#replying to that EVER AGAIN on here is like pulling teeth

[monocaelia]

thanataphobia.

-you grasped for his soul tightly in fear that, if you relaxed for even a moment, he would slip through your fingertips ; aka, tending to his wounds. feat. dan heng, gepard, mydei, phainon. genre : fluff, mostly angst. note : the voices won :sadge: i hope u guys enjoy my fall into hsr insanity. also having everyone be sad was not my intention TT mb.

❀ DAN HENG

a wanderer that wasn't meant to stay for this long, dan heng had tried to keep his distance from everyone aboard the astral express. the lone man never wanted to become someone so important and dear to everybody, and here he is building friendships and bonds near unbreakable with people he thought he would have left behind by now.

a man prepared for a life of solitude welcomed in with open arms and cheerful laughter as he once again boards the express; a life where he met you. you, one of the first people to climb over the walls he tried to build around his heart and one of the first to put trust in him despite being a newer face on the express.

a life where he would come to love someone in the midst of new beginnings.

so, dan heng shouldn't be surprised at the worried looks and panicked exclamations when he returns to the express in a state that's worse for wear. he shouldn't be surprised at all when, after being looked after by dr. welt, that he would be left alone in your care once everyone had been reassured that he was fine.

the futon laid on the floor of the archive room is soft but hardly provides any comfort for dan heng as he shifts uncomfortably under your scrutiny. a cotton swab soaked with disinfectant presses into the scraped skin of his cheek and he flinches at the familiar sting.

your lips part as you begin to speak, but dan heng beats you to it, much to your chargrin.

"don't say it," dan heng says, his voice curt and straight to the point. despite only being on the express for a short time, he's fully aware of what you're about to say to his face. and, of course, you ignore his words.

"i told you so," your voice is firm as you put pressure onto his face on purpose and you're satisfied when he winces from the pain. your brows furrow when dan heng looks away from you to avoid your scowl. a huff escapes your lips and a forceful hand pushes his face back to meet yours.

teal is a beautiful color. it reminds you of the soothing breeze that would blow in your hometown; comforting, yet brisk with a nip to your skin if you indulged too much within it. like the wind of your home, dan heng brings comfort to you as a pillar of support during your adventures with the astral express. but, regardless of how long you remain by his side, his past is shrouded in a mystery that you may never uncover, and maybe you never will.

dan heng is the wind, ever changing and always moving.

"...of course i'm upset and worried for you," you begin as you pull away the stained swab from his face. you dispose it into the pile of used cotton. "but i'm more relieved that you made it back to us in one piece."

your gaze falls as multiple thoughts begin to run through your mind, none of which dan heng could configure before you begin to speak again.

"why didn't you ask me to go with you? you would've been safer that way."

dan heng parts his lips, the answer just on the tip of his tongue but something prevents him from giving you the answer you wanted. instead, he gives you a reply that sets a clear boundary between the two of you.

“i’m sorry.”

he can tell you're hurt; he doesn't miss the aching look in your eyes and your lips caught between your teeth.

in his own way of comforting you, dan heng reaches over to hold your hand in his. it's smaller than his in comparison, and yet he finds nothing but solace in your touch. he should be comforting you and apologizing for hurting you by keeping his life private, and yet here he is basking in your warm touch.

he half expects you to pull away from him and effectively put space between you as he did just now... but you don't. you let his touch remain on your skin and dan heng feels relief knowing that you’re still putting your trust in him.

"it's fine; you don't have to tell me anything until you're ready to, dan heng. i'm just glad you're okay."

the archive room is silent, save for the quiet humming of the data bank that resides in it and the soft breathing between you and dan heng. the lone wanderer wishes he could tell you everything and indulge you in your inquires; he longs for the day that his past no longer haunts him and poses as a threat to both him and his loved ones.

but until then, he'll keep this to himself. for your sake and his own.

❀ GEPARD LANDAU

the lantern's warm glow illuminates the infirmary room that both you and the blond captain reside in, though its light is nothing compared to the cold silence shared between the two of you. the cotton ball absorbed with a disinfectant is pressed into the open wound on gepard's side; he makes a noise of discomfort but you don't care.

if anything, you press harder and hope that he truly feels your wrath masked in cleaning up his wounds.

"you're upset," gepard breaks the silence. you don't respond as you swap out the dirtied cotton ball and exchange it for some gauze. luckily, this wound wasn't as deep as the others and wouldn't require anymore stitches.

or it was unlucky if you wanted to enact your revenge on him through harsh and rough medical care.

gepard says your name and you curse yourself as your anger begins to waver just at the mere tone of his voice.

"you should be more careful," you begin with a stern voice. your fingers move skillfully around gepard's body, being attentive to wrap as much of the wound as tight as possible. your body moves on autopilot as if you've done this many times before.

"you know it's my duty to be the shield of belobog," gepard begins, his eyes never leaving your face as you continue to dress his injury. "if no one will protect the people, my own soldiers included, then who will?"

the flame in the lantern flickers just as your eyes snap to his. there's a fire in your eyes almost as if your anger had borrowed the embers of the lantern. you can feel the heat boiling within you and it nearly explodes out of you into words that you won't mean as a result of your strong emotions.

almost.

you know ultimately that gepard is correct; he has sworn his life to belobog and if that means he has to succumb to death in order to ensure the safety of the people within, then so be it. but you cannot stomach that reality. gepard, whose heart is pure and noble like no other, does not deserve to die even if he believes otherwise.

"and who will protect you if you're throwing yourself into danger like that?" your tone is strained as to not raise your voice any louder. gepard's expression doesn't waver, but his azure eyes soften at your words. you can feel his hand, large and calloused, encase your own and squeezes it gently; a silent way to comfort you in your distress.

you hate how gentle gepard is, you hate how loyal he is to belobog and as captain of the silvermane guards. you hate how it's written in his blood to protect those that need protection and how he's willing to sacrifice his life if it meant ensuring the safety of his city and maintaining his family’s honor.

you hate how all of his noble acts and promises are the exact reasons why you've fallen so deeply for him.

a familiar hand gently cups your face, a contrast to the rough texture of his palms, and a thumb wipes away the tears you didn't know you had shed.

"i don't want to lose you, gepard," you say in a broken whisper. "i love you so much, please don't be so reckless with your life."

gepard knows he cannot promise you that, but he offers as much as he can to you. your quiet sobs are comforted by his strong arms as he embraces you in a hug; quiet apologies fall past the captain's lips as he listens to your hurt cries. his heart aches seeing you this distressed over his wounds, and he so wishes that he could fulfill your demands so you're never in this state again.

but the both of you know better than to have hope for something that could never happen.

❀ MYDEIMOS

mydei is near indestructible, you know this quite well. the crown prince of kremnos is a fierce opponent to reckon with as any and all attacks are quickly regenerated on the spot before he counters with a force more powerful than a wave crashing against steep cliffs.

despite being well aware of this fact and even witnessing this phenomenon in person, it does not stop you from ever worrying about mydei's wellbeing and health. you know he is built for battle and that any sort of attack to him is exhilarating, even more so if his opponent manages to strike him.

and yet, here you are, hands frantically lifting mydei's arms and inspecting the warrior's body for any lingering wounds that may have not healed all the way. eyes of ichor follow your every movement even as your hands, small in comparison to the taller and more muscular man in front of you, cup his face and rotate it around to continue your examination.

your name leaves his lips and you meet his intense gaze. though most would be intimidated by the permanent fierce expression on his face, you can feel your heart flutter against your chest at the way he's looking at you. maybe it's because you can read his expressions well for being around him for so long, but the crimson lion before you is malleable in your touch; his golden irises, a gift from the sun, are nothing but warm and soft when directed at you.

"i'm not so weak as to let the black tide consume me so easily," mydei tells you, his voice low and cool. "you know this well."

as you sigh at his response, you can feel gauntlet covered hands cover your own and the warmth of mydei's face as he leans into your touch. it isn't much, but even the small act of affection soothes your panicked heart; his warmth, after all, is a reminder that he is alive and well in your hands.

"that is true... but," you begin hesitantly. your eyes look into mydei's own, "is it a crime to worry about you? are you not a living being like me?"

"it is not," mydei assures you. "but you shouldn't waste your time on something as insignificant as this." his eyes close, relishing the gentle softness of your hand; a hand that knows nothing but peace and hope, a hand that has not been tainted with the blood of others.

the kremnoan prince hopes that your hand remains that way forever. you do not deserve a life of war and despair.

but mydei knows well enough that that wish is futile. you are his lover and if he were to succumb to strife one day, he cannot fathom how agonized you would be.

your brows furrow at his response and your fingers squeeze harshly onto the skin of mydei's cheek. yet mydei remains unmoved by your sudden pinch on him.

"don't make me laugh, mydeimos. your life is just as significant as any other. stop making statements like that."

despite the stern tone of your voice and the fire that seems to ignite in your eyes, mydeimos finds nothing but warmth in your glare. to someone like him, a prince that has known nothing but the abandonment of his family and the isolation of losing all of his comrades, your heart that is more vast than the sea of souls and yet has enough room to encompass mydei and all of his sins in its warmth and loving embrace is a feeling that he is unfamiliar with, but not one he can or will deny.

you are comfort incarnate, a force that even the strongest warrior succumbs to, and mydei has come to crave your benevolent touch.

but even he cannot grant you your wish of him coming home unscathed. mydei is not one to indulge in white lies and broken promises, and so he sits there as you reprimand him on the importance of life and wellbeing, relishing in your touch that he so wishes to feel for the rest of this lifetime.

❀ PHAINON

you know better than to lift your head and meet phainon’s gaze at this very moment, lest you be swayed by the clear, beautiful blue sea that resides in his eyes and the pout that is for sure on his lips. even the thought of his pathetic and apologetic expression is enough to make your anger spike and you tightly tie the bandage around his injured bicep.

you choose to ignore the whimper that leaves his lips and his attempts to duck his head lower to grab your attention. his free hand, the one rid of any injuries thank goodness, reaches for your own and you're almost faster than your white haired companion is, but ultimately his large hand holds your own.

"don't even think about it, phainon," you tell him through grit teeth. "i already told you that if you were reckless doing your rounds around okhema i would-"

"kill me, i know," phainon finishes your sentence for you. a sigh in frustration leaves your lips and you finally look up at the man before you. his eyes are filled with remorse as eyes as blue as you could imagine look up at you. his perfect, neat brows furrow upwards to really push his apologetic expression.

his hand easily slides through your fingers, intertwining them with his, and he pulls your knuckles to his lips in a gentle kiss. he whispers your name and the flames of your anger begin to dwindle away. mentally, a curse is laid upon him for having this much power over you.

"something this small wouldn't have knocked me down," phainon reassures you with another small kiss to your hand. he brings your knuckle to his cheek and begins to nuzzle it. his skin is soft to the touch and warm, brimming of life blessed by the sun; a reminder that indeed that small wound was just surface level and one your lover won't die from.

still... seeing the open wound on his arm made your heart ache and images of your lover on the floor in a pool of his own blood with his eyes void of the life that you love so much...

"i sincerely apologize... can't you forgive me?"

truthfully, you want to remain angry at him for worrying you so. phainon decides to go out on an expedition on the outskirts of the holy city and here he comes with an injury on his arm and a scuffed up face smiling like he wasn't just hurt, minor or not.

however, with his face now buried into the comfort of your palm and his eyes, like sparkling azure gems, shine with tears threatening to spill over, you're forced to rescind your vexation in hopes of appeasing the whining man before you.

a heavy sigh leaves your lips and you can almost hear phainon perking up at your resignation.

"do this again and i'll tell mydei to beat you up for me the next time the two of you hold a competition."

your threats fall on deaf ears as the sun beams down on you in the form of phainon's smile. typical of a hero blessed by the prophecy, he's handsome in anything that he does and that does not exclude the boyish grin on his lips as his strong arms pull you in for a firm embrace.

it's evident that something worse is bound to happen to your white haired companion should he continue with the prophecy of amphoreus and the twisted fate that lies before him, but you hold onto the small hope that he will be strong enough to overcome anything. a hero loved by all should not fall to such a tragic ending and you pray to any celestial being who would listen to your pleas to spare his life.

[leavesonthetrees]

As Long As We Both Shall Live

Summary - One last night before they face Smaug and the world as they know it burns before their eyes.

CW - Vague mention of sex

A/N - My Khudzul translations are from The Dwarven Scholar. I see a lot of people using Welsh as the hobbit’s language so that’s what I’ve done here as well.

Halwûn meaning sweet one and Cariad is Welsh for love or sweetheart.

I hope you enjoy!

The rooms in Laketown were small and dingy but a far greater improvement on the majority of their resting places as of yet. The bed creaks awkwardly and there are strange stains on the mattress which Bilbo and Thorin have added to tonight. Bilbo wriggles out of Thorin’s far too warm embrace, made in Mahal’s forge indeed, and on shaky legs makes his way to the window to open it. The lake shimmers under the moonlight, lazily swaying in the cool night air. Erebor is visible from their room and gods, how beautiful it is.

“Halwûn?”

But how could Erebor ever hope to compare to the most heavenly beauty Middle-earth has ever seen?

“Yes, Cariad?”

Bilbo turns to sleepy eyes, blinking awake, and Thorin propping himself up on an elbow. He studies Bilbo for a moment before swinging his legs over the side of the bed, joining Bilbo at the window. He loops an arm around Bilbo’s shoulders, pulling him to his chest.

“It’s magnificent.”

Bilbo murmurs, resting his head against Thorin’s shoulder.

“It is, isn’t it?”

Thorin replies but his eyes are gazing at Bilbo, not the mountain. Bilbo doesn’t say anything for a moment, knowing where Thorin’s eyes are and instead focuses on the steady beat of his beloved’s heart and desperately tries not to think of how it may not beat again. Even so, unbidden tears spring to his eyes. Thorin knows instantly and instead, wordlessly, takes those soft cheeks between work and war-roughened hands and carefully smoothes the tears away. Nothing needs to be said, the understanding hangs heavily in the air between them. Thorin pulls Bilbo’s face to the crook of his neck and Bilbo clutches Thorin painfully tight as if he is afraid that if he lets go that all he truly loves in this world shall disappear; and perhaps he is right.

For a while they stand like that, a calloused hand stroking through soft curls; tears soaking skin and hair alike. The embrace loosens and while Bilbo is reluctant to let go, Thorin is stepping back.

“Marry me. Please.”

The words a barely more than a whisper, pleading. Bilbo’s head and heart scream at him ‘Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!’ But instead what he says is:

“What?”

Thorin drops to his knees, Bilbo’s hands encased in his larger ones.

“I lay my sword, heart and soul at your feet Bilbo Baggins.”

Thorin’s words are quiet, sincere.

“In case we don’t see the overmorrow’s dawn, I want to marry you. Here and now. I know it is not what you deserve, you deserve the grandest wedding Arda has ever seen but…”

Thorin inhales shakily, a tear escaping down his cheek, eyes full of hope as he begs Bilbo.

“I cannot imagine life without you. If you told me even if only on a whim, to abdicate the throne, to abandon the quest, I would without question. I cannot face the thought of entering Mahal’s Halls without accomplishing what I now see is what I truly want in life. Please…please marry me.”

“Yes.”

Bilbo surprises the both of them, dropping to his own knees before Thorin. Their lips crash together in a mess of teeth, tears and sweet relief.

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

Thorin scrambles to his feet, pulling Bilbo up with him, a gleeful almost madness in his eyes. He pulls the bead from his braid at his left temple and takes Bilbo’s hands in his own, cupping the bead together.

“Bilbo Baggins. With this bead, I thee wed. I swear upon Mahal and the stars He has forged to honour, love, protect and treasure you for the rest of our days. I shall shield you from the mightiest of blows. I shall love you come what may. Should I ever break this vow, may the gods themselves strike me down for all to see.”

Bilbo swallows, throat tight and suddenly not trusting his words not to come out as sobs.

“Thorin Oakenshield. I uh…I don’t have a bead.”

Thorin chuckles wetly.

“No matter. We shall forge wedding beads together once we have reclaimed the mountain.”

They both know that is a promise he may not be able to keep.

“Thorin Oakenshield. With this bead that we have not yet made, I thee wed. I swear upon Yavanna and the earth She has nurtured that I will care, cherish, support and adore you for the rest of our days. I shall be your home and your shield. I shall light the way in the darkness for you. I shall comfort you on your lowest days. This I swear to you in Yavanna’s grace. Should I ever break this vow may my body never rot beneath the soil so all may know my shame.”

Thorin brings their foreheads together with a quiet thunk, Bilbo wincing at the apparent rock that Dwarven skulls are made of.

“Sorry, sorry.”

Thorin soothes and presses an apologetic kiss to the quickly reddening skin.

“My husband. Oh…oh my husband.” Thorin breathes and kisses Bilbo so tenderly and yet so desperately.

“I am yours. And you, mine.”

Bilbo gasps out. They both hold there, hands still cupped around the bead, panting.

“We shall have to file paperwork, to make it official,” Bilbo says softly. Thorin shakes his head and pulls a section of hair from Bilbo’s temple forward and begins braiding it.

“If you so desire but to me? We are married in the only way that matters. Our witnesses are the sky and the stars. I care not what the company think nor anyone who tries to tell me otherwise. I love you, and Mahal as my witness I swear to do so for as long as we both shall live.”

And so, in that dark, cramped room in Laketown, they were married. Tomorrow they would face down Smaug and reclaim Erebor for the dwarves once again. Soon after Thorin will succumb to gold sickness, losing his mind and himself to that wretched curse. Then will come the battle, five armies in a terrible war. But for now, they shall sleep, undisturbed and at peace; for that is tomorrow and tonight is for them and them alone.

[lostintransist]

The Promised Ending

Honest Work Keeps A Man’s Back Bowed | Part 1 | AO3

A/N: Story is fully written and will update on Fridays.

This narrator would like to note that they are going to judge so many decisions this man makes. He is smarmy, and deserves everything coming to him. That’s all.

Jeremiah found him first.

Sitting on the bales, elbows on his knees Phil stared at his shoes. He never liked tennis shoes—missed his broken-in cowboy boots. As he sat he contemplated. You wanted him gone, wanted nothing to do with him. The ranch you managed? It was his. He could call up the lawyers right now and relieve you of your duties but everything under your touch thrived. Clearly though, from the conversation last night, staying would likely not be an option.

That loss, again not being wanted, never being good enough, hooked around his sternum and stretched him from the rafters.

“Phillip Graves,” he whispered in awe. “And here I thought God had hidden himself up in heaven and no longer answered prayers.”

Looking up from his thoughts as they played over his feet, Phil took in all the changes. The man had aged since Phil had last seen him. Instead of a thick dark beard and a wink hidden behind the smoke of a cigarette before stood him a man who looked as if all his age found him at once. Jeremiah’s hair more white on top and more gray in the beard complimented the wrinkles and the yellowing on his teeth from the decades of smoke that stained them.

Jeremiah had been a ranch hand when Phil had left for the military. God, could it really be nearly two decades now? The distance of their ages didn’t feel so large now.

“God must hate me if the way He answers prayers is what dragged me back here,” Phil sighed and stood. “How are you still here, Jeremiah? Weren’t you planning on heading west a couple years after I left?”

The loud laugh the man let out hit Phil like a wave, painful in its pressure.

“I tried, but your granddad had other plans. Had a heart attack on branding day, couldn’t leave after that. He promoted me to foreman though and I’ve been running the place ever since.” Jeremiah shoved his hands into his front pockets, looking Phil over like he would a pregnant heifer. “You look wore out, kiddo.”

The tears that flooded Phil’s eyes were as unexpected as a green sky in January.

As arms circled him, pulling him into the scents that had been one of the only sprinklings of safety he found as a child, Phil started to sob. Those years that didn’t seem too far apart a moment ago now fit between them with the right amount of space for Jeremiah to play father.

“Pop-Pop had been right, there will always be a bigger man to break you if you don’t humble up.”

“What happened boyo?” Jeremiah ran a soothing hand over his back.

“Too much. Too goddamn much.”

When the only remnants of Phil’s shameful lack of control were the shuddering breaths he took from time to time, Jeremiah walked him to the storage closet and managed to unearth a couple of pairs of jeans, some shirts with only minor holes, and thank the uncaring stars, a pair of his old boots. They were the only things that still fit from childhood.

Stepping out Phillip had never felt more at home in his skin. Even a high holster couldn’t make him feel so whole.

“What’s the plan?” Jeremiah called from further in the barn. He had started his chores of feeding the horses and the animals that didn’t rotate through the fields like the cattle did.

“Well, the boss,” referring, of course, to you, “Doesn’t want me to stay.”

Phil pet the noses that poked over the stalls to greet him.

Jeremiah paused and sent a look that spoke a million and one things that didn’t need explanation or reply.

Sighing, deep and soul weary, Phil continued.

“She doesn’t know Dead Road Ranch is mine. It and all its belongings are held in a blind trust. When Granddad went down the trust fell to me. I was neck deep in some business I didn’t want to drag home and suggested the lawyers reach out to a couple people with an offer. She bit.”

“And are you following her orders to get off your own property?”

Fighting the urge to sink to his heels, curl his head into his knees, and disappear, Phil shook his head.

“Don’t have nowhere else to go. Even home don’t want me.”

He could admit to even himself, that something inside of him had broken. Not worth a lick of love or kindness, not once in his whole damn life. That’s why Jeremiah’s hand on his shoulder, and his gruff ‘I’ll handle this’ in an ear as he passed didn’t hold much weight. Phil should have known better—Jeremiah could speak sense into a rock given both time and gumption. Turning that talent to you would take less than a day before he had his way.

Jeremiah found you as the sun rose collecting eggs from the chickens. You had set up an arrangement with a shop in the city over an hour away, they would stop by every three days for anything fresh the ranch would part with, eggs, greens, etc. They also bought several heads of cattle though the steers wouldn’t be heading to the butch for several more months. It was a good arrangement. One of many changes you were deeply proud of.

“Morning kiddo.”

His drawl brought a smile to your lips. You hadn’t been a kid for nearly two decades, something about the word on his lips though rang as an endearment and not a reprimand.

“Morning, Jeremiah. Bit early for our daily meeting, did something come up on your morning walk?”

You shove a hand under the fluffy heated but of Bertha the Bitch. She’s broody again. You wanted nothing less than chicks right now. She pecked at your hand, squawking and railing against you as if you were God, come to murder her children. One of the ‘eggs’ you pull out is actually a rock.

“Something real interstin’ came up. Found a prodigal son in the barn,” he paused, as if waiting for you to react. You don’t. “Looks like he slept on the hay.”

The glance you cut to Jeremiah tells you to toe the line carefully with your next words.

“That does sound interesting,” you focus on rearranging the eggs in your basket, eager to avoid the judgmental eyes on you. “Thought the wolf would have slipped away with the sunrise.”

“Mmm, and here I thought you treated all creatures with respect. You donate to the wolf rescue programs any month your horse sanctuary has any spare cash,” Jeremiah lifts Bertha from her box, showing the horde of eggs she had siphoned from the others. “Give him a job, and a cot for the barn. We both know he can do the work.”

Screaming like a cougar wouldn’t end this conversation, only highlight the hypocrisy in your attempts to save everything but him.

“I’ll think about it,” you finally grind out between your teeth. Keeping your face down doesn’t keep Jeremiah from reading the intention in your shoulders. Sometimes, familiarity hurts.

“Honest offer, kid. Or I will do it for you.” The finality in his voice bit like a snake. It shifted when he spoke to Bertha, offering her the kindness you wish he had handed you, “Let’s get you set up in broody jail Bertha, you would make a terrible mother.”

Jeremiah stepped from the coop, leaving you to stew in the earthy scent of chicken shit.

It wasn’t hard to fill up your day with ways to avoid one Phillip Graves. He spent summers here as a child and had learned how to move through the dust and the weeds. The wind and the dandelions were your birthright though. Checking on your horse sanctuary and running into town for supplies were all valid reasons to be nowhere near the barn until dusk.

Stepping through the doors, like ascending the platform to the noose, came with slow breaths and firming resolves. Deep breathing wouldn’t save you. Unfortunately.

Sounds drew you in, Phil had pulled the storage closet apart all the items strewn in more or less neat piles around him. To his right was a pile of clearly broken things that must have been hiding in the corners and the crevices. He turned, eyes down, and lifted a box from the floor. Settling it neatly in the closet, he repeated the process.

You could tell he saw your boots, he paused when they appeared in his view. Phillip didn’t lift his eyes though, neither snarling at you or trying to charm you with a smile. No. He kept his eyes down, slowly shifting back into gear like a work truck that had idled for too long before moving.

“Kept yourself busy today?” You lay the question before him, a buffet bereft of care.

“Always something to be done on a ranch,” he replies quietly. Small and avoidant, not his style at all.

“True,” you fold your arms and watch him as he moves. Phil goes slow. Each shift is deliberate as if he is timing the motion to avoid triggering an injury, or a hit.

Nearly half the closet is put back when you speak again.

“Jeremiah says I’m to give you a job. Do you want one?”

“If that’s what you’d like,” he looks up at you now. His eyes have no spark, dull and worn instead of vibrant and snapping. You hate yourself for missing the flint in his gaze.

“Turns about about you, what I want never matters.” Heaving a deep sigh you fold your arms tight to your ribs, “I will get a blanket for you from the house and pull cot out. You can use the office but don’t mess with anything in there.”

Phil watched you for three blinks before turning back to his self-appointed task. It wasn’t a dismissal so much as a return from pausing. The lack of a fight makes bile churn in your stomach. What happened to him?

Strangling that thought, you start toward the house. Grabbing the softest quilt that wouldn’t be too heavy on your way down from the attic is not a choice you want to examine. The man who had met you with nothing but sharp teeth and even sharper words wouldn’t likely appreciate softness from you now. Didn’t mean you wouldn’t feel bad for not offering it. Goddamn feelings. Why couldn’t anything ever make sense around the bastard?

Striding back into the barn you find the closet closed and Phil, head hanging and hands on his hips, staring at his boots.

“I’ll leave these here for you,” you settle both offerings on the floor near your feet. The distance between you speaks to the ache of trying to step closer.

“Thank you,” he looks from his boots to yours.

The lingering hitch in your chest has you offering kindness, if only to see if he would lift his gaze and you could dispel the darkness you saw there.

“Breakfast will be ready by seven am. Swing by the house and grab a plate.” Shoving your hands in your back pockets to keep from fidgeting with the hem of your flannel, you wait.

“If that’s what you’d like,” the tears in his eyes sweep you away like flood waters rising.

Nodding once, you turn on your heel. Keeping your gaze forward you curse yourself for the offer. You didn’t want to spend more time with him, why had you offered to feed him?

The ten-year-old version of you chimed up from somewhere in the recesses of your mind, “Because Phil’s Pop-Pop asked us to be soft to his boy. Said he didn’t get kindness at home and someone had to teach him.”

Pop-Pop Graves would be displeased at how little kindness you had to offer his boy now.

Part 3

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[wqlfstqr]

hiii i LOVE your work!!!! i was wondering if you could write something for percy, like maybe he gets his wisdom teeth taken out and wants to see us but he’s all loopy? not sure if your taking requests rn so if not it’s okay!!! <3

◟𖥻 wisdom teeth : percy jackson

▰▰ pairing: percy jackson x fem!reader

Percy gets his wisdom teeth removed. His filter? Gone. His love for his girlfriend? Louder than ever.

Warnings: use of y/n, no cabin mentioned for reader, prob medical inaccuracies.

Percy has been out cold for a while, mouth open, cheeks puffy, drool on full display. And she has been sitting beside him the whole time, hand resting over his. But eventually, she does need a bathroom break.

"Go, I'll keep an eye on him." Sally gives her a soft smile. "Besides, he's sleeping. He won't even notice."

But, as fate would have it, he does notice. Once she shuts the door behind her, Percy immediately stirs in his sleep, and then Sally hears a groggy whine.

"y/n?" he mumbles in a pitiful whisper.

Sally smiles gently at her son. "Hey, honey. You're awake."

That doesn’t seem to soothe him as he blinks around the room in panic, like he's some kind of lost puppy. "Where's y/n?"

"She went to the bathroom, sweetie, she'll be right back soon."

"She left me?" He gasps. "she can't leave me, she's my emotional support human."

By the time she finally comes back, Sally already has her phone out and is recording, giggling behind the camera as Percy looks over at the door and his eyes get comically wide.

"baby!" He beams, trying to stretch his arms towards her. "What took you soooo long? I almost died in here."

She looks at Sally first, holding back her laughter as she walks towards Percy, standing just beside his bed. "I was gone for two minutes, Perce."

He's immediately reaching for her hand. "Too long." He whines, pulling her hand to his chest dramatically. "Don't ever leave me again."

With her free hand, she brushes some curls off his forehead, giving him a soft smile. "I won't leave, Perce, I promise."

"You're so pretty." Percy mumbles, looking totally in awe. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, I do have a boyfriend."

Both her and Sally have to hold back a chuckle when he pouts at her.

"Aw man." He replies, shaking his head, then he looks around as if he's making sure there’s no one close to hear him and whispers "I can be a much better boyfriend, I swear."

"Percy, you already are my boyfriend."

"Yes! See? I knew that other guy couldn't stand a chance." He nods to himself, completely sure, then turns his head to Sally with his mouth open and an attempted grin. "Mom, can you believe how lucky I am?"

Sally nods behind her camera. "Yes, sweetie, very lucky."

Percy goes back to looking at his girlfriend, giving her a loopy smile as his head falls back on the pillow.

"I'm gonna marry you someday." He suddenly tells her. "You wanna marry me?"

Her eyes soften, but her heart feels like it's going to jump out of her chest at any moment. "Yes, Perce, someday."

His smile widens as if he won some kind of trophy, mouth full of gauze. "I'll ask you properly later, don't ya worry." He promises.

There’s a pause, she thinks maybe he already got tired of trying to talk. But he doesn’t drop her hand, or stops looking at her.

Then— "We're gonna live by the sea." He nods to himself. "In a pretty blue house, with our children, and you can wear those sundresses you have. God, I love those. You always look so pretty."

She smiles, leaning to press a kiss on his forehead. That's exactly when the nurse comes in, clipboard in hand and a cheerful smile. "Alright, Percy, we're just gonna do a quick check to see if you're good to go home."

Percy looks absolutely horrified when y/n starts to pull back, and he immediately shakes his head, refusing to let go of her hand. "No! don't go."

"I'll be right here, baby, they just need to check on you before—"

"I don't trust her" Percy interrupts, narrowing his eyes in the nurse's way. "She's trying to steal you away from me."

The poor nurse can only laugh. "I promise i'm not."

"She's evil." He whispers dramatically to his girlfriend, loud enough for everybody else to hear. "I don't trust her. Don't like her vibe."

"Percy, she's just doing her job." Sally says through a laugh.

"Then she can do it while y/n holds my hand." He insists, wrapping both arms around her arm, refusing to let go.

After he threatens to bite the nurse, she has no other choice but to work that way. And thankfully, she makes quick work out of checking everything's alright, all while Percy refuses to stop glaring at her.

Once she's done, He sighs dramatically, the gauze in his mouth freshly replaced by the nurse. "I swear, that nurse's a homewrecker."

And the ride home? he gets even worse there, in the car he refuses to sit alone and pulls her with him at the backseat. Then, for a few minutes he's just mumbling nonsense and pointing things he sees passing by the window.

It isn't until maybe ten minutes later in traffic that he finally drops his head on her lap and starts to fall asleep again, her fingers gently brushing through his hair.

"I love you." he mumbles, eyes closed. "thanks for leaving your boyfriend for me. I swear I'll make you as many blue pancakes as you want when we get married."

She lets out a soft laugh, Sally looks at them through the rearview mirror with a smile of her own. "You're are my boyfriend, Percy." she whispers.

He hums sleepily. "Good. The other one didn’t deserve you."

She giggles, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head. He melts under her touch, scooting even closer.

"Your hair smells like dreams." he adds with a little dreamy tone.

"Dreams?" She asks, but he doesn’t reply, so she assumes he's already asleep.

They get to the apartment not long after, and Percy is insistent that he can walk by himself. He can't. So Sally and her have to walk with him clinging to them like a koala.

By the time they get inside, he immediately beelines to the couch and flops down. "Percy, your room is right there." She tells him, but he just grumbles in response before he pulls her down with him, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"This is your life now. You live on the couch. With me." He decides.

She doesn’t try to fight it, because she knows it's helpless. After a few minutes his breathing slows and he stops mumbling nonsense, so she figures he's finally asleep.

Until he mutters, "Mrs. Jackson sounds really good, doesn’t it?"

"It does, Perce, It does."

He doesn’t add anything, so she just smiles and kisses his temple, holding him a little tighter. Eventually, his breathing slows and he falls asleep. No more mumbling about marriage or evil nurses.

And she stays there, holding him close, until Sally insists she should have something to eat. So she manages to get out of Percy's hold, and he doesn't wake up this time, he keeps sleeping, curling on the couch.

It's about two hours later when he finally wakes up again, blinking at the ceiling like it personally betrayed him. "Why does my mouth taste like cardboard?"

She's sitting on the floor beside the couch. "You had gauze in it." She replies, giving him a glass of water. "Here, drink."

He sits up slowly, taking the glass from her. "Did that stop me from talking?" He asks, already dreading her answer.

There’s a moment where he can see her trying to hold back a giggle. "Oh no, you actually talked a lot."

He puts the glass down, running his hand through his hair with a sleepy groan. "What did I say?"

"Where do you want me to start?" She starts, clearly amused. "Maybe when you threatened to bite the nurse if she took me from you? Or when you flirted with me like I was a stranger and told me to leave my boyfriend?"

"Just show him the video." Sally calls out from the kitchen.

"There’s a video?" Percy looks horrified, but then his curiosity gets the best of him. "Okay, it probably isn't that bad."

She pulls out her phone and plays the video. And it definitely is that bad. He watches with an increasingly mortified expression as past Percy almost cries when he wakes up without her, then when she comes back he tells her that she deserves a better boyfriend and then—

'I'm gonna marry you someday. You wanna marry me?'

There’s a pause. And Percy stares at the screen, completely horrified, for a moment. Until he simply shrugs.

"Damn right i'm gonna marry you." He says, voice still scratchy but smug. He lets his head fall back against the couch cushion and adds, "Don't need anesthesia to know that."

Her cheeks burn, but Percy grins, reaching for her hand. He's fully awake now, but still very much in love.

"You still down for that little blue house by the sea?" He asks playfully, though he can't help but feel hopeful.

She squeezes his hand. "Only if the blue pancakes offer is still available."

He grins. "For you? Always."

[jobean12-blog]

In Your Arms

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Word Count: ~900

Summary: Bucky's been away on a mission and when he returns, you're all he wants.

Author's Note: There are NO spoilers here. Just was so happy to see Bucky and enjoyed Thunderbolts and his beefiness! Those arms...my god. 🫠🔥Thank you all so much for reading! Much love always! ❤️❤️❤️Divider by the lovely @firefly-graphics thank you Daisy! 🥰

Warnings: soft sweetness, kisses, mentions of minor injuries

The silence in the room is broken only by the soft pitter patter of rain on the large window that overlooks the gray skies blanketing the city. Your book lays limp in your hand as you stare out through the mottled glass, Alpine curled in your lap, warm against your stomach.

You reach for your phone but stop yourself with a sigh. How many minutes could have passed since the last time you checked? Instead, you lift your book and open to your book-marked page, the note he left you sliding down onto Alpine’s fur. You brush your fingers over his scrawled handwriting, smiling at his little doodles and sweet words. Settling back into the couch you start to read again.

“If I didn’t need to kiss you so badly I’d stand here and stare at you forever.”

Your head shoots up and you turn toward the sound of his deep and raspy voice. He leans against the doorframe casually, still in full gear and looking deadly but for the soft smile that pulls at his lips.

“You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

The book is discarded in seconds and much to Alpine’s displeasure you hastily remove him from your lap, walking straight toward Bucky.

“Hi.”

“Hiya doll face,” he replies, wrapping his arms around your waist and dragging you against him.

Your pulse skitters as you soak in every detail of him. Only one minor cut on his forehead and nothing else, but who knows what’s beneath his gear.

“You’re ok?”

“I am now.” His voice softens to the tone he only ever uses with you as he lowers his mouth.

He kisses you slowly and gently and you lean up to get closer, taking his stubbled cheeks between your palms. With more pressure from his lips, he slides his hand up your back, grabbing the nape of your neck and angling your face to claim more of your mouth. Your fingers slide higher and into his hair.

You feel his abs tense when you press yourself closer and you reluctantly pull back. He frowns, his eyes holding enough promise to make your entire body heat.

“Are you hurt?”

Your hands fall from his face, and you start to work open the buckles of his tack vest. He doesn’t stop you, keeping his hands settled firmly on your waist. You tug it open and rip his black shirt from his pants, lifting it until you can see his skin. There’s a large bruise just under his ribs and you dig your teeth into your bottom lip to stop your gasp, pressing your fingertips softly to the spot.

“Looks worse than it is,” he says softly.

You bend at the waist and kiss his stomach, feeling the muscles shift and flex. As you stand you grab the knife at this waist and pull it free, setting it behind him on the counter. Your hands slide behind his back, fingers curling around the hilt of a second knife that you remove and place down next to the first.

A slow, beautiful smile curves his mouth as he watches you. “Three more.”

Your fingers dance down his thighs, stopping at the hidden pocket on the left side. You carefully reach inside and pull out the third knife. Knowing there must be one in his boot you fall to your knees, your eyes lifting to meet his just in time to see them grow darker.

“I love you like this,” he murmurs.

You lift your shoulder demurely and pluck out the fourth knife in his right boot, sliding slowly back up his body.

“One more,” he whispers, running his knuckles along your cheek.

His gaze drops to your mouth, then skims over your features before his head dips and he brushes his lips to yours.

“No fair,” you whisper against them. “No distractions.”

He smiles but kisses you anyway. It’s soft and quick but still steals your breath.

You recover enough to slip your hands inside his tack vest, feeling around for the handle of the last knife. His own hands begin to wander, one cool and smooth, and the other grazing over your skin in a way that you can feel every callous he’s built from mastering the very blades you’re removing. You shiver in his arms but continue your search, a triumphant smile pulling your lips upward when you find the hidden spot near his ribs where his last knife is safely tucked away.

With practiced deftness you pull it free and set it down with the others then push his vest from his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. Your lips part to tell him exactly what you want to remove next, but his mouth is on yours before a word gets out.

A gasp catches in your throat at the heat of his skin radiating through the fabric of his clothing and then again when he deepens the kiss, like doing it is more vital than his next breath. Your hands slide over his biceps, fingernails digging into the bulging muscles as his lips slip down your throat, and he whispers, “fuck, I’ve missed the taste of you…the feel of you in my arms.”

[arinapop]

Reprise

LE SSERAFIM Kazuha x M Reader

Tags: Fluff, Smut

10k words

You’ve always loved the carnival. The yellow lights splash across the land like streaks of fire, growing ever more alluring the closer you get. The Ferris wheel is the first to appear—giant, unmistakable. Then the merry-go-round with the painted horses comes into view. Nearby, a huge tent hides the mirror maze underneath.

When you’re right up there, the stalls selling popcorn and potato snacks pop up, filling the evening air with salt and warmth. Maybe you’re a little too old for most of the rides now, but that doesn’t really matter. It’s about how it makes you feel, right?

You thought you’d noticed all the highlights on your way there. But something still feels just out of sight, like the memory is yet to fully take shape.

Then you see. You’d missed something—no, someone important. She might just be the most important attraction here for you.

You don’t remember her being this beautiful.

Your gaze locks onto Kazuha, wearing a sporty white crop top and a baseball cap. Fits the theme. Her jet-black hair dances in the wind, but never blocks her view as she aims a long air rifle at the board of balloons—a fierce look in her eyes.

And when dawn breaks, she’ll disappear, like the carnival itself. Again.

“Still awful at aiming, huh?” Your voice catches her off-guard as she’s reloading for a second try.

She turns sharply—bullets slip from her fingers and roll towards you. You promptly stop them with your feet. “Careful, butterfingers,” you add as you bend to pick them up.

Her eyes stare at you for a moment, flickering with something unreadable, before going back to the natural cockiness you’ve always seen her sport.

She snatches the bullets out of your palm with a scoff. “Not awful. I was compensating for the wind—it changed direction at the last second.”

“Right,” you reply, amused.

“And someone I haven’t seen in years randomly shows up? I think some shock is warranted.”

She takes another shot. This one almost hits the operator a few feet away from the target.

“You know you’re supposed to hit the balloons, right?” You gesture to the board. “Let me have a try before you end up hitting some poor kid around here.”

Kazuha grits her teeth at that comment. As competitive as ever.

“I’m going for the harder balloons at the back. They keep moving.” She puts all her focus on this shot—posture adjusted, wind analyzed and eyes narrowed.

The bullet flies, and this time, hits her target. The balloon pops with a loud crack, startling some kids nearby.

“Yes!” She punches the air. The operator hands over a big teddy bear to her. Kazuha flips you the finger with a smug smile, hugging the bear to her chest.

“You still have a couple bullets left,” someone reminds her. She reaches for the gun—but before her hand can get close, you quickly pick it up. You point it at the same area she was aiming at and fire off two quick shots in succession. Both hit your target, much to her visible displeasure.

Two plushies for you. You turn towards Kazuha and hold them up in mock triumph, taking in the spite written all over her face. It only makes you feel warmer inside.

“Being the gentleman I am.” You offer her both the bears. “I will let the lady have her prizes.”

She rolls her eyes at that and gives the bears to some kid roaming around. He snatches them from her hands and runs away, without so much as a thank you.

A woman nearby, likely his mother, stops and chides the kid. “Go on, thank the nice lady. You can’t be rude like that.”

“Yeah, thank the nice lady who couldn’t win a single thing till I showed up,” you whisper into Kazuha’s ear. She endures the lecture with a tight, polite smile.

”No, no, it’s completely alright. I know how kids can be sometimes.” She grabs your wrist as an excuse and pulls you away with her.

Soon enough, the pair annoying her disappear from view. ”I hate kids,” she mutters, not realizing she can let go of your wrist now.

“That’s funny.” You let her lead. “Because the last time I saw you, you were one.”

Evening slowly dips into night, and more and more lights are being switched on. Kazuha adjusts her cap, tying her hair back with a rubber band. Her perfectly fitting crop top slides up a little as she raises her arms, revealing more of her toned midriff. But the view is fleeting—her hands drop back down, searching for your wrist before she notices she doesn’t need to hold you anymore.

The smell of burnt sugar and frying oil thickens as more stalls open up. Laughter from kids on nearby rides echoes through the air. You’ve walked these places with Kazuha before. But the way her fingers brush her wrist now—you hope, maybe it was yours she was reaching for.

You get the lightest feeling you're seeing her differently this time.

“Gosh it’s been…” She tries to count the years, but gives up. “Forever. Didn't even know if you were alive. Or if you offed yourself for losing to me in too many games.”

“You could’ve known, you know, if you ever bothered to reach out after disappearing.”

She ignores that comment. You want to press again, but the night is just getting started. Maybe you'll get your answers later. Maybe. But for now, you'll let it slide.

“Speaking of games in which you lose to me—” She stops, revealing where she’s been leading you: a big toy hammer leaning against a massive target, and a tower of numbers climbing all the way up to 1000.

You know you’ve been had.

“Remember this?” she asks with a cheeky grin—planned all along.

“Clear as day.” You deadpan.

“Thought I'd give you one last chance to try and beat me.”

The sting of losing to her all those years ago suddenly feels fresh and piercing. There's no way you're still worse than her at this, right? You are a grown man now, and she’s just a girl.

“Loser has to buy the other marshmallows, same rules,” she continues, sweetly. You curse yourself under your breath. You’ve given her way too much money in this stupid game.

“Fine. Who goes first?” You pick up the hammer, feeling its weight.

”Since it’s already in your hand, I’ll let you go ahead, gentleman.” She hands over some change to the operator nearby.

You cannot let her beat you. Not again. Not this time.

You take two practice swings. Grip firm. Stance solid. Hammer lined up dead-center. This can’t go wrong. On the third swing, you go for it, hitting it hard with a satisfying thump which makes the marker shoot up. It races past the initial numbers, and your heart kicks up with it. Maybe this is it. Maybe this time you finally win.

To your dismay, the pace drops rapidly near the top. 800, 850, 900, and the marker comes to rest at 950. One square away from a 1000.

“Not bad.” She almost seems genuine—then the corners of her lips slowly curl up. “But clearly, there’s room for improvement.”

“Oh, cut it out, Zuha. No way you’re making 1000.”

She doesn’t respond right away, picking up the mallet and trying to block out the crowd noise. Her fingers curl around the handle, and that familiar smirk returns. No practice strikes for Kazuha—she’s going all in. But just as she’s about to bring the hammer down, her foot catches on a rock. The swing goes wide, and the hammer almost slips out of her hand.

You burst into laughter, but she’s unfazed. She takes another swing, making sure her feet are clear this time. The sound the button makes is enough to cut through your laughter and let you know she’s smacked it.

The marker shoots up again, and it’s hard to tell if it’s faster than yours. The pace drops like it did for you: 850, 900, 950—and then it ekes out a slow, grinding climb to a perfect 1000.

Not again.

”Streak still alive. Guess you just lost a strength game to a girl, again.” Not trying to be subtle today.

Her arms don’t look remotely like they pack that much power. They’re long, slender, and smooth—not the kind that throws down 1000s like it’s nothing.

What does she even do to be so strong? Although it’s weirdly attractive in a way you don’t quite know how to explain. You don’t know how to explain a lot of things about her tonight—her eyes sparkle with the reflections of the lights surrounding you, and if you stare into the golden streaks in them long enough, it’s almost enough for you to feel something.

Though that could just be the nostalgia talking, you argue.

You have no choice but to add to the already large amount Kazuha has looted from you in this game.

“The lady in the food stall is still the same.” She dips a marshmallow into the chocolate dip and nibbles on it.

“Maybe she loves—” A running kid bumps into Kazuha, pushing her off balance. Her chocolate spills all over your fingers.

“You little shit!” you shout, but he’s long gone already. You steady her with your clean hand. “You okay? Didn’t knock the wind out of you or anything?”

“No, I’m alright.” She brushes herself off. “Was the same kid from before. I suppose this is what I get for trying to give him some teddy bears.”

“Did earn him a lecture.” You hold up your fingers, showing them coated in her dip. “He made my hand a mess too.”

“Well, can’t let my hard-earned snacks go to waste now.” She pops a marshmallow into her mouth and lifts your fingers to her plush lips. She pauses for a second, then slides them into her mouth, sucking the chocolate off like it’s an everyday occurrence.

In her defense, it could have passed for one. A few years back. But right now, it does not feel so everyday to you. Kazuha’s warmth envelops your fingers, savoring the sweetness from you so casually. You hope she doesn’t catch the flush creeping on your face. She’s quick with it—you’re in public after all, but it’s enough to get your pulse racing. Her tongue slips out to lick the remaining off her lower lip.

“Mouth clean?” she asks.

You wish it weren’t (maybe you could have offered to clean it off).

But it is, and you report that truthfully.

You were staring at her face maybe a bit too long—her delicate lips, fierce dark eyes (soft underneath, you know), strands of hair framing her face like she’s a photograph—a moment to be captured, and it’s long enough for Kazuha to notice. She tilts her head, amusement slipping into her eyes.

”All okay? Did I suddenly turn too beautiful for you to take your eyes off me?”

(You have no idea.)

“What—no, no.” You stumble over your words, eyes darting around for an excuse to change the topic. The gigantic rotating structure right behind her catches your eye.

“I was admiring the Ferris wheel behind you. Brilliant architecture, right?” And if your memory serves you right, this might just prove to be the best excuse.

“It’s alright. What’s so brilliant about it?” You can feel her smug exterior crumbling ever so slightly.

“It’s the biggest attraction here and we should definitely go on it once.” (Second biggest.)

“Nuh uh.” She knows your intentions.

“Oh my, the strong and mighty Nakamura Kazuha still pisses her pants at heights.”

“That happened once,” she protests.

“Do you know what happened every time we went on the wheel? You holding—no, crushing my hands and not letting go no matter how much I cried.”

”That won’t happen again, because we aren’t going on it,” she says with an air of finality.

“Can’t believe you’re still afraid of heights.” You shake your head in disappointment.

“I’m not.”

“Then we’re going on it—right now. Even little Zuha wanted to go on the ride. Every single time. Have you really become more of a coward?”

A long sigh leaves her mouth. She’s conflicted, but you can sense the side you’re rooting for is winning the battle.

“Are you gonna hold my hand again when we get to the top?” you ask, waiting in line after getting the tickets.

“Not a chance,” she retorts.

The queue is short, and your turn comes quickly. Kazuha’s denim shorts ride up her thighs as she sits down, and you try not to stare too long. You take your seat next to her in the cramped cabin. The operator pulls the metal bar down with a clang, locking the two of you in place.

The wheel moves a little, then stops for the next passengers to get in.

“The worst part is the loading, really.” She leans forward a bit to look at how far the ground is from her.

After peeking down, she immediately snaps back in place. “Nope, shouldn’t have let you talk me into this.”

“Hey calm down. Let’s maybe try to talk about something else. What have you been up to? My guess is training to be a professional athlete.”

The wheel is set into motion, and Kazuha breathes again.

“Good guess.” She snorts. “But no. Regular adult life, mostly. Nothing as glamorous as that.”

The wheel stops for the next loading, about halfway up now. You are suspended several dozen feet in the air, feet dangling below. The cart rocks unevenly, making it worse, at times tilting almost perpendicular to the ground. Kazuha’s face is red. She looks like she’s about to throw up.

“Hey, think this is a good time to ask—” She turns to you nervously, voice shaking. ”Are you seeing someone?”

“Not currently, no.”

”So I won’t get jumped by some girl for holding your hand, right?” Her hand slips into yours, palm in palm. She grips you hard—the usual, but you were the one who got her on this time, so you’ll bear it.

“Only if I won’t have to deal with any jealous boyfriends or exes either.” Your other palm moves on top of hers, affirming her grip. She relaxes a little at the touch.

“Boyfriends, no; exes, I’ll trust you to defend yourself if it comes to that.” She rests her head on your shoulder. Her hair falls behind you, brushing softly against the back of your neck.

“Tell me something. If you’re so afraid of heights, why did you want to go on it every time we came here?”

The wheel is moving again, and you’re on the way to the top now.

“Look.” She motions towards what you’re already seeing. The small-town houses look like mere dots across the landscape, none of the buildings tall enough to display any of their features. Rolling green fields surround the town, broken only by the occasional winding road.

Below, the carnival stretches out, cheap decorations and all, but charming in its own right. The striking yellow lights tie it all together. A scene worth the ride.

“I love the view. The town looks absolutely stunning from here.”

“So why'd you just up and leave one day? Seems rather unfair to the town.” (To the town.)

“Because.” She shrugs. “How could anyone be content where they are?”

“Dunno. I could be pretty content staying right here.” You turn, looking into the eyes which effortlessly held your attention the entire evening.

The wheel comes to a slowing halt right at the very top.

“Talking about the view or me?” Her eyes look back at you, pupils dilating in the lush ambient glow around. You could stare into them forever.

“I mean the view—” Your throat tightens. Words stuck in your mouth.

"Is that all you were gonna say?"

“You, you look so beautiful.” You barely manage to get it out.

“Kiss me, then.”

What happens next is a blur. Purely instinctual.

She pulls you in, your lips connecting like opposite poles of a magnet, finally allowed to meet. Your hand wraps around her waist, and her fingers thread through your hair. Her lips are soft and warm—perfect.

There’s still a trace of chocolate from earlier, not that her mouth needs any help being sweet. Her nose brushes slightly against yours, and you keep her lips locked in place, almost like you’re afraid she might disappear again.

A soft whimper leaves your mouth, letting her know how much you’ve wanted this. She tilts your head towards her, finding the perfect angle for you to feel her lips full against yours, her body moving closer. The air between you carries her scent—fresh, floral, sharp.

You wish you could freeze this moment: Kazuha’s lips pressed to yours, the kiss full of everything neither of you could say aloud.

She pulls away for a second, her fingers still tangled in your hair, not willing to let you go. She looks into your eyes, searching for a reaction to what she did.

“Didn’t think I’d ever see you like this,” you murmur.

”Feels right.” Her lips part in a soft smile.

You cup her cheeks and pull her back in, her lips crashing onto yours. You aren’t satisfied with one round. You couldn’t be satisfied with a million rounds.

The wheel is back in motion, the cart rocking gently. Neither of you care. In your world, the two of you are still, existing only for each other.

The night is warm; it’s still summer, but there’s a cool breeze flowing through you now. You’re unsure if it’s because of the ride or the released tension. No—it has to be the kiss. Normal breezes don’t feel this freeing.

The rest of the ride passes in a mix of fervent kisses and dodging onlookers whenever the cart dips too low for comfort. Kissing you seems to work better than any antidote for Kazuha’s acrophobia—you don’t hear another complaint from her. All her attention is on you.

Eventually, the ride slows to a stop. You lend her a hand getting off the cart (though she'll deny ever needing help with that). Palm in hers, barrier lifted.

“Next time, maybe I won't have to fight to get you on this thing?”

“Maybe you will.” She steps out of the cart, getting on the trimmed grass with you.

”I’d do a lot worse things to kiss you like that again.”

The lips you just kissed waver into a smile as she sweeps a few strands of hair out of her eyes.

“Didn’t know you had a flirt in you.”

“You weren’t around for my best years.” The thought reminds you. “You never told me why you left.”

She takes your wrist in her hand and starts walking, going who knows where again. Her eyes drift toward the fields far away, like she could find her answer there if she tried hard enough.

“Not my call, really. Mom wanted a fresh start, I think.” She kicks a stone. It skips past a nearby stall. “Said I'll get more opportunities in a big city. More exposure, yada yada. Probably just excuses.”

Her voice trails off for a second, like she’s holding back the rest. Excuses for what? But instead of continuing, she just keeps walking. You decide to give her space for now.

“So, did you? Got into any new stuff?”

“One or two.” Her gaze drops to her feet.

“Like what?”

“Ballet.”

You break into a smile. “Didn't peg you for a pirouette. All that inhuman strength—and you chose ballet?”

“Shut up. I’m good at it.”

“Yeah, I'm gonna need to see a performance to decide, live.”

She scoffs. “In your dreams.”

The walk keeps going. She pulls you past the stretched-out haunted house and the bumper cars. The carnival music fades, speakers switched off one by one as the night gets deeper.

“Do you have a place in mind, or are you just taking me in circles?”

”We are going somewhere. It’s been waiting since we got here, you’ll see.” She rounds the corner and stops in her tracks. Lifting your hand, she points to the huge tent in front of you. “We're here.”

Mirror maze.

“Why does it feel like you've been calling the shots the whole night and I'm just following you?”

“When have I ever taken a bad decision?”

You don’t even bother with a response, and just look away.

“Come on, you’re really gonna pretend we didn’t have fun here?” Kazuha continues, half-challenging. Truth is, there's a spark in her eyes you'd follow anywhere.

You shrug. “Don’t know. Don’t remember much of this.”

”So the onus is on me to make this memorable for you.” She nods like she’s been expecting this.

“What does that even mean?”

Ignored. You turn to the ticket stand—only to find it shut down.

“Zuha, it’s closed. Guess we’re too late.”

A playful smile creeps on her lips. “Just as planned. Follow me.” She heads to the back of the tent, where there’s no one around. Lifting a loose flap, she pulls you in and lets it fall shut behind you.

Shiny is the first word you’d use to describe the place. Disorienting the second. It feels like you’re in one of those high school physics puzzles: Given k mirrors at various angles, calculate how many images you’ll see. The answer to this one is millions. Millions of yourselves and Kazuhas surround you, some even intersecting at odd angles.

You take a step—only to hit yourself on the head. All the Kazuhas around you grin widely as you rub your forehead.

“Watch and learn,” she says and strides forward. Not an obstacle in her path. Eyes locked ahead, no hesitation, almost like the mirrors themselves part to make way for her.

“Caught that grace? Ballet.”

“If you brought me here just to show off again.” You roll your eyes at her. “I'd rather leave.”

She keeps walking, taking right and left turns at specific spots like she's memorized the entire map. You follow. The way she moves—self-assured, hips swaying ever so lightly—is captivating nonetheless.

Your thoughts spill out before you have a chance to catch them. “Though I’d be content just watching you like this.”

That’s not how you talk to your childhood friend.

A soft laugh slips from her. “I thought you wanted to leave a minute ago. Anyway, I didn’t bring you here to show off. I brought you here to show something, if it still exists…” She taps behind the panel of one of the mirrors. “We're in luck.”

“What the heck are you talking about?”

“Shh.” Her finger brushes your lips—light, deliberate. It lingers there a second longer than it needs to. Your heartbeat stumbles. You want to kiss her fingertips, suck them into your mouth like she did yours, but you don't.

“I know you said you can't recall much. But try jogging your memory, do you remember when we used to play hide-and-seek here?”

You take a look around, and in the reflections, the past becomes clearer. Environmental memory and all.

“Somewhat. Didn’t you always vanish for way too long?”

“Precisely. I'm about to reveal to you where I used to hide.” Kazuha motions with a flair suited for revealing a lifelong secret.

She pulls at a mirror. It gives way to a relatively small space—just enough for the two of you to fit, with a little room to spare. Brown walls, a break from the bright and shine everywhere, make it feel like a private spot made only for you both.

You step in first, Kazuha slips in after you. As she moves past, her chest brushes against your hands—slow, almost like she wants you to touch her. You can hear—no, feel her breathing. Steady. Yours isn’t.

A second later, she's in place. The mirror slides shut behind her, darkness swallowing you both.

“Give it a minute, your eyes will adjust,” she murmurs, her hand settling on your shoulder to steady you. “Unless you’d prefer to feel your way around instead.”

You’re facing each other, backs against opposite walls.

“Is this the first time you’re here with someone?”

She nods. Kazuha’s floral scent hits you stronger now that you’re this close to her. You’re almost scared to breathe her in twice.

Your eyes adjust, just enough to make out her face. You can’t help but admire how gorgeous she is, right there in front of you, even if you can barely see her in the dark.

Almost like she knows what you’re thinking, she stands on her toes to reach a panel behind you. She pushes it open, letting a few rays of light in. They illuminate her face a little, her features even more striking in the dim golden light. The light carves across her cheekbones, emphasizing their sharpness.

And yet, it’s the same Kazuha you’ve seen a million times.

“What if someone sees us?”

“Nobody will. It leads nowhere, I know this maze inside out. We have this place to ourselves.”

Her thighs touch yours as she settles back into place. It’s incredible how sure of herself, confident, she can be even when she can’t see anything. Or maybe it’s because you’re here with her.

“Why are we here?” you ask softly.

“I’m not staying here long.”

Her words land like a stone in your chest. It wasn’t exactly a surprise, you had no idea why she was even here, but it was easy to get lost in the memories with her and pretend this was permanent.

It’s not though, and her words remind you—maybe both, that this night is fleeting. You need to make it count.

She brushes the back of your neck. The warmth of her body is comforting, even in the summer, heating you up. The silence hanging tells you exactly what you have to do.

You cup her cheek and pull her in, lips meeting yours. You slip a hand around her waist, impossibly slender against you. Maybe there was truth to her claims on grace after all.

Her fingers are tangled in your hair again, messier this time—like she wants to show you exactly how much she wants this. Wants you. She pauses for a second, her lips grazing your ear, breath hot on you.

“And when I said you can feel your way around,” Kazuha whispers. “I meant my body too.”

You don’t move at first.

Not because you don’t want to—God, you do—but because this version of her, the one offering herself to you in the dark, feels almost too surreal to touch. Like one wrong move and she’ll vanish. Disappear into thin air. Again.

“You okay?”

You nod. “I just... I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

Her fingers find your chin. She tilts it toward her. “I’m here now. So touch me.”

Your hands trace the outline of her figure. You've touched her before—games, scrapes, fights—but never like this. Never with intentions like this. You slide down the curve of her back, her skin damp from the heat, before finally resting on her ass.

Your fingers hang there awkwardly—hesitant, unsure what to do. Kazuha notices. She places her free hand on yours, guiding, and presses your hand into the soft curve of her ass. It’s plump, yielding, and fits perfectly in your palm.

“Feels good?” she asks, voice low.

“Mhm,” you breathe.

Satisfied, her lips return to yours. You squeeze her ass cheeks again. A soft moan escapes her, caught by your mouth before it can go anywhere else.

The tip of your tongue grazes her lips, asking for entry. And her lips part willingly. Your tongue slides against Kazuha’s in her mouth—hungry, slick, and deep.

For once in her life, she’s happy to lose to you. Her tongue submits to yours, letting you savor her mouth at your own pace.

Her hand drifts down, fingers tracing the outline of your hardness, already heavy against your pants. She cups it with her palm, groping, gently stroking through the cloth. It only makes you harder. Throbbing. And a grunt slips out at how she's touching you.

She tugs at your pants, asking for more. You grab her wrist and lift it away.

“My turn.”

Her brow lifts slightly, but the corners of her mouth curl in approval. “Someone’s feeling bold tonight.”

You sink to your knees, planting kisses on the abs you've seen all night, but never really admired how fit they are. Tight, slim, built to be shown off, worshipped. And worship them you will, tasting her skin with your tongue, licking across her midriff. Her skin has a hint of salt, sweat glistening under the light, but she still manages to taste sweet.

“Can we at least take my shorts off?” she huffs.

You look up, meeting her eyes. “We've got all night.”

Still, you decide not to torture her further. You unzip her denim shorts and slide it down in one fluid motion. Her black panties greet you, fabric stretched over the shape of her lips, outline clear. You only need one touch to feel how drenched she is, and it’s immediately clear why she needed them off.

Her inner thighs are a creamy, milky white, tempting you to taste more of her. You start with kisses, then drag your tongue slowly over her soft skin. Her flavor is stronger on her thighs, more intense, addicting. You can't get enough.

Her muscles tense beneath your tongue, and Kazuha's fingers weave into your hair. Every flick of your tongue leaves her trembling, you're getting closer, but never close enough. She shifts her body, trying to press down on you, wanting something you won't quite give her.

It’s not like her to beg for anything. You’d probably laugh if someone told you she ever did. But now, for the first time, you hear her beg. Kazuha herself, whispering for release.

“Please.”

Your hands reach behind her and pull her panties down. Her pussy presents itself for you—bare, pink folds slick with a mix of sweat and arousal. Your tongue finishes its ascent, giving her core a long, slow lick. She whimpers, so satisfied. She’s warm, the heat on your tongue telling you just how much she’s been holding back.

Her grip tightens in your hair, urging you closer.

But you tease her instead, giving slow, deliberate licks—agonizingly gentle. You love how each moan slips out in rhythm with your touch, music only you get to hear.

“Someone might hear us,” you murmur, fully aware you’re the reason they might.

“Fuck,” she hisses. “Let them, then. Feels too—fuck, good.”

She gets wetter with every lick, your saliva mixing with her arousal, coating her pussy in a translucent mess. Some of her sweet nectar trickles into your mouth, and you savor every drop. Your hands wander to her ass, groping handfuls of her flesh, driving her further, closer, deeper into ecstasy.

“Clit too, please.”

You wrap your lips around her clit, one swirl of your tongue, and she’s squirming. Kazuha arches her back, trying to push herself further against your tongue, wanting all of you on her.

You pick up the rhythm, quick swipes of your tongue at her clit, and she melts into a moaning mess. Her hands clutch locks of your hair, not daring to let you go.

“Had no idea you were so fucking good at this.”

Her thighs lock on either side of your head, pushing you further and further into her heat. You can barely inhale anything but her pussy now—her sweat, slick, lust for you. You wouldn’t have it any other way. The more frantic her hands grow in your hair, the more you reward her with your mouth.

And it’s no surprise she’s already getting close. She grinds her pussy on your tongue, chasing her release. Her knees go weak, and her fingers dig deeper into your scalp, as if needing you just to stand upright. You press her further against the wall, steadying her.

Her wetness is all over herself, thighs, abs, pussy, coated in her own desire. Her moans take over the entire room—someone’s definitely hearing, and she couldn’t care less.

She’s screaming all sorts of things, your name included, and it’s the first time you’re hearing it in this flavor out of her mouth. You could get used to it.

As she finishes, a gush of juices flows into your mouth, and everywhere else. Your cheeks, lips, and neck are all a mess. Kazuha’s slick is all over you, and you could stay like this forever. (Not literally forever—good thing she always carries tissues)

“Maybe I did miss out on a few things,” she says between heavy breaths.

You look at her with an expression that says, I told you so.

You climb up and kiss her lips, offering her a sample of her own juices. Her tongue slips out to swipe at your mouth, tasting the mix of her slick and your spit, and she laps it up into her own. She lets you go once she’s satisfied.

“Not bad. Been a while since I’ve tasted myself.”

“You're kidding right? You taste incredible.” You wipe some off your mouth.

“Since when do you shower me with praise like this? Maybe I should disappear more often.”

She rests for a good few minutes, catching her breath. Once she's steady, her hand slides down to your pants once again, finding your cock pressing through it. “Can I have my turn now, Mr. Decision Taker?”

“Sure, but I don't see how anything can match up to the performance I just gave.”

“Ooh, shouldn't have gone there,” she purrs, dropping on her knees in front of you. Your pants are tugged down quickly, your hardness even more obvious on your underwear. “You have no idea what you started.”

“Or maybe I know exactly what I'm doing.” You grin, hand slipping through Kazuha's hair.

There’s no hesitation in her grip as she fondles your boner through the cloth, trying to familiarize herself with the shape before she even sees it.

“Brat…” She rolls her eyes as her fingers tighten on you.

“Just the way you like it.”

She slips her hands into your underwear and pulls your cock out. You’ve known those eyes your whole life—seen them light up over dumb jokes and game nights—but now, they’re locked on your cock like it’s the only thing that matters.

“Someone must have been feeling a little… constrained.” She runs her fingertips along your length, barely brushing. Every touch sends sparks dancing across your skin.

She glances up, catching the way you squirm. “Two can play at the teasing game.”

Your cock is throbbing, twitching for anything more than the ghost of her touch. Your thighs tense without permission, breath catching—shallow, uneven. You want to grab her hand, make her finish what she started. But you also want to stay still, because somehow the way she looks up at you, barely touching, is better than anything else could be.

Once she decides she’s done playing, she wraps her palm around you, slow strokes gliding up and down your length. You let go of a soft moan, ”Zuha…”

Her eyes meet yours and she strokes you firmer now, steadier. “I like hearing you say my name like that.”

“Keep going and you’ll be hearing it a lot more.”

She brings in her mouth close to your tip, tongue about to slip out—

—instead, a hot breath rolls over your skin. It hits you like lightning. Your cock pulses harder than before.

“Oops. That wasn’t intentional.” The smile tugging at her lips says otherwise. Her hand rubs gently over your tip, like nursing an injury. She holds your base firmer, leans in near your tip again—breath careful this time—and kisses it. Another, then another, and plants a line of kisses to your base.

Finally, her tongue slips out, and she licks you all the way back to the tip.

Kazuha gives you a few more licks, slow and deliberate, making sure not a single spot is untouched. Your cock is lathered with her spit, giving it a glossy finish.

“You taste good.” Her eyes glint up at you. “Could suck on this all night.”

You’re already getting weak for her. “Not sure I can last that long. But we’ll try.”

One of her hands drifts down to your balls, massaging you gently. Suddenly, she squeezes too hard.

“Ah—careful,” you wince, hips pulling back instinctively.

She lets go instantly. “Fuck, I’m sorry. Was that too hard?”

You nod.

“Should I stop with my hands?” A flush spreads over her cheeks, as if she’s second-guessing herself. Doesn’t happen often.

“Hey, it’s okay.” You stroke her hair, trying to soothe her. “I know you didn’t mean to. You can still do it if you like, just be a little gentle. They’re sensitive.”

“Okay, I'll be careful.” Her hands return to your balls, fondling with a calculated care.

“You look cute when you’re flustered.” You cup her face with one hand. “Don't think I've ever seen you like this.”

Her cheeks only flush a deeper red at that comment. She tries to ignore it and focuses her energy on your cock instead, trying to wipe that smile off your face.

Her hand spreads the slick mess all over your shaft. Your fingers dig deeper into her hair, urging her to take you in—and to your surprise, her lips immediately part open. Guilt always did make her more agreeable. Her hands rest on your thighs, steadying herself, breath hot against you.

Then she takes you into her mouth.

She’s soft. So warm. Incredibly wet. Her mouth wraps tight around you, tongue flat underneath, her spit making you slick as she slides deeper. Her cheeks hollow—sucking hard enough to pull a sharp gasp out of you. You twitch inside her mouth, and that is all the encouragement she needs to keep going.

Her tongue swirls around your cock, slurping loudly as she sucks, like she’s convinced it’s the best thing she’s ever tasted.

She keeps you there for a while, her eyes gripped on yours, watching them roll back deeper with every passing second. Drool slips from her tongue, soaking your cock until it runs down and lands on her own midriff.

“Your mouth feels unreal.” It takes effort to even pronounce words. “Zuha.“ More moans of her name, as promised. You see the glimmer in her eyes every time you say it.

She slides you deeper into her throat, her lips brushing against your waist. Her throat constricts around you—so fucking tight. Kazuha’s making the dirtiest noises you’ve ever heard.

And when she finally can't take it—she pulls back. Her face is a mess. Strands of her spit glide from her lips to your cock. It almost feels wrong to see Kazuha like this, but then why does it feel so fucking good?

She steadies herself with a breath, then plants kisses down your length, getting ready to take you back into her mouth. You brush a few strands of hair out of her face and lock them in your hand, still gripping her hair. Her lips envelop your length again, the sensation drawing a grunt out of you.

Her mouth bobs up and down on you, taking you deeper with every round. Your knees go weak, and you look around for something to hold onto—but nothing.

“Is it okay if I hold your hair tighter?”

She nods, unbothered, and barely reacts when you tighten your grip on her hair like your life depends on it—focused on worshipping your cock. If anything, she takes it as a sign to go harder. Her mouth moves faster on you, suction tighter than ever.

The wet, slick sounds of her lips on your shaft are somehow louder than your moans.

Her lips release you with a pop, and her hand takes over—lips kissing your tip as her grip tightens, almost possessive of you. She strokes you, steady and firm, and for once, your moans rise louder than the obscene sounds she makes. The sensation makes your back arch, every movement pushing you closer to release.

“It’s okay, you can cum on me.” Her hand keeps working you, milking you for all you’re worth, her face right below your tip.

And then you let go. Thick ropes shoot out of you, landing across Kazuha’s face—forehead, cheeks, chin, and some in her mouth as well.

A few drops drip down to her chest and midriff. She’s a total fucking mess for you—and somehow still manages to look like the prettiest woman you’ve ever seen.

“So, not matching up to your performance is out of the question.” She swipes a streak from her cheeks and licks it off her fingers.

You struggle to form a response. It takes a while before you can say, “Ouch. And here I thought you were doing all this because you were into me.”

“Of course I am, you dork.” She gestures to the sticky trails from her hair down to her body, like that alone should be proof. “And I pull off this look too, by the way.”

“Sure you do. Thank God you always carry tissues though.”

“Yeah, God,” she mutters, already digging through her bag—only to come up empty-handed. “Not this time.”

”What the fuck? We are not going out like this.”

”Yeah, I gathered.” She lets out a quiet breath while she takes one last look in her bag. “I can’t walk out covered in cum and spit. You’re gonna have to go grab napkins for me.”

”Your juices are all over me as well, ma’am.”

“All this is definitely worse. So you are going.” Her tone leaves no room for argument.

You stand there, staring at her, she is right. There’s no way she's stepping outside like that. Which means it's on you to dodge a dozen eyes and sneak your way to a food stall for napkins.

She looks at you, eyes glinting, lips pursed like she’s trying to suppress a smile.

”Not funny, Zuha.”

She shrugs. “A little funny.”

The packet finally comes out from her bag, and right when you’re about to grab it—it slips from her hands.

“Jesus. At this rate I might have to actually go out like this.”

She picks it up and offers one to you. “If I were you, I’d be thankful someone actually brought tissues.”

You grab it and start wiping yourself off. “We should take this someplace a little more… intimate. No point taking risks like this again.”

“That, I agree. But where?” She's dabbing at her face too. These are the wet deep-cleanse ones. Should do the trick.

”Same as usual, my place? Nobody’s home—whole reason I came here.”

“Works.”

—

“So what did you use to do there before you, you know, had a guy to play around with?” You plop on the couch beside her, packet of cookies in hand. The air conditioner drones in the background, a welcome break from the heat outside.

“Play with myself,” she says casually, grabbing a cookie.

You turn to her, brows lifted. “Excuse me?”

“Not like that, dumbass,” she shoots back. “I meant doodle, sing songs, dance.”

You flip through TV channels, stopping on some old sitcom. “Prefer my company to that?”

“It’s close, but I’d say so.”

“Ever think about what life would’ve been like if you’d stuck around?”

“Sometimes.” She pulls at the strap of her top, then lets it snap back.

“Maybe we wouldn't have had to wait so many years for something between us.”

“Or maybe things would have never gone this way.” She leans back on the couch. “We were around each other all the time back then. And still—nothing.” Her eyes drill into the ceiling.

The TV screen flickers, static crackling from the speakers.

“Does that sometimes. Let me go check the connection.” You head behind the TV stand, feeling for the loose wire. You crouch down, out of her line of sight.

“Did you miss me?” Her voice is quiet, distant, like she’s not sure she wants the answer.

You don’t reply right away, spending a few seconds fiddling with wires that aren’t even loose.

“Sometimes. Like when I got sick, I half expected you to show up with juice and stupid movies again.”

Silence stretches between you.

“I’m sorry. I fucked up.”

You get up and walk back to the couch. “I never understood why you ghosted. Just had to make peace with it—no other option.”

“You really wanna get into all that?”

“Of course I do, Zuha. We were best friends for a decade. Whatever this is now, barely a night. I still care about you. That’s the issue, really.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She lets out a long sigh.

“Life got… weird when I moved. My new school was awful. I tried. But people either acted off or pretended I didn't exist, so I just stopped”

She shifts in her seat, adjusting her posture.

“And home wasn’t much better. Dad rarely visited, guess that was always the plan. Everything sucked. I wanted to text you—God, so many times. I’d open our chat and just sit there like an idiot.” Her fingers tug at a thread on the couch, eyes somewhere else.

“I couldn't. I was scared. Scared you'd moved on. Scared I'd look pathetic like that.

I wish I did though. Tonight… felt easy. Felt right.”

She meets your eyes now. “And more importantly, it was fucking unfair to you. I'm so sorry.”

Her words hang in the air, heavy.

“Hey… that sounds rough. Must have been hard to reach out with all of that going on. I had a sense things weren't great with your parents but not the full extent.” You pull her head to your chest. “I’m glad you told me though. Are things better now?”

She nods. “Yeah, I’m alright now. I still think about you from time to time, but it felt like the door had closed by then.”

She stretches her legs, resting her head higher up your chest. “Shit, we've been talking all about myself. What about you? How’s life been?” Her eyes glance up at yours.

“Nothing that dramatic.” You chuckle. “Stayed at the same school. Then college. Got an internship starting soon, offer came through just a few days back.”

“Wow. Someone’s been busy winning.” Her voice softens. “I’m proud of you. If we’d still been in touch… I probably would’ve been the first person you told.”

“Nah, you never were.”

“Shut up, I so was.” Her palm covers your mouth. “You came running to me to celebrate after placing second in a sack race.”

“Hey, it was a highly competitive—” You fight to lift her hand off. “—race. Millions would’ve killed to get on the stage and collect that medal.”

”Sure.” She laughs—the sound so sweet to you. Infectious. You can’t help but join in.

Both of you sit there for a second, smiling, catching your breath. It's easy like this. Familiar.

You nod toward your bedroom. “I suppose we should be making up for the missed movie nights.”

“You wanna watch something or just sleep with me?” She grabs your wrist, tugging you along.

“Wow, that reminds me. One of those sleepovers, you fell asleep first, as usual, on me and I had the most confused boner ever.” You pause. “Maybe I shouldn't have said that out loud.”

“Were always into me, huh?” She looks back over her shoulder at you.

Your memories tug at you, almost like they're trying to say something. “I'm not sure. Which is what made it weird.” Her step slows a little.

“What’d you do?”

”What could I do? I waited till it went away, then went to sleep.” You reach the bedroom and shut the door behind you. “Can't believe our parents never suspected anything, with how close we were. Not that we ever crossed the line back then, but still.”

Kazuha gets on the bed with you, pulling the blanket over you both. “My mom did. She had the same two lines every time I left the house—‘Tell your boyfriend I said hi,’ or, ‘Have fun on the date.’”

“Boyfriend, huh?” Your lips twitch into a smile. “How come I never heard about this?”

“Because I told her if she ever called you that in front of you, it'd be the last day she saw me.”

“Sounds about right. Didn’t she question your tragic outfit choices for a ‘date’ though?” You pull up Netflix, and hand her the remote. “Your pick for the night.”

She scrolls through the options. “You want me in some short little dress or what?” Her nose scrunches just at the idea.

“Obviously. Don’t you do ballet anyway?”

“Performing’s different. I’d probably cancel the date if I had to wear one outside.” She eyes your watch history. “What kind of trash do you watch?”

You sit up, facing her. “Let’s up the stakes of our next hammer game—marshmallows are boring. If I win, you’ll wear a dress on our date.”

“And if I win, the dress goes on you?”

You stare at her, deadpan.

“Kidding.” Her hand reaches for yours, intertwining fingers. “And you're never winning against me. So if you really wanna see me in a red dress, choose a different bet.“

“Why red specifically? Maybe I’d rather see you in green.”

”Wasn’t red your favorite color?” She finally settles on a cheesy romcom.

“Didn’t know favorite colors are still a thing after you grow up.” The movie begins—opens on a girl monologuing that she’ll never settle down. “Wow. You called my taste bad, and now we’re watching someone explain why love isn’t for them for the hundredth time?”

“Best I could salvage from your recommendations list. And hey, fits the mood at least.” She slides her fingers up your arm, and they settle on your shoulder.

“And what kind of mood would that be?”

Her grip tightens on your shoulder as she leans in. “It’ll take her the whole movie to realize that love is, in fact, for her.” Her hair hangs dangerously close to your face, brushing your cheek. “We can skip to the ending.”

You breathe her in. “Why does your hair smell so good? What's that scent?”

“Same shampoo I've always used.”

“No way. Didn't smell like this before.”

She laughs. “Maybe you had rocks for a nose back then.” She moves even closer, and you can feel her breath, hot against you. “You smell it better now?”

“Mhm,” you murmur, moving in to kiss her neck. Kazuha wraps her arm around your waist. A low moan slips from her lips as you leave a trail of soft pecks down her neck. She tilts her head back, letting you find the curve of her neck better. You keep kissing her—until a crop top interrupts your descent.

“Want it off?”

You nod and help her lift it off. You continue your path, lips brushing on her collarbone. Your hand finds her chest, cupping her breast through her bra. Her breath hitches. Her soft sounds grow louder at how you’re touching her.

She lets her hands wander down your body, feeling your hardness poking through your pants. “Already hungry for more?” Her fingers grazing you like that don't help at all.

“Hungry for you, Zuha.” It feels so good to tell her that. Your lips find her cleavage, kissing at the tiny bits peeking out from her bra. The chatter of the movie—the female lead’s friends urging her to text someone—fades into the background, replaced by the sounds Kazuha makes just for you.

Your hands reach behind and unhook her bra, freeing her tits. Her breasts are soft and creamy, perfectly shaped for your hands and mouth. You taste them—tongue gliding over her sensitive skin.

Her nipples are already taut, and you take one into your mouth, savoring the texture of her arousal. Her hand tangles in your hair. She’s not willing to risk letting you go.

You feel her other breast with your hand, taking her in your palm and gently squeezing—more moans for you. She leans back, pushing more of her flesh into your mouth, urging you to have more of her.

You take your time with her. Quick swipes of your tongue, gentle sucks on her nipples, your hands massaging her tits, and with every motion, soft sighs slip from Kazuha’s mouth.

“Figured you’d be thorough with this too” She lets out a breathy laugh. You can feel her body getting hotter—and one slip of your hand beneath her shorts confirms what you were thinking—she’s soaked. You gently push her onto her back, climbing over her.

“These aren’t needed.” One swift motion—and her shorts are off and on the bed. Her juices are already soaking through her panties, leaving damp spots on the sheets.  You kiss your way downwards, moving to her abs—before she stops you, clutching your shirt.

“Can we please take this off too?” she asks.

“You’re so adorable being polite during sex, you know?”

She smacks your shoulder—

—”Ow, that hurt.”

“Yeah, kind of the point. Now shut up and get naked with me.”

“What's wrong with me finding you cute like that?” You shrug and let her help you take your shirt off.

She shifts her gaze. “I don't know. That's not… our thing.”

“Going down on each other wasn't our thing till tonight. Didn’t stop us.”

“Good point. But that doesn't mean everything will change overnight.” She drags a line down from your chest—coming to a stop at your waist. “Do your pants need a separate invitation?”

You take off your pants and underwear, and she’s wrapping her hand around you again. She grips you tight, stroking your length.

“I want you in me.” Her hand glides naturally on your cock this time, like she knows exactly how to please you best.

“Come here.” You help her get her panties off, her hand not letting go of you—almost like you’d disappear if she did. You stare at her beautiful bare folds, coated in her translucent arousal, aching for you.

Kazuha’s hair is spread across the pillow, framing her face, almost angelic. She breathes short, needy gasps; even having your cock close to her core is too much for her. You line up your tip against her lips, her heat brushing against you. Every graze sends sparks flying through both of you.

Her hands come up to your face and tilt it toward her. “Look at me, please,” she whispers.

You meet her gaze as you slide inside her. Your cock is immediately wrapped in her warmth, drowning in her wetness. “Fuck,” she hisses. Her walls clench down on you, gripping you tight, almost making you lose control.

“Zuha, you feel amazing.”

Her lips twitch into a smile. You can tell she needed that. You want to throw in another unnecessary quip but you decide against it—enough smacks for the night. Her walls stretch around you as you go deeper, adjusting for your thickness. Your hips meet finally, your cock fully enveloped by Kazuha’s warmth.

“Go ahead,” she sighs, arching her back slightly to give you a better angle. Her juices spill all over your cock. “Give it to me.”

You start slow, drawing your hips back leisurely. Her eyes flicker—caught between wanting to shut them and savor the feeling, and keeping eye contact with you.

“Ah!” She parts her lips when you thrust back into her wetness. Your fingers roam her body—the curves of her chest, the tightness of her abs, the softness of her thighs. A satisfied smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.

Your hand comes to rest on her hip, gripping her to steady yourself. You find your rhythm, your cock disappearing into her with every slow, deliberate thrust.

Your fingers press deep into her as you build momentum, little by little. You take a quick look at her reaction to make sure it doesn’t hurt her—all clear. If anything, the lip bite says she likes how possessive you’re being with her.

Each time you push into her, she lets out a louder moan—soft, breathless gasps spilling into the space between you. Her cheeks flush, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she gives herself over completely. God, you could watch her face look like this forever.

It’s mesmerizing, really, how easily you can push her into the depths of ecstasy.

One of her hands grips your waist, grounding herself against you as she basks in the feeling of you fucking her.

“Fuck, just like that,” she squeals. “Just like that, sweetheart.” Sweetheart. The last word comes out somewhat awkwardly, but with how much of a moaning mess she is, it’s hard to tell. “Feels so good. Please, don’t stop,” she gasps, her perfect tits bouncing with every thrust.

“Not—” You grunt, hips rocking into her. “—planning to. You feel so—fuck—fucking good, Zuha.”

She fights to keep control of herself—loses. Her back arches, then sinks deeper into the bed, eyes closed shut as she melts into you. Her legs hook behind your back, thighs tightening around your waist, locking you in. Kazuha surrounds your entirety.

“I’m gonna cum.” Her mouth cups into an ‘o’, her body trembling as the pleasure crashes through her. You already know: It’s an image that’s not leaving your mind so easily.

One of the (several) things you’re getting to know about Kazuha tonight is that when she cums, she leaks like a waterfall.

Her juices gush all over your cock, somehow drenching it even more than before. Her body first tenses around you, then she quivers in pleasure, trembling. Her eyes flutter open to meet yours.

“Are you close too?” she asks. You nod in response. If you weren’t already—the sight you just saw was enough to nearly push you over.

“Keep going, feels so good.” She drapes an arm around your neck—the motion almost too much for her spent body. “Kiss me, please.” You lean in close to her, Kazuha exhales softly when your lips touch.

The kiss is lazy, lingering, a complete contrast to the rhythm of your thrusts down below. You pull back just enough to ask, “Zuha, where should I—uh, cum?”

Her brow furrows briefly. “Wherever you want… but I wanna feel all of you in me.”

“That’s what I want too.” You drive into her with a few final pumps—climax fast approaching.

“Cum in me, sweetheart,” she whispers against your ear. Your lips go back where they belong—pressed firmly to hers.  Thick streams pour into her. Her soft, drenched pussy pulls you in, clenching tight around you.

“Give it all to me,” she breathes. “Every single drop.” You keep pulsing inside her, each spasm dragging more of you out. She takes it so well, her body milking you dry like her words promised.

You slowly pull out of her, your cock slipping from her soaked core. Your release drips out of her, trailing down her thighs. You collapse beside her, every muscle sore. Kazuha clutches the sheets, still breathing hard next to you.

"That was nice," she sighs.

"Nice sounds like a participation award."

"Fine, it was fucking amazing."

“I hope you mean that." You drape an arm around her shoulder. "Wanna go sit on the fields later? Big cities just don’t have skies like these.”

“Yeah. Been so long since I’ve properly seen stars.” Her head rests on yours.

“Can’t say the same, seeing one right next to me.”

“Gosh, enough flirting for the night, Romeo.” The way her cheeks turn red disagrees with her words. “Starting to miss the days when you’d just call me names all day.”

“Who says I can’t do both, loser.”

“There we go. Much better.”

“Besides, you were the one who called me sweetheart earlier.”

“Never happened. Oh, and we don’t have to leave right away, right?”

“No.”

“Good. I wanna rest here for a while.” She snuggles up to you and shuts her eyes.

—

You lie down on the damp grass, the air cool this late at night. The blades are soft but cling to your skin, carrying a faint earthy scent.

Kazuha settles beside you. The sky above is wide and clear, scattered with stars. In the distance, the Ferris wheel still glows in yellow.

Balloons are being popped, stalls shuttered. Leftover food dumped into buckets. The painted horses are lifted from the merry-go-round, loaded piece by piece into trucks. Teddy bears crammed into plastic covers. The tents are gone—replaced by bare ground with nothing to offer.

“Sweet spot to light one.” She flicks a stray blade of grass at you.

“You smoke?”

Her shoulders rise in a shrug. “You heard my whole story. What do you think?”

“Thought that was just a TV trope. Guess not.”

The wheel lights glow brighter with every minute, while the rest of the carnival dims.

“Would be cool if the carnival lasted all year.” She exhales, like she knows it's wishful thinking.

“Don't know if it'd feel the same. But still, does feel weird watching it get packed up like this—like seeing a school after hours. Or an empty mall.” You wrap a strand of her hair around your finger.

“Liminal space,” she says.

“Hm?”

“Places of transition—or something like that. Exactly what you said. Felt the same to me when I saw it from the train window. The first time I was leaving town.”

The quiet stretches between you. A faint pop echoes, cutting through the silence—maybe another balloon meeting its end. The carnival getting taken apart suddenly feels like the only thing worth seeing.

“So…” You clear your throat. “You’re leaving tomorrow?”

She tilts her head up, like she’s just noticed the stars. “I lied about something.”

“Wait—you're staying?”

“No. I’ve got a ticket.”

Something in your chest crumples, slow and painful. “What is it?”

“About why I always wanted to go on the ride with you, even when I was scared of it as a kid. The view was nice and all, but I never got the appeal.”

“Then why?”

“You liked it. I wanted to confess to you at the top.” She draws her knees up, curling into the thought. “Cheesy, I know. But I saw how your eyes lit up at the view. I wanted some part in that.”

She pauses, then adds, “And felt nice to have an excuse to hold your hand.”

It takes a few seconds to respond with a question that only sounds smaller out loud. “Why didn’t you—you never told me.”

“Chickened out every time. It hurt, not being able to tell you. Whenever you smiled at me there, it felt like I was drowning. And when I was leaving the last day…” She takes a long breath.

There’s a heavy thud of something getting thrown in a truck.

“But I could never risk what we had—could never risk hearing that you didn’t love me back.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.” You say it with such conviction that it silences whatever doubts were still in her eyes.

“The second I saw you here today, knew I had to take my chance. Wasn’t getting yet another one.”

“Guess you took it.”

She shifts slightly, turning towards you. The grass rustles beneath her. “What I’m trying to say is, yes, I have a train to catch. But no, I’m not disappearing again. Not without you.”

Her words echo in your ears. They settle somewhere deep in your chest, humming.

All those nights you spent wondering why she stopped replying. Why she left without a word. Wondering if you were the reason she never looked back.

“So, what—I just drop everything and follow you?” The words come out uneven, rougher than you expected.

“No, but that doesn’t mean this has to end here either.” Her voice wavers, choking in her throat. “That doesn't mean I can't still have you in my life, right?”

Something in her tone sounds different this time. Like she’s scared to lose you too.

“True.” A soft gust of wind ruffles her hair across your cheek. “Suppose our date with you in a red dress will have to wait.” (But not forever, right?)

For the first time in all the years you’ve known her, you see her eyes pool. They shine—stars caught beneath the tears. One drop falls onto your shirt, sinks through the fabric, straight into your skin. Burning.

Her hand finds yours and squeezes, probably harder than she means to—as always. She whispers, “I’ll wait for it.”

The Ferris wheel flickers once, then goes dark.

—

[starstruckmiraclekitty]

It had been years, almost a decade since the last time Simon Riley had sex. It wasn’t as if he was sexually inexperienced, but sex was just never something he thought about.

Until you.

You were a vixen, a muse, and Simon’s undoing. A simple smile from you would have the 6’4 soldier on his knees for you.

Never in a million years would he have imagined he’d be here, his cock buried inside of your tight little pussy as you called out his name. That he was the one making you feel this good.

It was as if the gods made you just for him, your arms molding perfectly around his neck, your legs just the right size to circle his waist, your pussy just the right fucking fit for his cock.

His eyes squeezed shut, his mouth hanging open as he threw every ounce of concentration he had into holding off his orgasm. Every fiber of his being was begging him to release, his hands shaking around your head as his cock twitched yet again inside of you.

Simon dared a glance at you, and felt his stomach tighten tenfold at the sight. You were so fucking beautiful, covered in sweat, your hair a mess, your eyes darkened with lust as soft mewls fell from your pretty lips.

Jesus.

He just couldn’t wrap his brain around how he ended up here, balls deep in the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on. A woman he’d silently loved for years now sprawled out naked below him, taking his thick cock like it was fucking meant for you. Maybe it was fucking meant just for you.

Simon fisted the sheet above your head, a growl escaping his swollen lips as he felt you clench around him. “Love, please, you gotta stop doing that.”

You moaned in reply, letting your head fall back further into the pillow behind you, your legs tightening around your lieutenants waist. The angle allowed for Simon’s cock to hit deeper within you, your pussy yet again clenching around him. “Feels so good, sir.”

Any ounce of self control Simon had vanished in that moment, between the glorious sight of you naked beneath him, the way your tight pussy was clenching around him and the way you just fucking called him sir? Simon was a fucking goner.

Before he could even comprehend what was happening, his cock was pulsing inside of you, his thick white cum painting your already soaked walls. Simon let his head fall slightly, burying in the crook of your sweaty neck as he let out a low groan. “Fuck!”

It took him a moment to catch his breath, and he hesitantly opened his eyes, expecting to find you looking at him with disappointment.

But when he looked down at you, he found you beaming up at him, a languid smile on your lips, your eyes still blown with lust. He watched as you took your bottom lip between your teeth, your eyes locked on his.

He felt you grab the back of his head, pulling his lips down to yours in a heated kiss, full of tongue and teeth. You let out a whine into Simon’s mouth, causing his cock to grow impossibly hard once more inside of you.

Simon pulled away with a breathless smile, his eyes locked on yours as he braced both his hands on either side of your head.

“Now I believe it’s your turn to cum, good girl.”

[mugglebornmarvelite]

Mission Mishap

Paring: Avenger! Bucky Barnes x Avenger! Fem! Reader (Grumpy x Sunshine)

Summary: A recon mission gone awry leads to Bucky having to protect his sunshine. As the snowstorm gets worse, he becomes her shelter from the storm, showing a tenderness that he rarely allows others to see.

Word Count: Roughly 1.8k

Warnings: Hurt/comfort, fluff, injury-related pain, bruising, cold exposure, mild language (like two curse words)

Author’s Note: It was snowing, and I got ✨inspired✨

This felt a little choppy because I combined two drabbles, but I think it works :)

Navigation

What should have been a quick recon in the mountains became more complicated when a snowstorm hit faster and harder than previously anticipated. You could barely keep up with Bucky as he pushed ahead, his sharp eyes scanning the nearby. The cold penetrated through your layers; gnawing at your bones and intensifying the ache of your bruises, but you forced yourself to keep moving.

"Can you handle a few more yards?" he asked, his voice low, and despite the chaos, was comforting. "Map says there’s a hostel a quarter of a mile away."

"I’m fine," you mumbled. You knew your words were merely a weak attempt to reassure both yourself and him.

Bucky turned his head toward you, his gaze softening. 

"Don’t do that," he replied. "Stop pretending you’re fine when you’re so clearly not."

The harsh wind bit at your face, and you tried to keep up with him, you couldn't hide the way your teeth chattered.

"You need to stop," Bucky said, voice sharp and authoritative. "You’re shaking like a leaf. Let me help you."

Before you could argue, he moved without hesitation, shedding his jacket in one smooth motion and draping it over your shoulders. 

"Come here," Bucky said. "No arguments. You’re freezing, and I won’t let it get worse."

You tried to protest as you stammered, "I-I’m fine. Really, Bucky, I’m fine."

But Bucky wasn’t having it. 

His glared down and you and you looked away.

"No, you’re not," he said again, this time softer. "You’re going to listen to me now, okay?"

He didn’t wait for a response. He wrapped his arms around you, guiding your arms around his neck and lifting you without much effort. You buried your face in the crook of his neck as you gave up on protesting. His body heat radiated through his sweater and the warm jacket he wrapped you in helped in instantly melting away the cold that had settled into your bones.

Bucky’s chest rose and fell under you, steady and reassuring, grounding you as the world around you spun with snow, harsh winds making it difficult to see. He held you close, his grip never wavering as if to say he wasn’t letting go, not for anything.

"You listen to me," he said said softly. "If anything happens to you out here, I’m going to be fucking pissed. Understand?"

"Noted," you said softly, your voice muffled by his neck. You tightened your grip on him, clinging to him as your life depended on it because, in a way, it did. Not that you’d ever complain.

You could feel his steady heartbeat, the way his breath slowed as he focused on getting you both to safety. His steps were purposeful, unhurried, but determined as he carried you toward the small hostel.

When you finally reached the building, Bucky didn’t waste a second. Without a word, he guided you inside and he gently set you down on a chair. The warmth of the room feeling like a stark contrast to the biting cold that had gripped you just moments before. Pun intended.

"You stay here," he commanded, his voice brooking no argument. "I’ll get us a room and call the team."

You nodded. 

As he moved to make arrangements, you wrapped yourself tightly in his jacket, the faint scent of him still lingering on the fabric. 

You winced from the pain in your side, but you manged to stay still. You looked out the window, watching as the storm raged on.

When Bucky returned, he didn’t waste any time sitting next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into his side. 

"Better?" he asked.

You leaned into him, letting the comfort of his presence envelop you. 

"Yeah," you said softly. "Much better. Thanks, Bucky."

"You don’t have to thank me," he muttered, his voice low, almost intimate. "I’m just doing what’s right. Keeping you safe."

You closed your eyes, allowing yourself to melt into the warmth of his embrace. "I know," you whispered, your voice quiet but filled with gratitude. "And I’m glad you’re here."

Bucky’s fingers brushed through your hair, his protective grip never faltering. "And I’m not going anywhere," he murmured.

A moment later, he scooped you up effortlessly, carrying you to the room he booked and dumping you on the bed. The sudden motion made you giggle as you kicked off your boots.

Bucky turned up the heat, and as the warmth began to fill the room, you settled onto the covers. 

"What did the team say?" you asked quietly.

"They’ll try to make it tonight," he replied. "But I told them we can wait until the morning."

You raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Why?"

"Because I’m keeping you safe tonight," he murmured, quickly adding, "And Sam snores. I can hear him from two rooms down the hall. I’m in no rush to go home, sunshine."

You laughed softly, your eyes brightening. "You’re unbelievable, Bucky."

Bucky grinned, his usual grumpy expression softened. "Yeah, but you’re stuck with me."

"Seriously though," he said, his voice suddenly quieter, "I’m not letting anything happen to you. Not on my watch."

"I know," you whispered, your voice soft but filled with sincerity. "And I trust you."

His eyes softened, just for a moment, before he cleared his throat and pulled away slightly, pretending to be unaffected by the vulnerability in the air. 

“Hey,” he muttered, his voice hushed and rough with concern. He paused for a moment as if considering whether to push or back off. He couldn’t ever quite figure out how to balance his protective nature. But when it came to you, he couldn’t help himself. “You sure you’re okay?”

You forced a smile, shifting a little more, trying to get comfortable, but the throbbing in your side was relentless. The last thing you wanted was for him to notice. He already had enough on his shoulders; you wouldn’t let him add your worries to his pile.

“I’m fine,” you whispered. Lie.

"Bullshit," he grumbled, his voice laced with frustration, the one that surfaced when he cared too much and couldn’t fix things fast enough. "What’s the matter?"

Bucky stared at you, his eyes narrowing. 

God, that stare. 

It was like he could read every inch of your soul, and you couldn’t breathe under the weight of it.

“Talk to me.”

You shifted uncomfortably, your side flaring up in protest. You winced, sucking in a sharp breath, hoping he didn’t notice, but of course, he did. 

He always noticed when it came to his sunshine.

"My side. Just a little pain," you admitted, the bruise hidden under the layers of clothing you still wore.

Bucky’s face softened, his worry evident. Without a word, he stood up, reaching for the small medical kit in his bag.

"Lift your shirt," he said, his voice low but commanding.

"I'm fine-" You mumbled. 

But Bucky wasn’t one to back down. He crouched in front of you, his large hands already moving to your waist, his fingers brushing the fabric of your shirt with a touch that was far too tender for someone like him.

“Lift.” The word was soft, but there was a dangerous edge to it, a warning wrapped in affection. The way he said it made it clear that this was happening.

You frowned and you raised the hem of your shirt, exposing the tender spot on your side where the impact from earlier had left its mark. "Shh, sunshine." He whispers soothingly. "You're okay, promise."

Bucky’s hands were gentle as he inspected the injury, his fingers brushing lightly over your skin, and his touch was careful but sure. There was something tender about the way he looked at you as if you were the most precious thing in the world to him. It made you lightheaded.

“Doesn’t look too bad,” he muttered, though you could hear the underlying concern in his tone. “But we’re still gonna clean it up, yeah?”

 His brow furrowed, and for a moment, his expression softened into something that hurt to look at. 

Like you meant something to him.

The second his fingers brushed over your side, just lightly grazing the bruise, you couldn’t help it. A whimper escaped, and your body tensed. You hated it. Hated being weak.

“Shh.” His voice was soothing. “You’re doing so good.”

You tried to move, to escape the pressure, but Bucky’s hand was already on your abdomen, holding you gently but firmly in place. His fingers splayed out over your skin, not forceful, but steady.

“Sorry,” you muttered, your voice strained as another wave of pain hit and you squirmed.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Bucky murmured, his grip tightening just a little, his other hand reaching for the antiseptic wipe. "Just breathe for me, okay?"

Something about his voice, soft yet commanding, made the tension in your body ease just enough for you to inhale deeply, to steady yourself.

“You’re tough, sunshine,” Bucky murmured, his eyes softening even more as he cleaned the bruise. "You’ll be alright."

But his voice held a gentleness that made your heartache. As he worked, cleaning the wound, his touch was slow, deliberate. The sting from the wipe was sharp, but his hands on your skin were grounding, like he was pulling the pain out of you with every careful movement.

Every time you whimpered, every time the pain made itself known, he soothed you with gentle words,“I know, sunshine, I got you,” “It’s okay, you’re okay.”

He cleaned the wound with slow, careful movements. The cool, sterile wipe stung a little, but his gentle touch was soothing, making the discomfort easier to bear. 

“I got you.” His voice was quiet, almost a whisper. A calm anchor. “Just breathe, sunshine.”

And you did.

When he finally finished, he leaned back and reached for a bandage. He pressed the bandage against your side like he was trying to heal something deeper than the bruise, something you couldn’t name.

“Good as new.” His voice was softer now. “You’re tough, sunshine. You’ll be alright.”

You smiled faintly, your fingers brushing the edge of the bandage. “Thanks, Bucky.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He grumbled, but there was no bite to it. His gruffness was a comfort, like a wall of security you could lean against when everything else felt shaky.

“Just-” His eyes softened as he looked at you, the rare tenderness that always made your chest tighten. “Get some sleep, alright?”

You nodded, curling up under the covers.

“Goodnight,” you whispered, your voice small and soft as you nestled against him.

Bucky’s hand gently brushed through your hair, his fingers pausing to stroke your scalp in a way that made you feel like the most important thing in the world.

“Goodnight, милая девочка.” Sweet girl.

His words were quiet, a soft reassurance in the night. You let out a sigh, the ache in your side fading as the warmth of his body enveloped you, and slowly, you drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Bucky stayed awake for a while, keeping watch, making sure you were alright. But as the night drew on, he pressed a tender kiss to your forehead, making sure you were okay before falling asleep himself.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

If you'd like to be added to my taglist

Much love x

- Maeve

[screampied]

whiny toji was something i did know i needed till now🧍🏼‍♀️

now what about whiny sukuna👀👀 in his domain👀👀

-👁️

riding sukuna until he whines ★

warnings. fem! reader, unprotected, whiney sukuna, brief choking, praise, dirty talk, premature ejaculation, mdni.

“oh, fine. do your worst, brat,” the curse would snicker with a sly grin stretching against the very curvature of his crimson pink lips. he’s not taking you serious.

then again, it’s rare for the sukuna ryomen to ever take you, his precious favorite human serious. you enlighten him so to speak, he cherishes the time he spends with you . . including the moments where you’re entrapped with him in his own domain. you’ve never had the patience though, as you’re straddling his lap— you’re hovering over his leaky tip and his fangs poke out into a mere, wicked smile. “givin’ up now? what’s with the hesitation, little one?” and a hand of his runs down the sides of your waist, a smirk pulling against his lips once he hums in amusement. “scared ‘m gonna stretch you out like last time?”

“no one’s scared,” you reply with an eye roll, pressing a chaste kiss against his mouth. sukuna hums, multiple eyes flickering at you, taking in your beauty. a broad hand of his slings around your waist before giving it a tight squeeze. “just shut up ‘n lie back, ‘kuna.”

“not likin’ that attitude,” he grumps—crossing the upper part of his two arms before parting his legs. he was very beefy, the size difference between the two of you was almost adorable. another broad hand of his brings you closer, a hiss snakes from his lips as he feels your folds gradually swallow his frenulum. “but like i said, do your worst. i’ll be nice ‘n try not to fall asleep, heh.”

you were always annoyed with the smug, complacent smile that’s forevermore printed onto the curses lips. as you’re taking him down, it feels warm. he groans at the way your gummy walls easily clamp down against him.

easy, two of his hands grab onto your waist before he leans back against his throne. “you’re too cocky for your own good sometimes, ‘kuna,” and his eyes flicker at you. the nerve, he’d let you get away with saying almost anything to him.

the only reason why—simply because you were known as his favorite,

“and you’re too bratty for your own good,” he replies back with wit, the roughness in his tone making you throb. sukuna was so close to your ear, you inch closer until you’re met with his chest. perfectly toned pecs—soft toned pecs rubbing against your own, you can feel how perky his nipples were, brushing against the fabric of his cottony made kimono. inside his domain— it was dark, a mere scary glimpse of his own perfect little world. and yet, here he was sharing it with you. he sucks his teeth, your cunt holds him tight, refusing to let go and his head goes back. “my, perhaps you’ve missed me a lot more than you let on.”

so cocky,

with an eye roll, you lean in for a kiss— the demon returns it, a free hand of his wrapping around your throat whilst you’re taking him fully.

your hips start to sway, picking up a decent rhythm before you moan in his mouth. he skims a thumb down the aisle of your throat, feeling the vibrations that’s continuously flees from your voice. so harmonic, the sweet sounds you always made for him was a song he’d constantly listen to if he could.

“ugh,” he grunts, pulling away—a glimmering mixture of his own saliva departs away from your lips as he stares at you blankly. he’s almost in disbelief. with your arched hips in mere constant rotation, a raw groan rips from his lips. he finds it cute. the small prints of your fingers wrap around his throat, never once leaving eye contact. “you’re a kinky little girl today, huh. got no right choking m-me.”

sukuna’s voice falters all of sudden, he lets off a sharp gasp. the plump tip of his dick abruptly thumping against a specific spot deep inside of your swollen cunt. it hits it again, and again, and again,

he’s getting a bit sensitive. sukuna’s caught off guard—especially with how not only you’re choking him gingerly, but resuming to grind your sweet hips against him. so warm, you ride his lap like it’s your own personal throne. the middle parts of his back slumps against his royal seat as he gnaws on his lip. his breaths become significantly heavy and he already sounds like he’s running out of breath.

languidly,

your hips stutter against him—the hefty size of his cock rummages all through your pussy before you conceal yet another moan.

sukuna groans, feeling you lean up close to pierce the crowns of your teeth into the depths of his skin. lolling out your damp tongue, you savor the curses taste. he tastes sweet, almost salty but of course candied. a hand of his reaches near the outer cusps of your ass before a long nail of his carved light against your skin. moaning yourself, you seep your tongue canines into his neck to leave a mark and he grunts— yet this time, instead of his usual gruff tone that booms throughout his infamous, blood-curdling domain, for the first time in centuries or ever, sukuna ryomen whimpers.

it slips out of him easily, and oh is he embarrassed once he sees the dumbfounded expression of yours turn into straight smugness.

the whine spews from his ancient lips and he’s not fond of this feeling at all— he’s so deep into the very pits of your lower abdomen, making you feel every staggering inch of his cock and he sucks his teeth in desperation. a finger of yours slips through his kimono, trailing against his sculpted abs before you lean up close to him to whisper.

“aw,” you giggle with a hum shortly following, the rupture his dick makes within you almost gives your legs a good enough excuse to give up. running a finger down his undercut, you’re met with the meanest glare. “all that sass and you’re a whiny baby, sukuna,” and you thrust your hips against him further. the massive weight of his balls slapping back against your skin and he tenses up. broad shoulders raise before he whines again, although this time— it’s from feeling you kiss near the neglected corner of his lips. “who knew the king of curses could be a cute whiner.”

“s-shut up, mortal,” he groans, the sensitivity of his cock repeatedly thrashes against your g-spot. sukuna’s too caught off guard that he doesn’t even realize he ends up finishing early.. too early,

thick stringy ropes end up shooting into you, it’s warm and sticky. you pause your hips—relishing in the hotness of his spurts of seed that trickles its way into you. sukuna’s spasming out underneath you, it’s so cute to see. his jaw hangs open, the most lewdest whimpers leaving out of his throat before the veins that run within his bulky arms pulse. he’s seeing everything but the vision; the vision of you straddling his lap, staring into his eyes with that cheeky grin.

submissive sukuna,

you lean in to kiss him whilst he’s still dumping an entire gluey load of cum into you. such satiny ropes, he sloppily returns the favor, breath heavy and sheets of sweat pouring down the sides of his face. “goodness,” and his voice— it’s not as confident as it was, you hear a slight tremor in it and it’s cute. he’s still heaving, clingy walls continue to grip around him before his fangs nip at your bottom lip. “a-ah, got me soundin’ like a worthless p—”

“shh, baby,” you purr, and he’s like puffy folding in your hands. once cruel and sadistic eyes—now all droopy and full of heart eyes at your very expense. he calms down from the strokes of your hand against his face and he shudders, trying to pull into another kiss but you stop him. he whines again. “oh, does the demon want another kiss?”

he nods, that same cute grump of a scowl returning to his lips before he sighs. “give me a kiss.”

“not when you ask like that, ‘kuna,” you tease and his eye twitches, again— the nerve..

he feels the way his cum starts to ooze out between your thighs and he glowers at you. such a baby, you lean in to kiss his pout away and his arms go back to being crossed. “say pretty please.”

“perish.”

“fine kiss yourself,” you roll your eyes with a sly smile, preparing to make your way off the demons lap until he holds you tight. two strong arms grabbing you,

so clingy . .

with a scoff, he looks away—a cute tint rising to his face before he mumbles. “give me a kiss, pretty please.”

“that’s a good demon,” you giggle, slinging your arms around him before pressing him a soft, wet kiss. he whines at your taste, wanting nothing more than to savor it. his tongue curls against yours before he feels your hips start to pick up again. he moans, his left thigh twitching before your bouncing accelerates. he was still so sensitive, and yet here he was, like dough mending underneath you.

a while after, you pull away and he pouts— hiding his face into the very crook of your neck. sukuna snarls, nibbling against your skin before whining out a low, raspy, “i- i need a minute,” and he hides more of his sweetened whimpers into your neck. “don’t move. we’re gonna stay like this, f-fuck.”

[littlelovelunette]

My Star

Bodyguard!Sevika x Superstar!Quiet During Sex!Reader

Car sex, secret relationship, mentions of fingering, oral, clit play, praise kink.

"Fuck, we can't do this here."

You cussed under your breath as Sevika caged your frame against the wall. She smirked down at you, her hot breath fanning your face. You could hear your fans screaming their heads off somewhere outside the venue as Sevika's hand rested on the curve of your waist, rubbing the area using her thumb.

She cocked a brow, "What? Don't want your fans knowing about your secret affair with your bodyguard?"

"Oh, don't pretend like you don't get off to it." You said, hand cupping Sevika's crotch through her formal pants making her breath hitch, the dominant look in her eyes flickering.

"Yeah, let's get outta here," Sevika let go of your waist instantly making you crave her touch further.

She walked to the door, "Stay close by," she said as she creaked the backdoor open and led you out. You kept your head low, avoiding the screaming of distant fans at the front gate, desperately hoping you'd walk out of that door. The flashing of the cameras of the paparazzi rang out in the cold night air but what kept you guarded was Sevika's hand that hovered over your waist, not touching it as you both weren't surrounded by privacy.

The limo door opened and you slipped inside, Sevika joining you after taking a long glance outside to ensure nobody was there. "Well, then, Superstar," her hand rested on your thigh, the bit exposed by the slit of your dress.

"Mhm?"

You grinned at her, red glossed lips spreading into a playful grin. Her other hand found your chin, pulling you in for a kiss. You gasped, hands instantly feeling her up. Her muscles bulged through the dark blazer she wore perfectly, your one hand found her broad shoulder and squeezed it briefly. Sevika parted from the kiss, glancing down at your glittery dress, a slow smile forming on her dark plump lips.

"You look breathtaking," Sevika buried her face at the crook of your neck and left kisses and bite marks all along the pale skin.

You didn't moan, no. You breathed heavily, a small sound like a squeak escaping your throat but it was barely audible.

"You're perfect," Sevika nipped at your neck hungrily, teeth grazing deliciously across the smooth skin that was now littered with marks of her possession.

Heat pooled at your lower tummy at her words but you but your bottom lip and replied with a timid, "Am I?"

"Why would you doubt that?" Sevika pulled back a little just so that you could see her beautiful grey eyes holding nothing but pure concern and love for you.

She was one person who didn't care for the money and fame that you had. Sure, you paid for her security services but that was that. She wasn't doing this for favouritsm or extra pay. She was with you because she loved you loyally and that was more than you could ever ask for as a worldwide celebrity. However, fame may have been nice and all— but you weren't arrogant enough to not notice the flaws within yourself.

"I'm pretty non verbal during sex," you said, looking away, "Meaning I don't moan or scream like other girls usually do... No, I don't whimper either before you think of that."

"Oh," Sevika used a hand to massage your pulse point on your neck, thoughtfully humming, "And you thought that's a flaw because...?"

"Isn't that what people like? A screamer?" You asked, looking up at her finally.

"Personally? I prefer you."

Sevika attacked your neck again, this time more violent than before, her hands squeezing and groping your tits through the fabric of your silk dress. You giggled and your mouth fell open but no sound really escaped your throat. As she backed up and pushed your dress up your waist, you watched her intently. Sevika's fingers hooked around the waistband of your panties, pulling them right off.

"Wow," she smirked, "Wet from my praises?"

You gave her a cheeky grin, "Guilty as charged."

"That's my good princess," Sevika muttered, watching your clit twitch from the praise as she placed a thumb over the sensitive nub, rubbing circles around it. Your back arched off the seat and you gripped the edge of it tightly, Sevika knew exactly the amount of pressure to add to her motion and she wasn't rushing. She was taking her sweet time like she always did.

She knew the way your body worked, the way you carved her fingers and wouldn't be satisfied until you had at least one of them buried knuckle deep inside your tight pussy, always wet with the thought of how her tongue would feel on your folds, lapping up at your juices as if it were her last meal. Sevika knew, she always did. She was good at reading people especially if it's you.

Her tongue met your clit, your breath hitching in your throat and a choked something escaped your lips— your first ever verbal moan, to be fair. Your teeth grazed your bottom lip, ready to suppress any more sound that would escape due to Sevika's ministrations. Her tongue darted across your folds, licking up your arousal.

"You taste so fine, my darling," she mumbled against your pussy.

You clenched around nothing from her words of affirmation, her other hand spreading your pussy lips so she could lick your hole clean. She sucked and pushed her tongue inside. Your eyes rolled back in your head as you shuddered from what she was doing. You hadn't had any idea Sevika was this good with her tongue— sure, you had an idea of it considering she was in her early fourties but damn...

Your left hand found her hair, entangling your fingers into the silky dark locks as you ground yourself up against her face. Sevika didn't stop you, her thumb pressing your clit in a way that made you want to squirm away but you didn't. You were her good girl.

"Oh, angel," Sevika praised, her eyes fluttering shut, tongue buried deep inside you.

You felt her nose nudge your clit and gasped, lower back leaving the surface of the car seat and you were almost sure the limo shook because of your sudden movement. Her praising was gonna be the end of you, she knew you were close because of how much you were starting to tense up.

Her arm wrapped around your waist as the other hand kept busy pinching and rubbing your clit. "Ready to cum for me, pretty princess?"

You bit your bottom lip painfully hard and nodded. "M-Mhm..."

Your thighs shook as you finished in her mouth but when Sevika licked you clean, her hand pressing you down when you tried to get up, "Where are you going?" You knew, she wasn't done with you.

[cathnospam]

Trigger warning to those that don’t like panic attacks, but becomes fluffy at the end

“Katsuki?”

His eyes were dark, he looks like he haven’t slept in weeks, and it’s only been a year since the war ended. Granted, everybody was finally able to sleep regularly again, but apparently you must have been wrong.

“I—“

He couldn’t get the words out, his fits were shaking from how hard we was clenching them, his tired eyes began to water, you knew.

“C’mere.” You pull him into your arms, you feel your shoulder dampening and it was a signal for you to squeeze tighter once you shut your door. You couldn’t even move feeling his arms squeeze tighter against your waist. “I’m right here.”

Even though Bakugo managed to live. Managed to pass though rehab, managed to become a big part of fighting against AFO he still has nightmares.

They started off as just seeing himself nearly die but he wakes up right before it happens. But now he’s having nightmares about you. How you took his place instead of him.

This nightmare he seen your body, lying there, tears dried by your eyes, by the time bakugo ran to you Shigiraki turned your body into dust.

It was horrifying.

He woke up in a frenzy, hot, sweating, immediately running out his room to your dorm, his heavy feet nearly sprinting to your room he needed to just double check he almost bust down your door if you haven’t opened it right as he arrived.

“You—-“

“It’s okay….you’re okay—“

“BUT YOU WEREN’T…you…you….” His voice was so shattered. He couldn’t explain it to you, but you had an inkling what he could’ve meant.

He has been going to your dorm a lot lately. Using the excuse “I’m just checking up on YOU.” But in reality it’s you checking on him. He’ll come right before bed and sleep over or come in while you’re sleep and lay on your couch and once with you on the opposite side of your bed.

You couldn’t move, hearing his sniffles tore your heart a little, his breathing was shallow you could feel his heart rate grow faster, his body was shaking and you immediately began to fall on your knees, back on the wall rubbing his back .”I’m right here Katsuki…it’s okay just match my breathing.”

Not wanting to panic either you regulated your breathing for him to copy you, his teeth were gritting to hard you felt it against your shoulder, “C’mon there you go…..just breathe….”

After a few minutes He began to calm down. Your shirt was damp with tears but you knew better than to force him to look at you. So you waited until he did the first move.

Bakugo covered his face with his palm, pausing before attempting to wipe all his tears off his face.

He failed.

You took his hand, palms so sweaty it was nearly slippery to hold up with a firm grip you guided him to your bed. “Stay here tonight.”

He didn’t reply nor negate, he just followed suit. He’d usually have his back facing you, but felt himself willingly fall onto your chest.

“They’re soft right?” You weakly joke about your breast he is laid on, trying to see if he’ll respond, you smile hearing a weak chuckle come out his nose before he snuggles himself between them deeper.

Your fingers run though his soft hair, his heartbeat was in tandem with yours as you felt his chest against your belly.

Bakugo usually handles his panic attacks alone, but for the first time he actually was so happy to have someone like you there with him. His teary eye peaks from the side, you wipe the remnant of tears from his cheek and he nearly melts to your touch.

It was probably the best sleep he has ever had in months thanks to you.

[fernbruises]

slow replies, thinking about bbf!ellie catching you half naked on the landing after your shower.

she just spawns, having left your brother on the couch bitching to the fucking dust mites about his third straight loss against her on mortal kombat (his suggestion, by the way—always his suggestion! fully aware of ellie’s impeccable track record). she’d just wanted to use the bathroom… well, that’s the excuse she’d used, anyway.

all casual, so unbothered. like… she’d been nonchalant enough in asking your brother if you were home, tossing it out with a fake little shrug in her voice but secretly hopeful as ever, and he’d just replied with a very disinterested “yeah, somewhere”, because he genuinely did not give a fuck. but she knew what she was doing—it had only been halfway through their third rematch when she’d heard the faint sound of the shower running, and so the second that water switched off? infiltration time!!! and she was up, off of that couch and mounting the stairs like it was a covert mission, timing the whole thing perfectly, reaching the landing at the precise moment you were crossing it post-shower; hair still wet, skin speckled with water droplets, in nothing but a towel… she couldn’t have planned it better if she’d tried, honestly.

her eyes visibly light up when she sees you, when they meet yours, and she vows to you that she didn’t know you were showering, but she’s also straight up laughing??? like, she’s the world’s worst liar ever… love that for her! and she’s so unashamedly ecstatic at this “coincidental” turn of events that it just entirely cancels out whatever terrible little facade she’s attempting. and??? the way her eyes flick up and down, my goddd, like she knows she shouldn’t be looking but she’s absolutely shameless in just out-and-out staring. i’m talking zeeero shame, that little lesbian has no moral compass whatsoever. and you just roll your eyes, pretending to be so done with her, as if you aren’t secretly thrilled that she’s here—as if you aren’t thiiiiis close to pulling open your towel just to see what she’d do. and then you’re all like, “skipping out on quality guy time just to catch me half naked?”

and her eyes are just all over your body now— especially your collarbone, the slope of your neck, and that tiny freckle decorating the swell of your breast that she knows will keep her up tonight, because seriously, how has she never seen that before? but then she locks in again, all smug and shruggy, “just got bored of kicking your brother’s ass. figured i’d come look at yours, instead.” (!!!) and you just pull a face, but she catches you stand a little straighter and she swears you’re pulling your towel tighter??…she has never wanted to be a towel so bad in her entire life. there’s a beat, and she shoots you that look again— the same one she gave you last summer when the two of you had almost kissed in the cupboard underneath your stairs under the guise of a ‘truth or dare’… the one where nobody dared you.

“i know he’s a little slow,” you tip your chin toward the floorboards, voice low, hoping to god it doesn’t waver under ellie’s stare. “…but, he’ll start catching on if you keep making excuses to come find me.” and thennn you dare to question her bro code, and ellie runs her tongue over her teeth, leaning her shoulder into the wall. you’re talking about bro code? while looking like that? honestly, she’s battling her inner demons so hard—fighting for her life, seconds away from saying something so insanely foul she knows it would haunt her for eternity. but tbh, she would to drop to her knees for you—quite literally drop. to. her. knees. let you squirm against the wall, against her mouth!!! she’s desperate to watch you try to muffle your moans with your hand.

buuut, she’s a little shit. and she can be stubborn. so, she leaves it… eventually, but not before drinking you in one more time, letting her eyes linger over your upper thighs, slow and deliberate. this is an insanely dangerous game… one she is so close to losing.

“put some clothes on,” she mumbles and pivots on her feet, hiding her grin. “…or i’ll have to keep finding reasons to come see you.”

[chuluoyi]

only if you are up for a challenge. Naoya Zenin x f!reader in which he got her pregnant, then she left out of fear and he found her again and won't let her go :)))

when you loved me

- zen'in naoya x reader

you loved him... but you have had enough of the shit you've experienced—his arrogance, horrible family and another woman—and decided to leave him for the sake of yourself and your child

genre/warnings: angst to comfort, implied cheating, most likely ooc, honestly i almost made it a vs naoya fic with no consolation, happy ending aka naoya is decent

note: this ask... has been collecting dust in my askbox for about SIX MONTHS HAHAH, so sorry anon. i'll just leave it here and let it burn however just bc i don’t want to delete what i’ve written :’)

general masterlist

"How... how could you?"

Once, you thought, you were in love with Zen'in Naoya.

Well, you couldn't deny that he had personality flaws, but deep down, at one point in your life, you still believed that he too loved you.

You stared at him through tears brimming in your eyes, and he was just there, looking at the little being in your arms with a mix of shock and... something else you couldn't name. Dismay? Disappointment? Black rage?

"Go away, Naoya," you declared through your gritted teeth, pulling the baby in your arms even closer to you, as though fearing he might do something drastic. No way in hell would you let him after what he made you go through.

His eyes twitched as he tried to hold himself back from losing it. He took a few deep breathes in order to stay composed.

“Y/N, answer me,” he growled, still with the same condescending tone you remembered nine months ago, when you resolutely decided to leave him. “Is that baby mine?”

This was absolute madness. You had driven him insane. Naoya was certain he would go feral on you after you boldly left him without a trace, and when he found you, you were cradling this baby in your arms—which he was absolutely sure, enough to bet on his life, that the little thing was also his.

The woman he loves has given birth to his child.

You had imagined all sort of scenarios in which this very event would occur. This was one of them actually.

“No,” you firmly replied, gaze hardening. “Not yours. So kindly let yourself out of my house, Naoya.”

“Absolute bullshit!” he shouted and you flinched. His sudden rise of voice also woke the poor baby in your arms.

His heart hammered inside his chest. There were many things that made a mess of his head. You running away from him. The nights of madness he went through, wondering where you were and if you were alright. And now, the fact you had his baby without him ever knowing.

“Where were you? Why did you leave— you were having my—”

Fuck, he didn’t even know if he had a son or daughter.

You tried to console your child, now tears also streaming down your cheeks too. But it was more of frustration and anger rather than fear. “Can you blame me? Zen’in Naoya, you have made my life hell!”

“Hell?” It felt like an total insult to his pride. “How—!”

“You!” you screamed at his face. “I’ve had enough of your shit! And not to mention your father—that horrible drunkard who always looks down on me and treats me as if I were some gold digger! And also the whole of your goddamn, entitled clan—they always harass me right in front of my face!”

All of this stunned him on this place. Truth to be told, he knew a little to nothing at all about what his kin had done to you.

“I don’t need your family’s wealth! I can live on my own just fine even with your bastard!” Your tirade still hadn’t ended, but you had to put your baby on her cot first and dismiss her ever growing cries because you were tired of all of this. This life. This absolute nightmare that was caused by one fatal mistake of falling in love with Zen’in Naoya.

“But what the fuck? You’re asking why I left? How dare you ask me that after what you did!”

“What did I even do?!” His denial made a blood vessel about to burst inside your brain. “You never fucking told me what my father did! If only you did, I would have—”

“Look, you don’t even acknowledge it!” You were so tired of this. You wished you could die and just end all of this mental suffering. Why did this have to happen to you out of a billion people out there?

And yet, still, ultimately, you were happy with him. Those memories of the two of you together, just idyllically spending time together, or sometimes even playfully clashing opinions— to you, they were irreplaceable.

So, that's why...

Your heart shattered at the screeching cries of your baby. But you had to slam this in Naoya’s face.

“That was the last straw—seeing you with that fucking woman, you insufferable, demented, cheating bastard!”

That string of profanities you screamed at his face made Naoya finally lost it, as he gripped you tightly and his eyes flared with pure white-hot anger. “Say that again—say that again, you—!”

A toe-curling scream ripped out of your baby and you wrenched yourself out of his grasp through sheer will. Naoya was left reeling as he watched your horrified expression, as you plucked the baby into your arms again.

“Shh, shh,” you shushed your child amidst your own quivering lips. “Mama is here… Don’t cry…”

Right at that moment, it was as if something had pierced his chest and left a gaping hole. He really had a living baby. That baby was crying because of him.

The sting of the anger was still there, but now guilt started to overpower it as he regained his cool somewhat. “Is that a—” his breath hitched. He had to know. At the very, very least he had to know.

You didn’t immediately answer. You were still absolutely heartbroken by how it all turned out. But above all else, you could no longer deny him of his own child.

“A girl,” you sniffled.

A daughter. A daughter— in the one split second after knowing that, Naoya made the quickest decision of his life.

“Come back. Live with me,” he said, resolute. “You’re the mother of my child—I won’t let anyone lay their hand on you again. You have my word.”

Women are pain in the ass. That was what he used to think. Until you. Not when it's you. It astounded even himself how the sight of you like this was enough to drive knives into his chest.

“Look, that’s not it,” your tears were now falling free and fast, unable to hold it back longer. “How can you ask me that—when you went behind my back with another woman? Naoya, I love you—loved you. But isn’t this too cruel? How can you do this to me?��

“What woman are you talking about?” He tried to compose himself, but your accusation of him with someone whose existence he didn’t even know was getting in his nerves. “I have never been unfaithful to you! I know we don't always agree to things, but do you really think that low of me?”

“Evidently, I saw you with her. Your father made it a point that she’s your next plaything—or possibly even, fiancée!”

There was a memory that sprung into his head when you mentioned that. He recalled that vain, stupid woman, and he definitely remembered telling his father that he refused her. It wasn’t long before you disappeared.

Now everything clicked.

“Listen to me,” Naoya started, jaw clenching. “Whatever my father told you—those are all lies. I turned her down right there and then. I wouldn’t do that to you. You know that. You should have known that.”

Sobs wrecked your body and soul at this point. You knew where your place was. Zen’in Naoya was a man outside your league, his family made it so clear to you that you were nothing but dirt in their eyes. And perhaps that was why, back then, you chose to protect yourself and left him, believing he was capable of that too.

And now before you, you could see the man you loved once again.

“Come back to me.” His gaze burned you. “This time, for sure, I won’t let anyone touch you— I won’t let them even say a word about you! I will marry you, and we will raise our daughter together.”

“I… I don’t want to live there, Naoya…” you sobbed. You hated that place. Like hell would you have your pride stomped and deceived again.

“Alright, if that’s what you want. We won’t live there. You won’t have to see any of their faces again.”

Gazing into your face, marked by trails of tears, he finally, finally felt his heart break. And he thought, that in front of him now was the only woman who could upturn his whole trajectory.

“Just… come back. To me. I will take care of you. I swear it.”

[nhmkhnh]

Pleaseee write for sevika or caitlyn x virgin reader who finishes stupidly fast and gets all embarrassed about it!!!

this ask was lost in my inbox, sorry for the late reply baby. by the way, the idea is so hot, so i decided to write both haha. (each char for each drabble)

dom!sevika x sub!fem!reader || dom!caitlyn x sub!fem!reader tags: nsfw content ;; virgin reader ;; soft dom!char ;; fingering (r.receiving)

sevika

“relax, sweetheart. i got you.”

her voice is rough velvet as she presses a kiss to your throat, pinning you gently to the bed with her thigh slotted between yours, metal hand gripping the back of your neck. she’s barely even started—just mouthing at your pulse, whispering filth into your ear—and already your hips won’t stop twitching, grinding without rhythm.

you’re so wet it’s embarrassing.

“i’ve barely touched you,” she murmurs, dragging the edge of her teeth up your jaw. “this your first time lettin’ someone take care of you like this?”

you nod.

she chuckles, deep and low. “thought so.”

when her hand dips between your thighs, fingers barely ghosting over your underwear, your whole body jerks. her eyes spark. you grip her bicep like a lifeline.

“s-sorry—” you gasp, already trembling.

“what for?”

you don't get to answer. because that’s when her fingers finally press in just right, rubbing lazy little circles over your clothed clit—

and you’re gone.

your breath shatters. you gasp and cry out, hips bucking forward as your orgasm hits you stupidly fast—barely thirty seconds in, underwear still on. you can’t stop shaking. and when your eyes flutter open, sevika’s watching you like you just handed her a gift.

your face burns. “i—i didn’t mean to—!”

she huffs a laugh and brushes a hand down your chest, so gentle it stings. “shit, baby, that was adorable.”

you hide your face. “don’t make fun of me—”

“i’m not.” her voice drops, low and possessive. “you came just from my voice and a little friction. you know what that does to me?”

she leans in, presses her teeth to your throat.

“round two’s gonna be fun.”

caitlyn kiramman

“darling, you’re shaking.”

caitlyn’s lips ghost over your neck, breath warm and steady, while your body feels like it’s about to explode. you’re spread out on soft silk sheets in her bed, completely bare beneath her. and all she’s done—all she’s done—is kiss you down to your chest, trail her fingers along your thighs, whisper sweet, devastating things about how long she’s wanted this.

“you’ve never been touched here before, have you?” she asks softly, fingertips resting over your mound.

you shake your head.

“that’s alright,” she purrs. “i’ll be gentle. let me make you feel good.”

she leans down. one kiss just below your navel. her hand moves lower, brushing over your slick folds. and when her thumb finds your clit—just the lightest, most teasing pressure—

you whimper. your legs spasm.

“cait—!”

the orgasm hits you like a bolt of lightning. your stomach clenches, body trembling, heat exploding outward from that one spot she barely touched. you let out a sob of surprise, and when your senses return, you’re flushed all the way down to your chest.

“i—i’m sorry,” you whisper, voice wrecked. “that was so fast. i didn’t mean to—”

but she’s smiling. soft, stunned.

“oh, sweetheart.” she cradles your face. “don’t you dare apologize.”

you bury your face in her shoulder. she pulls you close, dotting kisses along your cheek, your temple, your lips.

“that was the prettiest thing i’ve ever seen,” she murmurs, voice husky now. “so eager for me, you couldn’t even wait.”

she kisses your lips again, this time deeper.

“let me show you what happens when we don’t rush.”

and this time, you whimper for a different reason.

[kunasthiast]

madness

It started innocently enough.

“Here. Happy anniversary, brat!” 

Sukuna handed you a big ass box (his gift), grinning like he’d just given you the solution to all your life problems. You took it, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Wow, you’re really splurging on me, babe. What’s inside?”

“Just open it.”

“Okay fine –” you tore off the wrapping and blinked. “What the fuck is this?” You asked nicely with shock as you stared at your husband’s gift, utterly baffled.

Because, really. What the fuck was this? Inside the big box… were six smaller boxes.

And as someone who’s chronically online (admit it, the only apps you ever open are twitter – you still refuse to call it ‘X’ – for F1 updates, tumblr, instagram, youtube, and pinterest), your algorithm had NEVER shoved this thing in your face.

Sukuna, on the other hand, looked way too smug about it. Arms crossed, smirk in place, even throwing in a wink for good measure.

“That, my dear wife, is a fucking Labubu.”

“A what?”

 “A Labubu,” he repeated, as if that explained anything.

“Huh?”

“You seriously haven’t heard of it?” Sukuna blinked, feigning shock. “Weird. I thought you were the one most updated between us.”

“Well yeah, but not with… whatever this is,” you narrowed your eyes as you shot back. “Mostly just F1, Stardew, and some new game drops. Not this.”

“Oh well,” he shrugged. “Just open one already.”

“Fine,” you sighed, grabbing a box and tearing into the packaging.

“Huh, why is there another plastic inside?”

“Obviously, because it’s a blind box, brat,” Sukuna replied, his tone dripping with amusement.

“Pfft, why are you so impatient today?”

“I’m just very excited for your reaction”

You narrowed your eyes, again, at your husband and said, “No, really. Tell me, babe.”

“Just open it. Stop stalling.”

“Hmp, fine –” and you ripped the plastic open.

Then you squinted. “What the hell am I looking at?”

Inside was a tiny, goblin-looking creature. You held up the plush toy in your hands, inspecting it like it was an alien artifact. It had big round eyes, sharp little teeth, and fur that made it look like a cross between a mischievous raccoon and... a gremlin.

"It's cute," Sukuna declared, like that was the only justification needed.

“You’re telling me this –”you wiggled the plushie at him, still very skeptical about this whole gift thing, “– is supposed to be cute?”

“Obviously.”

“Sukuna. This thing looks like it’s gonna scam me out of my life savings and then laugh about it.”

“Exactly,” he smirked. “Just like you.”

You gasped, clutching your chest. “Wow. So that’s what you really think of me, huh?”

“Don't act so shocked.” He leaned in, voice dropping to that infuriatingly smug drawl. “You did swindle me into marrying you.”

“Excuse me? I swindled you?”

“Mhm.”

“You literally begged me to marry you.”

“Did I?” He tilted his head, playing dumb.

“Yes.” You crossed your arms, glaring up at him. “You were down bad. It was embarrassing, honestly.”

Sukuna scoffed. “I don’t recall.”

“Should I pull up the texts?”

“Anyway,” he cut you off, reaching for another box inside the box set, “open the other ones. You’ve got five more to go.”

You eyed him warily. Then the box. Then back at him. “…Why do I feel like you just dragged me into some weird collector's cult?”

“It’s not a cult—“

“That’s exactly what someone in a cult would say.”

Sukuna just chuckled and handed you the next box.

You sighed, opening it—because at this point, you might as well embrace your fate. After opening all the boxes, you set them on your shelf, thinking that was that. Oh, if only you know how wrong you were.

A week later, you found yourself scrolling through Labubu forums. You don’t know how it happened. One moment, you were researching out of sheer curiosity – and then it was 3AM. Sukuna was fast asleep beside you, and you were staring at photos of different Labubu plushies and figurines, heart pounding like you’d just discovered a new religion.

Wait… are these actually kinda cute?

No.

No, no, no.

You turned your phone off. Absolutely not. And put in on your bedside table. No way in hell.

But the next day, you found yourself staring at your Tasty Macarons Labubus a little too long. And your husband? Of course, he noticed this.

“Babe.”

No response.

He moved closer, sitting beside you on the couch. “Babe, you’ve been ignoring me. What’s up?”

“…Huh?” This time, you finally tore your gaze away from your shelf and turned towards your husband and said, “Nothing, don’t worry.”

“You sure? You look like you’re about to shut down.”

Ttruth be told, you were debating whether to check out the Have a Seat collection sitting in your cart since 3AM or not. But you’d rather die than admit that to Sukuna.

And then another week passed, and somehow – somehow – your new collection arrived. Your husband took one look at it and raised a brow.

“So that’s why you’ve been out of it all week.”

“What do you mean?” You shot back.

“Babe,” he drawled, smirking. “I knew you’d get addicted,” he simply added with his I-know-everything-about-you tone. “Next thing you know, you’ll be selling your soul to rare editions.”

“Pfft, no way.”

“Uh-huh. Give it two weeks before you start spiraling.”

You rolled your eyes. “It’s just a phase, babe.”

It was not a phase. You were wrong. Sukuna was right. Always right.

Because a week later, you nearly had a breakdown when Sukuna surprised you with three big-ass plush dolls – Angel in Cloud, I Found You, and Catch Me If You Like Me.

“Oh my God, they’re so fucking cute,” you whispered, clutching one to your chest like it was your firstborn.

And your ever-loving husband? He just flashed that signature smirk of his, watching you descend into madness. As if he’s actually supporting (more like enabling) you going crazy over these plush toys.

Another week passed, and you found yourself pressing “checkout” on the Coca-Cola Special Set. Then, not even a week passed but in just 3 days, you went full psycho mode, caving in and splurging on all the special edition Labubus – Wings of Fortune, Happy Halloween, Wings of Fantasy, Fall in Wild… and more.

At this point, your soul had left your body, and you refuse to do the math on how much you had spent. And as they say: denial is a healthy coping mechanism.

By the time your birthday (just a week later passed) rolled around, Sukuna dropped the biggest bomb yet and gifted you four entire boxed collections which are all lined up on the dining table, wrapped with a pretty ribbon.

You gasped. “FOUR?!”

Yes, you were losing your mind. You were in Labubu fucking heaven. This was no longer a phase. This was a full-blown lifestyle.

And your husband? He was just watching. Amused. Satisfied. Like a man who had bet on the right horse.

“You’re so gone,” he smirked.

You clutched your new babies and agreeing with him, “I am so gone.”

But you see, there was one problem. Scratch that, four problems.

After all your collections, the only ones missing were the Mega Sketch Labubu 1000% and the elusive secret plushies from all the pendant sets. I mean what are you even gonna hang on your designer bags for next week? Here’s when your true descent into madness began.

As a woman on a mission, you scoured the internet, joined every damn collector’s group to hunt these secrets down. And after an intense bidding war – finally – you secured the three missing secret plushies.

For… a mere $700.

The cherry on top? Once these plushies came, you ended up opening all boxes and inside were fucking Lafufus. The knock-off ones who don’t even look the exact same.

Of course and obviously, you cried. And Sukuna? Oh bless the Gods everywhere, your husband was pissed. Not just the mildly annoyed kind of pissed – it’s the you-are-the-biggest-dumbass-I’ve-ever-married kind of pissed. In short, he was fucking livid.

“Are you kidding me?” He grumbled, rubbing his temples with one hand and the other patting you on the back with you crying for hours now since you opened those damn boxes. “I told you to double-check before buying from random sellers, dumbass.”

“I did check!”

He shot you a look and said, “For someone who triple-checks F1 rumors, you forgot this one time where it involves your money, brat.”

“I panicked!” You wailed. “The seller said it someone else was gonna buy it if I don’t act fast.”

He exhaled, slow and controlled. “You fucking idiot.” And yes, he’s done with your bullshit. For the next two days, he said nothing about Labubus. Which meant you were suffering in silence.

With your husband being him, even after all that, even after your idiotic decision-making, he still went and did what he does best – spoiling you rotten.

On the third day of Labubu silence, you woke up to a giant box sitting in the middle of your living room.

You gasped, scrambling to tear the wrapping open. And there it was, in all its oversized glory – the Mega Sketch Labubu 1000%. And right next to it? Three, small neatly wrapped packages.

Your hands shook as you opened them. And when you did, your soul left your body. Yes, it was that crazy for you.

Inside were the three secret plushies. The real ones!

You turned to look at Sukuna, eyes wide with tears and disbelief. And yes, you’re on your knees, grabbing the couch for support, “You… you did not. No fucking way this is real!”

Sukuna smirked, arms crossed. “Well, I did, baby. And it’s real. And just so I don’t forget, happy belated birthday, dumbass.”

Still can’t believe that all of this is true, your jaw dropped. “I – HOW?! THESE ARE – THEY’RE LIKE – THEY’RE IMPOSSIBLE TO GET??? IT’S SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE!”

“I have my ways.”

You choked on air. “SUKUNA!”

He just shrugged and leaned on the doorway, looking way too pleased with himself. “Figured I’d complete your collection before you go and do something stupid again.”

You threw yourself at him, clinging to him like a koala, tears in your eyes. “You’re the best husband ever, oh my god.”

“Ugh – get off!” He groaned, trying to pry you off him.

“NOPE! NEVER LETTING GO! You love me so much, it’s actually embarrassing for you”

“Tch. As if.”

“You doooo,” you cooed, snuggling closer. “You got me my dream Labubu even though I made the dumbest purchase of my life.”

Sukuna sighed, but his hand was already under your butt and squeezing them. “Yeah, yeah. You’re still a dumbass, brat.”

You pouted. “Rude.”

And so, with your ultimate Labubu collection complete, you swore you were done. No more. This was it. The final haul.

The next week, your doorbell rang. Sukuna frowned as he stared up from his laptop and called for you, “Babe, did you order something again?”

“Nope!”

You ran towards the door and find another large parcel sitting on your doorstep. And yes, you just remembered, you did order something… when you were sulking over that scamming situation.

You brought the box inside and set it in the middle of your living room. With Sukuna who stopped his reading and raised a brow at you. Giggling, you opened the box and yes inside was an entire Space Molly figurine set.

You turned to Sukuna in slow motion.

He just let out a long, suffering sigh, dragging a hand down his face. 

“You’re fucking hopeless.”

“Ehh, you still love me.”

a/n: this was one of the reasons why i was gone for a month or two. i was fucking livid with these damn blind boxes. especially, labubus! but thanks heavens, all my blind boxes were gifted to me and i haven't spent a dime yet on any of these blind boxes... and please... this hasn't been edited nor proofread yet aaaa

[gianna-z-xdx]

His lips were warm. Desperate. Like he’d been waiting for this longer than he’d ever admit. You could feel it in the way his hands settled on your waist—strong, but gentle, like he was holding something precious. Like he didn’t want to break you.

You didn’t want to stop.

You didn’t know how long the kiss lasted—seconds, minutes, maybe more—but when he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, breath hot and uneven.

“This is a bad idea,” he muttered, his voice gravelly, more to himself than to you.

You swallowed hard. “Then why aren’t you walking away?”

His silence was answer enough.

He didn’t want to walk away.

And neither did you.

Simon leaned back slightly, searching your face like he was looking for regret—but there was none. Only flushed cheeks, parted lips, and the same thing he’d been trying so damn hard to ignore: want. Need.

He exhaled sharply through his nose, then turned and walked away—but only to the door. He reached out and locked it with a soft click.

Your breath caught.

The sound of that lock felt louder than any words.

When he turned back around, his entire posture had shifted. More tense. More certain.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” he said, voice low.

“But we are,” you replied.

He crossed the room in three strides, and the moment his hands touched you again, your body lit up like a match struck too close to gasoline.

This time, when he kissed you, it wasn’t hesitant.

It was fire.

Your back hit the nearest wall as he pressed into you, one hand braced beside your head while the other tangled in your hair, guiding your mouth to his like he’d die if you pulled away. You gasped against him, fingers grabbing at the front of his shirt, and he growled low in his throat—that sound sending heat straight through your spine.

His lips moved down to your neck, slow but deliberate, and you felt the scrape of his teeth as he mumbled against your skin:

“Tell me to stop.”

You didn’t.

You couldn’t.

Instead, your hand slid under his shirt, fingers brushing the hard lines of his abdomen, the scars etched across him like a map of every battle he’d fought—and survived. He shuddered under your touch, then pulled back just enough to look at you.

“You don’t know what you’re getting into with me,” he said hoarsely.

“Then show me,” you whispered.

His pupils dilated.

And that was it.

He spun you toward the bed in one motion, crowding you against the bottom bunk, the heat between you two nearly unbearable now. His mouth returned to yours with more hunger this time, more need, like he'd finally given in to every thought he'd buried for months.

The room was dim, the air thick, your heart threatening to beat out of your chest—and still, everything about it felt…right. Like this moment had been inevitable from the start.

But just as his hands began to roam further, exploring the skin beneath your shirt, his breath hitched and he stopped, forehead pressing to your collarbone.

“Shit,” he breathed. “I can’t… I want you. But not like this.”

You blinked, breathless and dazed. “Not like what?”

“Not in secret. Not with half my mind still in combat mode. You deserve more than just a fuck in a barracks room.”

His voice was rough. Sincere. Like it actually hurt him to stop.

Your chest ached with something deep, something unfamiliar.

“You’re not just a soldier to me,” he added, eyes locked on yours. “You’re not just someone I want to touch and forget about. You're in my head. All the time.”

You stared at him, heart hammering. “So what now?”

He exhaled again. Sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled you between his legs, resting his head against your stomach. His arms looped around your hips, holding you like he wasn’t ready to let go.

“You sleep,” he murmured. “And tomorrow, we talk about this. Properly.”

You threaded your fingers through his hair. “And until then?”

He looked up at you with eyes softer than you’d ever seen them.

“Until then,” he said quietly, “you stay here. With me.”

Hours later, you were lying beside him in the narrow bunk, bodies barely fitting, but neither of you caring.

You felt him before you heard him—the brush of his fingers against your hip under the blanket.

“Still awake?” he whispered.

“…Yeah.”

A beat.

Then: “You still want this?”

You turned to face him, barely able to see the outline of his face in the dark.

“Yeah.”

A pause. His hand slid up your back.

“Good.”

Because this time, he wasn’t going to pretend he didn’t care.

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