#saying that you'll sign a contract work for him do whatever it takes as long as he takes you away from idia | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

vicedmuses · 10 days ago

Text

Everything that had happened to reach to the climax had made his knees shake. The two of them had actually spent nearly an hour together already, most of that time spent hooking up with one another. Clayton felt a little bad that he couldn't return the favor. He could have simply asked Caius to wait around for him so that they can have some more fun later, but he didn't know when he would be done with his meetings. He didn't know how long the other would have to wait for him. Although he didn't think that he was going to be able to focus after the time that they had spent together. Everything was pulsing inside of him and he was only focusing on the man that was going to become his employee. There was no doubt about it either. No matter who else walked through those doors for an interview, there wasn't going to be anyone that impressed him enough to get the job. The man that was formally on his knees was literally willing to do whatever it took to get the job. Even blow the CEO of the company. That alone was an impressive feat. The fact that he made him reach his orgasm, the biggest he had shot in a while, spoke volumes about him. If he did all of that in a simple interview, what was he capable of when he actually started working in the company?

He took that moment to wipe himself off and dress himself up again. While all of his cum was swallowed by the other man, he had a bunch of sweat that had pooled up in his body during the whole thing. He couldn't go like that into his next meeting. Unless he claimed that his central air had managed to break down in the last hour and then it was back working again. Or that the heat was on the fritz, on and off. He also made sure to button up his shirt down to the last button and tuck it into his pants when he managed to lift them back up. Aside from the back that he was going to have to put his blazer back on to hide his sweat stains, he was finally starting to look more like himself in his normal moment. “I'm glad that you think so.” He coughed to clear his throat a bit, having to make sure that his words weren't splattering around. “I can easily say that you proved to be the best cock sucker I've ever had.” He took a piece of paper from a nearby table and started to write things down.

He was surprised when Caius had offered up his ass like that. The view was also a pleasant sight to see while he stood up straight again. It tempted him to reach over and give it a firm squeeze, but he would have to be strong for now. If he didn't, then he would end up cancelling all of his meetings for the rest of the day. “I have a bottle of lube here that I'll bring with me. Don't worry, even though you didn't get to see my skillset, I am also good with my tongue. I make sure whoever is going to take my dick is fully prepared.” His tongue, his fingers, toys, plenty of lube. he'd use everything that he could in order to make sure that Caius was warmed up for him. Then even when he started fucking him, he'd make sure to go slow. Clayton wanted it to last. If the blowjob took so long, he couldn't imagine how long having sex with one another would have been. He grabbed the piece of paper and then shoved it into the pocket of his jacket. He didn't want to risk putting it in his pants and then the paper slipping out while he was walking. He'd pay Caius that visit, sooner rather than later. He didn't care what he needed to do in order to get there. He was determined.

Before he could run off, Clayton grabbed a hold of the man's hand. “Not so fast.” He passed him the note that he had written moments before as well. A piece of paper with the proposed salary that he was going to give him. The package would include a sizable sign-on bonus and fifteen thousand more a year from what they were offering. Take that as a thank you for everything else that Caius was going to do for him in the future. Extra money for extra duties. “You'll receive a call from HR telling you these details and then the contract via email. Up to you if you want to take it off course. I'm not here to force your hand.” Then he smiled softly, moving his hand up to his cheek. “Good job today by the way.” Clayton leaned over to kiss him quickly. That way he was able to taste himself off of the other's lips. “I'll see you later.” The CEO let the other go and started to walk back to his desk. That way he could tell his assistant to let the next person in and so he could also take his seat again. Although, no other meetings would compare to what just happened.

Caius aided the man to rise to his feet in order to respond to the intercom by securing his hands around those flared, muscled thighs. It was only brief break away from his hands worshipping over those thick inches and full, fat balls. But never did he break his lips away. Not once. He had the majority of the man's length stored in his warm, snug throat. The muscles continuously grinding and churning over that powerful tool. Caius had to admit to himself; this was by far the most delicious and biggest he had ever had the pleasure of pleasuring. It came to a point where this was no longer about delivering his new boss with some oral relief; this was about him having an attractive, muscled-out man, granting him with the necessary space and time to worship his well-endowed cock. And boy, was Caius delivering. As Clayton spoke back to his assistant, the bobbing of his head alternated. From quick, shallow sucks to focus on swiping his tongue along the cockhead and that sensitive glands of the underside, to slow and deep ones, where he would have his face buried into that pubic area, chin pressed flush into his balls, throat full and bulging. This was a day he would remember for a long time. He could only hope Clayton enjoyed it enough to ask for it again. Caius was sure to comply. Plus, it helped to have an attractive, hung boss around to relieve any kind of tension, or to scratch an itch that needed to be sated.

When the message had gone through, he was alerted to the man's seriousness when both hands came to the sides of his head, it was a gentle but dominant gesture that made Caius' own cock twitch in his trousers. Whatever the case, the man's eager thrusts and powerful stance only urged him to continue, but despite his best efforts now, he still continued to gag, though he was not afraid or ashamed at how much drool seeped out of his mouth. It was probably a common occurrence in this office. Clayton seemed like the type of man to sleep around, so it was only natural there would be a lot of bodily fluids in his office or his home. He tried his very best to keep his eyes open for as long as he could. At times, he found it impossible when every fat inch was deep in his throat and other times, his vision was blurred by tears. What a view he had. Those tight abs, that pillar of meat he had been sucking on for God knows how long, the strong muscular thighs, proud and full pecs that were still hidden from his view due to his shirt. Caius wanted him. All of him. All to himself. Maybe it was the lust getting the better of him, but his desire to make the man happy was overwhelming.

When he felt that grip over his jet black hair, he knew what was to come. Not to mention how badly Clayton's cock was now throbbing, Caius could feel it in the visible veins over his tongue. By a pull and a forward thrusts, Caius locked himself in, bracing himself with both hands around to the man's muscled, large globes of his ass. At that first ejaculation, Caius' body retorted by choking. The man's load came in full and heavy, a creamy consistency that erupted in thick, immense loads. The man did his very best to swallow it all. Not a single drop went amiss. But he still struggled to both maintain the man's entire length, as well as to drink up every ounce of the prize he had for Caius in exchange for his service. Ever slowly and deliberately, Caius retracted his mouth, his gaze averting upwards, ensuring they made eye contact as inch after inch of Clayton's enormous length became visible again, all wet and shiny with a mixture of fluids. He paused, with only the softened texture of the head laying on his tongue, lips sealing around it while he brought one hand back, stroking the length from base to his lips, milking every last drop. He was surprised to see how much more came, so he opened his mouth, extended his tongue out to allow the remaining spurts to jet across that pink, skilled tongue of his. Caius went on to this for a whole other minute, even providing Clayton with a little more suction, enough to make his thighs tremble and for him to pull Caius away from his sensitive cock.

When all was done and dusted, he finally released the hold on the man, letting that weighted shaft hang down like the behemoth it was. Caius inspected it briefly; if this was going to be the only time he had to see it, he wanted a mental image of that monster. After some time, he rose back up to his feet. He towered over Clayton by just a few inches, but there was no mistaking the power dynamics between them. His voice was almost gone, it was deep and raspy, some vowels were even missing. "I was wrong," he cleared his throat, moving his hand across his mouth to swipe the frothy mixture from his groomed beard and plump lips. "That dick is very delicious and fun to play with." Caius' jaw was aching beyond belief. Throat and neck were worse. Even his cheeks hurt when he offered the man a smile. "I'll tell you what," he moved away, bending down just enough to grant Clayton with a view of that robust, large ass hidden away in his pants. Caius had leaned down to write down his address on a piece of paper, and stood back-upright to hand it to the man. "If you'd like to have a go at my ass, come to this address."

Caius wanted it; he wanted him. He was nervous about the whole thing. "Please, bring some lube with you if you plan on showing up. While my dick-sucking skills are the best in this entire city, my hole is a little too tiny and tight for a dick as thick and big as yours. You'll have to be a little gentle with me to start with," he added with a playful wiggle of his brows "Boss." Plus, the prospect of being in his own home meant he could be as loud as he wanted to (not that he would have much of a voice to moan, wince or scream out after what he had just done), slip into a shower if he needed to, be more relaxed, and be a little creative in the positions and locations. Standing directly in front of him, Caius looked down upon him as his hand reached upward, each finger drenched in saliva and pre-cum being licked clean. Without further ado, and not wanting to prolong his presence longer than he would have liked, he reached out to grab hold of his jacket; most of his casual hook-ups were the usual cum and dump, no aftermath or thank yous or praised kisses, even though deep down, Caius craved it.

Truthfully, all he could ever want, besides money, was a decent gentleman, with a delicious pipe, a fat ass, fit and charming, who could take care of him in all the ways possible; emotionally, physically, sexually.

#capiovis #c: caius #clayton.

16 notes · View notes

unholytrinitytrio · 4 years ago

Text

ASKING THEM TO PULL OUT

Pairing: Hawks x Reader, Dabi x Reader, Shigaraki x Reader

Warnings: Unprotected sex, Manipulation, Overstimulation, Degradation kink Breeding kink, Non con, Basically anything to do with cum

Word count:

HAWKS: KEIGO TAKAMI

Seeing you cry out of pleasure is doing wonders to his ego but seeing you oozing HIS cum would be the deal breaker. Problem is you won’t give him what he wants.

So in particular night where he was sure you were extra putty in his hands, he asked again if he could cum inside of you and when you denied again, despite his hard work, here comes the constant whining with a side of manipulation.

“Please just once, Let me do it” Hawks begged pulling out of you and just continued to pleasure you by just rubbing your nerve in lazy, slow manner, despite your constant whining to continue whatever he was doing before.

“Don’t wanna” you replied, pouting at him.

“If you love me, you’ll let me do it right?” Keigo now stopped his movement any pleasurable friction you felt before. He smiled in adoration back at you making you feel guilty of not letting do it just once. But you know it’s risky.

“Keigo you know that today’s my ovulation date right? I said it to you it’s still risky, still with pills and all” you frowned looking anywhere but him, afraid that his look of adoration would sway your previous decision.

“Then I’ll wear a condom, that good for you?”

“I thought you said you hated wearing one? That’s why we got the pills right?”

“I do hate it but for you I’ll do anything” he said charming you with his smile.

“O-ok then, but remember I have to see you wear one”

And that you did, you watched him put one although you can see a flash of regret cross his face that one time.

Continuing with where you left off, relaxed that you weren’t at risk of being knocked up you let him continue. Until he stopped for quite a time to reposition your legs, he said, until you felt him pressed himself on top of you, body tightly knitted in mating press position.

Entering you again you groaned at the sudden change in sensation of his dick. A sudden increase in temperature and heightened sensation of his veins rubbing inside you. And then it struck you, with nervousness increasing every time he thrusts right back in but not wanting to come off doubting him. You tapped his shoulders three times to garner his attention.

Still not relenting his thrust although he slowed down a bit in consideration of you he tilted his shoulder in a show of curiosity.

“You ARE still wearing a condom right?” you asked him a bit anxiously

‘Please say yes, please say yes’ you chanted back and forth

With a grin he looked back at you, you smiled back skittishly, hoping that you were indeed right.

“Maybe if you said 'I love you, cum inside me' I won’t breed you”

‘Bree-?!’

Like being doused with cold water you started pushing your self away from him, although it proved to no avail with his added weight on top of you effectively holding you back.

“Fuck, ‘m close” you heard him mutter before feeling him speed up his thrust

“I- I love you!” you yelped out hurriedly the first time.

“I love you too” he responded hips continuing it’s brutal pace.

“I love you, I love you, I love you, Keigo, Inside please! Cum please!” you chanted loudly, not caring who heard you right now, panic already setting in, feeling his dick twitch more with each passing minute.

“I know....I love you too” he grunted his response back, eagerly capturing your lips.

And then he stilled still. That’s when you felt ropes of thick hot cum spilling inside you. Crying with hiccups you felt your body slackened from the realization of what happened.

With a grin of a cat that got the canary, he stayed inside you hugging you tightly telling you that he’s excited to see you with his little one around your arms.

DABI: TOUYA TODOROKI

This man thrives on seeing his darling cry

“No more....No more please...” you heaved out already wrung out of orgasm, your thighs already straining from being held for too long

Oh you want him to stop? Best believe he’ll pull out slowly wanting to see you sigh in relieve, face plastered with dried up tears and drool, thinking that he’ll spare you today. And when he sees you start to relax he’ll thrust right back inside you enjoying your choked intake of air, and eyes brimming with fresh set of tears.

“I thought- I thought. You said- You sai-” you said shakily with his every thrust holding tightly on his shoulders for support. While still simultaneously trying to push yourself away from his onslaught of hip bruising thrust.

“I thought-I thought” he mocked you in a high pitched voice, repositioning his hold on your on his waist to fold you further until you felt your knees bucking on your shoulder.

“Yeah, you thought wrong. You had your fun. Best return the favor” he grunted smiling maniacally in response of seeing the look of betrayal from you.

With a high pitched yelp, your back arching to rub against him. He felt your walls contract and some warm fluid being squirted against his abdomen and pelvis. Not relenting his thrust rather opting to reposition himself in order to fasten his pace he growled loudly, pulling your hair to the side to expose your neck more to him he bit hard hard concealing his moan.

You almost went in and out of consciousness, not caring that Dabi’s using you as rag doll, until you heard him groaned about cumming inside you.

Like a cold water splashed on you, you jolted awake from the realization that this asshole would definitely shoot his load inside you.Thrashing weakly despite the soreness of your muscle, you actively tried pushing him off.

“Just not inside. Please, I’m begging you” you cried again, not caring that you sounded rather pathetically.

Wrong move, your crying, pleading face was the last push he needed.

He suddenly stayed still, face buried on your neck until you felt warm thick liquid spreading inside you, some of it escaping from his plugged dick inside you to form small puddles of your mixed cum.

Realizing the situation Dabi, put you through another set of fresh tears ran down your eyes. With a groan he carefully pulled him self out looking down where your bodies just connected to see small droplets escaping your entrance.

With a low whistle he scooped the droplets of cum escaping out of you with his thumb before plugging it back inside you, making you twitch pitifully at over stimulation.

“Now say thank you”

Looking back at him with bewildered look, you denied his demand.

“Do it or I’ll blow another load inside, you know I still have weeks worth inside me” he said holding at his rapidly hardening cock.

Sniffing you said “Thank...you...”

“That’s my crybaby” Dabi chuckled pinching your nose in between the knuckles of his fore and middle finger.

TOMURA SHIGARAKI: TENKO SHIMURA

Being his girlfriend you were already used to being wrung dry, especially now that the has a larger group of men to control and an increase responsibility to attend to.

It doesn’t hurt though if he could still relax from time to time. That’s where you come in, his dainty little girlfriend ready to be used as his personal outlet in more ways than one.

And when I say personal it means EXCLUSIVELY ONLY HIS. His old rag tag of gang knew that, of course they had to acknowledge it whether they like it or not. With the sound of constant skin slapping whenever the both of you occupy a random empty room, how could the not take a hint.

Although Dabi, enjoys riling up his ego maniac leader once in a while, trying to see how far he can go without the risk of being dusted.

Today of all days Dabu had to prank your lover into believing that you'll leave him for crusty ankles over there. And so it's now your job to sate his jealousy with his love language. Mainly physical contact which evetually leads to sex. So here you are now jumping his dick with every once of energy you had left.

He does have quite the vigor for someone who doesn't do physical activities on daily basis.

"To-tomura my knees hurt already let's switch" you said panting above him, he grunted in annoyance agaisnt his suckling of your breast.

Pushing you off of him he positioned himself behind you one hand carefully grabbung your hips the other on your breast pinching ang pulling it before finally re entering you with a groan.

Now that he think about it you never let him do whatever he wants. It was always 'Tomura don't do this or tomura I don't like that'

Stopping dead with his thrust you whinned needy below him asking what's up with him.

"I want to cum inside"

Alarmed at the sudden proclamation of his you tried looking back at him.

"No! Shigaraki you ca-?!" and with you felt your head shoved back into the bed muffling whatever complaints you had left.

Tomura figured he liked that. Having his way with you, no nagging, no begging, no nothing.

Grinning he started pistoning into you without a care in the world. Squirming around you tried reaching back at him successfully clawing at one of his thighs to signal he's already suffocating you by restraining your head with his palm.

You would have had lost consciousness if it weren't for the fact that he pulled your hair back to his direction grinding his hips at your backside.

Whinning in pain you tried jerking his hands off of your head but he Shigaraki took it as a sign that you want him to do it again. And so with every sharp thrust he'll tug your head further from side to side.

Feeling a migraine coming from his sudden on slaught of head jerking you just wished he'll cum faster. If it weren't for the fact that this asshole wants to shoot his load inside you.

Reaching around you he started to toy your bundle of nerves trying to stimulate your entrance to further constrict his member which proved successful, making you loose strength in your upper limb.

Face planted on the bed sheets, your lover held unto your hips tighter, his thrusts becoming sloppier by the minute until he stopped completely for a minute or two and then you felt the warm gush entering inside you.

With a groan, hoping to get yourself cleaned up, you tried crawling yourself away from him disgusted by his cum dripping out of his member still lodged inside of you.

That is until he pulled you back again to him re sheathing his flaccid dick inside, successfully pushing back his remaining cum inside you making you shudder in disgust, and horror at what he is trying to imply.

With a grinning face he said the next of his many demands.

"I want to see how much of my load you can handle"

#bnha imagines #mha imagines #shigaraki x reader #shigaraki thirst #shigaraki headcanons #dabi x reader #dabi thirst #dabi headcanons #hawks x reader #hawks thirst #hawks headcanons #bnha reader insert #mha reader insert #unholytrinitytrio #beaniewritestrio

1K notes · View notes

rosafione · 4 years ago

Text

"Come Closer."

title; How Far Will I Fall, 'Till You Catch Me In your Arms

pairing; xiao x reader

desc; you never really lacked the guts for these kinds of things, but before everything else, you valued his feelings, and most of all, his consent. in the end, it still takes two to tango.

a/n; xiao drabble xiao drabble xiao drabbleee now, he might be ooc, im not sure, but this is mostly just an hc if you guys are close— to an extent muahahahahaha

Time was at a standstill for a certain young adeptus.

For someone who's lived a millennia, you'd think two months would only feel like a second. Before, Xiao would not deny the frequency of those moments— of loneliness, and melancholy; Of time spent watching the Guyun Stone Forest and awaiting his time to strike.

Every day that passed was one spent with his guard high, back then.

And yet now, those moments seemed as if they existed in a far different time. A time before the Traveler plunged Osial into the ocean, stripping them of their adeptal duties and eliminating a cause for Liyue to seek their guidance.

Though possibly the greatest disparity from that time could be that.. It was a time before you— before he had you by his side.

You were a mortal, one he considers to be above average, yet a mortal, nonetheless. You still had times where your humanity catches up to you, and you are left vulnerable in the hands of the evil that lurks among the lands of Tevyat.

Xiao met you at your weakest; But he watched you grow into your shell.

It wasn't as if he regarded you with any special fondness. At first. You were no different from any other mortal that walked Liyue— a fragile creature he was tasked to protect, and a being he needed to steer clear off, lest he harm you with his adeptal energy. (Death from the sheer force of it was no stranger to him. He does not want to carry another human's death on his shoulders.)

Xiao had a complicated relationship with the mortal realm. It was not disdain he harbored for humans, only vigilance and curiosity.

Their realm and the adepti's were two worlds apart.

What differed you from the mortals is that you crossed that distance. And somehow, you stood before him, right in the in between.

He wonders how you do it; You've always been unyielding in his presence. He knows you are aware of his prowess, but every time he looks at you, there is nothing but fondness and adoration he sees in your ancient gaze.

You offered him Almond Tofu almost every day. It makes him anticipate your troubles, yet you do no else other than indulge him in small chats, and silly escort commissions into the mountains or the forest. At times, you'd just watch him feed on your offerings.

He knew it was a bribe, the Almond Tofu. You did it almost everyday— Until you didn't have to.

At some point, Xiao stopped denying your presence. He's warned you enough— He respected you enough to know that you were an adult, and you could think for yourself. And though the moments you'd offer him were memories worthy to look back on, he dares not seek you out.

But he didn't have to. You always came to him first.

His relationship with you only grew from there. It was no earth-shattering occurrence, that's for sure. It was a parasite that he didn't know had been rooting itself into his being so deeply that he cannot bring himself to part with it.

Though if not a shocking event, it was still a crushing revelation.

"Good day, Xiao."

The lady-in-charge, Verr, seemed to be searching for something before her gaze flitted back to his. "No Y/N today?"

"Y/N is off to the harbour for a few days," he'd answered instinctively as he walked to the usual table prepared for him near the kitchen.

"And you didn't come with?"

His slit brows raise in confusion. "Why would I?"

"Oh dear, my apologies. I just figured—" a bashful chuckle leaves her— "Since I see you guys together all the time."

He frowns at the memory. It was a realization that started his resolve to put some distance, yet it was also the beginning of your.. lengthy travels.

When your few days became a few weeks, his resolve easily yielded to his eagerness in meeting you once more.

Time used to pass by swiftly, but nowadays, a year spent with you feels as if he had already spent half of his life.

He sighs, shaking his head at himself. "Reduced to just standing around. How absurd."

"If you think standing around was such an absurd concept then why do you still reject the idea of travelling with me?"

The familiar voice wills him to rip his gaze away from the scenery.

He knows it is yours— your steps, your scent, your weight, your presence. Xiao feels you the moment you stepped into the inn. Yet he does not move, run, nor show any sign of the buzz that vibrates from inside his chest.

Yet when he sees you, you are beautiful, safe. Ephemeral.

He forgets every aching minute he's spent in the eight weeks you were not in his vicinity.

Time runs again.

Still, everything about you is slow; The way you walk carefully to his side, the way you drag your fond gaze from his, to the scenery before you.. The way your hair flows and dances with the evening breeze.

He knows. The wind has always favored you.

"Ever since meeting the Traveler, all you've talked about is travelling," he chose to say.

"With you."

"What?" he frowns.

"I mean that yes, all I've talked about is travelling—" you chuckle bashfully, averting your eyes away from his— "That is, travelling.. But with you."

His eyes widen, then hardening with a purse of his lips, before he turns to glare into the distance. "My answer will not change. I cannot leave Liyue."

"And my reply is the same," you sigh. "The place does not matter. As long as we'd be together."

It is a sensitive topic, and an inevitable taboo.

There was a line neither of you should ever cross— a line he's put there himself, and one he disdains all the same.

Silence ensues. It is a frequent occurrence, ever since you first brought up the prospect of adventuring. Stubborn and troublesome. Xiao finds himself needing to track back in conversations just to figure you out.

Mortals were such complex creatures.

And yet it was so easy for you to read him like an open book. Or so he assumes. You always knew how you'd deal with him. Even Xiao knows that it is no easy feat.

"You're always like this," he grumbles.

You do not answer, and he settles for the tranquility, all the tension leaving his body; And for once, after two months, he felt as if he could actually breathe.

He wonders how much longer he'd be stuck in this area of torment and bliss. Wonders how much longer he'll continue to drag you into it.

Wonders when you'll snap and just leave him all together.

He frowns grumpily at the thought.

"Can I?" you ask.

Xiao looks into your eyes— swirling hues that didn't return his gaze, far focused on a lower part of his face. His lips, he realizes. Your gaze had been focused on his lips.

The epiphany wills a streak of crimson to rise to the tips of his ears, and his own focus is stolen away by the pink appendage that wets your lips.

"Your question is incomplete," he says instead, feigning ignorance.

Shaking his head, Xiao crosses his arms and forces himself to concentrate on your eyes. Only on your eyes.

Maybe then, he wouldn't get so distracted.

"Regardless of how your question would go, I don't understand why you need my opinion," he huffs, grumbling. "It's your body. You would know it best."

You press your lips together. A gentle, bashful smile spreading on your face as a fond look emerges in your eyes. "My apologies," you chuckle. "It was the wrong question to ask."

He faces you to narrow his eyes at your suspicious behavior, but he's far too distracted by the way your hand lifts, trailing from the side of his neck to gently cup his cheek, and his breath hitches, eyes widening.

Warmth radiated from your touch. Xiao knows better than to reject such touches any longer when with you. So he leans into it, presses his head closer to your palm, closing his eyes and exhaling in surrender.

"What i meant to ask was," he opens his eyes to look at you.

Your gazes clash. They meld and melt into each other as you slowly raise yourself closer and closer — or perhaps it was him who'd been leaning down.

The hand that traces the tattoo on his right arm, as well as the other that caresses his face with an aching gentleness, reels him in. enthralls him. It lures him into succumbing to your presence, and his body goes through that familiar feeling of softening under your touch.

"May I?" you whisper.

Suddenly, you are leaning in more eagerly— more determined, as if with a clear intent in mind. He thinks he understands your words enough now, swirling in his mind, goes through consideration, and the one practical response he could muster with his focus in a jumble is to deny you permission.

He gulps soundly; He can't bring himself to.

Xiao thinks this is it, watching you move in as he struggles to keep his eyes from fluttering shut. He thinks it would be this moment— this moment in which he dooms the unspoken rule between mortals and adepti. Dooms the contract he's worked so hard to fulfill in service of Lord Morax, now Zhong Li. He'd doom your friendship, or whatever it is you've offered him up to this point.

Yet even then.. Even then, he doesn't say no.

He stays quiet; Waiting. Wanting.

It's funny— the mortal language, how one could switch out a letter, and a word would seem that much different.

It was true, nonetheless.

Xiao waits. Xiao wants.

He wants the closeness, the intimacy— the affection you provide. He wants your lips to meet his just to know if it is as soft as the rest of you is. He wants to see if a kiss— curious, like a child— truly lives up to the countless tales told by the experienced. He wants to know.. If you will give him those answers.

His amber eyes meet yours. He does not breathe, as if doing so would scare you away. As if doing anything would give you a response he does not want to give.

It is enough. Your noses bump for a second, his eyes fluttering closed; Your scent wafts from beneath his nose, crisp burning incense, molded into the fresh smell of the forest that is brought about by the wind.

He curves into you, a single thought shaking him to the core, making him tremble - so utterly pathetic.

'Please..'

Your lips do not meet.

And suddenly, there is too much air between you and him.

Xiao opens his eyes to see you trailing back, fidgety— you looked like a walking contradiction, twitching fingers trying to cross the distance, gaze darting between looking away or staring regretfully at his lips.

There was a crimson hue staining your cheeks, he noticed.

"Why.." he whispers, then catches himself.

The inside of his chest strains from all the emotions he has to keep hidden— all the emotions he has to keep denying.

Disappointment. Loneliness. Exhaustion. Desperation.

Xiao wants.

You couldn't believe you almost kissed him.

It was a heavy violation of contract— not that you two had ever agreed to one, but it was an unspoken compromise. It was a truth you both knew, yet continued to ignore.

So that this— whatever this was, could survive.

Archons, you almost laid it all to waste!

(Either way, any decision would still leave you with regrets, had you continued or pulled away.)

"Ah, would you look at that!" you laughed out loud in a panic, perhaps to cover up the tense atmosphere. "I did it again! I asked a question without completing it, yeah? Guess it's a really bad habit on mine!"

Xiao does not answer. You spare him a look. And you wish you hadn't.

He looks dejected, disappointment and frustration showing through his slit eyebrows and wide eyes.

As if your choice was a surprise to him.

As if he wanted you to continue.

As if.

You couldn't deny you wanted it, too. Whatever he could give you. And, more.

You mentally scold yourself, knowing you're already stretching Xiao's patience with your friendship as it is.

You have to remind yourself that Xiao is immortal, and no matter how humane he may seem, you cannot trouble him with matters such as the turmoil in your heart.

It's really hard to say anything, when all the thoughts that circle in your head is how wonderful he is. How amazing he makes you feel. How he is all you've ever wanted for the whole year since you've realized you'd developed a certain affection for him.

"Sorry, Xiao," you say, throat tightening with bubbles of emotions threatening to spill. "I should.. Go away, for some time."

( And the first thing Xiao thinks is to dejectedly reply 'Again.?' )

"No," he says all too quickly, detaching from the banister.

"No?" you echo, confused. "N-no what?"

"Stay," he says, but it is not a command. Not from the adeptus. It is a soft request; A wavering plea that reaches to you soul.

"Where?" you ask. 'How far?'

"Here," he whispers now. "With me."

You push your luck, craving just a bit more patience from Xiao.

"Close?"

You could see Xiao consider. His eyes showing his heart, but his silence showing his mind.

He gives in.

"Close."

That day was the nearest you've peered, held and embraced Xiao's soul, moving closer, and softly leaning your forehead on his, clenching onto the white fabric of his shirt as he loosely wraps an arm around your waist— under the watchful eyes of the night sky.

There is still a distance that Xiao dares not cross.

And for now, maybe it's enough.

#genshin ff #genshin drabbles #xiao x reader #genshin xiao x reader #genshin xiao #genshin angst #genshin fluff #yes im tormenting both reader and xiao #yes im also crying #WE NEED THESE ONCE IN A WHILE #pining #mutual pining #MAYBE IT'S ENOUGH TMT

227 notes · View notes

dragon-kazansky · 3 years ago

Text

Recipe for love | Helmut Zemo

Chef Zemo AU! 👨‍🍳

Gender neutral reader

Dedicated to @rumblelibrary

This one is a little short, but it's setting up the plot.

[Previous chapter] - [Next chapter]

Part 11

When you arrived at the restaurant, Zemo called you into his office. He promised it wouldn't take long and you could get to your baking later.

You stood in front of his desk, waiting for him to speak. He sits down as he looks at you.

"I'm sick and tired of you," he states.

You scoff.

"The feeling is mutual."

"No. No! Don't speak," he glares at you. "Your attitude needs to change. If it doesn't, you could very well ruin me."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" You grin.

Zemo bangs his hand on the desk and stands up sharply.

"STOP! Behave! That critic wanted to meet you, but I had sent you home. I sent you home because you're a brat. You're annoying, you're selfish, and you piss me off."

You glare at him. A brat? Sure, you were a brat. Maybe he should teach you a lesson.

"You feel threatened by me?"

"I do. You'll ruin all my hard work if you don't get your shit together."

"Then fire me."

"I should fire you," he hisses.

"Then do it!"

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" He asks.

"My problem? I'm wasting away in your kitchen. I deserve so much better than your shitty attitude. At least Peggy and Steve knew kindness and love. I got stuck with the Grinch. I hate ever agreeing to sign that contract. You make life miserable and you hold people back from their true talents. Wake up and smell the roses, Zemo. There is more to life and this shit you give us. Maybe you need to get laid, let that anger out in the bedroom. Whatever it is, sort your shit out. I don't think I can take much more of your attitude. And for the record, I could ruin you if I wanted. There is nothing stopping me."

Zemo is seething.

"You're fired."

You stand there and stare at him.

"Go on. You hear me. YOU'RE FIRED."

You scoff, smile, laugh. You turn on your heel and march out of the office. You didn't think he would do it. You thought he needed you.

Well, apparently you were wrong.

You headed to the only place you knew you could go. To the only people you knew you could rely on right now.

Peggy answered the door.

She was smiling until she saw the expression on your face. She ushered you inside and had you sit down. Steve came in upon being called on. Peggy made some tea and you all sat down.

"What happened?" She asks.

"I was fired," you tell her. No point trying best around the bush.

"Fired?"

"Yes. Zemo fired me."

Peggy and Steve look at one another.

"Hold on, but we read the reviews. There was a critic there last night, right?" Steve asked. You nodded. "They said the most amazing things about your desserts. Why would he fire you?"

You sigh.

"Because I'm an asshole too."

Peggy frowns. "You are not!"

"Oh, but I am. When you put fire and fire together, you get more fire. All Zemo and I did was butt heads and fight all the time. He's a horrible and cruel man, and I told him so."

"You always did have to speak up," Steve chuckles.

"If you stay quiet, people can walk all over you. If you stand up for yourself, people know not to mess with you. The only problem is, Zemo doesn't care. He walks over everyone and never stops shouting."

Peggy sighs softly.

"What are you going to do?" She asks, keeping her voice gentle.

"I'm going to show him what happens when you mess with me. Zemo will beg for my forgiveness."

"Don't do anything reckless."

"Reckless is all I know how to do," you say, standing up. You thank them both before you leave.

Meanwhile at the restaurant, they're open for business.

Natasha and Thor realise you're not there and grow concerned. Zemo is acting odd, but he hasn't brought up your lack of presence.

They share a look. They know something must have happened.

Zemo glares at everyone. He told the waiters to tell the customers that desserts were limited today. Just the things he could whip up after he calmed down.

You had made him so angry.

And yet... he missed you in his kitchen. He wished he hadn't lashed out like that. He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth, but firing you wasn't something he could just take back.

He had fucked up.

If Zemo could have got you to change... maybe he could have taken this further.

Your words rang though his head.

He knew his attitude was shit. That's just the way he was. It was also why he was so alone. He couldn't change, he didn't know how.

However, what stuck with him the most was your last few words. It sounded like a threat, just how he thought you would be.

"I could ruin you if I wanted. There is nothing stopping me."

Zemo wondered if he had pushed you too far. If he had been nicer, would you have been nicer too?

He sighs.

He tries to focus on his cooking, ignoring the way Thor and Natasha kept looking at him. He wasn't in the mood to yell at them.

Because then you would just prove to him you were right.

He also remembers your teasing.

"Maybe you need to get laid, let that anger out in the bedroom."

What a strange thing to come out with. Why would you say that to him?

You hadn't thought of him like that... had you?

He shakes his head, is this wishful thinking? Did he want you to think of him like that?

Now he was sure there was something wrong with him.

By the end of the night, he's the only one at the restaurant. He sits in his office, staring at his computer screen.

At some point in the near future Michelin will be paying him a visit. He won't know when. He will warn his staff tomorrow. He needs them to be ready.

He will take over desserts for now.

Everything has to be perfect.

Natasha rolls over on her bed when her phone pings. She unlocks it and reads the message.

She had tried to contact you as soon as she got off work, but you hadn't responded to any of her messages or returned any of her calls. She was worried about you.

Now, more so.

You: I'm going to ruin him. Zemo won't know what's happening until it's too late. He is ruining my career, I'll ruin his. Don't try and stop me, and I'm sorry, this may affect you too. I just need to do what I have to.

She tries to reply.

Nat: What are you talking about? Where were you today? What's going on?

You don't reply.

By early morning you have done all you needed to prepare. All you had to do was wait.

You sent one last message to Natasha.

You: Will you let me know if something happens at the restaurant? I need to know what's going on.

You pocket your phone and rise from your seat.

Time to find another job.

@lieutenantn @rumblelibrary @bigtiddythanos @timmvrphy @vverliebt @thatoneartgalsstuff @apparrio @mischief-siriusly-managed @hb8301 @zemosimp05 @madhatter2727 @aarielsea @genderfluid-demon-alex @thesuitkovian @handmaiden-of-mischief @malkaviangirl @charistory @killeromanoff @latenightartist-author @belle82devart @alindeluce @anteroom-of-death @mssennimatilda @unbeatablecurlgirl @bruhidaniel @nonamec0s @fablesrose @lemairepstuff @marchingicenotes7 @scuttle-buttle @fictionlandslanddreams @awhorewithissues @secretly-a-weeb @thehuiabird

#zemo x reader #marvel #helmut zemo x reader #au #helmut zemo #zemo #baron helmut zemo #chef zemo au

97 notes · View notes

hughiecampbelle · 4 years ago

Text

Being The Smartest Shelby Would Include:

Polly knew you were smart from the start

She said so when you were a baby, but of course no one believed her

Everyone thought their kids were special, but you really were

Born just a few years before Finn, you weren't the baby, but you definitely weren't the oldest, so it was hard to be taken seriously

It started with your homework

You spent a lot of nights trying to tell your siblings it was just too easy

You weren't just getting every answer right, you were finishing pages of work in minutes, faster than anyone in your class

Eventually, you moved on to your brothers work

Finding it discarded on the table, you recognized Johns scraggly handwriting

He'd only made it halfway through, so you decided to finish it, even fixing some of his mistakes along the way

You wanted to show them what you'd done, but of course no one listened

At least, not until you stood on your chair and demanded that someone look over your work

It was a bit dramatic, and made for an embarassing story later, but you wanted to be heard

They did, finally, and they were shocked

Tommy handed it to John, who passed to Ada, skipping over Arthur, who eventually got it to Polly

"Well?"

"It's right, all of it. . . ."

"Fuck."

It wasn't just math though. You were reading every book you could find, even the ones your siblings struggled to get through

You had a knack for puzzles, for figuring things out no one else could, able to pull things apart and put them together just in your head

Polly knew, and she was going to do something about it

Anything she could find to keep you entertained, occupied, your mind at work, she'd bring it home

You had an incredible memory too, remembering everything from the contents on the back of bottles you brothers drank from to entire speeches Polly gave when all of you were misbehaving

It was amazing, to say the least

You were a kid when your brothers went off to war, so it was mostly Ada and Polly who spent long nights with you at the table over homework

You didn't think it was fair, that you were forced to stay in school when none of your siblings were

Polly called it a gift, said you shouldn't take it for granted

She had big plans for you, the kind of career kids like you could only dream of

Finn grows up with you reading to him every night

Even helping him with schoolwork, though that didn't last very long

It still irks you Polly let's Finn drop school, not even getting past reading himself, but you know better than to push the subject

By the time your brothers come back, thankfully all in one piece, you've become a bit of a myth or legend around the Small Heath

Not only are you taller and with more acne, a young teenager, you've made a name for yourself, and a business

After school you could be found with a hat on the ground, getting pocket change for your "abilities"

Showing off and splitting the money with friends, you put on shows

Memorizing the faces of strangers, drawing them almost perfectly by hand, reciting lines of poetry from class all from memory, etc.

Sometimes you bring Finn along, promising candy for his silence, making him part of the act

Your favorite is showing off the languages you've lesrned, switching between Romani, French, Italian, and German (to name a few) without a second thought, so effortlessly

Arthur caught you once, but instead of saying anything, he simply cheered you on, laughing at the fact that your business was doing better than the familys

You spent a lot of time in the shop like Finn, growing up there, but never really allowed in on business, not even to listen

Instead you were ordered to be quiet and focus on your studies

And you did, for a few years, slipping notes to John about what you thought would improve business, pressing your ear to the door to listen, putting up with being categorized as "one of the kids" with Finn

And then you made an announcement, one that almost killed Polly

You weren't going to university, and instead you'd be joining the family business

Your aunt put up a good fight, but your brothers were more than happy to welcome you, with rules of course

Ada wasn't too thrilled either, knowing how smart you were, and how special it was, but she wasn't going to stop you

Pol was, or at least she was going to try

"You could be anything you want y/n."

"And I choose this."

"You're-"

"Wasting my potential? So you've said."

You'd be more behind the scenes, working on the business side rather than the side with razors and guns

Your brothers were more than happy to hear that, though you'd gotten more than a few comments muttered by Pol

If you really wanted to, you could always be a doctor or a lawyer later in life, for now this is what you wanted most

You were finally part of your family

Within the first week, you have a full list of what could be improved and you're center stage in the family meeting

To say that was nerve wrecking was an understatement

Tommy had his doubts, of course, but John knew you'd been keeping their heads above water for a long time

"Go on then, you've got our attention."

You were the one they went to check over the books, the numbers, catching mistakes no one else did

It wasn't just spelling mistakes or addition issues, you were taking stock in inventory, in all the bullets that were wasted, the little things that went missing that no one seemed to notice

It didn't take long for you to work your way up, prove yourself not only to Tommy, but Pol too, showing her this wasn't a waste of your time

She's still not thrilled, but you're as stubborn as the rest, and she knows it's a losing battle

At least you're being smart with your work

Tommy made you check over every contract and agreement he made, making sure he didn't miss a single detail that would screw them over

He brought you to the races too, working out probability, though your math was shaky at best under that kind of pressure and uncertainty

You were the one counting the profits and losses too, weighing the options of whether or not to invest

You're really the only one who knows just how much the family makes

That is a dangerous thing in itself

You make friends quite easily

Not only can you speak an array of languages, bonding with everyone, but you've got that Shelby charm and good looks, too

You're quite popular, though your brothers constantly get in the way of any potential relationship

You're smart though, and not just for their gain, but yours too

If and when you're ready to date, you'll find a way

Alfie adores you

Tommy drives him mad, but he'd have you over any day

Not only does he love the fact that you can keep up with him, witty beyond belief, but your Hebrew is perfect

"So, you're the brains behind the whole operation?"

"Something like that."

You're brought along to a lot of in person deals

You pick up on things no one else does, remembering the littlest of things that can and will be weaponized if need be

Their kids and spouses names, the way they look at you, how they speak and carry themselves

It doesn't take long for you to know exactly who they are

"They're lying Tom. I know they are."

"How can you tell?"

"They look away when they answer, their eye twitches, and they always lean forward when they're saying something true."

"You got all that from a five minute conversation?"

You're not only their beloved little sibling, but the perfect weapon

They don't teach you how to use a gun, but you've been watching for years, making note of every tiny detail

When you do use a gun, which is inevitable, it's a perfect shot

Arthur and Tom insist you carry something with you, but you're fine sticking with a simple razor

The guns can stay with them. . . .

Not only does it come in handy with work, but your family, too

You pick up on the way Arthur escalates, talking him down before there's a full outburst

You know the nights Tommy does and doesn't sleep just by the sound of his voice, the way he signs his name

You know when to check up on Ada if she's not doing well after Freddies gone, even if no one else can see the hurt in her eyes

That's the thing everyone seems to forget, is that you're not only book smart, but people smart, too

Constantly making fun of your siblings right in front of them

"Pol, y/n's making fun of me!"

"I am not! You don't even speak Russian."

"No, but I can guess."

He'd never admit it to you, but Finn really is amazed by you

Ever since he was a kid he always looked up to you

School and homework and all that never came easy to him, and it lead to him giving up, so the fact that all of this comes so easy makes him proud to be your brother

"Y/n, curse in a language we all know or don't say it all."

Along with learning weapons along the way, you pick up on how to be a nurse, tending to whatever it needed

From your nieces and nephews scraped knees to bullet wounds

"Do not get blood on my new shirt!"

No one really suspects you to be listening or watching the way you do, so when they need it, you go "undercover"

Gaining the trust of the enemy, pretending to be a stranger that just so happens to get their attention as if you hadn't been figuring out what makes them tick, distracting them with drinks and small talk

If anything goes wrong, you picked up on how to get away, how to fight without getting too much attention, and not just by watching

With a memory like yours, there are some things you'd like to forget and can't

A lot of things do leave you with nightmares, with flashes of panic, with this dreadful feeling in your gut like you'd seen it all before

At one point or another you've called your siblings and aunt in the middle of the night, just to check up on them, see if they're okay

Begging your brothers to be more careful

They rarely ever listen though

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"I can't go on a date."

"Nope, not until you're forty."

"Come on Arthur, you can't scare them all away."

Despite all this, you're still treated like a child

Your siblings still see you as that smart little kid correcting their work and growing bored of even the most complicated things

No matter what you do or say, you'll always be small in their eyes

#i got a lil carried away :P #headcanon #peaky blinders #peaky blinders headcanon #thomas shelby #arthur shelby #john shelby #ada shelby #finn shelby #polly gray #ennasfavorites

230 notes · View notes

wendystales · 3 years ago

Text

Memories - lrh (Chapter Seventeen)

Memories (also on Wattpad)

Chapter Sixteen ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ Chapter Eighteen

Marnie pov.

I don't know if it was hangover or guilt, but my head was weighing a ton the morning after the party. Unlike everyone, I didn't wake up in a good mood, in fact I was pretty quiet at breakfast. Lucky for me, no one suspected anything, as the hangover gripped everyone there.

As yesterday was still Saturday and most had to work, I didn't have to run away from anyone. Since my plan had been in action since Monday, I took the day off to start packing up some things, trying to get everything as ready as possible.

For today, I had left only the final adjustments, like packing my suitcase and getting ready for my conversation with Luke.

The pain in my throat becomes more and more unbearable every time I hold back the cry. I fold up one of the band sweatshirts I have, watching the boys' faces, wanting to reinforce why I'm doing this.

I run my finger over Luke's face, as if I'm touching him. Friday's flashes flood my mind and I scold myself for nearly screwing it up out of sheer desire. Of course I wanted it as much as he did. Feel his touch, the desire and love he manages to emanate so naturally. I don't think I've ever felt so alive and so amazing in anyone's arms as in his, but it couldn't happen.

The doorbell snaps me out of my thoughts. I hurry downstairs, thinking it's Martin with the paperwork.

“Noah?" I give my friend room to enter. "Aren't you supposed to be at that lunch?" I check my watch and check the time, 1:37 PM. “Noah?” I call him, wondering at his frown.

"I wanted to come talk to you directly so we don't have any misunderstandings and to see if that way I can understand what this should mean." he hands me a folder. I open it quickly feeling my blood pressure drop. It was the paperwork I was waiting for. "What's this about moving to New York?"

"How did this get to you?" I try to control my breathing and head into the living room, feeling the urge to sit down. I start to think of a million excuses and ways not to have this conversation since it wasn't part of my plan.

“In case you also forgot, I work at the company. I am the owner's son and above that I am your advisor, everything that happens to you must pass through me at some point. Now tell me what this story is." I don't think I've ever seen Noah this angry.

“I received a job offer and decided to accept.” I know my voice has cracked, but I pray he doesn't notice. Noah stares at me for a few seconds with a more confused and displeased expression.

“I've known you for two years. You're going to have to try harder if you want to deceive me. Marnie, you just signed a rehearsal contract here in LA. If you got a proposal, you would know from me. Does this have to do with the fact that you're weird these days? What? Did you go without saying anything to anyone? That's it?” I remain silent, feeling everything go downhill from there. Slowly, a fury starts to build inside me. “Marnie, what's going on?”

It's not just the countless times I've heard this question throughout the week. I believe it's because I'm not in control of anything right now. About me being forced to do all this, not being able to tell my friend what's going on. All of this makes the question so much bigger and deeper than it really is. And it makes the fury that's brewing inside me grow.

“My God! Nothing! It's not happening anything. What a bag!” the scream breaks my mouth, coming out louder and angrier than I expected. “I am fine! When are you going to understand this?” he doesn't seem to be frightened by my scream, just standing there with his arms crossed and expressionless.

"Maybe when you stop lying and tell me what's going on?" he makes fun of me. A cynical laugh comes out of me as I go to open the door and ask him to leave my apartment. “You weren't like that, Marnie." I get irritated again. I can't explain where so much anger comes from, let alone contain it.

“Surprise, Noah, I'm like that. This is Marnie and always has been. Now if you don't like her, I can't do anything. Your ‘Marnie’ is gone and it's just me. And I'm going to New York whether you like it or not.” along with the anger, I feel like crying, but once again, I hold back with all my strength.

Noah nodded thoughtfully. I know it's a scene, that he's going to attack me again, he's just choosing his words.

“Then that's it? You mess it up, make everyone believe that everything is fine, and leave without warning. Is that what you're going to do?” the judgmental look bothers me.

"I didn't mess anything up."

“No?” he laughs falsely. "I don't say for myself or for the girls, but haven't you been giving a certain someone hope, making him believe you could get back together? And now you're going to go away and let him suffer without caring?” he raises his eyebrows.

I suck in the air harder, making it burn. The fire burns stronger inside me. The desire at the moment is to break everything.

“Do not do it.” my voice breaks. I close my eyes, pulling myself together. “Do not do it! Don't think I'm not suffering from having to make this decision either.” I can't hold back the tears, not caring about them anymore either.

“You're? Cuz it doesn't look like.” I close my hands, squeezing them tightly. I try to control the urge to scream, scream in hate, in anger, in pain and most of all, scream that he is being unfair to me.

“Of course I'm suffering.” once again I scream. "Do you think not?! Look at me! Do you think it doesn't hurt me to have to do all this?! Leave him here like this and not be able to do anything?! Of course it hurts. Why do you think I'm doing all this?! Because I love him! I love more than one day I thought it was possible to love someone. I'm doing it for him. But there's no easy way to do this, I don't have a choice.”

“Everyone has a choice, Marnie, you're just choosing the one you find easiest.”

"Does this sound easy to you?" I interrupt him, opening my arms, showing me. I dry my tears exhausted. “I made my choice and I appreciate if you respect. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish packing my bags.” I open the door for him.

My friend doesn't say anything else, just heads towards the door.

“Feel free to share my plan with the others.” I say tough.

“No! I will not do that. You made your decision, you did the shit and now deal with it.” Noah doesn't even wait for the elevator, taking the stairs.

I slam the door, feeling that anger still burn inside me. I rest my eyes on the wall where my photo is. I go to it, pulling out the wallpaper, tearing off part of the image. I'm not mad at Noah, I'm mad at myself, at the way it all went and where I went.

If I weren't a model, I could be living my life without any problems. Luke would still be the guy in the band I only knew one song about. I would be happy and free from all that pressure.

Still needing to release that anger, I grabbed the flower pots near the door, throwing what was left of my image against. My throat hurts from sobs and my heart clenches when that feeling arises.

““Wait, there's an eyelash.” I say to Luke, trying to catch it. “OK! Make a wish.” I lift my little finger at him.

He was about to take the stage at the Capital Summertime Ball. Luke stares at my finger thoughtfully and smiles, apparently determined.

“Be my girlfriend?” he sounds curious. I stare at his amused face, making sure he's kidding me.

“I'm serious.” I push his shoulder with another hand. I gasp when I see Luke kneel down with the guitar.

“Me too.” he shrugs. I start to laugh nervously, covering my face but careful not to lose my eyelash. I can hear the muffled laughter of the boys beside us, just wanting to hit each one of them.

“You need to blow to see if your wish comes true.” I say, already knowing my answer and I suspect he does too. Luke stands up blowing his flying eyelash.

"Boys, it's you, come in." a production guy yells, already pushing Ashton onto the stage, who is followed by Calum.

Quickly, I grab Luke's face, like I always did before he took the stage.

“Yes!” I give him a peck, watching him smile. Luke hugs me, stealing another kiss, running up onto the stage happily.

“This was definitely the cutest, most improvised request I've ever seen.” I open an even bigger smile, hearing Ryan beside me. I lay my head on his shoulder, swallowing the happy cry I wanted to let out.””

I don't know how long I sat staring at my torn photo, with a horrible pain in my chest. I hug my knees like the coward I am, not wanting to accept that the time has come.

Luke pov.

I jot down one more note in the melody I'm creating. The idea came up in the morning and if I didn't work on it now, I would forget. I go back to playing the piano following the sequence, when the bell interrupts me.

Petunia doesn't even make an effort to get up, remaining on the couch, snoring.

I open the door feeling my heart race. Marnie was standing there with a serious expression. I conclude that she came to tell me what was going on and I am relieved that I will finally understand what is happening.

“Can we talk?" I'm surprised by the hard look.

I make room for her, who goes straight to the living room, standing in the middle. I let a weak smile emerge, remembering all the times she's done this. I stop a little away, giving space, because I know how important this is to her at these times.

"I believe you came to tell me what's going on." I keep my hands in my pants pockets. M&Ms nodded.

"I came to break whatever we have." I don't know how to react. In fact, I'm not sure I got it right. “Look I tried, I really tried, but…”

“I'm sorry, what?”

For a second, I wonder how I got back to two years ago, where we had these fights almost daily. Where we were too dumb to want to accept. If it weren't for the pink hair, I would be convinced that it would be 2018 again.

“I tried to feel something for you, but I couldn't. And there's nothing I can do.”

I stare at Marnie, confused. I replay the past few weeks in my mind, all our moments together, and I can't believe a single word she says. I know everything was real. Every smile and laugh, every flushed cheek, every look and especially every kiss. Come back to Friday. How can she say there was nothing there?

“You gotta be kidding me. After all we've been through this month, do you have the courage to try to say you didn't feel anything?” my tone rises.

It doesn't make any sense. Her speech, her request not to forget that she likes me and today this? The pieces don't come together.

“Sorry. But I can't go on with this anymore.” I can see your gaze looking around the room. She's lying, why is she lying? For me on top.

“Why are you doing this?” Marnie looks at me confused.

"Because I'm tired of carrying this…”

“No! Why are you lying to me?” her eyes roll. I get close enough to be able to hear and notice her breathing.

"I have no reason to lie to you. If you can't accept that a girl doesn't like you, that's your business.” she passes me at the mention of leaving. But I hold your arm.

"So Friday was my hallucination? The two of us in the bedroom. You on my lap. All that desire and lust, was it a dream of mine?” your pupils dilate.

I can see she's thinking right now, can feel her pulse increase. She felt something, all this time, she felt something. I don't know if it's that insecurity from the beginning, the fear of getting involved, of getting hurt that always kept her away from me. The fear that I would be like him.

“I drank a lot.” her voice breaks the silence. I let go, covering my face, laughing indignantly.

“Oh my God, Marnie, why are you doing this? It's clear you're lying to me. Tell me what's going on. Is someone blackmailing you? Threatening you? Is it Stephen? Did he mess with you again?”

“There's nothing going on, Luke. I just don't love you.” she says with her head down.

The sentence cuts through me, causing agonizing pain. I feel my body retract. Your voice comes back in my mind in different tones and shapes, telling me every time you loved me. Whispering, screaming, in normal tones, even the day she swallowed helium gas.

My eyes burn. I don't want to cry in front of her, not out of shame, because I've cried a million times, but out of pride in not accepting that I'm hurt.

“I didn't want to go that far.” her restrained voice hovers over me.

I look at Marnie, not recognizing her. This is not the girl I fell in love with. The girl I spent nights awake just imagining what it would be like to go out with her, what it would be like to hold her hand and see her smile at me. The girl I spent mornings admiring sleeping. That I wrote love letters. That several times made me forget even my name just for saying the same thing. It's not her.

But it's amazing how I still know she's in there, somehow. Maybe Marnie was right that day, she didn't want to feel like an intruder in her own life, but she was.

She herself undid everything we built. Everything we've fought so hard has fallen like a house of cards. The promises made at dawn about our future together, vanish with the wind. I know they weren't empty, but the girl who made them with me isn't here.

“I'm so sorry. I-”

“Say it looking at me.” I stare at her resolutely.

“Don't do that.” she begs in a whisper.

Her eyes flood with despair and I delude myself, even with pain. Her mouth opens several times, but her voice doesn't come out. Her eyes blink several times, trying to ward off the tears that are forming there. I watch her body hold the air.

“What? Weren't you so determined?! So convinced?! Didn't you come here for this?! So say it looking at me, not the walls, like you're doing.” her jaw locks. “Two years ago you came here to look me in the eye and say you wanted to try, you came to ask me for a chance for both of us. So now look into them and say you don't want it anymore.”

Marnie stares at me lost. I pray, I beg her not to make it, for her to give up on this stupid idea. That deep down she says she's afraid to surrender. I wouldn't mind ignoring this fight and pretending nothing happened. Then I would hold her and make her feel like I would protect her from everything, make her feel loved. But my thoughts change and I lose hope when I watch her take off the necklace I gave her.

“I'm sorry.” she puts it in my hand. Right now I don't mind letting the tears fall. I stare at my hands feeling destroyed. Her lips touch my cheek lightly and so she leaves my house and my life.

““What is this?” I open a smile watching her approach, openmouthed. “Luke, what is this all about?” her eyes run over all the details with curiosity.

For a few seconds, I don't know what to say. I lose my breath watching how stunning she looks in this flowery dress with wavy hair. Holy crap.

“Our first date.” I shrug. Marnie breaks into a beautiful smile, making her cheeks blush. The sparkle in your eyes enchants me.

“Luke, when you said a date I swore we were going to a restaurant, I didn't think…” her voice trails off, giving way to a delighted laugh.

"Have I exaggerated?" I approach her, looking at the small tree with scattered lights and the table for two with two candles. "If you say yes, I'll be upset." I make fun of her.

“No! It's perfect, is that… I didn't expect this. Not all of that.” she whispers. "Did you do all this?" she looks at me in surprise.

“Good part. Except the food, the intention is to impress you, not make you run away from me.” I look at her teary eyes and feel amazing for getting it right. She liked.

I take a deep breath, trying to control my breathing and my nervousness. I wanted to leave Marnie speechless, wanted her to make sure I was worth it. And even with all the effort, she managed to leave me speechless yet. My God, how could someone be so beautiful like that? Am I really that lucky to have gotten her attention? I mean, do I deserve her?

“I do not know what to say. Thank you.” I get lost in her eyes, feeling the butterflies in my stomach grow. It couldn't be possible for me to be in love with her that fast already, could it?””

Marnie pov.

Air doesn't reach my lungs, no matter how windy it is. My chest and throat hurt so much my body recoils with every sob. It was like sand in my hand, running through my fingers, I couldn't hold it back.

As torture, I replay the scene in my head again, watching his blue eyes lose their luster and let those tears fall. I wanted to hug him and tell him I was crazy, drunk. That deep down I was completely in love with him, and I didn't even need my memories for that. Luke is so amazing that he managed to win me over again and I believe he could a million times over. I wanted to say that I want him, I want him more than anything, but I can't.

The doorbell pulls me out of my private cell, my mind, prompting me to question whether the bomb had ever gone off. It would probably be Leah or even Ashton, but I don't want to deal with anyone right now. I don't want lectures, I don't want judgments, I just want to stay on the couch until tomorrow when it's my time to go to New York.

I crawl to the door finding the last person I want to see right now. John Letterman has a huge, excited smile, in contrast, my face is red and swollen from crying for the past few hours.

“Hi, Marnie, how are you?” Cursed the day I ran into him at the studio.

“What are you doing here?” John plays offended.

“I just came to ensure that everything is going with our agreement.”

"What does it look like?" I point to my face. “It's all just the way you made me do it.” I turn around, entering the still-destroyed apartment.

"But what happened here?" he looks at the destroyed hall in disgust.

“You, John. Just you and your disgusting manipulation.” John shakes his head laughing.

"I didn't put any gun to your head to accept this. I just showed you the truth, you are destroying the career of 5 seconds of summer. Your person's association is putting their contract and their tour at risk. You're the one who decided to walk away.” he smiles satisfied.

I break eye contact, too exhausted to debate.

“I'm glad you lived up to your part of the deal and I hope this is the last time we've crossed paths.”

"Then we are two."

“But if I hear you're trying to get close to Luke again…” the tone of voice pisses me off.

“I've already done my part, but if you keep pissing me off, I'll go to Luke right now and tell him the whole truth.” I threat, nervous. I try not to show that his laugh makes me confused.

“You know, I missed you, Marnie. That innocence is really funny.” John stops laughing and approaches. "Do you think Luke wants to see you now?! Why do you think I'm here knowing everything?! He already called me, asking me to schedule the trip. He hates you now, Marnie. You broke his heart. I don't care what useless word you say to him, because he won't believe it. Here.” he takes his cell phone out of his jacket. "Want to call him and tell him?! I will help you.” he returns a venomous smile.

“Get out of my house.” I say through teeth.

"What's up, Marnie? Don't be so passionate. After all we are friends.” he makes fun of me.

"I said 'get out of my house.'” I scream, picking up a decorative vase beside me and threatening to throw it at it.

John doesn't look scared, but heads for the door.

“One day you'll thank me, Marnie.” he says before closing the door. I throw the vase, screaming, seeing it crash against the door.

The urge to go to Luke and tell the whole truth becomes much stronger, however, even if I don't want to admit it, John was right, Luke must hate me by now, making everything I say empty. On the other hand, I remember that I'm doing this for him.

I know at any other time, if I knew the band was going through something like that, I would do anything to help. Now, making sure I'm the problem, I want to become the solution and if that meant having to walk away from it then I would, after all their success and happiness could be mine.

I want to have faith that a few years from now, when everything is better, maybe I can get Luke and the others to understand why I'm doing this. Maybe we can even be friends if he doesn't hate me.

I give up, going up to my room for a shower and straight to bed. It's horrible knowing I need sleep to be acceptable for tomorrow, but I can't turn my head off. Even exhausted, I go over every fight I had today. Noah, Luke, and John's voices mingled in my mind, draining me more and more of my energy, but not to the point of putting me to sleep.

The night slowly drags on and the approach of dawn makes an anxiety rise within me. Yesterday they could have held back so they wouldn't come to debate anything, but I doubt that someone won't show up today and, given my state and mood, I'm sure I won't have the strength to fight.

For the few seconds and times I dozed off, I dreamed of the doorbell ringing, of Leah screaming for me to open the door. Finally, when the clock struck a little after five, I decided to get out of bed. Wrapped in the duvet, I walk to the kitchen, making tea. With my drink ready, I walk over to the couch on the balcony, watching the sky clear up for my last day in LA.

Passed morning, I go for a shower with the intention of getting rid of this weight. I lock everything in my room, not knowing when I'll be back. In the closet, I grab Luke's box and pull out my diary and some of our Polaroids. I also take the little white box, carefully storing it in my suitcase.

I walk around the house, closing windows, turning off power and stuff. I don't worry and much less care about the mess I made yesterday, if I ever come back to this apartment, I'll ask for a huge renovation, not wanting to remember anything from that time.

Around 8:00 am, I tell Martin that I want to go to the airport early, wanting to avoid any of my friends or family. I had already talked and said goodbye to my parents before the party. I'm relieved when he says he's on his way.

I take one last look at my apartment, accepting my defeat. I pick up my bags, already going downstairs and moving forward as much as possible to just leave, I just didn't count on Ashton at the front desk of the building

"Ash?" I call him on impulse. My friend turns to me, apparently not at all surprised to see me with my bags.

“Can we talk?” he questions calmly.

“I need to go to the air-” I try to dodge him, but Ash steps in front of me.

“Five minutes. I do not want to fight. I just want to understand you.” he interrupts me.

“You don't understand, Ash.” whisper. “I need to go.”

There's one thing I've always admired about Ashton, that peace he has and emanates. He in no second judges me with his gaze, in fact, this calm almost makes me tell everything, trusting that he would listen to me and believe me. But in seconds this idea loses strength, after all, Luke would not believe me and John could still harm the band.

“You know, I remember the day we met very well. You were the new student in yoga class and I was happy to have someone my age there. We weren't the best students and we talked too much, which caused us to be thrown out of class.” he laughs a little. “But even without that, we became good friends. It is not?”

“Yes,” I whisper, trying to understand where he is going.

“Marnie, I can't explain what was different with you, but I really didn't want to lose touch. I wanted you to be my friend. The problem is, in the end, I took care of you like my little sister. I think I projected that onto you. I've always taken care of Lauren and Harry a lot and I miss them sometimes. I always wanted to and will always protect you, but I need to know exactly what.”

“Ash…” I try to interrupt him but can't.

“I lost you once, in that fucking accident. I lost you to amnesia. I don't want to lose you for a silly thing. Marnie, please just tell me.” he pleads, holding my hands.

It pains me to see him like this. I can see the desperation in his eyes, just as I saw it in Luke's eyes. I know it hurts, but it has to. Ashton was definitely the best friend I've ever had in all my 23 years, I don't need my memory to prove it. Just a conversation with him and I realized our connection. Really, Ashton is the big brother I never had and I'm grateful for that.

Without the strength to want to convince him of the story I had already created, I pull his body to me, hugging my best friend for the last time. He doesn't deny the hug, squeezing me tightly, as if to stop me from going.

“Thanks for everything, Ash. Please don't forget my speech.” I give him a kiss on the cheek, ready to get into the car that has just arrived.

'It wasn't by chance that you and Luke met.” I stop at the door, turning confusing to him. “Ever since I've known you, I've known you'd be perfect for Luke, you're almost the female version of him. I just gave you guys a little push to see each other, because I knew the moment he saw you, he was going to fall in love with you.”

I stare at Ashton for a few more seconds before turning towards the car, feeling the tears wet my cheek once more. I didn't need to be an expert to know that yes, Luke and I were made for each other, but unfortunately, not all soulmates end up together.

I'm so sorry, I know I'm late. I have a undergraduate thesis at the end of the year and I am too busy with it. But I promise not to delay this amazing fic for you anymore. Thank you so much for all the support and affection, you're amazing. Until the next chapter!

P.s. which I will post in a few hours, after all, it's the least I can do after a month of delays. See ya! xoxo

14 notes · View notes

eryiss · 3 years ago

Text

Ship: Freed x Laxus

Rating: Teen

Prompt: Soulmates

Summary: THE S0U1MATE SYSTEM. A week-long experience guaranteed to find you your soulmate. Laxus had dismissed it as nothing but crap, and brought himself a ticket to prove it. It would have gone well, if it weren’t for the handsome guy running the program who kept catching his eye.

Notes: This was written as part of Fraxus Week 2021, as always hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus. Check out their blog to see all the other content.

Links: Event Masterlist ||| Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction

THE S0U1MATE SYSTEM

Year: 2055

Location: Tokyo, Japan

"Laxus Dreyar," A robotically cheerful voice echoed through the room. "Please step into the preparation area."

Rising quickly, Laxus strode through the reception room and towards the door that had lit up. The animated emoticon projected onto the wall followed him as he walked, and the glass door shimmered out of existence as he approached. Once through the archway, the glass flickered back into place, and the emoticon went back to its unanimated state. So far, Laxus had yet to be impressed by THE S0U1MATE SYSTEM.

It claimed to be an experience that will end up matching an attendee with their soulmate. You paid your fee, gave up a week of your life, trusted in the system that it would work, and supposedly you'd end up meeting the love of your life. Laxus was only there to disprove it.

Well, also because Ever had paid for it, and he knew how much it costed. But mainly he went to disprove it.

So far, he'd undergone a full body scan, had his social media accounts interrogated, and submitted a completed questionnaire that covered everything from best first date ideas to how he dealt with the inevitability of death. This was apparently so the algorithm could create a profile for him, and was not reflective of how the program would be. According to the guidebook Laxus had absently flicked through, the morning of the first day was slightly tedious, so to better match him with potential lovers. It all seemed stupid – as far as Laxus was concerned, romance was born out of coincidence and chemistry, not a list of things you liked and didn't like – but he was willing to undergo it all just to prove how it was a waste of money.

Each day, he would go on an 'Experience' with a match. It was a simulation of a first date, purpose built to the two people's shared interests. Some people went on candle lit dinners, some people went into an escape room, some people were stranded in the middle of the ocean with only each other for company. Every experience was tailored to the participants.

At least it would be interesting.

Laxus walked down the corridor, following the neon arrows that pointed him to another shimmering glass door. The pretentious modernism of the building was obvious, and it showed off every ridiculous advancement in technology in the most frivolous ways. It couldn't be a more obvious money-making scheme if it tried.

As he walked through the door, he saw a man standing at a podium. His date, perhaps.

Well, if that was the case, they at least knew his type.

Tall, long legs with some obvious lean bulk to them. Well dressed, in clothing that clearly was trying to highlight his physique but not in an obvious way. His face, looking down at the tablet attached to the podium, was sharp and angular, with high cheek bones and a slightly jutting chin. A mole rested below one of his vibrant eyes, and a long main of flowing green hair hung down to his waist. He was hot and Laxus grinned; at least he would spend a bit of time with a sexy guy.

As Laxus approached, the man looked up with a polite smile. He didn't make a move towards him, as Laxus expected, and continued to tap on the tablet before him. The lights gained a bright blue and the small room illuminated itself.

"You must be mister Dreyar," The man said in lieu of a greeting.

"Yeah, nice to meet ya," Laxus nodded, stepping forward and offering the man a hand to shake. He took it; he had a good grip on him. "Guess you're my date for the evening."

"Ah, I'm afraid not," The man denied, and Laxus frowned a little. "I work here, I'll be overseeing your simulations throughout the week as part of a quality control test. You'll meet the man who you've been set up with in the simulation itself."

"Thought the system was supposed to be automated?" Laxus asked, retracting his hand, and taking a step back.

"It is. A few times a year someone is called to watch over, to make sure it's as streamlined as possible," The man looked back down to his tablet again and began typing, and a small bubbling of curiosity grew in Laxus. Nothing he'd act on, but the face of concentration on the man was an attractive one. "I'm surprised you weren't informed beforehand; I must admit. It's in the contract you signed that this could happen, but the company does like to warn people before things begin."

"It ain't a big deal," Laxus shrugged, looking around the small room. "I ain't really sure how this part of the process works, so maybe you could help. I didn't catch yer name, either."

"Freed Justine," The man introduced himself, smirking ever so slightly. "In a moment you'll walk through those doors," he motioned to the aforementioned doors, "and the simulation will begin. Your date will walk through another set of doors, and you'll meet then. We like to have dates meet for the first time mid-way through a simulation, as it feels more natural than meeting beforehand. Once you've spoken for a while, the activity of the simulation can begin."

"How do I know what the 'activity' is?"

"It's normally fairly obvious. If you were, for example, white water rafting, you'd be placed on a dock with a boat already attached to the rapids," Freed explained, looking up from the tablet again. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Laxus would have rather known what he was getting into before it happened, he felt like it would give him an advantage. He couldn't dwell on that, though, as the floor below him lit up. Pulses of light seemed to guide him to a corner of the room, where an odd glass cylinder stood. Clearly they were informing him that he was to get inside the cylinder and, after a nod from Freed, he did as he was instructed.

The cylinder closed as he stepped in, and a flicker of nervousness dwelled inside of him as the glass seemed to seal itself shut. He glanced towards Freed, who gave him a short smile, before a flash of light erupted from above. It only lasted a moment, and Laxus took a second to understand what had happened.

His clothing had changed. Where once he wore an outfit he saw as worthy for a date, he now wore a tee-shirt, shorts, and sneakers.

"The hell?" He murmured under his breath.

"That's the outfit that best fits what kind of date you'll be having," Freed explained as the glass unsealed and Laxus could step out. "Partly it's to better round out the simulation, but I think it's mainly so we don't get sued for property damage should your actual clothes get stained or damaged."

"How romantic," Laxus murmured, before looking down at himself. "Am I having a date in a gym or something?"

"Yes, actually. One of your shared interests is combat sports, so you'll be placed in a boxing arena," Freed said after looking towards the tablet. He thought for a moment, then frowned. "I probably shouldn't have told you that."

"Glad you did, I like being prepared," Laxus shrugged. "Boxing's hardly romantic, though."

"For the right person, it is," Freed retorted. The lights around the simulation door lit up green, and Freed smiled. "Speaking of the right person, the simulation is ready, so when you're ready please step through. I hope you enjoy your date."

"I'll certainly try," Laxus nodded. "And if I don't, I get to punch the guy."

Freed laughed, and Laxus approached the door and refocused his attention on his goal on disproving the systems worth. He knew that the guy in the simulation wouldn't be his soulmate. If the company was worth it's price, then they would have understood that Freed was a better match for him than some random guy who happened to like to box. Still, once this was over and he'd disproven their complete success claim, he might get Freed's number. It wouldn't be a waste of time.

---

"So he wasn't the love of your life, then?"

That was what greeted Laxus as he walked into the preparation area outside of the simulation. It had been a day since his first date, and Freed stood before his tablet again as if he'd been waiting for Laxus to approach. He probably had.

"Wouldn't be here if he was," Laxus shrugged. "You saw how it went. Hardly compatible."

"I suppose not."

The date itself wasn't awful, in fact it was pretty fun. As Freed had stated, he'd been taken into a simulation of an old-fashioned boxing gymnasium, where he'd met the guy. He wasn't bad looking, and in pretty damn good shape, but they hadn't been destined for a relationship and they both knew it. Though Laxus couldn't say it was time wasted, as they'd exchanged information and said they'd workout together at some point. Laxus had always found it hard to find a spotter who could match his weight, and the guy could certainly do that and more.

"The first dates don't typically be where people settle," Freed continued, tapping at his tablet, perhaps setting up the next simulation. "The first half of the week has a low success rate, honestly. I believe it's mainly collecting information to better inform the matches later in the week, so don't be disheartened."

"I wasn't," Laxus shrugged. "If I'm honest, I don't believe this is real."

"I thought as much," Freed chuckled. "Though you probably shouldn't have told a member of staff that. It might taint my view of you."

"What are you gonna do. Throw me into a simulated volcano?"

"I could," Freed grinned, and it was a pretty nice look on the man. "But the real danger is that you say it to a member of staff who's gone through the program and who met their partner through it. They can get somewhat defensive, and they'll do whatever they can to make you believe it will work, and they'll be rather annoying while doing so. It's something I know from experience."

"You ain't been through it?"

"No, I'm hardly in a rush to find someone," Freed shrugged a little. "I believe that these things will happen when they're meant to, so why force them? And yes, before you point it out, it's hypocritical of me to say that while working here."

"Never been tempted?" Laxus asked.

"Of course. I know you don't believe it but I've yet to see someone leave the program without meeting someone they eventually fell in love with."

Freed didn't seem like the kind of guy to say bullshit like that for no reason, and the honesty in his tone didn't feel as though he was parroting a line from a corporate memo, so maybe he did believe it. Admittedly Laxus hardly knew Freed, so he couldn't make too many judgments about his person, but the fact he seemed to believe that this could find him true love was a little intimidating. A pragmatist like Freed – that's what Laxus thought him to be, anyway – wouldn't say that if he didn't believe it.

A horrible thought suddenly hit Laxus. He might actually find someone who he might fall in love with. That was… worrying.

"You won't need to change clothes today, your date won't require it," Freed said, looking up from his tablet again.

"Good to know," Laxus nodded, trying to ignore the nervousness that was filling him. "You gonna tell me what I'm doing?"

"No," Freed shook his head. "For all we know, if I didn't tell you yesterday, the date might have been entirely different."

"Nah, I don't think so," Laxus chuckled, walking towards the podium Freed was standing behind and leaning on it. He grinned at the man, who looked up at him for a moment before averting his eyes. "Tell me, I'll complain about you to yer manager if you don't."

"What a horrible threat," Freed said sardonically, though he did look down at his tablet again. "It's a fairground with a circus performance at the end. And apparently your date is something of a gymnast, and so there's a high chance that he'll get on stage and perform for you."

"Is that gonna be impressive or is it gonna make me wanna claw my eyes out?" Laxus laughed.

"He's a professional athlete, so I suspect the former," Freed grinned a little.

They chatted for a few minutes more, and eventually the lights around the door lit up again and guided him towards his second date. Laxus pushed off from the podium he was still leaning on, ignoring the teasing comment that he should adjust his posture if he wanted to impress his future husband, and walked through the door and into the simulation of an outdoor fairground. As he crossed the threshold, he didn't notice how his nerves had disappeared completely.

---

"I'm startin' to think your program ain't as good as you're saying it is."

Laxus spoke as he walked into the preparation area, and Freed looked up with a small grin on his face as he approached. Laxus had the slightest falter in his step as he saw that Freed had his hair tied up in a high ponytail, rather than using the low band he'd had on the two previous days. Seriously, the simulation had matched him with two random men and not the beauty before him and yet still claimed to be the best matchmaking system in history. Ha.

His second date hadn't been bad, exactly. The guy was hot in his own way – and someone with a scene/punk interest would have been all over him – and he was entertaining the entire time. But he was a little too much for Laxus. Constantly wiggling eyebrows and euphemisms. Good for the right guy, but not for Laxus.

"We're still collecting data, every date is an improvement on the last," Freed waved off the complaint. "For example, you seemed to enjoy the games you were playing, so a bit of friendly competition is something you'll like in a relationship," Laxus had to admit, someone who could challenge him was a turn on, so the system had gotten that right about him. "That's certainly been taken into account for this date."

The way he'd said the last sentence, with a hint of amusement and restrained laughter, made Laxus nervous. He didn't push the topic, partially out of fear.

"We'll see how confident you are when the week's over and I've turned everyone down," Laxus shrugged.

"You're determined for this to fail for you, aren't you?" Freed asked with amusement, and Laxus didn't deny it, instead choosing to shrug. "Is that why you're here, do you see yourself as the man to take the system down and prove how much of a scam it is? Because we've had literally hundreds of people try that and we've yet to have an unsatisfied customer."

"How do I know they've not been silenced?" Laxus joked, grinning as he walked closer to Freed. "Or worse, you killed 'em, blended their bodies up and sold it as a health drink or something?"

"Because we're not in a poorly written young adult novel?" Freed chuckled. "We actually just burn the corpses, it's much less messy."

"Knew it," Laxus laughed. "You gonna tell me what you're gonna put me through today?"

"Absolutely not," Freed grinned. "And I won't move on that today. Because nothing is going to please me more than seeing your reaction to it."

"Why, it's not weird is it?" Laxus frowned, looking concerned now.

"It depends on your definition of weird, I suppose," Freed smirked, and if it weren't such an attractive expression on the man then Laxus might have taken issue with it. "I'll simply say, I expect it's weighted slightly more towards what your date will enjoy rather than what you're going to enjoy."

"Or you could just tell me what's gonna happen," Laxus prompted, and Freed shook his head.

"You'll require an outfit change."

Laxus sighed a little, apparently the topic was to be dropped. He walked to the glass pod in the corner of the room and allowed it to close behind him, and he turned to look at Freed in expectation. Freed pressed something on the tablet and the light flash of light filled the cylinder a moment later, the same chill running over him as his clothing was replaced.

When he saw his reflection, Laxus found himself more confused than anything. He was only wearing swimming trunks and a large life-preserver. He could swim fine, so didn't know what the hell the point of that thing was, and turned to Freed again in confusion.

Freed, who had apparently been looking at him, immediately turned away, and Laxus could see his cheeks redden.

Huh. Had Freed been checking him out.

"You really not gonna let me know why I need to wear this?" Laxus asked, stepping out of the pod, and lifting one side of the life-preserver. Freed looked back to him, pointedly looking only at his face, cheeks still covered with the slightest dusting of a blush. Laxus wanted to focus on that, and maybe flex his abs to see if he got a reaction, but instead spoke again in a jovial tone. "You know if I drown in a simulation, I'm gonna get a lawyer right?"

"I doubt that will happen," Freed said, seemingly forcing himself to shake off the blush. "It's just a precaution."

"You wanna tell me what it's a precaution against?" Laxus probed.

"No," Freed grinned again. The lights above the door lit up, and Freed's grin widened. "And it seems you'll be finding out now."

Laxus wanted to push the topic more and find out what he was going to endure, and he very nearly ignored the flashing green lights and did just that. He almost did, if it weren't for the fact that he also wanted to take off the life preserver and give Freed an unhindered view of his chest to see what happened, so he clearly wasn't in the right mind to be making decisions. He was trying to disprove love could be found in this place, flirting with the guy was hardly helping his argument.

As he had the previous two times, Freed wished him luck as he approached the door. Thie time, though, it was tinged with amusement, and Laxus felt a swell of anticipation as he walked through the door.

The simulation was… interesting. It took Laxus a moment to realise he recognised what he was seeing, and a further moment to remember what it was. When he was a kid, his grandfather had watched old reruns of a gameshow: Wipeout. It was a ridiculous set of obstacle courses, where idiot contestants tried to win money but usually ended up looking like assholes, falling into water after being hit by giant mechanisms covered in foam cladding. It was cheap entertainment where the contestants were there to be laughed at, and apparently Laxus was going to be enduring the damn thing.

He turned around quickly, watching as the doors flickered out of existence, Freed's smirk being the last thing he saw.

---

The moment Laxus walked into the preparation room, he was met with a bursting of laughter. He crossed his arms, watching as Freed tried and failed to retain his laughter. It took longer than it should have, and it was tempting to shake the bastard. He would deserve it if he was laughing at what Laxus thought he was laughing at.

"It ain't that funny."

"Oh it truly was."

Laxus grit his teeth. His third date had been the most interesting, that was for sure, but it had also been ridiculous. He'd been forced to go through three stupidly weird obstacle courses, competing against his date, who was a loud-mouthed idiot with stupidly pink hair.

Multiple times, he'd been pushed from the course and into the unnecessarily cold water. The loud cackling from his date seemed to be shot straight into his ears the moment he broke the surface of the water, and the man's amusement at Laxus failing seemed to double each time it happened. During the last round, when he'd been knocked down a slope of gushing water by a barrel of all things, Laxus had to stop himself from swimming over to the man and clocking him on the nose. He'd probably be kicked from the system, so he talked himself out of it and instead put his focus onto winning the game. He had, and the brat annoyingly wasn't bothered at all.

"He was fucking annoying," Laxus muttered as he walked closer to Freed. He leant against the podium again, closing his eyes in exasperation. "Good luck finding him a guy to match with."

"Actually he's on his fifth day here, and everyone other than you said they wanted to match with him," Freed informed him, looking over the tablet. He was being cagey in letting Laxus see the screen surely the next date wouldn't be as bad as the last. "So you're the outlier in the set. He's remarkably easy compared to you."

"Honestly, kinda offended by that," Laxus muttered.

Freed breathed out a laugh, before placing the tablet back onto the podium. Laxus didn't spare it a glance, and instead looked towards the clothes-changing pod to see if he would need a new outfit. Seemingly knowing that, the pod lit up and directed Laxus to enter. With a small sigh, he did.

Once inside, the flash went off and his clothes were replaced by the appropriate outfit. Thankfully, this time he'd been replaced by an actual normal outfit. A dinner suit, perfectly tailored for his body. It was entirely black and white and, while he definitely looked good in it, it wasn't exactly what he would have chosen for himself. He liked his clothes to have at least a splash of colour, and suits could have that in a tasteful way when done right.

"Before you ask, you'll be having dinner today," Freed informed him as he stepped out of the pod. "Fairly simple, but I think that's more than earned. Most people only have one peculiar simulation, you've had nothing but."

"Lucky me," Laxus murmured. "Wanna tell me about the guy?"

"No," Freed shook his head. "Though I should say, it's at this point in the program where the system starts to understand what you're looking for. So it's entirely possible that he might be the person you end up with."

"I doubt it," He rebuffed, glancing at his reflection in the pod.

"Just go in with an open mind, that's all I ask," Freed said, typing on the tablet again. "The gentleman you've been set up with supposedly has a ninety two percent match with the data on you we currently have. There's a good chance that this might go well if you let it."

"You know I wanna disprove this, right?" Laxus grinned. "I ain't gonna help you."

"Well, lets make a deal," Freed smirked. "If you go into your date with an open mind, I'll promise not to put this on YouTube."

Laxus went to ask what, but the lights lowered, and a projection appeared on one of the blank walls. Watching the video, Laxus felt his blood run cold and his body tense, and a glare was soon aimed at Freed for what he'd done. The grin, which could only be described as shit-eating, he got in return only went to further annoy him.

The video was of Laxus' previous date. All the instances of him falling off the course, and into the water, had been put into a montage, with ridiculously obnoxious circus music blaring behind it. Laxus looked like a damn asshole. When the footage slowed down, showing him getting punched in the face by a foam-covered fist, only to lose grip of the handholds and fall face first into a pool of mud, Laxus openly growled.

"Delete this."

"Absolutely not," Freed smirked. "You heard my terms. Give your date a chance and I'll make it disappear. If not, the whole world gets to see you looking like this."

"Yer an asshole, you know that?" Laxus asked, though he couldn't help fighting a grin.

"I do," Freed nodded, and Laxus barked out a laugh. "And your date is ready for you. Have fun."

Laxus waved a hand towards him, walking towards the door and adjusting his jacket as he did so. He supposed he would give this date a chance, just to avoid the humiliation of that stupid video being leaked onto the internet. If it went well, then he'd meet a guy he might be interested in. if it didn't go well, then he could spend the entirety of the next day planning some kind of revenge on Freed for forcing him to endure such a night. That would be fun.

---

The date had been… interesting. Freed was right, the guy had certainly been the closest to someone Laxus would consider getting into a long-term relationship with, and that had somewhat spooked him after the date had ended. He'd been completely certain that he wouldn't meet anyone even close to what he wanted, and hadn't allowed for any deviation from that mindset. Having that belief challenged was worrying.

The guy was smart, silver tongued, and pretty sexy. He wore a suit to perfection, knew all the right things to say, and was flirtatious by nature. Which was all good, and certainly wasn't a turn off, but it wasn't enough for Laxus. He was all too focused on flirting, and didn't show off the other facets of his personality, which Laxus had wanted.

But if he had done that, what then? What if he had a good sense of humour, or was passionate about random things and would happily speak of them for hours? Laxus liked men like that, and his date had been dangerously close to that.

What if he'd gotten Laxus to match with him? What would happen then?

Those thoughts were plaguing his mind as he walked into the preparation room. He hadn't prepared himself for actually meeting someone, certainly not someone he wanted to get serious with. Laxus didn't get serious with guys, he was more of a love them and leave them kind of guy. It was part of the reason he wanted to disprove this place; not everyone was looking to find a guy to settle down with, and Laxus saw himself as one of those people. But the entire selling point of THE S0U1MATE SYSTEM was that it matched people together in relationships that would last.

Who even was he when he was in a relationship? Would he be one of those people who obsessively cleaned their home to impress their partner? Would he have to constantly be thinking about dates and things to do? Would he have to buy the guy flowers? He didn't know how to do that shit. He didn't think he even wanted to do that shit.

"Laxus," Freed asked, cutting through Laxus' growing panic. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry, fine," Laxus lied. He didn't say anything else.

Freed didn't push conversation, apparently noticing that Laxus wasn't in the mood for their conversations. Laxus walked to the small sofa that he'd previously ignored, sat down, and listened to the gentle tapping of Freed's fingers against the tablet. He closed his eyes and tried to drown out his thoughts.

He wasn't ready for the date this time, because if they were meant to get better each day, then the guy he'd be matched with next might one day become someone important to him. What if he fucked the date up and the guy didn't wanna match with him? What if the guy was perfect for him and he didn't feel anything? Maybe he'd spent years sleeping around, never being with the same guy for longer than a month, and it'd fucked him up somehow.

"If you'd like to enter the pod," Freed prompted, and Laxus looked up to see the clothing pod lit up.

Doing as he was told, he walked into the pod and waited for his clothes to change. After it happened, he felt that his pants had been replaced by something uncomfortably clingy, and he frowned a little. The frown turned to a grimace when he saw his reflection.

"The fuck?" He demanded.

He was dressed in all green, wearing tights and a slightly sparkling tunic. He looked fucking stupid; even more stupid that he had on the damn Wipeout video. He gaped at his own reflection, not entirely sure what to say. The whiplash from emotional turmoil to embarrassed confusion was overwhelming.

"The fuck!" He repeated.

"You'll apparently be performing as Peter Pan for your next date," Freed informed him, and something close to dread built inside of Laxus' stomach. What the fuck? What the fuck! How the fuck had anyone thought that was something he'd enjoy? Who could think he'd wanna be with someone who wanted him to… to perform on stage while looking like an asshole?

"I fucking am not." He snapped.

"The system states that you'll have a very high matching rate with her," Freed replied, before frowning. Laxus also turned to look at him. "You only wanted to be matched with men, didn't you?"

"That's right," Laxus nodded, voice low. It had set him up with a woman?

Freed looked down at his tablet, face scrunching slightly for a moment as he swiped and tapped at the glass, and Laxus tried not to enjoy the sight. He seemed to understand something, flicked on the screen a few more times, and the pod Laxus had left lit up again. Laxus frowned, looking towards it in confusion before turning his gaze back onto Freed.

"There was a blip in the system. Apparently your date and another man's date were mixed up. If you'd like to step into the pod again it'll give you your actual outfit."

Relief flooded through Laxus. There were certain things that he would have outright refused to do, and making an ass out of himself on a stage, dressed like a glorified pixie was certainly one of them. But the contract he had signed said he was obligated to undergo all simulations if he didn't find a match, as not doing so would harm the reputation of the company unfairly. Would Freed had forced him to do it if he hadn't noticed? Laxus hoped not, but he couldn't be sure.

The new outfit was a lot more simple. It was normal clothing, with a large winter coat and, he realised a moment before he tripped, his shoes had been replaced by ice-skates. He knew how to skate, so it wasn't a problem, and compared to what he'd nearly had to undergo, this was perfect.

"Would I have had to do the fucking performance if you didn't notice it?" He asked.

"I'm sure the system would have picked up the mistake before you went in," Freed dismissed, tapping on the tablet, and lighting the door to the simulation room. "You should go now. Don't want to keep him waiting."

Laxus glanced towards Freed, not commenting on how obvious Freed was being in his dismissal. He walked through the door to see an ice rink empty of everything but one man, who was skating towards him. As Laxus skated towards his date, all he could seem to think of was how much better this was than Peter-Fucking-Pan.

His previous nerves about the date were the last thing on his mind.

---

"So here's the thing," Laxus said as he walked into the prep room. "I think you lied to me yesterday."

"Lied about what?" Freed asked.

"This is supposed to be the most successful, most advanced matchmaking system in the whole world, right? It's unmatched and has years of coding and advancements in technology inside of it, right?" He asked, and Freed nodded. "So it kinda seems a little bit bullshit that it wouldn't understand that a guy who's gay would only wanna go on a date with other guys. Feels like that's one of the basic things it should get right?"

"That would be a fair assumption."

"So, if that's right, then it seems unlikely that it'd just happen to me. Seems even weirder that it'd happen conveniently when there's a guy watching over the sessions to pick up the mistake," Laxus walked towards Freed, maintaining eye contact. "All seems coincidental."

"I suppose it does."

"Yeah, it does," Laxus nodded. "So why don't you admit that you're the reason it happened."

"If you already know, what would me admitting to it do?"

Laxus laughed. He didn't know what he had been expecting when he decided to confront Freed with his realisation, which had happened half way through the date with the guy, but he hadn't thought he'd get an honest admission without a moment's guilt.

He wasn't angry about what Freed had done. If he'd gone on the date wearing the costume then he'd certainly be pissed off, but in reality he'd only worn the stupid clothes for a minute or two, and Freed had quickly replaced them with what he was actually meant to wear. In reality it was just a weird thing that Freed had decided to do for a reason Laxus didn't quite understand.

"You really just wanted me to look like a jackass?"

"No, that was coincidental," Freed admitted. "A happy coincidence, mind you, but not the reason I did it. You clearly had gotten overwhelmed by the possibility that the system might actually work, and you were getting in your own head about it. You needed to be shocked out of your own self-doubts, and it was the easiest way to do it. A simple ice-skating date is hardly a challenge when you've just avoided something ridiculous that you'd never enjoy."

Oh, that was actually kinda nice. Weird, but nice. Not what he expected. It was almost flattering, in a way, that Freed had chosen to help him at all.

Of course he couldn't actually say that. He'd entered the room with a build-up of energy, having expected he would need to force the truth out of him by repeatedly asking him. He had been so certain that it would take their entire time together, and it would end with Freed laughing and Laxus trying to salvage his own pride back. He'd half thought that his costumed self would be edited into the fucking Wipeout video to further add to his embarrassment. A kind, if not slightly odd, action was hardly what he expected.

"So, is it actually automated?" He asked, instead of voicing his thanks because it was the only thing he could think of saying. "Or have you just been saying it is while doing everything yourself."

"No, it's automated, but I can override anything should I want to, which is what I did."

"Show me," Laxus demanded.

Freed nodded, moving slightly so Laxus could stand beside him in front of the tablet. Laxus stood behind him, trying to ignore the fact that this was the closest he'd been to Freed, and he could almost feel the heat radiating off him. It was hardly an appropriate thing to think, particularly when he was going to be on a date with another man damn soon.

He focused on the interface. He saw a quick flash of what his date would be – another meal with a guy – before Freed overrode the system. He pressed a few buttons and ended up controlling the clothing pod. He loaded the program up, and was given a large interface of different outfits, all with pictures to show what they'd look like.

"It's surprisingly user friendly," Freed said, pressing a random outfit and loading it into the system. "Now if you went inside, you'd be wearing that."

"So even I could do it, then?" Laxus asked with a grin, and Freed faltered beside him.

"I suppose."

"What you did for me was pretty nice of ya, but I still ended up like an idiot in a costume because you made me wear it," Laxus mused aloud, and Freed audibly sighed beside him. "So if you think you're getting away without me turning the tables on ya, you're an idiot."

"I probably should have expected that," Freed murmured to himself, and Laxus laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder, and gently guiding him towards the pod. Freed didn't fight him.

"You should have," Laxus agreed, pushing him into the pod before Freed could second guess anything.

He stood at the tablet a moment later, knowing Freed was watching him. He swiped down the hundreds of outfits before inspiration struck him. He pressed the button for the search bar, typed in his idea, looked over the ten or so options before picking the one that looked the most ridiculous. He added it into the system, pressed the apply button, and grinned as the pod flashed with light. A moment later, Freed was revealed, and Laxus burst into laughter.

Freed looked ridiculous. Dressed entirely in an old-fashioned jester's outfit, purple and yellow, with a stupid hat covered in golden bells. He looked at himself in the mirror, crossing his arms unimpressed as Laxus guffawed at him.

"Holy shit," Laxus cackled. "What kinda date would need you to be dressed like that?"

"The system needs to cover all bases," Freed grunted, expression showing annoyance, but Laxus felt like a smile wanted to break through when the bells on his hat jingled. "Can I have my own clothes back, please?"

"We've got a couple minutes before the sim starts, that's enough time to have fun," Laxus grinned, scrolling through the recommended costumes. He found one, applied it to the pod and activated it.

A moment later, Freed was dressed as a circus clown, and Laxus spluttered into laughter all over again.

"Very mature," Freed mumbled sarcastically, though his words were slightly nasally because of the large red nose he wore. "I'm glad you're having fun."

"I am," Laxus grinned, holding back sniggers as he took in Freed for a moment before he began scrolling again.

This was an opportunity that he couldn't waste, and he'd get the man in as many stupid costumes he could before the date began. He quickly settled on a vampire costume that looked equal parts cheap and ridiculous. Once he applied it, he was slightly disappointed to see that Freed managed to pull it off with startlingly good looks. It was twenty-fifty-five, nobody should be able to look good while wearing a cape.

"The fact you're not complaining about this kind of takes the fun out of it," Laxus teased. "You like dressing up or something?"

"Not particularly, but I'd rather you be doing this than stressing about your date," Freed shrugged, seemingly all too comfortable dressed like a vampire. "Night six has the highest success rate. I thought you'd be panicking, this is better."

Laxus paused for a moment, but didn't say anything. He instead found another costume, and grinned when he saw how little it suited Freed. A clean-cut man like Freed didn't make a good caveman.

He fiddled with the tablet for a little while longer, flicking between costumes. Freed managed to make them look better than he had any right to do, but some of them looked ridiculous and Laxus decided to enjoy those as much as he could. A small timer at the bottom of the screen told him the simulation would be ready within the minute, and in a scramble to further annoy Freed, Laxus quickly picked a random outfit from the selection of superhero costumes. He had applied it before the lights to the simulation lit up, and smirked.

The smirk fell when he looked towards Freed. He'd expected it to be a cheap thing covered in cushioned muscles. The reality was… snug. Too snug for Laxus sanity, truly. He'd expected that Freed was hot as well as handsome, but having it clarified wasn't helping things. The guy was muscular, had a tight body, and biceps that strained against the fabric. Laxus pointedly didn't look down. That would be too much.

And he managed to pull off a bright red cape too. How? Capes were stupid. Not hot.

"You've had your fun," Freed said, and Laxus found solace in looking at his face rather than his very, very visible body. "May I have my own clothes back before you start your date?"

"Why?" Laxus asked as he stepped away from the podium. "Can't you do it yourself while I'm in there?"

"No, I can't," Freed muttered, and Laxus grinned.

"That kinda sounds like a you problem," He smirked, and Freed's face darkened for a moment as he stepped out of the pod. His cape billowed behind him and Laxus smirked. He patted the man on the shoulder. "I don't wanna leave my date waiting, after all," Without any reason to, he actually winked at Freed. "Enjoy your walk home, Superman."

As he entered the sim, he was fairly certain those few seconds of seeing Freed blushing unabashedly would be better than any date the system had in store for him.

---

"Is there something wrong with me?"

The high of messing with Freed hadn't lasted throughout the date, and the feelings had been replaced with a maudlin sense of nothingness. That was a feeling Laxus couldn't seem to get rid of throughout the day, and had persisted as he walked into the preparation room for the last time.

On paper, his date was his perfect man. He was intelligent and suave, well lived and happy to talk about his passions. He was hot, had the long hair that Laxus had always favoured on men, and had been pretty good company. He knew the guy was into him, and he felt like he should have reciprocated the attraction. This man should have been ideal for him, and yet Laxus had felt like he was going through the motions. It made him wonder, if that man wasn't right for him, then who the hell would be?

"What makes you say that?" Freed asked, who had been hunched over his table, furiously tapping at it before he'd entered.

"You said most people match with their sixth date. The guy was nice, good looking, we had interests in common," Laxus muttered. "Didn't feel anything for him."

"That doesn't mean there's something wrong with you."

"Maybe," Laxus didn't believe it.

He'd wanted to be the person who ruined THE S0U1MATES SYSTEM'S reputation. He'd wanted to be the person who proved that soulmates were pointless because they didn't exist, and even if they did, a computer program wouldn't be the way to find them. He just hadn't realised that, if he did prove that to be true, it would feel like a punch to the gut.

The system had a complete success rate! Everyone who had ever been involved found love. It was fact. Laxus was apparently going to be the exception to that. He was the first unlovable person to enter the program, and he would be the idiot who couldn't get a boyfriend no matter what.

It was shit. It was just fucking shit.

"Laxus, they're just dates," Freed said softly, placing a hand on Laxus shoulder in a comforting gesture. It felt like fire against him. "We dress them up with fancy technology, and we can explain the science in a way that makes it sound impressive, but a date is just a date. When you get two people together, they can fall in love within a moment, but they could also hate one another. That can happen to anyone, no matter what the statistics say."

"The statistics ain't got it wrong with anyone else."

"And you don't know that they have with you. People wait for the seventh night, and it works out for them," Freed assured him, the hand now gently massaging him. It was electric, and Laxus could almost allow himself to be thrilled by it. "And even if the man isn't the person you end up with, you'll find someone at some point. Don't put this on some kind of pedestal, all you'll be doing is meeting a man for the first time."

"The guy's meant to be my soulmate," Laxus scoffed. "It ain't exactly like meeting for coffee."

"It is what you make it, Laxus," Freed placated him. "Not matching with him isn't a failure of personality. It's just a thing that has happened, and it doesn't shape you."

"I guess," Laxus muttered, not exactly confident in his own words.

"You will find someone Laxus," Freed said firmly. "You're fun, intelligent, confident, good looking. A man is out there, and he will find you. Just give him time."

Freed didn't say anything else, and instead patted Laxus on the shoulder and returned to his tablet to do whatever it was he did. Laxus looked down at the floor, his nerves and self-pity only slightly at bay as he tried to agree with what Freed had said. He had come into the program wanting to prove that it was false, and he should have known this would be the outcome.

Focusing on his own problems, he didn't notice the slight change in posture from Freed. His eyes had widened, and he was tapping somewhat manically at the tablet. His teeth were gritting together and his heart hammering. A moment later, he stood up, and Laxus frowned when he saw how tense he looked.

"Don't overreact to this," Freed demanded, voice too calm. "This is a glitch, nothing else. The system has flaws, this is apparently one of them."

"What?"

He took a moment before speaking again. "Apparently you haven't been matched with someone tonight," Freed spoke quietly, almost under his breath, and Laxus felt as though he had been shot. Freed was quick to speak before Laxus could spiral. "This is the program not being able to work as intended. It is not a reflection of you. Do you understand me?"

"Fucks sake," Laxus growled, running a hand through his hair. "Fuck!"

"It's not you, Laxus," Freed tried to tell him, but Laxus was walking towards the door. He needed to leave, to get out of this damn place as quickly as he could. Why the hell had he gone there? He was an idiot. He shouldn't have gone. "Wait. Laxus, don't leave."

"Why the hell shouldn't I?"

"Because I don't want you to," Freed said quickly. "I don't want you to feel like you're… whatever it is your feeling. Because whatever it is, whatever you're telling yourself, is false."

"How the hell do you know?"

"I've watched every date of yours, Laxus. I know you, and you are a good man, and anyone would be happy to have you," He insisted, stepping towards Laxus, and placing a hand on his forearm. "If I'm honest, I found myself somewhat jealous that those men got to be with you. I'm sure I could find hundreds of men who would feel exactly the same. Truth be told, I had to stop watching you talking with that little blonde ass last night. It's unprofessional, I know, but it must be said. You are a man who, one day, will be adored and you will deserve it."

Laxus scoffed. "Sure."

"You're incredible, Laxus," Freed stepped closer, placing a hand on Laxus' cheek. Laxus blushed at the action despite himself. "And if this program has made you think otherwise, even for a moment, then it is pointless. Do you understand me?"

"You think I'm incredible?" Laxus asked, voice a little raspy as he looked down at Freed.

"I do."

"Then do something about it," Laxus whispered because he needed Freed to do this.

And he did.

Freed leant forward without hesitation, tilting up his head and slowly, cautiously pushed his lips against Laxus'. His hand remained on Laxus' cheek, and slowly he started to move his lips in tandem with Laxus', opening his mouth slightly as he pushed himself up against him. Laxus wrapped an arm around Freed's waist, and felt himself clinging to the man as if he were a lifeline.

The kiss could only last a moment, and when Laxus pulled away and was met with the slightly flushed, kiss swollen expression of Freed in his arms, all of his doubts seemed to flow away. This was more important.

"Damn," He whispered, and Freed breathed out a laugh.

"Yes," He agreed. "Damn."

"Wanted to do that from when I first saw ya," Laxus admitted.

"And I you," Freed confessed, smiling. "I must admit, watching you with those men became somewhat torturous by the end."

"Would've stopped if you told me," Laxus shrugged.

"Then you might not have come back, and I didn't want that any more than I wanted to see you match with someone," Freed chuckled.

They stayed in their embrace for a moment, Laxus gently stroking Freed's lower back with his fingers in a slow and comforting gesture. Freed was still cupping his cheek, and it was a delightful sensation that Laxus didn't want to break. He would have to at some point, and he found himself at a loss of what to do next. For a moment he considered asking Freed to set up some kind of simulation for them both, but he felt he'd had enough of the damn place for now.

"You wanna maybe go somewhere and get something to eat?" He asked, and Freed pulled back slightly with a smile.

"That'd be nice," Freed agreed, though then smirked. "Though are you sure it's not too boring? Wouldn't you rather ice skating? Or maybe a boxing match? Or an obstacle course that you keep failing at?"

"Don't be a dick," Laxus laughed, pulling himself off of Freed. "Or I'll drag you back to the pod and you'll have to go to dinner dressed as batman. Dunno how happy a restaurant is gonna be with the Dark Night's cape falling in the soup."

"I'd rather avoid that. My roommate already thinks me odd after what you did yesterday, I don't need anyone else agreeing with him," Freed laughed, and Laxus grinned at the confession. He wrapped an arm around Freed's waist as they began to leave the room. "Though, if I could get you in the Peter Pan costume again I couldn't complain. Those tights were rather flattering."

"Didn't realise you were lookin'," Laxus smirked.

"I was more subtle than you were, then," Freed grinned, and Laxus laughed.

As they left the room, the simulation unused, neither man noticed the screen of the table lighting up with an updated message.

Laxus Dreyar.

Profile = Matched.

Soulmate Level = 100%

#Fraxus Week #Fraxus #Freed Justine #Laxus Dreyar #Fairy Tail #Fanfic #Writing #One Shot #Future AU #Soulmate AU #Wordcount 8.5k

18 notes · View notes

somersetmummy · 3 years ago

Text

(A/N) This chapter takes place right at the beginning of the story, prior to TNA Chapter 1. Some characters property of Pixelberry.

Original characters: Katie Hide (MC), Jenny Blake

New characters: Lucinda Hansen

Rating/Content Warning: Mild adult language

Word count: 2005

Summary: MC Katie Hide is an English rose, living in New York. She’s down on her luck and desperately needs a job before her visa expires and she’s sent back to London. A chance conversation with a friend leads to an unlikely opportunity. Little did she know that one little interview would change the course of her life forever.

- Bonus social edits at the end -

Just like any other Thursday morning of recent weeks, Katie and Jenny were killing time together in their favourite coffee shop just down the street from their shared apartment. It had become Katie's haven and her go-to place when she wanted to lose herself for a few hours people watching, letting the stories of their lives unfold around her.

She'd always had a knack for paying attention to the details, noticing things which passed by most others. It was a skill she'd relied on heavily in her work, always giving her the edge, at least it had until the time it led to her downfall at Panacea Labs.

Katie had recently walked out of her job after piecing together a scheme under the radar to roll out a costly new drug for treating MS, despite there being multiple warning signs that it was ultimately ineffective but instead just masked the symptoms. Anyone else would've just glossed over the signs, not even noticing, but to Katie, the anomalies jumped off the page unmistakably. It was when she tried to escalate her concerns that she was shut down and her life in the lab made a misery by the VP, Declan Nash.

It hadn't taken long for her to realise that the company was more concerned about profits than actually helping people and she knew that the battle to fall in line and keep her job wasn't worth it. After calmly and quietly sending a company wide report on her findings, she gathered her things and walked out before she could be accosted by security. Little did she know that Nash had already been keeping tabs on her communications, in his eyes she was a trouble maker, and the report never saw the light of day.

Unfortunately for Katie, the current opportunities for young women in the biotech and pharmaceutical world just weren't what they should have been and she spent the next few weeks furiously searching for something else to avoid her work visa being revoked.

Having moved from London to attend the New York Institute of Technology and graduating with a Masters in Chemistry & Bio Engineering three years ago, she'd fallen in love with the city and the life she'd built. She didn't know exactly what the future held and couldn't put her finger on why, but she had a very strong feeling that she needed to stay in New York.

Today, Katie had planned to work through all the job adverts remotely relating to her experience and qualifications, with Jenny on hand to offer moral support. Tiring quickly of hitting one brick wall after another, they'd long forgotten the laptop and instead had spent the last 30 minutes idly chatting about Jenny’s upcoming gallery event when Lucinda arrived, phone to her ear, her body tense and voice sharp as she wrapped up a call with her boss.

"Of course I've got someone Angela, I wouldn't put my name in the mix if I didn't. My candidate is going to blow the others out of the water, I just know Mr Dalton will be impressed....no not just impressed, he'll be awestruck..."

While waiting for her to wrap up her call, Katie heads to the counter to order Lucinda a much needed coffee and returns to place it down in front of her just as she hangs up. She tosses her phone onto the table and slumps back in her chair, defeated.

Jenny stares her down waiting for an explanation which she and Katie both know Lucinda desperately wants to give but is holding off for dramatic effect.

After a long sip of coffee and a moment of holding her head in her hands she finally exhales.

"I am so SO SCREWED."

Katie and Jenny share a look before returning their attention to Lucinda.

"I've just promised my boss that I have the perfect candidate for some billionaire business man's nanny position....." She glares at them both as if they should understand why that's a problem. "I never touch these sorts of jobs, I only ever look for candidates in finance, nannying isn't worth my time."

Katie chooses her words carefully, knowing how Lucinda can bite back pretty quickly when she's stressed. Speaking softly, cautious not to poke the bear, she looks Lucinda in the eye and internally braces herself for whatever might come next.

"So what made this one so different?"

Fortunately Lucinda seems to finally be relaxing, she replies more quietly.

"Filling this position will put me on the map, nobody in the firm has been able to secure someone for this guy, they only seem to last a few weeks before they quit so the sign on bonus never kicks in. If I could find the perfect person I wouldn't only get a great bonus, I'd be next in line for promotion to Senior Head-hunter."

Her demanding demeanour melts away and she's left looking almost vulnerable. Something Katie knows Lucinda doesn't find at all comfortable.

"Anyway, I'll figure it out, I always do."

She gives Katie and Jenny a soft smile, allowing herself to momentarily forget about her woes so she can refocus the attention back to them.

"So what were you guys talking about before I came in?"

As Katie opens her mouth to speak Jenny cuts in on her behalf.

"Oh Katie's just been trying to work out how to get a job before her visa renewal date comes up in a couple of weeks."

Katie lets out a sigh of her own, suddenly remembering how dire her employment prospects are and feeling equally as defeated as Lucinda.

"I can't believe I've worked so hard for my degree, I found the perfect job in the perfect city but now it's all gone down the drain and I'm going to have to go back home and never see you all again."

Jenny wraps her arm around Katie's shoulders, pulling her close. "Oh come on, like you'd be able to shake us off. Even if you are in another country!"

As suddenly as Lucinda dramatically entered the coffee shop she slams her hand onto the table making the others jump.

"THAT'S IT!" She cries, her idea almost exploding out of her. "This is just too perfect...."

Katie and Jenny share a confused look before turning back to Lucinda who is practically foaming at the mouth, clearly onto something, though they're not quite sure what.

"You need a job, I need a candidate." She says in her signature matter of fact style.

Katie still has no idea where Lucinda's going with this.

"It's win win. I'll put you forward for the nanny position, you'll get a great job which means you get to stay in New York, I'll get my bonus. Not to mention I'll look like a damn superhero at work!"

The cogs start to turn in Katie's brain as she begins to digest what Lucinda is proposing.

"But I'm not a nanny....and what about my visa, it's only valid for work in relation to my degree."

Lucinda waves her hand at her, dismissing her concerns. "No problem there then. This guy's family owns one of the biggest Biotech companies in the country, surely that's related to your degree? He's so desperate for a successful match I'll make sure the visa thing is part of the contract."

She cuts back in quickly just as Katie opens her mouth to object.

"And as for you not being a nanny, what about all those times in the lab when you had to pull rank and sort out the shit that went down between your useless colleagues? You've done more nannying of adults in the last two years than most actual nanny's do in their whole career with children."

Jenny suddenly chimes in "OH MY GOD, this is genius!"

Defeated, Katie turns to look at Jenny in disbelief. She may have had a chance saying no to just Lucinda but with Jenny on board with this idea as well she may as well give up now.

"This will solve both your problems, I mean come on, who wouldn't want to work for this guy..."

Jenny turns her phone to Katie, clearly having been searching while she and Lucinda were talking. On the screen Katie sees the most devastatingly handsome man she's ever come across. He's nothing like the guys she'd known before, this person, was a real man and the sight of him caused her stomach to flip.

While undeniably handsome, it's not just the physical attraction that she's drawn to. Her eyes move to the company bio underneath his headshot and in true Katie style, she scans all of the accolades and achievements the company has to boast about. Her mind races at the possibilities. There's no mistaking that working for this man could open the door to so many opportunities and experiences in the future.

With a sigh she resigns herself to the fact that Lucinda might actually be on to something, this could be the break Katie had been waiting for and would certainly solve her imminent visa problems if she could get it taken care of as part of the contract negotiations.

With a silent nod and slight shrug of the shoulders, she begrudgingly agrees, much to the delight of her friends who squeal at each other in delight. Lucinda immediately pushes her shoulders back, standing to attention, furiously beginning to type on her phone.

"You TA'd for your old professor right?"

"Yes, I did a year as their assistant after graduating. Mainly doing research and going to conferences with her."

Lucinda's eyes never leave her phone as she works her magic, spinning Katie's words into an impressive resume. After a moment she raises her eyebrows and flits her eyes over to Katie, a small gesture which Katie realises is an invitation to elaborate.

"Oh, yeah so that's actually how I got into Panacea Labs, I met a rep at one of those conferences."

Jenny rolls her eyes at the mention of Katie's old company, now affectionately known by them both as Pariah Labs. Despite what she felt about Katie's previous employer, she was immensely proud of Katie's achievements and wanted to make sure they were included.

"Weren't you the youngest lab boss thingy they'd ever had?"

"Senior lab technician." Katie corrects, knowing full well that Jenny hasn't got a clue about the finer details of her work. "Well, yeah eventually, after two years of working my butt off. But I hardly think they'd rave about that in any reference they give me. If they even give one to begin with..."

Lucinda waves a dismissive hand at her.

"With this resume, you won't need any reference from those bastards. Trust me."

Katie had no idea what Lucinda had written or how she'd managed to spin her experience to be more favourable for a nanny position but it must've worked because half an hour later Lucinda slammed her hand down on the table once again, causing everyone around them to jump out of their skin.

"YES! It worked...he wants to see you, you've got an interview tomorrow at the Dalton Enterprises headquarters".

She turns her phone to Jenny to show off the email and they fall into an animated conversation, no doubt planning how they're all going to celebrate once Katie inevitably gets offered the job. As they fall into a blur in the background, Katie looks back over the picture of Sam Dalton on Jenny's phone, not quite sure how she can be so hypnotised by someone through a photograph.

There's something about him which feels familiar, something drawing her in. It's almost as if they're viewing each other through a looking glass and she wonders whether in this exact moment he is feeling the same magnetic pull towards her, a stranger whom he hasn't even met yet. Tearing her eyes away from the phone, Katie's tries to steady the stream of unanswered questions flooding her mind and focus on how she's going to win this man over.

"Here goes nothing."

TAG List: @shewillreadyou @chemist-ana @txemrn @silma-words @thefrenchiemama @secretaryunpaid @sfb123

- Bonus - pre-interview pep talk with the girls -

#the nanny affair #fanfic #tna #choices

7 notes · View notes

1dfangirls35 · 4 years ago

Text

Voir Dire (N.H.) A fake dating OU about contracts, soulmates and risking it all for love.

Masterlist // Tell Me What You Think!

twenty-eight

As the elevator ticked past each floor of the Capitol Records building, Niall began to wonder if this would be the last time he would ever step foot in this or any place related to music.

He still remembered the first time he stepped foot in the iconic building- fresh off the One Direction hiatus and unsure what he would be as an artist. His dreams for his solo career just within reach. He was a different person back then. A person that was willing to do whatever it took to make it in the music world and to make a name for himself. A person who believed that Capitol Records was the key to paving a career that fit his dreams perfectly. A person who still believed that the music industry wasn't all bad.

But today was the end of that. He would no longer give up his own relationships, hopes and dreams just because of an image that his label wanted him to portray. He would no longer be letting someone else dictate his life; what he sang, what he wore, who he loved. No today, for perhaps the first time in his career, Niall was going to take charge of his own destiny.

A part of Niall was still scared that something could go wrong. He'd asked Kelsey ten times last night whether she was sure she wanted to go through with this, knowing what might happen if their plan didn't quite go off without a hitch.

Each time he'd asked her, she'd nodded and smiled and told him there's nothing she'd ever been more sure about. Niall knew saying those words was hard for her. He also knew that the smile on her face was constructed with just as much fear as Niall had right now. But he couldn't be happier to finally be at the place where he and Kelsey could have the life together he'd always dreamed of. Free of contracts and fake girlfriends and manipulation.

Niall didn't wait for Alan Michaels's secretary to greet him when he stepped off the elevator, or for her to notify Mr. Michaels that he had a visitor. Instead he headed full speed towards the double-glass doors of the Capitol executive's office and pushed them open, saying in his strongest, gutsiest voice "We need to talk."

Alan Michaels turned from his computer, snapping his head around to look at Niall with surprise. "Mr. Horan did we have a meeting today?"

"We do now." Niall said forcefully, taking a seat in the chair in front of the desk. He tried to ignore the light shake of his hands as he folded them in his lap, instead taking delight in the fact that Alan Michaels had no idea what was coming for him.

"And what can I do for you today Mr. Horan?" Mr. Michaels asked in a long drawn-out voice, shuffling a stack of papers around on his desktop.

"Whatever you did to make Kelsey Benton break up with me- I want it nullified," Niall doesn't flinch as he says the words, staring straight into Mr. Michaels dark brown eyes as if they aren't the most intimidating pair he's ever seen.

Niall swears it takes five minutes before words leave Mr. Michaels mouth again, his heartbeat rapid in his ear.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Michaels said his face astonished. "I'm sorry Mr. Horan, I have no idea what you are talking about. Have you been in contact with Miss Benton?"

"Not at all." Niall said, his lips staying in a straight line. "And I've begun to realize that perhaps there is a reason why." Niall wondered if this small fib would be enough to convince Alan Michaels that Kelsey hadn't breeched the conditions of her contract, but even if Michaels suspected he did, there was no proof.

"I can assure you Mr. Horan, what Miss Benton chooses to do in her relationship is entirely under her control. Perhaps she simply decided you weren't the one for her," the lies slipped out of Mr. Michaels mouth with ease, and Niall can see why he has this job. He's good at it. The lying, the manipulating, the convincing. Niall wondered how many other artists have sat in this very spot and been convinced that the label was doing everything in their best interest. How many hearts had been broken, families changed, careers altered all under the power of Alan Michaels and his smug smile. That wouldn't be the case today.

Niall had not expected this to be a simple meeting. He knew Alan Michaels wouldn't admit to meddling in his relationship willingly, so Niall had come prepared with his own pretty little piece of blackmail.

"Let me make myself clear- ALAN," Niall's voice was strong. "I happen to know several journalists who are just a phone call away from releasing an interview with me about my fake relationship with Krystal. I'm sure it would be the talk of LA in a matter of minutes."

Niall watched as Mr. Michaels throat bobbed in a firm swallow, he had his attention now.

"You are under a contract Mr. Horan. These promotional tactics are not to be disclosed to the public."

"And if I chose to tell my fans the truth? That you've hired someone to be my girlfriend over the past year. That the dates, the music video, the "love" was entirely something of your own creation in order to help increase your record sales. That I was forced into this against my will? What would you do then?"

"Well we would have to terminate your contract with Capitol Records. You would no longer be one of our recording artists." The look on Alan Michaels face told Niall that he thought he had given the ultimate threat, but little did Alan Michaels know, that threat was exactly what Niall wanted him to say.

"I bet you'd hate to see that happen wouldn't you? I mean a number one album in 42 countries, a sold-out world tour, some of the most dedicated fans in the universe. There's a lot more where that came from," Niall was taunting him now, and the more Mr. Michaels smug grin transformed into a frown, the more fun Niall was having. He was getting to Alan Michaels, he could tell.

"We would hate to see one of Capitol's best artists leave the label, that's for certain," Mr. Michaels said, his voice now laced with nervousness instead of intimidation.

"So you see the dilemma here? Looks like you are going to have to choose between terminating whatever kind of threat you made with Miss Benton to ensure she didn't ruin your promotional plans or terminating your relationship with one of your most successful artists. I mean if it was me, Alan, I don't think I'd think twice about it. What's the girl to you?" Niall crossed his legs in the chair, staring Mr. Michaels with a soft grin on his face.

Mr. Michaels kept his hand folded. He didn't say anything, Niall thought he was considering it. He didn't even think he'd get this far. He assumed that Alan Michaels would be invincible to manipulation. But today was proof that if you play the right cards, the right threat can convince anyone to change their stance.

Alan Michaels took a deep breath. "Kelsey Benton's contract will be nullified."

"Now," Niall added firmly. He couldn't risk this not going through. Not with what he was about to do next. "You'll let her know now."

Mr. Michaels nodded, picking up his phone. "Samantha, can you get Kelsey Benton on the line for me please?" He hung up, looking Niall in the eyes. The two stare at each other, neither speaking. Until the phone rings again. Niall can only assume its Kelsey on the other line.

"Is this Miss Benton?" Mr. Michaels asked. Niall can't hear Kelsey on the other line, but he pictures her sitting on Niall's couch, still in her pajamas, smiling at the sound of Alan Michaels voice. The thought made a small smile break through Niall's otherwise serious expression.

"This is Alan Michaels with Capitol Records. We've decided to terminate the contract we've signed with you. All I need is your official signature and it's gone forever."

Mr. Michaels hung up the phone, turning to look at Niall expectantly, as if to say 'Happy now'.

"So that's official?" Niall asked, cautious to make any more moves before the pieces were set in place.

"Official as of my signature right now. Miss Benton's signature is mainly a formality. It's as if our agreement never existed."

"Good." Niall nodded, inhaling deeply before saying his next words. "Well now that that's taken care of. I'd like to notify you that I'm officially terminating my contract with Capitol Records."

"But..." Mr. Michaels protested.

"My lawyers have assured me that there is nothing in our current agreement limiting me from telling anyone about what went on here once our contract has been terminated. I'd get your PR team ready, Alan. My fans don't take too lightly to people messing with my life." He stood up, pulling down his charcoal suit jacket and reaching out a hand to shake. "Best of luck with everything."

"But Mr. Horan..." Mr. Michaels seemed to be at a loss for words. "We can work something out, we can come up with a new agreement. I promise you we will not hire anyone for your PR again..." Alan Michaels was stumbling through his words now, but Niall just smiled and made his way towards the office doors.

He walked past Mr. Michaels secretary, who has now stood up, looking towards the office and the still rambling Alan Michaels standing in his office doorway.

"You're going to regret this Mr. Horan!" Mr. Michaels yelled at him as Niall called the elevator.

As the elevator doors dinged open, Niall turned around, facing Alan Michaels one more time. "No Alan, I don't think I will." And with that he stepped inside the elevator, letting the doors close, literally and figuratively, on his time as a Capitol Records recording artist.

Tag List: @awomanindeniall @ihearthemcallingforyou , @niall-is-my-dream , @stylishmuser , @thicksniall

#only 2 chapters and an epilogue left #voir dire #writingby1dfangirls35 #niall horan #nh #niall ff #niall fanfiction #niall x ofc #secret relationship #fake dating #1dff #one direction #one direction fanfiction

6 notes · View notes

way-wizard · 6 years ago

Text

“All The Blowjobs You'll Ever Want”

Think, Steve! You've got to get out of this.

Steve dashed down the back stairwell in his blue button-down shirt and khakis. This was his chance. Just thirty more steps to go... twenty... come on Steve don't get tired... ten.. almost there... five.

A crimson heel kicked out from behind the last steps snagging his feet. Steve tripped and went barreling into the wall. "And where do you think you're going? I didn't recruit you so you could break your contract."

Steve was in a daze. He lifted his head to the sight of five pairs of heels; crimson, peach, lemon, lime, and violet. "P-please. I-I wasn't going anywhere!" Steve said.

A blonde in a yellow low-cut mini dress bent down and began examining him for injuries. "Oh Steve... and you were always so well behaved— He's fine!"

"Good. Get him up." A brunette in crimson heels and a black dress started coming into view.

The four other women surrounded him and began standing him up, each in different colored heels and mini dresses.

"Nobody leaves without a pass from management. You know the rules." The women pinned him against the wall.

Steve begged, "I just need some fresh air. I-I'll come right back. I promise."

The brunette pressed a rose-shaped lapel pin above her left breast activating a radio. "We've got another difficult one. Get the chamber ready. — Yeah, we're going to need the straps."

Before Steve could get out another word he felt a shock at the side of his neck and he started blacking out, sliding down the wall to the sound of the woman in the peach dress telling him "That's right Steve, just take a nice little nap. I'll be the one getting you ready when you wake up!" She giggled and he was out like a light.

You might be wondering what an average easygoing IT technician like Steve was doing being pursued by five attractive women in flashy mini dresses and heels, or why any man would run from that in the first place. It all started at Steve's old job. He was the "fix it" guy for a moderately sized office full of incompetent unpleasant people, and he always did his job no matter the request. If a server crashed, he was on it. If the boss wanted his email history with his secretary permanently erased, Steve was the man. If someone dropped their smart phone in the toilet, call Steve! That was the kind of guy he was; always the dutiful worker.

Steve wasn't happy though. He spent long nights online every night talking to people from all over the world, living another life entirely. He'd chat with women who were way out of his league and imagine being with them. Sometimes he'd even talk dirty to them on Tumblr and jokingly suggest that they'd like sucking his cock. "Oh Steve, you stud!" he'd think to himself before getting blocked for the 100th time and going to bed horny and alone.

But one night was unlike those other nights. Steve met a mysterious woman on Tumblr who seemed to know just what to say to him. Usually he was the one sending dirty asks, but this time it was his inbox that was being inappropriately ravished. Not only did this woman know about Steve's desperate sexual proclivities, she also knew everything else about him; where he worked, how he behaved at the office, and even his taste in erotic hypnosis. She was very direct in telling Steve that he fit all the qualifications for a new position in a privately funded high-security environmental research facility. They reviewed his skill set, his temperament with coworkers, and his psychology. Everything about him was a match, and they wanted him. Steve was hesitant though, and as she started to list the perks of this new job he thought it couldn't possibly be real. He was so skeptical that he was about to block her, until she said those magic words...

"And all the blowjobs you'll ever want."

The mysterious woman sent him a time and place to meet an interviewer and then promptly logged off.

Why would anyone accept a job under such strange circumstances, you might ask. The promise that he'd be treated better probably helped. She said he'd be treated like the man he was online. But the real reason Steve showed up to that interview? The real thing he couldn't stop thinking about? It was the aching thought that she left in his mind. All the blowjobs he could ever want. That thought had him nodding throughout the interview, signing documents he didn't even read, agreeing to stay in an on-campus company apartment, and not bothering to question how they found out so much about him in the first place. It carried him straight from his old job to this new one, far from the distractions of civilization. He packed his things and hopped on a company bus that would take him to the campus he'd be staying at; a series of connected buildings surrounding a large courtyard. Actually it looked more like fortress or prison with new paint on it, but Steve ignored that upon arrival. He was just happy to be having an adventure.

Once he was settled in, Steve got the hang of things quickly. His job was simple. He received detailed internal support tickets he could take care of remotely from his desk in a private office. There was a problem though. The work was too easy, none of it seemed real, and every time he tried looking into research being done there he seemed to get distracted or interrupted by beautiful women. Within his first week as he was digging around looking for more information one of the secretaries walked into his office in a skimpy dress and sat down on his lap, suggesting they get lunch together. When he got nervous and turned her down, she started joking about how he'd probably accept if blowjobs were on the menu. Immediately he heard "all the blowjobs you’ll ever want" ringing in his ear and he felt dizzy. He shook it out of his head and got up to leave. Something felt off.

The very next day when he was going to meet a coworker who knew more about what was going on, a woman walking on the other side of the hall turned and walked straight into him, catching herself with her hand on his crotch and commenting that she was glad his penis caught her. And as he got to the elevator, two women raced to step on with him and starting mouthing the word "blowjob" at him while trying to convince him to get off on their floor. Steve did want a blowjob. He wanted one bad. In fact he hadn't stopped thinking about blowjobs since he accepted the job. But there's no way this was happening to a guy like him. Whatever he was expecting when he was told he'd get "all the blowjobs he'd ever want", this wasn't it. Something was wrong.

The more Steve looked into it, the more strange this facility seemed. The support tickets were fake, half the people in the internal emails were fake, and what little he learned about the research being done pointed away from environmental issues and towards behavioral research and even experimental hypnosis. The more Steve dug into it, the weirder things seemed to be, and the more he felt like he was being watched. One night as he was looking for information online a coworker showed up at his door and tried to budge her way in, promising to "suck him dry" if he'd only just let her look around first. He couldn't risk it and locked the door. For the rest of the night he planned out how he was going to leave. The facility was far away from any major cities and they bussed everyone in, so he'd have to leave work in the morning and try to hitch a ride on one of the outgoing busses. Always a nerd for details, Steve worked out his exit strategy. He'd pretend to be using the bathroom and then sneak onto the elevator. If the elevator was too busy, he'd casually walk down the main stairs. From there he'd use a company form he modified on his increasingly glitchy computer to get on the bus.

And that brings us back to today, with Steve running frantically down the back stairwell, tripping, and being shocked unconscious by five women in mini-dresses. Everything had been going to plan until the bus showed up and none of the elevators worked. Everything had been going to plan until he was stopped at the main stairs by two secretaries trying to undo his fly and telling him to wait while they blow him. Everything had been going to plan until.... *ZAP*

"Wakey wakey Steve *giggles* " It was the woman in the peach dress.

Shlick shlick shlick

Steve's vision was blurry and he was disoriented. He was laying down on some kind of table.

Shlick shlick shlick

"Don't be shy Steve. She needs to talk to you. *giggles* Mmhmm"

Shlick shlick shlick

Steve started regaining his senses. His arms and legs were strapped down, as was his head. He was in some kind of strange white room, and he could see the face of the woman in the peach dress standing down by his side. She was a dirty blonde with a cute button nose, and behind her was some kind of observation window where he could just barely make out a series of bright mini-dresses moving around.

"I think he's ready for you!"

Shlick shlick shlick

Steve could hear the distinctive pattern of clicking heels on the floor, closer and closer until another woman was leaning over him. It was the brunette in the crimson heels and black dress.

"Hello 0259. I'm sorry we couldn't have met under better circumstances. Do you remember me?"

Steve struggled. "What? No, wh-who are you. Why am I here? Why did you call me that?"

"I'm the woman you spoke to online. I recruited you." She smiled. Her lipstick matched her heels. "Didn't you read your contract?"

Shlick shlick shlick

Steve stopped struggling and tried to think. He never actually read the contract. "So what, am I some kind of te-test subject?"

The Crimson Lady laughed. "No 0259, you foolish man. You're a part of the experiment, but you're definitely not a subject." She looked down towards the woman in the peach dress. "The woman masturbating you right now? She’s the subject."

Steve was confused. "She's not mast—" he trailed off. Shlick shlick shlick That couldn't be happening. That couldn't be what that sound was. He'd feel it if it was, right?

The Crimson Lady laughed again. "Here, let me loosen the strap on your forehead."

Steve lifted his head up and looked down his body. The woman in the peach dress had medical gloves on and was rubbing some kind of cream all over his penis. He couldn't feel anything, but he was erect and his cock was swollen and veiny.

The Crimson Lady continued, "It numbs at first, but that will go away. This is a cream we've developed to eliminate your refractory period and make you readily capable of nearly unlimited erections and orgasms as long as there's adequate stimulation. Once it kicks in—which will be any moment now—it should last for up to two weeks. We've also administered to you a drug to increase your production of seminal fluid and all associated urges. It's harmless, but you will feel an intense and frequent need to expel it into a.. *laughs*... willing receptacle."

"I think he's ready! His cock is twitching!" the woman in peach exclaimed gleefully.

"Good, clean him up." the Crimson woman ordered.

As the woman in peach began washing the rest of the cream off Steve's penis, the Crimson woman put a hand at his throat. "I think you'll find that escape is useless now 0259. You're going to need particular kinds of stimulation at a regular frequency to keep your new urges in check, and we're the only ones who can offer that you. Do you understand?" She looked down the table and snapped her fingers at the woman in peach. "What do you need?"

"I need cock." the woman in peach replied.

The Crimson woman snapped again. "And when do you stop needing cock?"

"Only when I make him cum." peach replied.

*SNAP*

"Only when you want me to stop making him cum."

The Crimson woman smiled. "Very good." She turned back to Steve, who was starting to feel an intense tingling and pressure near his groin. "Now 0259, I want you to remember this moment. I usually don't do this up close, but it's important you understand the power I have over the subjects of this experiment, and the power I have over you."

*SNAP SNAP*

Upon hearing the two snaps, the woman in peach parted her lips and slipped Steve's cock between them, flicking the head with her tongue and tugging it with the suction from her mouth. He started to regain the sensation in his penis, and was flooded with a trickle of warm wet feelings as she worked her lips down his shaft.

"The first time being stimulated in your condition is always urgent. You really need this release don't you 0259?"

Steve wanted to resist, but he couldn't. His body was pleading with him to give in. Feeling the woman in peach eagerly inviting him into her mouth and trying to suck the cum out of him was too much to hold back. He relented and tried to let go. He could feel an orgasm building easily, but then... nothing. He couldn't cum. He was on the very edge, being sucked so steadily and so quickly, yet he was unable to find relief. He just wanted to burst into her mouth so badly. Why couldn't he cum?

The woman in Crimson grinned. "I told you 0259. Your new urges can only be satisfied with the sensations we provide. Our subjects are well trained, and I can make her bring you over the edge any time I want to."

"P-please" Steve whimpered. The pressure was unbearable.

"What was that?" the Crimson lady snickered.

"P-please, I want to cum. I want to cum! I need to cum, please!"

"Good. I think you understand now." The Crimson lady lifted her hand and snapped twice again.

The woman in peach began swirling her tongue over Steve's cock while sucking him, hitting various nerve endings one after the other in a way that felt like she was unlocking the final stages of his arousal. Almost there now. As she sucked up one more time Steve could feel the tip of her tongue dragging against the bottom of his shaft and flicking the last secret spot like a key opening the floodgates, and he suddenly felt himself cumming. His whole body thrust forward and he could feel his semen pushing out of him, shooting out into her mouth and spraying the back of her throat. He felt her grip the head of his cock even tighter with her lips, and he flooded his cum over her tongue until her mouth was full. Cum began streaming down her lips as she tried to swallow, but it was simply too much. Steve's body went limp, but he continued feeling his cock pulsing spurt after spurt of semen out into her mouth as she licked, sucked, and swallowed.

The Crimson Lady stroked his hair gently. "That was the first lesson. Now here's the second." She moved her hand from his hair to his throat again. She raised her other hand and snapped three times.

The woman in peach began sucking fast again, and then working Steve's cock all the way down her throat. He looked up into the Crimson Lady's eyes and felt dizzy. She stared back at him, gripping his neck tighter and snapping again three times. The woman in peach's lips were all the way down his cock now and she began fucking her throat back and forth over him. He had never felt anything like it, and immediately built up another orgasm. This time there was nothing stopping it and he went right over the edge, ejaculating down her throat and feeling completely relieved and relaxed with intense tingling all over his entire body.

The Crimson Lady released her grip. "This feeling you're having right now? You're going to crave it. You're going to need it. Soon you're going to be frustrated without it." She leaned down and looked Steve in the eyes again. "Only our subjects can give it to you. If you do your job and present your cock for use by our subjects for the duration of your contract, I'll consider returning you to normal. Until then you're going to need this stimulation, whether you like it or not."

The Crimson Lady and her subject walked past Steve, leaving him laying there strapped to the table.

"Hey, wait, when can I get out of here?" Steve cried.

The Crimson Lady turned. "You broke the rules 0259. You're going to be in here for use by all of our subjects for the next week. Don't worry, the next subject will be in shortly to rehydrate you and then... drain you again." She laughed.

Steve heard the door slam shut and began to feel the satisfaction from the two orgasms he just had fade. He could feel the urge to find release begin to build again. It was slight, but he knew it was coming. Soon he'd need to cum again, and he needed a mouth that could do that for him. As the minutes passed he started to think less about getting out of the chamber and more about hoping the next subject would show up soon. "Oh please show up soon," he thought. "I just want to be sucked and drained forever."

It started to ring in his ear again. “All the blowjobs you'll ever want.”

Steve hoped the Crimson Lady was telling the truth.

*SNAP SNAP*

#all you'll ever want #crimson lady #always read the fine print #waywizard #writing

41 notes · View notes

xxkellsvixen19xx · 6 years ago

Text

Notice Chapter 15

She was now being rewarded for her bravado. "You look like an exotic slave girl who's escaped from a harem. My harem. A very exclusive harem of one very beautiful and beguiling young woman." His intense blue stare swept up and down her body. "Do you have any idea what you do to me, Y/N?"

"So, I'm your love slave now?" she asked, though there was no rancour in her tone as there had been when she'd first learned what he was offering. Instead her tone was teasing.

But Michael chose to take her question seriously. Their present accord was so new and he didn't want to scare her into leaving. He needed to assure her. "Only when you want to be. You have safe words for a reason and if you decide to say no at any time, I won't force you. I can't. I wouldn't."

Y/N raised herself off his lap to rest her hands on his shoulders. She'd worked out that this was mostly acceptable to Michael as long as she didn't threaten to move them. "I know. But I might want to play."

“Y/N, I'm not sure that's a good idea right now. You still haven't recovered completely."

She leaned forward and placed an open-mouthed kiss on his sculpted lips, slowly moving her body until she was straddling his hips. Within seconds, he wrapped an arm around her waist and slipped his free hand into her hair, holding her head still as he ravaged her mouth hungrily, nipping, licking, his tongue pushing past her lips, stroking... teasing.

Breathlessly, Y/N spoke almost against his mouth as she slipped out of her robe. "I trust you not to hurt me. Take me. Take me to the Red Room." Like falling off a horse, she felt she needed to face the room now, if she were ever to get over her fear from the last visit.

Michael's lips strayed to her right ear. "Are you sure?" he whispered, placing sensuous open mouthed kisses down her neck till he pushed the spaghetti strap off her shoulder, while his fingers repeated the process with the left strap. Momentarily, the silk clung to her dampened skin, till her top slid down her breasts. His hungry mouth followed the path of the camisole till he was sucking her left nipple and rolling the other between his thumb and index finger. "Don't say yes just to please me." He forced the words out around her swollen nipple. Never had he given a submissive such leeway, but Y/N was different. If he hadn't realised before, he knew for certain now.

Yes, he wanted her as a sub and a wife. He didn't want to give up the lifestyle completely and he was fairly sure she liked the kinky fuckery, too. He just had to be careful to do only what she was comfortable with. "If we go to the playroom now, there won't be any punishments. I think you've had enough for one weekend. This time there may be a little pain, but it'll be more about pleasure. You have my word. I'll take care of you."

"Then please, Sir! I want you to play with me."

Through his jeans, Michael could feel her excitement dampen her harem pants and slid his hand to cup her mound, his fingers exploring her folds. “Y/N, you're so wet and ready." He stood up, steadying her with his arm around her waist. "Come!"

Y/N adjusted her camisole, took his proffered hand and followed him up the stairs while the music continued to play

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

For the first time, Y/N felt the Red Room welcome her. As the subtle lighting came on, she trembled slightly, but more from anticipation than anxiety. Michael, however, felt her shiver and immediately turned to her, pulling her into his arms. One of his hands held her head as he bent to kiss her... a kiss of tenderness, of reassurance.

“Y/N, you can still say no. We can go back downstairs to our bedroom. You know there are other ways of keeping me happy."

"No! I signed the contract of my own volition. I might not like the belts and stuff, but I've enjoyed all the other things we've done in here."

He kissed her quickly again, with a stirring of passion. "I've enjoyed it too, Y/N, and, since it's your wish, I intend to make you cry again but this time it will be with pleasure. Turn around."

She complied at once and said, "Yes, Master."

There was a sound of an edgy indrawn breath as Michael's hands stilled in her hair. “Y/N, don't. Master is not a name I wish you to call me. I like the way you say my name, but in this room, Sir will suffice."

"As you wish, Sir."

"Good girl," he said, running his lips up her neck and gently nibbling her ear before braiding her hair. "Now, undress and wait for me as I've instructed you."

The room was still while Michael left to don his playroom jeans and Y/N calmed her heart beat as she followed his instructions. When he re-entered, she could hear him open the drawers of the chest and within moments, he was behind her. She could only hope the toys he'd chosen weren't too extreme as she wasn't sure how much she could withstand. Yet he'd asked her to trust him and, like Michael, she understood they could only be together if they believed in each other.

"Stand, Y/N," he commanded.

She obeyed and he slipped a blindfold across her eyes, causing her to draw in a quick breath.

"Hush! It's only to heighten all your other senses." His hand was on her arm as he explained further. "I'm going to tether you to the cross, but it's not for a punishment. It's just that I want your body completely open to me. Do you trust me, Y/N?"

"Yes, Sir."

A few moments later, her wrists and ankles were shackled to the carved St Andrews cross. None of the fetters were over tight on her skin, but she certainly couldn't move any of her limbs.

"What are your safe words?"

"Yellow and Red, Sir,"

"Remember you can use them at any time for any reason and I'll stop immediately," Michael said in his Dom voice, though Y/N sensed the hint of anxiety still in his tone and she vowed that she would try to endure whatever he had in-store for her.

"I'm going to use some toys in this session and I hope you'll find them pleasurable."

She could feel his breath on her cheek and knew he'd moved very close. His lips were on hers, his mouth devouring her, his tongue probing. Y/N greedily leaned into his kiss, but just as her desire pooled in her groin, he moved back. She felt bereft. But she had no need as his mouth was nipping at the base of her throat, running open-mouthed kisses down to her shoulder. She squirmed beneath his touch.

"Stay still!" he ordered. "And have patience. I hope to have you squirming with need very soon."

Again, he lifted his lips from her skin, only to replace them on her left nipple where he teased and sucked, worshipping it with his teeth and tongue. The feeling went straight south. But suddenly, she experienced a bite on her engorged nipple which wasn't from any part of Michael. Within seconds, he'd repeated the same actions on her right breast.

"They're nipple clamps, Y/N," His voice came soft in her ear and his breath heated her skin. "Very mild ones. They shouldn't cause you too much pain once you become accustomed. You can tell me to remove them, but I'd like you to give them a chance." As he spoke, his fingers were tenderly massaging her breasts around her clamped nipples. "You look mighty fine like this, baby."

Michael's words sparked Y/N's desire and, surprisingly, she was discovering he was right. The clamps did hurt a bit, but the pleasure that was building deep inside her robbed them of their worst sting. She didn't trust her voice and just nodded.

"My brave girl," Michael said before she felt something long and narrow trace a pattern on her flesh from shoulder to shoulder. There was a click and suddenly soft vibrations massaged her sensitive skin. "This is a wand," he explained again. "It won't hurt you at all. It's purely for your pleasure."

He lightly moved it down her side, below her breasts and up the other side of her body. It grazed up her arm all the way to her cuffed wrist then slowly back again, repeating the same path below her breasts and up her other arm. Y/N groaned.

"Is that good?" She felt like she was in a trance, dancing to her sexpertise puppet-master and when she didn't speak, the vibrating halted. "Do you need me to stop? Answer me, Y/N"

"No! Please don't stop," she whimpered and was rewarded by Michael moving the wand down the side of her body towards her stomach where it hovered on her navel, teasing... torturing her with a promise of what was to come. He appeared to concentrate on her middle, moving up to her waist then from one hip to the other, increasing the pressure on her skin.

"Please," Y/N ground out again, her body trying to lean into the tormenting wand.

As she arched her body forward as much as possible, a small space was created between her back and the cross. Immediately, she felt the wand slide around to her back and Michael increased the speed of the vibrations, very lightly following the curve of her spine upwards then down towards her buttocks.

Again, he leaned in close to her. "Remember, you must tell me if you are uncomfortable at any time?" He paused, waiting for her answer.

"Yes... yes. I will." And the wand was vibrating against her butt, her butt which just yesterday had experienced the pain and humiliation of the belt, but the tip of this instrument was soft and he was handling it with a lightness and gentleness of touch, so that it caressed her skin rather than caused her any discomfort. If she felt pain, it was barely there at all. Instead she felt the reaction cause her juices to flow even more. She was thoroughly wet and wanting.

“Michael," she said, demanding and beginning to writhe with passion.

Everything ceased.

“Michael?" she asked, puzzled.

#ahs #ahs apocalypse #michael langdon #cody fern #fanfic

8 notes · View notes

deathcookieprsn · 6 years ago

Text

Despair Clause Episode 1

(Scene) Inside the hall of the castle, three guys are chit chatting at the bottom of the stairs that lead to the throne. One is blond with a pony tail dressed in blue royal atire (Otio), one has red spiked hair dressed in black and red armor(Pila), and one has messy black hair, dressed in casual clothing(Fregit).

Pila: yo Fregit, are you still hanging out with Skunk?

Otio: Yeah I've been wondering that too, haven't seen the little dude around recently.

Fregit: Nah he moved to Perditus recently with his family. Honestly it's kinda weird that so many of the poor have been moving there but everyone says that since it's newly built the economy needs literally anyone to move there for the city to survive.

Otio: (Shrugs) I doe know, sounds a bit fishy to me.

Pila: Don't you know anything bro. (Taps Otio on the head) There's a reason that towns have people in them and its not just because that's the way things are. Population leads to transfer of goods and wealth which in turn leads to businesses starting. Perditus is an experimental town that is testing the nature of our poor.

Fregit:(shifts in front of Pila) Basically they are moving a bunch of our poor their to see if they will prosper with an extreme amount of opportunity available to them and in turn giving them a chance to gain a skill by working at one of the many jobs in the town that are lacking in man power.

Pila: Hey,(punch Fregit in the back of the shoulder and shift to face both siblings) I was going to explain that but whatever.

Otio: I honestly stopped caring after I asked. Right now I'm just wondering what is taking dad so long. He summoned us but it feels like we've been waiting for ages. Did the old geezer forget.

(Footsteps) Distant voice bellows: So now I'm an old geezer am I?

(All three siblings kneel)

King Ficum: Otio(Otio Looks up), Pila(Pila looks up),Fregit(Fregit looks up),... I have summoned you three here because it is finally time that to choose your path in life. Otio will become king after I pass so his future has all but been decided for him. He will begin training with a sword immediately, alongside studying politics and shadowing me when I feel necessary (Otio groans) (King Ficum scowls). As for you two, you must make something of yourself. Forbid it as I may, of something were to happen to your older brother the next would succeed him and so forth. Furthermore your accomplishments will bolster our families reputation making it easier for your brother's ascension to the throne after my passing. For if you are the most worthy of the throne in the eyes of the public, your support of your sibling who is trained in the way of leading a nation will assure the nation in his crowning. You do not have to come up with an answer today but

Pila: Actually father,(Phila Stands up) if l may, I've already decided what I want to do with my life.

King Ficum: (intrigued) hmm?

Pila: With your permission, I would like to join the Guild and become a Hero!

King Ficum: Hero ranking requires you to be granted a Gun by the Guild. Being as they are a new Technology, they are difficult to get a hold of however seeing as you are my son I might be able to pull a few strings.

Pila: Thank you dad!

King Fica: But son, are you sure that is what you wish? The reason guns are granted is because Heros are required to fight on shore when an attack first arises. That means you'll be on the front line. Is that really what you desire?

Pila: It is. Not only is it a good way to earn publicity quickly but it is also the best and most direct way for me to protect our Nation and its people.

King Ficum: I see... Consider it done. And you Fregit, might you have a path you would like to follow?

Fregit:(Fregit looks up) I um... Well... Not that... Um..

King Ficum: It's alright Fregit, take your time. You do not need to decide now. You are the youngest after all so there is no need for haste.

Fregit: O,k...

King Ficum: I will be taking my leave now but boys, be sure have a nice day today. It would be a waste for this beautiful weather to be wasted.

(King Ficim walk out of room)

Otio: ugh, I wish I could just be a lazy king.

Pila: We all know that you could be a lazy anything haha, the following title isn't actually important to you.

(Otio and Pila laugh)

Pila: Fregit is something wrong.

(Fregit stares off to the side then changes his gaze towards Pila)

Fregit: No, just a lot to think about that's all.

Otio: At least that's one thing I don't have to exert effort towards haha. My path it's already decided.

Pila: Well Otio I think you should get a head start on your Sword play practice don't you? I am going to have to practice more to if I am planning to be a Hero.

Otio: I'm actually going to go work on my sleep right now.

Pila: uh uh not today. This kills two birds with one stone.(Pila drags Otio by the collar of his shirt)

Fregit: hah bye guys.

(Scene, Fregit's room, Fregit laying in his bed on his back with his legs dangling off the bottom.)

Fregit: arghhhhh! (Fregit flails his limbs) What do I want to be?! Wendy's wing with me? How have I never thought of this until just now?

(In Fregits mind) Maybe I can be a Hero too... Argh no that would never work, Pila would out shine me for sure and I wouldn't ever amount to anything other than simply being his little brother... I guess I could always go into politics and make a large impact that way.. that might actually work..

(Blonde female child with frilled dress walks in the room)

Fas: Hi Fregit, what are you thinking about?

Fregit: A lot.

Fas: Heyyyyy. That's not a real answer. Come on, just tell meee.

Fregit: (light sigh) well you see Dad called Otio, Pila and I to talk to us about what we wanna be when we grow up (Fas: uhnhuh) and you see I have no idea what I wanna be (Fas: unhuh) Pila is going to be a Hero and Otio is being groomed for King but what's my role in all of this? What am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to be?

Fas: Well uh, if uh, Pila is going to be a Hero then why don't you just be a Signer?

Fregit: A Signer? Like with the Association instead of the Guild?

Fas: Unhuh! Signers are basically the Associations versions of Heros aren't they brobther?

Fregit: Sorta but they all have to sign a despair clause and I don't really want to do that.

Fas: But if you find something suuper important you might even become more popular than big brobther Pila.

Fregit: You're right. I know what I'm going to do. Forget being a politician on the Council, I'm ganna be a Signer!

(Scene, Throne room. Fregit in front of the throne with King Ficum Siting on it)

(King Ficum slams his hand on his throne)

King Ficum: Absolutely not! Do you even know what you are asking?

Fregit: of course I do! This is the perfect way to bolster our legacy from both ends of Membership. If I become a famous Signer and Pila a famous Hero then we'll have a position of influence in both the Guild and the Association!

King Ficum: I will not allow it! It is much too reckless.

(Otio walks infrom the right out from behind the curtain that leads to the throne greenroom)

Otio: he's right you know.

Fregit: Otio?

Otio:(otio approaches Fregit) Signing a Despair Clause is risky business, depending on the amount of power you get you might just stub you're toe when the contract is fulfilled but if you end up obtaining a decent amount of power you could easily end up immobilized down in the Chasm with your whole party dead. Something like that would surely insure your death. Even if the contract itself can't cause you to die it can easily lead to it if you're unlucky. Why don't you just become a politician on the Council instead? (Otio arrives in front of Fregit)

Fregit: Because I don't want to! This is the path I have chosen for myself! Why won't you support me Otio?!

Otio: (places hand on Fregit's head) Because I care about you you dummy.(Fregit gazes at the for) Can't we forget about this and move onto something more practical?

Fregit: (in a sad tone) I guess.

Otio: Tomorrow come meet with me in the court yard and I'll teach you sword play, after that I'm sure Pila would be happy to teach you Gun play. He really loves that new toy of his. If you want to become strong this is a much more practical way to go about it. Hell instead of a Signer you could be a Stander or a Runner to support Pila if you want to be a part of the action. How does that sound?

Fregit: actually, that would be great, I'm going to head to my room for a bit but I'll see you I the morning tomorrow for practice. (Fregit smiles)

(Fregit walks away)

King Ficum: I see having you shaddowing me is already starting to pay off.

Otio: Naturally, I may be lazy but when it comes to my family, I will always protect them.

(Scene, Fregit's room, fregit sitting on his bed with his leg up and his hand on his knee.)

Fregit: Otio's right, I can't become a Signer and wander the Chasm the way I am. I need to become stronger.(Fregit stands up and throws his jacket I've his shoulder) Guess I'll have to take him up on his off after I sign a Despair Clause. Thanks for the offer Otio!(fregit hops out his window)

(Scene castle courtyard,night with camera aimed at the sky)(gunshot x3) (gunshot x2)(camera pans to face Pila)

Pila: Dammit I just can't get the hang of this thing!(Otio walks up)

Otio: looks like you got the hand of it to me. From what the target shows you haven't hit anything less than the ring around the bullseye.

Pila: That's not good enough, not for me at least.

Otio: If you're looking for some advice I may be of some help. While eavesdropping before the council meeting I overheard that unlike swords you're going to want to double down on that grip of yours, also you're going to want to hold your breath before pulling the trigger and exhale after. That should improve your aim just a bit.

Pila: Wow Otio, color me impressed. Shadowing dad had really done wonders for your usefulness haha.

Otio: that seemed somewhat of a backhanded complement (chucklr).

Pila: (chuckle)that's because it was.

Otio: Well I'll have you know I have actually been quite useful. Today I was even able to give Fregit some decent advice. He was dead set on becoming a Signer and I was able to explain to him why that was a reckless and dangerous decision. (Pila's face turns to a face of scepticism) He even smiled after and told me that he was going to his room to rethink his decision. I'm pretty awesome!(Pila interrupts Otio mid sentence)

Pila: Otio, do you not know Fregit at all. I promise you he's not in his room right now. He's almost certainly on his way to a library to sign a contract as we speak of he hasn't made it to one already.(You can visually see that a light bulb goes off in Otio's brain)

Otio: Oh no.

(Scene, castle bedroom hallway, camera pointed down the hall at the floor)(Otio's running legs pop into view)

Otio: (shouting)Fregit! Yo Fregit! I have something important to talk to you about!(Fregit's bedroom door slams open. Its empty)(camera switches to a cake of Otio's mouth and chin) Tsch, dammit. (Otio yells) Block, come here, I have a task for you!(camera switches to floor behind otio and pans up a pair of leather boots with green straps)

Block: So, my protection services finally needed.

(Scene, outside tattered old library)(neon open sign hangs above door) (fregit is holding a flashlight that is pointed towards the library)

Fregit: looks like I finally made it. Now to find a Dolordare and sign a contract!

(Fregit walks through the door)(edison bulbs light the main open entrance, after the entrance are rows of bookshelves, mostly empty but glowing as if a spell is cast on them, down the row of bookshelves are lanterns light by fire keeping the shelves visible but dim)

Fregit:(cough x2) You'd think that the Library nearest to the castle would be in better shape but this thing looks like it's going to fall apart.(Fregit walks down a bookshelf isle with his flashlight aimed for extra light) Actually, it looks like no renovations have been made to this place since after Grandad was king. Guess my father has a favorite power and it's not the Association.

(Large creak comes from next row over) (sound of books falling comes from next row over)

Fregit:(draws a knife he got from the castle's kitchen) Who's there!

Voice: Nooooooobooody... (Eerie,high pitch, child like voice laughs with an uncomfortably long giggle)

Fregit: (thinks to himself)*well that's obviously not true* Show yourself!

(Creature that looks like a chao but with a tail, long arms and a face that is void but with tentacle pops up in Fregit's face)

(Fregit falls on his bottom and holds his knife in fron of him)

Fregit: who are you?

Voice: I am a Dolordare, I keep this library safe along with the books inside although I do not clean much. You may call me Dust

(Fregit stands up and lowers knife)

Fregit:Well Dust, I'd like to form a contract with you.

1 note · View note