#shaking up the market with my incredible business plans

[pristine-rose]

✧ CLOSE UP, CLICK ME !

⊹ characters : kaveh, baizhu, ayato, childe, kaeya ( separate )

⊹ synopsis : he loves taking good pictures of you [ drabbles ]

⊹ warnings : [ex]plicit, public, photography, slight obsession, modern au ( all )

⊹ female reader (afab, she/ her usage), no y/n usage, not beta read, you can blame my friend for this one

⊹ KAVEH

he’s such a nice guy. so nice, so sweet, everyone thinks so.

no, not that shirt— yes! that color looks so good on you! — well, everyone also think’s he’s such a fashionista. and as your “good friend,” or so he claims, he always loves to see your outfits. send a pic, please! — he’ll keep begging and begging. seemed normal enough, honestly. he’ll just rate your outfits for concerts, for parties, for coffee outings, you name it. and he gave good advice, too. sweet guy, took you shopping many times and hyped you up in the dressing rooms.

would it be cute to wear skimpy clothing? he’ll ask you that a lot because apparently, he certainly thinks so. every time you head to the dressing room at a store he’ll call wait! and add something akin to an incredibly revealing shirt or bottom wear. you’ll try it on — everyone trusts his fashion advice after all. he insists to come in the dressing room with you. ah — to help button zipper up your dresses, of course! and to not waste any time. he laughs these answers off like you’re silly for even asking.

it’s one time when you’re texting him about a concert outfit you’re planning. the tight pink sheer top, he tells you, would be so perfect. you tried it on at the store one time with him but never bought it — you forgot what it looks like. perhaps he had a picture? he says he’ll send it. until he sends… he stumbles in text. ah, he didn’t mean to send that image of you still changing in your undergarments — that was in the store dressing room. um, yeah, he took that by accident, here’s the real picture of the pink top. no, no, he totally doesn’t save all those photos of you.

☁️ —

⊹ BAIZHU

this operating table was so cold, you think to yourself.

hm, i’ve never seen a condition like this before — that was what he said. there’s a curious sting in his voice, but it’s not like you can ever tell. a sharp breath hits your shoulder, and you wince. his aura feels ghostly as you stare up at the doctor’s room ceiling; you’re only in undergarments for this examination. he doesn’t say any more, not even offering up procedures or an explanation. he simply removes his gloves, and he touches you.

his hands pushing down the dips of your collarbone to “check your muscles”; his fingers curving down your waist to “feel for discomfort”; his digits pressing at your thighs to “document skin condition” — you were almost too fearful to move even a centimeter. it’s so silent. you hear him open his mouth again.

allow me to document this for future reference — what? click! and a flash — he quickly apologizes with shaky breaths, apparently he forgot to turn off flash, sorry if that startled you! the camera appears right below your nose to capture your neck, and you feel his fingers grip your chin to tilt it up. click! just one more picture, he promises. the doctor is anything but decent when his hand grips at your thigh and pulls it to the side, and you can practically feel it shaking when he — click! — grins with his camera between your legs.

☁️ —

⊹ AYATO KAMISATO

high end fashion modeling opportunity, you just had to take it.

the ceo is a young man, who would’ve thought. he looks so professional, so modest with his suit to resemble nothing below a gentleman. his smile is simple when he greets you, but they’re tried and almost dead, and you almost can’t see the color in them. he markets for a business-casual clothing vision, and he tells you he “hates small talk,” as he rambles on and on about the most random things while the tailors get you dressed up.

oh, would you like some water? — ah, that color is nice, no, no, the shorter one— what was i saying? he changes topics so fast. it feels weird when he stands back the whole time to scan your body up and down, though maybe this was how it worked…? he doesn’t even hide his eyes landing in certain areas, and he isn’t shy to pick the tighter or shorter option. pencil skirt, strapless high heels, sheer stockings, parted top.

he pulls out his phone to take pictures for, um… his manufacturing team, right, right! he grins so awkwardly when he tells you this. he gets real close to take a picture of the end of your skirt — he quickly says for the material of the stockings and the thickness of the skirt, of course, of course! he takes another picture of the parting slit in your blouse — for length, he laughs it off. he runs a hand across his forehead, he’s sweating. he’s nervously tapping his foot and licking his chapped lips until he excuses himself rather awkwardly, fleeing the room.

☁️ —

⊹ TARTAGLIA

he loves his motorbike so much; calls it his baby. he’s so cringe about it, too. he’s got an instagram account for it.

people like pictures of hot girls with a bike next to them, right? — he laughs it off so loud and casual. dorky, biggest grin on his face, a forever smile even when he picks you up under your arms so easily to put you on the seat of the bike. he just uses his phone to take the pictures. but he’s so so attentive with his bike — kneeling just for good shots and angles. but he’s so loud. calling to arch your back a certain way, to sit with your legs spread on the seat — oh, oh, put your hands at the center to cover yourself!

he wants it flashy, he wants it fun looking. he’s so touchy when he needs a certain shot that he will walk up just to move your body himself. so loud, so handsy — he’ll grab your thighs with his large hands — he’ll say to spread them justttt like that, baby. and immediately afterwards, he’ll compliment you in ways that make you freeze. so so so so touchy, he’ll compliment your hips on the photo and will move just to pat them. he’ll say your back curved so nicely with the bike as he runs his finger down your spine. what a nice guy, is all you think, even when he reaches to press a thumb to your lips when he compliments the color.

when you’re all done, he’s giddy posting it to his instagram. like the pics, like the pics! — his excitement has so much pride. when you scroll through they’re exactly what you expected. all tame, all fun looking, he’s hyping up his bike. he’s grinning wildly in his seat next to you, even when he slides to the left to add a temporary story to promote his new post. and, oh, he quickly excuses himself to use the restroom. maybe it isn’t right, but curiosity kills you to peer over his phone when the instagram options look like wayyy more photos than you actually took. spam pictures — zoom-ins you didn’t even realize he did. photos of the middle of your tight shorts rubbed right against his leather seats. quick snaps of your bra peeking from atop your shirt, your thighs on his bike; you pretend not to look when he comes back all flustered.

��️ —

⊹ KAEYA ALBERICH

newly hired photographer today. a rookie, they say.

he’s a cool guy. really chill, incredibly relaxed even in a high-end photoshoot like this. he’s not even bothered by the chaos of models running around nude. the brand is known for selling underwear after all, he says every time to just shrug it off. but this is a big celebrity collab — you and the company. apparently he’s a “huge fan” of your modeling.

his shots look stunning, and he’s so cool and confident during the shoot. he keeps saying he’s a really really reallyyyy big fan of yours, and you just have to keep nodding it off. you may no mind when he touches you. moving your arm, pulling out your hips, lifting your chin, parting your thighs — it’s all for the sake of the picture. click! but sometimes, he lingers. sometimes, maybe, he didn’t need to put his hand on your breasts to push them up, or he didn’t need to pull at the bottom hem of your underwear.

when the shoot is done, he rushes out. he’s only seen later with his phone close to his face, eyes glued down to the screen, hand scratching at his stomach. he fumbles when you go up to thank him. oh, oh, he’s just a fan — and he’s so honored to be able to have this opportunity — and he loves your professionalism oh so much! when you reach out your hand to shake his, he drops his phone and it’s the most awkward you’ve ever seen him; especially when the screen is dozens upon dozens of imported photos of you — closeups you didn’t even think he would take of your body during the shoot. he quickly apologizes when he goes to pick it up, shaking your hand though he’s trembling when he even looks at you now.

blame KAIRI for this my no.1 enemy who i hate

[shirohige-pirates]

Hey Doll

CisFem Reader x Thatch

CW: toxic parents, manipulation, The Plan™, smut, mdni, I'll add as we go I'm kind of fly by the seat of my pants on this one.

tag list: @mfreedomstuff @harahettania @clumsyraccoon

Chapter 12: Yes Father

A/N: This chapter contains physical and verbal abuse. Please proceed carefully.

Saturday had been an easy affair. Thatch gave you space while you put your things away. You shared meals together, but you spent the majority of the day doing things separately. Both of you headed to bed fairly early as well - it had been a long day, or a long series of days, and you were both pretty worn out.

You’d tucked the phone from your parents away for now, and tried to forget about it on Sunday while you were out running errands together.

Thatch was completely unchanged from how he’d been. He didn’t become mean now that you were moved in, he didn’t become physical or pushy. Asking if he could hold your hand before even holding his out, opening doors for you, and carrying just about everything. You’d insisted on keeping a few items, and he didn’t argue with you, but the easy kindness he showed you was appreciated.

Painful, but appreciated.

He took you two a couple nice places for breakfast and lunch, and your final stop for the day was the market. After having bought you a new phone, a wide selection of herbal teas, and a green tea to try when you were ready for it, he bought your favorite foods at the market. Ready and willing to make a full and proper feast for you that night.

No matter how nice he was, and how well the day had gone, you couldn’t shake the weight of the phone hidden in your room. Keeping the knowledge of it from Thatch was hard enough on its own, but the weight of the unknown beyond that, pressed against you. You had no idea what your parents were going to demand of you, and all you could do was hope that you could deny them somehow.

Eating your fill when they weren’t around to stop you was one thing, but even just seeing the texts from them had been impossible to defy.

The dinner Thatch made was delicious, even with the weight of the phone on your shoulders, it was still some of the best food you’d ever had. Guiltily you wondered if it would’ve tasted even better if you could’ve actually focused on it. If you could’ve focused on him.

If you could’ve just told him.

It was easy to see the worry on Thatch’s face. He didn’t ask what was on your mind, probably torn between not wanting to make you feel bad, and wanting you to feel like you had to tell him. Everything he’d said and done was full of choices and options, and it had been a bit overwhelming. He was so incredibly patient, however, and his voice was so soothing that it was never too much. When you couldn’t decide you’d say as much and he’d “decide for now”, and then say something about how you could change your mind later and it would be okay.

Now you stood in the empty apartment alone.

It was still dark outside, you’d woken up with Thatch at three in the morning. He’d insisted you didn’t have to, but once you said you wanted to, he didn’t push back. Thatch went over the numbers to the bakery, and reiterated that if you couldn’t reach him, you could call Marco or Izou if you needed anything, even Pops. His dad was still pretty busy with the business, but there was no way he’d turn you down if you had a request.

You’d asked for another kiss on your cheek before Thatch left and he lingered just a little longer than he had with the first one. The smile on his face was perfect, and the warmth sat on your face long after he’d closed the door, but you’d stayed by the door until the warmth was gone entirely.

Standing alone in the apartment, with that warmth faded, everything seemed extra empty and cold.

Swallowing down the knot in your throat you walk into your bedroom and pull the damnable phone from it’s hiding place. Your fingers are already shaking as you hold it, and you can feel tears rimming your eyes.

Terror lives on the other side of this phone, and despite that you cannot simply be rid of it. You can’t toss it off the balcony, throw it down the trash, or crush it under foot. As foolish as it was, you couldn’t shake the feeling that if you threw it away your father would break the door down and throw you off the balcony after it.

It was impossible for him to get into the tower, it was. It was. It had to be. You could - you could… you couldn’t. You’re just a doll, if your parents wanted to, they could expose the things they did. Sure they’d get in trouble, but you’d be taken from Thatch, and if you ended up back with your parents again-.

Automatically, with practice, you force the tears back and calm your nerves. No matter how much you didn’t want to, you always did listen. You had to. They had done so much for you, sacrificed so much for you, it was the least you could do. The absolute least.

The bare minimum.

Two words.

Certainly you were a loving enough daughter to type two words. It was all they were asking for. Just to know when you were home alone. When it was okay for them to call. They’d been terribly rude to Thatch’s father, so of course they wouldn’t want to talk while Thatch was around.

You: I’m alone.

Your body lurches involuntarily after you hit send, and you nearly vomit on to the floor. Keeping it together for the second it takes to dash across the hall, you upend the tea you had while Thatch was getting ready this morning. It had been too early to try and eat, at least for what you were used to, and you were glad you’d decided to just skip it.

Heaving a couple more times, you have nothing left to give, and gag on the violent retching for a few minutes before your body finally settles. Sitting on the floor for a moment you wait until you feel steady and secure before getting back up on your feet. Washing your face you press a cold washcloth against your cheeks for a few moments, doing what you could to bring any swelling down from the earlier fit.

It would be hours before Thatch would be home, but being presentable all the time was something you did automatically.

You kept the phone nearby as you went about what little of a morning you could muster having, waiting for your parents’ reply. You managed a second cup of tea and dry toast, and despite the nerves you still had bouncing around in your stomach you kept it down.

It was after 9am when your phone finally rang. You didn’t want to answer it, but you didn’t let it ring more than twice before you did.

“Good job, Doll.” Your mother’s voice came through the phone. It was almost a relief to hear it, and you weren’t certain why. “You followed the instructions. I knew he was going to leave for work early, but I hadn’t realized it would be that early. Do you know when he’ll be home?”

“… No earlier than five.” You answer after a moment, you should answer faster, you can’t delay like that just because you don’t want to tell them Thatch’s schedule. “He… wants to try and come home for lunch, but he said he wouldn’t be able to do so this week.”

“Hm. Well, your father will be at the apartment tower in thirty minutes.” She explains. “Wait for him out front.”

With that said the phone goes dead, waiting for neither your confirmation, nor anything you might have to say. It was a good sign, it meant she knew you would listen. So she wasn’t angry with you for your delay.

Setting the phone down you grab a quick shower, dress in a way that you know won’t upset your father, and head down to the lobby. You didn’t want to worry about keeping track of a purse, so you picked nice slacks with deep pockets, and a button up blouse.

You’d come in from the parking garage every time so far, so the lobby was a new experience. It looked more like a hotel lobby than a common area for apartments, but there were some small convenience style stores in the large open area.

Stepping out the front doors you pass a door man who gives you a nod and friendly wave. You return the gesture, smiling with practiced ease, noting the man’s crisp uniform and bright white gloves. He looked like something between a security guard and a bellhop, but the pinwheel on the top of his cap was certainly unique. Despite not really looking like part of the standard uniform, it didn’t seem out of place for him, and even more than that it looked endearing.

You only have to wait by the street for a moment before you see your father’s car. He pulls up to the curb, and you open the door, seating yourself in the passenger seat. Once you’re buckled in he pulls away without a word.

You won’t speak unless spoken to, certainly not with your father, and it wouldn’t matter what you asked. Obviously he was taking you somewhere, and since you weren’t the one driving, you didn’t need to know where it was. If there was anything you needed to know, he would’ve told you by now.

And so you sat quietly.

You didn’t sit quietly for long, however, barely fifteen minutes later you seemed to be at your destination. Your father pulled into a place that looked more like a warehouse than it did a store front.

“Come on, doll.” The words are almost irritated, but you don’t think it’s directed at you. You get out of the car as instructed, and follow just behind your father as he walks into the building.

It looks like a place that might be a store, or a repair shop, or just a warehouse. It smacks of something wrong and illegal, but you aren’t sure exactly why. Only that there’s something vaguely unofficial about the entire place, as though it’s not really meant to be as permanent as the cinder block building it’s located in.

“Is Akumai here?” Your father asks an older man with a white twisted headband. Scratching the stubble on his face, he flicks his eyes over you, grunts, and nods his head toward the back. Your father beckons you, grabbing your hand and pulling you into the odd store. “Come on.”

He weaves through the metal shelves easily, and you do your best to keep your eyes on him. You didn’t want to confirm your suspicions about this place, all it’ll do right now is make you more uncomfortable than you already are. If you threw up from nerves now, you might not have to worry about much else.

Walking through the network of shelves you come to a small, well, room isn’t really a proper word for it, it’s more like a clearing within the shelves. A man was seated at a desk with folders, papers, and an odd assortment of electronics you weren’t familiar with. It was boxy, older looking technology, hooked up to a CCTV desktop that looked a bit like it should be in a museum.

The man himself is as unique as the items around him. His dark back hair, was styled into a pair of wings, pulled taut and heavily waxed into place. Even though he was clean shaven you got the impression he was more dangerous than the older man who was upfront.

“Hey, can you make a copy of a key card right now?” Your father asks. Your blood goes cold before the other even nods and you’re already afraid of what’s coming.

“Won’t take but a minute.” He promises, flashing a smile that makes your skin crawl.

“Good. Doll, give me your key card.” Your father commands, reaching a hand out toward you without even looking.

You shake your head, it’s almost imperceptible, but your hesitation is noted by your father. You take a step back and he grabs the back of your neck in an iron grip. Forcing you a step toward him he bends you back, keeping you off balance and trapped under his control.

“Give me the key card, doll.” He repeats coldly. You can’t bring yourself to say no, but when you press your lips together and a couple tears roll down your cheek your father doesn’t need to hear the word to understand your defiance.

“Young lady, you will do as your father instructs or I will allow this gentleman to find the key card however he decides to do so.”He promises you.

You can’t stop the soft sob, but even as it escapes you, you pull your tower key from your pocket and hand it over. Your father takes it and pulls you backward before he lets you go, pulling you fully off balance and leaving you to fall to the concrete floor. Neither of your parents risked injuring you unless they were exceptionally livid - swelling and bruises would make for poor photos, and no one needed to know how they truly treated you.

You landed on your hip, barely catching yourself with a slap of your arm on the floor. You didn’t know if you were relieved you weren’t hurt worse, or frustrated that you weren’t hurt enough that Thatch would notice no matter what. Even on the floor you weren’t sure you could tell Thatch.

Talking about what your parents did was strictly forbidden. It was almost more important than The Plan.

“Copy this.” He says, handing the card over to the other man, before looking down at you. “Get up, useless wretch. Fix your appearance before he’s done.”

Nodding you get to your feet carefully. “Yes father.”

“Stupid thing. You should just do as instructed.” He grumbles as you work to dust yourself off properly. “A few days with some stranger and you forget yourself. Bah. Defy me like that again, and I’ll make sure he thinks you unfaithful.

“At least in prison I know you’ll be disciplined properly.” He grumbles.

“I’m sorry, father.” You feel as small as your voice sounds, but your father seems satisfied.

“Here you go,” Akumai says, handing two cards back to your father. “You said you didn’t need it to look the same, so I didn’t copy over the logo.”

“That’s fine.” Your father pulls an envelope out of his breast pocket and hands it over. “Payment and the next request. Let me know after you’ve mulled it over.”

“Certainly.”

Your father pushes you ahead. “Come on, move it, Doll.”

You stumble a couple steps but walk back through the shelves with your father at your back. He hands you your key card back before you reach the front of the store and then snaps for you to get back into the car. He’s in the shop for a few minutes without you, and seems to be in a better mood when he gets into the car.

Pulling out of the parking lot he heads back to the apartment tower.

“Convince him to take you on a date.” He states, barely even acknowledging that he’s speaking to you. “Something long that’s hard to leave. An opera or a concert or some other thing that would keep him out of the apartment and away from his phone. Once it’s set - date and time - text us.”

You’re quiet, you don’t want to say yes, but you’re afraid to say no after earlier.

“Doll.” He warns.

“Yes father.” You respond.

“Good.” He’s quiet for a long moment, but the next words out of his mouth are a dagger to your heart. “Sweet on him already. You’re such a fool, child. Well, it doesn’t matter. If you think we’ve been unkind to you all these years, just remember he’s not my flesh and blood.

“If I have to get my due from his bones, then -.”

“No, I… I’ll… I’ll make sure. I will.” You know as soon as the words are out of your mouth, and the smile on your father’s face, that you should’ve stayed quiet. But it was too late now. “We’ll be away for long enough, if… if not this weekend, then the next for sure.”

“Good. Keep doing as you're told, and I won’t do him any harm.” He assures you, patting your leg almost warmly before pulling up to the tower. “Get cleaned up, if he comes home for lunch unexpectedly you don’t want him asking questions.”

“Yes father.” You get out of the car, and by the time you reach the doors with the pinwheel hatted doorman, you have the same smile on your face that you had when you’d greeted him earlier.

If no one questioned anything, then Thatch wouldn’t be hurt. As long as he wasn’t hurt you didn’t really care about anything else. He was a good person, a really, truly kind man with a good heart, and it was bad enough he got matched with you, but if you could keep him safe, then that would be enough.

The question you didn’t know the answer to was if your parents meant to simply steal everything in the apartment, or if they meant to do something else. Considering the trouble they were going through, it seemed more likely there was something else going on. The amount of money they’d get from Thatch’s stuff was too small for how they spoke.

They wanted to be set for life. That would mean getting at something far more substantial. But you couldn’t sort out how access to Thatch’s apartment would get them any closer. They’d shown interest in Pops’ business and wealth, but the bakery was separate, and while it was successful, as far as you knew it was nothing compared to Whitebeard Shipping and Trade.

After getting cleaned up you sat in the living room. You made something to eat around lunch time out of habit more than a sense of hunger, and then you continued to simply sit in the living room and look out the balcony window.

You’d never been home alone before, and you quickly realized you didn’t know what to do.

[phoenixeclipse-lmkau]

the fact that teenager mk willingly joinged the brotherhood Makes me think that reuniting with His mom is going to look like that: XIAOXIAN : but ma! i don't Wanna go home, please this is life i wanna become a great pirate like u ����😩

PHOENIX:no!! Pirates are dangerous and selfish bastards Who Do Nothing but harm to other, you are going back wether u like or not young Boy😡😡🔥

WUKONG/MACAQUE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE THE WHOLE TIME: were here too btw😶😑

Okay I love this! Though that's not exactly how I had planned for it to go. Instead the Brotherhood had decided to stop in a town which is how Phoenix is able to catch up to them. Phoenix runs into Xiaotian alone in the market place and Wukong and Macaque arrive halfway through the conversation a little bit shocked.

"Mom!?" Xiaotain was both shocked and excited to see his mother when she arrived.

"Xiaotain! Oh my gosh honey are you okay? I saw the wanted posters, what is going on?" Phoenix had run up to him and gripped his forearms tightly, her son being stronger than her for the last few years meant it didn't hurt at all.

"You saw the wanted posters? Am I that famous!? Awesome!!" He jumped at the news, his eyes sparkling with delight.

"Awesome?" Silence sat between them for a moment, "What do you mean awesome?"

"It means I'm pretty good at this pirate business, obviously," He explained as a matter of factually completely calm about the ordeal.

He gently pried her hands off of his arms to pull her into a big hug, his eyes looked up to scan the area as his ears twitched. He had to make sure no one was watching. He was a famous wanted pirate, he didn't want people hunting down his mother too. He had no idea that his mother had been a pirate once too and had a larger bounty than him right now.

"Don't tell me... you want to be a pirate..." She hoped he would say no, she had tried to raise him so he wouldn't act like her... like at all.

"YES!! IT'S AWESOME! They are teaching me so much like how to properly steer a ship, Captain Wukong is really laid back about it too. He let me steer it! It was so fun! Of course Mac had made sure that nothing was around to crash into first but it's a start!" He grinned happily gently pulling away to jump up and down for a moment.

Phoenix's heart pounded in her chest. Why was her son so much like her younger self? Why did she have the excitement about pirates like his dad, why did he have to get involved with them. As Xiaotain kept rambling on and on she had to stop herself from yelling.

"Enough!" His words stopped as he flinched back from his mother's anger, she never got angry like every. Frustrated? Sure a lot with how rambunctious he and Mei were especially.

"I cannot let you be a pirate, especially not with them," She was barely holding back her anger, not only did they have to haunt her sleep but now they were actively trying to put her son in direct danger.

"W-with them?" Xaiotain asked slowly as he processed her words. What was she talking about, what would she know about the captain and his mate? Was it because they were also really famous?

"Yes with them. They are selfish, arrogant, and highly dangerous bastards. I will not have you associate with them," She crossed her arms over her chest as she started shaking.

At first Xaiotain thought it was from anger making him angry too but then figured out it was something else. Something else entirely, when he looked into her eyes she looked truly terrified. He hated the expression that graced her face.

"Mom- I'm not in danger, I'm really strong remember. Besides they have also been training me other ways too! Mac has been teaching me how to use shadow magic and I can lift the Captain's staff! Still not sure why, but it's awesome! He said I couldn't have it but he'd show me how to use it. I'll be fine," He tried to console her unintentionally causing her more fear and sadness.

"They know...?" Her words were barely a whisper but her son heard none the less. Her incredibly dense son heard with his six beautiful ears that he got from who she had deemed is Baba.

"They know what?" Her whole body froze when she heard the next voice, that was not the voice of her son. Slowly she turned her head as she came face to face with The Six Eared Macaque was had his face mere inches from hers.

She blinked a few times but when she found that it wasn't an illusion she did the only thing she could think of. She clocked him in the face with her fist, his head snapped back more from shock than anything else. Grabbing Xiaotain's hand she didn't have time to run when arms wrapped around her waist.

"What do we have here?" Captain Sun Wukong asked a sigh escaping his lips as he rested his chin on her head. He was using transformation magic to be taller than her. It sent a chill up her spine.

"Hey! Let her go," Xaiotain growled. He liked his Captain he really did, but he didn't trust anyone with his mom. Not a single person. With narrowed eyes he cocked his head to the side when he saw his expression.

"Yeah, I'm not going to do that. It's been 19 years of pure torture without her, I am not letting our love slip away a second time," Sun Wukong said tightening his grip ever so slightly on the woman frozen in fear.

Love? The fuck was he talking about? They had talked about killing her and how she was so weak and pathetic. Why the hell should she trust anything that he said? No she didn't trust what he said, not a single bit.

"Love? What do you mean love? And how do you know my mother?" Xaiotain's eyes flashed with protectiveness, she same protectiveness that was a nightmare for anyone that hated or threatened his mother.

"Mother? She really is your mother?" Macaque asked slowly, shadows covered most of his face as he tried to hide the psychotic smile that graced his face. "I see there is much to talk about between the three of us."

"What is there to talk about?" Xaiotain asked whipping his head looking between the two quickly. He was so confused.

"Of course we know your mother bud~ How else would you exist? Come on you have to had realized it by now," Wukong began with a chuckle nuzzling Phoenix's dark brown hair.

"Don't you dare," Phoenix snapped trying to get out of his grip but his grip didn't budge at all.

"Fine, why don't you tell him? I mean it's kind of hypocritical of you really darling. You were one of the best pirates that there ever was and yet you don't want OUR son to be a pirate? He does such a good job at it though, and we keep him safe. Not that he need it," Macaque said his eyes twinkling as he gently cupped her face in his palms.

She was really here standing in front of him, trapped in his mate's grasp. A single thought passed through both his and Wukong's head in that moment. She wasn't going anywhere. Not this time. His heart swelled with joy, she was resisting but she had sealed her fate way before Xaiotain was even thought of.

"W-What?" Xaiotain's grip on his Captain's arm loosened from his shock. What was he talking about?

"Come on now, you have to have realized by now. You said it yourself you can pick up Wukong's staff, you have his gold vision, you have even transformed like him, you're six ears are a clear indication, you can use shadow portals, and have even summoned a shadow clone. You'll learn even more as we train you but come on you have to have realized by now," Macaque said calmly as he explained, his eyes turning from Xaiotain to Phoenix. Her face was full of fear as she started shaking with tears in her eyes. Something happened, and he would figure out what, but in the meantime.

"You are our son, and that is obvious," Wukong added giving Phoenix an ever so slight tug closer to him, he was careful not to have a painful grip but he wasn't going to let her go at all.

Honestly that should have been the most shocking part of the situation. However Xaiotain's brain locked onto a different piece of information. "YOU USED TO BE A PIRATE!?"

TADA!! This is how the convo kinda goes! Hope you like it! Thank you so much for the ask!!

[thefrogdalorian]

Dincember Day 24: Ice

Word Count: 2006 Rating: General Summary: The unseasonably weather on Nevarro causes a pond to freeze and thanks to a stroke of good luck, a passing vendor is able to offer the opportunity to skate on it. You expect that Din will be a natural, but things do not go entirely to plan. Content Warnings: None! Author's Note: This one followed on closely from yesterday's entry! Just one more left now, I can't believe it! Hope you enjoyed it. Ice skating is scary.

Link to read on AO3 | My Dincember Masterlist

It seemed as though the entire population of Nevarro had had the same idea as you and Din. That was, to go for a walk along the planet’s gleaming, frozen surface and marvel at the unseasonable weather that had covered the entire planet in a deep frost. You nodded politely at the townsfolk you passed, Din was turning more than a few heads – as he always did when leaving the house in his beskar'gam. But rather than shyness, you felt incredibly proud that Din was on your arm, wearing a red scarf that matched yours and Grogu’s coats. The way the three of you matched and walked in step with each other showed any admiring onlookers that the shiny Mandalorian already had a family of his own.

That didn’t stop the admiring, awestruck looks though. Especially the numerous wonderstruck looks Din was getting from the children. You smiled at them, enjoying the way they gazed at Din as though he was the most incredible thing in the entire galaxy. To you, of course, he was. You felt so thrilled to know that he was yours.

You were just approaching the crest of a hill, about to head over it and check whether the small lake had frozen over - like your pond outside the cabin - when a familiar voice stopped you and Din in your tracks.

“Mando!” High Magistrate Greef Karga called, bounding towards you with a smile on his face. “It seems like our unseasonable weather might actually have something to do with you!”

“Really?” Din said, dropping your hand as he went to clasp Greef’s arm and shake it in traditional Mandalorian greeting.

“All that hell you raised back with the pirates, we think perhaps it altered the orbit of the planet slightly, pushed us into a path that made this deep frost possible,” Greef explained. “I don’t know whether to thank you or kill you, given the crops that have been destroyed. But oh the townsfolk are so happy! You really must see this.”

Greef gestured for the three of you to follow him and you made it over the top of the crest of the hill. The sight before you was incredible. Down below there were tens of Nevarrians, skating across the frozen surface. Families and adults alike, some gliding across the ice effortlessly and other, more clumsy skaters who were unsteady on their feet were taking more than a few tumbles. Your eyes lit up at the sight, you had not been skating for so many years but it looked like so much fun.

“Will you join us for some skating?” Greef asked as the three of you made it towards the bottom of the hill.

“Well… it’s been a while…” Din said hesitantly.

“Oh, come on Mando!” Greef exclaimed. “It’s almost Life Day!”

Din sighed, the sound magnified by his vocoder. He looked around at you, clearly hoping that you would put an end to this awful idea. But of course, you were just as enthusiastic as Greef.

“We’d love to! I’m surprised you had skates here, considering how unseasonable this weather is,” You remarked, raising your eyebrows as Greef pointed you in the direction of the makeshift booth that had been set up, where the skates could be hired from.

“Well, it’s actually a stroke of luck,” Greef explained. “One of the vendors from the market that visits weekly manufactures and sells skates. Of course, she didn’t have them out for sale here, but once the frost set in, she knew a good business opportunity when she saw one.”

“Wow, that really is remarkable,” You nodded, before adding to Din, once Greef was out of earshot: “Guess it really is a Life Day miracle.”

Din shook his head and huffed at you and you smiled, delighting in the way you could make him cringe from your cheesiness. Your favourite Mandalorian was not a party pooper by any means, you knew that deep down, Din was incredibly excited for Life Day. But there was a limit to his festive cheer, and you loved pushing him to it. 

“Let me watch this little one for you,” Greef said, holding his arms out to take Grogu who chirped happily at the older man.

“Probably for the best,” You nodded as Din handed him over. “He already had an incident on the ice of the frozen pond outside our house today.”

Greef took Grogu and the two of them made their way over to greet a few of the townsfolk who were standing by the ice and watching the skaters. You suspected that Greef was going to use Grogu’s cuteness to glean some good will from his people. You smiled as you watched them, before heading to the booth to rent skates for you and Din.

After lacing your skates up on a bench next to the makeshift booth that rented out the skates, it was time to take your first tentative steps towards the ice. You could tell how nervous Din was, despite the fact he was doing his best not to show it. You were not an expert skater yourself by any means, having a few experiences here and there. But it had been many years ago and you were not sure how well you remembered how to skate. Din on the other hand, you had expected would be a natural, with his agility and fighting abilities, surely he would be able to handle a little bit of ice skating.

You had expected that you would be clinging onto Din’s arm for support, but as it transpired it was the other way around. You were a far more confident skater than Din, who clung to your arm with both hands so tightly that you feared he might leave bruises. His visor was pointed firmly towards the ice too, there was no way he could see what he was doing.

“Din, you need to look up,” You said gently to him, encouraging him to take in his surroundings.

“Can’t. Feel like I’m going to fall,” Din squeaked in response.

“You won’t fall, I’ve got you. But you need to look up to see where you’re going, I can’t be the eyes for both of us. We’ll knock someone over!” You encouraged him.

“Fine,” Din huffed and straightened his body up so his helmet could see.

“See, it’s not so bad, is it?” You said reassuringly. 

“It is!” Din exclaimed. “Now I can see exactly how far I have to fall! Plus, how do we know we won’t go through?”

“They must have drilled it to check,” You said, trying to suppress your laughter at how terrified your big, tough-looking Mandalorian looked. “You won’t fall, see, just move your feet like this,” You said as you demonstrated the correct motion, “And you should get the hang of it.”

Din didn’t seem convinced, but after a few more strokes of his skates, he seemed to be getting the hang of things. Slowly, his vice-like grip on your arm loosened and after a few more moments, he let go of your arm completely. 

“That’s it!” You exclaimed proudly as Din made his way around the ice on shaky legs, with his arms circling around to maintain his balance. It was not quite the graceful gliding of some skaters on the ice, but he was doing much better than you had expected, given his shaky start.

Things were going so well, Din had stopped moving his arms around and wobbling unsteadily on his feet. He was really beginning to get the hang of it, you watch him proudly in disbelief that he had gotten so used to skating in such a short time. Din was beginning to glide around like a natural. Things were going so well. Too well.

It did not take long for the progress Din had made to come to a grinding halt. Literally. You watched as everything seemed to slow down, a man who was clearly out of control went hurtling towards Din. At the last second, he attempted to swerve, and it seemed as though a catastrophic collision had been averted. But alas, it was too little, too late. Din was sent hurtling to the ground with a sickening crash, the Beskar of his armour giving a sickening clang as he hit the ice.

“Din!” You shouted, skating furiously to the scene of the collision, where Din was lying sprawled out on the icy surface. “Din are you alright?” You said concernedly, as you knelt over him, reaching down to Din’s side so you could take his hand in yours. You squeezed it tightly.

“I’m… fine,” Din grunted, his voice straining.

“I’m so sorry,” The man who had skated into Din offered his apologies as he righted himself and skated over to check on the person he had collided with. Surprisingly, considering both the speed at which he had collided with Din and the fact that he was wearing such solid armour, the man seemed relatively unscathed. It was another Life Day miracle.

“It’s okay, accidents happen,” You smiled sympathetically. 

“Thank you, have a good Life Day,” The man offered, and then he was gone, skating off back to the booths. You watched him skate away and he seemed remarkably coordinated, which made it all the more surprising that he had collided with Din. 

“Ready to sit up?” You asked Din, who nodded weakly. You held your hand out to him and pulled him up. 

“I can’t skate any more,” Din groaned as he made his way to his feet, placing his arm around your neck.

“Alright, get behind me and hold on,” You said, Din took your advice and wrapped his arms around your waist. You set off, skating at such a slow speed due to Din’s weight being attached to you and also out of respect for how shaken up Din must be feeling.

Finally, the two of you made it to the edge of the ice. You sat Din down on the bench and then unlaced his boots for him. You went to return them and when you came back, Grogu and Greef had made their way over to the Mandalorian who had taken such a tumble. 

“Mando! That was quite a fall. Are you alright?” Greef Karga said, concernedly. 

“Hatu!” Grogu added as he Force-leapt out of Din’s arms and onto his lap.

“I’m fine, buddy,” Din said to reassure his son, his deep voice gruff from the exertion of his skating experience.

“Thank you for inviting us to skate, High Magistrate,” You said to Greef Karga, appreciatively. “I think some of us enjoyed it more than others,” You paused and nodded to Din. “Have a great Life Day.”

“You’re welcome, I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Greef replied. “I hope Mando isn’t hurt too badly and the two of you have a wonderful time tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Greef,” Din nodded as he stood to his feet on shaky legs and shook hands with the High Magistrate once again.

Then, it was time for the two of you to gingerly climb the frost-covered hill and make your way back to the cabin so that Din could spend a relaxing evening recovering from his tumble ahead of the big day tomorrow. Din wrapped his arm around your shoulders and the two of you shuffled slowly up the hill. You smirked and shook your head. 

Din had been so excited by the frost but it seemed that both he and his son had come off worse for wear after their escapades on the ice. The weather that had been such a remarkable sight, that you had joked had been a miracle, had been nothing of the sort for Din and Grogu. You sighed and held Din’s hand, that was hanging limply just by your shoulder, as the two of you made it back to your cabin.

You couldn’t wait to get home and get warm and comfortable, so your favourite Mandalorians could recover from their less-than pleasant experiences on the ice.

[arcplaysgames]

Back in P4G. Yukiko's whole thing seems to be that she's so anxious about her family's inn that she misses a lot of social cues, especially ones she doesn't want to deal with right now, like romance. Also, this dude from another school just showed up to ask her out??? Where the fuck is there even another school around here?

Don't go to a second location with strangers.

I've lived in these exact types of small towns, lmao. They call it a suburb but it's very rural. If you have a fucking field and multiple farmers around, that's a rural town.

holy shit chie. i'm trying to give you a fair shake here but damn. Punching people in the nuts and asking invasive questions and revealing your best friend has never had a boyfriend is a LOT.

It's very odd but even though everyone here is around the same age as the P3P cast, Chie strikes me as emotionally much younger. But hey, I was harsh on Yukari in P3P and got schooled when she turned out awesome. I got hope for you, Chie.

Okay so. School was let out suddenly because a murder. ALSO THE BODY WAS HANGING FROM A TELEVISION ANTENNAE. And come to find out, it was the local reporter who's embroiled in some... local... scandal thing? (If this game expects me to care about a councildude who did an affair, idk man, i just work here.)

[CARTOMANCY CORNER]

She was hung upside down. Interesting. As a Hanged Man Stan, I have to say that the card is often about a willing sacrifice. You are suspending yourself in an inverted state in the hope of having some sort of epiphany brought on from the new perspective. It comes at a significant risk though, as you may be dooming yourself to death or madness by taking that chance.

While the Wheel of Fortune is about fate being kind or cruel, Hanged Man is about taking the dice in hand and rolling them. I don't know if this lady was an investigative journalist, but if she happened to place herself in a dangerous situation in the search for a scandalous truth and died for it, that's Hanged Man to a T.

[/CARTOMANCY CORNER]

Anyway.

This shot is pretty.

Went to the shrine and it told me to get the fuck out. Hey, rude.

...

Well at least he let me ride on his bike, that's cute. I can't tell if I like Yosuke (not Yusuke, I guess that's ANOTHER Persona character, whoops) or if I just really like his voice acting. Hard to tell.

After class he invites me out for grilled steak as thanks and uh

This is entirely my damage of coming from an incredibly food-insecure upbringing, but man, what the fuck, Chie. You already KICKED HIM IN THE NUTS, you don't get to extract more concessions.

Okay, do I like Yosuke, or do I get Cheerful Bully vibes from Chie? HM.

also yukiko you're like 16, please don't even step on a weight scale, goddamn. send me back to Iwatodai, please. I think P4 has mentioned girls' weights more already than in the entirety of P3P.

Anyway, Yukiko is off to work on her very concerning teenage eating disorder while Yosuke takes everyone to the local...

Junes is easy to dismiss as a Japanese Walmart--

wait. i have to google something right now.

Okay, Walmart tried to move into the Japanese market by purchasing a chain called Seiyu, but as of 2020 they are almost entirely out of the game, sold most of their shares, and apparently they just don't do well in non-American markets. Interesting to know!

ANYWAY MY POINT WAS, Junes is less Walmart and more Target-meets-Costco. A very pleasant place to shop with good marketing and food provided on-site, but also still undercutting and screwing the local businesses. Yosuke works for TargetCo. Costget.

also Chie complains that Yosuke changed the plan from grilled steak to food court and I'm plastering on a smile and chanting give her a chance, we are less than two hours in here.

Saki works here too, she's "senpai" so I assume a senior, and Yosuke's got a transparent crush and she is Not Interested. Also the vibes are Bad, like she can tell Yosuke is a good guy but his business is putting her family's liquor store in jeopardy, so.

Man, remember when my group drama was whether Junpei and Akihiko could successfully talk to girls at the beach? Man. 😬😬😬

Saki comes over to basically neg Yosuke???? So our man Reverie asks her if she though Terezi and Vriska were pale or black or red until she leaves, saving the day. Phew.

Aaaaaaand here we go. Some PLOT. Thank you god. Everyone agrees to try the Midnight Channel thingie.

Did this game have these anime cutscenes originally? I avguely remember them but not how LONG they are. Were these repurposed from the anime or made bespoke? Anyway, they look great.

Saki is on the Midnight Channel, and then our heroic dumbfuck almost gets eaten by the TV.

good job, idiot.

[foggyfanfic]

Love and Fury

Chapter Preview: “It happened so fast, we were saying our goodbyes and suddenly he just swooped in, no warning, and- and- yeah,” Leandra used both hands to sweep her hair back from her face as she started to pace, “it was only a peck, really, but I just… my dad isn’t going to come home tonight, a-and I know Cicero isn’t going to like… just appear at my place but I-I, I don’t really want to be alone right now.”

CH1 Prev Next Master List

Chapter 16 Round Two

The week following Leandra’s and Bruno’s talk by the river had been a good one. He had finished Sense and Sensibility and they had discussed it at length on Tuesday, then he wrote another story and brought it to her stall to share it on Thursday. Friday he had a migraine, and she had taken the risk of rubbing his back in a show of sympathy.

He didn’t protest so she had offered him some of her food at lunch, which he nibbled on, then complained about how his mother had made his favorite for breakfast but he hadn’t been able to enjoy it because of his migraine.

Eventually, she’d given him a hug and sent him home, pointing out there wasn’t much Cicero could do to her in a crowded market. He’d hummed thoughtfully and she knew he was adding the statement to his list of clues.

It was almost funny the lengths Bruno would go to, to avoid a difficult conversation. Almost.

He had made it three steps from her stall, when a vision had burst into his head with little thought for his migraine. Leandra had vaulted over her counter and caught him when he’d started to droop. They waited out the vision, a glimpse of the play at that year’s harvest festival, then Bruno had returned home and collapsed into bed.

Cicero had approached her in Bruno’s absence. Leche had refused to let him into the cheese stall, but that didn’t stop the cabrón from plopping his ass on her counter top.

Now she would have to deep clean it.

Convincing him she was oblivious to what was happening hadn’t been hard, he was already convinced he was the smartest, most clever, most special person ever. She had just asked if something had happened between him and Pepa she didn’t know about. He had calmly spun a story about Pepa being an insane, obsessive ex.

Apparently, his father was now insisting he spent four days a week helping at the winery. Something Cicero felt was incredibly unfair. Leandra, who did everything she could to reduce her own father’s workload, struggled to feign polite sympathy.

“Anyways, the point is, I’m free today, Sunday, and Wednesday, you know, if you want to spend time together,” he had said, with a charming smile and a thin attempt at seeming shy.

Leandra had hemmed and hawed but hadn’t been able to come up with an excuse not to see him on Wednesday.

So, here they were, Wednesday afternoon, strolling through town. She had tried to keep her distance, but that just resulted in Cicero putting his hand on the small of her back, so she put her arm through his.

“I mean,” Cicero was saying, “it’s not like he doesn’t have plenty of workers. I don’t see what he needs me for.”

“Maybe he’s trying to get you ready to take over the family business,” Leandra suggested with a shrug.

“I suppose,” he sighed, shaking his head, “we are the town’s only winery, we do have quite a bit of responsibility to our community.”

She bit her lip to keep from making a snarky comment, Cicero eyed her mouth.

“You have beautiful lips, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Sí,” she gestured over her shoulder, “Señora Sanchez said that the last time I borrowed a book from her.”

“Oh,” he was briefly thrown, but didn’t let it stop him for long, “do you ever get bored of the market? You spend so much time here. Perhaps we should stroll by the river instead, or, I could show you around the winery.”

Uh-oh, he was suggesting a secondary location, “That sounds fun, but… I’m a little thirsty, how about we go grab some juice? Maybe a snack? You can tell me about that plan for the harvest festival you mentioned.”

“Oh! It’s going to be brilliant, I only have to convince my father,” Cicero jumped on the subject and she breathed a sigh of relief as he began pulling her to the nearest cafe.

The great thing about men like Cicero, was that they could talk about themselves for hours without a young woman being forced to come up with a response. It was exactly the reason she’d never found him that attractive, but she now considered it a blessing. Even better, when he spotted a friend of his, he called the other man over and soon Leandra was little more than decoration as the two men laughed together.

She feigned interest in the things the men said, but otherwise spent the time running through a mental to-do list or thinking up gift ideas for Rosalie’s birthday.

Bruno’s birthday was a few months away, she would have to start thinking about what to get him. Not to mention his sisters-.

The men laughed and she laughed along so they wouldn’t notice she’d stopped paying attention.

-but they were a bit easier to shop for. Pepa was always decorating her red curls with scarves and clips, so a set of new ribbons should be a good gift. Julieta had once confessed that it never felt like she had enough aprons, so a new one of those was a safe bet. But Bruno…

“Right princessa?!” Cicero asked, clapping a hand on her shoulder. He had a broad smile on his face.

“Oh, definitely,” she nodded, smiling back.

“I don’t know,” the other man (what was his name, started with a “J”) shook his head, “I think poker takes way more skill.”

Anyways.

But Bruno wasn’t big on worldly possessions. He liked books, sure, but the merchants of Encanto only made the journey to trade with the outside world twice a year, and they wouldn’t be leaving until after Bruno’s birthday. She’d have to buy some books from them then and stockpile them for future birthdays.

Food? Could she get him food? No. His sister was the best cook in town. Food was a nice gesture in the day to day, but it wouldn’t make an exciting birthday gift.

Maybe she could make him something, although the only things she knew how to make from scratch were soap and cheese. She wasn’t bad at sewing, but she wasn’t exactly a tailor.

“Joder,” Cicero suddenly swore, “is the sun setting already?”

Leandra looked up at the orange tinted sky, and nodded as Cicero’s friend made a snarky comment about watching the time.

“My father, I don’t know what his problem is lately, but he insists that I must be back by nightfall,” Cicero scowled, “I’m afraid I must go.”

“Oh, alright,” Leandra said brightly, “wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with your father because of us.”

“I might,” the guy whose name started with a “J” joked, as he stood from his seat and started to walk away.

Cicero grinned at him and shook his head, even as he waved his friend off, “I’ll see you Friday. Princessa, would you like to come back to the winery with me? My mother is making enchiladas for dinner.”

“Oh, I uh, I wish I could, but my Pá is coming home from the far mountain just to have dinner with me,” this was a lie, she was going to be alone that night. Her Pá was showing his apprentice what fields were open for public use. Getting the goats from their fields to the public fields on the other side of the valley without driving them through anyone else’s land took all day, and her father wanted to stay the night with them and his new apprentice. The boy was young and still in school. He could watch the goats on the weekend, but his parents preferred that her father stay with him when he did.

“Then I suppose this is where we say goodbye,” Cicero sighed, then before Leandra could do anything, he swooped in and kissed her. She froze.

Thankfully, it didn’t last long. He pulled back with a soft smile, tucked a hair behind her ear, then stood.

“Adios princessa,” he said, sweetly.

“Adios,” she managed.

She watched him go, fingers shaking. Eventually, when she was sure he was gone, she also stood and began walking. Not in any particular direction, she just needed to move.

The sun was setting fast and suddenly she didn’t feel safe being out alone at night. She gripped her hands in her skirt and looked around, feeling briefly lost. 

The solution came to Leandra all at once, like a firework bursting in her head.

Determinedly, she turned towards Casita. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be interrupting their dinner. She just… she needed to see Bruno.

Casita waved a shutter at her as she approached, she waved back and asked, “I wouldn’t be barging in on their dinner if I came in right now, would I?”

Casita opened the door in answer and she decided she would have to risk it. The house was silent except for the sound of pots and pans being moved about in the kitchen. She took a few hesitant step towards the sound then paused.

“Is… is Bruno in?” she directed the question at the floor tiles, which clattered a path towards the stairs. When she followed them and walked up the stairs, the clattering continued right up to Bruno’s door.

“Gracias Casita,” she sighed, walking quickly. 

Bruno’s visage stared back at her from the glowing door, and even though it looked utterly fearsome, she found it incredibly comforting. She was careful not to knock on his face and instead knocked beside it.

She waited.

Casita merrily shook a potted plant back and forth.

Eventually the door knob turned and Door Bruno’s scowl was replaced by real Bruno’s curious eyes. He blinked at her in surprise when he saw her there, but didn’t seem displeased.

“Hey,” she smiled at him a bit nervously, “Is- may I come in?”

“Claro,” he moved aside, waving her in, “I-I wasn’t expecting you. I thought…?”

She had told him about her plans with Cicero, and had talked him down from following them. Something that she both regretted and was relieved about. She had no idea how Bruno would have responded if he’d seen Cicero kiss her.

Was she one of the few people he cared about enough to get genuinely angry on their behalf? And what would he have done if she was? Bruno’s temper was so rare and hard to ignite, it made him unpredictable.

“Yeah, it- we- I didn’t get any useful information out of him,” she confessed, walking into Bruno’s entryway, she eyed the hourglass shaped opening and the curtain of falling sand, “although I now know for certain that his father has tightened the leash on him. So I guess that’s good.”

“Are you alright?” he was looking at her hands, which were once again tangled in her skirt.

Leandra gulped, she opened her mouth to say something, thought better of it, then admitted, “He kissed me.”

“What?!”

“It happened so fast, we were saying our goodbyes and suddenly he just swooped in, no warning, and- and- yeah,” she used both hands to sweep her hair back from her face as she started to pace, “it was only a peck, really, but I just… my dad isn’t going to come home tonight, a-and I know Cicero isn’t going to like… just appear at my place but I-I, I don’t really want to be alone right now.”

Bruno took a step closer to her, arms coming up before he second guessed himself, he wasn't sure if they were there yet.

Leandra didn't give him a chance to put his arms back down. She didn’t give a flying fuck if they were there yet, she needed a hug. She dove into him, wrapping herself around his waist and ducking her head into his shoulder.

“Can I stay here? Just for a little,” her voice was muffled by his shoulder.

He nodded before she even finished asking, “Sí, sí, as long as you need. Mamá is having dinner with Señora Guzman tonight, so we’ve invited Agustín and Félix over. You can join too. It’ll be like a party. Except better, because it’s just people we already know, wh-which I think is better.”

Leandra smiled, “I would like that.”

“Great, I’ll um, I’ll let Julieta know,” he slowly loosened his grip on her and she let him, “if um, if you’d like to… I’ll show you my tent.”

“Your tent?”

“Well, you didn’t think I slept in my vision cave, did you?”

“Meh, sort of, there’s actually a lot of debate about it in town,” she followed him as the sand curtain parted for them, “nobody who’s been in here has ever noticed a bed or anything so some people think you don’t sleep.”

Bruno snorted, “They’re not completely wrong. Julieta’s food is the only thing keeping my eye bags at bay.”

When they got to the bottom of the stairs he turned right around to face the sand curtain again. She watched the sand hit the ground, and apparently disappear instead of piling up. The curtain parted again, revealing a cave under the stairs.

Bruno waved her in and gestured to the tent, “There’s a couple places to sit in there, it’s k-kind of a mess but…”

“You’re showing me your private tent in a secret cave in your magic room in a sentient house,” she pointed out, “I can’t imagine how snobby a person would have to be to turn up their nose because it’s a bit messy.”

He smiled and held the flap open for her. She walked in a couple steps then paused when she noticed the rats playing tag on his bed.

He chuckled nervously, “O-oh that’s Turnip and Carrot, they- well they’re two of- they won’t bother you if you ignore them.”

“They’re cute,” she said, reassuringly, “how do they do with strangers?”

“I uh I don’t know, I’ve never introduced them to anyone before,” he rubbed at his arm.

“Alright, then I won’t push them,” she walked over to the comfy looking pile of cushions and curled up on it, “although I certainly wouldn’t mind having a furry companion at the moment.”

“W-Well if you want- I mean I could help them get used to you, if that’s what you want,” he had a large grin on his face, then he paused and said, “Oh! Wait, I need to go tell Juli- I’ll be right back, th-then we can-, you can meet them.”

Leandra watched him hurry off with a smile on her face. Just being around him made her feel better. And she liked his tent, messy as it was, it was cozy. The cloth walls of the octagonal tent were a cheerful green, and there were some beautifully decorated lamps in four of the eight corners that cast a warm glow on the interior. The rats playing on the bed somehow added to the cozy mood, although she couldn’t quite say how.

She leaned back against the large pile, so she was curled a little sideways and could watch the rats chase eachother in circles. Eventually, one of the rats fell off the bed, catching itself on the bedspread then jumping onto the ground, and she giggled. It looked over at her, whiskers twitching curiously. 

Leandra wiggled her fingers at it.

The rat approached her slowly, pausing every few feet to eye her. She remained as still as she could and waited. When it reached the cushions it dove into the pile instead of walking over it. A couple minutes later, a tiny snout appeared next to her hand and sniffed her.

The rat popped its head out of the cushions, and when she didn’t react, climbed onto her hand.

“Hola,” she said, very softly, “are you Turnip or Carrot?”

The rat didn’t respond other than to climb up her arm until it reached the sleeve of her blouse. It tried to duck into her shirt but she held the sleeve down with her other hand.

“Sorry, I promised Bruno we wouldn’t go to third base,” she told the rat.

“And I appreciate you keeping that promise,” Bruno chuckled, reappearing through the tent flap, “that one is Carrot.”

“Hola Carrot,” she greeted the rat that was now on her shoulder, sniffing her face.

“She’s always been a brave one,” Bruno walked over to the bed and collected Turnip then joined her on the cushion pile.

“Are they both girls?”

“Heh, sí, you would uh, you would notice if they were male,” he held Turnip up to her hand and they both waited as Turnip sniffed her.

Carrot spotted her friend and ran down Leandra’s arm to tackle Turnip. Turnip squeaked as she was unceremoniously shoved out of Bruno’s hand, then jumped up to chase after Carrot. The two rats raced off, and for a while Bruno and Leandra just watched them.

“They really are cute,” she muttered, scooting a little bit closer to Bruno, “you said you have two boys as well?”

He nodded, smiling, “I- yeah, Shoe and Tire.”

“How did you pick these names?”

“The girls are named after what they were eating when I found them, boys after what they were hiding behind,” he admitted.

She snorted, “I see. So, where’re Shoe and Tire?”

“Oh, did you see the chicken coop by the cave’s entrance?”

“That’s where you keep them?”

“Well, when it’s not their turn to wander the cave,” he shrugged, “the rats really like it in there. I’m thinking of getting another that I can leave open.”

Leandra smiled at him fondly, “You are such a sweet man.”

“Wh- am I?”

“Yeah, I mean… you found some rats, you know little animals that most people try to avoid, and you took them in. Gave them a home, you take care of them,” she shrugged, “it’s sweet.”

Bruno blushed and shrugged, wringing his fingers, “Well I don’t know about that I… I like rats. They have tiny hands for grabbing things. A-and they’re way smarter than most people realize.”

“Do they get treats?”

“They do, although you have to be careful, I-I don’t want to give them anything that’ll hurt them,” he gestured over at the bedside drawer, “I keep some dried fruit, nuts, and stuff in there for them.”

“Can I give them treats? Before I leave I mean.”

Bruno gave her a wide toothy grin, eyes alight with excitement, “If you want.”

“I do.”

“Great! That- they’ll like that.”

She smiled and nodded and settled into silence. The thought of Cicero kissing her creeped in and she grimaced. His lips should have felt… slimy, they should have felt like itchy wool, or stinging nettles, but they had just felt like lips. Slightly chapped, and very unwelcome, but just lips.

“You alright?” Bruno asked.

She debated brushing it off, shoving it from her mind, but ultimately elected to scooch even closer to him, so she could lay her head on his shoulder, “Not really.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t know why, but I sort of assumed we would have come up with some brilliant plan to keep him from being a massive pervert by now,” she sighed, “I’m not saying I’m backing down. I don’t think that’s even really an option now that I have his attention. I just… I just don’t feel safe. I don’t think I will until this is all over.”

Bruno didn’t say anything at first, he didn’t know what could possibly be said to that. He wrapped an arm around her back and felt somewhat gratified when she pressed herself against him, seeking the comfort he wasn’t sure how to give.

“Is all this… really necessary? There’s no other way to stop him?” 

She shook her head against his shoulder, “None that we could think of. Well, we could kill him, but that would create as many problems as it solves.”

Bruno snorted. Suddenly he remembered Pepa asking him if he would help her hide a body on the night of the quiceñeara. This must have been what she meant. Cicero was making himself enough of a nuisance that people’s lives would be easier if he was dead.

Reina sighed again. He leaned his cheek against the crown of her head, trying his best to ignore how soft her hair was.

Now was not the time to think about how attractive she was. She needed comfort, not more perving.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your evening with all this,” she murmured after they’d been sitting in silence for a while.

“No, no, I- anything I can do,” he hesitantly reached across their laps and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze.

She squeezed it back, “Being around you makes me feel better.”

Bruno closed his eyes and reminded himself that he needed to be very, very normal about the things she said. Don’t look too deeply into it, he told himself, she said she wants to be friends. Friends. Friends turn to each other for comfort. This was normal.

She smelled good.

Damn it.

He opened his eyes and looked around his tent for something to distract himself from the woman pressed to his side. He turned towards the bookshelf and in doing so accidentally pressed his face into her hair.

Was that lavender? She must have been using it in her latest batch of soap.

He scowled at himself. He was not being normal about this. Maybe he could extract himself from her, give her some space. A little bit of space was all he needed. Probably.

Then Reina hummed thoughtfully and said, “I'm not making you uncomfortable, right? This is helping, but you don’t ha-..”

“Is- it’s- great, terrific, h-happy to help,” he tried to make his voice as chipper as possible. Hopefully she would write his stuttering off as his usual difficulty getting a coherent sentence out.

“Yeah,” she said faintly, “we should hug more.”

“Sí por favor. I-I mean, if that’s- if you’re comfortable with that,” he gulped.

“Mh-hm, of course,” she breathed, “I trust you Bruno.”

Bruno bit his lip, surprised by the way that sentence affected him. He expected the rush of warmth that filled his chest, but not the excited shiver that ran up his spine. Dios, what was the matter with him?

“I was thinking earlier.”

“O-oh?” he tried to cross his toes in hopes that would somehow grant the luck he needed if she said something else that affected him in ways he didn’t expect. Maybe she’d like to tell him how much she liked his eyes, or how soft his bed looked.

“Your birthday is in a few months,” she began playing with his hand.

“Oh.”

“What do you want?”

Well, off the top of his head, he’d love it if she started flirting with him again, or maybe straddled him while they made out, either one. Of course, he couldn’t say that. Because friends. 

He hemmed and hawed for a little.

“Maybe something for my rats?” he eventually said, “They always need more chew toys.”

“Chew toys?”

“Sí, to keep their teeth healthy.”

“Huh, ok, noted. But are you sure you don’t want anything for yourself?”

He stared down at their joined hands, watching her tap her thumb across each of his fingers and back again, “The soap.”

“The soap? You’ll have to be more specific, I sell five different kinds.”

“Th-the one you put in the thank you basket, when I gave you that vision? About your goats? I… I really liked it, the scent I mean, but- but I noticed you don’t sell it,” he explained.

“Oh, that stuff?” she wrinkled her nose, “That was the first batch of soap I ever made, it was totally amateur.”

“I liked it,” he shrugged the shoulder she wasn’t resting on.

“Hmm, I’ll have to check to see if I still have the recipe,” she muttered, “I’m pretty sure I used a little too much honey in that batch… was it a mint scent?”

“I-I think so?” He wasn’t the best at identifying all the different herbs and spices by scent alone, “It was sharp and earthy, but also a little sweet.”

She made another thoughtful noise, thumb tapping out a pattern on the knuckle of his ring finger. Slowly, Bruno gave in to the temptation to turn his head again.

“What uh- what do you use? For yours?”

“Oh, like what do I use for my own personal soap?”

“Sí.”

“Lavender, jasmine, and of course honey,” she ticked them off against his palm, “I like floral scents. And honey is just a good ingredient for soap over all, it’s moisturizing and very cleansing. It means adjusting how much lye you use, but it’s worth it.”

“Oh.” He didn’t know why he’d asked, he was just glad she wasn’t offended by the question. Still, he filed the information away. Lavender, jasmine, and honey. Like a sweet herbal tea. He let his eyes slide shut and he just breathed her in for a little.

She yawned, and her thumb stilled. For a second it seemed she was going to fall asleep cuddled against him. He immediately decided that if she did, he would put her in the bed and set up a hammock for himself outside the tent.

A knock echoed through the canyon, making her jump, then Pepa’s voice rang out, “Dinner time!”

“Dinner time,” he repeated, softly.

She sat up, stretched, then nodded and agreed, “Dinner time.”

Agustín and Félix were helping to set the dining room table when they got there and they greeted Bruno and Leandra with gusto. Agustín waited until Bruno was distracted by Félix then waggled his eyebrows at Leandra obnoxiously.

She stuck her tongue out at him and announced she was going to help Julieta carry things from the kitchen.

Pepa was already in there, giggling with Julieta about Félix and Leandra took the time to pass on some interesting information Felipe had told her. Félix had been talking about Pepa nonstop, to the point of annoying his younger brother. This just encouraged the giggling, right up until the man in question appeared to lend his hand as well.

Julieta, Leandra, Bruno, and Agustín all exchanged knowing looks and mischievous grins as they conspired to ensure that Pepa and Félix were sat together at the table. Julieta updated Agustín on Félix’s confirmed interest and he snarkily made a toast to “Family: past, present, and future” which pulled giggles from the assembled women and an eye roll from Félix.

Soon the night was filled with good food, laughter, and a few hints of flirting. By the time dinner was over, drinks were drained, and Bruno’s rats had been given treats by all three guests, Leandra was feeling better.

Nonetheless, when Alma arrived and insisted Bruno walk her home, she accepted. And of course, she had to invite him in for a warm drink before he made the journey back down the mountain. 

One cup of tea turned into three and a half as the conversation lingered on.

When Bruno got home just before sunrise he found Pepa and Félix curled up together over a book. The two triplets made eye contact and silently negotiated a peace treaty. Bruno wouldn’t tease her about staying up with Félix, if she didn’t tease him about staying out with Leandra. Julieta, on the other hand, had no problem teasing either of her siblings as they chugged coffee the morning after.

Right up until Bruno caught Agustín slipping out the back that is.

[monsterkong]

Teaming Up for Success: My New Chapter with Andy Carter

Hey there, wonderful people! 😊

Today, I have some incredibly exciting news to share with you all. This is a big moment for me, and I can’t wait to let you in on what’s been happening behind the scenes. If you’ve been following my journey, you know that real estate has been my life for nearly two decades. But now, I’m embarking on a new chapter, and it’s going to be amazing.

From Solo Agent to Dynamic Duo: My Real Estate Journey 🏘️

I started my real estate career back in 2005. It was a different time, and I was a different person. But from the very beginning, I knew that real estate was where I belonged. By 2012, I was all in, working full-time and loving every minute of it. But here’s the thing—I’ve always been something of a lone wolf. �� I moved from one brokerage to another, learning the ropes, building my business, and carving out a niche for myself in the industry.

Then, one day, I met Andy Carter. We connected on the investment side, and from the start, it was clear that we had something special. We had the same drive, the same vision, and the same determination to succeed. But for years, we worked separately, each of us pursuing our own goals.

That all changed recently when we started having some serious conversations about the future. We talked about what we could accomplish if we joined forces, about how we could dominate the market as a team rather than as individuals. And let me tell you, those conversations were a revelation. 💥

The Big Shift: Joining the Andy Carter Team 🎊

And now, here we are. I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve officially joined the Andy Carter team! 🥳 This is a huge step for me, and I couldn’t be more excited about what lies ahead. Andy and I are combining our strengths, our expertise, and our passion to create something truly special in the real estate world. Together, we’re going to make a big impact.

This couldn’t have come at a better time. I have to be honest—there was a point where I started to feel a bit burned out. I wasn’t feeling the same passion for real estate that I once did. I even took a step back to explore other projects. But nothing gave me the same sense of fulfillment that real estate did.

Then, I had a conversation with Andy, and everything changed. He reignited that fire within me, and suddenly, I was excited about real estate again. 🔥 I knew that I had to get back in the game, and joining forces with Andy was the perfect way to do it.

What’s Next: New Listings and Fresh Opportunities 📈

Now, I’m back in action, and I’m more motivated than ever. We’ve got some fantastic listings coming up—Huntington, Naples, Downey—you name it. And this is just the beginning. Andy and I have big plans, and we’re going to be shaking things up in the real estate world.

Working with Andy has been nothing short of inspiring. He’s the kind of leader who knows how to bring out the best in people, and I’m incredibly grateful to be part of his team. Together, we’re going to achieve great things, and I’m so excited to see where this journey takes us.

Stay Tuned: Exciting Times Ahead! 📢

I can’t wait to share this journey with you. There’s so much more to come, and I’ll be keeping you updated every step of the way. Whether you’re a client, a friend, or just someone who’s curious about real estate, I’m glad to have you along for the ride.

So stay tuned for more updates, more listings, and more exciting news. This is going to be an incredible journey, and I’m so glad you’re here to share it with me.

Talk to you soon! 👋

[strangeinternetwasteland]

Imprint- Werewolf Bakugo x Fem! Reader Pt 1

A/N: I wrote this for @chaoticyuna and her summerween event which can be found here …this probably will be a multipart series…

WC: 1.7k

Warnings: None really this part is pretty SFW

There were always stories about your college UA. The ghosts that moaned and haunted the hallways, the skeletons they found buried deep beneath the school, the vampires that roamed openly on campus at night. None were ever as exaggerated as the tale of the werewolf that runs through the forest at night.

Of course, you didn’t believe any of this. The closest thing to ghosts or vampires were the pale-faced, sleep-deprived students you attended the school with. The fact that wolves even lived in the forest around the school seemed absurd. So when you started your first year at UA, the seniors would try to scare the freshmen.

You never gave in nor did you believe the stories. So when you decided to join a sorority, of course your initiation was to spend a night in the forest. Honestly, it was pathetic that so many gave into the stories like this. You refused to do such an act and were not accepted into the Sorority.

You tried again with another sorority that seemed to align with your ideals concerning the “supernatural” existence of beings. Your initiation was similar to the other sorority, only you had to go to the forest on a full moon and spend the whole night there. To you it wasn’t anything, you’d been camping many times with your family since you were little. One night wouldn’t hurt.

So you packed your sleeping bag, a few snacks, water, and some extra clothes. The warmth of the fall day gave false hope. You had checked the weather and made sure that it wasn’t going to be raining that night or extraordinarily cold. Everything seemed to have been perfect.

After dinner, you took your stuff and ventured off into the forest. You found a nice clearing not too long after the sun had just set, just before it became too dark to see. You set up camp, built a fire, and let your thoughts take you wherever they pleased while looking under the starry sky. You had drifted off to sleep fairly quickly.

A few hours later, you were awoken by the sound of a low growl of a wolf. The sound meant danger, and even in your half-sleeping state, you knew something was wrong. You quietly, and quickly tried to pack your things without attracting too much attention, you backed up slowly and felt yourself press up against something soft. You held your breath as you slowly turned to face a massive carmel colored wolf with red eyes. The last thought you had before everything turned cold and dark was, ‘I am going to die here, but why does he look sort of humane?’

You woke up just after the sun rose, in a cold sweat. Unsure if you dreamt of the giant wolf, or if it really happened. You argued with yourself while you packed up your things, but a feeling of uneasiness settled over you, almost as if you were being watched. You shook it off and chalked it up to your imagination. You walked back to the sorority house and reported your finding of nothing.

The next two weeks passed quickly, without much of anything happening. You were part of the Sorority, participating in house parties, thinking of charity events, and of course school. It was almost two months into school when you got a new student in your business marketing class, which was normally not a thing that happened often. When he entered the room all the girls in class stared at him. He oozed confidence and cockiness. Whispers were murmured amongst the girls.

When you looked up to see the commotion, you saw him walking toward you. Something about his stance and aura made you not want to make eye contact with him.

“Is this seat taken?” He asked you gruffly while pointing to the one directly next to you. You shook your head no, and kept your head down and gaze averted.

“I’m Katsuki Bakugo.” He told you while holding his hand out to you. You really wanted to look at him, but everything inside you screamed not to. You ignored him as best as you could, but your interaction  made the whole classroom whisper again.

“Alright, everyone settle down. Today’s assignment and your homework is to create a business model that you think would have sustainable growth in a five year model. You will be working with a partner. You have two weeks to complete this and present it to the class.” You swore you saw all the girls' eyes glued to Bakugo as the professor spoke.

“Bakugo, since you’re new to this class, I will let you pick your partner first.” The Professor said, but all the girls sat up a little straighter trying to get Bakugo’s attention. “I advise you though, that just because you are starting so late, I won’t make any excuse for you not to get your work done. You have quite a bit to catch up on.” He continued.

You saw Bakugo give a sly grin when the Professor said this. He nodded his head curtly.

“I choose Y/N as my partner for this assignment.” Bakugo spoke aloud, and you saw all the girls in the room deflate a little bit. You didn’t know Bakugo so how did he know you? You thought to yourself.  When you looked at him after he spoke, for the first time since he entered the room, something about him seemed so familiar. His eyes softened a bit as you looked at one another before he tore his eyes away from you. You felt his whole mood shift from confident to anger. You couldn’t explain it, but you knew something was off with Bakugo.

After everyone was partnered up, and you heard a few quips from the other females about how unfair it was that Bakugo picked you, the two of you were set off to work. As uncomfortable as Bakugo seemed with you, or the classroom, he had a lot of ideas for the assignment. Just before class the two of you exchanged numbers and planned to meet at the library tomorrow night.

Every other night you and Bakugo spent time at the library together until close. He always seemed very tense when around you, and you thought perhaps, it was just your personality that he didn’t like. He’d walk you to your dorm or sorority house when needed. The night before your presentation to the class, you were supposed to meet him, but he never showed up.

You walked around the school looking for him. You caught up with one of his friends Kirishima, who told you that Bakugo wasn’t feeling well. You thanked Kirishima, and gave him a message for Bakugo. You noticed that it was a full moon, and a cool fall night. You walked toward the forest where you felt most at peace. As you felt the cool crisp air biting at your cheeks, and feel your troubles melt away, you walked aimlessly.

Suddenly, you were in the darkest part of the forest, where very little moonlight filtered through the trees. You felt that uneasiness once again, and realized you were lost. Behind you, you heard a branch crack and break. Your heartbeat raced and you realized that you heard a low, warning growl from a wolf. This time you knew you weren’t dreaming.

In front of you was a snarling shadow with the bluest eyes you’d ever seen. You were shaking from adrenaline and while you should have ran away, you heard the gruffest, “Don’t Move” inside your head. So you obeyed. From above you lept a lighter colored wolf, who placed himself in front of you.

The two snarled at one another for a bit, but seemed to be communicating somehow. The sight was incredible and unbelievable. When the other wolf left without your legs gave out and you fainted once again.

When you woke you were surrounded with the feeling of warm fur, and the smell of carmel that pulled you back into sleep. You didn’t dream of anything more, but hours later you woke up in a fit, and inside your dorm. When you exited your dorm to rush to class, you were greeted by Bakugo.

“Hey, Y/N. Are you okay?” You eyed him suspiciously, he wasn’t as tense as he normally was.

“I am fine. I’ve just had nightmares as of late.” You snapped at him.

“Alright.” He said nonchalantly. The truth was you had a million questions for him, but you knew you couldn’t ask him.

“I meant, last night, I found you passed out in front of your dorm when I was walking back from the store.” He told you. You opened your mouth and then closed it.

“You know what? I don’t need this fake sympathy from you. Let’s do this stupid presentation and then we will never have to speak again.” You shouted at him.

He fell behind you as you walked as quickly as you could to the classroom. You both gave your presentation and ignored Bakugo as best as you could for the rest of class.

After class, you were the first one out and ran straight back to your dorm. You turned off your phone and fell asleep for the rest of the day. Your dorm mates Momo, Mina, and Ochako came and went.  Mina, whom you shared a room with, asked you if you wanted to join them. You told her no, and she knew that sometimes all you needed was space, gave you a head pat and left.

When they all left you were able to sleep again and at one point you swore you heard a knock at the door, but ignored it and everyone for the rest of the day. When you turned your phone on the next day, you saw the 5 missed phone calls from Bakugo. You were angry looking at that. The long apologetic text message didn’t seem to help either, nor did the box of Flamin’ hot Cheetos, which you assumed was Mina. However, you spotted the little note scribbled on top from Bakugo, you sat down angrily on the couch in the common area between your room and the other one, and ate the chips angrily. You were determined to ignore Bakugo for as long as possible.

[leviiattacks]

ceo levi falling in love?

author note :: THIS WAS SM FUN TO WRITE?? levi in the modern world is just always enjoyable for me. anyways it’s just lots of shy ceo levi and secretary reader :-) as always requests are open feel free to stop by !! :D word count :: some how i got to 2.4k,,,, i promise it was an accident it doesn’t feel that long 

levi falls in love slowly. he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it until he looks at you one day during a company meeting and is unable to understand why he can’t take his eyes off you

usually he’s able to shift his focus away but he’s stuck in place despite his efforts to look away

the entire meeting is him occasionally humming his approval at all the proposals and prospective business plans being presented to him

when, truly he is NOT listening at all. he’s trying to figure out when the hell and why the hell he began to feel this way for you.

it gets to a point where he’s so distracted over it he ends the team meeting early

everyone in the room exchanges worried glances between each other.

mr ackerman, letting them leave early? that’s a first but HEY!! they’ll take it!!

as everyone disperses out of the room he’s sitting with his back hunched in his plush office chair when he then comes to the realization that he has no idea when he did fall for you,,,,, it just sorta happened????

well, you are basically around him 24/7 and help him with everything but, his newfound feelings still catch him by surprise

at first he’s scared. the feeling is odd and the way his chest tightens as he speaks to you doesn’t feel right at all.

“any specific type of tea for today?” you ask waiting for his response

the rope squeezes at his heart and he squirms around a little.

“u-um, the usual is just fine”

WHY DID HE TRIP OVER HIS WORDS...??

WHY...????

but AGAIN he ignores it, he knows it’s for the best if he doesn’t get emotionally involved with you.

for the record, levi’s definition of emotionally involved is dating you, he doesn’t know that despite not dating you he is very much still emotionally involved with you

he’s pretty good at hiding his feelings though and the fact he likes you goes unnoticed by literally everyone

well, it does stay that way for a little while

that is until someone else expresses interest in you.

it’s a normal friday evening but for some unknown reason he can’t stop himself from clenching his jaw when he walks past you and overhears jean the new head of marketing ask if you’re single

levi is stood behind you and turns to hand his chilling stare to jean who slowly notices. he looks like his knees are about to buckle. “?,&:£:& sorry for asking,,, i’ll...... get going......”

levi just grunts in annoyance glaring at him even as he scurries out the hallway.

you turn to look at him and happily smile “ahhh thank you, i didn’t know how to turn him down he just joined the team so you know, it was weird he asked that”

levi just nods and tells you to get back to work and he hears you squeak out a “yepyepyep!!!”

levi is also very in denial about the way he feels

one day it’ll be “yeah i like y/n” the next it’s “no i do not...that is literally SO stupid. me??? in love?? never.”

also, when you accidentally brush past his skin he can’t help but tense up slightly and look anywhere but where you’re touching him

one time you place a hand on his forehead to check on his temperature because you do not trust him to be honest about having a fever

the scent of your vanilla perfume it’s sweet and simple but it makes him feel incredibly shy for no reason at all

GOD.

he feels like a stupid flustered school boy

ALL THIS OVER SOME PERFUME??

the man can’t even handle looking you in the eye. he’s reading his paperwork acting as nonchalant as possible when he’s really just freaking out

is my forehead sweaty?

fuck, fuck, fuck how do i look up close?

his thoughts are so jumbled up he doesn’t know how to respond to you when you ask if he’s really doing okay

“your cheeks are bright red, maybe you do have a fever?” you’re frowning and rummaging through your bag hoping to find something to help his pounding headache

but all he’s doing as he sits at his desk is nervously opening and closing his pen by the lid

he can’t tell if his face is red because he’s ill or because he likes you

and it’s driving him CRAZY??

wait a second.

does he like you? or does he like-like you?? or does he lo- no he does not love you that is absurd

what really cements his feelings for you is the day he’s unable to reel his mouth back in.

he just starts rambling about everything that has been stressing him out recently

the new company merger, developing new product designs, reviewing humongous stacks of paperwork, attending all these long meetings

he is being driven to his breaking point and you stand there taking it all in

“hey, take the day off.” your soft voice cuts him off mid sentence and he looks at you like you just told him to curl up into a ball and die

take a day off???? he does not have the time to take a day off??

he assumes you’re frustrated by his behaviour and begins to apologize. “i’m sorry that was unprofessional i shouldn’t have don-”

“i’ll finish the paperwork. your next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. it’s okay to take a breather.” you pick up the stack of documents and move to transfer them over to your desk

but levi is persistent.

he stands in your way and you look at him expecting him to step out

“there is no need for that.” his tone is firm but you’re still defiant

“it’s my job as your secretary to alleviate your workload.” you don’t even spare him a glance and he feels like he’s burdening you now

sure, you are his secretary but allowing you to complete all that work on your own is ludicrous

waltzing around him you beeline towards your desk but again he steps in your way interjecting your path

“lev-”

your face morphs into a mortified expression and you panic, you did not just call him by his first name AT WORK

“i mean,” [insert an anxious yet deliberate cough] “mr ackerman.”

“listen, i understand you’re very stressed sir but i’ll finish the work off so please rest up. you need to be refreshed for tomorrow’s company dinner with the investors.”

you’re pleading he takes your advice but all he can do is blink in confusion

you would do that for him???

are you really just diligent and caring or,,, does he maybe have a chance at asking you out?

but again as quick as the idea enters his head it leaves.

asking you out sounds absurd to him, you deserve way better than someone like him

levi is having another one of his jealous moments

you’ve latched yourself onto reiner braun’s arm at the company dinner and he turns away frustrated

you look really pretty

like,,, sUPER pretty

like,,, drop dead gorgeous

he clears his throat when you both make eye contact

you perk up a little and your hand raises to wave at him but levi is so horrible at interacting with you he ends up ignoring you completely...

the pit of fire in his stomach flares up when he hears reiner compliment you, he’s surprised you even accept it and thank him

now, levi is not annoyed because you don’t deserve the compliment.

no, no, no you deserve all the compliments under the sun as far as he’s concerned but what the hell does “you look way better than normal.” even mean??

he thinks you look pretty every day so he’s just a tad bit offended by it

and he only begins to realize he’s in too deep when he sees the way reiner is getting a little too handsy for his liking

he doesn’t interrupt by saying anything even though he really wants to, you seem to not mind reiner’s touch

so he won’t step in between that, it’s not even any of his business

but it certainly doesn’t stop his displeasure from being blatantly obvious and displayed on his face

“ahhh mr ackerman, if it isn’t a pleasure to see you?”

levi hears an investor greet him but his eyes are glued on you.

you’re laughing so hard at one of braun’s jokes and he feels the same flame in his stomach.

it’s rising and reaches his chest igniting once again and he narrows his eyes finally looking away

he’s not going to spare you another glance this entire evening instead he’ll occupy himself with business talk

“mr acker-”

spinning on his heel he twists around and is face to face to with one of his close sponsors erwin smith

he smiles and the two shake hands discussing new company developments and shared work stress before some how shifting to each other's personal lives

“seeing anyone?” erwin’s question makes levi stiffen and his eyes flick towards where you were just standing a while ago

you’re no longer there but he spots you a little further away now sitting alone

you look a little lost and he feels a sudden and strong magnetism

he wants to approach you to talk so badly, and as his eyes scan around the room he sees reiner occupying himself in a suggestive conversation with a lady from HR

she’s definitely trying to flirt and he’s reciprocating easily

oh, so you’ve been ditched...?

is reiner OK???

first the backhanded compliment

now he’s ditching YOU???

it makes levi feel a little angry and frustrated

he doesn’t even notice at first because he’s so deep in thought but erwin leans in to whisper in his ear. “i know that look, go talk to your crush.”

“we’re much too old for you to be using the term crush. it makes it sound childish.” levi grumbles before taking a sip from his wine glass

“i’ll go keep my secretary company. i’ve spoke to most of the other investors it should be okay.” the statement is more of a question but smith nods in response

“it’ll be more than okay, go get em’ tiger!” erwin lands a light punch onto levi’s shoulder and he grins before walking away

to levi’s disappointment he’s unable to speak to you

you end up getting dragged into conversation with some of the other employees and he doesn’t see you again

so much for talking to you, he couldn’t even get within a meters radius

he’s now out on the balcony for a breathe of fresh air, the past few hours have consisted of tedious and forced small talk with an investor’s daughter

her father has been BEGGING levi, even bribing him to consider marrying her but levi rejects every single time

there’s nothing wrong with the girl really

she’s well educated and quite pretty but... that’s all he knows about her?

AND no one beats you, even though he’s still kinda in denial about liking you

hell, not like that part matters he doesn’t even know the girl’s name what does her dad expect from him?

was it sharron? shana? he forgot her name as soon as it was said 

much to levi’s dismay he hears an unexpected giggle behind him and then an arm slinks over his shoulder, the investor’s daughter has followed him out and is now pressing her chest against him awaiting a reaction

frankly, he wants to push her off BUT he’ll be in big trouble and lose a key sponsor if he handles this incorrectly

“could you please distance yourself?” he tries to intimidate the younger girl away with the bitter tone of his voice but it only seems to motivate her

“feisty one aren’t you?” she’s looking up at him through her lashes and her poor attempt at looking appealing only makes levi internally face palm

her index finger is drawing circles into his tie and he feels his breath hitch due to how uncomfortable she’s making him

“please move.” he requests for her to listen once again and he’s now taken a step back but she only follows and keeps her firm grip on his tie

she doesn’t seem to be letting up and there’s nothing he can really do about it.

he guesses he’ll just wait till she gets bored but the time passes at an excruciatingly slow rate

in this fifteen minute duration she’s played around with his hair which has SERIOUSLY annoyed him because he took time to style it

and he thought it looked pretty cool

now she’s only pushed and pushed further and further into his chest and he can feel her hot icky breath hit his neck

the veins in his forehead are twitching in expanding irritation and he doesn’t know how much more of this he can tolerate

“you’re making him uncomfortable.” levi’s head snaps to the right and there you are still as beautiful as the last time he saw you

your arms crossed over your chest and you’re looking the girl up and down

“and who might you be?” the way she scoffs seems to be enough to piss you off because your face morphs into a scowl.

big Yikes...you’re mad

“leave him alone.”

“you must be of no importance, we have no time for-”

“step away before i make a report on the grounds of sexual harassment.”

you flip your phone out smirk plastered across your face

“it’s all been recorded. know your place.” you’re unyielding and even levi is thinking??? wow??? you know how to not be nice??? because well, he’s never seen you this mad 

just as you expect she barges out in a fury (not before flicking you off), you’ve left her brimming with rage and you feel rather proud of yourself

you release a content sigh

“do i get a raise for saving you or what?” you dryly jab 

he’s always loved your straightforward jokes, they align perfectly with his blunt humour

he murmurs his appreciative thanks

“are you enjoying yourself?” he asks the question eager to know what your answer is

it’s another way he knows he’s falling way too deep for his liking

he never asks anyone else these trivial questions

“enjoyable. although reiner is a little.” you pause to find the correct words

“he just made me a little uncomfy, he’s very extroverted so i felt out of place. thankfully he’s preoccupied himself elsewhere.” the same lonely look from before returns to your face 

yeah, it is kinda sucky to have your date ditch you

“you don’t have to tolerate-” levi starts then stops.

you’ve leant in to hear him after saying you can’t hear much over the hustle and bustle from inside

“the- i mean- what i’m trying to say is” he looks at you completely stunned trying to piece together what he wants to say

wOWIE!!!! you literally look so stunning up close he can not formulate a sentence, he has officially LOST IT

the words he say next fly out of his mouth after a lengthy internal struggle “fuck. what i’m saying is, what i mean is, you could always come as my date next time.”

now you’re the one looking at him stupefied.

again, he’s looking anywhere but at you

the closest he gets to it is taking a glimpse of your dress,

it’s black and suits you well with the little ruffles and all.

“i’d love that.”

the tips of his ears grow red in embarrassment but... YOU ACCEPTED???

NOW. levi is giddy on the inside but makes no move to make it obvious instead he opts to scratch his neck and give you an awkward thumbs up

you take note of his body language and the possible realization dawns on you

but you can’t really tell if it’s the doing of alcohol

either way you grab onto his suit and begin to lead the way back into the main hall

“may as well start being my date now? not like reiner’s coming back any time soon” he can’t see your face but he can tell you’re smiling as you speak

levi’s cheeks are bright red but he thanks the chilly night air and darkness for hiding the way he’s reacting

he won’t confess just yet, it’s too early and again he’s in major denial but when staring at the hand that holds onto his suit jacket his heart tingles a little

more like a LOT...

but really whatever it is the two of you have got going on right now it weirdly makes the both of you feel weak at the knees

to be honest, levi enjoys it

and so do you :-)

[clearlydiamondz]

New Partners

Erik Stevens x Black!Reader

---------------------

(Y/N) and Erik are partnered up on a mission. After getting stuck together, things get a little heated between the two.

Warning: Cursing, SMUT, 18+ Content, Semi Fight Scene, mention of infertility, self harm

---------------------

(Y/N) looked around the table with men as she rolled her eyes. So many men sitting here with their pride so far up their ass, it was showing in their face. She knew they had a problem with her being here, but it was more that just that. She was one of the best assassins this organization had to offer. They were intimidated by that. Who wouldn’t be. 

You were on of the girls that escaped the Red Room. That’s right. You were a black widow, trained along side the infamous Natalia Romanova. Better known as Natasha Romanoff. After loosing you’re home from S.H.I.E.L.D, you joined this organization. Just one thing threw it off. You were the only women here. Even though you irked something in their head, they couldn’t help but find you sexy. The only person in here who’s never given her a hard time was Erik. 

Erik was to himself. He didn’t speak to no one unless it was call for for a mission. He was just to himself.

“Good morning everyone.” Your boss Ricky came in as you put your phone away. “I’m going to keep this meeting short and simple. We heard a big deal going around the streets that some of the alien space craft parts from the attack on New York in 2012 is floating around the black market. We will be attending a bidding so that we can get those parts in our hands. Each of you guys here have been handpicked by me because you are  one of the best that we have here.” he said. 

After going her case file, she saw that was playing the role of Isabella Hardaway.  The wife of Simone Hardaway. She looked at all the information that was given to her. 

After the meeting, she was walking to her office when she felt someone tap her shoulders. She turned around seeing Erik standing there with his arms cross. It looked as if she just came back from a mission considering he had all of his tactical gear on. 

“I am going under as Simone Hardaway. Meet me at my office to discuss details before you go on lunch..” Was all he said before stepping away. She turned around walking back to her office and shutting the door. 

--------------------

Before her lunch break, she walked to Erik's office knocking on the door. She heard a come in before walking into his office. The first thing she noticed was the interior of it. Everything was black and gold. It smelled good in her, kind of like Pine Cone. And he had a lot of Wakandian artifacts. The only reason she knew about it was because back in the red room she would read all types of articles and books about Wakanda. 

“You have a very nice office..” she trailed off. 

“Let’s just talk about the mission, yeah?” he said. She nodded. 

“Sure.”

Erik was a cutie. She was always attracted to the guys who didn't say much. Due to some research, she knew it was always the niggas that didn't talk a lot knew had to handle business.

And there was nothing more than she wanted for him to handle her...

----------------------

(Y/N) rode the elevator back to the quarters that same night. It was time for them to start the plan and she was only a couple of  minutes late. As the doors opened, she walked into the building and instantly everyone's eyes were on her.

She ignored their stares as she went to the tactic room grabbing the gear that she needed. As she was signing out her equipment, Erik came beside her leaning against the wall. 

“You’re late.” he simply said as she looked up at him giving him a fake smile. She closed booklet before looking at him standing up fully. 

“Sorry but I have to look the part of a billionaire.” she said then looked at herself. “It just doesn’t happen sweet heart.” she finished before walking out the room. Erik turned around as she walked past him, looking at her backside as she walked outside the door.  

There was no hesitation that Erik wanted to have his way with her. She was fine, smart and witty. She’s been working here a little over two years now and this was the first time he could actually talk to her. Even the first time on a mission. 

They received their instructions sitting in the back of the limo, riding to the place where they were doing the bidding at. (Y/N) was looking over the notes she had tucked into her clutch before Erik spoke up. 

“You shouldn’t hide the notes in your hand bag.” he said in a suggestive tone as she looked at him. 

“I’m not. I just bring it with me so that I could go over everything before the mission.” she said folding it and tucking it under the seat. He shook his head chuckling. She looked at him raising an eyebrow. “Oh wow.. he actually laughs. Someone record this.” she said shaking her head.

“Anyways...” he trailed off turning around and looking at him. “There are somethings that you need to know about this place. It’s heavenly guarded. Metal detectors everywhere. So.. those weapons you have is useless.” he said. 

“Yeah I figured that out. But that’s why I have this.” she pulled her dress up to see a knife strapped to her thigh. Erik wasn’t really focused on the knife, more of how full her thighs looked. Damn, he wouldn’t mind being in between those thighs and getting lost. She pulled it back down, Erik not making it noticeable that he wasn’t paying attention at all. 

“A knife. You are going up against a bunch of men with guns... and your defense is a knife?” he asked pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Oh.. you have a lot to learn my friend.” 

-----------------

They inserted the hall, their arms linked with each other. “Their holding the parts on the 5th floor but it’s heavily guarded.” They heard in their coms. 

“We need to make our presence known a little bit, then we can sneak off.” she told him as he nodded.

“Ah, you must be  Simone and Isabella, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” An Italian man walked up to them. Erik reached his hand out for him to shake.

"Ah, you must be Giovanni." Erik said to him as (Y/N) shook his hand.

"Oh wow, you're even beautiful in person." he winked at her. Deep inside, she was disgusted. But she had to play along with the roll.

"Oh stop, you're making me blush." she playfully said as he smirked at her.

"Well the bidding is going to start an hour so make yourselves comfortable." he said. They were left alone as Erik whispered in her ear.

"We need to get back there before they start bidding." he said as she nodded.

"I memorized the floor plan of the place. There is a hallway on the left side of the building behind the bar. It should direct us back there." she said. They saw the entrance was blocked by two guards standing there with AK-47s.

"Yeah, but those big ass niggas standing in the way." he said as she smirked at him.

"Well, all we need is a distraction." she said to him as he leaned back in the chair. "What do you mean you have a plan?"

"Just follow my lead..."

- - - - - - - -

She walked to Fabian tapping his shoulder. He turned around about to snap until he saw who it was. "Oh, Mrs. Hardaway. Is everything alright?" he asked placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Actually, one of your guests here have been incredibly rude to me. A-And it's just making me and my husband a bit uncomfortable and I really just don't appreciate it." she said shaking her head.

"Who!?"

She pointed in the direction where a man by the name of Rodney stood. She knew who he was. Rodney was one of the dudes that ran a drug ring on the West Coast near Compton. He was a hot head that didn't mind popping off on anyone at any minute.

Mixed with Giovanni, who didn't think with his head but his fist. If this was going to be a distraction, she didn't know what was.

"Aye, what the fuck Rodney!" Giovanni yelled walking over to him. "Why the fuck you're being a bitch!?" he exclaimed as Rodney eyes went wide with pure anger.

"Nigga who the fuck are you calling a bitch, bitch."

And they fell right into place. The two guards standing at the door ran to the commotion as Erik walked calmly to the back door. She followed as they ran down the hallway.

"See, easy work." she said to him as he shook his head.

"No you're just lucky that the two of them don't know how to control their emotions." she responded as she shrugged.

"Same thing." He followed her as the posted behind a wall. She turned her head to see more guards standing at the entrances. She turned to look at Erik putting up five fingers to tell him that there were five guards.

She dug into her purse grabbing the penny electricity lock before turning around smirking at Erik. She flipped it around the corner before she heard the groans.

"Yo.. you're fucking crazy." he shook his head as she smirked.

"Okay, well look where it got us." she said walking down the hall. She picked up the guns only to see that they were digitally activated. "What kind of..." she whispered looking at this.

"Yeah we can't use these." Erik said looking over her shoulder.

"Whelp the only form of weaponry is my knife so let's get this thing rolling." They grabbed the key card opening the door letting themselves inside. Erik shut the metal door before he walked in shutting the metal doors.

"I have a feeling that Ricky only sent me on this mission for the if it goes wrong because it seems like you got this figured out." Erik said leaning against the table. She dug into her purse grabbing a pair of tweezers before she chuckled. "

"I've seen you're record file, you have some pretty impressive stunt work under your feet." she said as he tilted his head to the side.

"So you stalked me?"

"No, I was just making sure that Ricky didn't put me with an idiot. And he has not." she said cutting the wires to the safe. She heard the air exit the safe before Erik opened the safe. He grabbed the piece as (Y/N) looked at it.

"That's it? It literally just looks like scrap metal." she said as he nodded.

"Well, this is what we need so-"

"Hands up!" Both of them turned around to see a guard standing at the door. "Put it down and step away from the safe." he said as she looked at Erik. He placed it on the ground before the guard walked further inside.

"Alright, lift your dress up."

"Nigga what the fuck?'

"Excuse me?"

"I'm the one with gun here, lift it up." he said as she nodded.

"You don't have to do this? I mean-"

"Shut up! Lift it." she nodded, faking pouting. She lifted up her dress before grabbing the knife aiming it at his arm than throwing it making him drop the gun.

"What the-" Erik punched him the nose the nose before flipping him on his back, grabbing his arm and bending it before she heard a crack. Before he could scream, Erik punched him again in the face as his eyes went shut and he laid limped on the floor. She grabbed the wreckage before smiling at him.

"A bunch of men with guns.. and you bring a knife?" she mocked him as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah.. okay. You can handle yourself. I like that." he said licking his lips as she raised her eyebrows.

"Don't look at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like that. You lookin at me with some, 'I wanna fuck you' eyes." she said as he smirked.

"Maybe I do."

"Boy bye. You wouldn't know what to do with all this even if it came with instructions. Now come on." she said walking out with a sway in her hips.

"Damn..."

- - - - - - - - -

They were outside walking to the limo when the agent on the phone started talking. "Change of plans you guys. They found that there has been a breach with the stuff. So you guys have to stay in character. We guys got you a hotel downtown." they heard as Erik mumbled a 'shit'.

"Well let's get out of here before they think of something?" he said, she agreeing. They got into the car before the limo driver pulled off.

They made it to the five star hotel and settled into their rooms before she sighed. "We don't even have clothes." she groaned as he shrugged.

"I sleep naked anyways." he said walking into the bathroom. 

“By the way, they have the room wired just in case something goes left!” she yelled out for him but he didn’t hear her. She smacked her teeth before taking off her shoes. I mean she did too, but sleeping next to him. She wasn't going to lie, she was a bit intimidated by him. But oh well. 

As she waited for him to get out the shower, she went through some paperwork she bought with her before she stripped from her gown laying it on the sofa that was in the living room. She grabbed a whiskey glass from the bar before pouring herself a glass of crown royal that Erik purchased. She drink a little more before she felt herself have a little buzz. 

  She had a wet rag wiping the make up off when he stepped out of the bathroom. She didn’t even notice the shower stopped running. He had the tower wrapped around his waist before looking her up and down. She noticed the scars that sat over his body. 

Damn that shit looked sexy... 

He wasn’t hiding that he was checking her out. His eyes traced over her frame. His tongue traced his bottom lip as he looked up at her. He looked further down noticing the scar above her abdomen. 

“What happened to you?” They both said at the same time.

“I said it first.” she said quickly, as he rolled his eyes. 

“Do you want the simple version or the extended version.” he said crossing his arms over his chest. “Extended version?”

“It’s just something that I did to myself to remind me how many people I killed. You know, never make me loose sight of who I really am. Also to remind myself of what I can become.” he responded honestly. 

“You did that to yourself?” she asked, shocked. He nodded. “And you call me crazy...” she said as he chuckled. 

“And you?”

“Do you want the simple version or the extended version?” she asked him. 

“Extended.” 

“So, I grew up in the program called the red room.” she started. 

“Oh yeah. I heard about that shit. That’s why you’re so good at what you do.. huh?” he said as she nodded. 

“Yeah, well anyways. At your graduation ceremony, we had this procedure done. They told us it was just tying tubes so you don’t mess up and get pregnant. But turns out, they took... everything.”

“Ohh...” he trailed off. “That’s-”

“Yeah, It sucks. I want my life to be more than just this. I want to have a kid one day but that’s never going to happen so.. yeah.” she responded.  

“Damn, I’m so sorry.” She didn’t want to end so awkwardly, so she used a little bit of her dark humor. Something she did to avoid having to dig into her feelings.

“But on the bright side, I don’t have periods. The sex is amazing, well depending on the person I’m fucking.” she responded as he squinted his eyes. 

“Why you say that?”

“Well, if their clean, I don’t need protection. And sex is best when it’s raw.” she winked at him.  His eyebrows raised with a sense of caution. He didn’t know if that was a sign or something, but he took it as one.

“Well, I need to get going into the shower.” she walked passed him, walking into the bathroom before turning around and shutting the door. Apart of her wished that he would turn around and follow her inside but she knew he would never do that.

She stripped naked before turning the water to a comfortable temperature. After that, she stepped in letting the water drip down her skin. The water pressure in the shower was no joke.

While she was in her own little world, lathering her body up, she didn’t even notice that Erik came into the bathroom with her. He took the towel off placing it on the sink before putting his hands on the glass. She still didn’t notice that he was in the bathroom with her. Erik wanted that.

He slid the door open, (Y/N) turning around in shock to see him standing there. Dick standing tall and him breathing hard. (Y/N) was stuck. Here he is, one of the sexiest man she has ever laid eyes on, is butt naked in the shower with her. Something took over her as she wrapped her tiny hands around his dick slowly stroking it up and down.

“You want this dick, (Y/N)?” Oh his voice was deep deep. “Once I start I ain’t going back. I plan on ruin your little ass.” he said as she looked up at him.

“That’s what I want..” she whispered to him. She leaned forward placing a kiss in his chest before making her way down, placing kisses all the way until she was face to face with the monster.

His dick was just as beautiful as him. Long and thick, a vein very noticeable and his tip leaking out with ore cum. “You want this pussy?” she asked him, putting her hand down there rubbing her clit in a circular motion. “She stay wet and ready to take some big dick like this..” she whispered kissing along his dick. He clenched his jaw as he leaned against the shower wall.

“Keep talking like that. Watch me fuck that mouth of yours.” he warned her as she smirked. She wrapped lips around the tip, swirling her tongue around it collect all of the syrup he had to offer. Sweet but tangy. She liked it.

She slowly made her way down his dick as he closed his eyes throwing his head back. “Yeah... you know what you doin. Show me what ya little freaky ass got.” he said to her. She wrapped her other hand around the base stroke it as she sucked him properly. It was nice and slow. For her sake, this man was big. Way too big to fit in her mouth. She don’t even know how she managed to get this much of him.

“You’re so big Erik.. you sure it’s gonna fit in this tight ass pussy?” she asked him as he chuckled.

“You should be asking yourself that question. I’m digging in that shit no matter-ooh.” his sentence was cut short when she started to stroke him faster while sucking his dick. “Show off then. Little nasty bitch, I love me a nasty bitch. Play with that pussy. I want the shit dripping down my chin when I eat that shit you hear me?” he said as she nodded.

“Yes sir.” Oh that made his dick jump. She noticed the little peak of excitement before smirking to herself. She focused her attention on his dick before letting him fuck her mouth. Her hands were on the floor as he grabbed her hair keeping her still as he attacked her throat.

“Fuck! Your shit is dangerous ma!” With a final thrust, he came all down her throat. It came out of no where and she coughed. She wasn’t no bitch though and swallows it.

“Swallow all that shit.” he directed her. He saw her swallow it before smirking. “Stick ya tongue out.” she stuck her tongue out before he grabbed her by the throat pulling her to her foot. Within a split second, he had his tongue down her throat. He sucked on her tongue, tongue gliding along each other as she moaned.

“I know, I’m finna play in that pussy right now. I know she’s wet.” (Y/N) stuck her tongue out once more as he looked at her confused until it finally hit him.

This is just one nasty bitch... yeah he definitely keeping up with this one.

He spat in her mouth as she smiled bringing him into a soul crushing kiss. “Go put your leg on the counter, I’m hungry and I want some of that pussy.” he told her as she smiled in content. She opened the glass door before stepping out. He followed her to the counter as she placed her leg on the counter stretching out. He walked behind her wrapping his arms around her waist. She felt his hard dick rubbing against her thighs as she leaned back against him. With his other hand, he rubbed her ass then giving it a slap.

She gasped then moaned as he smirked at you. "You like that, don't you?" he said as she nodded. His fingers traced around further before he was rubbing her clit from the back.

"You got this wet just by sucking my dick?" he asked her a she nodded.

"Yes.. I love sucking dick." she told him as he smirked.

"Yeah, slutty ass." Unexpectedly, he dipped his finger in her pussy as she gasped. Damn this nigga have some thick ass fingers.

"Shit you tight.. you sure she can take all this dick." he said rubbing his dick against her ass as she nodded.

"Yes I can take it- ooh." she moaned closing her eyes throwing her head back. He curved his finger hitting her G-Spot as she moaned.

"Fuck daddy, Right there. Shit!" she gasped out as he kissed her shoulder. His pace went faster as she felt a pressure in her abdomen. "I'm going to cum.." she whispered.

"Yeah, let me get that." he said as she smirked. A couple of seconds later, she came all over his fingers. He kept going like nothing ever happened. She was overly sensitive, and he could tell bu the slight shake she had.

"Fuck... Erik wait." she gasped as he shook his head laughing.

"Nah, all that fucking teasing you did. Keep your leg up. Don't fucking move." He bent down gliding his tongue along her folds as she fluttered her eyes shut.

Erik moaned as her wetness dripped down to his tongue. He thought it was damn near impossible for someone to be this wet but here she is like a faucet. He stood up as she placed her foot on the ground. He turned her around lifting her up and sitting her on the counter. She bit her lip looking at him as he shook his head.

"It doesn't make any fucking sense how wet this pussy is.." he said to her. He grabbed his dick rubbing his tip along the fold as he sighed in pleasure.

"Stop teasing me.."

"Don't tell me what the fuck to do." he grunted at her. He teased her a bit more before entering his slowly.

"Fuck..." she whispered out as he stretched her out. "Fuck you're filling me up."

Erik on the other hand went silent. He was in complete shock about this. He slowly started to thrust as she gripped the counter top for support.

"Good ass pussy, this my shit here. You understand?" he said as she nodded.

"Yes.. oh my god." she groaned. She put her hands between their bodies, rubbing her clit in circular motions. "Faster please." she moaned a nodded. He started to fuck her faster, the sounds bouncing off the bathroom walls.

"Fuck..."he groaned picking her up. He walked out into the room, pushing her against the wall, thrusting faster into her. She let out a loud scream before he kissed her to muffle the noise.

"Fuck baby... you beating my shit up."

"Like I'm suppose to. You hear her, making all that fucking noise." he said a she nodded.

"Talk to me."

"Yes, I hear her!" she moaned.

"Yeah, she like that shit. Slutty ass pussy.." he grunted. She bit his shoulder in attempt to keep her from screaming.

"I-I think I'm about to cum." she whispered as he smiled. "Let me feel that shit." With a tight squeeze, she released all on him as she hit her head against the wall.

"FUCK!" she groaned. Her body shook once more as he carried her to the bed. He flipped her on her stomach before arching her back.

"We not done.. far from it." he said. Without warning, he thrusted fully into her, thrusting into her at a fast pace. She bit the sheet as she moaned. Tears rolled down her eyes as she let the pleasure overwhelm her.

"What happened to me not being able to handle yo ass? What was that shit you was talking?" he taunted her. Now it was her turn to be stuck. He grabbed a fist full of her hair, pulling her back to his chest. He laid his chin on her shoulder whispering in her ear. "Answer me when I'm talking to you? You got some good dick and now you can't talk?"

"Baby.. please." she whispered as he smiled at her. Oh that shit was wicked.

"Baby please what? I can already feel that pussy tugging on my shit. You about to cum again?"

"YES!" she screamed as he smacked her ass. "Stay just like that while I bust this nut all in your guts bitch." he grunted letting go of her hair. The pressure came quick again, and within a couple of seconds she squirting all over him and the bed. She lost balance falling into the bed with him following her.

It triggered his own orgasm as he let his cum drip deep inside of her. "Fuck!" he grunted out as she spasmed a bit feeling it.

"We ain't done..." he whispered to her as she groaned.

- - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile, in the control room, the entire team was in shock. At first they were confused.

"It's silent, why can't we hear them?" Ricky said as one of the tech geeks, James, started typing away.

"Everything seem to be connected. We don't know. We can hear the shower running..." he said as Ricky stood up biting his nail.

"Maybe we should-"

"Fuck daddy, Right there. Shit!" They heard that shit loud and clear.

"Uhhh...." James awkwardly said. It was silent for a few moments before the heard smacking noises. That's when they heard a loud scream.

"Fuck baby... you beating my shit up."

"Like I'm suppose to. You hear her, making all that fucking noise."

"Should we turn it off?" James said about to push the mute button.

"Just put them on low. We can't risk not hearing anything if something happens." Ricky said, his face in utter disgust. "Jesus Christ..." he said walking away shaking his head.

- - - - - - - -

The next morning, they woke up to a loud banging on the door. (Y/N) shot up looking around to see Erik laying next to her snoring." She grabbed the robe that the hotel provided wrapping it around her body. She ran to the door to see guards standing outside of her door. She opened it.

"Oh well how can I help you gentlemen?" she asked smiling at them.

"We are reporting to all the guests that was at the bid last night. Some artifacts was stolen from us." she said as she gasped.

"What? Oh my goodness, who would do such a thing?" she asked.

"Well we suspect you two. You guys aren't really together are-"

"Everything alright baby?" Erik came into view as they looked at him in shock. Not because of his scars but because all of the hickies and scratch marks that was over his body. They took notice of the ones that you had on your neck.

"No, they are accusing of us of not being together! They think we stole some artifacts from that place. Well I tell-"

"So why were you the first ones to leave?" he asked as she scoffed.

"After that fight, we decided that it was out of control and unprofessional. We can take our business else where." she said rolling her eyes. "Y'all don't have any cameras or security. Just ghetto if you ask me."

"We did have cameras, they were all out."

"So you're accusing us of stealing? We don't need to steal."

"Do you want us to show our wedding pictures? Because we-"

"Actually Mrs. Hardaway, we don't have any more questions. We are sorry for bothering you." he said. She slammed the door in their face before turning around.

"I'm surprise you can even walk."

"Shut the hell up."

- - - - - - -

They made it back to the quarters for the briefing. After the briefing Ricky went to your office to talk to you and Erik. "First I would like to say congratulations. You guys did an excellent job." he smiled at the two.

"Well you know I always try my best." (Y/N) said smiling back to him.

"And another thing. If you know the room is wired, please be a little more quiet when you guys do the do. It's very uncomfortable." he said before walking out. (Y/N) eyes went wide as Erik chuckled shaking his head.

"I totally forgot that it was wired..." she said putting her hands in her face.

"To be honest... I realized half way through but I was like fuck it." he laughed as she threw a pen at him but he caught it. "While we're on topic, I need to finish up my report. But meet me in the quiet room in an hour. I want some more." he told her and with that he left.

Damn...

[moldisgoodforyou]

reunion (i)

warnings: smut !!! 

wordcount: 3.2k lmfao why is it always longer when it’s sexual 

_____

When he finally came to visit - the longest three months of her life, Sophie thought - she saw him from a distance and picked up her pace, heart pounding in her chest, feeling a weird mix of nerves and anticipation. He was clearly lost and glancing around at all the Spanish signs with a confused look, trying to decipher where he should go, until he collided chest-to-face with something - no, someone. 

“Shit, sorry - er -” He racked his brain for the Spanish word she had taught him but came up short once he realized it was Sophie herself, purposely bumping into him. “Sophie!”

She slipped her arms around his waist without hesitation, laughing. “Hi! You’re here!”

And god, if that laughter wasn’t the prettiest thing he’d ever heard. Rafe wrapped both arms securely around her, pressing her to his chest, and inhaled. She had changed some, hair highlighted from the sun and tanned skin all around with some new freckles dusted across her nose, but she still smelled like the lemon and lavender perfume he always loved and her smile was exactly the same, making him feel warm inside almost instantly. 

"God, I missed you so fucking much." He mumbled against her hair.

“Missed you too.” She lifted her head and kissed him, for much shorter than he liked, and he nearly whined when she pulled away. 

"That's all I get after three whole months?" He teased and she grinned, slipping her hand in his back pocket to retrieve his phone and playfully squeezed his butt as she did. 

"You can get more when we're not in the airport, you look like a prime pickpocket target right now." She flicked the collar of his polo - a pale blue, her favorite color on him - with a teasing smile. "C'mon, we have to catch the train. Was your flight okay?"

“Yeah, easy.” His hand found his way to hers like a magnet, not wanting to let her go for a second. “You look incredible.”

“You don’t look so bad yourself. Summer looks good on you.” She grinned, squeezing his hand as they wove their way through the busy airport. Nothing compared to the feeling of being back with his girl.

Rafe refused to let her take his backpack or suitcase, shouldering everything himself. He had left his suitcase half empty, expecting to take home some of her clothes and souvenirs after she had nervously told him she wasn’t sure if she could afford to check another bag. When she showed him some of her favorite things she was going to have to leave behind, over FaceTime with a pout - a unique silk dress and that damned leather jacket - it was easy for him to sacrifice his own space. 

Once they got on the train to get to the city’s center, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in to press a kiss to her temple. “I’m never letting you leave me for that long again.”

She furrowed her brow, peering up at him. “What if I wanted to travel?”

“Then I’ll go too, if I can.” He declared with a grin. “I don’t think I’m a fan of not having you around.”

She blushed, ducking her head down with a shy smile. “I can’t believe you’re actually here and not just on my phone screen.”

He nudged her chin up with one knuckle, giving her a short kiss. “All real. What are our plans today?”

Sophie brightened, eager to tell him. “We’re meeting my friends for brunch later, but we have time to drop by my apartment and you can shower, if you want. That okay?”

“Yeah. You’re not gonna let me nap, I assume?” He hid a yawn behind his fist. 

She checked her hip against his with a grin. “No sir. We’re doing brunch, then the beach, then I thought we could go to the market and get things for dinner, I’ll cook. Deal?”

He beamed, ruffling her hair affectionately. “Deal. I wanna hear your Spanish skills too, I’ve only heard it when you’re drunk so far.”

She laughed, tucking her head closer into his chest. “That can be arranged.”

_____

After navigating the metro successfully, they made it to Sophie’s apartment that she shared with her three roommates. Rafe scowled when she presented him with his three-day metro card, already paid for. “How much was this?” 

“No te importa.” She told him with a grin. 

“English, please?” He was already swiping for the Venmo app on his phone but she plucked it out of his hand, shaking her head. “None of your business. I don’t want a reimbursement.” 

“C’mon, I’ve missed out on three whole months of not paying for you. I gotta catch up.” He protested, taking his phone back. 

“No. Too bad.” She unlocked the door to her apartment and swung it wide open, smiling. “Welcome to mi casa.” 

He’d already seen the majority of it on FaceTime, but it was nice to be re-oriented. “I love it, Soph. Very cool, it’s very you.” 

“Thank you, thank you.” Sophie then showed him into her room - and immediately cringed at the state of disarray. She’d been attempting to pack before he came and there was a pile of dirty clothes in one corner, her shoes scattered around and some photos and posters piled up to take home. “Shoot, um, sorry. Let me just get this real quick.” She excused herself, flitting around the room to pick things up as he watched, amused, and took a seat on the unmade bed.

“Didn’t think you were the type to have a messy room.”

“Yes, well, I’m much cleaner with roommates around, and you've never seen my room at home.” She replied, satisfied as she tossed her laundry into the hamper. “Oh, can’t forget that -” She walked past him to try and grab a spare water glass on her nightstand, but he grabbed her around the waist, stopping her in her tracks. “Sophie.”

“Yeah?” She had to remind herself to breathe, not used to him being so damn close - and seriously, how the hell did he smell so good after that long of a flight?

“It’s been an hour.” He trailed one hand down to rest along the small of her back, tracing one finger down her spine along the way.

“An hour...?” She bit her lip, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

“It’s been a whole hour since we’ve been back together and you haven’t properly kissed me yet.” He declared, a wide grin spreading across his face, and her cheeks tinged pink. “Is that so?”

Rafe laughed at her embarrassment, resting one large hand on the side of her face to cup her cheek and pull her in. “C’mere, angel.”

She felt her stomach flutter as she kissed him, shortly, then pulled away with a smirk. “Will that do?”

“Absolutely not.” He leaned back onto the bed, pulling her on top of him abruptly and laughed when she let out a surprised squeal. When he rolled them over, kissing her hard, she promptly hooked an ankle around his legs to draw him closer. “Fuck, I missed you.” She mumbled against his lips, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

“I love you so damn much.” He murmured breathlessly, pulling away only for a second to yank his shirt over his head and toss it aside. Hers followed shortly after, along with her bra. When he started working at the drawstring of her shorts, she grabbed his hand abruptly. “Wait, no - I said we’d meet my roommates at brunch -”

“Fuck brunch.” Rafe stated, placing hot, rushed kisses along her throat.

Sophie moaned, scratching lightly along his back. “Rafe.”

“We can be late.” He bartered, reaching down and rubbing two fingers across her through her shorts. She bit her lip hard, trying her best to think of an argument. “I...I told them...”

“I’ll be quick.” He promised, pushing her up the bed and grinned up at her from between her legs. “Judging by the look of you, you will too.”

She huffed, indignant, but it quickly turned into another moan as he nipped along her inner thigh. “Rafe Cameron.”

“Sophie Flint.” He tugged her shorts down along with her underwear in one fell swoop, then licked a wide strip up her entrance. She yelped in surprise, fisting her fingers in his hair. “Jesus Christ.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay, you can just call me Rafe. Cameron works too. Too fast?” He lifted his head, both hands gripping her thighs, but she practically pushed him back down, scowling. “Shut the fuck up - no, no, more. Just not used to it.” She pleaded, moaning again when he got to work.

“Be good.” He flicked her inner thigh when she nearly clamped her legs around his head. “Fucking - sorry -” She barely got out before she was whimpering, trying her best to keep quiet. If her neighbors heard her, both apartments with students in her program, she’d never hear the end of it.

“Wanna hear you.” He mumbled against her, sliding a finger into her entrance and groaning when she clenched around him. “So fucking tight.”

She whined, tugging at his hair. “Need you. Please.”

“M’ right here. Not letting you go again.” He soothed, teasing with small kisses everywhere but where she wanted it as his fingers worked at her core.

“Rafe, please.” She practically begged, trying her best to pull him back up the bed while her brain was going into overdrive.

“Patience, angel.” He admonished, slowing his pace.

“We’re going to be late.” She argued, pressing her hips up into him. “Need you, now.”

“Use your words, angel.” He grinned, loving the way she twisted and whined under him.

“Don’t make me say it - oh, fuck, right there -”

He withdrew his fingers immediately before she could come, smirking as she cried out in frustration.  Rafe then sucked them both into his mouth, down to the knuckle, and she just watched with wide eyes, until she came back to her senses.

Sophie pulled him up the bed and flipped him over so he was flat on his back, her knees on either side of his hips. She worked at his shorts quickly and unbuttoned them, shoving them down his legs just enough so she could pull out his cock. He hissed at the contact, jerking into her hand, and she grinned at him. “Eager, aren’t we?”

“Soph - I’m gonna cum in like, two seconds if you keep moving like that.” He bit out, watching as she slid her thumb gently back and forth over the head of his cock.

When she nodded and knelt down, tongue darting out to wet her lips, Rafe shook his head quickly and nudged her back up. “Not gonna last.”

“Oh. Oh.” She grinned, proud she was still able to work him up so easily. “Fuck, I don’t have any -”

“In my backpack.” He hurriedly interrupted her. “At the bottom, there’s a strip of them.”

“Prepared.” She commented with a smirk, then crawled off him to grab a condom, running her hands down his thighs as she went. He sat up on his elbows to watch her bend over, grinning sheepishly as she caught him when she turned back around, gold foil in hand. “Quit staring.”

“I can’t. I haven’t seen you in this high definition in ages.” He joked, hands automatically going to her hips as she crawled back on him. She took care of rolling on the condom, making him let out a strained groan, before rocking her hips against his. “Alright?”

“Yes, let me - oh, fuck -” He breathed out as she sank down on him, his grip tightening on her hips. She winced, lifting up a little with her hands braced on his abdomen. “Okay, angel?” He asked with concern, reaching up to tug the end of her hair a little.

“Yeah, just, one second.” She sat down on him, slower, and her eyes fluttered shut as the feeling went from a pinch of pain to pleasure. 

“There you go. Good girl.” He murmured as she started rolling her hips against his, slowly picking up the pace.

“Fucking hell.” She mumbled - she’d never quite expressed how much good girl turned her on, but he had seemed to pick up on it over time. He kept a firm grip on her hips or just under her ass, nearly bruising the skin as he helped her ride him, but she didn’t mind one bit. “So full, fuck.”

“Yeah? Doing so good for me, Soph. So good at riding me.” He praised, one hand going up to toy with her nipple while the other went south to her clit, making her gasp when he rubbed steady circles across it.

“Baby, I’m - I can’t -” she started, her pace becoming a little more frenzied.

He was struggling to hold it too, nodding. “I know. Come for me, angel, show me how good you can be.”

His words were enough to push her over the edge and she whined, letting her head drop back as she came, digging her nails a little into his chest. As she clenched around him it triggered his own release, and he groaned, breathing heavy. “Fuck, Soph.” 

They both lay there in silence for a few moments, her head nuzzled into his neck and their pants filling the air. When she moved a little, attempting to get off him, he grabbed her hips suddenly, hissing - and she paused, a little incredulous. “Are - are you seriously still hard?”

He gave her a slow, cocky grin. “Maybe.”

“Oh my god.” She giggled, pressing a kiss to the column of his throat and her phone chimed, making her wince. “God damnit. What time is it?”

Rafe was willing himself to make the erection go away - a difficult task when he was literally still halfway inside her, and she kept shifting on top of him. “No idea. Do I need to take care of this...or...?”

“Um.” She carefully crawled off him and reached for her phone on the nightstand. Sophie bit back a grin and glanced at her phone, shaking her head. “Okay. If we leave in eight minutes, we can make it to the metro stop and get to brunch only fifteen minutes late - Rafe!”

He had gotten up and scooped her off the bed in a bridal carry, then kicked open the door and paused. “Where’s the shower?”

She squirmed, fighting his grip until he put her down, then pushed open a door. “Here. But we can’t go together, it’s tiny. I’ll go first, but I’ll be quick -”

“You’re never quick.” He nudged her from behind, pushing her into the bathroom and followed her in, locking the door. She flicked on the shower then turned around, eyeing him over as she waited for it to get warm, arms crossed over her chest.

“You’re staring.” He accused, smirking.

“I can’t believe you’re still hard.” She mumbled, taking a mental picture.

“Well, I - can you blame me!” He blushed as he gestured at her body, hand going to wrap around his cock. “I’ll get rid of it, just let me -”

Sophie watched with her mouth slightly parted for a moment, acutely aware of the tiny bathroom beginning to fog up and the sight in front of her, unsure if she was lightheaded because she hadn’t eaten yet or - well - because of him. “Let me.”

He looked up at her with darkened eyes and a teasing smile, still slowly stroking himself. “Think you can handle it?”

She sunk to her knees in front of him, sliding her hands up his thighs. “Shut up or I’ll bite,” she threatened.

He laughed, but it turned into a choked groan when she took him completely in her mouth, not wasting any time. “Soph - fuck, I’m seriously not going to -”

She bobbed up and down on him, steadily increasing her pace as her hand worked at the base of his cock, the other hand digging her nails into the back of his thigh. “S’okay.”

“I can - d’you want to -” he struggled to think of a complete sentence, wrapping his hand in her hair and tucking it aside.

“Hm?” She pulled off him to ask, looking up at him through her lashes.

“Don’t wanna - your mouth -” Rafe panted out, leaning back against the bathroom counter for some stability, weak-kneed.

“Oh.” She put her mouth all the way down on him, holding him for a second before pulling away with a shy grin. “Um...you can cum on me. If you want.”

“Fucking - you’re serious?” His eyes went as wide as saucers and she could tell he was seconds away from the edge as she nodded, trying not to look too eager to please. “Gonna shower anyway.”

“Angel. Fucking angel.” He muttered, only pumping himself a few times before coming on her chest, groaning probably a little too loud. She grinned at the way he went slack and reached to pull her up and bring her close immediately, always cuddly post-orgasm.

Sophie dipped her finger in the mess across her skin and licked it with a smirk, holding back a laugh as his jaw nearly dropped open. “Mm. Breakfast.”

“Oh my god.” He leaned down and kissed her, hard. “Careful, or I’ll have an issue again.”

She laughed and shoved him away, pulling back the shower curtain. “We’re so fucked. So late.”

“I am.” He agreed, trying to step in behind her and wedge himself into the tight space. When she poured soap into her hands and began to wash her chest, he shook his head quickly and stepped back, snapping the shower curtain shut. “I’m gonna wait.”

“Rafe, we can just hurry - I’ll wash your hair -” She protested, reaching her soapy hand out for him. 

“No, you’re the problem here.” He laughed, a little strained. “Do your thing and I’ll hop in after, you’ll have to get clothes and whatever anyways. Pull something out of my suitcase for me to wear?”

“You can’t get your mind off sex for three minutes to shower?” She teased.

“I’ve literally been waiting three months for this again. No I cannot.” He smirked, leaning back against the bathroom wall with his arms crossed as he waited.

“I’ve done just fine.” She told him, as if to prove a point. He scoffed. “I think you’re forgetting about when drunk you left me a voicemail about how you missed me so bad, then a separate one - and I repeat - for my dick, because you missed it too.”

“Shut up.” She finished her shower and stepped out, dripping wet, and Rafe had to shut his eyes while he got in, making a show out of looking away. “Tease.”

“Would never tease. Ever.” She grinned and pulled the curtain back just enough to stick her head in, and maybe ogle for a few seconds. “You have two minutes.”

By the time they were out of the shower, dressed, on the metro and walking into the restaurant, it was obvious what they had gotten up to as she met up with a big group of her friends. Luckily, as per the Spanish way, half of them were just as late as Rafe and Sophie and a few didn’t even show til after they arrived.

One of Sophie’s roommates, Isobel, grinned knowingly as Sophie slid into the seat next to her, Rafe in tow. “Metro on strike?”

Sophie suppressed a grin, squeezing Rafe’s hand under the table. “You know it.”

 taglist: @whoeveniskendall @kkmaybank @karsinner @outerbanksbro @outerbankspreferences @randomficsandshit @sunshineitsfine44 @jailcalledlife @tovvaa @moniamaybank @illbesafeforyou @dontjinx-it @freddymaybank @jjmaybankzz @g4bster @oopsiedoopsie23 @babygal-babygal @thecuthoney

[chatonne-rousse]

Great Minds (and Kind Hearts) Think Alike

Written as a gift for my sweet friend @sketchy-panda to celebrate a bunch of happy things in her life, as well as just because she's awesome. Inspired by this adorable piece of her art.

During a rooftop discussion about superhero merch while relaxing after patrol, Ladybug and Chat Noir each decide to share their favorite items with their partner. What results is an impromptu gift exchange that just might open the door to a whole lot more.

Read it on Ao3 here.

"My parents put us on the Christmas tree last year, Kitty! I had to see myself in the living room every day."

He bumps her shoulder with his. "And me, apparently."

"Yes, but your ornament was cute!" She flails her arms comically and he tries not to focus too much on the fact that she called his likeness cute. "Mine didn't even look like me."

"Would you have liked it better if it had?"

"That's not what I..." Ladybug scowls, but there's no real heat in her expression or her voice. "It was just weird."

"No, the baby onesie that I saw on an actual baby that said 'Meow, My Lady' was weird," Chat mutters. "I didn't even know any civilians had ever heard me say that."

Ladybug's surprised laughter rings out across the rooftop they're perched on tonight, loud enough to be heard from any nearby open window until she muffles the sound with her hand over her mouth. "And whose fault is that, you tomcat?" she asks through her remaining giggles.

He tries to pout, but her laughter is contagious and his smile breaks through. He chooses to ignore the jab at his vain attempts at flirting. Wooing is difficult business.

"The baby was cute, though. I had to take a picture with him."

"You had to?"

He shrugs. "That's a very small request, Bugaboo. I've encountered way worse. A few pictures? I don't mind."

She stares at him for a long moment, something unreadable in her gaze, before looking back over the horizon. "Have you ever bought any Chat Noir merch? You strike me as the kind of guy to have a bookshelf full of action figures."

He is the kind of guy to have a bookshelf full of action figures, and he definitely does, but he thinks of the drawer in his closet that's full of red and black, reminders of his beloved partner. There are far fewer items in black and green.

"I...have a few things. The action figures of us are really cool, actually. Didn't you always want to be immortalized in plastic as a kid?"

"Can't say I did, Minou." She bumps his shoulder this time. "I'll bet you had your supersuit all planned in your head already, didn't you?"

Not quite, but only because he never imagined himself as a cat-themed superhero. He has no intention of ever divulging the fact that his first real transformation sequence was anything but random. That secret is between him and Plagg, and he's not telling. Plagg probably will, but that's a problem for future Adrien.

She laughs again. "I'll take your silence as a 'yes'."

"I'll have you know, My Lady, that I have a carefully curated display of collectibles that are very valuable. And no, this—" he gestures from his cat ears to his steel toes, "was all spontaneous. Can't help it if I've got cat class and I've got cat style."

Ladybug shoots him a deadpan look that dissolves into giggles once more when he wiggles his eyebrows.

Success. He loves to hear his partner laugh, loves to make to his partner laugh. These are moments he wouldn't trade for the world.

"Well," she finally says after her laugher subsides, "the Chat Noir doll I saw in the market did not have cat style, so I made my own."

"Really?" His voice is soft with wonder.

"Yep! And a Ladybug doll, too." She casts him a sidelong grin. "They're a duo, you know. I couldn't have Chat without his Lady, could I?"

He wills himself not to cry. It takes three blinks and one shaky breath before he can respond. "You made them? Yourself?"

"Sure. It's not hard. All it takes is felt and thread and buttons for eyes. They're simple, but—" she shrugs, "I think they're pretty cute."

"Wow," he breathes. "You really are amazing, Bugaboo. They sound incredible."

His Lady seems to amaze him anew with each revelation she allows. He could count on one hand the things he knows about her, really knows, and those facts are tucked away and treasured. She's a whiz at video games. She babysits. She has a loving family. She listens to Jagged Stone. She loves animals.

"Thank you, Minou," she says softly, as the barest hint of a blush spreads to her cheeks beneath her mask.

His heart beats a little faster. His tongue feels heavier. He falls just a tiny bit more in love with her.

Ladybug fills the silence again. "Better than mass-produced action figures, for sure. More cuddle-able!"

That startles a laugh from him. "Is that a word?"

"It is now." She shrugs, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I'm telling you, Bug, those action figures are cool. I can't believe you don't have a set."

"Guess I need to go shopping."

"Yup," he responds with a decisive nod.

When they make eye contact, it sets off another giggle fit, Ladybug's shoulders shaking with mirth and Chat having to wipe the tears from his eyes. It's not even that funny, but it doesn't have to be.

Paris is quiet tonight, and his heart is light as he relaxes against the rooftop and laughs with his best friend.

*****

Four days later, when they meet up for patrol again, Chat Noir is surprised when his partner joins him carrying a gift-wrapped box. Especially since he himself is hiding a gift bag behind his back.

He sweeps into a bow as she approaches, straightening with an exaggerated wink. "Something for me-ow?"

Her expression morphs into one of longsuffering annoyance. "Well, it was, but I'm reconsidering."

"You wouldn't!" He gasps, one hand clutching his chest over his heart.

Her lips twitch into the beginning of a smile and soon the stillness of the nighttime rooftop is broken by their shared laughter again.

"For you, Chaton," she finally says with a grin, holding out the box.

He produces the gift bag from behind his back and presents it to her, the tissue paper fluttering in the night air. Her eyes widen with delight, and his heart sings.

The handoff is a quiet affair, a hushed silence of surprise settling over the moment as they sit cross-legged, facing each other.

Even the box is beautiful, he notes, wrapped in shiny black paper and adorned by a giant bow of vivid green with black paw prints. He knows, of course, what's in the bag she's holding in her hands. Could this box contain...? He doesn't dare to dream.

He looks up and nods at the bag. "Go ahead, Bug."

The tissue paper rustles as she removes it, trapping it under her foot to keep it from drifting away on the breeze. She takes one look inside, sees the label on the top of the box within, and bursts into laughter. "You didn't!"

Chat grins. "I did."

She pulls out the box to take a closer look. There are several options when it comes to Ladybug and Chat Noir collectible figurines, but this one is his particular favorite. They're sold separately, but he's always been partial to the 1st Anniversary Special Partners Edition, boxed together as a pair and made to wield his baton in his left hand and her yo-yo in her right, leaving them free to hold hands in the middle. Which the figurines' hands are molded to do, and how they're currently posed in the box. They can also stand alone, but there's just something special about the fact that joined hands are an option.

"Okay, Kitty, you were right. They really are cool." She points at the Ladybug figure. "This looks so much better than that Christmas ornament!" Squinting at the box to examine his figurine, she suddenly snorts a laugh. "Your hair looks like a bunch of bananas!"

"Hey!" He pouts, but he knows she's right. When he bought his own set last year, Plagg had made the same observation and laughed so hard he nearly choked on his cheese. He then proceeded to call him Bananoir for days, until Adrien threatened him with a month of Velveeta. The ribbing didn't really bother him that much - honestly, he had to concede the resemblance - because it was an action figure...of himself. No matter how many were produced, that fact would never not be incredible, and no amount of banana hair or cat god snark could diminish his excitement.

"Oh, Chaton, I'm just teasing. I love them." She beams at him, cradling the box with both hands. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, LB. I just...I thought it would be fun."

"Great minds think alike, it seems. Your turn!"

He glances down at the box in his lap and back at his partner. Her smile is bright, but her eyes betray a nervous anticipation.

"Bug, you know I'm going to love whatever this is, right?"

"I hope so. I made them myself."

His heart in his throat, he carefully slips the ribbon from the box and slices the paper with his claws. He can barely breathe as he lifts the lid.

His hunch (his dream) is confirmed when he finally sees the contents of the box. Nestled in a bed of tissue paper, side by side, are two handmade plush dolls, opposite in configuration to the action figures but with their soft little hands touching in the center just the same. Tears spring to his eyes unbidden, and he wipes them away quickly, partially out of embarrassment but mostly because he wants to see every detail with clarity.

The seams are pristine, the limbs symmetrical; the dolls are simple, but crafted with a skilled, sure hand. He picks up the Ladybug doll first, lifting it reverently from the box. Red felt with carefully-painted black spots form the doll's body, and her little black button eyes gaze up at him from a matching spotted mask. A sweet smile is the only other adornment on her face, but the doll is perfect without anything else. This is his beloved partner, created by his beloved partner herself. That alone is perfection to him.

He returns the Ladybug doll to the box and shifts his attention to his own likeness, resolutely ignoring the lump in his throat.

Equal in craftsmanship, the felt Chat Noir in his hands smiles the same sweet smile and looks at him with shiny button eyes from a black domino mask. Perched on his blond felt hair are two black cat ears, and a real bell is sewn at his neck. He gives the doll a gentle shake and the golden bell rings with a jaunty jingle. It's adorable.

Chat Noir is helpless to the grin that lights his face, looking up from the doll to his partner just in time to see that same joy reflected back in her own dawning smile. Warmth suffuses his chest, elation and love and an overwhelming gratefulness bursting firework-bright and making his breath catch.

He has never received such a heartfelt gift in his life. This eclipses the fine blue cashmere scarf his father gave him on his fourteenth birthday, folded in his closet and placed where he can see it every day. It's a treasure to him, and it always will be. But this, handmade just for him with obvious care by the person he loves most in the world? Nothing could come close.

"I don't know what to say, LB," he begins once he can finally speak, "They're...they're amazing. Adorable. Perfect." He takes a deep breath. "I'm fumbling this, but...thank you isn't enough."

Ladybug reaches out to place her hand on his knee. Even through two supersuits, the contact sends a shiver up his spine. Her expression is one of warm relief, clearly pleased with his reaction. "Thank you is more than enough, Kitty. It was nothing."

"Nothing?" he splutters. "These are far from nothing!"

"Oh, Minou," she laughs. "I meant that it was my pleasure. It wasn't difficult, but even if it was, you're worth it."

Do. Not. Cry. He thinks. He's been fighting tears since she handed him the box. Once he gets home, he's absolutely going to give in and sob while clutching them to his chest. He's man enough to admit that...to himself.

He takes several deep breaths and swallows against the lump in his throat as he arranges the dolls back in their tissue paper nest, making sure their hands are touching before replacing the lid on the box.

"Thank you, Ladybug," he says softly. "I love them. Us."

She pats the box still held on her lap. "And I love this version of us, too. Thank you for making sure I have the coolest action figures in Paris." After placing the box and the tissue paper back inside the gift bag, Ladybug stands and offers her hand to Chat to help him up. "Now, let's go stow these treasures and patrol. Last one to Sacre-Cœur has to buy the other an ice cream cone."

Still clutching the gift box under one arm, he watches her throw out her yo-yo to snag a distant chimney before she zips off with a giggle. He grins, shakes his head, and reaches behind him for his baton.

"That's my bug," he murmurs to himself, before setting off for home to secure the gift safely.

In a few minutes he'll rejoin his partner in a merry chase across the rooftops. He hopes the night remains quiet.

Chat Noir can't wait to buy ice cream for his Lady.

[sunflowerdarlingx]

Fred Weasley - “I need you” 2

Hi I hope everyone is okay! 

This is part two of my previous Fred imagine. Part one! 

Please let me know what you think, part 3 is coming and will be filled with smut. 

Female Reader

Warnings: talk of sex but only a few sentences. Minors DNI

-----------------------------------------------

Three weeks and four days, that’s how long it had been since the war ended. The first few days were spent together, locked away from the rest of the world. Y/N’s parents visited the burrow every day for the first two weeks, now they were back to writing to each other regularly.  

Every night, Fred and Y/N would sit outside together under the stars, they had been working on building their relationship. Each night held new conversations about their relationships, discussing old memories, worries, solutions and even planning their future. Fred has always put his maximum effort into everything he does and fixing their relationship was no different.  

The time came about a week and a half after the war where Fred introduced date nights, they would happen every Thursday and at least one other night a week. He said having one night dedicated to them every week would make sure that they would have time to talk, no matter what was going on or how busy life got.  

Every date he planned was planned with care, he recreated some of their first dates from school, he always made sure they would talk about their feelings like worries and fear (the two main factors in the downfall of their previous relationship) and Fred was not going to let it happen again.  

Fred and George decided that they were going to move back to their flat, they wouldn’t open the shop for another while, but they needed to get back to their own space. They wanted to plan a grand re-opening for when things returned to, well, normal. The first night back at the flat Fred had asked Y/N to be ‘officially’ his again and of course Y/N couldn’t say no. She could see how hard Fred was trying, from his creative date nights, to the little notes left around the burrow reminding her of how much he loved her, from the constant cuddles and soft kisses to photos of all their favourite times together popping up around the house.  

These cute reminders never stopped when they moved back to the flat, Y/N realised Fred needed the reminders too, so she started doing the same, writing little notes on the mirror just before Fred got out of the shower, or waking up early enough to make him breakfast before he went to the shop to work on some new products with George.  

Each morning Fred woke up, he couldn’t be more thankful, his family were safe, and he finally had the girl he loved back in his arms.  

-

It had now been six weeks since the end of the war and Fred and George were working towards their re-opening. Every morning Fred and Y/N would usually wake up together, Y/N making breakfast whilst Fred got ready, but on this particular morning Fred was the only one up, deciding to let Y/N sleep, he grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote her a little note.  

Morning cutie,  

I’m down in the shop with George, you looked so beautiful sleeping I couldn’t bring myself to wake you up.  

I’ve asked George to let us have the flat tonight, so he is going to go and stay with mum and everyone at the burrow. I thought we could cook dinner together, like we use to when we were at home during the summer, only if you are up for it of course. If not, we can go out or order in – your choice.

Come and see me when you wake up, I missed getting my good morning kiss and our usual breakfast date :( and you can let me know what you think about tonight ;)

I love you,

Oh, and there is a little croissant in the kitchen with your name on it <3

Freddie x

Y/N couldn’t help but smile as she read Fred’s note, pulling herself out of bed, she had her breakfast made her way down to the shop. She walked into the storeroom and was greeted by a smiling Fred, “where's George?”.  

“Away out with Ange, you just missed him babe”, Y/N made her way over to Fred and he pulled her down into his lap. Y/N buried her head in his neck, Fred placed a few kisses on the side of her head before clearing his throat “So, what do you think about tonight?”, he could feel Y/N smile into his neck, “I think we should cook; it's been a while since we’ve done it together. When you’re all done here, we can go to the shops, sound good?”, “Sounds perfect love, I just need to finish this paperwork and then we can go. I might need you to help me with the muggle money, I still don’t understand it.” this caused Y/N to let out a giggle.  

Y/N kissed him quickly before heading to the door “I better go get ready then...and I’ll make sure I’ve got the right purse” with a wink she was off back to the apartment.  

As she was stood having a quick shower, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander, as happy as she was with her relationship, she missed the intimate nights her and Fred had. She couldn’t give herself the same pleasure as Fred did. It hadn’t been something they discussed, Fred was worried that Y/N would get the wrong idea about them getting back together and well, Y/N’s insecurity of not being good enough resurfaced. It was all she could think about as she got ready, the long nights of passion, the quick rushed fun during the day or the countless times they were interrupted at the burrow by the fear of getting caught.  

Deciding tonight was going to be the night to take their relationship that one step forward in getting back to normality, Y/N decided she would slip away whilst shopping to find herself a new lingerie set. Once dressed she made her way back downstairs, greeted by Fred who then apparated them to a small alley in London.  

Fred decided he wanted pasta, so they made their way around the market getting all the ingredients they needed. “I have an idea Freddie” they were walking hand in hand down a cobble path towards the fruit and veg stalls, “oh yea?” he questioned as he tugged her towards him and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.  

“Why don’t we dress up for date night? Something fancy” Y/N stares up at him through her big doe eyes, “we can both go look for something new and then grab a bottle of wine before going back home”. Fred is captured by her beauty, the way her eyes beam in the sun, “if that’s what you want love then, that’s what we will do. Will you help me pay though?”, Y/N lets out a little snort as she laughs and Fred chuckles too. “Dork” he teases as Y/N whacks his arm.  

Y/N is able to convince Fred to wait outside whilst she shops, grabbing a few different underwear sets and a plain black dress she makes her way to the changing room. After trying it all on she decides on a nice matching red lace set, keeping it simple and a beautiful black dress that highlights all the right places on her body. She pays quickly and meets Fred outside.  

He is stood writing in his little book, he looks up briefly and spots Y/N, “Godric you took your time, did you buy the whole shop?” Y/N giggles and shakes her head “guess you’ll find out when we are home” she winks, Fred reaches for the bag to take a peek and Y/N throws it in her bag. “Good luck trying to find that with muggles around”, Fred groans as they make their way into the next shop. Once they’ve gotten Fred a new shirt and jeans, they grab a bottle of wine and head home.

-

Whilst Y/N gets ready, Fred cleans the flat and sets the table, he heads into Diagon Ally and gets a beautiful bunch of sunflowers for the table. Y/N looks gorgeous, her hair falls beautifully down her back and her make up is done just the way she likes it, she radiated confidence and once she had her dress on, she looked incredible. Fred came into the room just as Y/N was putting on lipstick and his jaw practically hit the floor.  

“Wow...” Y/N turned in her seat and Fred couldn’t help but let his eyes roam over her body, she looked breathtakingly beautiful, “baby you look...wow” Y/N couldn’t help but blush under his gaze. She stood up walking towards him, “is it too much?” she asked worriedly, giving him a 360 turn.  

“You’re perfect”, Freds grin was stretched from ear to ear “I’m just quickly going to shower... don’t go anywhere, don’t need anyone stealing you off me...I’ll be right back just...just stay right here” he rushed around the room grabbing everything he needed, tripping over his bed and his own feet due to the fact he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Y/N chuckles and finishes getting ready, spraying some perfume and putting on some earrings and her necklace.  

She stands in front of the mirror, pleased with her work, when something catches her eye. In a small tray beside Freds mirror was the ring he gave her all those years ago, the tray was covered in dust, but the ring shone beautifully. Y/N picked it up, holding it between her thumb and pointer finger, twirling it slightly before placing it back on her finger, it felt right having it on after all this time. She heard the shower stop and looked down to her hand, I wonder if he will notice. Deciding to keep it on she took her seat on the bed again.  

Fred came booming out, his towel wrapped around his waist, just below his V-line, the sight causing Y/N to heat up slightly. Of course, she had seen Fred like this since they got back together, and the sight was one she always enjoyed but tonight it filled her with a need so strong that she would have dropped her knickers there and then if Fred asked her too.  

“Careful love, you’re drooling” Fred winked at her as he got dressed. Y/N couldn’t help but roll her eyes, “you wish Freddie”, Fred could only smirk at the small blush that painted her skin.  

Fred recognised the look in her eye, there was a point in time where he knew her better that she knew herself, he was glad that he could still tell every little thing about her from her actions. He could see the neediness, but he wouldn’t tell her that, he wanted her to make the first move and god was he praying she would make it tonight.  

Once Fred was dressed, they made their way to the kitchen and started to cook together. Jokes were being cracked left, right and centre whilst they cooked, Y/N noticed Fred was being a lot more touchy than normal and she was loving it, it was like having the old Fred back. He would insist on wrapping his hands around her waist to make sure she was chopping the vegetables right or holding his hand around hers whilst she stirred the pasta.  

She decided to use this to her advantage, to see if she could get Fred all hot and bothered like she used to. Every time he wrapped his arms around her from behind, she made sure to push her arse back just a little bit more, she would make sure to run her hand down his arm when grabbing something close to him, ‘accidentally’ dropping things in front of Fred so she could bend over to get them – her arse being his point of view each and every time.  

Fred caught on pretty early but was enjoying the show he was getting so just let it play out, although he was thankful when Y/N announced their meal was ready because all of her teasing was making his jeans uncomfortably tight.  

They sat down at the table with Fred at the end and Y/N to the side so they could talk better. “Oh shoot, we forgot the wine” Y/N stood up to get it, but Fred took her hand guiding her back down, “it’s okay love, I’ll get it”. As Fred returned from the kitchen, he realised how obvious his not so little problem was, he tried to readjust but it made no difference. He stood pouring the wine and Y/N couldn’t help but smirk down at her plate.  

“Thank you, Freddie,” she smiled as he sat down, raising her glass to cheers once he was seated. Freds eyes were immediately drawn to her ring finger and the silver band that wrapped around it, he raised his glass to hers, a grin taking over his features before he took a sip of his wine. He took her hand in his once she put her glass down and started to play with the ring on her finger “you’ve got my ring on”.  

“Your ring?” she asks playfully “I thought it was mine” she winks. Fred pulls her in for a quick kiss, “it’s ours” he kisses her again before kissing her hand and placing it back down on the table. “Now let's eat”, they dig in and talk the night away.  

They’re sitting at the table with Y/N in Freds lap as they drink their wine, “so...I was thinking Freddie” Freds hand is tracing circles on her thigh and his eyes look up at her “it’s been a while since we...you know...had our fun” she internally slaps herself at her choice of words “and well...I was thinking that maybe, you know, since we have the flat to ourselves that we could...well you know”, Fred can’t help but smile down at his adorably nervous girlfriend.  

He wraps his arms around her and kisses her cheek “I’m sorry love but I have no idea what you mean” he teases “what is ‘our fun’?’” he feigns confusion.  

Y/N pouts up at him and his mocking tone, she knows it’s all in good fun, but she can't help her nerves...and her neediness. Pull yourself together. She turns in Freds lap, so she straddles him, her arms wrapping around his neck whilst she plays with the hair at the nape of his neck.  

“Well Freddie, I thought you were quite familiar with ‘our fun’” she mocks his tone at the last part. “You were very familiar with it at school, we did it practically everywhere” she pauses and kisses him before leaning towards his ear “it usually started with me having a mouth full of your cock before being bent over while you fucked me from behind”.  

A small groan left Freds mouth at her word, his hands gripping her waist, “but … I suppose if you don’t remember Freddie, I’ll just have to have the fun myself” and with that Y/N was up and moving towards the door to their bedroom. Fred took all of five seconds to compose himself before running up behind her and throwing her over his shoulder taking her into their room.  

Part 3 (18+)

[todoscript]

Syndicate —  [ 3 ]

parts: one | two | three

SUMMARY: The four of you arrive at Hatsume’s workshop, hoping to find some leads about the mysterious bullet you discovered in the aftermath of the scuffle against the Shie Hassaikai yakuza group.

genre: mafia au. pairing(s): mafiabosses!todobakudeku x fem!reader word count: 2.1k+ warnings: mature themes. mafia talk. crude language/cursing. future adult and violent scenes. polyamorous relationship. characters are aged-up. taglist: in reblogs. please ask if you would like to be included in the taglist for updates on future parts.

author’s note: oh my god, i am so sorry for the very long wait everyone! trying to crank this part out was a bit of a struggle with everything going on, but i’m glad it’s finally done! i initially planned to make this chapter a bit longer and continue on with some of the next section, but it made more sense to end it off here so the next part could be flushed out more on its own

Nothing but the grating sound of machinery sparking against each other fills the room the moment you walk into Hatsume’s workshop, located in the more uneventful parts of Tokyo, and away from the seeing eyes of the public. Your ears recoil at the noise; however, it is a cacophony of sounds you are used to, considering this is far from your first time here. Thus, it’s not so much a surprise, being greeted this way, though still jarring nonetheless.

Mei Hatsume is a woman who usually busies herself with work. Whenever she wasn’t occupied filling out a client’s order, such as creating the gadgets they requested necessary for certain heists, she was always active in coming up with new inventions—other gizmos to win people over. In turn, she managed to catch the three pairs of eyes that are responsible for overseeing the infamous Yuuei mafia. Before long, the syndicate had become one of her most frequent and loyal clients due to her high-quality skills and work ethic. 

Your three men are in tow behind you when you enter, following in not only your steps but your strained expression over the racket.

“Hatsume!” you shout out to try and capture the girl’s attention, being that her eyes are covered in her dense, protective goggles to even see the four of you coming.

Far too engrossed in her work, her nonchalant hums in between her buzzing equipment indicate that she isn’t going to notice you anytime soon. Knowing this, Bakugou grits his teeth out of annoyance and marches past you.

“Hey Goggle-Head!!”

Unsurprisingly, his yell is garishly loud and is enough to cut through the jarring grinding of the machines and reach Hatsume’s ear. Bakugou does prefer to take a strident approach to things after all. And today especially, he isn’t in the mood to wait around.

“Bakugou. That was unnecessary,” Todoroki says, side-eyeing his partner for his boisterous attitude.

“It was totally necessary, Icy-Hot,” the blonde retorts.

Hatsume soon stops what she’s doing and finally brings the noise to a halt. Lifting her bulky steampunk goggles from her eyes, she properly greets her guests.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite clients!” Her tone is welcoming and chipper, despite the somewhat rude awakening courtesy of the blonde. “What can I help the four of you with today? Perhaps in need of some more firepower for your men? Hmm?” Hatsume wiggles her brows—a crafty gesture she usually gives to entice her customers while flaunting some incredibly elaborate contraption of hers in her arms. Midoriya declines with a shake of his head, waving a hand out.

“No, we’re fine with all the equipment you’ve provided our group with so far, Hatsume. They’ve been working wonders for us,” he says kindly.

“Especially that earring from the other night.” You join in the praises, and Hatsume readily eats them up as her yellow eyes begin to sparkle.

“Ah, the teardrop earring, I presume? As expected, I knew that particular item would perform excellently, what with its compact size and design to elude suspicion, along with its vast set of features—”

“Come on, quit yapping already! We’re here for business, not to give our fucking reviews,” Bakugou dispels the girl’s incessant ramblings with his ill-tempered tone.

Todoroki steps forward, following in the blonde’s approach. “He’s right. Excuse us, Hatsume, but we wanted to ask you about something we encountered last night,” he explains, hand digging into his coat pocket to procure the ziploc bag containing their item of inquiry—the bullet.

Your hands glow magenta; your quirk lifts the bullet from the plastic and into the air to prevent Hatsume from needing to touch it directly for examination. As it hovers in front of her, Hatsume’s eyes start to gleam a brighter amber yellow inactivation of her quirk, allowing her to scrupulously inspect every detail down to even smidgen of a scratch.

A few hums leave her lips the more she tilts her head at the object, index finger steady beneath her chin.

“Well?” you ask, a tad impatient for answers as are the other three. Hatsume gives the bullet one last look before turning to you, a somewhat uncertain look on her face.

“Just who did you retrieve this bullet from?”

“A henchman from the Shie Hassaikai yakuza fired this at us last night while we were in a scuffle with them,” Todoroki answers with Midoriya continuing.

“We managed to avoid getting hit by it thanks to a comrade of ours.”

“Hah, as if those jokers could pose even a threat to us with flimsy weapons like these.” Bakugou punctuates with his arrogant poise, and you playfully roll your eyes at his comment before returning to the situation at hand.

“Still, for us to not recognize something as ordinary as a bullet like this is concerning, adding onto the fact they were willing to use this instead of facing them head-on with their quirks,” you add. There’s a silence lingering in the air at your words, but it eventually isn’t long until Hatsume says her piece. 

“Well, after seeing this, I suppose the talk going around the crime groups is true after all.”

The four of you exchange peculiar looks, inquisitive at the mention of such “talks”.

“What ‘talk’?” Midoriya asks, voice dipping low for his standards.

Taking a seat at her workbench while facing her four guests, Hatsume’s expression grows unusually serious.

“Some of my clients have spoken about some shady business going on in the underground recently.”

“Shady business?” Bakugou repeats vehemently, eyebrow quirked.

“This is the first I’ve heard of this,” Todoroki comments, growing wary at the shift in the situation.

“We practically have total control of the black market on the east side of Japan. What shit could be going on under our fucking radar?” The blonde’s eyes flare a menacing red over the news.

“To begin,” Hatsume continues, “my clients have spoken about a new weapon being spread around amongst many criminal gangs. It’s no surprise you haven’t heard of it actually. The ones producing them have made sure to evade the gaze of your mafia group by offering them to those in the west, and have only recently moved to the east.”

“They didn’t want us to intervene and mess with their steady business on the black market, I’m assuming,” you add, and Hatsume nods at your conjecture.

“Likely. Anyways, this weapon didn’t seem like a big deal at first. Just some talk about a bullet similar to the one here.” Hatsume gestures to the transparent bag. “But a bit of prodding later, I learned that the contents inside the bullet actually contain a drug created by a scientist, which was forcibly taken by the Shie Hassaikai yakuza.”

Midoriya, Bakugou, and Todoroki are immediately attentive at the name, their expressions soon altering into revulsion as if a vile stench had suddenly wafted into the air, turning the atmosphere sour.

“So the yakuza made out with some stolen research and are mass producing these bullets onto the black market behind our backs, correct?” Todoroki relays the info with malice prevalent in his timbre.

“Those fuckers. Thinking they can do whatever the fuck they want, huh?” Bakugou’s teeth grit at every word uttered under his breath, fists clenching together. “They’re asking for it now.”

“Oh, don’t worry, Kacchan. We’ll make sure each and every one of them is delivered the punishment they deserve.” Midoriya joins his fellow mafia bosses in the menacing pressure exuding from them. His smile is far from genuine—two-faced with intense animosity emanating from just a simple glance.

Having been by their side through situations similar to this level of tension, you’re very much used to witnessing these expressions painted on each of their faces—such as a time when their shipment of goods came far delayed due to a few lackeys’ miscalculations. In turn, Yuuei had lost a bit of time in their well thought out schedule, which was something Deku, Ground Zero, and Mercury were not at all happy about as they thrived on pure efficiency. To make the story short, those henchmen had received a rather brutal ending for their errors when the three were done with them.

Since then, the trio have let it become a lesson learned not to rely on a bunch of simpletons to carry out such important tasks. As a result, the mafia group had become more efficient from then on out, now centering around your smaller group of elites in the aftermath of the events.

You have to admit, seeing the three so riled up is quite attractive in your eyes. They were already charismatic on their own—being in their presence gave you a very tasteful glance of their domineering aura. But in action, that charisma somehow manifested many times stronger, and when in pursuit with such determination in hand, it felt like they could do just about anything they set their minds to.

However, there are times when you knew you needed to step forward and become their sense of reasoning, lest they walk through fog with no sense of direction. Now is one of those times.

“Well, to start, we need some leads.” You join in, and the three turn to you, ready for what their right-hand woman has to say. “Hatsume, do you know what the drug does?”

The girl shakes her head, much to your dismay, but offers a hunch. “I can only assume it must disrupt the body in some way on contact.”

“It’s a good thing Kacchan didn’t get hit by it then,” Midoriya comments.

“Shut up, Deku.” Bakugou harshly jabs his elbow into the young man’s sides, annoyed.

“Now’s not the fucking time.”

“Right, right… My apologies…” Midoriya replies, holding no ill will at his partner, despite his rough demeanor. The trivial exchange between the two quickly ceases. You decide to resume your questions directed at the craftswoman.

“Alright then… How about the scientist that created the drug? Do you have any info on them?”

Musing in thought, Hatsume’s eyes draw to the ceiling as she rummages through her head to recollect her memories.

“Hmm… What I have heard is that the yakuza had infiltrated a place located in the corner of Kamino Ward in Yokohama to obtain the drug.”

“So that must be where this scientist’s laboratory or base of operations must be then. Kamino Ward.” Todoroki guesses and the girl gives him a brief nod.

“Then that’s where we’re going next. We’re gonna find this scientist and get the info we need, even if we need to beat it out of them!” Bakugou exclaims, voice thundering throughout the workshop as his palm emits a small, concentrated burst of fire while coming in contact with his fist. “Not a single one of those half-rate yakuza asswipes are getting away, pulling this shit on us.”

“Though I have to warn you,” Hatsume interrupts forebodingly as a shadow casts over her features, “there have been rumors of people disappearing around those parts.”

You lift a brow, suspicious at the meaning behind those claims.

“Disappearing?”

“That’s right. Anyone that so much as approaches that area ends up poofing out of existence.” She emphasizes this notion by springing her arms outward. 

“Oh? Sounds a bit… far-fetched.” you reason, adamant on the idea that no such thing could happen without natural causes. After all, quirks are biological phenomena. Nothing as supernatural as disappearing from existence should be occurring, right?

“No, Angel Face, it sounds more than just far-fetched. It’s more like a load of bullshit to me,” Bakugou chimes in, bolstering your doubt against it.

“Probably something stirred up to keep people off this scientist’s back,” Midoriya speculates. “He’s already had his research stolen from him. I’m sure he wouldn’t want a repeat of that.”

As he appears behind you, Todoroki lays a hand on your shoulder reassuringly. “Even if something like that is true, I doubt it could truly pose a threat against us, considering who we are.” His hand dips down to find yours before lifting it above your shoulder to lay a quick kiss on your fingertips. You smile at both his words and his touching gestures.

Ignoring the affectionate display, the girl only shrugs. “That’s what I’ve been hearing is all, but I suppose you could take it with a grain of salt.”

Despite the ominous admonition, Midoriya gives Hatsume a grin before reaching into the pocket of his coat. “Thank you for the warning, Hatsume,” he sets a wad of cash down on the workbench in front of her, “along with the valuable set of information. We’ll be sure to put everything you told us to good use.”

She returns the smile, fingers curling around the stack furtively. “Well, a pleasure doing business with you, Yuuei. And remember, my services will always be available to you when you need it.”

“Dutifully noted.”

[1234-angelika]

Errands

an:Hey y’all! So this is the fifth instalment in my Happily Ever After series for David. As always, hope y’all enjoy!

words:1.1k

warnings: mentions fof church and religion (not in depth), canon-typical violence (at the end)

summary:"Running errands is like running a marathon with a mirage as a destination. You think you're almost there but you'll never hit one." -Sripada

masterpost|taglist|have an idea

Slowly you began to wake up. Raindrops pattering against the windowpane, still aggressively trying to lull you back to sleep.

You flipped the covers off and hopped out of bed, determined to start your day off with David on a good note. Glancing at the clock, you quickly noticed you had less time to get ready than you thought. Hurriedly, you started the shower and climbed in. As the water woke you up, you thought about your plans for the day. The two would be going to church together and then to the farmers market before lunch; after lunch, there was no plan since it changed every day. You and David made that plan together when the two of you began to get serious.

You climbed out of the shower, and after wrapping a towel around yourself, you started on your hair. After a once over with hairspray, your hair was done. You looked at the clock and spurred yourself to move faster. You only had twenty minutes until David was coming to pick you up. Carefully, you began the application of your makeup, finishing with eight minutes to spare. Luckily, you had picked your dress out last night on account of the fact that you never leave enough time for yourself to get ready. Being mindful of your hair and makeup, you slipped into your dress, and then after grabbing your purse off your bed, you made your way downstairs.

Opening the coat closet, you pulled out your nude pumps and stepped into them. After you had your shoes on, you grabbed your camel coat and shrugged it on. As soon as you finished pulling on your jacket, the doorbell echoed through the foyer. You hurried to the door, still careful to avoid tripping. You opened the door, and there stood David, handsome as ever in his church attire.

“You look lovely mio amore,” David said as they leaned in, kissing both cheeks.

“And you look as handsome as ever.” You replied in kind, your cheeks heating up as a reaction to the compliment.

Stepping out, you turned and locked the door before reaching for David’s outstretched hand. He made sure you were covered under his umbrella before he led you down the front steps to the car. He pulled open the door and waited for you to get in before gently closing it and walking to his side. Once he got in, he took off toward the church. The entire drive, his hand rested on your knee, and soft music drifted out of the speakers, filling the car. When you arrived, again David opened your door for you and then grabbed your hand. The two of you walked into the church just in time. The mass seemed to go forever, the priest seemingly droning on with his sermon; you might have actually dozed off for a bit. The end of the mass always seemed to go faster than the first half. Once it ended, David grabbed your hand, and the umbrella in his other one before the two of you walked to the doors of the church. Gently but firmly, you pushed open the doors; instead of the rain you had been expecting, you were surprised by the sun. You turned to flash Dave a smile before facing forward and beginning to walk to the car. The two of you made it through the parking lot and to your car, narrowly being missed by cars a few times. You climbed into the car, and Dave put the umbrella in the trunk before doing the same.

He took off towards your usual farmers market. It was hopping, definitely more busy than usual. You blamed this on the uncharacteristically warm fall weather. The pair of you exited the car before joining hands and making your way to the market entrance. David paid for the parking, and then the two of you began walking around. The first section was the crafts section; some people were even selling work made by their children. This section was full of tables selling handmade jewelry, quilts, soaps, clothing and, other crafts. You stopped at each of the tables, taking longer than usual at one. David only noticed because something pulled him back as he went to move to the next one.

“What are you looking at?”

You held up the package you were inspecting and turned it towards him. “Look at this beautiful set of coasters.”

“Those are incredible!”

The interaction between you and Dave caught the attention of the woman operating the table.

“Do you like those?” She asked, walking toward the two of you.

“These are incredible,” you responded, “did you make them?”

With a laugh, the older woman replied to you, shaking her head, “No dear, those were made by my daughters.”

“How old are they?” You asked with a surprised gasp.

“My girls are six and eight.”

You didn’t even have a chance to respond before David said, “Incredible work for children so young. How much for the set?”

A wide smile spread across her face as she answered. “Ten for the set but, since the two of you are so sweet, I’ll give you an extra set.”

David pulled out his wallet, handed her a twenty—telling her to keep the change before giving you the bag containing your new purchase. After the sweet interaction, you walked around the rest of the market with a soft smile on your face. The two of you bought various other things, including fresh produce, honey, cheese, and even some artisanal vodka. After wrapping things up at the market, you made it back to the comfort of the car. He turned in his seat to face you, saying,

“Which café is it this week, Arlene’s, The Jumping Bean or, Estrellas?”

Between the three of the café’s the two of you cycled through, you actually had to take a minute to think about it.

“This week, I think it’s Arlene’s.”

He nodded, and then the two of you drove off. As you pulled into the parking lot, you immediately noted the lot was uncharacteristically empty. Usually, Sunday was their busiest day. But, forever, the suspicious FBI agent, David, asked you to wait in the car before getting out to look around. About five minutes later, he returned to the car with a grim look on his face. You opened the door to get out, but he just shook his head. As you sat in the car waiting, you faintly heard Dave on the phone with Aaron, and it was then that you understood just how bad it was.

Definitely not how you planned your day off together, but at least the two of you got the chance to spend some of the day together.

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