and grumpier. The authors also played a big part in acknowledging Bruce changing as a result of Dick leaving but also due to the readers' responses of having Batman return to his stern countenance of a time before Dick came along. Hence the decreasing medal ages that went from a happy Bruce Wayne to the sad and waspish one we know now. But maybe it also has to do with the fact that Bruce and Dick stopped getting to ride the backs of dinosaurs, fight pirates, and play prince and the pauper with real princes lol.

Superman

Clark is a very different story and I think it's because of how it's the reverse of Batman. In the beginning Clark was very - stern? He definitely wasn't smiling or laughing or fuzzy feelings but it wasn't the author's intention for him to be any of that. In the beginning, Superman was portrayed be a powerful and virtuous hero, fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. This portrayal was aimed at providing readers an uplifting and optimistic character during hard times because he was created in 1939 and it was the end of the Great Depression (1929 - 1939) and the beginning of WWII (1939 - 1945). The fact that it was the end of the great depression only made it worse because the depression only ended due to millions of men and women going off to fight war. So it was just VERY upsetting times and therefore Superman was a symbol of hope - for the war.

Superman (1939) Issue #12

Superman (1939) Issue #8

Superman (1939) Issue #34

But as soon as the war ended, you see a shift in the way Superman is written.

Superman (1939) Issue #36

Superman (1939) Issue #76

I guess it all comes down to this - Clark's writers were focused on his deeds. It was about solving problems and that's it. Whereas with Bruce, the focus was on solving problems but it was done through his relationships. He relied heavily on Dick as a partner and best friend and they were able to share their difficulties and have fun whereas Clark had no one, except Lois but in civilian identity. Because of this, it wasn't until later comics when writers started introducing new elements, exploring different aspects of his character, and adapting to the changing cultural and social contexts that these interpretations have included moments of joy, personal growth, and triumphs, as well as challenges, conflicts, and moments of introspection.

Superman: Heroes

It was both the ending of the war and gradually interacting with other characters that made his personality lighter and funner to read. You can even think about it this way - as Clark started to rely more on people, he started to open up and become more light hearted as the years passed but as Bruce began to distrust people and rely less on others, his personality grew darker and angrier. Bruce and Clark went through the same personality changes but Bruce started pretty early on with Dick and lost him leading to a downward turn in personality whereas Clark started with no one then gained Lois and Jimmy Olsen causing an upward trend. Two sides of a coin.

Moral of the story folks: learn to rely on others or end up like Batman.

[snapghoul]

Renegade Rebel(s) with the pedal to the floor

In which the twins meet up again in Oklahoma and Bradley experiences first hand that the twins are more alike than he thought.

Notes: A sprinkle of hangster (or my attempt at it) also I love using songs and titles. The Glen Powell brain rot is real.

Warnings: foul language

“God, I fucking hate commercial flights,” Bradley groaned, stretching his back as they exited the sliding doors of the terminal. The cramped seats had him aching all over, worse than the confined cockpit of his jet.

“Well, you didn’t have to come,” Jake teased, grinning as he adjusted his duffel bag. “But I’d feel bad leaving you behind while Maverick’s off doing his thing.” At first, Rooster’s request to join Jake on this trip had surprised him. It wasn’t as if Rooster had family to visit, and Maverick was off with Penny.

The Dagger squad had been granted an extended leave due to a lull in missions, giving Jake the perfect opportunity to visit his brother and then take a road trip down to Texas.

“So where’s…”

Bradley’s question was abruptly cut off by the blaring horn of a truck that roared into the pickup zone, looking like something straight out of a Mad Max film.

“Never mind,” Bradley finished, shaking his head in disbelief. Jake’s smile, wide and radiant, was almost blinding. Seeing Jake so excited was a new experience for Bradley, and it stirred a strange, pleasant feeling in his chest—one he couldn’t quite place.

Tyler stepped out of the truck, his face lighting up as he saw Jake. “Welcome to Oklahoma!” he shouted, his enthusiasm matching Jake’s. He and Jake exchanged a quick, brotherly hug before Tyler turned his attention to Bradley.

“And you must be Rooster,” Tyler said, extending a hand. “Jake’s told me a lot about you. Thanks for coming along.”

Bradley shook Tyler’s hand, trying to ignore the flutter in his stomach. “Nice to meet you, Tyler. I’m sure Jake’s exaggerated everything I’ve done.”

Jake laughed. “Just the stupid shit and how you got your ass shot outta the sky.”

Bradley still felt a flutter in his chest, despite Jake’s attempt to mask it with a sarcastic remark. Out of everyone, he’d never have expected Jake to speak so positively about him. It was disorienting, yet oddly comforting.

“Look, you two showed up at just the right time,” Tyler said, practically bouncing with excitement as they loaded the truck. “We’ve got some impressive cells developing to the east. Kate—remember Kate?—thinks we might see a few EF1s and 2s today, and—”

Bradley’s eyes widened as Tyler’s words sunk in. Storm chasing. The idea was both exhilarating and intimidating. He watched as Jake and Tyler’s energy seemed to feed off each other, their enthusiasm almost palpable. It was a bit frightening, and he could only imagine what he’d gotten himself into.

“Wait—” Bradley leaned forward, trying to process this new information. “We’re storm chasing?”

Jake and Tyler turned to him with wicked grins. “Absolutely,” Jake said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “You didn’t think we’d spend our time off just lounging around, did you?”

Bradley stared at them, still trying to wrap his head around the idea. “I thought we’d just be hanging out with your family, catching up.”

Tyler chuckled, shaking his head. “That was part of the plan, we’re hanging out right?And besides, who doesn’t want to experience a storm up close?”

Bradley swallowed hard, grappling with the realization that he was about to dive headfirst into something far outside his comfort zone. He could handle missiles and dogfights—things he could control to some degree—but Mother Nature was an entirely different beast.

“I wish you’d told me this before I bought my ticket,” Bradley said, casting a reproachful look at Jake.

Jake flashed him a confident smile. “You’ll be fine, Roo. Besides, I knew you’d chicken out if you knew in advance… no pun intended.”

Tyler snorted with laughter as they pulled out of the pickup zone, the rumble of the truck filling the silence. Bradley tried to suppress his nerves, focusing instead on the excitement radiating from the twins. Their enthusiasm was infectious, even if it did add to his own apprehension.

“You two are insane.”

“Yes sir!” “Damn straight.”

Bonus:

“Mav, help me, I’ve made a grave mistake. Well, multiple mistakes, but—actually, no, just one big Hangman-shaped one.” Bradley mumbled into his phone, watching from a far field as the red truck charged toward the funnel cloud. He’d bailed after getting swept up in the first tornado.

[gallifreyanhotfive]

Hi!! I really really want to get into the academy era eu stuff, but I just have no idea where to start 😭😭😭 do you have any audio/novel/etc recs to start off with? Thank you so much!!

-✨️🪐 anon

Hello! So sorry I didn't see this sooner - I've been quite busy lately (busy enough I forgot to submit my Big Finish Short Trips this year...)

Anyway, for the Academy Era, the starting off point is generally Divided Loyalties. In this novel, there is a long dream sequence of the Academy Era. Since it is a dream, it might not be 100% accurate, but it's what we have.

Otherwise, most of the information we have on the Academy Era comes from the occasional reference in a bunch of different stories. Some of them have more Academy Era material than others...

We can get some pretty good insights from some DWEU material (beyond what is in the TV show). I won't list spoilers here just in case that wasn't what you were looking for (though I have other posts that do entail this information), but here's the list I can think of off the top of my head. Some of these are stories with just general young-Time-Tot era references (not necessarily at the Academy but still the itty bitty, pre-leaving Gallifrey guys), but I'll include them anyway. And some of these references are quick, so be prepared.

Novel: Divided Loyalties

Novel: Tomb of Valdemar

Novel: Deadly Reunion

Novel: Lungbarrow

Novel: The Death of Art

Novel: The Dark Path

Audio: Time in Office

Audio: Darkness and Light

Novel: The Time Lord Letters

Short story: The Nameless City

Audio: Planet of the Rani

Audio: Master

Comic: The Glorious Dead

Comic: Weapons of Past Destruction

Comic: Space in Dimension Relative in Time)

Short story: The Three Paths

Audio/Novel: Mission to Magnus

Novel: The Eight Doctors

Audio/Novel: Cold Fusion

Audio: The Eleven

Audio: Blood of the Time Lords

Audio: The Widow's Assassin

Audio: Crossed Lines

Short story: Celestial Intervention - A Gallifreyan Noir

Short story: The Legacy of Gallifrey

Novel: Timewyrm: Exodus

Novel: Goth Opera

Audio: The Toy

Short story: Birth of a Renegade

Short story: Rebel Rebel

Audio: Neverland

Audio: The Next Life

Novel: Island of Death

Novel: Unnatural History

Novel: Christmas on a Rational Planet

Audio: Disassembled

Comic: Flashback

Audio: Together in Eclectic Dreams

Audio: The Last Line

Short story: Report on Term's Work

Audio: The Wormery

Audio: Storm Warning

Novel: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible

Novel: The Infinity Doctors

Short story: Seven Deadly Sins

Audio: Order of the Daleks

Audio: The Apocalypse Element

Audio: Prisoners of Fate

Novel: Original Sin

Novel: The Twin Dilemma

Anyways, these are the ones that immediately pop to mind when I think of stories that have references. It's not a complete list, mind, just the ones in my head at the time of writing. They are also not in any order, just the order I thought of them.

Regardless, most of these are just references, and you may not want to read an entire novel for a single reference...If that is the case, let me know, and I can explain some more!

[hellbornsworld]

ALL BTS MEMBERS WATTPAD RECOMMENDATIONS(1)⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆

☁︎ dirty minds | drugdealer!jk X innocent!oc | college au | Author : pinkbunny | 55 chapters | Completed |

➳ She's too innocent for his tastes. But it's only a matter of time before he can turn that pure mind into a dirty one.

☁︎ Flower Boy | Kim Taehyung x reader | Twins au | Author : MysterySender | 35 chapters | Completed |

«Kim Taehyung keeps on sending flowers to your twin sister's grave.»

☁︎not in a million years | GrimReaper!MinYoongi X Reader | Author : mociminji | 50 chapters | Completed |

"I promise I would never leave you, not in a million years."

"Stop lying, Yoongi. Why promise me a million when you don't even live a hundred years?"

"What if I say I do?"

A cliché story about Min Yoongi who fell in love with his human, you. Because, why not?

☁︎Through My Eyes | Blind!Jimin X Reader | Author : Suga__Fox | 103 chapters | Slowburn | Completed |

"You don't have to see love Darling, you feel it. When you feel it you will know, because you would rather die than live a day without it."

☁︎𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐲 | Mafia!Namjoon X Daycare!Reader | Cliché | Author : chewymilkyoda | 62 chapters | Completed |

Y/N Han works as a daycare worker from morning till noon. One day, she received a new kid to take care of and unknown to her that the kid's father is actually a very dangerous mafia leader that everyone goes by RM. And when RM laid his eyes on his daughter's daycare teacher he's obsessed instantly.

☁︎𝐌𝐀𝐉𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐘 | prince!Seokjin x village girl!reader | Author : tropicalxsabotage | 20 chapters | Completed |

❝I wish we could've met a totally different way. I hate to admit it, but I won't deny it...

I wish you would fall for me the way I feel I'm falling for you. If only.❞

☁︎𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐒 ✇ �... | ghost!Hoseok x human!reader | Author : tropicalxsabotage | 20 chapters | Completed |

❝No one ever expected it to be me,❞ Hoseok smirks chillingly. ❝I'm the one with the sweet smile.❞

☁︎ 16 Love Letters | Writer!jk X HairStylist!Reader | Author : igotbangtan_7 | 22 chapters | Ongoing |

What's a "love story" without a little darkness?

Yours Truly

JJK

☁︎ Casanova | RichKid!jk X flamenco dancer!OC | Author : jinownsmyass | 43 chapters | Completed |

❝You make the stars jealous, mi amor.❞

- In which the richest, most eligible bachelor of Seville lusts for a flamenco dancer below his class.

☁︎Lonely White Wolf | Hybrid!Yoongi X Human!Reader | Author : mociminji | 42 chapters | Completed |

In which, Min Yoongi, a lonely wolf who fell in love with his own mate's little sister, you.

☁︎Hacked | Hacker!kth X Hacker!Reader | Author : someonepassingby | 26 chapters | Ongoing |

''I'll turn your software into hardware''

☁︎He's a Demigod | Demigod!jk X Human!Reader | Crack au | Author : Atlantaes | 51 Chapters | Completed |

"You were supposed to be a bath bomb!"

"Well turns out its your lucky day, sweetheart, cause you just got something ten times better: me."

☁︎Agent Love | Agent!jk X Genie!Reader | Author : Atlantaes | 46 chapters | Completed |

"Watch where you're putting your hands, Agent Love."

In which a love genie who sucks at names and a renegade government agent are put together.

☁︎Polar Night | Older!kth x Reader | AgeGap au | Author : Amoc94 | 11 chapters | Completed |

He was a patient man.

He wouldn't mind to wait for the right time to reap what he thought he deserved. He had lived in the dark for far too long, that happiness was such a foreign notion for him. Until you crossed his path and awakened something deep inside him. Until he realized there was indeed glowing light on the other side of his world, just a flicker at the end of the journey he had to conquer.

Until the sunshine he had waited became you.

☁︎Secret Admirer | Student!Yoongi X Student!OC | Author : daralolli | OC is whipped | 56 chapters | Completed |

In which a girl has a big crush on the basketball player, min yoongi but she has a secret admirer who has been giving bottles of banana milk with sticky notes every day to her.

☁︎Unforgivable | Boyfriend BFF!kth X Reader | Author : SingularitaeAddict | Side : JK X Reader | 52 chapters | Completed |

"If someone loves you, they'd never put themselves in a position to hurt you."

☁︎COME TO ME | Pjm X Reader | Slowburn | Author : notmylilmochi | 103 chapters | Completed |

The story of a man who abandons his wife and son to be with his mistress in a foreign country. However, his world is turned upside down when he receives news that his son has fallen ill with a rare and life-threatening illness.

☁︎FUCKBOY | BFF!Yoongi X Reader | Side : JHS X Reader | Author :

Jiminttrash | 26 chapters | completed |

"It's me or that fuckboy, so choose."

☁︎sins so sweet | Badboy!jk X Innocent!Reader | Crack au | Author : ArmyArchives | 19 chapters | Ongoing |

"I'll make you feel so good, my pretty"

In which y/n is too innocent for the kinky bad boy Jeon Jungkook

☁︎The Roommate Rulebook | HopelessRomantic!Jk X Innocent!Reader | Slowburn | Author : kkookteokki | 78 Chapters | Ongoing |

When the campus heartthrob Jeon Jungkook who's actually a secret, self-professed romantic at heart, and the innocent country girl Kim Y/N, who's actually not as timid and docile as she seems, end up sharing a dorm for the semester, both discover that there's much more to their relationship than what meets the eyes.

☁︎siamese twins | PJM X OC | Twins AU | Author : dearjimin | 31 chapters | completed |

they both loved him

but he only loved one of them.

♡‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.♡‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.♡‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.♡‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.♡‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾

OTHER POSTS:

JUNGKOOK FANFIC RECOMMENDATION(1)

JUNGKOOK FANFIC RECOMMENDATION(2)

JUNGKOOK FANFIC RECOMMENDATIONS(3)

JUNGKOOK FANFIC RECOMMENDATION(4)

ALL BTS MEMBERS WATTPAD RECOMMENDATIONS(1)

BTS X READER WATTPAD RECOMMENDATIONS(2)

[strongheartneteyam]

Get your shit together so I can love you.

Pairing: human!jake sully x female!human!reader

CW: angsty, so angsty, established relationship, MIGHT BE TRIGGERING for some audiences, disabled person feeling insecure about their body, fluff, crying, yelling, cursing, sexual language, hurt, comfort, sexual content, mentions of sexual fluids, foreplay, mentions of fingering, jake touching reader's pussy. Please, tell me if I'm missing something 🥲

Author's note: This AU is set on 2009. Jake is just a regular 24 year old former marine who ended up losing the movement of his legs permanently after an unfortunate accident that happened while he was fighting for his country, amidst a terrible, unforgiving war. The reader is a 21 year old regular human girl. There is no sci-fi or aliens involved. I totally understand if it's not your cup of tea as it's almost not canon at all to the Avatar Universe. I guess I just kept most stuff canon to Jake as a character. As I said, it's an AU. Just call me Miss Marvel and call this a version of Jake that exists somewhere in the wide multiverse 😂 guys I'm way too sleepy and exhausted that I'm starting to sound a bit drunk... gonna shut my piehole up now. I hope you guys like it. ✨ I need to sleep ughhh ✨

Not proofread. Sorry, my babies, momma is always too tired n running low on time.

❃

I tapped on your window on your darkest night

The shape of you was jagged and weak

There was nowhere for me to stay, but I stayed anyway

You fire off missiles 'cause you hate yourself

But do you know you're demolishing me?

And then you squeeze my hand as I'm about to leave

Renegade (Big Red Machine feat Taylor Swift)

❃

You walked to your boyfriend's house, watching the starry dark sky above. It was a full moon night, its pale light bathing your skin as you thought about how you missed Jake. You had just gotten back from a family trip yesterday and hadn't had time to go over to Jake's house to see him yet. You were so anxious to see his face again that you didn't even bother to call him to let him know you were about to come over.

When you got there, as soon as you opened the door with the copy of the keys Jake had given to you, you saw a miserable looking man sitting on a wheelchair, staring at the wall, eating a burger and fries and drinking beer. You swore to God one day you'd slap his hand and tell him to eat healthier. He ate junk food and drank way too much. His face was grumpy and a little sad at the same time. But it was your Jake. It didn't matter to you that he always looked like he was done with everything, he was so freaking handsome and charming, so, you could get past his moodiness. At the end of the day, you loved him so very deeply it made you feel like there was not enough space for so much love inside your body.

"Hey, babyyy!" You say, locking the door behind you "Sorry for not calling before coming over. I'm gonna stay the night, okay? I missed you so much..." You walked towards Jake and kissed his warm cheek, leaving the keys on a piece of furniture nearby

"Hi, baby. I missed you like crazy. I'm so glad my girlfriend is back here with me." He smiled at you. That was the first time he smiled, in a truly happy way, that night. You were the light of his life, he always felt better when you were around. He had missed you like a mad man, especially at night, when he looked at pictures of you/the both of you together on his black laptop. "And I gave you the keys for a reason. No need to say sorry. It's not like I go out on Wednesday evenings anyway.. Or any night of the week" He laughed in sarcasm. "I'm always here at this time." You laughed a bit and he took another bite of his burger

"I'm gonna take a quick shower, ok? Be right back" you said loudly as you walked to the bathroom

The day you and Jake had decided to be in a serious relationship, after you let the words "I love you" slip off of your mouth, by accident (you didn't even know if he crushed back on you, let alone reciprocating your feelings), Jake was so insecure, thinking you were just playing him, that it took him one week after that happened to finally say "I love you" back. You were getting sadder and more impatient as time passed. When he finally did, it was through texting. When you saw the message in your cellphone screen, your heart raced like a wild horse in a big forest.

ত

Later that night, you and Jake were cuddling, half sitting, half laying on the couch. Jake watched a movie on the television as you tried to read a book. But your attention span was equal to zero. You felt your boyfriend's warmth beneath your body, so comforting, so inviting. You wanted him so bad. You two had been together for almost one year and no sex had ever happened. You were starting to think that maybe he didn't find you that attractive, after all. That thought was like a rusted knife digging into your heart.

You closed your book since you couldn't go past the same sentence you were reading and re-reading all over again, too many times.

You moved your body from where it was and sat on top of Jake's legs, straddling his lap, taking him by surprise. He looked at you wondering why you suddenly gave up on your book if you had been bugging him for months about how bad you wanted to read it, but, you preferred reading a physical copy, as you told him, so he bought a copy for you that he found on sale just so you could stop talking to him about the same thing over and over. But he was actually just kidding, inside his own mind. He bought it for you because he knew you were gonna get really excited, just like a little child, and thank him by showering him with kisses. He loved being kissed by his pretty girlfriend.

"The book wasn't interesting enough, babe? Weren't you dying to read it?" He chuckled and then smiled, placing his big, warm hands on your thighs, making the small, thin hairs of that part of your body stand on end

"I just can't concentrate right now. That's all..."

"Is everything alright?" He noticed the angst in your expression

"Jake... We've been together for almost one year now, and... we haven't had sex yet. Don't you... don't you feel the need to do it with me? Do you still feel attracted to me? Why do you never try to initiate anything other than kisses and caresses? You've never even tried to touch my boobs... and you told me you loved them, over texting"

"Wait, slow down a bit" Jake asked of you and you stopped to breathe a little "Of course I feel attracted to you." He put a small lock of your hair behind your ear, so he could see your beautiful face better "I want you so bad... so fucking bad, you got no idea, girl. You drive me insane, my girl. I can't resist you when you're sitting on my lap like this" He caressed your face softly, light blue eyes staring at your own

"Then don't. Don't resist me. You don't have to. You just have to let me kiss you and touch you and show you how wet you make me, without even doing anything crazy, just by touching my skin like this and letting me sit on your lap."

"Baby, I...I can't" Jake looked down, sadness clouding his beautiful face. You hated to see your boyfriend like that. Why didn't he realize he didn't need to be so insecure? You loved him, all of him. No matter how badly he always talked about his legs or the fact that he couldn't do even basic day to day activities easily, because of his disability, you didn't care. You loved him. Freaking loved him to death.

"Why not?!" You were desperate for an explanation

"I could never be all you need. I wish I could but that's wishful thinking. Don't fool yourself, (y/n)."

Your eyes got filled with tears and you felt a lump forming in your throat. It was like your chest was sore, bruised from his harsh words.

"You are all that I want! All that I need, Jake! Why can't-"

"Don't make it harder than it already is, (y/n)!" The blonde guy interrupted you, his words colder than ice, burning your skin, already so sensitive from from taking all the hurt Jake was causing you by not letting you just simply love him right, be his girlfriend... "Get off me, please." So freezing cold...

You were a crying mess already, so, you felt so weak you just obeyed him and stood up, leaving him free from your body. Jake transferred himself from the couch to his wheelchair as fast as he could. He then started wheeling himself away from where you were

"Please...Please!" You say, chasing your crazy boyfriend like an idiot, while he moves his wheelchair fast towards his small room "stop being so insecure and just lemme love you." Jake stops, his freckled pale arms turning the wheels around so he could look at you

"Why do you insist on being tied down to a cripple?! Don't you get it?! You are so, so damn beautiful, (y/n). Your smile, your hair, your body... Jesus, your fucking body... You're so hot. You deserve... a man who can give you all that a relationship can offer. I can't be that man. I will never be him. I'm sorry you don't get it, but it's time for you to move on!!!" He yelled. You've never seen Jake so angry. His face was red, his eyes were gleaming, tears starting to roll down his face. He felt like his heart was breaking in a billion little pieces. He'd rather go through war, become traumatized and then have his spine injured all over again, because, honestly, it would hurt him less than what he was doing to you right now. But he knew he had to do it. "I love my (y/n) so much, I always will. But she should be happy, free from me." He thought

"Stop running away from me, Jacob Sully!" You ordered, as soon as you catch up to Jake, getting inside his room, your breath heavier than normal "I'm warning you, I will take you in my arms, no matter if you say you're too heavy, and I will lay you on this bed, against your will, if that's what I need to do so you will stop pushing me away! And don't ever call yourself a "cripple" again! I swear to God, you're testing me tonight! I won't let you speak like that about yourself. Never again! Do you understand me?!" You almost screamed

Jake sighed heavily, in defeat. With both arms, he started to support himself on his wheelchair, moving his body to the bed.

One he was settled there, sitting down with his back against the cushioned bed frame, he spoke: "Baby, I'm sorry for yelling at you like that... it was wrong. You don't deserve that. Please, forgive me." Looking at you with those eyes he had you on your knees, every single time.

"It's okay..." You looked hurt but your forgave him. You wanted to try and forget that had ever happened.

"I love you... so much."

You gazed at him and felt a need to comfort him

You sat on his bed, beside him and held his hand. After some time, you and Jake were cuddling, you sitting on his lap. He brought his mouth to yours and kissed your lips. You missed his kisses so much that you got wet so easily, just like a virgin would.

Jake grabbed the back of your head with care and deepened the kiss, using his tongue to massage yours. The way he kissed you was leaving your lips slicked with his saliva. You moaned and he held tight on to your waist, heavy breathing, his warm breath colliding with your own, the two of you getting drunk on each other. His lips were crushing against yours and that felt so amazing.

Out of nowhere, he stopped the kiss and when you tried to kiss him again he gently pushed you away, seeming uncomfortable.

"I gotta stop, baby... I can't pleasure you more than this..." he looked defeated

"Of course you can. You have fingers and a mouth, don't you? Then put them to use, baby. Your girl is begging you to pleasure her. Don't you want to help me out a bit?" You started to kiss his neck gently but sloppy. You breathed his scent in. It was so familiar, so comforting to you. He smelled like home. Home, for you, was wherever Jake was, right by your side.

Jake was starting to slowly give in and he let out a breathy moan. You felt happiness creeping in your head, your heart beating faster.

Jake did something that in his mind, was so damn bold. He dared to touch you in a very intimate way - he was as nervous as a teenager having his first sexual experience - moving his hand from the bed sheet until it got to your entrance. Jake's breath faltered as he touched your coated folds gently, his chest tightening while he looked at your face. His light brows furrowing, his demons still trying to convince him that you could not be turned on because of him.

"Sweetheart, you're so soft... just so... so wet." He was getting shaky, aroused as hell, feeling how wet you were for him

He was finally ready to just relax and enjoy the moment, as he touched your coated pussy.

"Wait a bit, will ya?" You ask, getting off his lap, standing on your feet and then stripping down to him. Your clothes were laying on the floor, as you felt a little shy but excited to see his reaction to seeing your naked body for the first time.

"Fuck, my baby. How did I get so lucky? Your body is so fucking perfect...." He put his hand up in the air, towards your own hands and you grabbed it and let him sit you back on his lap.

Jake started to touch your breasts softly, his mouth slightly open, desire scorching his insides. Your skin burned so good beneath his fingers. Then, he placed his big fingers on your slit

"God, this fucking wet pussy..." he was having trouble breathing but he loved the way you messed with his head

"I'm all yours, baby. Please, just let go and make love to me. I need you so bad it hurts me physically." You begged him to put an end to your misery

"Is that what my babygirl really wants?" He murmured, his voice low and sexy, ringing on your ears

"Yes, my love. Please... I'm so wet, Jake... only for you, my baby." You felt his fingers touching your pussy and your body became limp

"I love your pussy, baby. So velvety, warm and juicy. Can't wait to slide my fingers inside of you over and over again until you're all sweaty and whimpering"

❃

[keen-li]

Can you please write a jungkook ff based on the song ‘renegade’ by Aaryan Shah? And about the reference in the song. The ‘she’ in the song is the oc (the reader, female lead) and the ‘you‘ in the song be the other girls. Sad ending pleaseeeee!

I tried my best :) hope you like it. It was hard to think of a perfect sad ending, i hope this does.

I didn't want to rely on the song too much but instead just get the basic concept.

Not even the loud music playing or the bright lights flashing, some blue some red, could take jungkook's mind off you.

You're all he's been thinking about, he doesn't like to lose what's his. Even though you decided to leave on your own, he still took that as a loss cause he wasn't able to keep you by him.

You never liked jungkook's lifestyle and you told him this many times. He warned you though, he told you clearly before you got together what type of guy he was. But you thought he'd change because he loved you, atleast that's what he told you.

"You're the only one I like though." He'd tell you when you'd be angry after finding him with some other chick. Though they shouldn't have, those words always seemed to work on you. He knew all the right words to tell you to get you back in his arms and he'd always spit them out quickly like it was practiced. You didn't ponder on those situations for long just wanting to be in his arms again as soon as possible. You were a fool for jungkook.

This time it was different. You were sick and tired of living life like you were a teenager. You were both in your twenties almost nearing your thirties. You didn't want to live a life like this for long, if you were younger maybe you would stay, but you wanna get married, have children. You know that kind life and jungkook didn't look like he was ready for that.

And after figuring out he wouldn't be the one to give that to you, you left. He tried saying those sweet words of his, even though you almost gave in. You didn't, you stood your ground and left him. You were hurting but you had to, jungkook wasn't good for you.

But can you blame him he told you beforehand all that came with being with him, and you still said yes. Foolishly.

Jungkook grunts, not in pleasure but feeling uneasy by the girl bopping her head up and down his crotch. Maybe it's the club couches, he never liked them anyways. He always preferred the couches in the public area rather than the ones in the private rooms, where he spent most of his time when he was in the there.

But the couch has nothing to do with his uneasiness.

The girl continues to bop her head and he grows more frustrated. No one knew how to do it like you.

He takes a sip of his alcohol looking around the room at his high and drunk companions. Nothing seems to take his mind off you. Your thighs that he'd love to grip and kiss on, your lips that would be sealed with his or around his cock. His cock twitches thinking about you but the girl think its cause of her. She stares at jungkook feeling proud of herself but he simply pushes her off him, finally deciding she's not doing much for him.

She looks confused at him and he shoos her away with his hand. He can hear her cursing as she walks away but he couldn't care less. That's all those girls were good for, but ever since you left he couldn't seem to find pleasure in anything. Maybe the photos of you that he'd look at while in bed would help.

For the rest of the night he keeps up his drinking and intake of drugs thinking they'd blur the clear image of you in his mind but they never did only making you clearer and clearer.

He's had bad days but today's been the worst. He can barely sit still. He keeps shifting in his seat visibly uncomfortable. He grunts catching the attention of one of his companions.

"Daddy are you alright? Do you need me to help you." The lady in a tiny silver dress says running her hands across his chest.

"Can you?" He asks looking in her eyes emotionless and tired. He knows there's nothing anyone can do to help him unless they bring you back to him. But he entertains her cause he needs to distract his mind.

She nods but before she can do anything, jungkook hears a voice speak. A voice he's been hearing everyday before bed or in his dreams.

"I see you haven't changed" you say standing in front of him and jungkook takes in all your glory. The tight dress you're wearing showing him all he's been missing.

"Baby" he says standing up and towering over you.

You can smell the toxins on him making you scrunch your nose. He reads your face wondering what you're doing here the girl behind him long gone in his mind.

"I need you talk to you" you look around the room. "In private " you say whilst eyeing the drinks on the table and you shake your head.

"Okay" he says then tells all the people in the room to leave, to your surprise cause you thought you'd just go talk to him outside. When Everyone leaves you take a sit cautiously, worrying you might be sitting on who-knows-what substances. He also takes a seat looking at you.

You decided to sit far from him not wanting any temptations and just get this conversation over with.

"I've missed you" he tries to move closer to you but you stop him with your hand.

"I haven't come here to reconcile." You say bluntly avoiding his very tempting eyes.

"Okay then tell me what you want baby" your heart reacts to the pet name he liked to call you.

You don't know how to say what you want to tell him. It's been a month since you and him have been apart and you've kept this to yourself. You couldn't keep this to yourself for any longer, he deserves to know.

You were happy when you found out but then who realised who it was for. He wasn't the type for this things and you knew that, so his reaction is very crucial. You dont know what he's gonna say but you hope he'll be happy with it cause you've always wanted this with jungkook but he was always the reason why you never did.

"I'm pregnant" you spit out deciding not to overthink it anymore. You can't tell the emotion on his face, so you only wait for his words to tell you what he thinks.

"Huh?"

If you're looking for the next one. Here

[thyln4gf]

Lets have some fun, shall we?

✞ This is a little different from what i usually do! This piece of work consists of some of my favourite F1 drivers as sexual gestures/things, and shortest, smallest blurbs ever about them (also a song for each). Its made based on purely my intuition and imagination, so just sit back and enjoy i guess.

✞ Word count - 1467

✞ Warnings - heavily sexual content.

✞ Drivers included - Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Lewis Hamilton, George Russel, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Alex Albon, Sebastian Vettel, Jenson Button.

✞ Authors note - requests open! Doesnt matter if you want more for a particular driver, or something completely new.

Charles Leclerc (closer to you - jungkook)

Drunk sex - He's definitely the type to underestimate his limits by a little, or maybe even a lot. Some people would say that those type of decisions are the worst ones that they have ever made. To him? Heaven on earth. Nothings more thrilling to him than the fuzzy feeling taking over his brain, the haze over his eyes - feeling like his body is operating on its own. You know what they say? If you take away one of your senses, the other gets stronger. So by taking away his ability to think properly, he's allowing himself to feel the pleasure even stronger than before. He finds solo sessions like that okay, but with you? Sheesh... He might as well have been a man who wasnt breathing, judging by the desperation he takes and eats you up.

Carlos Sainz (american teenager - ethel cain)

Morning sex - think of him being absolutely exhausted after a hard day at work, coming home to you - youre also exhausted, you were taking care of the kids, ran some errands, took a few calls. So you two cuddle up and fall asleep right away. Now lets take ourselves to the morning - its 7am, and the sun is already shining through the window. He wakes up to the feeling of your warm body, your bare skin against his. He might try to resist his urges at first, but then he'd inhale some of your scent - and he would immediately cave in. You cant resist his offer either, its tempting - being a parent, and having a husband who's always travelling... what could be a more perfect time to get going at it? The drowsiness after a good nights sleep still lingering and the rays of sunshine slipping through the window makes it much, much more addictive.

Max Verstappen (change (in the house of flies) - deftones)

Angry makeout sessions - now, lets be real. Did you expect anything else? This man has a lot of pent up anger. Not enough of that, he's a pretty angry man in general. He can be gentle, yes, and he has showed you exactly that multiple times. But one has to let off some steam and let the anger fade away. To him, making out with you is the perfect medicine. The softness of your lips and his aim to please you distracts his brain, and his senses get busy by letting his hands squeeze and caress your body anywhere he can reach. He seems to love your hips and your thighs - sometimes, he'd grip hard enough to leave some bruises. Not that you mind - it reminds you of the fact that he's yours, that he's desperate for you, and that he's not going anywhere. He needs you.

Daniel Ricciardo (teeth - 5SOS)

Getting handsy at the club/party - he doesn't even need those shots for the confidence, he already has enough. But something about the atmosphere gets him going. Is it the dim lighting? The smell of alcohol, sweat, and all those different perfumes mixed into one? Whatever it may be, he's definitely getting extra touchy. Rubbing your thigh while sitting in the booth, grabbing your waist to dance (not wrapping his hands around you, no - grabbing and squeezing it with his fingers), and all that jazz. Its almost like his hands have a mind of their own - he's far from the possessive type though. He just cant resist the inviting temptation to feel you with his hands.

Lewis Hamilton (renegade - aaryan shah)

Inappropriate thoughts during the wrongest moments - i dont have much explanation for this one, but it just makes sense. It does. Imagine listening to your boss talk about something incredibly boring. The conference is dragging on, on, and on. You can see someone napping, someone is doodling away in their notebook. Him? He's thinking about how he spent the night with you. He's thinking of how pretty your face looked, the tears smudging your mascara all over your cheeks, the pretty sounds you were making. And it was all for him. He quickly gets brought back to the earth as the boss calls his name. He's a lucky bastard though - he was always good at not letting his thoughts show on his face.

Lando Norris (monster - lady gaga)

Public fun - whatever the fun it might be. Anything ranging from caressing your waist in front of a group of people, to having sex in the most unconventional places ever. If there's even the smallest chance of getting away with it? He's doing it. And if the risk is even bigger? Even better. It excites him and turns him on like no other. The only thing thats more exciting about this is you, and the fact that he gets to do all those things to you, with you. Unlike Daniel - this little bitch is possessive as hell. He wont hesitate to give you hickeys where everyone can see them, while everyone can see.

Oscar Piastri (boyfriend - dove cameron)

Worshipping your partner - he's quiet, and he's kind of reserved. Doesnt mean that he's not as nasty as his teammate - just in a different way. He's more private. He'd enjoy being dominated by you, and only you, despite being a dom leaning switch himself. Youre his weakness, his royalty. You could be using him as a mere fucktoy, and he'd let you. He would also probably agree to a threesome with Lando - with the goal of being able to dominate and get dominated. He loved the idea of the whole focus going towards your pleasure - worshipping you.

George Russel (masterpiece - MIW)

The "face-off" - him sitting down on the edge of the bed, feet firmly on the ground, you straddling his lap. Youre grinding against each other, the room getting filled with the sounds of heavy breathing, and more and more of his moans. Most importantly? Youre staring into each others eyes. You enjoy watching him turn into putty underneath your touch. You find the way his big eyes look up at you pretty - so you cant resist the urge to ride him until he's actually crying, and cant think of anything else but of getting more. He kisses you as a distraction - its one of the sloppiest makeout sessions that you guys have ever had. But, dont lie to yourself - its one of your favourites as well.

Alex Albon (whore - in this moment)

Using toys - he isnt scared of a little "help" in the bedroom. This man is far from insecure, and it shows. He doesnt see it as a sign of weakness, if anything - he thinks that they help to show his skills and abilities better. He's a giver - he often finishes from giving you the pleasure only. He's also willing to try whatever you want to try - he feels honoured and even flattered that you trust him enough to voice your deepest fantasies. And he will do anything in his power to fulfill them - he wants to hear just how good you moan for him. His pretty princess.

Sebastian Vettel (sonne - rammstein)

Smiling - this man smiles, grins, and smirks through anything, to the point it can make you uneasy sometimes. He's praising you? He's smiling. He's dirty-talking into your ear in front of people? He's smiling. He'll do that anytime, anywhere. But his favourite reason to smile is hearing the sounds you make - he thinks of the fact that they were brought out of your mouth by him, and a smile just slips. The only moment where you can see that smile falter is when he's on his third or fourth orgasm - he simply cant focus on anything else but you and the way your body feels. "Thats it schatz, just like that" - and thats how you know that this man is far gone already.

Jenson Button (diggin' my own grave - FFDP)

Neck kisses - it almost feels like your neck is the staple of his life. He can and will snuggle into it and kiss it any chance he gets. Its not even always sexual - he sometimes does it subconsciously - but its definitely one of his favourite aftercare activities. And you havent complained once. You enjoy the feeling of his warmth lingering on the skin of your neck, and the way it gently tickles whenever he decides to rapidly attack it with the kisses. Your scent and your warmth feels comforting and almost hypnotising to him. But sometimes it just cant help but have the opposite of the calming effect on him - and a second round happens.

[cevansbrat0007]

Creep

Summary: You sneak out of the house to go on a midnight supply run, which inadvertently sends Ari into panic mode.

Warnings: Ari Being A Menace, Mentions of Periods, Discussions of PTSD, Harassment, Slight Manhandling, Light D/s Overtones, Ass Slapping, Punishments (mentioned), Handcuffs (mentioned), Hair Pulling, Fun in the Shower, Discussions of Religion, Cursing, Minors DNI

A/N: Prompt suggested by my darling @writer84. This story is part of my Sweet Renegades Series. Not beta'd. All mistakes are my own. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Ari’s House – 11:47pm

You stare down at the crumpled piece of toilet tissue in your hand. Of all the nights Aunt Flow could’ve picked to come calling, she’d chosen the only night you’d decided to sleepover at Ari’s place this week. Which sucked because you were also completely unprepared since it had arrived ahead of schedule. 

Fuck! Sometimes you really did have the most awful luck. 

Heaving a dramatic sigh, you quickly pull up your shorts and flush before washing your hands and heading back towards your man’s bedroom. After racking your brain, you were pretty sure that you didn’t have a spare in your glovebox either. 

Which meant that you would need to make a special trip to the store. At this point, it was either that or sleeping on a towel. And the last thing you wanted to do was ruin one of Ari’s towels or, worse yet, his sheets. 

Mind made up, you quietly gather up your things so as not to disturb your slumbering lawman before going off in search of your flip flops. Feeling uncomfortable walking out in just a tank top that you normally reserved for sleeping, you decide to help yourself to one of your man’s freshly laundered t-shirts he’d left folded on the counter. 

Smiling, you slip it over your head and then you grab a random piece of scratch paper and pen so that you can leave your overprotective bounty hunter a brief note. In a few words, you let him know that you were leaving for the night and that you’d call him in the morning. 

Once that’s done you grab your phone off the charger, as well as your purse and keys, before exiting through the front door and then locking it behind you. You’d never forgive yourself if something happened to Ari because of your carelessness.

You hustle to your car, engaging the locks the moment you climb inside. From there, you waste almost no time turning on the vehicle and putting it in reverse before slowly backing out of the driveway. 

Hopefully you hadn’t woken Ari. Because even if the man did manage to drive you up the wall from time to time, it didn’t mean he didn’t deserve a good night’s sleep. Which was why you were so hell bent on not bothering him with any of this.

Sure, he’d probably grump and growl about it tomorrow. But he’d get over it eventually, especially once he realized that he hadn’t signed up to deal with you while you danced with the red devil in your belly.  

At just after midnight you knew your only option for your late night supply run was going to be Wilson’s Drugmart. While you usually preferred to do all your shopping at Herb & Twine, they weren’t open late. Not even on the weekends. 

So, while Wilson’s wasn’t ideal, it would simply have to do. Your hands clench around the steering wheel as you find yourself questioning your decision to just up and leave without waking Ari. If you were being honest, you probably should’ve at least had the decency to say goodbye. 

Biting your lip, you make a mental note to apologize to the gruff bounty hunter first thing in the morning. Maybe you'd even stop by Stella’s Coffee House to pick up some breakfast for you both. Assuming you could manage to haul your ass out of bed early enough to catch your man before he hit the road. 

Yep. That was officially the plan. A carefully worded apology with a side of fresh baked apple strudel and a cup of coffee.

It’s not long before you finally find yourself pulling into the convenience store’s parking lot, which is virtually empty. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, however, especially since the hour was growing increasingly late. 

The way you saw it, being the only one in the store had its perks. It meant that you’d be able to get in and get out with minimal hassle. Which was exactly what you’d been hoping for. 

Shutting off your car, you sling your purse over your shoulder before stepping out into the warm summer night once again. You hustle across the lot all the while battling a particularly persistent swarm of gnats.   

“Gross!” You hiss, praying that none of them got stuck in your curls. Otherwise you were liable to have a fit. 

As you reach the double doors, you notice an old, withered man sitting off to the side. His head is bowed as he rocks back and forth from his perch on the concrete, his faded green coat looking oddly out of place due to the season. 

He looks up as you pass by, muttering something that you can’t quite make out. Not wanting to be rude, you offer him a smile. And when he holds out a dirty cup, you find yourself feeling compelled to dig some spare change out of your purse and hand it over. 

His eyes narrow at the clinking of the coins, but he doesn’t say anything. Which you take as your cue to continue on with your plans to locate some tampons and then get your butt home. 

You welcome the blast of air conditioning that hits you the moment you step into the store. 

You spend a minute or two looking around for an associate, but when your search comes up empty, you decide you’d rather go it alone insteading of wasting any more time. All you had to do was scan the aisles until you found the section that housed their selection of feminine products. 

As you make your way around you can’t help but hum along to James Taylor’s version of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)”. The lyrics made you think of the man you’d left behind a few miles down the road. More often than not, being with him tended to conjure up all kinds of confusing emotions. 

But for some reason you simply couldn’t get enough of him. It was actually starting to become a bit of a problem.    

Hanging a left you finally find the aisle you need. You were almost at the finish line. Just a couple more minutes and you’d be headed home. To your pleasant surprise, you’re thrilled to see that they’ve actually got quite a few options to choose from. 

You allow yourself to stand there for a few minutes as you debate over whether or not to stick with your tried and true brand or try their competitor. You’re so lost in thought that you don’t notice that someone has joined you in the aisle until you hear them speak.

“Jezebel.” 

“Excuse me?” You reply, turning your head in the direction of the voice. The last person you expect to see is the homeless man who’d been loitering outside. 

What the hell was he doing in this aisle? Surely he’d be better off scraping together what little change he’d managed to collect in favor of buying himself a sandwich. Maybe he didn’t have enough so he came to ask you for more. 

If that was the case, then you’d be more than happy to purchase it for him when you paid for the rest of your items. 

You open up your mouth to make him an offer, only to be cut off when he speaks again. “I know what you are. I might be old, but I’m not easily fooled.” He points a bony finger in your direction. “I can smell you.”

“Oookay.” You mumble under your breath before quickly returning your attention to the rows of tampons and pads. While you were confident that you smelled just fine, you were now officially anxious to get your shit and get out. 

“You go by many names.” He continues, wiping his nose with his sleeve. “Many. Many. Many names. I’m familiar with them all.” He takes a step towards you, his unfocused eyes filled with an emotion you don’t quite recognize.

But you can certainly tell that it isn’t friendly. Time to get far away from this creep.   

“Pretty sure I’ve just got the one though.” Sensing that you’ve run out of time you decide to snag a couple boxes of your preferred brand and keep it moving. You’d try the other guys next time. Right now, what mattered was putting some distance between yourself and this would-be dollar store prophet. “Is there something I can help you with?”

He shakes his head “no” as he takes another step. “They call you Jezebel. Delilah. Herodia. Athaliah. I recognize you as a direct descendant of Eve. The Mother of all that is evil.”

“Nope. That is definitely not me.” Spinning on your heel, you go to exit the aisle. Only to stop short when you realize your path is blocked by a stack of boxes that were in the process of being stocked.

Shit! Why hadn’t your dumbass been paying better attention? 

“Your beauty betrays you. It’s impossible to hide the stench of the impure. Of the unclean.”

Duly noted.      

“You tried to tempt me outside. Tempt me with 30 pieces of silver!” His voice rises with each word. And coincidentally, so does your blood pressure. “But I am no Judas, you witch. And I will not betray my Lord and Master!” He dumps his cup of change onto the ground, making you jump back as coins go scattering this way and that. 

Okey dokey, pal. Time to get lost.  

“Look, I didn’t mean any harm earlier.” Your gaze strays to the pile of boxes in your way. Maybe you could throw one if you had to. Perhaps you could scare him into leaving you alone. “I–I wasn’t trying to, uh, tempt you. I was trying to help you, that’s all.” 

Alright, new plan. You’d scream your head off while assaulting him with pads and tampons until help arrived. 

“Lies. All honeyed lies of my enemy. I will not fall prey to your charms, Delilah. I am not as weak as my brother Samson!” His mottled face appears to be almost vibrating with rage. 

But thankfully, just as you’re about to scream for your life, a Wilson’s employee appears holding a walkie talkie as well as something that looks akin to pepper spray. You’re so grateful you could kiss him. Although you’d settle for throwing a $20 bill at him and dashing out the store. 

And he could keep the fucking change.

“Everything okay here, Ma’am?” The associate is young, possibly in his early to mid-twenties. But his body is packed with lean muscle which hopefully signals that he could handle himself should a skirmish happen ensue. 

He moves to insert himself between you and the assumed threat. And even though he’s talking to you his eyes remain trained to the man in your path. 

“Be careful. Don’t you see?” The disheveled vagrant goes to grab the worker’s arm, attempting to pull him closer to his own body and away from you. This time, the clerk has the sense to appear just as unsettled as you feel. “When a woman has a discharge and it is of blood, she shall continue in her menstrual impurity for seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean.” His wide eyes glimmer as he speaks, drops of spittle flying from his mouth. “Leviticus 15:19. She taints this space just by existing within it.”

“Right.” You mumble, taking a hesitant step back while maintaining your grip on your box of tampons. “I–In that case, I think I’m ready to check out now. Please.” You feel yourself beginning to sweat as you watch the clerk attempt to dislodge the disturbed man’s grasp. 

“Go on, Ma’am. I’ll meet you at the front.” He grunts as he breaks free, shoving the older man backwards. “Just need a moment to have a word with our good buddy, Julius, here.”

“See? She’s already corrupting you, young man. Using her wicked femininity to seduce you as Eve did Adam. Soon she’ll have you worshiping at the shrine of Baal and then…”

You don’t bother sticking around to hear the rest. While it had been a long time since you’d been in Sunday school, it didn’t take a theological scholar to deduce that all of those names he’d mentioned had come straight from the darkest chapters of the Bible. And you were pretty damn sure that none of those women were known for their charming wit or sparkling personality. 

Oh well. Guess you’d have to chalk it up to another Thursday night in the town of Bell’s Creek. 

After a few moments, another associate comes from somewhere in the back to ring you out. You don’t say much, instead offering a strained smile as he proceeds to quickly bag the tampons as well as a couple of chocolate bars. 

You all but snatch the receipt before concluding that it probably wouldn’t hurt to request an escort to your car. So you do. Which does absolute wonders for your anxiety. And it’s only once you’re safely back in your vehicle do you finally allow yourself to let out the breath you’d been holding. 

You peel out the lot a few seconds later, your body remaining tense behind the wheel for what feels like much of the entire drive. All fifteen minutes of it.

Fifteen Minutes Later…

Relief fills you when you finally spy your house coming up in the distance. However, your celebration proves to be short-lived when you notice a familiar black Nissan Titan parked on the street out front. 

Fuck! What the hell was Ari doing here at this hour?

You throw your car in park and kill the engine. You even manage to undo the belt before Ari opens the door and drags you out of the seat and into his arms, leaving you momentarily speechless

“God, I’m so sorry, baby.” He murmurs, the sound of his voice partially muffled by your curls. “So sorry.” One of his large hands begins rubbing soothing circles along your back. “I’m so sorry.” 

“Huh?” 

Seriously. Nothing about tonight was going the way you thought it would. Perhaps Mercury was in retrograde or something. That was a thing…right?

“What happened?” Ari presses a tender kiss to the top of your head. “What’d I do?” He pulls away after a beat, holding you at arms length so that he can look you over, his worried blue eyes scanning your body from head to toe. “D–did I say something?” He swallows thickly as his hands drop to his sides. “Please tell me I didn’t hurt you.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Sensing your bounty hunter was in distress, you reach up to cup his bearded cheek, smoothing your thumb along his ticking jaw. “Why on earth would you think that?”

Instead of responding, Ari continues to stare blankly ahead. His gaze trained on some unknown point just behind you. Rising on your toes, you place your other hand on his face, willing him to look at you. But for some reason he still refuses to meet your eyes.

“What makes you think you hurt me?” You try, keeping your tone light as you attempt to coax some answers out of him. “Talk to me, Beast.” You’d already had your fill of cryptic and crazy for the night.

“Woke up and you were gone.” Comes his quiet rasp, his voice sounding hollow. “Bed was cold. Empty. Got nothing when I called your phone.” 

You wince when you recall that the damned thing was probably on silent. But even still, there was something about all this that just wasn’t making any sense. 

“Okay…” Although you’re quick to point out that you left him a note, he’s just as quick to brush it off. Almost as if he’s not actually hearing you. “But that doesn’t explain why you thought you might’ve hurt me.” 

There was an uneasy feeling forming in the pit of your stomach. 

“Did two tours in Afghanistan a while back. I’m man enough to admit I came back a little fucked up. The nightmares have been quiet lately but, uh –” He cuts himself off before taking a deep breath. “But sometimes I say things. An ex said I used to cry. Mostly.” He takes another shuddering breath. “Except one time when I…”

“When you what?” Your teeth begin to worry your bottom lip as you wait for him to get on with it. But you refuse to rush him, your own impatience be damned. 

“I woke up screaming. Except it was like I couldn’t leave the dream behind. For a moment I was…back there and…and I shoved my ex hard enough to send her crashing onto the bedroom floor. Left her with a pretty gnarly bruise.”

“Jesus Christ.” You didn’t know what else to say. Clearly whatever had taken place that night had left a mark on the man who stood before you today.

No wonder he looked so…haunted. 

“We parted ways soon after that. Said I was too unpredictable. That she was afraid I might hurt her even worse next time.” He finishes with a shrug, looking more lost than perhaps he actually cared to admit.

“That’s not – it was an accident, honey.” You mean every word, all the while wishing you could do more to get him to understand that he hadn’t done anything wrong tonight. Or any other night for that matter.

Had you known the way things were going to unfold this evening, you would’ve woken him up and told him about your plans. You would’ve let him see that you were okay. Made sure he was fully conscious when you said goodbye. 

But instead you’d gone and crept out of his house like a thief in the night.

Again, your gentle giant shakes his head. “But she was right though, Bird. So, I got myself a counselor for a time. Thought maybe I’d win her back, or at the very least prove to myself that I was stable enough to deserve another chance. If not with her, then maybe with somebody else.”   

Someone like you. The unspoken words hang in the air, buzzing around your head like an overzealous bumblebee.

“And did it help?” As soon as the question leaves your mouth, you find yourself swiftly rephrasing so that he doesn’t think you’re asking about his former lover. “The therapy, I mean.”

“Some.” In truth, he hadn’t had a single night terror since he’d met you. But at the time he’d been too afraid to question anything. “Hasn’t happened in a while.” However, he also wasn’t the type to believe in coincidences either.

“Progress is progress, Ari. If you say it helped, then I believe it did.” You move to grab one of his hands with both of yours. “But I promise you didn’t hurt me.” You bring your clasped hands up to your lips for a kiss. “And I’m so sorry I worried you tonight.”

All you receive is a grunt for your trouble. Which lets you know that he doesn’t quite believe you. 

“Doesn’t change the fact that you left. Snuck out in the middle of the goddamned night without so much as a goodbye.” His free hand comes up to lightly grip the back of your neck, hauling you forward. “You’ve never done that. In all the time we’ve been building whatever the fuck this is, you’ve never pulled that shit. Which means something happened. So forgive me if I don’t readily believe the sweet lies coming out of your pretty little mouth.”

Little did he know that he was actually the second man to accuse you of being a liar in the span of less than thirty minutes. One was a lover, and the other, a creep. You were certainly racking ‘em up tonight.  

Unsure of what else to say – and not wanting to risk upsetting him further – you decide to go with the truth and let the chips fall where they may. 

“I…I got my period.” You tell him, wincing as the words spill out. “It came a couple days early.” Now it’s your turn to offer up your own lame shrug, all the while still holding his hand. “I didn’t notice until after you fell asleep and I didn’t have my stuff with me…”

You watch as his eyes narrow, his brain working overtime to make sense of the story you’re telling him. Quite honestly, you felt horrible that the man had spent even a minute thinking he had caused you harm when, in all reality, you’d just dipped out to go on an embarrassing supply run.

“Bullshit.” He scoffs as he rocks back on his heels, effectively dislodging your grip. 

“I–I’m serious, Ari.” Wanting to prove you were telling the truth, you reach inside the car to procure the plastic bag that contained your goodies. “I mean I’m usually better prepared, but for once I didn’t have anything with me, so I had to run out and buy some tampons. Which turned out to be a literal flipping nightmare. But once I was done, I figured I’d head on home.”

“Is that right?” He shoves his hands in his pockets. And that’s when you notice that tick in his jaw is back. “Just like that?” 

Why did you all of the sudden get the feeling that you’d fucked up?

“Well, I didn’t think it would be overly kind of me to risk your sheets like that.” You press on as he snatches the bag from you and peers inside. “And not only that, but I also figured you probably wouldn’t be up for dealing with me during my time, so I–”

“So you just waltzed the fuck out my front door in the middle of the night?” There’s no mistaking the dangerous edge in his tone and your casual admission of being on your period does nothing to satisfy him.

“I left you a note, honey.”

“Fuck your note!” Ari all but snarls, scrubbing a hand over his beard. “I grew up with sisters. I don’t give a shit about you being on the rag.” He tosses the bag back at you. “It ain’t nothin’ but a little blood, baby. It’s not like you’ve got the goddamned plague.”

“There’s no need to be crass.” You mutter, lightly rubbing your hands up and down your arms. “Although I take your meaning well enough. I suppose I shouldn’t have run out like that. But if you were in my shoes you might’ve done the same.”

“Bird.” Your tall bounty hunter huffs before taking a step towards you. It’s followed by another. And then another. Until he has you almost pinned against the side of your car. “I’m gonna tell you something. And I really want you to hear me when I do. So, you let me know when you’ve got your listening ears on, alright?”

A hand fists its way into your curls, wrenching your head back just enough so that you can look into his eyes. Right now, your man required your full attention. And if you knew what was good for you, you’d make sure he got it. 

“I…I’m listening.” Your spine stiffens as your breasts heave.

“Good. Because the way I see it, you and me…we’re building something here.” He leans in to brush his lips over yours. Once. Twice. “Which means I care about you. Your wants, your needs. Whether you had a good day or a bad one. What you had for lunch, right along with what you’re thinking about for dinner. I wanna be the one who loves you to sleep. And if I can’t be there in person, then I at least wanna be the last voice you hear before you drift off at night.”

The bag you’ve been holding drops to the ground in a forgotten heap as your hands fly to his chest. You grip the front of his shirt, your legs turning into jelly. But Ari doesn’t mind. He’s determined to finish what he’s started here.        

“I wanna be the guy who takes care of you. Not just because you need it, sweetheart. But because you deserve it. Which means that from here on out, your solo midnight tampon runs are officially a thing of the past.” Ari releases your hair in favor of grasping your chin, dragging the pad of his thumb across your bottom lip. 

“Ari…” You breathe as your eyes flutter closed. 

“I wanna keep exploring what’s between us, little Bird. So in the meantime, as your man, I’m asking you not to fly away on me.” 

“I–I’m right here.” You assure him as you move to loop your arms around his neck so that you can bring him down to your level. “I won’t…I won’t fly away on you again.”

“Thank you.” He murmurs before allowing his forehead to rest against your own, nuzzling your nose with his. You only break apart when a nearby porch light comes on. 

Apparently you’d woken Ms. Evelyn. The last thing the two of you needed was an audience, especially with your nosy nextdoor neighbor. It’s clear Ari agrees with you as he bends down to pick up the fallen bag before motioning you in the direction of the house. 

Guess it was finally time to take the party inside. 

“You, uh…” You begin as you busy yourself with fishing your keys out of your purse. “Are you coming in? Wait. Dumb question. I meant to ask whether you were intending to stay the night.” 

“I reckon so.” Ari grunts as he brings up the rear. He keeps a watchful eye on your surroundings as you unlock the front door. “Especially since you and I still have a few more things to sort out.” You know without requiring further explanation that your man’s not asking so much as he is telling. 

“If you say so. But can we maybe table it until after my shower?” You toe off your shoes and leave them by the door, satisfied when Ari follows suit. “If it were any other time I’d ask if you wanted to join.” You pull your t-shirt over your head as you walk farther into the house before draping it over the arm of your couch. “But given the circumstances it’s probably best if I wash up alone.”

By the time you reach the bedroom you’re already undoing the zipper on your shorts. Ari is hot on your heels of course. And when you finally spare him a glance you see he’s sporting a pretty heavy frown. 

“And what circumstances might those be?” He growls, cocking his hip against your dresser. 

“Um. Could’ve sworn we just established that I started my period, big guy.” You toss him a playfully exasperated look over your shoulder. Only to be taken aback by the seriousness written all over his features. “I mean, surely you wouldn’t want to…” You trail off, confused by the bounty hunter’s renewed wave of annoyance. 

“What?” Ari snaps, running an agitated hand through his hair. “What else have you decided on my behalf, Duchess? I love learning about myself like this.” 

Oof. You really weren’t a fan of that tone he was using. Apparently you’d somehow gone and pricked his temper once again.

“I just meant…” You lose your train of thought as you watch him remove a pair of what looks a lot like handcuffs from his back pocket. “W–what do you plan on doing with those?” 

“Not a damn thing.” Ari huffs before removing his shirt and tossing it to the side. “Unless you plan on leaving me to wake up alone all over again. Because if that’s the case we can start thinking of ‘em as an insurance policy.” And while he chuckles, you don’t believe he’s joking for a second.    

“I already told you I’m not gonna run. If you’re really that damn paranoid you can wait outside the bathroom door.” You slide your shorts down your legs before kicking them into the corner. As far as you were concerned you’d worry about cleaning up later. 

“I’ll do you one better, sweetness.” Comes your man’s answering grunt. He suddenly lunges forward without warning, throwing you over his shoulder before striding off in the direction of the shower. “My nerves are shot thanks to you. So we’re simply gonna shower together and call it a day.”

He delivers a sharp blow to your ass, delighting in your responding growl. In fact he’s glad you’re frustrated. Because so was he. 

“Put me down you Beast!” You cry, snagging the box of tampons on your way out of the room. 

“In a minute.” He gifts you with another smack. 

Once you reach the bathroom he finally sets you back on the floor. In a flash, he tears panties from your body. “Add it to my tab, baby.” Is all he says when he notices your pursed lips. 

“You owe me a trip to Victoria’s Secret, cowboy.” You sniff, wrapping your arms around yourself.

Your Beast has already made a significant dent in the size of your underwear drawer. Which meant he owed you a shopping spree. And he was going to pay up before you were forced to do something drastic and uncomfortable like going commando.

“Can’t wait.”

An indulgent smile flits across Ari’s lips as he helps you inside the shower before joining you. You shiver when he gives you his back so that he can adjust the temperature of the water. You take a moment to drink him in, marveling at the sight of his sinewy muscles moving and bunching beneath his smooth, lightly freckled skin. 

Once he’s got it just how he knows you like it he turns around to reach for a cloth as well as your favorite body wash. “You still okay with letting me take care of you, sweet Bird?” He asks while he lathers up, his patient smile easing your own nerves.

You give him a silent nod. But even as you do, you find yourself feeling shy when Ari beckons you closer. How could you not be? This was all brand new territory for you. And now that you found yourself sharing a shower with your strapping beast of a man, it made for tight quarters. 

“Relax for me, sweetheart.” He purrs as he pulls you under the warm spray before dragging the soapy cloth down between the valley of your breasts. “I got you.”

A tiny whimper escapes as he takes his time lavishing attention on your chest, teasing each of your pebbled nipples as he does. And then he dips lower, trailing the suds down your belly. Again he takes his time doting on you. There would be no rushing things tonight. 

In Ari’s mind, this was your punishment for sneaking out the way you had. Your punishment for making him feel things he never thought he would again. Your punishment for making him fall in love with you. 

And while he couldn’t give you those words tonight, he knew without a doubt he was capable of loving you soft and sweet. He was going to earn you. Prove to you that he was deserving of your trust. 

Of you.

Because tonight he knew without a doubt that he wanted to keep you for good. Now, all he had to do was convince you to allow yourself to be kept. His beautifully stubborn little Bird. He couldn’t possibly allow you to fly away from him again. 

He wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle that. 

“You’re so gorgeous, baby.” Ari rasps as he pulls you flush against his big body so that he can wash your back, scrubbing the cloth across the blades of your shoulders and then along the curve of your spine. “It’s like you don’t even see it. But I do. I see all of it. And I’ll be damned if I don’t admit that I want it all for myself.”

You rise on your toes when he reaches the globes of your ass. He continues gentle ministrations without fail, only pausing to give into temptation long enough to squeeze your cheeks with both hands. 

“I–you’re very sweet, Ari.” Comes your unsure reply. Your man had quite a knack getting you off balance.

“If you let me, I’ll make it my mission to tell you every day. Remind you how I feel about all these delectable curves.” Ari offers you a warm smile as he drops you to his knees right there in the shower, eliciting a surprised sound from you. 

“What are you doing?” You ask, your fingers sinking into the damp strands of his chestnut brown hair. 

“Worshiping you.” He responds without missing a beat. “The way you deserve.” And then he begins to wash your feet, gently working his way up along your calves before moving even higher, stopping just short of the delicate juncture between your thighs. “And I want you to let me.”

“There isn’t a single part of you that I don’t cherish, down to the very marks that adorn your hips.” He trails the pads of his thumbs across your skin as he marvels at the faint stripes. “I can’t wait to learn all of you.”

Tears blur your vision as his quiet plea resounds in your head. Because you couldn’t ever recall a time where someone had treated you with so much care or tenderness. It’s enough to overwhelm you, but at the same time, you also can’t bring yourself to ask him to stop. 

“Swear to God, you have the most divine pussy, baby.” Your eyes meet as he presses the cloth against your core. Not a word is spoken as he tends to his task of washing you. And when he’s finished, he bestows a reverent kiss on your mound before rising to his feet once again.

“See?” Ari murmurs, holding the lightly soiled rag under the water before ringing it out so that you can watch the pink rivulets go down the drain. “Ain’t nothing but a little bit of blood. That’s literally all it is.” 

Now it’s your turn to smile as you reach for another cloth. You wet it under the spray you then reach for your body wash, squirting a generous amount on the fabric before sudsing it up. 

“My turn, please.” You whisper, placing it against his hard chest. “I wanna…” You force yourself to pause, swallowing to get rid of the lump in your throat. “You matter to me too.” 

Ari’s vibrant blue eyes shine with emotion as he opens his arms to you, effectively giving you permission to do as you wish. Which is something you take full advantage of, regardless of your trembling hands. 

By the time you’re through, your bounty hunter is both squeaky clean and also painfully hard. However, he makes no move to remedy the situation. In fact, he even playfully swats you away the moment your attentions become a little too much for him to handle. 

You didn’t know it, but tonight Ari wanted to show you that he was capable of intimacy outside the realm of sex. Even if it left him with the worst case of blue balls he’s experienced in recent memory.

“Not tonight, Bird.” Comes his gentle purr. “Aw, don’t pout now. I want to, believe me. But it can wait.” He places a soft, sweet kiss on your lips before shutting off the water. Wrapping an arm around your waist, he leans out of the shower to hand you a towel before finding one for himself. 

“Thank you.” With that, you’re back to feeling shy again. 

After patting himself dry, he drapes the towel across his shoulders. “I’ll leave you to take care of your feminine business.” And then he saunters out the room, gifting you with a nice long look at his shapely ass. 

Damn Ari Levinson was one handsome hunk of man.

“Quit staring and hurry up already. The longer I’m left alone, the stronger the urge to make use of my cuffs.”

And with that, the spell is broken. Argh! Him and those damned things. You already knew he traveled with two pairs. If he kept this shit up you were liable to swipe one of them for when your oversized menace finally managed to push you too far. But for now, you’d settle for handling your so-called “feminine business” so that you could rejoin your man in your bedroom.

A few minutes later, you find Ari lounging on your bed. You also notice that he has laid out a pair of panties, sleep shorts, and a cami for you as well. His thoughtfulness is enough to leave you feeling warm and tingly all over as you hastily dress.

“Come to bed, Bird.” Your bounty hunter holds out his hand, beckoning you forward with his outstretched palm. “You’ve deprived me of your sweet body for long enough.” 

“Yes Sir.” That makes you giggle even as your cheeks heat. Ari just had this way about him. He was so good at making you feel wanted. Cherished. Desired. Loved.

Loved? Oh God. Is that what this was? Is this what it felt like to actually be in love? 

Deciding you’d be better off sorting through those confusing emotions in private, you climb into bed with Ari. Frankly, you’d had enough excitement for one night. You’d much rather spend the remainder of the evening curled up in the arms of this beautifully complex man. 

Only once he’s got you settled on top of him does he finally relax. “I’m not too heavy, am I?” Of course you already knew what he would say, but his typical response always seemed to give you butterflies when you heard it. And tonight was no exception. 

“You ain’t nothing but a feather, little Bird.”

Feeling content, the two of you allow yourselves to fall into a comfortable silence that’s only broken by the occasional whispered caress of his lips along your brow.

“Ari?”

“Hm?” He grunts, his deep voice growing heavy with sleep.

“Maybe…would you mind if I kept a few things at your place?” You ask once you’ve gathered up your nerve. “Nothing too crazy. Just some clothes. And maybe an emergency stash of tampons.” You offer him a cheeky grin, loving the warmth and affection you see in his eyes as he gazes down at you.

“Baby, I already memorized the details on the box sitting on the vanity. You’ll have a new supply of the brand you like under my sink by sundown tomorrow, okay?”

He hoped to God that your preferred brand had a variety pack. But if not, he’d play it safe and buy his girl a box in every size. 

“I can buy them if –”

“If what?” Ari playfully interrupts as his hand wanders down to grab a chunk of your ass. “If I decide I’m not secure enough in my masculinity to purchase a box of tampons on my own? Nah. I’ll be fine, you just worry about packing a bag to leave at my place and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Well…” You brush your lips across his pec. “If you’re sure.” You snuggle even deeper into his chest, draping a leg over his hips. “Good night, my handsome Beast.” 

“Sweet dreams, my beautiful Bird.”

Eventually you doze off with James Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)” playing on loop in your mind. But you decide not to question it. You’d deal with the man who was currently creeping his way into your heart first thing in the morning… 

And not a moment before.

END

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[monodramatic-cannibal]

Renegade!Cross

Info post about the au

(If characters seem OOC ((Out Of Character)) it's beacause I'm going off of my own interpretations/headcanons/fandom versions. So please be aware of that)

More info under the cut (Info is subject to change at any time. Info may be added to as well)

(TW: Child abuse I don’t go into too much detail, but I will warn for it anyway)

-Jobs in the group: Protection of the base, fighting Wraiths, scouting 

Weapons of choice: Great sword (like monster hunter levels of big ass sword), duel blades

-Head canon voice: ???

-Uses He/Him mainly, but also They/Them, identifies as a Demiboy

-Didn’t have the best childhood, and a lot of things carried over to his adulthood. He was also raised alongside (X!Tale)Chara. They were both raised by (X!Gaster), but don’t consider him a parent figure, as they both know he doesn’t deserve that title.

-Before the apocalypse he was a royal guard, and when the apocalypse started he travelled around on his own for quite a while. He was able to survive as he is highly trained in combat. He got by with what little he could scavenge.

-He wears the leg armour of his royal guard outfit, as that was all he grabbed of that outfit when he left the area when the apocalypse hit. He’s always debated on going back for the rest of it, since having armour would be nice, but he now doesn’t want to  leave the group and his home is quite far. 

-The wounds/red eye on him were caused by an incident as he was working as a royal guard. Happened when he was more of a rookie. (Xtale!)Chara a bit after the fact makes fun of him for the wounds, mainly just so they could make light of the situation.  

-Has some abandonment issues, it has gotten better for him as he’s grown up, but he still can get attached to people quite quickly. To add to this, when the apocalypse hit and he got separated from (X!)Chara it made him panic and spent a lot of his time trying to find or get in contact with Chara, later on he found the group. He still hasn’t forgotten about Chara, and keeps his phone fully charged and on him at all times just in case Chara gets back in contact with him. 

-Nightmare was the one who found him first from the group, Nightmare ended up stumbling upon him, at first they both were on guard, since they hadn’t expected to run into anyone. But Dream ended up breaking the situation as soon as he showed up. He and Nightmare must have had a stand-off for about 20-30 seconds before Dream butted into it.

-He got pretty attached to Night nearly right away, he liked Dream as well. Thinks Night’s mellow but goofy attitude is better suited towards himself though. He also at first saw Night as weak (though he’d never say that to him), so got a sense to protect him due to Night being very small and not much of a fighter.

-Will hide food, normally food that's in packets. This is partly due to his bad childhood and it's a habit he can’t stop, since he was denied food in his childhood as a punishment. Tends to hide food in places he frequents, e.g. his own room, Nightmare’s/Dream’s/Blue’s room, and a few places around the living areas and on lower levels where the others don’t frequent.

-Wakes up at an ungodly hour, started when he was a kid, so he could get ready and be out the house to get away from (X!)Gaster, but continued to adulthood due to his job as a royal guard. To add to this he goes to sleep quite early as well. These habits have continued even in the apocalypse.

-Is kinda awkward and shy, though how awkward he is normally overshadows his shyness. Since he didn’t interact with too many people growing up, and as an adult his job didn’t really have him talking to other guards other than on break or for a task he still hasn’t really figured out how to interact with others. Everyone else in the group also has degrees of awkwardness too, so he’s lucky in that regard that most in the group won’t call him out on it.

-Has the strength to lift up a bus (like how he can in canon). But is aware of his strength so is always extra gentle when physically interacting with people. 

-A weeb, has started hoarding manga, movies, etc that is anime/manga related. This also includes stealing any anime/manga merch he sees too. Will often bother the others to help him take stuff back or find stuff for him while they’re out.

-Is dyslexic,can get frustrated if his brain isn’t computing with the words. Didn’t have any interest in reading as a kid, so it’s something he has to work on in adulthood. Will often use translated manga to practice reading.

But when it comes so subtitled anime he gets a little annoyed because he can’t read the subtitles quick enough most of the time, so tries to look for dubs, even if he doesn’t like the voice acting.

-Scared of cows. Has once screeched loudly when on a scavenging mission with a few members of the group and he ran into a cow statue that was around a corner. No one will let him live it down now.

-Has basically been riding off one compliment for most of his life. Will explode if someone gives him a compliment/praise. Also seems to get spooked by compliments/praise too, because he’s not used to it. 

-Talks a lot, is a professional yapper. Hates silence and has to fill it with random thoughts that come to mind, may accidentally tell things to people that he doesn’t want them to know, e.g. accidentally told Dream he has a crush on Night. If he thinks someone wants him to shut up he will go completely quiet and not really say anything. If someone actually tells him to shut up it's the same idea, but he gets super awkward and will refuse to speak for a few hours.

-Has fangs, and almost dog/shark like teeth. He used to bite people when he was a kid, is still willing to bite others as an adult. Has once bitten someone as an adult, during combat, nearly took a chunk out of their arm. 

-Will pet any stray dog he sees. Has probably nearly been bitten several times. But he can’t help it, he likes dogs a lot. Has never considered getting one though.

-Is pretty open to wearing whatever clothing. Normally prefers something that's tight on his arms though, which he uses his gloves for that. So when choosing what to wear he likes to make sure he can wear his elbow length gloves.

-Also has to wear some form of gloves since he has a habit of biting his knuckles, so having gloves protects his hands somewhat. He just bites his hand subconsciously. 

-Keeps regular upkeep on his weapons and what pieces of armour he has. Basically does this every day, even though he doesn’t really need to, as it’s not like those things are being used everyday, but he still does it anyway, as he doesn’t like deviating from his routine. 

-Shit at cooking, he does have a few things he can make, and what he can make tastes really good, but everything else is terrible.

How they feel about:

Nightmare: His emotions are a bit all over the place when it comes to Nightmare. He does adore him though, and has a crush on him. But is unsure about this crush since he’s unsure if Nightmare feels the same. Often wants to protect him and not really leave his side. But knows Nightmare won’t be able to cope with him being so clingy so does make sure to give him time to himself.

Dream:  Likes him, and gets along well with him. Appreciates the fact Dream hasn’t told Nightmare about his crush on him. The two often hang out together, and he will often help Dream out with things if he isn’t busy. Half the time when they do hang out Ink and Blue are included, or they hang with Nightmare, on rare occasions they all hang out together, if they can convince Nightmare to be social.

Blue: Knew him before the apocalypse, as Blue was training to be a royal guard. Helped him train whenever he had time.Can get along with him well. Blue would also share food with Cross sometimes, since Cross is kinda shit at cooking. They often still train together even during the apocalypse, to keep their skills sharp.

Ink: Gets along with them and is often trying to make sure Ink doesn’t get into any trouble/harm. Thinks Ink needs to think more before they do stuff. Ink keeps trying to teach him to draw, but he sucks at it, tries anyway. Ink is always telling him he needs to loosen up a bit and just go with the flow of things. Which Cross always tells Ink that’s a terrible idea.

Dust: Super unsure of him, knows he’s killed people, and doesn’t really like him for that fact. But Nightmare also gets along with him, BUT he’s worried Dust might hurt Nightmare. Just super unsure and conflicted with how he feels about him. Dust has also done nice things for him, such as gifting him anything anime/manga related he finds while out. Which puts Cross’s feelings to being even more conflicted about him.

Horror: Unsure of him but prefers him to the other two in the MTT. Horror is relatively chill and polite, and will sometimes give leftover food to him (Cross) whenever he’s made a lot of food. The food is winning Cross over to liking him. Bonus points that Horror also has a cute kitten.

Killer: Doesn’t like him. Killer is often teasing him any chance he gets. Which annoys Cross. Killer will also steal food from his stashes, which annoys Cross to no end especially if it’s chocolate that's stolen.  Killer also teases him involving Nightmare into the teasing one way or another, either it be teasing Cross on how protective he is over Nightmare, or trying to keep Nightmare from Cross. Cross also thinks Killer is the one most likely to hurt Nightmare out of the MTT.

Error: Unsure on Error, can sort of get along with him when he’s (Error) in a good mood, but often times them interacting consists of Error asking what he wants from him then telling him to go away. 

Lust: Gets along with them. Lust helps him repair clothing if it gets ripped. Will often bring little gifts for Lust such as jewelry as thanks for things Lust does for him, since Lust doesn’t leave the living area so doesn’t get to collect things outside. 

Fell/Edge: Doesn’t mind him but has snapped at him once, he just doesn’t like Fell’s attitude. He did apologize eventually about snapping at him, but also held a slight grudge that Fell didn’t apologize for his attitude back. Just thinks Fell needs to watch what he says and he’d get along with him just fine.

Geno: Doesn’t understand Geno. Is unsure why Geno even sticks around the group, since Geno appears to not get along with many people. Just concludes Geno is sticking around strictly for survival. Geno towards him is sort of okay, wouldn’t call them friends, but not enemies either.

Outer: Hasn’t really interacted too much with him, but what little interactions they’ve had he’d say that they get along. 

Sci: Hasn’t really interacted too much with him, but what little interactions they’ve had he’d say that they get along. Can’t wrap his head around half the stuff that comes out of Sci’s mouth though. 

Reaper/Death: Is genuinely confused when it comes to Reaper, he can understand why Reaper is there, but also doesn’t understand why he’s here at the same time. Like just kill Geno and get it over with??? But like at the same time he doesn’t really wish death upon Geno, so it’s like he doesn’t want Reaper to kill Geno. Just thinks it’s wild that a literal grim reaper is hanging out with everyone.

Fresh: Hasn’t met him yet, but has been warned by both Dream and Nightmare to try not to be around him, their reasoning is he gives off a bad vibe, won’t admit it to the twins, but he’d give Fresh a chance, since yeah he's also weird, who isn't at this point.

Gans/Echo: Has only met him twice, once when Dream and Nightmare were showing him around they stopped by the radio room where Echo was, and another time when Outer asked him for a favor, and it was to drop some stuff off at the radio room for Echo. Both times went well, but he has a feeling Echo isn’t too interested in him.

Chief: Has met him before the apocalypse, due to Chief being in the royal guard. When they met again in the group they ended up catching up, they get along and may sometimes train together. He thinks Chief can be a bit bossy and rude though, but other than that he sort of gets along with him, he wouldn’t call them friends though.

[asmalltooth]

Ah, now, Paul—we see the knife, now. Who knows where it might be shifted next?

— Duke Leto to Paul in Dune

For most of Messiah, Paul is the anti Duke Leto. Barely recognizable as his father's son: a prophet tyrant disconnected from his past and his people and hiding behind his own mystery. But the way Paul chooses the long walk into the desert, the way he chooses the vision that leads him into darkness, that's pure Leto.

That's the Duke Leto landing on Arrakis. The Duke Leto who sees the Harkonnen trap and walks into it.

Paul's final vision in Messiah is a cosmic trap and he knows it. He knows the limits of prescience better than anyone but he treats his vision as an absolute, horrified by the alternatives... the alternatives he has seen.

Duke Leto saw the alternatives too, when he took House Atreides to Arrakis.

He didn't challenge the Emperor and didn't go renegade. A known danger is better than an unknown one, that's what he tells his son.

We choose the knife we see.

In Messiah Paul knows there are alternatives, other futures, futures he hasn't seen yet. But he will not risk plunging into the unknown, facing the chaos of an unforeseeable future rather than the clarity of his vision. It takes a lot from him: sitting on his green throne of mourning he is just as tired and desperate and filled with death as Leto was on Arrakis. He becomes his father. He chooses the knife he sees.

Duke Leto is the unnamed ghost of Messiah: long dead, an old wound in Paul that will never heal, the memory of a love that makes a ghola cry and at last a name, a legacy passed down to another son. But all the way through he lives in Paul, reemerging in Paul's most desperate moments, and when Paul walks into the desert that's something else he leaves behind.

His father's legacy. His father's name. His father.

That too is part of his freedom.

Play us out, Irulan.

How do we approach the study of Muad’Dib’s father? [...] You see him there—a man snared by Destiny, a lonely figure with his light dimmed behind the glory of his son. Still, one must ask: What is the son but an extension of the father?

— Dune

[lila-lou]

✨ His only exception - Pt. 12/? ✨

Summary: 12 months ago, Butcher went above and beyond to have you join his team. You had a simple office job at Supe Affairs. The same thing every day, working from 9 to 5 and watching Butcher and his team defeat one renegade after another. One evening, however, something changed.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: 18+ only! Smut, Smut and more Smut, Language

Word Count: 6263

A/N: This is part 12 of “His only exeption”.

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

The next morning, as the soft light filtered through the curtains, you and Ben were startled awake by a series of loud knocks on the door. Annie’s voice, muffled but unmistakably annoyed, filtered through the wood.

“Ben! Open up, damn it!”, she called out, her tone aggressive and urgent.

Ben groaned, rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed, a scowl crossing his features.

“What the fuck does this woman want now?”, he muttered, irritation evident in his voice.

You exchanged a tired glance with him, both of you equally puzzled by Annie’s unexpected intrusion. With a resigned sigh, Ben swung his legs over the edge of the bed, pulled on his sweatpants and made his way to the door, grumbling under his breath. As he opened the door, Annie’s furious expression greeted him, her arms crossed over her chest as she glared at him.

“Where the hell is (y/n)? She isn’t in her room!“, she demanded.

You quickly scrambled out of bed, throwing on some clothes as you rushed to join Ben and Annie at the door. Ben opened his mouth to speak, but you beat him to it, offering a hurried explanation.

“Oh, hey Annie”, you said, trying to sound casual despite the nervous flutter in your stomach. “I just needed to grab my charger from Ben’s room. He borrowed it”.

Ben raised an eyebrow at you, a silent question in his gaze, but you avoided his eyes, focusing on Annie instead.

Annie's suspicion lingered in the air as she glanced between you and Ben, her expression unreadable. “Your charger, huh?”, she said skeptically, her tone tinged with disbelief. “At this hour?”.

You nodded quickly, trying to maintain your composure despite the rising tension in the room. “Yeah, I just realized I forgot it”, you lied, hoping that Annie would buy your excuse.

"Are you sure everything's okay?", she asked, her voice tinged with concern. "I just… I worry about you, (y/n). Especially when you're with him". You offered her a reassuring smile, doing your best to appear unfazed by her probing questions. "Everything's fine, Annie", you insisted, your tone as convincing as you could muster. Ben remained silent, his gaze fixed on you with a hint of disappointment lurking in his eyes.

Annie nodded, seemingly satisfied with your response. "Okay, well, breakfast is ready whenever you two decide to join us", she said before turning to leave, her footsteps echoing down the hallway. Once the door clicked shut behind her, Ben turned to you, a raised eyebrow signaling his expectation for an explanation. His expression was a mixture of curiosity and a bit hurt, as if he already knew the truth but wanted to hear it from you. You met his gaze, feeling a flush of embarrassment creeping up your neck.

"I… I just didn't want her to… you know, get the wrong idea", you stammered, struggling to find the right words to explain. Ben's stepped closer, his hand reaching out to gently brush a stray strand of hair from your face. "Wrong idea about what?", he teased. "That we fucked? Again?".

Ben attempted to mask it with a casual shrug, but you could sense the tinge of hurt beneath his facade. "I get it", he said casually. "Just didn't expect you to be so eager to avoid being fucking caught with me".

You felt a pang of guilt at his words, realizing that you had wounded his pride. "I'm sorry", you murmured, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "I just didn't want things to get complicated with the team".

Ben forced a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's fine", he replied, his tone clipped. "Let's just go grab some breakfast, yeah?".

The two of you joined the rest of the team in the kitchen, trying to act like nothing had happened. As everyone chatted about their time off, you and Ben remained silent, exchanging only brief glances that spoke volumes.

After Kimiko and Frenchie finished sharing their stories about their time in Paris, Hughie and Annie took their turn, recounting their adventures in Austria.

As the conversation flowed, Butcher's gaze eventually drifted toward you and Ben, his gruff voice breaking the jovial atmosphere. "So, how was your vacation?", he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the two of you. "I'm guessing it was good, seeing as you two are talking to each other again."

You exchanged a hesitant glance with Ben before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, it was… fine", you replied, trying to keep your tone neutral despite the lingering tension between you. "Nothing too eventful".

Ben offered a nonchalant shrug, his expression carefully composed.

Butcher nodded, though there was a hint of skepticism in his gaze. "Well, fucing glad to hear it", he grunted before turning his attention back to his breakfast.

As the conversation carried on, you couldn't shake the feeling of Annie's suspicious gaze lingering on you. Finally, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she spoke up.

"You know, (y/n), you look different", Annie remarked, her tone casual but her eyes sharp with scrutiny. "You sure nothing interesting happened?".

You felt a flush rise to your cheeks as you exchanged a glance with Ben, who grinned mischievously but said nothing, focusing instead on his pancakes. Frenchie's curious gaze joined Annie's, followed by Butcher's, and soon all eyes were on you, awaiting your response.

You swallowed nervously, trying to keep your composure. "Uh, no, not really", you replied, your voice unconvincing even to your own ears. "Just… got some sun, I guess".

Butcher raised an eyebrow, his expression skeptical, but he didn't press the issue further.

As Ben's hand squeezed your thigh under the table, a jolt of surprise shot through you, momentarily distracting you from the conversation. His touch was firm, almost possessive, and you couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking as he engaged in a discussion with Butcher about Homelander's whereabouts.

Despite the tension simmering between you, Ben's demeanor remained unchanged as he delved into the conversation with Butcher, his voice steady and unwavering.

You forced yourself to focus on the discussion at hand, trying to push aside the lingering discomfort that gnawed at the back of your mind.

With the rest of the team heading off to Supe Affairs for a meeting, you and Ben found yourselves with some rare downtime at the apartment. As the others filed out, you exchanged a glance with Ben, a sense of relief washing over you at the prospect of a quiet morning.

As you slipped away to the bathroom, the sound of running water filled the apartment, signaling your intent to unwind in the shower. Ben, lounging in his room, couldn't help but notice the familiar sound. He rose from his bed, padding quietly to the bathroom door.

Without hesitation, he turned the handle and pushed the door open, his eyes meeting yours as you stood in the midst of undressing. A faint blush crept onto your cheeks at the unexpected intrusion, but you couldn't help but be amused by Ben's boldness. "Can I help you?", you teased, a playful glint in your eye as you met his gaze.

Ben grinned mischievously, leaning casually against the door frame. "Just making sure you don't fucking drown in there", he replied, his tone light and teasing. "Wouldn't want to have to fish you out".

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head at his antics. "I think I can handle a shower on my own, thank you", you retorted, though the warmth in your voice betrayed your amusement.

"Oh, I have no doubt about your little showering capabilities", he remarked with a smirk. "But company never hurt anyone, right?".

Again you rolled your eyes, unable to suppress a small smile at his persistence. "I suppose not", you replied. Despite his teasing, there was an underlying warmth in his gaze that made you feel unexpectedly at ease.

As Ben stepped closer to you, his hands wandering down to your sweatpants, you couldn’t help but feel a rush of anticipation mingled with excitement. His proximity sent a thrill coursing through you, and you found yourself drawn to him.

“Would you be ashamed if anyone found out about us fucking?”, Ben asked, his voice low and husky as he pulled you closer. You paused for a moment, considering his question before responding. “Well, you’re the one who told me not to tell anyone in the first place”, you pointed out, a hint of amusement in your voice. “So I guess that’s on you”.

Ben chuckled softly, his breath warm against your ear as he leaned in close. “Fair enough”, he murmured, his tone tinged with amusement. “But that just counts for taking your virginity. I’m not about to be seen as a fucking pussy, but your sweet little pussy being mine in general? Well, that’s a fucking different story”.

"Yeah, well, I'm sure the team wouldn't stop teasing us if they found out", you quipped, trying to hide the nervous flutter in your stomach.

Ben chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on you with a mixture of amusement and something else you couldn't quite decipher. "Let them tease", he replied nonchalantly. "As long as they don't get in the way of us having some fun".

You raised an eyebrow at his boldness.

As you discarded your sweatpants, leaving you just in your bra and panties, Ben’s gaze lingered on you appreciatively, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. “They don’t need to know about us having some fun”, you remarked, trying to sound casual despite the flutter of uncertainty in your chest. “I mean, it’s not like we’re together or anything”.

As you hoped for Ben to reveal something deeper than just the physical aspect of your relationship, you couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment when he didn't. However, you pushed the feeling aside, trying to focus on the present moment.

"Right", Ben mumbled in agreement before pulling you close again, turning you roughly so your back was against his chest. His arms wrapped around you, holding you tight as if he never wanted to let go.

You leaned back into his embrace, the warmth of his body comforting against your skin. Despite the uncertainty swirling within you, there was a sense of security in his arms.

As Ben's hand traced over your naked stomach, slipping down inside your panties, you couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down your spine at his touch. His lips began to pepper kisses along your shoulders, sending a tingling sensation coursing through your body.

You tilted your head to the side, offering him better access as his kisses trailed down your neck. With each kiss, each gentle stroke of his hand, you felt yourself surrendering to the heat of the moment.

Ben's hand slipped inside your panties, his touch sent waves of pleasure coursing through you. His fingers traced tantalizing patterns against your skin, exploring every curve and crevice with a gentle but firm touch. With his other hand holding your hips in place, he kept you close, ensuring you couldn't escape the sensation.

His fingers rubbing over your sensitive skin, teasing and coaxing you to the brink of ecstasy. Every stroke, every caress, sent sparks of pleasure shooting through your body, building the intensity of the moment with each passing second.

You arched your back, pressing yourself against him, desperate for more of his touch. The rhythm of his movements matched the pounding of your heart.

A smirk played on his lips as he relished in the control he held over you. "You like that, huh?", he murmured. "You're such a fucking needy little thing".

You bit your lip to stifle a moan, unable to form a coherent response as the sensations consumed you.

Ben pressed his erection against your ass, his intentions clear, you could feel the heat radiating between you. His breath tickled your ear as he leaned in, his lips trailing along your neck before biting down slightly.

With a low grunt, he whispered huskily in your ear, "You're mine now, sweetheart". The possessiveness in his tone sent shivers down your spine.

Your breath hitched as Ben's hands moved swiftly, ripping off your panties with urgency. The suddenness of his action sent a jolt of electricity coursing through you, your body responding instinctively to his touch.

"You've got such a perfect little ass", Ben murmured, his voice husky with desire as his hands roamed over your back and down to your ass, squeezing both cheek firmly.

You gasped at his touch as you leaned into his grasp.

“You still sore?”, Ben asked as he pressed his body against yours. You bit your lip, feeling a twinge of soreness lingering from the previous night’s activities. “A little”, you admitted, your voice tinged with nervousness. Ben smirked. “Well, I can’t promise to be gentle this time”, he replied.

Determined to prove yourself, you squared your shoulders and met Ben's gaze. "I can handle it", you declared, your voice firm despite the lingering apprehension. Ben's smirk widened as he sensed your resolve.

"That's what I fucking want to hear", he mumbled.

Ben pulled down his sweatpants and boxers just enough to free his throbbing length. As he pushed inside you, his movements weren't overly forceful, but for someone inexperienced like you, it was enough to make you whimper in pain.

You gripped the edge of the sink tightly, trying to steady yourself as he filled you, his pace slow and deliberate. Each inch of him stretched you in ways you hadn't anticipated, a mixture of pleasure and discomfort coursing through you.

"Easy, sweetheart", Ben murmured, his voice laced with a hint of concern as he noticed your discomfort. "Just relax and breathe".

As Ben moved inside you, his muttering filled the air. "You're still so fucking tight", he murmured, his voice a mixture of admiration and frustration. The strain on his face was evident, his cock pained by the tightness, a testament to your inexperience.

His grip on your hips tightened, leaving bruises in their wake, adding to the already tender marks from the night before. Yet, despite the discomfort, there was a sense of exhilaration in the intensity of the moment, in the raw connection you shared with Ben.

Ben paused, giving you a moment to adjust to his size. You tried to stand up a bit straighter, hoping to alleviate some of the pressure, but Ben pushed your back down again, his hands firm on your hips.

"Stay down", he murmured, his voice low and soothing. "I've got you".

You nodded, trying to obey his command as you focused on controlling your breathing.

You struggled to catch your breath through the pain, your body still adjusting to his size. Despite the discomfort, you tried to focus on the sensation of him inside you, clinging to the anticipation of pleasure amidst the ache.

As Ben started to move his hips slowly, a mixture of pleasure and pain washed over you, sending waves of sensation coursing through your body. You couldn't help but moan and whimper uncontrollably.

His gaze fixed on the sight of his cock disappearing into your tight pussy, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he savored the sight. With each movement, he drove deeper into you.

“You gonna take it like a good girl?”, Ben grunted. “Or do I need to fucking show you how to handle me?”.

As Ben pushed even deeper, you let out a sharp gasp, your breath hitching in your throat. Sensing your hesitation, he leaned in closer, his voice low and commanding.

"I asked you a question", he growled, his grip tightening on your hips. "Don't make me ask again".

You shivered at the intensity of his tone, a mixture of fear and excitement coursing through you.

"I'll take it", you whispered, your voice barely above a hoarse murmur.

Ben's lips curled into a smile, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine. "That's right", he murmured. "

You swallowed hard, the realization sinking in that you were completely at his mercy.

As Ben picked up the pace, his thrusts growing more intense and relentless, you couldn't help but whimper with each movement. The mixture of pleasure and pain sent waves of sensation coursing through you, overwhelming your senses.

"Please", you whimpered, your voice barely above a desperate murmur. "Slow down".

Ben pulled you up by the back of your neck, his roughness causing you to whimper again.

"I thought you could take it like a good girl", he growled, his voice tinged with annoyance as he held you firmly in place. "Don't fucking disappoint me now".

You nodded frantically, your lips trembling as you tried to hold back a whimper.

With that, he pushed you back against the sink, his movements more determined and forceful than before.

Your legs began to tremble as the intensity of Ben's thrusts increased, sending waves of pleasure and pain coursing through your body. With each deep penetration, your lower belly started to ache, the relentless pounding leaving you breathless and overwhelmed. "You're taking me so well", Ben praised.

Despite the discomfort, you clung to the edge of the sink for support, surrendering yourself to the sensations that consumed you. Ben's words of praise echoed in your ears, driving you to push through the pain as you struggled to keep up with his relentless pace.

As the pleasure mounted and your body trembled with anticipation, you couldn't help but wonder how much more you could endure.

As Ben’s thrusts grew more fervent, your determination surged, fueled by a desire to prove yourself to him. Each movement was a testament to your resolve, your body eagerly responding to his every touch and command.

Yet, despite your efforts, there was an underlying tension, a sense of urgency that lingered in the air. Your breaths came in ragged gasps, your heart racing as you chased after the elusive peak of pleasure.

In the mirror, Ben’s gaze bore into yours, a silent acknowledgment passing between you. He could sense your struggle, the need for release that still eluded you.

With a subtle shift in his movements, he adjusted his pace, slowing down just enough to give you room to catch up.

As Ben slowed his pace, you could feel the tension in the room ease slightly, his actions a silent admission of his concern for your pleasure. It was a gesture you hadn’t expected from him, and it left you feeling strangely touched.

“Having trouble getting there, sweetheart?”, he teased. “Looks like we’ve got some work to do on that problem of yours”.

Without saying a word, you just looked at him pleadingly through the mirror.

Ben sighed softly. "Alright, let me get you there first", he murmured.

With practiced ease, he shifted your body slightly, his movements purposeful as he positioned you to hit your sweet spot. You felt a surge of anticipation coursing through you as he guided you.

As he pushed into you nice and slow, you couldn't help but shiver at the sensation of him filling you completely. A low moan escaped your lips, the pleasure building with each inch of his cock buried deep inside you.

"There we go", he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper as he savored the moment.

Ben couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as he lazily and easily brought you to the brink of ecstasy within seconds.

Your body quivered with pleasure as you surrendered to the intense sensation, your breaths coming in ragged gasps as the wave of climax washed over you.

"See? Wasn’t that hard", he remarked, a hint of pride in his voice. "Told you I could get you there".

With a satisfied smirk, Ben leaned in closer, his lips brushing against your ear. "You're fucking welcome", he murmured, as you continued to cling to the sink, breathless and still reeling from the intensity of your orgasm.

"Now that you've had your fun", he murmured, his voice tinged with amusement, "can I finally have mine?".

You hesitated for a moment, still feeling the lingering aftershocks of pleasure coursing through your body. But the desire in his voice was unmistakable, and you found yourself nodding, giving him the permission he sought.

With a satisfied smirk, Ben began to move again, his movements slow and deliberate as he resumed his rhythm, each thrust sending a jolt of pleasure coursing through you.

As Ben's thrusts became faster and harder, the intensity of his movements threatened to overwhelm you.

Each powerful thrust sent shockwaves of pleasure coursing through your body, but beneath the surface, there was a hint of discomfort as well. You could feel the force of his thrusts bruising your insides, pushing you to the brink with each powerful motion.

Yet, despite the physical strain, there was a strange sense of exhilaration in the air. Unbeknownst to you, however, this level of intensity was far from the roughness Ben usually exerted with other girls.

His restraint, though not immediately apparent, spoke volumes about the depth of his connection with you.

As Ben reached the peak of his pleasure, his thrusts grew even more fervent, driving deeper and harder into you with each motion. With a guttural groan, he finally released inside you, his hot seed filling you to the brim.

You could feel every pulse of his release, the warmth spreading through you as he emptied himself inside you.

As his orgasm subsided, Ben collapsed against you, his body trembling with the aftershocks of pleasure. He buried his face in your neck, his breath hot against your skin as he rode out the last waves of ecstasy. "Fuck", he muttered, his voice rough with emotion. "That was… intense".

You could only nod in agreement, your own breath coming in ragged gasps as you tried to process the intensity of the moment.

As the last tremors of his orgasm subsided, Ben softened inside you, his body relaxing against yours. You could feel the gentle throb of his cock as it pulsed weakly within you, the remnants of his passion mingling with your own.

His weight pressed you against the sink, the cool surface providing a stark contrast to the warmth of your entwined bodies. Despite the lingering ache between your legs, there was a sense of fulfillment that washed over you, a deep satisfaction in knowing that you had pleased him.

Ben's breath was hot against your neck as he nuzzled closer, his arms wrapping around you in a protective embrace. For a moment, you simply savored the intimacy of the moment, the feeling of being held in his arms.

Eventually, Ben pulled away, his soft smile betraying the tenderness he felt in that moment. With a surprising gentleness, he gave your ass a playful slap, his touch a stark contrast to the intensity of moments before.

"Good job, sweetheart", he murmured, his voice husky. "You're making progress".

You couldn't help but grin at his praise, a sense of pride swelling within you at the acknowledgment of your efforts.

"Come on, take your little shower", Ben grinned.

As he made his way out of the bathroom, you took a moment to catch your breath, your legs feeling like pudding beneath you. The intensity of your encounter with Ben had left you feeling a little dizzy, your heart racing in your chest.

As the warm water cascaded over your skin, you couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between you and Ben. The way he had looked at you, the tenderness in his touch—it had stirred something inside you.

As you emerged from the bathroom, you found Ben sitting in the living room, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips as he sniffed a few lines. His eyes trailed over you appreciatively as you made your way to the kitchen, clad in shorts and a top that clung to your curves in all the right places.

"Well, well, look who's all fresh and clean", he remarked, his voice tinged with amusement. "Feeling better after our little workout?".

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at his teasing tone.

As you filled a glass with water, you couldn't shake the feeling of Ben's eyes on you, his gaze burning into your skin with an intensity that sent shivers down your spine. With a playful smile, you took your time, relishing in the opportunity to tease him in return.

Once you had your fill, you sauntered over to where Ben was leaning against the couch, his arms spread out on the backrest as he watched you approach. His eyes traced every curve of your body, a smirk playing on his lips as he took in the sight of you.

"You know, for someone who claims not to be that interested, you seem pretty focused on me", you teased, your voice laced with amusement as you stood before him, your gaze meeting his with a challenge.

Ben chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against your skin. "Can you blame me?", he murmured, his tone low and suggestive. "You're quite the sight, sweetheart".

You felt a flush spread across your cheeks, a thrill of excitement coursed through you at the knowledge that you had his undivided attention.

As Ben leaned back against the couch, his eyes never leaving you, a smirk played on his lips. He licked his lips slowly, savoring the sight of you standing before him. “You know, you look even better up close”, he teased.

You chuckled softly, feeling a rush of heat rise to your cheeks at his flirtatious remark. As you moved to sit down on the couch, ready to engage in some light conversation, Ben interrupted you with a subtle gesture.

"Uh-uh", he mumbled, nodding towards his lap, a suggestive glint in his eyes.

You settled onto his lap, Ben's arms wrapped around your waist, drawing you closer. Your back pressed against his warm chest.

He leaned in, his lips grazing your ear as he whispered, "You know, I could get used to having you here". You chuckled nervously, the tension in the air palpable. "Careful, you might start to spoil me", you teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Ben's grip tightened slightly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Oh, don't worry", he replied. "I'm not in the business of spoiling girls like you".

You shifted slightly in his embrace, turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Girls like me?", you questioned.

Ben smirked, his gaze lingering on you as he replied, "You know, the ones who think they can handle me".

You chuckled softly, shaking your head at his cockiness. "And can't they?", you countered.

Ben's smirk widened, his grip tightening on your waist. "Guess we'll just have to find out", he replied, his voice low.

Ben's hands trailed lazily over your stomach, his touch sending shivers down your spine as you leaned into his embrace. His gaze remained fixed on the news playing on the TV, but his words held a hint of sincerity.

"You know, so far you've handled me better than I expected", he admitted.

You couldn't help but smile at his admission, feeling a sense of pride swell within you. As his hands continued to wander, you found yourself sinking deeper into his touch.

You resisted the urge to tell him just how sore you actually were, not wanting to ruin the moment. Instead, you simply leaned into his touch, savoring the warmth and intimacy between you.

Ben's hands continued to trace lazy patterns over your lower belly, his lips brushing against your neck and shoulders in a gentle rhythm. Despite the distraction of the news playing on the TV, his attention remained focused on you.

As you felt his cock slowly stirring awake underneath your ass, a thrill of anticipation coursed through you. Despite the soreness lingering between your legs, you couldn't deny the growing desire building within you.

You shifted slightly, feeling his erection pressing against you more prominently, eliciting a soft grunt from Ben. His hands gripped you tighter, his growing arousal evident in his touch.

"You like that?", he murmured.

You couldn't help but smile at his question. "Maybe", you teased.

Ben chuckled softly, his breath warm against your skin.

His hands sliding down to grip your hips firmly, guiding you to move against him in a slow rhythm. His dick growing with each movement, his lips trailing kisses along your neck and collarbone.

"You're a natural at this", Ben murmured as he guided your movements against him. His hands tightened on your hips, urging you to continue the tantalizing rhythm.

You let out a soft moan, the sensation of his lips trailing kisses along your collarbone sending shivers down your spine. "Feels good", you whispered, your voice laced with desire.

"You have no idea", he groaned.

As you continued to grind against his clothed erection, Ben couldn’t help but feel a surge of arousal coursing through him. The sight of you, lost in pleasure, was beyond hot.

"You're so fucking sexy", he groaned, his hands sliding up to cup your breasts as you rocked against him. In the heat of the moment, you felt your climax building, growing stronger with each movement.

With a sudden burst of intensity, you came, your body convulsing with pleasure. But before you could catch your breath, Ben was already taking action, his movements swift and determined.

In a matter of seconds, he had discarded his sweatpants and boxers, pulling your panties aside as he positioned himself. With one powerful thrust, he pushed you down onto his hard cock, knocking the air out of your lungs as pleasure washed over you in waves.

Ben's hands gripping your hips firmly, as he let out a satisfied sigh. "Just sit on me, sweetheart", he murmured. "Keep my cock warm while I catch up on the news".

You complied, lowering yourself onto him more with a shiver of anticipation. With his cock buried deep inside you, he leaned back against the couch, his eyes fixed on the TV screen. "Good girl", he praised. "Now just stay put and let me enjoy the show".

You bit back a retort, choosing instead to focus on the warmth spreading through you from where you were connected with him.

Ben reclined against the couch, his hands gripping your hips firmly.

"Can't sit still, can you?", he chided, his tone laced with a hint of condescension as you kept moving. "Always fidgeting like a little girl".

You rolled your eyes at his comment, trying to find a comfortable position while ignoring his jab.

"I'm just trying to get comfortable", you retorted, your tone tinged with annoyance.

Ben's cock twitched inside you, a silent testament to the arousal simmering beneath his teasing facade. All the while, you were simply focused on getting comfortable, oblivious to the effect your movements were having on him.

As you continued to shift, Ben's patience wore thin. With a frustrated grunt, he grabbed your hips forcefully, pushing you down until his cock was completely buried inside you. A groan escaped his lips as he felt the fullness of your warmth enveloping him, while you whimpered at the sudden intrusion, feeling a pang of discomfort as he held you in place.

"Stay fucking still", he commanded, his grip on your hips unyielding as he forced you to remain in place. The pressure on your sore pussy only added to your discomfort, but you dared not protest.

As Ben held you in place, his attention shifted back to the news playing on the TV. He began commenting on the latest developments, his voice a steady stream of commentary. Meanwhile, your discomfort seemed to amplify with each passing moment, your pussy clenching involuntarily around him.

Despite the lack of movement, the sensation of your tightness pulsating around him sent waves of pleasure coursing through Ben's body. He gritted his teeth, trying to maintain his composure as he felt himself nearing the edge of climax.

"Fuck", he muttered under his breath, his grip on your hips tightening reflexively. "You're gonna make me come just sitting there like that".

As Ben grew increasingly frustrated, his arousal only intensified, a battle raging within him as he struggled to maintain control amidst the overwhelming sensation. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his body tense with pent-up desire.

“You’re driving me fucking crazy”, he growled, his voice strained with the effort to hold back. “I swear, if you keep squeezing like that, I’m gonna fuck you again, no matter how fucking sore you are”.

You could sense the turmoil in his voice, a mix of frustration and arousal that mirrored your own conflicted emotions. Despite the discomfort, there was an undeniable thrill in knowing the effect you had on him.

As the tension mounted, you couldn't help but continue clenching around him, the involuntary action a testament to your heightened arousal. Despite your efforts to control it, your body had a mind of its own.

"I can't… I can't control it", you whimpered, the strain evident in your voice as you struggled against the overwhelming sensation.

Ben's own restraint slipping with each clench of your muscles.

As the sound of footsteps approached the hallway, Ben's senses sharpened. He leaned in close to your ear, his voice a low murmur as he mumbled about the others being in the hallway. "They're back", he whispered, his grip on you tightening as he held you in place.

Panicked, you tried to get off him, the fear of getting caught growing. But Ben's firm grip held you in place.

"Stay", he commanded, his voice urgent as he pressed you down onto him, refusing to let you go.

As you tried to wriggle free from Ben’s grasp, he watched you with an amused smirk, clearly enjoying your futile attempts. “Give it up, sweetheart”, he teased, his voice laced with amusement. “You’re not going anywhere”.

You shot him a glare, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “Let me go, Ben”, you insisted, your voice tinged with desperation. “We can’t get caught like this”. But Ben only chuckled, tightening his hold on you even more. “Relax sweetheart”, he replied, his tone nonchalant.

As the sound of the door clicking echoed through the apartment, Ben finally released his grip on you. With a swift movement, he pulled up his sweatpants, his demeanor cool and composed as if nothing had happened.

You quickly straightened your clothes, your heart still racing from the close call.

As Butcher and the rest entered the living room, Annie’s gaze caught your flushed cheeks, her eyebrows raising in silent inquiry. “You two alright?”, she asked, her tone casual but her eyes betraying a hint of curiosity.

You forced a smile, trying to play off the tension in the air. “Yeah, Ben just won’t give me the remote”, you lied.

As you sat down again, Ben eyed you with a raised eyebrow, clearly amused by your quick thinking. You shot him a warning glance, silently urging him to play along.

Meanwhile, Butcher announced the details of the next mission. Ben's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he listened, his expression unreadable. It seemed he wasn't too thrilled about the prospect of heading to Europe for two weeks, following a lead to Homelander.

Butcher continued, assigning tasks to each member of the team. You and Frenchie were tasked with staying behind, keeping an eye on things in case there were any developments while the rest of the team dealt with Homelander in Europe.

As you thought about being apart from Ben for two weeks, a sense of unease settled in the pit of your stomach. Despite the ups and downs of your interactions, the two of you had started to click in a way that felt surprisingly genuine.The prospect of being separated now felt daunting, especially with the uncertainty of the mission looming over you.

Ben’s thoughts, however, were consumed by a different kind of anticipation. While he outwardly grumbled about the mission and the inconvenience of being away, inwardly his mind raced with thoughts of you. He couldn’t shake the image of your tight pussy, the way you had responded to him earlier still fresh in his mind.

In his own twisted way, Ben couldn’t bear the thought of you being alone while he was gone.

As Annie asked you to help her prepare dinner with Kimiko, you nodded in agreement, grateful for the distraction from your swirling thoughts. With a quick glance at Ben, who was already engrossed in a discussion with Butcher, MM, and Hughie about the mission details, you followed Annie and Kimiko into the kitchen. As you chopped vegetables, Annie turned to you.

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A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

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Part 13

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