#she just gets progressively more beat up as the chapters go on

[covenofagatha]

Two professors and a student (Part 7)

Word count: 3100

Warnings: overstimulation, scissoring, strap-on, sex toys, use of safeword, smut, fluff at the end, degradation and praise, crying, aftercare

A/N: this is for everyone who requested major overstimulation lol also I think this will probably be the last chapter in this story unless i'm randomly in the mood to write more. hope everyone enjoys!

It feels like it’s been an hour before they come back into the bedroom, where you are tied up and completely at their mercy, but you know that realistically, it hasn’t been that long. 

What you do know is that you’ve cum four more times, despite your hardest efforts to stave off each orgasm; trying to fight the build up because you don’t know how many more you can take. 

Each time, your entire body seizes up and you let out a loud whine, hips moving furiously without your consent. You can feel the wetness literally leaking out of your hole and your clit is starting to hurt. You’ve tried desperately to untie your hands yourself but each time you’ve gotten close, you’re sent into another orgasm from the direct stimulation and it undoes all your progress. 

The door opens right as number five is weakly washing over you and both Agatha and Rio smirk at your thoroughly ruined state. 

“Please, please, it’s too much!” You cry, tears fully running down your face at this point. 

Rio tuts and slowly makes her way over to you, tracing a line up your sweaty thigh and her light touch makes you practically keel over. “Look at her, Agatha, she was begging to cum and now she wants to stop.” 

You sob, your entire body trembling. 

“Do you think she’s learned her lesson?” Agatha asks Rio, and it’s like you aren’t even in the room. 

Rio thinks for a moment and then reaches down and unties your legs so the vibrator is no longer being forced against you. You immediately scooch away from it and it feels like you can finally breathe, although you can still feel your pussy tingling, phantom vibrations still racking through your worn-out body. 

“You okay, sweetheart?” Agatha asks, cupping your cheek and rubbing the tears away. She makes quick work of untying your hands as well. You nod, completely and utterly spent. 

Rio chuckles darkly and you know whatever she’s about to say is going to be wicked. “I don’t know, Aggie, I think she has at least one more in her.” Your eyes widen and your mouth drops, but your heart jumps despite yourself. You still desperately want their hands on you. 

Agatha pretends to think hard for a minute. “You know, Rio, if you think about it, we denied her twice today. I think it’s only fair that we make up for that now. What do you think, baby?” 

But your breaths come out sharply. “I don’t know if I can, I don’t know if I can take any more.” You know that they are going to be the deaths of you. 

Rio coos mockingly and runs a finger through your folds, eyes lighting up when your hips buck involuntarily. “You sure about that, doll?” 

“If it gets too much, just say ‘cake,’” Agatha reassures softly, reminding you of the safeword you had picked out, and bends down to peck at your lips. “You want to be a good girl for us though, don’t you? Let us give you two more.” 

You nod, already feeling your pussy leaking at the thought, betraying you. “Okay,” you whisper hoarsely. Agatha moves down the bed to where Rio is standing, facing your open legs, and taps her finger to her chin. 

“Look at how pretty that pussy is, Rio,” Agatha says, and Rio hums in agreement. “Mama wants to feel it.” Hearing her call herself that makes you clench around nothing but your brows furrow in confusion: she’s already felt you, what does she mean? 

But then Agatha hikes up her dress and slides her underwear off before crawling on the bed over to you. She pushes open your legs, angles one up, and puts one of hers over your hip. Your heart skips a beat. Surely she isn’t–

And then she grinds down and her cunt slides against yours and an embarrassing loud noise rips out of your mouth. 

“God, baby, your pussy is so perfect, feels so good,” Agatha moans, moving slowly at first. You can feel everything and it is killing you in the best way. Her wetness slick against your skin, her folds, her clit, it’s so much. 

And then Rio positions herself behind you, lifting you up so you can rest your head against her stomach and watch Agatha ride you. 

You whine and try to roll against the older woman too, the need for pleasure steadily climbing back inside you even though you thought it wouldn’t, but Rio reaches down with one hand and holds your hips down. 

“Let her take what she needs, doll,” Rio says into your ear. Agatha groans on top of you and you can feel more of her wetness gushing out, only making it easier for her to move. 

The direct stimulation is a lot, even more so now, after you’ve cum so many times, but you can’t deny how good it’s feeling. 

And then Rio wraps her other hand around your throat, gently squeezing the sides, and your back arches, forcing your clit up against Agatha’s on a particularly hard rut and it makes you moan so deeply you feel it in your chest. 

“Oh my god, oh my god,” you chant, not even comprehending the words coming out of your mouth, the slight pressure on your throat making you dizzy, Agatha’s bare cunt against yours making you feel a way you’ve never felt before. Tears are falling from your eyes again and they blur your vision but you quickly swipe at them so you can watch Agatha moving up and down. 

Her rhythm is starting to get sloppy and you can see a flush on her upper chest spreading to her neck. Her hair is messy and she tosses it over her shoulder, making you clench around nothing. 

“Sweetheart, you feel so good, you’re going to make me cum,” Agatha pants, hips stuttering and jerking, trying to keep up a pace but failing. 

You can also feel the tug in your lower stomach, the same feeling you’ve now already felt seven times today. Rio squeezes your throat one last time and that’s it. 

Whimpering is the only thing you can do as the wave crashes over you weakly, and Agatha shudders on top of you as she also cums with small gasps. 

She slumps forward, catching herself with her arms on either side of your body, and leans down to capture your lips in a long kiss. Her hair falls around your face and it tickles.

“You doing okay, baby?” She whispers against you and you smile and nod, completely blissed out. All the thoughts in your head disappeared around orgasm number four and now there’s only these two women and you in the whole world. 

“Is it my turn now?” Rio asks from above you, interrupting whatever moment you and Agatha were having. Agatha tilts her head up to smirk at her partner and kisses her too, hard and filthy. When Agatha slips her tongue into Rio’s mouth, you genuinely have to bite back a moan.

And then Rio clasps her cheeks and it’s like they’re trying to eat each other’s faces and for some reason, it reignites the fire in your stomach. You undulate your hips ever so slightly, the movement against nothing somehow bringing you closer to the edge. 

You start breathing heavily, still working your hips, and you can hear the smacking sounds of their lips, their little moans. You can see their teeth knock against each other, their tongues tangling. It’s one of the hottest things you've ever witnessed and when Rio groans as Agatha sucks on her lip, you orgasm again. 

It’s small, just a tremor, but there’s no denying what it is. 

You can hear Rio chuckle as they both look down at you and you can feel your face heating up. 

“Did you just cum from watching us make out?” Rio asks, amusement curling around her tone. 

You try to look anywhere else to escape their smirks but you give in. “Maybe,” you mutter. “Can that count as my second one?” 

Agatha tosses her head back and barks out a laugh. “Oh, no, baby. That was just an extra. It’s Rio’s turn now.” 

The younger woman crawls backwards and your head drops down to the bed. You feel like you’re floating and you can vaguely hear her rummaging around behind you. 

Agatha brushes your hair and lightly strokes your cheek while you wait and even that little touch makes you wince. Your entire body feels so wrung out but also so sensitive. 

And then Rio steps back into frame with a harness and a strap-on and you heave out a breath. You don’t even have the strength to formulate a sentence and instead you just babble something incoherently.  

“You don’t have to,” Rio says, concern evident in her voice, but you shake your head. 

“M’okay, I can do it,” you insist, still slurring, and she gently pulls you by your ankles so your hips are at the edge of the bed and she’s standing between your legs. 

She rubs her cock up and down your slit, pressing the tip against your clit, and you let out a guttural sound and your body involuntarily jerks. “You’re just so desperate for us, aren’t you? Willing to take whatever we give you because you’re such a good girl for us, right?” 

You nod, unable to speak when she slides the tip into you. It goes in easily with how wet you are and your mouth falls open. The stretch is so good it’s almost painful and you gasp out your breaths. 

“You’re doing so well, baby,” Agatha purrs. “Tap me if it’s too much.” And she slowly slips two fingers into your mouth. You groan and begin sucking on them while Rio begins to push into your cunt. You bite down on Agatha from the feeling just enough for her to hiss but then she starts to match Rio’s leisurely thrusts. 

Having the double stimulation from Rio’s cock and Agatha’s fingers in sync has on you a different planet. 

“All this because you just had to misbehave,” Rio tsks, fucking into you harder but just as slow. “Again. You’d think you’d learn your lesson after the first time.” 

You make a muffled cry as she circles your clit with a featherlight touch and your hips buck. 

“Maybe she likes this,” Agatha says thoughtfully. “Acting out because she knows what’ll happen. Because she wants this to happen.”

Rio chuckles, beginning to pick up her pace and Agatha shoves her fingers deeper into your mouth, making you gag. You are so ruined that all you can do is just lie there and take it. 

“One or two orgasms isn’t enough for our baby doll,” Rio taunts and snaps her hips harshly, a muted cry clawing its way out of your mouth around Agatha’s fingers. “She’s insatiable. That’s why she pushes us until we have no choice but to give her what she wants.” 

“You hear that, sweetheart?” Agatha says, voice dripping with sugar. “This is what you wanted.” Her fingernails scrape against your tongue and you nod furiously, tears pouring out of your eyes. 

Rio presses harder on your clit and you mewl, your entire body squirming and lurching forward with the impact of her thrusts. 

“You look so pretty like this doll, like our little plaything,” Rio says hotly and you can hear the exertion in her voice. “Aggie’s fingers in your mouth, my cock in your cunt. God, wanna take a picture and frame it. Our desperate little girl is being ruined.” 

Moans of agreement enthusiastically leave your mouth and Agatha smirks above you.

“Look at her being shameless about it,” she says, amusement lacing her tone. “She can’t even deny how badly she wants us.” 

Rio shoves one of your legs up and holds it with her hand so she can get in deeper and you yelp when her cock feels like it’s hitting your cervix and then her other hand digs into your waist so hard you know you’re going to have marks. But the sting momentarily clears the fog in your head and you flick your tongue at Agatha’s fingers that are still fucking your mouth. 

Despite having cum so many times already, you can feel that pressure building up in you again. It feels like you’re going to pass out, but you stop trying to fight it and let your body slowly be taken towards the edge. 

“God, Rio, I think we’ve fucked all the thoughts out of her head,” Agatha laughs, your eyes dazing over as you start to surrender. “Our best student can’t even form a sentence now cause we’re fucking her so good.” Rio huffs and pounds into you even harder and Agatha’s fingers curl against your tongue. 

You start to garble around Agatha, trying to tell them that you’re getting close, but you’re not sure they actually understand you. You can barely tell what you’re trying to say.

But Rio smirks, so maybe she does. “Imagine if we kept her on edge and didn’t let her cum, Aggie,” she says evilly and you can see the interest on Agatha’s face. But your eyes widen more than they ever have and you frantically shake your head. “I think our doll is trying to say something.” 

Agatha simpers and pulls her fingers out of your mouth with a wet pop and wipes your saliva all over your face. 

“Well?” She demands expectantly. “Do you want us to do that? You said you didn’t think you could take more, so we don’t have to give it to you.”

Taking a deep breath of air, the words come pouring out of your mouth. “No, no, please, I can take it, please make me cum, I need it, need to cum.” 

Rio smirks and keeps up her same bruising pace and Agatha reaches down and pinches at your nipples roughly. You practically howl at the combination of pleasure and pain and it sends you straight over the edge. 

You don’t even know how many times you’ve cum at this point. 

But you know that you can’t take any more after this and you look forward to being able to calm down. 

Except Rio just keeps fucking you. The glint in her eye tells you she wants to see how much more you can take, but your body aches. Agatha’s hands tug and roll your nipples and it’s too much. 

“Cake,” you gasp and they both instantly stop. Rio gently pulls out of you and you wince at the empty feeling. Agatha strokes your hair while you take deep breaths and try to calm your shaking body. 

Rio grabs a blanket from the chair and wraps it around you while they position themselves around you, arms stroking up and down your body. 

“Sweetheart, are you okay?” Agatha asks softly. You make a soft sound of affirmation and rest your head against her chest. “You did so well for us, baby. You’re such a perfect girl.” She peppers kisses all over your face and your heart swells. 

“Hey, why don’t we get you in the bath?” Rio suggests. “Let’s get you all nice and warm and cleaned up.” You nod and they slowly help you stand on your trembling legs and walk you over to the bathroom. 

They sit you on the toilet seat while the water gets hot, mumbling sweet praises and brushing your hair soothingly. 

“Careful, baby,” Agatha warns, both of them taking one of your arms to help guide you down into the tub. You sigh happily at the warm water on your skin and Agatha delicately runs a washcloth over your skin while Rio washes your hair. 

“You took that so well,” Rio says, uncharacteristically gentle, but there’s something about it that makes you swoon. “We’re so proud of you, doll. You’re always such an angel for us.” You mumble out a thank you, still not having the strength to speak yet. 

They let you soak in the tub for a bit until the water gets cold and you start shivering. Agatha pulls you out while Rio dries you off. They help you step into pajamas that you’ve been keeping at their house. 

“Does that make up for this entire week?” Rio jokes and you splutter out a laugh. 

“Yes, more than enough,” you say, your voice still a little raspy. While all you wanted was some attention from your two favorite women, you had no idea that it would lead to this. 

But there’s no denying that they made up for the lost time. 

“Do you need anything to eat or drink?” Agatha says. You say no, but she goes and gets you some gatorade and peanut butter crackers anyway. The food and drink makes you feel instantly better and you have a surge of renewed energy.

Instead of leading you to their bed, which is soaked with your cum and sweat and probably tears, they take you down the hall into the guest room. You keep eating and sipping on the gatorade while they quickly take off the duvet. 

“We can turn on the TV if you want,” Rio offers, pulling back the sheets and motioning for you to slide in them. The silk is soft against your skin but all you want is them. 

You pat the spaces next to you and they chuckle and obey. “Can we just cuddle?” You ask, voice small. 

“Of course, baby,” Agatha purrs and her and Rio both wrap their arms around you so you’re cozier than you’ve ever been. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

You nod against her chest. “Yeah, that was perfect. I’m okay. I really like you guys.” And then you stiffen at opening up like that. There is no indication that they want more than sex with you and you just went and said that. 

But then Rio kisses your earlobe. “We really like you too, doll.” 

You squirm happily between them. “So we can keep doing this?” 

“Of course, baby. Maybe tomorrow we can go out to a nice dinner. Like a date,” Agatha says and you swear you could burst right now. 

“I’d like that,” you admit quietly, smiling to yourself. 

Agatha cups your cheek and presses a chaste kiss to your lips and Rio does the same after. 

“Now get some sleep, baby,” Agatha says. “You really need it.” 

Chuckling slightly at how true her words are, you drift off in no time, feeling more content than ever with the possibilities of a future with them yet to come.

[brenwritesss]

Talent part 4

Paige Bueckers x reader

Summary: Paige promised to come to your show, but you didn't believe her. You should have known better.

a/n: this chapter has not been edited, I just wanted to put something out so I apologize for any errors.

warnings: language and implied sex

You lived for nights like these. Where you could feel the music already flowing through your veins before you even hit the stage. Where you could hear the crowd screaming your name and chanting for you. Where the lights in the arena dimmed and the stage grew bright, signaling you were about to take to the stage. Before every show, you always went into your dressing room to sit in front of your mirror. As a child, you dreamt of just a sliver of moments like these. If only that little girl could see you now. See the artist you’ve become. How people would travel across the country just to see you perform.

You stared at yourself in the mirror, taking some time to adjust a few strands of hair and fix your bra strap. You hummed the notes of the first song on your set list to yourself as people scrambled behind you to get everything in place before your opener finished their set. Tonight, you were playing in Hartford, Connecticut with it being your tenth stop on your world tour. You had been dreading this show for the past couple months. And it was all because of one person. Paige Bueckers. 

Yes, you did not listen to yourself and continued to text Paige. Almost every fucking day. To say you both were heading into a situationship was an understatement. Over these past couple of months, Paige had been proving herself to be more than a stereotypical college athlete and to be honest, you were here for it. She was actually very sweet to you and always woke you up with compliments. Your text messages had progressed to phone calls to FaceTimes and it felt so natural. You haven’t felt that comfortable with someone like that for a long time and it was refreshing. The only thing you hadn’t done was meet in person. It was talked about; quite a lot actually but you both just had such busy schedules that there was never any time. That was until tonight.

When you and Paige first started talking, you both had brought up the likelihood of her going to your show in Hartford. And you had always thought that she was bluffing about taking the time to come see you perform. Your phone buzzed beside you.

Paige

Can’t wait to see you tonight

You send her a quick winking emoji before getting rushed to your stage entrance. That is when it hit you that Paige was indeed not bluffing and had made plans to come see you tonight. Not only did this mean that Paige would be seeing you perform in front of thousands of people; but it also meant that there was a huge possibility that you would be meeting her for the first time outside of the late-night phone calls and text messages.

It wasn’t just meeting Paige that you were nervous about. It was about what would happen before and after you met. Would she enjoy your show? Would she think that you weren’t as good live? And once you met, would you instantly go into a hug? Or would it be an awkward handshake? Would the conversation flow as easily as it did over the phone? Only one way to find out.

You counted the beats until it was time for you to walk out on stage. Within your first few steps, the crowd grew wild and all you could hear was the screams and the clapping. You could see phones held up in the air throughout the entire arena and the lights emitting from them. You held your microphone up to your mouth, starting your first song.

Within seconds, you were back in your element. The crowd sang along with you and you kept up with the beats going through your ears. Suddenly, you got more nervous than earlier which threw you off considering you had done this so many times before. The performing. Just knowing that Paige was actually here in the arena made goosebumps form on your skin and made you suddenly self-conscious. Instead of flowing with the music like you normally did, you were now conscious and aware of every movement and step you took on stage. 

Once you had been performing for a while and you could feel the support from your fans in the crowd, you fell back into your natural element and carried on the performance like normal, forgetting that Paige was even here. Your favorite part of the show happened towards the middle during one of your slower songs. The crowd would turn on their flashlights on their phone, mimicking a night sky in the arena. It made you feel alive.

The show was over in what felt like minutes, saying your farewells to the crowd as you walk off the stage. You spent the time after thanking your crew, band, and dancers for another amazing performance on your tour. After you had finally changed out of your performance outfit and put on a sweatsuit, you picked up your phone and saw that you had a message.

Paige

Holy Shit

When can I see you

You text back immediately. “Just finished up backstage. Meet me at the back entrance?”

I gotchu

Don’t make plans for the rest of the night. You’re mine tn

Your heart was pounding. In a few minutes you would be seeing the girl who had taken over your head face to face. You hoped desperately that the conversation would flow as easily in person as it did online. You headed in the direction of the back entrance, rubbing your hands on your hoodie to get rid of the nervous sweat. 

You open the door, instantly getting hit with the cool air through your hoodie. At first you didn’t see her as you looked around, sliding your phone out of your pocket to text her. “Hey,” a voice spoke out as the familiar, tall blonde walked around the corner. She had her hands shoved into her hoodie, hair straight down past her shoulders. You could see her breaths in the cool air and you almost felt as if you were starstruck. She was hotter in person if that was even possible.

“Hey,” you respond, walking toward her slowly as if you forgot how to walk. “I um thought you wouldn-”

Paige smiled and shook her head. “Shut up,” she said, cutting you off as she grabbed your face and pulled you towards her, smashing her lips onto yours. You gasped at the unexpected move, reaching your hands up to grab her wrists as you kissed her back. The kiss was more than anything you could have pictured between the two of you and it made you want more.

She pulled away and you instantly missed the feeling of her lips on yours. You took a sharp breath. “Holy shit.”

Paige laughed, “never gotten kissed like that before or what?”

You playfully punch her shoulder, earning a low laugh from her. You shake your head, “try it again and see for yourself.”

You saw a mischievous spark in her eyes that lit a fire in you. How is it that you have only been standing in front of her for maybe three minutes and she could almost consume your soul just by looking at you with those gorgeous blue eyes. Paige let her hands travel from the base of your jawline to the curve of your waist and you instantly leaned into her touch. Her fingers were warm, contrasting to the cold air that gave you goosebumps. She tilted her head to the side. “I think you should come with me.”

“And where are we going?” you ask her, tilting your head to match her movements.

Paige rubbed small circles into your waist, the only chill you could feel coming from her silver rings that hugged her fingers. “Can’t just show you all my tricks right out the gate, princess.” The way she had said that almost into your ear made you forget how to breathe. The way she smiled after, biting her lip and looking down into your eyes answered all the questions you had been asking yourself before. Yes, the conversation would definitely be flowing easy in person. And that wouldn’t be the only thing flowing easily. 

Paige tugged at your hand, moving your body with hers as she began walking towards her car. Your fingers fit perfectly between hers and you kept close, keeping that warmth between the two of you. You let out a small laugh, “not gonna kiss me again? Was it that bad?”

Paige shook her head, laughing, “nah,” she paused and leaned toward your ear. “Don’t want anyone seeing what I’m ‘bout to do to you.”

You swallowed. Hard. The way her words easily left her mouth and her perfect voice. It all just made you want to rip her clothes off. It seemed like Paige could tell because her grip on your hand grew tighter. “And what are you gonna do?” you ask her, almost challenging her. 

And that challenge didn’t go unnoticed because even under the street lights, her eyes darkened and she wore a smirk across her lips. “You’re a dangerous one, you know.”

“Still didn’t answer my question.”

Paige opened the passenger door to her car, waiting for you to get in. “You’ll figure it out, don’t worry princess.”

You got into the car and she shut the door, walking over to her side. After getting in, you smiled at her, “you’re way cuter in person, you know that?”

A look of mock offense crossed her face. “Was I not over the phone?”

You laugh, “no you were. I just didn’t think you’d be this…” You trailed off, trying to find the word.

“This…” she repeated after you.

“Hot,” you reply.

“Again,” she says. “Was I not over the phone?”

You roll your eyes. “You know what I fucking mean, baby.”

Paige raised her eyebrows at you. “Baby?”

“What, I call you that over the phone all the time. Now you have a problem with it?”

“It’s hot when you get defensive,” she retorts, looking at you. She leans in closer to you. “And to be fair, out of some other things you’ve called me, that’s what you chose?”

You lean in closer to match her movements. “And what would you prefer?”

“I mean…” she said with her cocky tone. “I seem to remember this one night where you called me da-”

“OKAY,” you shout, cutting her off. “We can end this conversation right now.”

Paige bust out laughing, “no no, you had no problem calling me that over the phone. Scared to do it in person?”

“You’re fucking gross,” you respond, feeling lowkey embarrassed that she called you out like that.

“How am I gross when you were the one that said it in the first place?” 

“Because,” you pause. “I’m not the one bringing it up now.”

“Right,” Paige smiles, bringing her hand up to the steering wheel. “We can get you bringin’ it up real quick if you want.”

Clocked. Cooked. And everything in between. “So, was your plan to come to my show and then fuck me after? No date, nothing?”

Paige rolls her eyes, turning the car on and giving you a look like she could either kiss you or strangle you in that moment. “So, I have been talking to you for months and have told you countless times that I was gonna take you out and you think I wanna fuck you right now?”

“Well do you?”

“Hell yeah but I’m taking you on a date first. Who do you think I am?”

You and Paige spent the next twenty minutes talking throughout the drive, her hand not leaving your thigh once. The conversation got deep quickly like they always did between the two of you. That was something you had never gotten from your previous relationship and it was refreshing. It was assuring knowing that your relationship with her wasn’t just built on those initial physical attractions towards each other and that it was becoming way more than that.

Paige pulled into an arcade parking lot and you couldn’t have been more excited. “Is this place even open?”

Paige shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I rented it out.”

Your eyes widen. “I’m sorry?”

“You heard me, princess.”

And she wasn’t lying because you spent the next few hours competing against her in games. And you definitely lost to her in the basketball games.

Your head against her purple pillows, breaths hitched, fingers gripping her sheets. Paige’s fingers slowly slid up your thighs, blowing cool air on you. You gasped just at the contact of air on you and made eye contact with her as she massaged your thighs. 

(You might be wondering how you wound up in this position…)

“You’re a world-touring superstar, let me treat you like one,” she whispered against your cunt and your back arched. “I’ll show you how good of a fan I can be.”

[writerspirit]

Chapter I

Pairing(s): Melissa Schemmenti x Fem!Reader

Series: Schemmenti Family Agenda

Synopsis: After a student makes a comment to Y/n, Melissa takes into consideration what the next steps in your relationship should be.

Themes/Warnings: Fluff, Angst (please let me know if there are any warnings to be aware of)

A/N: I first wrote this part in an early morning surge of energy. I've already started on part two, so be on the lookout for that. I've also started an outline for an Agatha Harkness/Agnes x Fem!Reader w/ "magic baby" trope.

WC: ~ 2.15k

Having kids wasn’t something you thought to ever be on the agenda. It never was with you and Melissa. Both you and her being elementary teachers for Abbott, the only kids you two ever talked about “having” were your students. It has been a nice flow between you professionally. You being the other first grade teacher in the school, a good amount of kids in your class progress to your wife’s classroom in their following school year. These handful of kids are called by the other teachers as the “Double Schemmenti” kids, which you and Melissa find endearing.

These little aspects of your life at Abbott make being a teacher for these kids the best job anyone could ask for. Not to mention having the role of being these kids’ mentor, even sometimes their parent, is a gift in itself. So, whenever babies were a thought, it was more of a subtle whisper, rather than a thought-provoking idea.

That is until Melissa walks into your classroom after school one day to find you with one of your students playing with the deck of cards she so graciously lent for the room. 

“Hey, honey,” she smiles, making her way inside.

“Mrs. Schemmenti!” Aspen squeals. “Mrs. Schemmenti is teaching me how to play Kings in the Corner. It helps with my counting.”

“That’s great, sweetheart.” The redhead looks over at his hand and smiles. “Maybe next year you’ll be able to get a good grasp on poker so that you can beat all the chumps at the table.”

Aspen gives her a quizzical look. You, a furrow of the eyebrows, telling her to test the waters. She mouths a ‘sorry’ along with a low smile. Bringing her attention to your cards, she chuckles. “I don’t know, Mrs. Schemmenti. I think the kid’s hand is just enough to rattle you outta luck.”

Aspen’s smile turns to a little dance in place, in anticipation for his next move. 

You bring yourself to feign a sigh. “I think you might be right. I just can’t believe Aspen is so good already, and it’s his first time playing.”

Melissa shuffles back next to Aspen, who glances at her before she nods. “Take her down, kid.”

He rushes for a card before calculating his line of moves to play. With what seems to be one swift motion, his cards disappear from his hand and onto the floor with the others. “I got ya, Mrs. Schemmenti! Victory is mine!”

You giggle along with him. “You got me!” You and Melissa dance with him, doing your own little dances in place. Once he’s seemed to settle down from his victory dance, you help him pick up the cards.

“Why don’t you practice your shuffling while I talk with Mrs. Schemmenti?”

He nods. “Okay. I’ll go sit at my desk.”

“Okay.”

“He’s a quick little guy, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he is. Smartest kid in the class. Maybe the smartest I’ve ever taught.” You peek at him, seeing if he’s focused on the cards in his hand, which he is. “His mom is working a little late today. The divorce hasn’t been easy for either of them, so I told her that I can stay with Aspen a little later than the allotted time for pickup.”

Melissa sighs. “Don’t I know it. Divorce is tough. I can’t imagine the added stress of having a child during the process.”

You quickly take a look at your watch. “You don’t have to wait up for me. Janine and Ava have step practice today, and I’m sure I can catch a ride with one of them if you want to go home. I know you have grading to get done.”

“I can wait here with you and the little guy. Grading can wait a little longer, and besides, I don’t want you catching a ride with either of ‘em as long as I’m here. I couldn’t live with myself if I knew I’d been responsible for another Janine car ride migraine.” Her lips perk up into a smile.

"I swear if I hear another lecture on the benefits of different colored highlighters, I’ll–"

“Mom!” Aspen squeals, getting out of his seat and running to his mother’s arms. She lays a soft kiss on his head.

“Hi, Aspen. How was school?” Dina’s eyes turn from his to yours. “Was he okay?”

You nod. “The little champ beat me in Kings in the Corner.”

“And I know how to shuffle now. So now I can help you when we play Uno.”

“Great job, honey. And I’m sure now you can help me beat Grandpa when he comes to visit next week.”

Aspen seemingly lights up brighter than before. “Grandpa’s coming? Yay!” He envelops her in a hug.

“Honey, why don’t you grab your things so I can talk to your mom?” Your eyes quickly glance at his belongings that sit on and around his desk. 

“I’ll give you two a minute.” Melissa moves towards Aspen. “I’ll help him get his things.”

“Thank you for everything. Really, you’re a lifesaver.” Dina lets a sigh leave her lips. “He’s really been doing great through this whole thing.”

“No disruptions, no problems. I wish I had his positive attitude all the time. And hey, don’t worry about it. I don’t mind getting beat at cards. He’s a smart kid.”

Dina smiles.

“I’m ready,” Aspen says. He walks up to meet his mother’s side, where she places a hand on his shoulder. “Mrs. Schemmenti?”

“Yes sweetheart?”

“You’re gonna make a great mom one day,” his smile widens before he says his goodbyes to you and Melissa. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, kid. We’ll see ya,” Melissa adds. She turns to you. “Ready to go?”

“Mhm,” you grab your bag’s handle, but it’s quickly taken away from you when the older woman grabs it. “Melissa, I can carry my stuff.”

“I never said you couldn’t.” She smiles as you grab hold of her arm.

Walking out of Abbott, you both send smiles and your own goodbyes to a few colleagues. Your hand never strays from her arm, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“So what are you feeling like for dinner?” She asks.

“Are you asking because you feel like cooking, or are you asking me because you want to just order takeout?”

She chuckles. “I was actually asking because I could go for anything you wanted to cook.”

“Enchiladas, then.”

“Well, they’re your signature.” She places a kiss on your temple.

When you reach the car, she walks with you to the passenger’s side, opening the door for you. “My lady,” she smiles watching you take your seat. She hands you your bag, and closes the door.

You reach over to the door and pull the door handle for her. “Thank you, sweetie.”

“Anything for my girl,” you say. Her hand instinctively rests on your thigh as she starts the drive to your shared home. You move a hand to graze her arm.

“So,” Melissa starts up a new conversation when you hit upon a red light. “Aspen gave you a really nice compliment there, huh?”

“What?” You take a moment to think back. “Oh… yeah, he’s a really sweet kid. I hope you get to teach him next year. I mean he already loves you.”

Melissa turns the music up a bit, as your favorite song plays. While you’re jamming, she hums along, singing the words in her head. Unbeknownst to you, Melissa is thinking harder than she’d care to admit to about Aspen’s words. Had you given any thought to having a child of your own? She hasn’t expressed any interest in having a mini Melissa since she was younger, when her sister had her first baby.

As if the memory played out word for word, she remembers how crushed she was when, while holding her then baby nephew, Joe completely shut down the idea of growing their family. 

As if you know she needs a distraction of sorts, you speak up, taking her out of her thoughts. “Oh, honey, I think we need to stop at the grocery store. Is that okay with you?”

She nods and forces a smile for you.

�� – – –

Melissa’s hand never leaves the small of your back while you push the cart. Along the journey of getting the ingredients necessary for your dinner, she looks around every aisle that you walk through. Almost finished with the aisle you two are currently in, you start your way towards the registers. As you wait in one of the lines, Melissa picks up bits of the couple’s conversation happening in front of her, talking about their excitement in welcoming their own bundle of joy in seven months. 

“Melissa?”

“Hm,” she turns her attention towards you.

“Is everything okay? You’ve been almost quiet since we left school. The only times I ever experience quiet Melissa is when you’re scheming. Well, that or you’re planning someone’s meeting with justice.”

“I’m fine, hon.” She places her hands on either side of your waist, and places a few light kisses on your temple. “I’m perfect.”

– – – –

“Amore,” she starts.

“Hm,” you hum, sipping your wine.

“Nothin’.”

“Baby,” you reach your hand and place it gently on her own. “What’s up?”

She has a glint in her eyes. One you’ve only seen two other times – when she was too nervous to ask you to be her girlfriend, and then again when she asked you to be her wife. By this, you know she has got something big on her mind.

“Don’t worry about it,” she says, her voice not leaving a low tone. She focuses her attention on her plate, trying to collect her thoughts.

“Okay…” you start. “But I will. You have the look.”

“What look?” Her eyes bounce to you, now wide, awaiting your response.

“You’ve only ever looked at me twice like that before, and both times they were because you had something big to get off your chest. Now please…” You place your hand on her thigh. “What is it, Melissa?”

“You ever thought about maybe… I don’t know… it’s just us here. And sometimes I feel it. The… space.”

You stay silent, trying to piece together what she’s going on about. Was she getting sick of you? Was this marriage too much for her? She doesn’t skip a beat though. Her rambling is starting to sound like she is convincing herself of something, in hopes you’ll say what’s bothering her, so she doesn’t have to. That’s when in the midst of your spacing out, there is only one sentence that makes you freeze.

“Maybe an addition to us wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“You want to have a baby,” she can’t tell by your tone if you were stating it as if it were a fact, or rather forming it in a question. “Like… a baby.”

“No, wait, I didn’t say that,” her voice rises in pitch. “Per say.”

You wait a minute, in case she has more to say. “Okay…”

Crap! May day! May day! Retreat! Her thoughts tell her.

She downs the beer that is left in her bottle. Her hands grab for your plates and starts her way to the kitchen. “Just forget I said anything.”

“But, Melissa–”

“Please, just forget it, Y/n.”

– – – –

After dinner, you and Melissa snuggle up on the couch. Your face is nestled in her neck, giving soft kisses where you know she loves them. This would usually lead to you ravaging each other until the sunrise spills through your curtains. Tonight, however, doesn’t look like that is in the cards for you.

Your hand begins drawing patterns on her thigh, as you continue your kisses on her skin. “Your thoughts are loud tonight, my love.”

“Hon,” Melissa whispers, her voice almost impossible to hear over the television. As if on cue, the Dancing With the Stars theme sings for you. “Look, the show is starting.”

The rest of the night is much quieter than usual. Adding to your worry, Melissa doesn’t seem as enthusiastic about the episode as she usually is. There’s no yelling at the television, rarely a chuckle, and not even a snack to go with the episode.

As the episode ends, Melissa breathes a heavy sigh. “Ready for bed?”

You take a look at your phone which reads the time. “Yeah,” you say with simple directions. “Just… give me a minute and I’ll be up.”

She nods as she rises off the couch. She makes sure to place a gentle kiss on your cheek before heading upstairs.

At the sound of Melissa ascending the stairs, you quickly grab your phone. Opening your Contacts app, Barbara Howard’s phone number is already in view for you. With a second to think on a decision, a sigh leaves your lips, and the clicking of the power button shuts the device off.

Sleep on it. Whatever it is.

[sherewrytes]

↳ Toji Fushiguro x f! black reader

REBLOGS HELP ENGAGEMENT

summary. You were always told by your family to stay out of trouble, get your degree, get a good job, and live a good life. Simple rules to follow. You somehow caught the eye of probably the most problematic person in your university but why did it intrigue you to find out more about him.

Toji Zenin/Fushiguro saw you for the first time strolling past him and his friends in front of the university's library. Something about you drew him in. He never saw someone like you before, focused, poised and dedicated to their degree. Always in the library or hanging out with friends, not really partying much. He wondered when curiosity would get the better of him to approach you, but he knew the life he lived would be too problematic for someone as sweet as you.

genre: heavy angst, modern au, 18+, explicit smut, dark romance,

Mafia Au, street racer au, dark romance au

character lookbook

fic warnings. ooc, profanity, mental health issues, toxic relationships, cheating, explicit smut, drug use, mentions of depression + more to be updated as story progresses.

Please read with proper discretion. this is a work of fiction. all characters are written to portray roles that are necessary to the plot and are in no way a reflection of their canon counterparts.

READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION

Taglist: (you can comment to be added)

@sparkling-obsidian @queendessi24 @masterofthepp @thedondiva45 @laitifly

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Chapter 3: Life of the party

As you, Mei Mei, and Shoko left the roar of the engines and the bright lights of the street race behind, the excitement in the car was palpable. GloRilla's "FNF" pumped through the speakers, a fitting soundtrack to the reckless freedom you all felt. Shoko was in the passenger seat, head bobbing to the beat, while Mei Mei had one hand on the wheel, the other tapping the dashboard in time with the music. Both of them belted out the lyrics, their voices filling the car with a carefree energy that made you laugh despite yourself.

Your mind, though, was already racing ahead, thinking about the party at Choso's place later. The race was fun, but the afterparty was where things really heated up.

“We’re about to shut it down tonight, you know that, right?” Mei Mei said over the music, giving you a sly grin through the rearview mirror.

You smirked back but didn’t respond right away, your eyes flicking down to your phone, scrolling through messages and outfit ideas. You loved a good party as much as anyone, but finding something to wear was always a hassle. As you pulled up to your apartment building, you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were going to need something bold tonight. Something different.

“Alright, girls, let’s get ready to kill it,” Shoko said as she hopped out of the car, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “We’ve got about an hour.”

Once inside, the three of you burst through the door and immediately scattered. Shoko and Mei Mei made a beeline for the couch, kicking off their shoes as they cranked the music louder, while you headed straight for your closet, flipping through hangers with a sense of urgency. Every piece of clothing you touched just felt…wrong. Too plain. Not enough. This party's going to be packed, and you needed to stand out. But nothing in your closet was screaming "baddie" right now.

Shoko and Mei Mei were still dancing around, singing along to the playlist as they waited for you to decide.

“Y/N, you’re overthinking it!” Shoko called from the living room. “Just throw on something and let’s go!”

“I don’t want to just throw on anything,” you muttered, more to yourself than to her, still rifling through the hangers.

Suddenly, Mei Mei appeared at your side, eyes narrowing as she assessed your options. Before you could say anything, she shoved you lightly out of the way and pushed aside a few items with practiced ease. Then, with a satisfied smirk, she pulled out a hot pink corset top you hadn’t even considered and held it up to you.

“This. And…” she continued, pulling out a pair of light denim shorts, “…this.”

You stared at the outfit, eyebrows raised. “Mei Mei, you can’t be serious. A corset and shorts? Isn’t that a bit…much?”

She shot you a look that could have cut through glass, her expression dripping with playful exasperation. “In what world is this too much? Certainly not ours.” She tossed the corset at you and pointed towards the mirror. “Trust me. You’ll thank me later.”

You hesitated, but only for a second. She did have a point. The outfit was bold, and the bright pink against the denim would definitely turn heads. Maybe that’s exactly what you needed tonight. With a reluctant grin, you nodded and slipped into the corset, cinching it tight, feeling the fabric hug your curves in all the right places. The denim shorts followed, showing off just enough to be fun but not too revealing. You slipped on the heeled sandals Mei Mei had pulled out earlier and took a step back to admire the final look in the mirror.

Shoko strolled in just then, her sharp gaze scanning your reflection. “Damn, girl, you look hot.”

A hint of a smile tugged at your lips. “You really think so?”

Mei Mei gave a dramatic huff, standing behind you with her hands on her hips. “Of course. I don’t miss.”

With your outfit settled, you turned to the mirror again, touching up your makeup. You brushed on a bit more highlighter, adding a glow to your cheekbones, and then carefully adjusted your lashes to make them pop. A final swipe of gloss over your lips sealed the deal.

“All done,” you announced, stepping back from the mirror to get a full look.

Mei Mei grabbed her purse, nodding in approval. “See? I told you, you’re going to steal the show tonight.”

Shoko grabbed her phone, sending a quick text before looking up with a smirk. “Toji’s gonna lose it when you roll in like this. Let’s go.”

The three of you gathered your things, the energy in the apartment buzzing with anticipation. As you stepped out the door, the cool night air hit your skin, a reminder of the party ahead. You could already hear the bass thumping in your mind, feel the crowd’s pulse, and see the heads turning your way when you made your entrance.

With the outfit decision behind you, the three of you made your way out to Shoko's car. You decided to roll up a quick blunt to smoke on the way to the party

Mei Mei, with her usual confidence, winked at you as she slid into the front passenger seat, claiming it before anyone else had the chance. "It’s going to be a scene, trust me."

You hopped into the back, letting the leather seat mold beneath you as Shoko revved the engine. "Streets" by Doja Cat started playing through the speakers, low at first, the sultry rhythm building. Mei Mei, on aux duty, turned it up with a knowing grin. "This? This is the song."

“Of course you’d pick this one,” you teased, pulling out a blunt from your bag. With a lighter flick, the small flame sparked in the dim interior, and the smell of burning paper filled the car. You took the first drag, the smoke swirling smoothly in your lungs before you exhaled, letting it dance in the air. Rolling down your window slightly, you handed the blunt over to Mei Mei.

“Gotta set the mood, right?” you said, already feeling the edge of excitement start to blur into the warmth from the smoke.

Mei Mei took the blunt from your fingers with a smirk. "You know how to kick things off," she said, taking a slow, deliberate inhale before handing it over to Shoko.

“Hell yeah,” Shoko murmured, briefly taking her eyes off the road to glance at the blunt. She grinned and took a drag, letting the smoke fill her chest before smoothly exhaling through the slightly cracked window. "Y’all are trouble, I swear."

“Trouble’s exactly what we need tonight,” you said, leaning back into your seat as Doja’s voice washed over you. The song’s slow, hypnotic beat seemed to pulse with the mood, blending perfectly with the warmth of the smoke and the feeling of freedom rolling through the open windows.

Mei Mei tossed a playful glance over her shoulder. "Don’t even try to play it safe tonight. We’re making this party unforgettable." She passed the blunt back to you, her eyes glittering with mischief. "And that outfit? Trust me, heads are gonna turn."

You laughed, taking another hit. The familiar burn was comfortable now, sending a wave of calm through you. "Okay, okay, you win. It’s a party, after all."

Shoko adjusted her grip on the steering wheel, leaning forward just a bit, the city lights bouncing off her sharp features. "Y’all better not let me down tonight. I want chaos. Controlled chaos, though," she added with a smirk, letting out a breath of smoke that danced out of her window into the night air.

You reached over, handing the blunt back to her while continuing to sing along with Doja, your voice blending into the lyrics, “…And now I'm stuck in the middle and baby had to pull me out, oh…”

Mei Mei stretched her arms above her head, already vibing to the music. “I’m telling you, Shoko’s car has the best vibe. It's like a pre-party on wheels.”

The streets blurred by as Shoko made a sharp turn, smoothly navigating through the city. The smell of the blunt, the music, and the feeling of being wrapped up in the anticipation of the night ahead made the atmosphere almost electric.

You could feel the energy shifting between the three of you—each hit of the blunt, every beat of the song brought you closer to the night’s adventure. Passing the blunt back and forth felt like a ritual, the perfect lead-in to whatever wildness awaited at Choso’s party.

Mei Mei turned the volume up even louder, the bass thumping through the car. "Listen, when we roll up to this party, I don’t want to see anyone being shy. We’re walking in like we own the place."

Shoko snorted a laugh, holding the blunt between her fingers, eyes half-lidded from the smooth haze. "Girl, with the way we’re gonna look, they’ll think we do."

You leaned forward between the seats, the effects of the blunt slowly wrapping you in its cozy embrace. Mei mei then chimed up "Alright, alright, but first things first—who’s gonna pull Toji out of whatever dark corner he’s brooding in?”

Mei Mei raised a hand casually. "yn will handle that. He’s been acting all mysterious lately—needs a little yn energy to snap out of it." She grinned, then tilted her head towards Shoko . "But I’m counting on you lieri to make sure his friends don’t get all weird. We’re here to vibe, not deal with any drama."

You nodded, already mentally prepping yourself. "Don’t worry. I’ve got this."

The car started to slow down as you neared Choso’s place, the familiar lights of the venue coming into view. Shoko flicked the blunt out the window, a trail of smoke swirling in the wind. “Alright, last call. Y’all ready?”

You, Mei Mei, and Shoko exchanged glances, each of you wearing the same knowing smile. The night was young, and the party was waiting.

"Let’s make this one for the books," you said, adjusting your corset top and getting ready to step out of the car, fully prepared for whatever wildness the night had in store.

As Shoko parked the car on the curb, you could already feel the thrum of the music vibrating under your feet, the bass from Lloyd’s "You" blaring from the open doors of Choso’s place. The house was lit up like a club, neon lights flickering through the windows, and groups of people drifted in and out as if the whole city had shown up for the party.

“This looks like a whole rave,” Mei Mei commented, eyes scanning the large house that stood towering at the end of the street. You couldn’t help but agree—between the pulsing music, flashing lights, and people dressed like they were hitting the hottest club downtown, this was definitely not the typical house party.

As you stepped out of the car, a couple of girls in super short skirts and no tops walked past, laughing loudly as they sashayed up the steps. You, Mei Mei, and Shoko exchanged quick, amused glances, and Shoko let out a low whistle. "Damn, it's that kind of party, then?"

Mei Mei smirked, adjusting her corset. “Guess I was right to go bold with this outfit. I feel practically modest now.” She nudged you with her elbow, eyeing your ensemble. “Girl, you’re gonna make some noise tonight.”

You laughed, smoothing down your light denim shorts. "I was worried it was too much, but now…" You gestured toward the half-naked crowd around you. "I might be underdressed."

Shoko shook her head with a chuckle. “Nah, you look fire. Let’s get inside and see what kind of trouble we can stir up.”

The three of you walked up to the house, already feeling the infectious energy in the air. The front doors were wide open, people spilling in and out, and the lights from inside flashed neon blue and purple, making the whole place look like a club. You could see people dancing just past the entrance, the living room transformed into a makeshift dance floor.

As you stepped inside, you noticed how big the house really was. The ceilings were high, and the entire space was filled with people—some dancing, others lounging on couches with drinks in hand, the scent of alcohol and weed hanging thick in the air. The music thumped, filling every corner of the room.

Your eyes wandered toward the corner where a makeshift bar had been set up, and sure enough, Choso was there, leaning against the counter with a smirk on his face. His younger half-brother, Yuuji, was by his side, handing out shots, and Megumi—Toji’s younger brother—was stacking bottles behind the bar.

Choso spotted the three of you walking over and raised an eyebrow, his eyes quickly scanning you from head to toe. His lips curled into a slow, teasing grin as you approached. "Well, well, well," he drawled, leaning one elbow on the bar. "Look who decided to show up."

You tilted your head, flashing him a playful smile. "And miss out on this? Not a chance."

His eyes lingered on your outfit for a moment longer before he leaned in closer, lowering his voice just enough for you to hear. "Toji’s gonna lose his mind when he sees you tonight."

You rolled your eyes, laughing as you leaned against the bar. "Yeah, right. I’m just here to have a good time."

Choso smirked, leaning back again. "A good time, huh? With that look, you might start a riot." He glanced at Mei Mei and Shoko, who had sidled up next to you. "Y’all came to shut the place down, didn’t you?"

Mei Mei shrugged, feigning innocence. “We can’t help it if people start losing their minds around us.”

Shoko grinned, leaning in as she glanced around the room. “We haven’t even started yet.”

Choso chuckled, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. Let’s kick this off right. What’s it gonna be, ladies?”

You grinned. “Shots, obviously. We need to get this night going.”

Choso snapped his fingers at Yuuji, who was already grabbing bottles. “A round of shots for these queens, on me,” he said, flashing you a wink.

As Yuuji poured the drinks, Megumi handed over the shot glasses, his expression stoic as usual, but you caught the slightest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He leaned against the bar, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold.

“Here you go.” Yuuji handed the shots to you, Mei Mei, and Shoko, the drinks glistening in the neon light.

“Let’s toast,” you said, holding your glass up.

“To an unforgettable night,” Shoko added, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she clinked her glass against yours.

Mei Mei raised her shot, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “To being the baddest bitches in the room.”

You all knocked back the shots, the burn of the alcohol sliding smoothly down your throat, instantly warming you up and setting the mood for the night. You could feel the buzz starting to build, the combination of the music, the alcohol, and the electric energy around you fueling the excitement.

“Now that’s how you start a party,” you said, grinning as you set the empty glass down on the counter.

Choso leaned forward, resting his arms on the bar as he studied you for a moment. “You sure you’re ready for this? I’m pretty sure things are gonna get wild.”

Mei Mei laughed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Wild is exactly what we came for.”

Shoko nodded, her expression serious but playful. “We’re here for chaos, controlled chaos. Think you can keep up?”

Choso raised an eyebrow, glancing at Megumi, who gave a subtle shrug. “I mean, we can try.”

“You better,” you teased, winking at Choso before turning to your girls. “Alright, who’s ready to dance?”

Shoko grabbed your hand, pulling you toward the makeshift dance floor. "Let’s see if this party can keep up with us."

Mei Mei followed close behind, her eyes scanning the room with a devilish grin. "Oh, they’re definitely not ready."

You then saw a topless girl walk up to the bar area and grazed her hand against choso's chest and smiled, put something in her mouth then kissed him and mouthed see you later.

Choso laughed and said Well I'm getting it tonight. Your eyes widen and mei mei said lighten up yn. You then asked where is Toji?. Megumi piped up saying "Idk, probably getting his dick sucked somewhere"

Megumi shrugged, completely unfazed. "Just saying."

"Ignore him, Y/N," Yuuji said with an apologetic smile. "Megumi's an ass sometimes."

The music shifted, and "Wanna Be" by GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion started blasting through the speakers. The beat was infectious, but your mind was somewhere else. You had to find Toji. Maybe it was the drinks loosening your resolve, but something in you needed to know where he was and what he was doing.

“I’m gonna go look for him,” you said, grabbing a cup from the bar and filling it with gin and cranberry juice.

Mei Mei arched an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. Shoko waved you off with a smirk, "Good luck."

With a new drink in hand, you pushed through the crowd, weaving between groups of people dancing, shaking their hips and grinding to the music. The place was wild, people were smoking openly, some had lines of cocaine set up on the tables, and others were sprawled out on couches in various stages of undress.

And then you saw him before he saw you.

Toji was sprawled on a long, blood-red leather couch, looking every bit the king of the scene. He wore a fitted black wife beater that clung to his muscles displaying all his tattoos about his arms and neck, paired with black cargo pants and classic black Timberland boots. His 9mm thick and 24-inch Figaro gold chain glistened in the dim lighting, catching the soft glow of the overhead lights.

Sukuna sat next to him, dressed in his signature style—a tight, sleeveless black shirt that showed off his intricate tattoos and loose gray cargo pants. He had two chains, one shorter and another slightly longer, and his usual cocky expression. Girls draped over him too, one with short blue hair and the other with long, sleek dark hair, both in minimal clothing, clinging to his every word.

Geto sat on the other side of Toji, wearing a dark purple silk button-up shirt, half-unbuttoned to reveal his chest tattoo, paired with tight black jeans and combat boots. He had his hair in a loose ponytail, a look that somehow made him appear both effortlessly cool and utterly unattainable. Two girls were beside him as well, one practically sitting in his lap, while another twirled her fingers through his long hair.

But it was Toji who held your attention.

There were two girls all over him, one with a tight, slinky black dress draped against his chest, her hand sliding down his shoulder to his arm, while another was perched on his lap, fingers lightly tracing over his abs. You felt your stomach flip, jealousy twisting inside of you in a way you hadn’t anticipated. You thought he was better than this, at least.

One of the girls lit a joint and held it to Toji’s lips. He took a slow, deep drag, exhaling the smoke lazily. Just as you were about to look away, Sukuna nudged him, and suddenly, Toji’s eyes locked onto yours.

Toji’s POV

Toji sat back on the blood-red leather couch, feeling the weight of the night settle over him like a familiar blanket. He loved this—feeling like a king, girls surrounding him, the low murmur of voices and laughter blending with the heavy bass of the music. Sukuna and Geto were on either side of him, and for once, he didn’t care about much. He never really did, not since Y/N.

He glanced at the two girls draped over him— Rain and Reina, Twins of course. They were his usual, girls who knew how to play the part, never expecting more than what he was willing to give. He wasn’t sure why he had them around tonight, maybe out of boredom or just because that’s what people expected him to do. He barely registered their touches, his mind elsewhere, lost in thoughts he didn’t care to admit to himself.

Sukuna, with his usual smirk, leaned in to talk about the race earlier in the night. “I’m collecting Hiromi’s car first thing tomorrow for you, just to piss him off,” Sukuna said with a laugh, his eyes flashing with mischief.

Toji chuckled darkly. “Yeah, he won’t know what hit him.” He took a deep drag of the joint Reina held up to his lips, the smoke filling his lungs and clouding his thoughts for a brief moment.

It was the same routine—women, weed, sex, violence and a bit of daily chaos—but it never felt the same anymore. Not since Y/N had walked out of his life. He didn’t even understand why he kept these girls around. Rain was pressing her chest against him, and Reina’s hands were on his abs, but none of it stirred him the way Y/N used to. He shook off the thought, focusing back on his conversation with Sukuna.

But then, Sukuna nudged him. “Yo, check it,” Sukuna murmured, nodding toward the crowd.

Toji followed his gaze and locked eyes with you, standing across the room, holding a cup in your hand and looking like you were ready to either kill him or turn around and walk out.

His heart stopped for a second. You were the last person he expected to see him like this, but fuck, did you look good. He could see the subtle jealousy in your eyes as you looked at the girls on his lap, and something about that ignited a spark in him.

He kept his expression neutral as he took the joint from Reina, his grip on the joint tightened slightly. He had no idea what you were about to do, but for the first time tonight, he actually cared about something.

Toji sat up straighter on the couch when he saw the disgust in your eyes. That flash of anger—it did something to him. The way you stared at him with a mix of betrayal and fury, though, hit him differently tonight. It gnawed at his chest, pulling him out of the haze he’d been floating in all night.

Sukuna, ever the instigator, chuckled darkly beside him, elbowing Toji lightly. “Oh, you’re fucked, man,” he muttered with a smirk. “She does not look happy to see you with Reina and Rain.”

Toji exhaled sharply, a whistle-like sigh escaping his lips as he watched you standing there, frozen for a second. His heart clenched when you turned to walk away, thinking you were done with him for good. But just as he felt that familiar ache, you whipped back around, storming toward him with fire in your eyes.

Here we go, Toji thought, bracing himself.

Geto, who had been quiet up until now, leaned back on the couch with a wide grin, clearly entertained. “This is gonna be good,” he drawled, sipping his drink like it was the best show of the night.

Before Toji could even get a word out, you were standing in front of him, glaring down at the girls who hadn’t even bothered to move from his lap.

“What the fuck is this?” you snapped, pointing at Reina and Rain like they were nothing more than an annoyance.

The twins, clearly unfazed, exchanged glances and then looked you up and down with an air of dismissal. Reina, the one pressed against Toji’s chest, lazily flicked her hair back and smirked. “Who is she?” she asked in a sultry tone, not even trying to hide her disdain.

“You’re blocking the view,” Rain added, a bored look on her face as she shifted slightly in Toji’s lap, making herself more comfortable.

Toji’s jaw tightened. This was spiraling quickly, and he knew how bad it looked. But you weren’t just some girl—you mattered. More than he wanted to admit.

You gave them a tight-lipped smile, but your eyes were full of venom. You stared down at the cup in your hand, swirling the liquid inside with a calculating look. For a brief second, Toji could see the exact moment when you decided to act.

You started to tilt the cup toward Reina, but before you could pour it on them, Toji’s hand shot out and grabbed your wrist, stopping you. His grip was firm, but not rough. He wasn’t going to let you go through with it.

“Y/N,” he said quietly, his voice low and steady. “It isn’t what it looks like.”

Your eyes flashed with anger, disbelief. “Oh, really?” you bit back. “Because it sure looks like you’re sitting here with your some fuck ass hoes on your lap while I was invited here to look like a damn fool.”

Toji’s heart pounded. He didn’t care about Reina or Rain, not the way he cared about you. They were just... there, filling the space, keeping up the appearance he thought he needed to maintain. But you—you were different. He didn’t even know why he let things get this far.

Reina shifted, clearly feeling the tension, but still not backing down. “What’s the big deal?” she murmured. “We’ve always been around.”

You shot her a look so sharp it could cut through steel. “That’s about to change.”

Toji released your wrist slowly, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what to say next. He couldn’t just let you walk away.

“Y/N,” he said, leaning forward slightly, his tone more serious. “I don’t care about them. You know that.”

You raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Could’ve fooled me, Toji. This is the shit you choose? Over me?”

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling inside him. He wasn’t good with words, never had been. But he knew he had to say something to stop you from walking out the door for good.

“I’ve been an idiot,” he admitted, his voice gruff but honest. “But this? It doesn’t mean anything.”

The tension between you and the twins was thick enough to cut with a knife, but Toji didn’t let them distract him. His focus was on you, the only person in the room who mattered to him.

You glared at Toji, your anger flaring like wildfire. “It doesn’t mean anything. Don’t... don’t piss me off, Toji. Don’t play me for an ass.”

Your voice was steady but low, each word laced with a fierce determination to stand your ground. “Anyway, I came here to enjoy myself, so fuck this shit and fuck you too…”

Toji watched as you stormed off, his heart sinking with every step you took away from him. He closed his eyes, counting to ten in an attempt to calm the storm brewing inside him. The tension in his chest felt like a vice grip, squeezing tighter with each passing second.

When he finally opened his eyes, he pushed Rain and Reina off his lap, both girls exchanging confused glances as they stumbled slightly. “What the hell?” Rain muttered, but Toji didn’t have time to explain. He needed to find you.

The party was loud, pulsating with energy, but his focus was singular. He scanned the crowd, weaving between groups of people dancing, laughing, and drinking. And then he saw you.

You were at the DJ booth, looking carefree, your laughter blending with the thumping bass of the music. Gojo stood next to you, casually leaning against the booth, dressed in a fitted white tee that hugged his muscular frame perfectly, paired with distressed black jeans that hung low on his hips. His signature style—a silver chain glinting in the dim light—added to his laid-back allure.

You were surrounded by Choso, Mei Mei, Shoko, Megumi, and Yuuji. The group radiated an easy camaraderie that made Toji’s stomach twist.

Your eyes were slightly red, a telltale sign of the blunt rotation that had been going on. It was as if you were trying to forget the chaos that had just unfolded between the two of you.

Toji approached, but you didn’t even glance in his direction. He felt a simmering frustration rise within him. Why were you ignoring him?

“Y/N,” he called, trying to catch your eye. The music pulsed around them, Les by Childish Gambino thumping throughout the party. He could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on him. But you turned your back, engaging in conversation with Gojo, who leaned closer, laughing at something you said.

Toji clenched his fists, resisting the urge to storm over and yank you away from him. He didn’t want to come off as jealous, but the sight of you with Gojo stirred something dark within him—an urge to claim what was his.

Choso caught sight of Toji, a knowing look passing between them. “You good, man?” he asked, his tone serious but with a hint of humor.

“Not really,” Toji replied through gritted teeth, his eyes fixed on you. “I need to talk to her.”

Megumi chimed in, “You better make it good. She looks ready to snap.”

Toji nodded, taking a deep breath to steady himself. He walked closer, his heart racing, trying to push through the crowd and reach you. But each step felt heavier than the last, the weight of his actions pressing down on him like a lead blanket.

Finally, he stood in front of you, eyes locked onto yours, trying to break through the haze of smoke and laughter that surrounded you. “Y/N,” he said again, his voice low and intense, cutting through the noise.

You turned to face him, a flicker of defiance in your eyes. “What do you want, Toji?”

“I want to talk,” he said, his tone more forceful now. “I don’t want to fight. Just give me a minute.”

You crossed your arms, your expression challenging. “Why should I? You’ve made it pretty clear you’re too busy for me.”

Gojo, sensing the tension, took a small step back, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. “This looks like a soap opera. Are we getting popcorn?”

Toji shot him a glare, but it didn’t break his focus on you. He took a step closer, lowering his voice to a near whisper, his expression darkening. “I’m not letting you walk away from me like this, Y/N. I care, even if I’m a mess sometimes. Just listen to me for a second.”

Your gaze flickered, something shifting in your expression. For a moment, he thought he saw a crack in your armor, a glimmer of the bond you once shared. But then you hardened again, your resolve fortifying itself against the storm brewing between you.

“Fine,” you said, your voice steely. “But make it quick. I’m not wasting my night on you.”

Toji could feel the weight of your words hanging in the air, thick with unspoken emotions.

He leaned in closer, his voice low and rough, “Just know, I’m not letting you go that easily.”

You felt Toji’s hand on your arm as he pulled you away from the chaotic noise of the party, guiding you through the throng of bodies until you reached a quieter space upstairs on the rooftop of the house. The music thumped faintly below, and the dim lighting cast shadows across his face, highlighting the tension in his jaw.

“Y/N,” he started, his voice low and earnest, “I know how that looked. It’s... it’s just how things are in my world.”

You crossed your arms, rolling your eyes as frustration boiled within you. “Spew that bullshit to someone else, Toji. I’m not in the mood for your excuses.”

He sighed, stepping closer, the intensity of his gaze sending a shiver down your spine despite your anger. “It’s... just for the image,” he insisted, as if that explanation could justify everything.

“Image?” you raised your voice, unable to contain the heat surging through you. “If that’s your life, then cool. But you can’t be eyeing me up all over campus and then have me see you like that! It’s fucking bullshit, Toji. You knew Choso invited me and my friends here tonight… the fuck are you on? Crack or something?”

The frustration in your voice hung in the air, thick and charged. Toji’s expression shifted, and you could see the storm brewing behind his eyes. It was the kind of look that made your heart race, even as your anger simmered.

“I’m not—” he began, but you cut him off, your voice rising with each word.

“You’re not what? Just some guy who can act like a king with girls all over him? That’s exactly what it looks like, Toji! You’re out here living your best life while I’m sitting there, feeling like a fool.”

His frustration matched yours, and the air crackled between you like a live wire. “You don’t understand!” he shot back, his voice rising just enough to match your own. “I have a reputation to maintain, and certain things...there's certain i just have to do. The people I be...the people anyway—they don’t give a shit about who I care about! They don’t know about you!”

The defensiveness in his tone only fueled your anger. “Then why the hell did even let Choso invite me here? Was this all a game to you? Just another girl to add to your collection?” You couldn’t help the bitterness creeping into your voice, each word feeling like a dagger aimed straight at him.

He stepped closer, closing the distance between you until the heat radiating off his body enveloped you. “It’s not a game, Y/N,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper that sent chills down your spine. “You’re not just another girl to me. You’re—”

“—what?” you interrupted, daring him to finish his thought. Your heart pounded, and for a moment, you were caught between anger and the undeniable pull you felt toward him. “What am I, Toji?”

“Everything,” he said, his eyes boring into yours, his breath warm against your skin. “You’re everything I shouldn’t want but can’t seem to let go of.”

A silence fell between you, heavy and suffocating, filled with unspoken words and unresolved feelings. You could feel the tension thrumming in the air, a mixture of frustration and something deeper that neither of you wanted to admit.

“I don’t want to be your dirty little secret,” you said, your voice quieter but no less fierce. “I deserve better than that, Toji.”

His expression softened, and he reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “You’re right. You do deserve better. But I’m not the guy who knows how to give you that.”

“Then what are you?” you asked, your heart racing as his fingers lingered against your skin, the intimacy of the moment making it harder to stay angry. “Because right now, it just feels like you’re playing games.”

He hesitated, and in that brief silence, you could see the battle within him, the conflict between the man you cared about and the image he felt forced to maintain. “I’m trying to figure it all out,” he finally admitted, his voice low. “I’m caught between two worlds, and I don’t know how to balance it. But I’m not willing to let you go. Not now, not ever.”

You swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling into your chest, a mix of anger and longing swirling within you. “Then stop being that guy, Toji. Stop playing into the image. Just be real with me.”

The moment hung in the air, thick with anticipation and unresolved emotions. He was so close now, you could feel the heat radiating off his body, and every instinct in you screamed to close the distance and bridge the gap between anger and desire.

“I’ll try, but I got obligations and shit” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes searching yours for understanding. “But you have to meet me halfway.”

You nodded, the tension between you shifting, morphing into something more complicated. “I’ll think about it, but you better figure your shit out before I decide to walk away for good.”

Toji smirked, a glimmer of his usual confidence returning. “You really think you can walk away from me that easily?”

"Yes, I can walk away, Toji,” you said frankly, your heart racing despite the cool facade you tried to maintain.

His expression shifted, a challenge sparking in his eyes as he pulled you closer, the heat radiating off him enveloping you. He leaned down, his breath warm against your ear, sending a shiver down your spine.

“Do it, Y/N. I dare you to walk away from this…” His voice dropped lower, deeper, thick with an intensity that made your breath hitch. “From me.”

A rush of emotions surged within you—anger, desire, confusion—all swirling together in a whirlwind. You could feel the pulse of the music below, a distant reminder of the chaos outside this moment, but right now, all that mattered was the way he was looking at you.

“Why do....why are you doing this?” you breathed, fighting the urge to lean into him. “Why do you keep pulling me in and pushing me away?”

“Because I don’t know how to do this,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, his lips so close you could almost taste the words. “I want you, … but there is a lot that can complicate everything.”

His eyes bore into yours, raw and vulnerable, and for a fleeting moment, you could see the man behind the bravado, the one who was just as scared as you were. “But I don’t want to lose you,” he continued, his grip on your waist tightening as if he were afraid you might slip away.

Your heart raced at his confession, the tension between you thickening like a charged current. “Then stop acting like you don’t care. Stop letting those girls drape all over you,” you challenged, trying to sound strong, but your voice wavered slightly, betraying your own vulnerability.

Toji’s gaze darkened, a flicker of anger flashing in his eyes. “You think it’s that easy? You think I’m doing it because I want to? It’s all part of the image, Y/N. It's what my world is like.”

“Then change it!” you shot back, frustration boiling over. “You don’t have to play that role! Just be honest with me, with yourself, If you want me, then stop pretending you’re something you’re not.”

He stared at you, the weight of your words settling in the air between you. “And if I did that?” he asked, his voice low and intense. “What if I told you I wanted to be with you? That I’d choose you over all of this?”

The intensity in his gaze made your heart race, and you felt a mix of hope and fear swirling within you. “Then show me,” you challenged, your voice steady. “Show me that you mean it, and maybe I won’t walk away.”

For a moment, silence enveloped you both, the world outside fading into the background as the unspoken tension hung thick in the air. You could feel the weight of the moment, a decision teetering on the edge of something monumental.

“Okay,” he said finally, his voice low but filled with determination. “I will. Just… don’t walk away yet.”

Toji leaned in closer, and you could feel the heat radiating off his body, the urgency of the moment igniting something deep within you. The way he looked at you made your heart race, and before you could second-guess yourself, you closed the gap, your lips barely brushing against his in a tentative kiss.

The moment his lips met yours, the world around you exploded into color. All the anger and frustration melted away, replaced by an intoxicating rush of desire and longing. Toji deepened the kiss, his hands gripping your waist as he pulled you even closer, as if trying to erase the distance that had separated you for so long.

As you kissed him, you felt a wave of relief wash over you, as if all the barriers you had built up were finally crumbling. It was messy and heated, the tension that had built between you igniting into a blaze that consumed everything in its path.

But just as quickly as it had begun, the kiss broke, leaving you both breathless and wide-eyed, the reality of the situation crashing back down around you. You could see the conflict in his gaze, the weight of his world pressing down on him even as he held you close.

“What are we doing, Toji?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper, heart pounding in your chest as the adrenaline from the kiss still coursed through your veins.

He leaned his forehead against yours, breathing heavily, his eyes searching yours. “I don’t know,” he admitted, the vulnerability in his voice making your heart ache. “But I’m willing to figure it out if you are.”

A part of you wanted to scream and pull away, to protect yourself from the messiness that was Toji’s life. But another part, the one that craved him and the connection you both are building and sharing, pushing you to take the leap.

“Then let’s figure it out together,” you said softly, a hint of determination threading through your words. You felt the tension shift, morphing into something deeper, a promise of what was to come.

Toji nodded, a small smile breaking through the heaviness in his eyes. “Together,” he echoed, his voice steady, as he pulled you closer once more, sealing the unspoken promise with another kiss.

You could taste the smoke on his breath mingled with the remnants of alcohol, a heady combination that sent your heart racing. Toji’s gaze roamed over you, dark and hungry, and you could feel the heat of his stare igniting every nerve in your body.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he breathed, his voice a low rumble as he bit his lip, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You look…”

He trailed off, his words hanging in the air, thick with desire. You could feel your cheeks flush under his intense scrutiny, your heart pounding in your chest as anticipation hung between you.

Without breaking eye contact, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, his fingers deftly rolling it between his hands. You watched as he lit it, taking a long drag before exhaling slowly, the smoke curling around him in lazy tendrils. He was trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside him, but all it did was draw your attention to his lips, still glistening from your kiss.

“What are you doing?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper, a mix of curiosity and something deeper as you took a step closer, the air thick with tension.

“Just trying to keep it together,” he replied, his gaze flicking back to you, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. “You have no idea what you do to me, do you?”

You swallowed hard, heart racing at his admission. “Maybe I do,” you shot back, a teasing edge to your voice, even as you felt your own desire rising.

“Yeah?” He leaned in closer, the space between you shrinking as he exhaled another puff of smoke, and you could feel the heat radiating off him. “Then you know this isn’t just a game for me. I mean it, Y/N.”

Toji pulled Y/n close, the space between them vanishing in an instant as his strong arm wrapped around her waist. The scent of smoke and leather clung to him, intoxicating and rough around the edges, just like the man himself. His breath was warm against her ear as he leaned in, his voice low and almost dangerous, “Tell me about yourself, Y/n. Any and everything. Don’t hold back.”

Y/n could feel the heat radiating from his body, her own pulse quickening as she tried to steady her thoughts. This was Toji Zenin—tattooed, mysterious, and notoriously private—yet here he was, demanding pieces of her as if he had every right to them.

She cleared her throat, struggling to keep her voice steady. “I’m an architecture major… interior design too. I like to create things, see how spaces can transform. It’s about balance—how the right details can bring everything together.”

Toji’s lips curled into a slow, approving smile, the glint in his eyes darkening with interest. “Balance, huh?” he mused, his fingers now lightly tracing along the small of her back, sending electric currents through her skin. “Sounds like you’ve got a vision. I can respect that.”

His touch was light, teasing, but Y/n could sense the power behind it. The tattoos that laced his arms and crept up his neck were a map of stories she had yet to uncover. Her eyes drifted to the ink, unable to help herself, the detailed designs seeming to shift and move with every breath he took.

“What about music?” he asked, breaking her from her trance. His voice was casual, but there was a deeper edge to it, like he was testing her. “What kind of stuff do you listen to?”

Y/n smirked a little, leaning back slightly to catch his gaze. “R&B mostly… but punk rock too. Depends on my mood, really.”

Toji’s smile widened, his thumb brushing over her waist as he drew her back in, closer than before. “Didn’t peg you for a punk rock girl, but I like surprises.” His eyes raked over her, studying every inch. “You’ve got more layers than I thought.”

Y/n’s heart pounded in her chest, caught between fascination and the undeniable pull she felt toward him. “I guess I’m not what most people expect,” she said, trying to keep her tone light, but even she could feel the weight of their proximity.

“And I like that,” Toji murmured, his voice dropping lower, his lips now grazing the shell of her ear. “But I’m curious about something else…” He paused, the playful glint in his eyes returning. “You’ve got a weakness for tatted men, don’t you?”

The question hit her like a punch to the gut. She froze for a moment, her mind scrambling for a reply, but the way his fingers gripped her waist—possessive and knowing—told her that he already knew the answer. Her silence was all the confirmation he needed.

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest, vibrating against her skin. “I can tell,” he said, amused and confident. “The way you keep staring at mine…” His free hand lifted, trailing up her arm, his fingertips ghosting over her bare skin. “You like it, don’t you?”

Y/n’s breath hitched, her body betraying her composure as a surge of heat rushed through her. She knew she should say something, anything, to maintain control of the situation—but it was slipping, and fast.

Toji’s grip on her waist tightened, his lips now brushing the curve of her neck, his breath sending shivers down her spine. “What else, Y/n? What else do you have a weakness for?” His voice was smooth but carried a sharp edge, daring her to reveal more. “Tell me. I want to know everything. I want to see how weak I can make you for me.”

Her mind swirled, torn between the urge to pull away and the thrill of letting him draw her deeper. “I don’t… I don’t think you could handle everything,” she whispered, her voice shaky but holding a hint of defiance.

Toji smirked against her skin, his lips pressing a firm kiss to the crook of her neck. “I think you underestimate me, sweetheart,” he said, his voice dark and filled with promise. He pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, his eyes locking with hers, intense and unyielding. “You have no idea how far I’m willing to go.”

Y/n swallowed hard, her thoughts racing. There was something dangerous about him, something she couldn’t quite place. He wasn’t just the tatted-up, confident guy who hung out with Sukuna and Geto. There was something darker beneath the surface, something that called to her curiosity—and her instincts to run.

“What are you hiding?” she asked, the question slipping out before she could stop it.

Toji’s expression shifted, his smile fading just slightly. “Everyone’s got secrets, Y/n. Some just run deeper than others.” His hand remained firmly on her waist, holding her in place as he spoke. “But don’t worry… mine won’t hurt you.” His voice lowered, the intensity in his gaze returning. “Unless you want them to.”

Y/n’s breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. There was a fine line between danger and desire—and Toji Zenin was balancing on the edge of both.

As Y/n leaned into the intensity of Toji’s gaze, fully caught up in the moment, the air between them was suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps and a familiar voice shouting from across the room.

“Toji! Oi, where the hell are you?” Sukuna’s voice rang out, breaking the tension.

Toji’s jaw clenched in irritation, but he didn’t let go of Y/n, his grip on her waist staying firm. His focus never wavered, his dark eyes still locked on hers. Y/n was about to speak, but before she could, Sukuna strolled into view, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of them—cozying up alone. A slow, knowing smirk tugged at Sukuna’s lips.

“Well, well, well,” Sukuna drawled, his tattooed arms crossing over his chest as he sauntered closer. “Looks like someone’s keeping themselves busy.”

Before Sukuna could tease or warn Toji about whatever was coming, the atmosphere shifted again. This time, the voice that rang out wasn’t Sukuna’s.

“Hey there, nephew.”

Toji instantly stiffened. The voice alone made his entire body tense. Slowly, he released Y/n, though his hand lingered just a second longer on her waist than necessary, as if he didn’t want to let her go. He shot Sukuna a look—one that silently told him everything. Watch her.

Y/n blinked in confusion, feeling the sudden shift in Toji’s demeanor. She turned her head slightly, following his gaze. That’s when she saw him—a man standing near the stairs, tall and imposing, with a sharp suit that screamed power. His eyes, cold and calculating, flickered over to Y/n before returning to Toji.

It was his uncle. The man who owned the mechanic shop where Toji worked part-time. The same man who held a far more dangerous title behind closed doors—head of the Zenin Mafia. A public secret, whispered about but never confirmed. Y/n, of course, had no idea.

Toji walked over to his uncle with measured steps, his body language shifting completely. Gone was the casual, teasing guy who had been flirting with Y/n just moments before. In his place was someone harder, someone colder.

As Toji approached, his uncle’s gaze lingered on Y/n for a brief moment before turning back to him, a sly smile curling his lips. “And who is she?” his uncle asked, his tone sharp, though there was something almost amused behind it.

Toji didn’t falter. His voice was flat, calm. “No one important, uncle.”

Y/n couldn’t hear their conversation from where she stood, but she could feel the weight of it. She glanced over at Sukuna, who had casually taken her side, leaning against a nearby wall, his gaze sharp and alert. His usual smirk was nowhere to be seen.

Toji’s uncle let out a laugh that echoed through the room. “No one important? Could’ve fooled me.” He turned slightly, looking back at Toji with a raised brow. “You’re needed tonight, boy. I thought I’d give you the heads-up.”

Toji’s eyes narrowed, his annoyance barely hidden. “I thought I had the night off,” he said, his voice carrying a subtle bite.

His uncle’s smile grew wider, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “There’s no night off when you’re in the position you’re in, nephew. You know that.” His voice dropped lower, more menacing. “You’ll be taking over for me one day. There’s no rest in that.”

Toji’s face remained expressionless, but Y/n could sense the tension between them. She didn’t understand what they were talking about, but the weight of their conversation made her stomach churn.

His uncle gave him a pat on the shoulder, though the gesture felt anything but comforting. “But don’t worry, we’ve got a little job for you tonight. Something easy. You’ll want to handle this one personally.”

Toji’s jaw tightened, his eyes flickering over to Y/n for the briefest moment before he responded. “Fine. I’ll be there.”

His uncle’s grin returned, but there was something sinister behind it. “Good. Don’t keep us waiting.” With that, he turned and began descending the stairs, leaving Toji standing there, tension radiating from his every move.

Y/n’s gaze met Toji’s across the room, and for a split second, she saw something flicker in his eyes—something torn between the life he lived and the one he might’ve wanted. But before she could ask, Sukuna cleared his throat beside her, casually resting a hand on her shoulder.

“Well, guess it’s time for me to babysit, huh?” Sukuna said with a grin, though his tone was layered with an edge of seriousness.

Toji finally walked back over, his face a mask of calm, though Y/n could feel the storm brewing beneath. He leaned in close again, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, “Stay with Sukuna for a bit. I’ll be back.”

Before she could protest or ask what was going on, Toji was already gone, walking into the night to handle business she couldn’t even begin to understand.

Y/n stood frozen for a moment, her mind spinning. The casual, yet commanding way Toji had whispered those words left a chill running down her spine. She glanced up at Sukuna, who gave her a lazy smile, but there was something unspoken behind his eyes.

“Don’t worry, princess,” Sukuna muttered, lighting up a cigarette and exhaling the smoke lazily. “Toji knows what he’s doing.” He paused, taking a deep drag before lowering his voice. “He always does.”

Y/n frowned, trying to push down the uneasy feeling creeping up her chest. She had known there was more to Toji than just his mysterious, bad-boy exterior, but the scene she just witnessed was something else entirely. The way his uncle commanded the room, the way Toji slipped effortlessly into that cold, unfeeling persona… it felt like she had stepped into a different world. One she wasn’t sure she wanted to be part of.

But then again, it wasn’t like Toji had ever told her much about himself. He kept things close to the chest, always avoiding any conversation that dipped too deeply into his personal life. And yet, she couldn’t deny the pull he had on her. Something about the danger, the mystery—it was intoxicating.

She let out a sigh and crossed her arms over her chest. “What does Toji do, exactly?” she finally asked, not really expecting Sukuna to give her a straight answer.

Sukuna smirked, his eyes narrowing as he exhaled another puff of smoke. “What do you think?” he asked, his voice teasing. “He’s a man of many talents. You’ve seen that firsthand.”

Y/n rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the curiosity gnawing at her. “It’s not just cars and school, is it?” she pressed, her voice soft but firm.

Sukuna let out a low chuckle, his eyes glinting with amusement. “You’ve got sharp instincts, huh?” He leaned back against the wall, looking at her with a mixture of approval and something else, something darker. “But some things are better left unsaid, Y/n.”

His words didn’t reassure her. If anything, they only deepened the unease she felt. But just as she was about to push further, Sukuna’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glancing at the screen before his expression shifted, growing serious. He tucked the phone back into his jacket, pushing himself off the wall.

“Well, looks like I’ve gotta handle something too,” Sukuna said, his tone more businesslike now. He tossed the cigarette aside, crushing it beneath his boot. “Don’t wander off, yeah? Toji will be back soon. You can wait here or head back down to the party. your choice." Sukuna gave you a once over "Maybe you should chill up here before Toji has to....anyway see you around."

Before Y/n could ask him anything more, Sukuna gave her one last glance—something almost protective behind the way he looked at her—and then he disappeared down the stairs, leaving her alone on the rooftop.

Y/n stood there for a moment, staring after him, feeling more lost than ever. What had she gotten herself into? She thought back to when she first saw Toji, leaning against the wall outside the library, casually smoking with Sukuna and the others, his tattooed arms on full display. She hadn’t known anything about him then, but even then, she had felt drawn to him—like a moth to a flame.

Now, that fire seemed even more dangerous.

You deciced to stay upstairs and watch the throng of bodies walk in and out of the house and around the large yard, party, do drugs and just live. You pulled out your phone and scrolled tik tok trying to piece together everything that happened so far. It was almost 2 hours later. The party still lively just as when you arrived, you decided to finally head back down to enjoy the rest of the party since you weren''t sure when Toji or Sukuna would return and you're started to feel weirdly stood up.

Suddenly Toji finally returned, the air around him was even more intense. His face was shadowed, jaw clenched as if he were still carrying the weight of whatever conversation he had just had with his uncle, or maybe something else. He barely glanced at her as he came closer, his hand moving to her lower back to guide her away from the rooftop’s edge.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice low but firm.

Y/n hesitated for a split second, but the intensity in his eyes made it clear this wasn’t the time to argue. She followed him down the stairs, into the dimly lit streets, her mind racing with questions. What was he involved in? Why did his uncle have such control over him? And why did Toji, who seemed so set on carving his own path with his studies and passion for cars, still have one foot stuck in something so dark?

They walked in silence leaving the party, until they reached the mechanic shop where Toji worked. It was closed for the night, but he had a key, unlocking the door with ease and leading her inside. The smell of oil and metal filled the air, and Y/n watched as Toji seemed to relax slightly in the familiar surroundings. This place was his sanctuary, away from whatever pressures his family imposed on him.

He lit a cigarette, taking a long drag before turning to face her. The shadows from the overhead lights danced across his face, highlighting the scar on the left side of his lips. His tattoos peeked from under the sleeves of his shirt, and Y/n’s gaze lingered on the ink, a reminder of the danger that seemed to cling to him.

“Toji…” she started, unsure of how to begin. “What’s going on? What are you involved in?”

He looked at her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he stepped closer, his hand moving to tilt her chin up so that she was forced to meet his gaze.

“Don’t worry about it, Y/n,” he murmured, his voice low and rough with smoke slowly easing out of his mouth while he talked “You don’t need to know all the details. Just know that I’ve got things handled.”

His words should’ve reassured her, but they didn’t. Instead, they left her feeling even more uncertain. She opened her mouth to argue, to demand answers, but Toji silenced her with a kiss—rough and demanding, leaving no room for protest.

When he finally pulled away, his forehead rested against hers, his breath warm against her skin. “Trust me, Y/n,” he whispered. “I’ll keep you safe. You don’t need to worry about anything else.”

But even as he said the words, Y/n couldn’t shake the feeling that she was stepping deeper into something far more dangerous than she ever could’ve imagined.

[lowkeyerror]

The Family Business Ch.13

WandaNat x Reader

Word Count: 1.2k

Ch. Notes: short

Summary: Fisk gains a new unexpected ally that deeply affects a member of the family.

An: Short filler Ch. but with a warning. Sorry for the mistakes, just wanted to get something out for yall. Also fear not, we will be getting the very essential "date" chapter soon, but first some world building yknow.

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

With the way life had been treating you lately, the ups and downs, you felt as though this should be harder. You felt like there was a funk or depression that should be settling into your mind, but there wasn’t. There should’ve been anxiety building up, but all you felt was calm.

After the beating you suffered you thought you’d be more on edge. However as your body healed itself, you found yourself at ease. There was something smug about your survival. Perhaps it had to do with the blossoming relationship that you had been reveling in.

Throughout the years you had prided yourself on changing and morphing into someone with a tough exterior and an even stronger interior. While you never regretted becoming that way, you admit that in it you lost some of your personality.

You were so much more than a victim of the abuse you had suffered at the hands of your mother. As you grew, after separating yourself from her you were set on not ever being a victim again that you hid everything that you thought made you vulnerable.

Your likes and leisurely activities all of sudden seemed like weak points. The only one who was able to make you let your guard down was Pietro.

Now however, having Wanda and Natasha by your side, you find yourself on a path of rediscovery. You feel like you’re coming into yourself again. The women are the perfect models of work life balance and you think it’s everything you’ve been missing.

The can go into the office work diligently and complete their jobs, but also clock out and relax. The enjoy themselves and they enjoy you.

Wanda personally loves seeing you open up a bit more, after seeing how much of yourself you pushed down. Natasha finds herself collecting bits and pieces of information about you that she plans to commit to memory.

In the very back of your mind you think about how quiet the streets have been. You expected Fisk to brag about your beating just like he did with Dragos. However there had been no commotion, and the intel that you were getting didn’t indicate any attacks soon.

It was eerie and you would've dwelled on it in the past, but Natasha and Wanda reassured you that everything was under control. Natasha constantly let you go over her team strategies to show you she was utilizing the soldiers given to her.

They tried to keep you out of the office for your recovery, but you just found yourself working from home until your ankle was healed. As soon as you were able, you stepped back into the office.

While you had made nearly a full recovery, you could not say the same for Dragos. It pained you hear that doctors have reported a stagnation in his progress. Flora relied that certain doctors were starting to suggest pulling the plug as a feasible option. The entire family was adamant to oppose any talk of such actions.

“Baby?”

Your eyes leave your compute to see Wanda and Natasha entering your office.

“To what do I owe this pleasure?”

Natasha speaks, “We were wondering if you wanted to grab dinner tonight?”

You nod, “For sure.”

Wanda clarifies a bit, “Like a date, Y/n.”

Your eyes widen a bit, but you nod excitedly at the prospect, “Even better, of course.

“We’ll go home, get ready and go from there?” Nat suggests.

“Can’t wait,” a small smile plays on your lips.

Everything about this has felt casual and you love that, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t want to have the typical romantic experiences. This would amongst the first few dates you three had gone on.

Pietro storms into the office breaking up the relaxed atmosphere they had been sitting in. The man looks like he is complete emotional distress.

“I need to talk to Y/n.”

His sister wants to question him, but with one shake of your head she pulls her wife out of the office.

“What’s wrong, Piet?”

He doesn’t hold it together much longer as he signals he needs a hug. You stand up quickly and wrap your arms around him. You feel his tears hit his shoulder and admittedly, your worry multiplies.

“Monica,” he says in his broken tone.

You rub his back soothingly, “What about her?”

He pulls away, “ Two months we lasted, Y/n. I had asked her to be official she said yes, but she’s ended things with me.”

“Oh Piet.”

He shakes his head, “It’s worse than that. She indebted to Fisk, Y/n. She owes him money and favors, she never told me because he’s never come to collect. But now, he’s cashing in.”

You frown deeply, “So she’s protecting you.”

“I need to be protecting her,” he grits his teeth.

You feel for your friend, you don’t believe you have the right words to bring him comfort, “ But you don’t know how.”

Pietro has a new fire in his eyes, “With a bullet in his skull. He’s tried to take everything from me. Papa, you, and now the love of my life.”

You knew the man could be hotheaded at times, and for once you knew he had every right to be. Yet, you couldn’t justify him doing something irrational.

“When the time comes, he will be dealt with,” you say.

Pietro shakes his head, “Nothings happened since your attack, everything is settling. This war will drag on and on if we let it."

“We can’t tear apart the city for no reason, Piet. It’s a bad look from us,” you try to reason with him.

“I know that, but it’s not what I want to hear.”

He slumps down on your office couch with his head in his hands. You sit next to him and rub his shoulder.

“How about we do something tonight, like old times? Something so that we can feel normal for once,” you suggest.

“I can’t even text her because what if she becomes a pawn in this scheme,” he sighs.

“ We’re hanging out tonight. To take your mind off of this, even if it’s only for a moment,” you speak sincerely to him.

He nods slowly in agreement, “Fine, but only because I don’t want to be alone and maybe I’ve missed you. Wanda too, I miss when timed were simpler.”

You get a little excited, “Tonight, me, you, Wanda, Natasha we can do something together. It’ll be reminiscent of old times.”

Pietro agrees and you let him stay in the office as you work. You texted Wanda and Natasha filling them on the details. They were understanding about having to cancel your plans. Natasha also took note of Monica as one of Fisk’s new allies.

The three of you brainstorm to come up with some plans to help your friend for the time being. The night still had promise and none of you wanted to waste it.

Unfortunately for you all, the air was about become ten times more suffocating and no one would see it coming.

Fisk knew you all would become complacent sooner or later, drop you guards prematurely. He was watching unfold and getting ready to strike again, however this time, he planned for the kill shot.

Taglist: @natashaswife4125 @autorasexy @alexawynters @blkmxrvel @toouncreativeforausername @likemick @sgm616 @bstvst @dorabledewdroop @sapphic-simp4015 @natty-taffy @justarandomreaderxoxo @mmmmokdok @tarathia @bgwlsmahf25 @lezzylover @og-kxsh-420 @vanessashands @untoldreader @sxlfishbrokenheart @marvelgirlx @elle161989

[risuola]

PROMISE pt. 2 — F. READER x GOJO SATORU

Satoru promised he will never leave you.

cw: fluff, manga spoilers (more like the fight between two characters from chapters 223-235 is mentioned, no details whatsoever), FIX IT FIC because we need one, reader is pregnant – labor is briefed through — 1,5k words

a/n: one of TWO endings to PROMISE – this one is fluffy, it’s a fix-it fic if you will, it’s happy and pretty. If you’re feeling angsty, if you want to rub some salt into the wounds, check THIS ANGSTY alternate ending out!

He made a promise, so he had to keep it.

It all felt abstract. Was Satoru really able to win? You knew he’s strong, hell, he’s the strongest, but still, can he beat Sukuna? Your breath hitched, you began feeling dizzy, and your stomach really began to hurt. Just few moments ago you felt like your little princess was sleeping, but as the time progressed, you began feeling pain. Your stress had to get to her finally and with all of your might you tried to calm yourself down even if only a little to not put your little one under the pressure of your nerves.

“Y/n?” Shoko squeezed your shoulder, “come with me, you really should breathe some air.”

“Huh?” You couldn’t even look at her, you were afraid that the second you take your eyes from the screens, something bad will happen. But you knew the worry in Ieiri’s voice, she spoke like this only when she faced something serious. “N-no, I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Come.”

You didn’t know why she insisted, but you moved with great hesitance. And then it got to you.

In a matter of minutes, you were in another room, alone with Ieiri, as she was ordering people to gather everything needed because the moment you got in here, your waters broke. Yuji had to run for towels and clean clothes (which he did in a matter of few minutes) and Choso brought gloves and bottled water, because he insisted to help his brother. It’s not the best time, you thought. Your daughter still had a month to go, it wasn’t her time yet, but there wasn’t much you could do. It all happened too quickly, but maybe it was happening for a little while now and simply you were too focused on watching the fight, your mind too absent from what your own body signalized, because when Shoko checked, you were already fully dilated.

You imagined that day differently. Certain that it will be Ieiri who will deliver your baby, but you hoped for Satoru to be here, to keep your hand in his protective grip and you hoped for Megumi to meet his little step-sister. You thought it’ll look differently, that it won’t be a random, quite dingy room god knows where, you hoped it won’t be in the middle of a war. All of this didn’t matter, when you pushed for the first time. The adrenaline rushed through your bloodstream, your ear turned deaf to everything Shoko was saying, you just followed what your own body told you, pushing through the pain breathlessly for what felt like eternity.

And then, all of it was over. You barely registered when you cleaned up, dressed and Shoko used her abilities to heal your body enough for you to fight if needed. You walked back to take your place in front of the many screens, holding a newborn to your chest and with relief you noticed, Satoru was still standing.

“You alright?” Yuta asked, giving your shoulder a soft squeeze as he stood behind you.

“Yes. How’s he?” you replied, trying to analyze the battlefield. Satoru was still there, Sukuna was also looking good, all things considered. You should probably focus more on what just happened to you, but how could you, when your entire world was standing on the battlefield?

“Don’t worry about him so much, y/n. It’s Satoru Gojo we’re talking about. Better tell me how is she?”

She. Your daughter, the little bundle of love, now all in your hands. As you smoothed over the little cheek of your sleeping princess, you couldn’t help but wonder, if her coming to this world made even a fraction of a change that your husband’s birth made. She sure altered the balance of your world.

What you didn’t know, her appearance reached Satoru’s senses all the way back on the battlefield, and he grinned at the feeling. It’s like a wave of something unknown but at the same time very familiar hit him in the face and it gave him a kick of strength he never knew he needed. Now, he couldn’t lose. Not that he was planning to, but now, he just couldn’t.

“Oi, Megumi,” he called, looking at Sukuna that for the last couple of seconds stood there frozen, unable to move because the new, unknown feeling reached him as well. “You can feel her, right? Time to wake up Megs.”

“So naïve,” the curse chuckled, snapping out from the initial shock, “you still believe he’s gonna come back because of some brat being born? Oh, no, and let me tell you, once I’m done with you, I’ll make sure she’ll also be dea-“

The taunting tone was cut short when Ryomen tensed. Disoriented, he looked down at his hands, struggling to clench them into fists as they became stiff, fingers barely moving under the pressure of his muscles, as if he lost control over his own body. He groaned, pushing through with the movement, but stopped again, unable to make another step. Black markings glitched over his face and Gojo grinned wide.

“Good job, Megumi,” he praised. “Welcome back, kid.”

And then a rasped-out scream ripped through Sukuna’s throat, the one that’s desperate and annoyed, helpless once again as the vessel he had settled in began fighting him. So much work he had put into preparing Megumi’s soul to sink deep down into darkness, killing his sister, doing the ancient bath ritual, and now all of his efforts came into nothing, because what?

“G-gojo-“ a voice, much more familiar slipped over the tongue in Sukuna’s mouth. “Tsumiki, she’s dead, I-“

“It wasn’t you, Megumi,” Satoru cooed. “Suppress him, you can do it.”

“I can’t let him hurt my sister once again,” Fushiguro struggled, but the marks became more and more faded, and Sukuna’s cursed energy less and less apparent.

“Oh no, you definitely can’t.”

You couldn’t believe what you were seeing. You couldn’t hear anything, Mei’s crows provided only with vision, but even without voices, you could tell something odd was happening. Megumi was fighting back, Satoru’s shoulders relaxed just slightly, but his features betrayed the relief he felt, the happiness interlaced through his features, clearly pictured by his wide smile.

And then, just like that, maybe few minutes passed, when he was right in front of you, kneeling before you. You could feel the touch of his hands over your legs, his warmth crawling over your skin.

“Hello there,” he said casually, his tone soft and plush as if he wasn’t just battling the king of curses for god knows how long.

“Satoru,” his name slipped through your parted mouth. You couldn’t believe he was there, and as you looked up and to the side, Megumi was there too, with no signs of black cursed markings adorning his light skin and his hair pushed down, just as he would usually style it, probably being a result of Gojo’s hand messing with it. He smiled softly, keeping his distance, but you could tell his soul was in the right place. Sukuna that now was trapped inside of him would be another day’s problem, you figured.

“Welcome back, love,” your husband brought your attention back to him. “And hello, little princess,” he then pushed his face upon the baby in your arms, examining the tiny miracle that you held close to your heart. He looked into the blue irises of his daughter, smiling at the familiar color that surrounded by light eyelashes created a picture of mini him, but somehow, even better, because he could already see this cute nose of yours, the soft, feminine features that she inherited from you. “So I was right, she does have the same cute nose as you.”

“Oh, Satoru,” you sobbed quietly, brushing your hand through his white strands of hair, now sticky from all the blood that got into it. “Is that really over?”

“For now, it is. Our boy is back, I’ll figure out how to tame Sukuna inside of him later.”

“Come here,” you reached a hand to Megumi, but he hesitated, afraid that he’ll lost control and hurt you or his little sister. Eventually, he gave up underneath your demanding gaze and you took him into you, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

Two strong arms of your husband then enveloped the three of you in the loving embrace and you couldn’t help but smile, finding his dried-out lips and pressing a kiss to them.

“I’m so glad you won,” you whispered to him, resting your forehead against his. “I’m so glad I have both of you back.”

Satoru just chuckled and Megumi smiled softly. Little that you know, it’s only because of the wave of new, fresh energy that bore so much of Satoru’s unique signature that spread all over the world the moment she was out of your womb. It’s her that gave your husband another impulse to act and it’s her who saved your foster son from losing himself completely.

Satoru promised he will never leave you. He promised that to your daughter and she herself made sure, he’ll keep that promise.

[sunny44]

Sparks and spats

Pairing: Lando Norris x Fem!reader

Warnings: Unrevised chapter, English is not my first language

Summary: Y/n and Lando can't go a minute without fighting with each other, but that's just a flawed way of hiding the sexual tension between them.

The tension between Lando and me was palpable. Since we first met, it seemed a simple glance could spark a heated argument. Our mutual friends, including Max F., had grown accustomed to the frenetic and fiery dynamic between us, who oscillated between teasing and almost kissing. The chemistry between us was undeniable, but both of us insisted on hiding it behind a facade of fights and barbs.

In recent months, our arguments had become almost a daily ritual. Any small comment could ignite another round of provocations. In the paddock, Lando would often tease me about my career decisions. I, in turn, would always find a way to jab at Lando in a sensitive spot.

"Do you really think that move in Padel was as amazing as you're making it out to be?” Lando asked, clearly provocatively.

"And do you really think driving poorly like that will get you the title?" I retorted, without losing my composure.

Our friends were no longer surprised. Max, especially, found amusement in our arguments, though he sometimes had to intervene to prevent things from going too far.

It was a Friday night, and the group of friends had decided to go to a nightclub to unwind after an intense week of training. The loud music and flashing lights created a perfect atmosphere to forget our problems and just have fun. However, the peace was interrupted when a rumor started circulating at our table: a mysterious blonde had been seen with Lando recently.

"I heard you've been seeing a girl, Lando,” Max said with a mischievous smile.

Lando rolled his eyes and sighed, visibly irritated by the insinuation.

"It's not true. You, of all people, should know not everything online is true. Besides, she's not my type.” He replied, trying to stay calm.

"So, what's your type then? Flirty blondes that boost your ego?” I said, with a challenging smile and a penetrating gaze.

Lando turned to face me, and for a moment, the club's noise seemed to disappear, leaving only the two of us immersed in the tension between us. He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on mine.

"Nah, more like sassy brunettes who roast me every chance they get,” he replied, his voice low and full of intensity.

The silence between us seemed to electrify the air around us. Max, noticing the situation, tried to shift the focus of the conversation but not before exchanging a complicit look with the other friends, who also noticed the charged exchange.

I looked away for a moment, feeling my heart race. Lando's provocation had hit me in a way I didn't expect. Maybe, behind all the fights and barbs, there was something deeper. Something neither of us was ready to admit.

The night continued, but the tension between Lando and me was now even more palpable. His words echoed in my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder what else was hidden behind those bright eyes and challenging smile.

As the night progressed, the dance floor became the club's focal point. The friends dispersed, some dancing, others chatting in smaller groups. Lando and I, however, remained at the table, the tension between us visible to anyone watching.

Max, always the mediator, decided to intervene.

"You two need to dance. Come on, get up. Enough provocations for one night, let's enjoy being together." he said, pulling me by the hand and pushing Lando towards the dance floor.

Reluctantly, we both followed the flow. When we reached the dance floor, the music changed to a slow, sensual beat, and Lando took the opportunity to pull me closer. His hands rested on my waist, and I, hesitantly, placed my arms around his neck.

"You really can't help it, can you?" I murmured, my voice barely audible above the music.

"Help what?" Lando asked, leaning in to hear better.

"Provoking me. Making me confused," I replied, my eyes shining under the club's lights.

"Maybe because you do the same to me. Maybe... because I like seeing how you react." Lando smiled, a genuine smile, different from his usual teasing grin.

"That's not fair, Lando," I sighed, feeling vulnerable.

"I know," he admitted, his expression softening. "But what if... what if all this is just a way to hide what we really feel?"

"And what do you feel, Lando?" I stopped, my eyes locking onto his, trying to decipher the sincerity in his words.

"I feel that, despite all the fights and barbs, there's something between us. Something real. Something worth exploring." Lando stepped closer, our bodies now practically touching.

"Do you think we can give this a chance? Stop the provocations and see what happens?"

"I don't think we can stop the provocations because that's already part of us,” he said, and we both started laughing. "And I want to try, if you do too."

I hesitated for a moment before finally smiling.

"Okay, Lando. Let's try." With that, he smiled and pulled my face closer to his and kissed me.

The music changed to a more upbeat rhythm, and Lando twirled me around the dance floor, laughing. For the first time in a long time, the tension between us seemed to be dissipating, replaced by a new feeling.

Our friends, watching from afar, exchanged satisfied looks. Max, in particular, couldn't hide a broad smile. Maybe, finally, the incessant fights were over, though it made the nights more entertaining for them. He knew Lando deserved someone who was sincere and cared for him as a person, not for his fame.

Bonus scene!

Yourusername Instagram stories

“I think I like him”

[trippinsorrows]

with me + part nineteen

authors note: the infamous chapter is finally here! a lot of questions you all have asked me are finally answered. i hope it's enjoyable and worth the wait!

status: in progress // masterlist

warnings: angst (discussion of child loss), language, suggestive themes

song inspo: with me by destiny’s child

faceclaims

words: 10k

taglist: @pixiedust4000 @yolobloggers @msbigredmachine @southerngirl41 @wanderingreigns @romanreignsbae

To say your 2024 Bingo card has been filled with nothing but surprises would be the understatement of the century.

The past six months, really, have been mostly wonderful but also chaotic as hell.

And if someone had told you, way back when it was just you and Joe in your own little fantasy world, that his wife would one day text you in the middle of the night, wanting to meet and join forces to combat your apparently psycho-ex best friend, you’d laugh your ass off. Laugh your ass off harder than a guest at a Katt Williams special.

But, life is funny, and God clearly has a sense of humor, because that’s exactly what happened.

It’s also why you’re sitting on Joe’s bathroom counter at 4am as he finishes up in the shower, readying for his early flight.

“I’m sorry, it completely slipped my mind to tell you I gave her your number.” Joe shuts the water off, and you immediately redirect your attention to anywhere but him as he walks out. It’s bad enough you two didn’t have enough time to get in another session before his departure, but it’s another thing to be so cruelly taunted by your sexy ass man in all his buff, your favorite pastime on fully display but unable to be touched.

Sucked.

Rode.

All of the above.

Joe continues, and your eyes land on him just as he’s knotting the towel around his waist.

“I should have asked you before I did so, but with everything going on—”

“You don’t have to apologize, Joe.” Cutting off his unnecessary apology feels like a good move, the right move. You’re not mad at him about that at all. “I know you would have never done so if you believed she had any ill intent.” And it’s the truth, especially on the eve of this Mariah mess. “Sure, I would have liked a heads up that my boyfriend’s ex-wife would be texting me asking to meet and essentially do an interview together, but it wasn’t a necessity.”

He chuckles, looking over and asking, “what are your thoughts there?”

A heavy sigh leaves your mouth at his equally heavy question. “I don’t know. I feel torn. On one hand, it’s kinda weird, ya know? Truth be told, I always figured if by some miracle I ever spoke to her, she’d try to kick my ass sooner than she’d want to grab dinner.” You quickly add, “emphasis on try because ain’t no bitch beating my ass.”

He chuckles, reaching for his deodorant. “Well, you better not be fighting nobody with my baby in you.”

Rolling your eyes, your hand naturally rests on your stomach. “I know, I just….what do you think?”

“I think you should do whatever makes you most comfortable.”

“None of this is comfortable,” you murmur, and it’s the truth. This whole thing sucks all around. “And that’s not an answer.”

He shrugs. “I can’t tell you what to do, babe.”

“Technically, you can, but you’re choosing not to. There’s a difference.”

Joe moves over and caresses your temple, sharing quietly, “I want you and Callie to come down to Philly a few days before WrestleMania. They’ll put me up in an Airbnb. I’ll make sure it’s big enough for all of us.” 

The abrupt change of topic confuses you, yes, but there’s more excitement at the thought of being reunited with him than bewilderment. It brings a small smile to your face. “Are you sure?” Any chance to see Joe will always be taken advantage of, you just don’t want your and Callie’s visiting him at such a time to cause any sort of distraction.  “I don’t want us to get in the way. You need to focus.”

“You two could never get in the way, and my focus is exactly where it should be.” His hand snakes under your shirt, feeling your soft belly. “I also want you to come to the Hall of Fame Awards with me.”

That definitely takes you by surprise. You’ve never attended any sort of formal, public event with him before, and the WWE Hall of Fame awards is like the event. “Are—are you sure that’s a good idea?” Being careful with your words and honest with yourself, you confess, “I’m not sure if it’s a good look for you to be seen so publicly and openly with me right now. Your fans already kinda hate me.”

Limiting your media consumption has been a saving grace in all this. Not that you were big on it to begin with. However, you have read a couple articles and made the even bigger mistake of reading the comments. To say some, if not most, of the internet wrestling community have nothing nice to say about you would be putting it lightly. 

There’s people cussing you out, people saying you should burn in hell for what you did, even some saying if Joe (Roman) loses at WrestleMania, it’ll be your fault.

That last one is at least a little funny to you, because for such big fans, they sure don’t know how WWE works.

Roman’s gonna retain the same way he has for almost three years. 

Ain’t shit stopping that.

“I told you before, and I’ll keep saying it until I’m blue in the face—I don’t give a fuck what they have to say about us. I love you, and I’m going to be with you, regardless of what anyone thinks. The Hall of Fame, Wrestlemania, hell, I’ll take you in the fucking ring with me if I want to.” His defense is so strong in its delivery and conviction that it almost instantly takes away any and all reservations on your end. “And they’re not fans if they have some negative shit to say about the woman I love.”

“Well, in their defense, Mariah did a damn good job making me out to be some Jezebel.”

“That’s partially why I think you should do the Live with Jadah.” His tone and expression soften, thumb rubbing against your stomach. “They don’t know you like I do, and they don’t need to per se, but they can at least see you’re not what she’s made you out to be.” He brings his mouth to your temple, lips lingering. “They can see why I love you so much.”

“Knew you had an opinion on what you think I should do.” But, regardless, you’re thankful for him truly allowing you to decide what is best for you. And you think you have. With a big breath, you settle on your final answer. “I’m gonna do it, but not even to let people see I’m not this horrible person. I just….I haven’t really had a chance to use my voice in any of this. Like…..” You work hard to help him understand where you’re coming from. “I didn’t have a voice in the DCFS situation outside of defending my parenting, but in this….there’s a chance for me to speak my side, to be able to defend myself. And I feel like I need to do it.”

“I agree.” You’re not surprised. Joe is anything and everything, including forever supportive. “Ya’ll are gonna use my Instagram to do it too.”

“Wait, what?”

“Baby, Jadah doesn’t have any social media, and you don’t need all them damn people on your page, nor do you want that.” He’s right. You hadn’t thought of it that way. “Mariah had an audience. You get one too.” 

Fair. Very fair. “Okay.”

He taps your hip, informing. “I’ll leave you the login info." It sometimes still amazes you how much he trusts you, how easy it is for share so many things with you that are objectively personal. His banking information, his fucking social medias that are literally tied to his career.

It means the world for him to have so much trust in you.

“We’re going to Disney after Mania.” 

Joe is just full of surprises, jumping from subject to subject. “What? I thought we were going for Callie’s birthday.”

“We are, for a second time, but the first time is gonna be that Tuesday after Mania. A day for you and Callie to rest.” 

You’re still trying to settle on the fact that this man is proposing two Disney visits literally back to back when something else hits you. “Wait, the week after WrestleMania? Don’t you have to work?”

“I’ve got it handled,” is all he says, all he offers, all he provides. 

“Joe, what does that even mean? How does that work? How do you just win WrestleMania and disappear right after?” Something’s not adding up. There’s something he’s not telling you, and it pisses you off for a lot of reasons, but mostly because you just hate being kept in the dark. “Is it being written into the storyline or—”

“I’ve got it handled, okay?” His tone is exasperated, which you find ironic considering you’re the one on the receiving end of his vague ass answers. “Just….trust me.”

That’s a hard one. Not trusting him. That comes second nature at this point, but trusting him and not knowing if whatever he’s handled causes any sort of problems for him. You worry about any hits he might take sometimes because of his decisions that are usually for the sake of you and Callie.

It shouldn’t bother you, but it does, especially because you know how important his career is to him.

“What about you?” That’s your biggest concern. This man has been ripping and running for what feels like months. He deserves a vacation. He needs a vacation. If he’s gonna be off for a couple days at least, why not use them to recharge? “You need to rest too, Joe. I can tell you’re exhausted, baby. There’s no need for us to go twice. We can just stick with May for her birthday.”

He shakes his head, preparing a guaranteed disagreement. “You’re gonna be five months pregnant by then. You don’t need to be walking around a damn amusement park while that far along. I don’t know if you’ll even want to.”

“Baby, trust me when I tell you, I could be nine months pregnant, and I’m still going to waddle my big ass around that park. I’m fighting any kid that tries to get in my or Callie’s way.”

He shakes his head, muttering, “the May visit might not happen if your ass gets us banned.”

“I can behave,” you murmur, recognizing you’re being a bit dramatic. Just a smidge. Disney has been a dream visit since you were a kid, so there's an immense amount of excitement at going.

“And why are we going twice anyway?” Eyes narrowing in suspicion, you realize and point out, “you’re up to something, aren’t you?” He rolls his eyes but says nothing. “You are. Oh my God, Joe, you’ve already done so much for us, we don’t need anything else. I don’t need anything else.”

It’s the truth, too. Going to Disney twice in one year when some people never get to go at all is absolutely not a necessity. No matter whatever he clearly has planned that requires two trips.

Joe looks like he wants to say something but decides against it. Annoying ass. “It better not have anything to do with a damn dog.” He laughs. “Especially with me pregnant now. Two kids under the age of 5 is gonna be a lot in and of itself.” Since you’re already on the subject, you add, “I’ve been thinking maybe my mom can come stay with us a little after the baby is born? So, I can have some help when you can’t be there.”

There’s something in Joe's expression that gives you pause, like he wants to say something but decides against it. “And I mean, I’d be fine with your mom coming too, I just—another adult will be great.” You throw that out, an honest thing, thinking maybe he’s wondering why it always has to be your mom and not more of his side of the family.

Although deep down, you know that’s not it.

“Of course, whatever you want.” He kisses your forehead and moves away to finish getting ready to go.

As much as you don’t want to feel annoyed, you do. This is at least the second or third time you’ve tried to broach the subject of post-baby, and he’s been elusive, borderline dismissive. 

It’s hard to tell if it’s because he’s maybe nervous about something, if he truly doesn’t understand why you’re wanting to discuss this now, or something else, but regardless, it’s annoying.

And you don’t like it.

You don’t like it at all.

———-

Things happen fast in Florida, or maybe it’s just you and the reality show that your life has been the past week or so.

Because one minute you’re celebrating an unexpected but welcomed pregnancy, and the next you’re the subject of major media articles, publications, and news segments. Followed up with being hit up by your boyfriend’s ex-wife, the same wife he had when you first started sleeping with him.

The same woman who you’re anxiously awaiting to ring your doorbell at any minute now.

The silence of the large house doesn’t help either. You're greatly wishing you could be distracted by Callie’s loud singing, running around, laughter, something. But, you asked Alexis to take her out for a few hours for you, not wanting her to be around in the event that things turn ugly.

And that’s a bit of an irrational belief on your part.

You would have never invited her over, accepted her invitation, agreed to even meet with her if there was any thought in the back of your mind that she has any ulterior motives. In a weird twist of fate, you’re both kind of in the same position, the subject of all kinds of public scrutiny. Granted, from what you have seen on social media, majority of the people are on her “side.” Some going even as far as starting and using the hashtag #TeamJadah.

And you can understand that, understand why the public would “side” with the wife versus the mistress, but it’s also based upon a shit ton of Mariah’s lies and smear campaigns that have painted you in such an ugly light.

That’s ultimately why you’ve agreed to this, agreed to this highly uncomfortable team up, because it’s the only and best way to reclaim your voice.

To reclaim your narrative.

The sound of the doorbell ringing literally makes you jump from where you sit criss-crossed on the new expensive ass sofa Joe picked out for the house. It is comfortable though, and for a second, you almost choose to stay in the comfort of the sofa versus answering the door.

But, you know that’s not an option, for Jadah to fly out on such short notice only to be stood up by the other woman.

It’s not a good look.

Clearly.

So with a deep breath and quick mental pep talk, your feet carry you to the door that you unlock and hesitate only a second before opening.

Instantly, you’re hit with two things: the sweet smell of Jadah’s perfume and Jadah herself. Right off the bat, you can’t get over how gorgeous she is. Her deep complexion is absolutely flawless and moisturized as hell, thick eyebrows that frame her almost slender facial shape perfectly. Full lips pulled back into a sly smile. She’s wearing a pair of jeans and thin sleeved top that show off her shape, both slim and thick where it counts. 

She’s as drop dead gorgeous as you imagined her to be. You can’t be attractive as Joe is without someone to match your aura. 

“Well, let no one say Joe doesn’t have good taste. You’re even prettier in person.” 

Receiving compliments from your boyfriend’s ex-wife was also nowhere on your 2024 bingo card, but clearly all projections need to be discarded at this point with how many stunners have happened.

“Thank you.” It’s strange. You’ve always been super good with compliments, taking them at face value, because you know that you’re pretty, always having the high self-esteem to recognize as such. But, hearing it come from her of all people feels a little…..off. Like, she shouldn’t be complimenting you. “Umm, come in, please.” 

She does so, walking and looking around, almost inspecting. “This place is beautiful.”

All of the compliments are throwing you. It’s not what you were expecting. Then again, you’re not sure just what you were expecting. 

“Thanks. Do you…want some water or something?”

She shakes her head, “I’m good, thank you.” Jadah gestures with a manicured finger between the kitchen and the living room. “Preference?”

Shaking your head, you leave that up to her. “Whatever you like.”

She nods and heads into the living room, sitting down on the sofa where you just sat, anxiously awaiting her arrival. Wordlessly, you follow suit, sitting on the sofa opposite of her. 

“Thank you for agreeing to this,” she says, placing her purse on the coffee table. “I know me reaching out must have taken you for a loop.”

“A little.” A lot. But, she doesn’t need to know that. “I—I can understand why. I’m so sorry you got caught up in all of this.”

“One thing you don’t have to do is apologize. For any of this. For anything. From what Joe told me, this girl is just psycho and has some weird obsession with trying to ruin your life.”

Scoffing bitterly, you can’t find a point to disagree with. “That sounds about right….”

No one says anything for a good, solid minute. Or two.

“Okay, why don’t we get the awkward part over.” Her voice takes on a new tone, one similar to boredom and insouciance. “We both dated and slept with the same man. I happened to be married to said man when you started sleeping with him, but that shit doesn’t even matter, cause you already know what our deal was.”

The deal…..

No, you have no idea what the deal was. That’s part of why you’re happy to finally be talking to her, because you have so many questions. Granted, that’s not the reason she’s here in the first place but still.

Your facial expression must give away the confusion because Jadah’s indifferent tone shifts to something else, something more serious. “Y/N…..how much do you know about my marriage to Joe?”

It’s a bit difficult for you to navigate how honest you should or shouldn’t be with her. She’s a stranger for all intents and purposes, but given why you two are now even sitting across from each other, maybe honesty is the best option. “He’s never really said anything about you or his marriage, and I won’t lie to you, it’s not like I’ve made a lot of effort to find out.”

There’s a part of you that still struggles with a level of guilt for the intentionality you had at the beginning of dating Joe to not ask about his wife, to pretend that you didn't see the wedding band on his finger.

Avoidance makes justification a hell of a lot easier. 

She chuckles, gaze settling on her lap. “I shouldn’t be surprised. Joe’s always been a good man. He was probably trying to protect me, protect my privacy.” Jadah shakes her head. “The irony, huh?” She leans forward, hands on her knees. “Alright, we’re doing this.” She seems to be speaking more to herself than anything, and you get it fully. You’re still giving yourself mental pep-talks just sitting across from her. “I’m gonna tell you the truth about us, but I’m telling you now, certain things Joe, even with how much he clearly loves you, may never talk about. Really, it’s years of therapy that’s why I can talk about it now.” On one hand, the warning is appreciated. On the other hand, it only increases your anxiety at whatever you’re about to hear. “I also have this thing where I use dark humor to cope with heavy shit, so just pretend like you don’t notice.”

The conversation with Kaylah in Vegas returns to the forefront of your mind, and you start to feel bad for opening the door for Jadah to have to revisit a clearly painful past. But before you can protest, she starts sharing.

“Joe and I met in college. I was 20, going on 21, and he was 22. He was playing football, I played soccer. I thought he was attractive and vice versa. We had a class together, and I approached him first. Next thing I know, we’re fuck buddies. It wasn’t romantic. We didn’t go on dates. He didn’t want that, and neither did I. It was just sex.” She says it so simply, so casually, and for a second, your mind goes towards comparisons. That’s kind of similar to how it was with you and Joe at the beginning. Just all about sex.

“Well, like two dumb college kids, we were having unprotected sex, and we both know what can happen there. I ended up getting pregnant. And this….this is where shit gets bad, because both his family and my family were of the belief that because we were having a child together that we should get married, so guess what we did?” She rolls her eyes, leaning back into the sofa. “I think that might have been our first mistake.”

A mistake….

Joe has also made a comment at least once or twice insinuating he viewed the marriage as a mistake. Had stated they initially married for the wrong reasons, and hearing the full story, you sort of agree. 

It’s such an outdated belief that two people need to be married in order to have a child.

“We did it, we got married. My family is in real estate, so we moved into an apartment they owned off campus and prepared for the baby. That was really the only time we talked and interacted. When it had something to do with the baby. And looking back on that, I can see now that even if we wanted it to work, it wouldn’t have. I felt nothing for him outside of the fact that we were having a baby together, and I know he would say the same because we discussed as such when we finally decided to get divorced. But, I’m jumping ahead of myself.”

Slowing down would be wonderful, because this is a lot for you to take in and digest. Jadah sounds like she’s essentially stating she never loved Joe, never had feelings for him. And it seems like he felt the same way, like they were only trying to make it work for the sake of the baby and their families.

She’s quiet for a second, and you already know the next thing that’s about to come out of her mouth. “There’s—there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it.” Another pause. “We lost the baby. I–I had a stillbirth. I was just about 8 months along. I—grief is so damn weird, because some days I’m okay, and then others, I feel like it just happened.”

Shaking your head, you advise gently, “Jadah, you don’t—”

She lifts her hand, stopping you as she explains, “today….today is an okay day. I’m….I’m good.” And you hope, for her sake, that she’s being honest with both you and herself. The last thing you want is to unintentionally trigger her. “We coped the only way we knew how at the time: avoiding each other and having sex when we weren’t avoiding each other. Both of which were unhealthy, one of which resulted in me getting pregnant again. But, I—I ended up miscarrying.”

That….that you especially weren’t expecting to hear. The loss of one child seems unfathomable, but the loss of two children is just so wrong. Like, it shouldn’t be allowed to happen. No one deserves to experience that kind of grief, and while your heart aches for Jadah, it’s hard not to think mostly about Joe.

To think about how that kind of experience had to have torn him up. How could it have not?

“After that miscarriage is when we tried to make things work, tried to actually be a real couple. It was mostly on my end but also that loss was the first time we actually tried to heal together instead of separate. I did most of the initiating, and I can be honest with myself now in admitting it was mostly because I wanted to try again. I wanted to try to have another child.” Her attention is mostly focused on her lap as she recalls what had to have been one of the most difficult times in her life. “Through therapy, I learned that I thought if I could finally just have a child, my grief would go away. Obviously, that’s not how that works, and I learned the hard way because I did get pregnant again, but I….I also ended up miscarrying again.” 

Words. There are none to properly describe what’s going through your head right now, the emotions all circulating throughout your entire body. Tears brim your eyes listening to this heartbreak. You have such a tremendous amount of compassion and sympathy for the woman sitting across from you.

For the man not before you currently but you’d give anything to be able to hold and hug right now. You had no idea he’s been through so much, lost so much, and yet he still stands tall, forever being your backbone.

Being your saving grace. 

“That was the last time Joe and I were ever intimate,” she continues, dabbing at her eyes. “He refused to touch me unless I got on birth control. Said he didn’t want to see me go through that anymore, and I believe him. But, I also don’t think he could handle another loss either.”

You’re not sure anyone could handle that kind of loss a fourth time. 

“I was the one who cheated first, but it’s hard to call it that when I nor Joe ever really saw our marriage as real. It was legal, yes, but he never loved me, and I never loved him. We had love for each other, but we weren’t in love with each other. And I think the little we did feel was because of our shared losses.”

This almost feels like a discussion that needed to happen in separate sessions, because it’s so much to take in. You’d always wondered about this marriage, wondered what the real story was, but hearing that real story almost has you wishing you would have never asked. It’s just all so heavy.

“And then he started becoming more famous and up there in the WWE. I don’t need to tell you how crazy his schedule can be. I barely ever saw him. We essentially became roommates. He did his thing and who he wanted, while I did my thing and who I wanted.”

It’s hard on you hearing all this, for obvious reasons, but there’s also a part of you that is grieving for different reasons. Grieving what maybe you and Joe could have been if you knew all of this. Knew his wife wasn’t the high school sweetheart turned wife, knew he wasn’t going home and playing house when he wasn’t in your bed. You always just assumed this was the case, the few times you even allowed yourself to think about him being married. It was more toward the end of your relationship as you realized you needed to start being honest with yourself about your relationship with him.

“I know for a fact Joe never initiated a divorce because he felt like it was wrong. Like it was wrong for him to leave me because I couldn’t give him what he wanted, a family. I can’t speak for him, but I’d bet that’s why he didn’t divorce me even when he met you. Because he’s a good man who still felt a sense of loyalty to me because I had tried to give him a child. I just….I couldn’t.”

Your chest tightens at her words. Did she just….. “Joe wanted kids?”

Jadah is quick with the response, reiterating. “He always wanted to be a dad. Even with our first pregnancy, we were both nervous and young, but he told me that he wanted a big family because he came from one.”

It’s getting harder and harder to keep the tears at bay. You hadn’t the slightest clue fatherhood was something Joe always envisioned for himself, something he always wanted. It makes sense, it makes all the sense now why he reacted so strongly as he did when he found out about Callie. The way he looked at you with such love and appreciation on Christmas when you apologized for not getting him anything, the way his eyes fell on Callie is he calmly told you that you already did.

A child. 

You’d given him a child, something he always wanted but could never have.

Shaking your head, you admit aloud but gently, “I didn’t—I didn’t know that.”

“Do you know what Joe told me when we finally realized we needed to just file?” She doesn’t wait for a response, most likely already knowing what your answer will be. “He said he was never supposed to be with me, because he was always supposed to be with you.” A tiny gasp leaves your mouth. “And he’s right. Joe never spoke about me the way he speaks about you, the way his eyes light up, the smile on his face…... He was never in love with me, because his heart was always supposed to be with you.” Any effort to refrain from crying is null and void. “And I’m happy for him. I truly am. I couldn’t give him what he wanted, and that’s okay, because you have.”

Her comforting you is the last thing that should be happening, but it’s exactly what occurs. She reaches over, placing her hand on top of yours.

“Y/N. I don’t hate you. I don’t think you’re a whore who ruined my marriage. That marriage was a sham from the beginning. If anything, I was more upset at you when Joe told me about Calista. I was upset because I wish you had told him from the beginning that you were pregnant. We could have gotten divorced sooner, and he could have finally experienced fatherhood. I could have finally figured out what I want in life.”

Sniffling, wiping at your eyes, “All this time…..I thought that I had been that woman, that I took him from you. That’s why I didn’t tell him about Callie, I thought—I felt like it was wrong, wrong because he was married.” It’s that along with your unaddressed daddy issues, that whole trauma, but while Jadah is relatively open with you about her struggles. You’re just not there yet.

“You can’t take what never belonged to me. I’m able to admit now that I never had Joe, and to be honest with you, I never really wanted him.” She frowns almost, continuing to share more with you than you ever expected her to share. “I wanted to do humanitarian work after college, and I didn’t do that because I was too busy living my life the way everyone said I should. I don’t blame Joe either. I guess I just wish all three of us didn’t have to wait so long to finally have what we wanted.”

In a strange sort of sense, all three of you are victims of some type of circumstances, different in various ways but still victims. 

“Are you….are you happy, Jadah?”

In all that you’ve heard her divulge, a no wouldn’t surprise you. She’s such a strong woman, but in the midst of all this, you getting Joe, Joe having you, where’s her happy ending?

“I’m bisexual.” It’s such a strange first initial response, one that you’re not sure how to reply to or take. Not that you’re judging at all. Good for fucking her. But, where is the relevance?  “It’s not a secret, either. I’ve been out since I was in middle school, but I’ve been in a relationship with this amazing woman for almost a year now, and it’s with her I’ve realized I just tend to form deeper connections with women than men. Especially emotionally. It’s gotta be why I never felt anything for Joe, because we both know that man is objectively gorgeous, insanely sweet, and the D is fire.”

That makes you laugh, the first in the midst of this heartfelt conversation. “You’re not wrong about that.”

“But, she’s amazing, and we’re so happy, so yes, I am more than happy.” Her eyes light up the same way you’re certain she’s seen with Joe when he talks about you. “But, you know what will make me happier?” She announces with attitude and determination. “Getting on Live together and blowing up this bitch whole spot.”

Another laugh that’s followed up with. “I’d rather beat her ass, but this is second best.”

“I mean, we can do that too. I don’t really know how to fight, but I’ll cheer for you on the side.” 

There’s more laughter as you realize Jadah has that dry sense of humor that can have you dubbed over in tears from the humor, meanwhile she’s got a straight face the whole time. 

“I wish, but I can’t be fighting in my condition.”

It leaves your mouth before you even realize what you’re basically confirming, and before you can freak out, scolding yourself for being so insensitive, Jadah is already two steps ahead.

“Seriously? Congratulations!” Her smile is just as genuine and happy as all the outdoors, as she explains. “Y/N, just because I can’t have kids doesn’t mean I can’t be happy for people who can. I know Joe must be over the moon happy.”

“He is,” you answer with a matching smile, hand going to your stomach. “I’m really happy I got to meet you, Jadah. I think….I think we both needed this.”

There was something so healing about all of this, some sense of solace and closure that feels like it’s been provided for the both of you. Her being able to talk this out and be honest about her feelings, and you learning that maybe, just maybe, your relationship with Joe was never wrong in the first place.

Because it was always supposed to be.

“I agree.” She squeezes her hand. “Now, let’s get started on our strategy for this Live, cause I’m ready to shut that ex best friend of yours fifteen minutes of fame down.”

———-

In another life, you and Jadah could have been the best of friends. 

There’s such an ease that comes with talking to her. Not only is she just as laid back as Joe promised, but the bitch is funny as hell. The strategizing your game plan for the Live is filled with her dry humor that almost has you in tears at one point. And it amazes you how someone who’s been through so much can still find it in her to laugh, to still be filled with so much joy.

It’s admirable. 

And maybe there’s a way where you can be friends of some sort, because there’s truly no ill feelings towards her on your end. You’re also almost certain it’s the same for her as well, but right now, the focus is on this Live. 

Well, sort of.

“I definitely think the cool tones will really compliment the white theme of the house. You guys don’t plan to paint, right?”

Joe never mentioned that Jadah is an interior designer, not that he needed or even had a reason to, but it definitely comes in handy considering you have this big ass house to decorate without a lick of knowledge about decorating. 

It didn’t take long to figure out how you’re going to tackle the Live, and you two even got your iPad set up in the kitchen, deciding that’s where you would hold it. She even set up the practice live so you two could familiarize yourself with the layout before actually going live.

So with that out the way, it only took one question from Jadah about designing for her to be assisting you with some options for different rooms in the house.

“No. Joe hasn’t mentioned anything about it.” You then remember. “We are getting a mural painted in Callie’s room. I guess Joe knows someone.”

“Oh, that’s awesome.” She beams, asking, “what’s the mural gonna be?”

Smiling, you answer, “disney. She loves Disney.”

“Y/N…..do you….do you think I could meet her?” She quickly adds, almost as if she’s nervous about even asking in the first place. “I know you probably need to talk to Joe first, but—”

“Of course, you can meet her.” There’s no need to think about it, no need to talk with Joe about it. “I was actually going to ask you if you wanted to meet her. She’s out with my best friend right now, because I didn’t want her overhearing our Live, but I’d love for you to meet her.”

She seems so moved and appreciative of this. “Thank you.” She motions down the hall, “you don’t happen to have any food, do you?”

Laughing, you answer. “Girl, I was just thinking we need to get this Live done, cause I’m hungry.”

It’s not too surprising on your end. In the past few days, you’ve noticed your appetite increasing, a strange symptom to have so early on in your pregnancy. Annoying, too.

“Well, let’s pig out on snacks, and maybe we can get actual food later,” she suggests. You’re down for that, thinking about asking Alexis to stop and pick something up on her way back to the house with Callie. 

“Sounds good to me.” She then looks around, noticing the speakers located throughout the house. “Do those work?”

Already knowing where she’s headed, you pull out your phone, opening up Spotify and reaching it to her. “What’s the vibe?”

Jadah sucks her teeth, taking the phone. “Girl, you already know.”

She moves her fingers around the screen before music starts to play.

Knuck if you buck boy

Knuck if you buck boy

Knuck if you buck boy

“Oh my god, you taking it way back.” And it’s so appreciated, cause this always has been and always will be your song. It’s aptly appropriate as well.

“We gotta be in the zone.” She’s dancing along the way to the kitchen, tossing you your phone as she walks backwards. “You still remember Princess verse?”

Is water wet? “Don’t play with me.” Making it to the kitchen, you’re barely able to open the cabinet where the snacks are before the verse starts.

Yeah we knuckin' and buckin' and ready to fight

I betcha I'm'a throw dem thangs

So haters best to think twice

Word for word, you don’t miss a beat, and Jadah is right there with you, dancing and playfully twerking to the soundtrack of every middle school fight back in the Y2K era. 

The two of you share a laugh at your silliness as she forages through the cabinet for her preferred snack while you open the goldfish and glance at the iPad. Frowning, you move closer, asking, “why is the screen still on? It’s supposed to be on auto—Jadah?”

She’s distracted, caught between Cheez-Its and Pretzels, answering distractedly. “Yeah?”

“Why does this say we’re live?”

At your question, she answers half-heartedly, “it’s in that practice mode thing, isn’t it?”

That would provide a heavy layer of relief if your eyes didn’t land on the number of the corner of the screen.

The number that reads over 100,000k people are currently watching this live.

“Jadah! It’s fucking live!” She spins around, confused. “Like, we’re on Live!”

“Oh, shit,” she curses, running over and also looking at the screen. “Damn, we are.”

Panicked, you back up to the opposite counter, lecturing, “I thought you said it was in practice mode!”

“I thought it was!” She defends, shrugging and reminding you of her naivety with technology. “You should have never left me in charge in the first place! I haven’t used social media since Tom and I were besties on MySpace!”

“Oh my god.” your hand remains over your mouth as you take in the fact that this thing has just been sitting here, live for the whole wide world to sit and watch.

“I don’t know why there’s so many people here. Were ya’ll just sitting here staring at her fridge?”

“Jadah.”

“It’s a valid question!” She sucks her teeth, pulling out the bar stool and plopping down. “Well, since everyone’s here, we might as well get started.” She reaches for your phone, simply saying “music.”

Believing she’s going to turn off Crime Mob, you hand it to her, but that’s too good to be true. Because instead of silence, you’re hit with Megan Thee Stallion.

I just want to kick this shit off by saying, "Fuck y'all!"

I ain't gotta clear my name on a motherfuckin' thang

“Jadah!”

“I said we were getting started. We need to set the tone.”

“We can’t be playing this kind of music on Joe’s account though.” At least, you think so. You’re not entirely certain what exactly his public image is supposed to exemplify. But, songs about fighting and cussing people out don't seem to align.

However, she waves you off, focusing on the screen. “Hello, everyone, and welcome to this special edition Live. I’m sure most, if not all of you, recognize Y/N, thanks to a basic bitch we’re about to roast alive in this here video.” She gestures to you, and unsure of how exactly to respond or act, you simply offer a sarcastic wave. “But most of you may not know I am because I’m pretty sure there’s only a couple of photos of me online, which is the way I prefer it.” She places one hand on her chest. “I’m Jadah, the infamous ex-wife who apparently hates Y/N and pulled up ready to knuck if you buck, but we’ll get into that later.”

Feeling more comfortable after making active efforts to push away your nerves, you tease, “bet ya’ll didn’t see this one coming.”

Jadah’s face lights up with a mischievous smile. “We figured there’s so much being said about us by this delusional bitch, that it’s time we speak our truth. And I’m just gonna say right now that while we’re doing this to clear up the lies, there are some things we’re not going to touch on because it’s nobody’s business.”

“None of this is really anyone’s business,” you add, the confidence growing by the second. “It’s all really fucked up how we even have to come up here and defend our characters and talk about personal, real life situations. I never wanted any of this, never wanted to have my face be out there, to have my daughter’s face be out there.”

“And that’s the thing, too,” Jadah seems to be feeding off your energy just as much as you’re feeding off hers. “I don’t have any social media at all. I hate it. After today, I don’t plan to ever do anything like this ever again. But, it’s also the fact that people are saying such cruel things about an innocent child that absolutely disgusts me. Like, people are attacking an innocent little girl and saying that it’s in defense of me, which is so insane because none of you know the truth.” She looks over at you, asking, “mind if I start off?”

“No, go ahead, please.”

“Bet.” She claps and announces. “I’m gonna keep this super easy for all of ya’ll. First things first, I have never spoken to that Mariah person a day in my life. Have zero clue who she is. The texts? Never happened. Phone calls? Never happened. Screenshots of said messages? Never fucking happend. Why?” Jadah makes a triangle over her mouth so her voice projects. “Because I don’t fucking know her!”

“More facts: Joe and I were married, yes. We got married when we were like 21 and 22 because I was pregnant, and that’s when people still believed children could only be raised by married couples. That’s the only reason I married that man. We were never in love. Never even dated. We were just horny college kids who didn’t use protection.” 

As strange as it may be, you can tell there’s a bit of hesitation on Jadah’s end before she goes into the next part. “We, unfortunately, lost that child. And experienced some other forms of loss that I won’t get into because it’s very personal, but to make a long story short, we ended up having an arrangement. Essentially, he did what and who he wanted, and I did the same.” 

She pushes some of her hair back, continuing to explain bits and pieces that are still true but protect her from having to lay out her darkest experiences. “I don’t even consider it an open marriage, because outside of us legally being married, we never had an actual marriage. As most of you already know, professional wrestlers have insane schedules, so when I tell you he was at the crib maybe a month out of the year? I’m not even exaggerating. That man was my platonic roommate.”

There’s a small smile on your face as her humor and sass melt into her delivery after carefully maneuvering around the specifics of her personal loss. “Ya’ll are all up in arms, coming after this girl talking about she broke up my marriage, blah blah blah. But, she couldn’t break up what didn’t exist. I never loved that man. Joe is a great guy, but we never loved each other.” She gestures to you with her thumb. “This is who he loves. This is who he has a family with. And the fact that ya’ll can sit there and claim to support him and be a fan while attacking the people he loves blows my mind.”

“So, it goes without saying, Mariah lied her ass off about all of that for clicks and views. She’s a liar. And you can print that in your tabloids.”

“I also wanna clear up some things about her if that’s cool with you?” Jadah nods, and motions for you to have the figurative floor. “I need people to understand that this is somebody who I thought was my best friend, who I’ve called a best friend since I was in kindergarten. Matter of fact, we met because some boy was picking on her, and I went up and pushed him, standing up for her. I’ve always prided myself on being a loyal friend, especially to her. So for her to do all that she’s done to me has been so fucking hurtful and confusing.”

“I found out that she’s been sleeping with my very first boyfriend, the boy I lost my virginity to and dated on and off up until I was in my mid-twenties behind my back since we were teenagers.” You have no intention of stooping to Mariah’s level, but if she wants to lay out your information for public scrutiny, then you damn sure can make sure they know just who they’re believing. Know her character, or lack thereof. “Mind you, he ain’t shit either and he can go fuck himself just as much as she can. Like, it takes two, but here I am calling this girl my best friend, crying and confiding in her about all he’s putting me through, and the whole time she’s fucking him behind my back.”

“That’s so foul.” Jadah looks just as disgusted as you feel just thinking and talking about it. 

“But you know what? As fucked up as that is, that part is well with my soul because I have a man who treats me so damn good, a beautiful daughter, and a loving, supportive family. So, that’s fine. What really fucks with me though, still—” There’s an unplanned pause as emotions get the best of you, just revisiting this subject. “Fuck, I said I wasn’t gonna cry.” Taking a deep breath, you do your best to continue without breaking down in front of the whole damn internet. “What gets me is that this girl who I considered a sister, who I literally made the legal godmother of my child, called DCFS on me, made up horrific lies and stated my child was in immediate danger—”

“Oh my god—”

“They took my baby away from me and placed her with my mother, so I legally could not have any contact with my child or my mom for three days. And that may not seem like a lot of time to ya’ll, but I love my child. She’s very attached to me, and I’m kinda the same. So those three days were torture. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t keep anything down, my chest hurt. I had to hire a lawyer, be interrogated like I’m some criminal. It was awful.” Your attempts to hold back the tears failed epically, and Jadah’s hand is on the small of your back, rubbing in a comforting motion. “And now she’s sold all these personal photos and videos of my daughter to the highest bidder, so now I worry about what kind of fucking disgusting perverts now have access to them. It’s been fucking hell dealing with girl. You all have no idea.”

Up until this point, you’ve made an active, concerted effort to keep your eyes away from the comments, not wanting to lash out or be unintentionally triggered. But, an accidental glance reveals a slew of incoming comments including hearts of all colors. 

It’s then you can’t help but to read a few, also needing to get your shit together. Crying on the internet is something you used to make fun of people for. Now, you’re in the same position.

The comments are a complete 180 from the last time you decided to torture yourself by viewing the public’s general opinion on you. 

There’s a tremendous amount of sympathy, support, and newfound understanding. For both you and Jadah, though, the majority of them seem to be aimed towards you.

A lot of apologies as well.

“And this is the kind of person you all have been deceived by. The only thing she was truthful about is that yes, I met Joe because of her. She won a contest years ago that gave her tickets and backstage passes to a Smackdown show, so she invited me, and I met him that night.” That’s probably the only thing you could ever be grateful to Mariah about, the fact that her letting you be her plus one resulted in you meeting the love of your life. “But, I’m not a whore. Not a golddigger. I’m very intelligent. I got nearly a perfect score on my ACT and my SAT back in high school. I was student body president, homecoming queen, prom queen. You look up Ms. Popularity, and you’ll see my fucking face. I have a bachelor's degree in education, I’m a licensed teacher in my state. Like, I don’t need attention from strangers nor do I want it.”

“And here’s the thing, my daughter is almost five, so I’ve been in the picture. If I was this big attention whore like she says I am, why have I not gone public or made my presence known? The only reason ya’ll even know who I am now is because I was essentially outed, but I don’t want this shit. Joe is famous. Not me. I don’t want that. I just want to live in peace and privacy with my family. That’s all.”

It’s a bit of playing with the truth, insinuating that you’ve been in Joe’s life consistently the past five years, but that’s one of the parts of this that doesn’t need to be shared on the world wide web. 

“We black and educated excellence over here. We don’t need validation from strangers.” Jadah says it better than you can as you continue to blot at your eyes, grateful the tears are drying up. “We need some church in here to lift the spirits.”

“Oh, Lord, what are you going to play now? We are about to get Joe’s account banned.”

She clicks around on your phone before the song starts playing.

We lift our hands in the sanctuary.

We lift our hands to give You the glory.

“You’re so stupid.” This laughter is so good for your soul, it’s the most you’ve done in such a short span in a while. And it feels good. “But why would you pick this damn song, knowing good and well it never ends.” Reaching for the goldfish bag on the island, you open and grab a few. 

“Y/N! Why are you eating? We are in church.”

You give her that ‘girl, please’ look, justifying. “Girl, I’m hungry. It’s snack time, shit.” You’re craving more than a snack, more like a full course meal, but Callie’s snacks will have to do for now.

“Now you’re cussing in church. Don’t drag me to hell with you, whore.” She leans closer into the phone, taunting, “you liked that one, didn’t you, Mariah?”

You almost spit out your food. “Jadah!”

“What? You are a whore. That’s why I pulled up at your house blasting Sideline Hoe by Monica in my 2007 Toyota Camry, wearing my Baby Phat bomber jacket to fight you that one day.” At this point, you’re about to piss on yourself. Jadah’s sense of humor is golden, because she’s saying all this with such a straight face. Never once breaking scene. 

You decide to play along, correcting. “No, it was The Boy Is Mine, remember?”

She snaps her finger. “That’s right. My bad. And then the second fight, it was Jolene. I played that when I snuck in your hospital room at Grey Sloan and caught you flirting with Dr. McDreamy.”

Turning your head, you try your best to hold in your laughter, but it’s impossible. 

And Jadah also breaks a bit, speaking to the phone and viewers. “You see how ridiculous and stupid this all sounds? That’s exactly how stupid majority of the shit that came out of Mariah’s mouth is. I literally just met Y/N for the first time today, this morning. And as ya’ll can clearly see, we good over here. She got her man. I have a wonderful, beautiful girlfriend. Stop being so invested in lives you don’t live.”

You start to add something else when Jadah interjects, “and let me just say this, cause I saw some people having the audacity to say this girl is ugly. Ugly where? The bitch is gorgeous. Look at her!” She gestures to you, adding, “she’s stacked in the front, and it’s sitting in the back. Shit, I would hit that too.”

“Girl, you better stop before they start making up rumors and shit about us all being poly.” Snickering at just the thought alone of that being the latest on the rumor mill, you jokingly coin it prematurely. “Roman’s Harem.”

“Roman’s Hoe House,” she suggests, and you’re nearly in tears from laughter. This bitch is hilarious. “Plot twist, everyone. This was all a publicity stunt for a new season of Flavor of Love featuring Roman Reigns.”

“Jadah, oh my god, stop.”

She lifts her hands to silence you as you lay your head on her shoulder, laughing your ass off. “We will be taking applications following this Live. If you are a woman of color with ass and boobs, please apply. Slim thick girls, ya’ll can apply too with the understanding your chances are a bit slimmer. No pun intended. Skinny girls….maybe try the Bachelor or something.”

“Jadah, you are a menace.” You are dying for her to meet Alexis. They seem very similar in a lot of ways, and it seems like they’d vibe well. Hopefully.

“Y/N, please, I am trying to build recruits for the harem.” She finally cracks, shaking her head and leaning forward to read some of the comments. She then asks you, “should we answer questions?”

That’s an easy pass, though you also know this is your one chance to really show who you actually are versus who you’ve been painted out to be. “Sure. A couple.”

Jadah gets to reading, “uhhhh, okay this one is tame. What’s the sexiest thing about Roman?”

“Jadah, how is that tame?”

“You should have seen the other one,” she mutters. Something tells you that it’s better you didn’t.

“All of him. That’s such a generic, basic answer, but it’s the truth. He’s the full package. Tall, handsome, amazing body. Insanely kind.” Big dick, not that that needs to be shared with the whole world. “I will say though, like, seeing him parent our daughter, how good and patient he is with her. That is immensely attractive. Him being such an amazing dad and partner. That shit is sexy. If you’re grown, you agree with me.”

“You better be grown if you’re watching this Live.” She’s not entirely wrong. Jadah then reads the next one. “What’s something most people don’t know about Roman?”

Looking over at Jadah, you ask, “do you wanna….”

Immediately, she’s shaking her head, admitting, “I don’t know him well enough to really speak on that. Like, we knew each other better in college, but obviously who we were in college is vastly different than who we are now.”

It really does stump you to hear her say that aloud, not that it upsets you, but just the mere fact that you spent so long viewing her relationship with Joe in one way, but in actuality, they were more strangers than anything. 

Strangers only bonded by loss.

“Ummm, a lot, actually.” You finally answer, trying to figure out how or even what to share. “He’s actually very quiet, like, borderline shy. At least when you first meet him. Once he warms up, you see more of his personality. But yeah, it’s fascinating how well Joe encapsulates Roman cause they’re totally different people.” You glance at Jadah, murmuring, “maybe one more.” 

This Live has gone on long enough, and you feel that you and Jadah touched on all the points you wanted and needed to address.

She nods, clearly searching for a good final one. A couple seconds later, she reads aloud. “What’s one thing you’d like to say to Roman’s fans?”

Damn. 

What a final question.

There’s a couple seconds you utilize to gather your words, wanting to articulate effectively and clearly. “That regardless of how you feel about me, please don’t let that change how you viewed him before you even found out I existed. Joe—sorry—Roman, no, fuck that. Joe is so damn passionate about what he does, his work is everything to him, and he does it like he does everything else in his life—with full passion and dedication.” Your eyes are starting to water again from unexpected emotionality. “I’m so proud of him and all he’s done and accomplished, and I know it’s just the beginning, so I’d love for you to continue to support him on his journey.”

“Damn.” Jadah mumbles after a minute of silence. “That was deep. We need another song—”

“Jadah, I swear to God, if you play one more song—”

“You’re going to like this one!”

“I think we’re just about finished anyway.” It’s not a think. It’s a know. Callie’s been gone long enough. You miss your baby. “What—”

Roman’s theme song plays louder than the previous songs Jadah played, and a smile is instantly on your face. “Okay, you were right.” The two of you vibe for a minute, because your man’s song really is an actual vibe.

“Alright,” Jadah laughs. “You all have been a wonderful crowd now, but we’re hungry, so we’re gonna go eat—what are you thinking?”

“Hmmm, maybe Chinese?”

“Good call.” She then focuses on the screen again. “We’re gonna go pig out, listen to some more amazing music and….yeah.” Jadah grabs you and pulls you right next to her, so you can say something too.

“Thank you for listening to our side, the truth, and please be kind. To everyone. Not just the people you know.”

“And don’t forget to send in your applications for—”

“Jadah!”

[crossfandomskylines]

In the Space Between: Chapter 5

Other Chapters:

Chapter 1 I Chapter 2 I Chapter 3 I Chapter 4 I Chapter 5 I

Chapter 6 I Chapter 7 I Chapter 8 I Chapter 9 I Chapter 10

Chapter 11 I Chapter 12

Pairing: Glen Powell x OC

Summary: Gabby gets a glimpse of what it means to date someone as popular as Glen Powell. From navigating his crazy schedule and being apart to watching him charm his way through a high-profile interview, she begins to feel the weight of their two very different worlds. Meanwhile, Glen’s unwavering determination to keep their relationship private—and her protected—reveals just how deeply he values what they’re building together. This chapter explores the tender balance of love, trust, and privacy in the early days of their relationship.

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: None.

A/N: This chapter is paced a little bit slower. It's kind of more of a filler chapter. The next chapter will have a little more storyline progression, promise!

Please let me know your thoughts with Hearts, Comments, and Reblogs!

Tag List: @djs8891 @queenslandlover-93

Gabby’s phone buzzed on her nightstand, stirring her from sleep. She blinked against the morning light and picked it up, smiling when she saw Glen’s name lighting up the screen. 

Glen: Morning, gorgeous. Just finished my workout and figured I’d better text before you forgot what I looked like.

Gabby: Trust me, I don’t think that’s happening anytime soon 😉 How’s NYC?

Glen: Busy but good! Could be better if I was with you. What are you up to?

Gabby: Eating breakfast. What’s your day looking like?

Glen texted back, sharing a quick rundown of the interviews and meetings he had lined up, adding in funny emojis and exaggerations to make her laugh. 

Then a selfie popped up—him grinning in the studio, hair styled to perfection, with a coffee in hand and a silly look on his face.

Gabby: Looking good! If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a serious big-name celebrity or something.

Glen: Don’t go putting me in that category. 😉 I’ll FaceTime you after the red carpet later, okay?

Gabby: Deal. And good luck with press today!

Gabby lay back, smiling as she held her phone. Even from miles away, Glen made her feel like she was right there with him. As she got ready for her day, her mind kept drifting back to him, feeling grateful that he was making her such a priority even from the opposite side of the country.

* * * * *

Gabby propped her phone up against a stack of textbooks on her desk, smiling when Glen’s face appeared on the screen. He was leaning back on a hotel bed somewhere in New York City, his eyes a little tired but his grin lighting up as soon as he saw her.

“Hey,” she greeted, noticing the faint lines of exhaustion around his eyes. “Long day?”

He laughed softly, brushing a hand through his hair. “You have no idea. But I want to hear about you. How was your day?”

Gabby rolled her eyes, amused. “My day was nothing compared to yours. You had back-to-back interviews, red carpet events, and probably got to eat fancy food. Meanwhile, I went to the grocery store, paid bills, and folded laundry.”

“I still want to hear all about it,” he said, his voice low and warm. He leaned forward a little, as if by sheer will he could get even closer to her through the screen. “Come on, don’t leave anything out.”

With a playful eye-roll, she recounted her day, describing her trip to the mall and her struggles finding parking. Glen listened like it was the most fascinating thing he’d heard, chiming in with little jokes and plenty of encouragement. She could tell he genuinely cared about the little things, and it made her heart skip a beat.

After a few moments of quiet, Glen’s voice came through softly, a hint of excitement in his tone. “You know...I was thinking. When I get back to L.A., maybe we could plan to do something together? Just us.”

Gabby’s smile widened, and she leaned closer to the screen. “Like a date? Or just hanging out?”

“Maybe both,” he replied with a grin. “We could grab dinner somewhere cozy, maybe take a drive along the coast, or even just spend a lazy day in. Whatever you want—just as long as I get to see you.”

She laughed, feeling her heart flutter. “I like the sound of that,” she admitted. “Any idea when you’ll be back?”

“I think I’ll have a couple of days free next week,” he said, glancing off-screen as if mentally checking his schedule. “I’ll keep you posted, but I’m not waiting any longer than I have to.”

Gabby’s cheeks warmed as she bit her lip, loving the idea of him going out of his way to plan something special. “You sure about that? You might be exhausted by the time you get back. I understand if you want to rest or if you need sleep.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Glen said, his voice low but sincere. “Seeing you is worth it. Besides, something to look forward to is exactly what I need to get me through this press tour.”

For a moment, the distance between them didn’t seem so big. The way he looked at her through the screen, like she was all he wanted to focus on, made Gabby feel as though they were already together in that cozy little moment he was planning.

After a while, she noticed his head dipping slightly, eyes blinking a little longer than usual. 

“Glen,” she murmured gently, “maybe we should call it a night. You need some rest, and you’ve got a full day tomorrow.”

But Glen shook his head, fighting a yawn. “No way. Talking to you has been the best part of my day—don’t take that from me.” His grin softened, and he looked at her with a kind of adoration that sent warmth spreading through her chest.

Gabby chuckled, feeling her cheeks heat up. “Well, I suppose I can’t argue with that,” she murmured, her smile softening. “But as soon as you start snoring, I’m hanging up.”

“Fair deal,” he laughed. “Just… don’t hang up yet.”

They spent a few more quiet minutes together, talking about little things and the plans they’d make once he was back in Los Angeles. Gabby could feel herself getting lost in his voice, realizing that even from miles away, Glen somehow made her feel closer to him than anyone else ever had.

* * * * *

The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains of Gabby’s living room as she settled onto her couch, remote in hand. She flipped absentmindedly through the channels, letting the hum of morning shows fill the background. But her fingers stilled when a familiar face appeared on the screen, seated on a sleek studio chair, his easy smile lighting up the room.

Glen.

Her heart skipped as she set the remote down, turning up the volume. He looked as polished as ever, dressed in a tailored suit jacket and black tee that complemented his broad shoulders and relaxed charm. The host, a charismatic woman, leaned forward with a warm smile.

“So, Glen, your latest movie is shaping up to be one of the summer’s biggest hits. How does it feel to have such a blockbuster under your belt?”

Glen chuckled, his voice smooth and confident. “It’s been incredible, honestly. The whole team worked so hard, and seeing audiences respond the way they have—it’s just the best feeling.”

The host beamed. “And you’ve been everywhere lately—red carpets, premieres, interviews. How do you manage to stay grounded with such a demanding schedule?”

He shrugged with a slightly boyish grin. "I'm really lucky to have a great support system. Family, friends...they're always there to support me and help keep me grounded. I also moved back to Austin last year and I think getting out of Hollywood and being able to enjoy my time off back home has helped a ton."

The conversation drifted to his upcoming projects, but Gabby couldn’t help but admire how effortlessly he navigated each question, balancing humor and humility. Then the host leaned forward conspiratorially, her voice taking on a playful lilt.

“Of course, fans are curious—your star is rising quickly, and you’ve become quite the heartthrob. Is there anyone special in your life right now? Or are you still single and enjoying the ride?”

Gabby’s breath caught, her grip tightening on the arm of the couch. Glen’s expression didn’t falter; his smile softened, but his eyes held steady.

“Well,” he began, his tone measured, “I think some things are best kept private in my life. But I will say, I’m very happy right now.”

The host raised her brows knowingly. “A mystery, huh? Fair enough, Glen. We’ll just have to keep guessing for now.”

As the interview wrapped up and transitioned into a commercial break, Gabby stared at the screen, her emotions swirling. His response had been perfect—diplomatic without dismissing her or their relationship entirely.

Yet the weight of what his public life could mean for her settled on her shoulders. What if he hadn’t been able to deflect the question so smoothly? What would happen when people found out about her? Would they scrutinize her every move? Would they think she wasn’t good enough for him?

The rest of the day passed in a haze of overthinking. She couldn’t shake the image of Glen in that studio, handling the spotlight with ease, while she felt like a shadow on the edge of his world.

That evening, her phone buzzed, Glen’s name flashing on the screen. She answered the FaceTime call, her heart lifting at the sight of his familiar grin.

“Hey, you,” he said warmly, leaning back against the headboard of his hotel bed.

“Hey,” she replied, her tone softer than usual.

His brow furrowed slightly, and he tilted his head. “What’s on your mind? You’ve got that look.”

Gabby hesitated, then decided to tell him. “I watched your interview today.”

“Ah, the morning show,” he said, smiling. “What’d you think? Did I embarrass myself?”

“No,” she said quickly. “You were great. It’s just…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “That question about your dating life—it threw me a little.”

Glen’s face softened, his voice gentle. “Gabby, I meant what I said that night in the truck. I want to keep what we have private for now. Not because I’m not proud of you—believe me, I am. I just… I want to protect this. Protect you. Until you’re ready for any of that attention.”

She nodded, her voice quiet. “I just worry. What happens when people do find out? Will they… approve?”

His gaze locked onto hers through the screen, steady and sincere. “I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I care about you. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep us strong—whether that means late-night calls, carving out time to see you, or keeping this under wraps for as long as you need. And whether people like you or not doesn't matter. You make me happier than I've been in a long time, and that's all I care about.”

His words were like a balm to her nerves, and she felt herself relax.

“Thank you,” she murmured, her lips curving into a small smile.

“Don’t thank me,” he replied, a teasing glint returning to his eyes. “Just promise me you’ll keep talking to me if things start to be much. I want to know what you’re thinking.”

Gabby smirked before saying, “I’m not sure you want to know all my thoughts.”

“I do. I want to know every single one of them.” Glen encouraged. “Promise me that you’ll keep talking to me?”

Gabby nodded, the weight on her chest lifting. “Yes, I promise.”

For the first time that day, she felt at ease, reminded that no matter how chaotic his world seemed, Glen was determined to make her part of it in a way that felt safe and real.

Gabby stifled a yawn as their conversation began to wind down. She had curled up in bed, her phone propped up against a pillow as Glen’s face filled the screen. His voice, low and soothing after a long day, made her feel as though he were right there beside her.

“I think I’d better let you get some rest,” she murmured reluctantly. “You’ve had such a long day.”

Glen smiled softly, his eyes warm despite the exhaustion etched on his features. “You need rest too, you know. We both have big days tomorrow.”

“Yeah, but yours involves cameras and people. Mine is just chores and cleaning,” she teased.

He chuckled, the sound rumbling through the phone. “Still important. Now go to sleep, beautiful.” His tone dropped slightly, tender and sincere.

Gabby’s heart gave a little flutter. She tucked her blanket around herself and grinned. “Goodnight, Glen. Sweet dreams.”

“Goodnight, gorgeous. Sweet dreams to you too." He responded.

As the call ended, Gabby set her phone down, her smile lingering. Glen had a way of making her feel cherished, even from miles away.

[hispg]

Between royalty and vows

Pairings: Prince! Leon x Fem! Reader

Summary: A forced marriage, a fate set in stone, nothing could change that.

In the world of royalty, there were no choices, only obligations to fulfill. What you didn't expect was to become engaged to a renowned prince, ready to succeed the lineage.

Until that moment, you still had some hope that everything would work out, maybe it wasn't so bad. But it would be a shame if your future husband had a mistress.

Wouldn't it?

Wc:3.4k

Warnings: slow burn, angst, hurt/ comfort, cheating, arranged marriage, eventual smut, one-sided love, affairs, manipulative behavior from Leon, (I'll put more once things start to progress).

Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

An: Sooo there is the new chapter! I was so anxious to write it and post it! In all honesty, this is the chapter that I most liked to write(so far).

I've been receiving some dms about creating a taglist, so I'll do it from the next chapter and on. If you're interested in entering the tag list, you can dm me or comment on any chapters of this fic, and I'll add you. For the ones who already talked to me, I'll put you on the list already, so you don't need to message me again!<3

Also, I'll start to crosspost this fic here and on Ao3, for the ones who prefer to read in there. Here's the link Ao3. Eventually, I'll post all chapters!

Chapter 5: Pretty lies

The heavy rain outside was no bother to the couple in bed, just as the cold was no problem that couldn't be solved with the intimacy that had just been shared under the covers.

There he was, lying with his lover, Ashley. Warming another woman's bed, offering her the warmth that his body emanated, the love that made her heart beat faster every time.

Both were nude, without the slightest concern for anything, all that mattered was what had just happened in that room. The closeness they shared, the oaths of love spoken between each kiss, between each embrace.

They had just made love, done something that was yet another symbol of the compromising union they contained.

Leon hadn't gone back to the castle as soon as he arrived back from his trip, he had gone to his beloved's house, a hidden place that only they knew where it was, only the lovebirds met there.

It was their love nest.

The same place where Ashley gave herself to him for the first time, the same sacred place where they made love whenever they could. The place where they loved each other deeply, where they didn't have to hide anything.

Ashley lay with her head on Leon's bare chest, while he had one arm wrapped around her and the other stroking her blonde hair.

The only sound in the room was the wood cracking in the fireplace and the soft breathing of both of them in that bed.

The clothes were thrown about, the silk covers hiding their shame, but if Leon was being honest, he couldn't think of a better place to be.

Because he felt at home every time he was with Ashley, even if he knew it was wrong.

And he was screwed if anyone found out.

"Are you staying?" Ashley asks in a whisper, taking the opportunity to place a soft kiss on his chest.

Leon gives her a blown smile, looking at her tenderly, "I'd love to. But you know I can't."

It was already too bold of him to come to this place to spend time with her, as much as he wanted to, he couldn't go along with her every whim.

Especially as the wedding was approaching, and he was dead if he didn't show up.

She sighed helplessly, knowing full well that this would be the answer from the start. But in all honesty, what did she expect? Despite her misfortunes, she was the mistress.

"I promise I'll try to see you more, mh? My wife won't be the problem, don't worry." Leon reassured her, kissed her on the forehead and got up, soon he would be getting ready to leave.

Although he wanted to be with her for even five more minutes, he would give all the money in the world to make it happen.

"Does she know about us?" Ashley asked, picking up the blanket and covering her bare midriff.

That was enough for Leon to clench his eyes shut, buttoning his pants as he stared at her.

"She can't even conceive of it. You know our deal." It was a good deal for both sides, not least because Leon didn't even want to imagine what Ashley's father would do to him once he found out what he and his daughter were doing behind closed doors.

Ashley then sighed, the blonde strands falling across her forehead as she thought for a moment.

"Do you think you can still see me after you're married?" She asks softly, almost embarrassed by her own question.

"I'll always find a way, don't worry." He says, the sincere smile that became the perfect proof that he was saying this from the bottom of his soul.

It was always a painful farewell, but Leon knew it was necessary for him to do it. Once he'd put all his clothes back on, he turned to Ashley, taking her in his arms and planting a gentle, passionate kiss on her lips. He also made a point of pressing his body against hers to leave his cologne on her.

It wasn't enough to have his smell on the silk sheets, he needed to leave his mark on her too.

Goodbyes aside, he knew he had to leave, the sun was rising, and if he wanted to get back to the castle before it was too late, he had to leave now.

As he took the steps to leave the small chalet in the Italian countryside, where no one suspected them, he took one last look at his beloved, giving her a broad smile as he said goodbye.

Watching Ashley go all wobbly as he walked out the front door. She sighed as her lover left, waving to him and looking dreamily out of the window.

Leon walked up to the discreet carriage that was waiting for him in front of the cottage, besides the coachman, there was Leon's faithful butler, Ausdret.

And also his worst accomplice, the butler who always covered up everything Leon did, no matter how stupid it might seem or be.

"Your Highness." Ausdret greeted, leading Leon to the carriage.

"It's good that you're here." Leon replies back, tucking himself into the small carriage.

His butler nods and sits down on the opposite seat, facing Leon. Even though Ausdret knew that no one could put a halter on Leon, he was still trying to talk some sense into his young, dim-witted head.

"Your Highness do you not think it is inappropriate to maintain this relationship?" Ausdret asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Leon scoffed, narrowing his gaze at the poor butler, acting as if he had said the worst blasphemy that could be heard.

"Come on, you're a braggart too. Don't act like you're a kind gentleman with exemplary decorum." Leon retorts, crossing his legs as he fixes the buttons on his shirt once more.

Ausdret couldn't help but sigh, trying his best to make Leon understand how problematic it would be to keep all this up.

"Prince, you have a fiancée now. This relationship is no longer suitable." The butler said once again, pausing and emphasizing his lines, it wasn't possible that this was so difficult to understand.

"Well, it'll last as long as I want it to. You know better than that." Leon says, an unparalleled coldness in his voice, it was obvious, this subject was not up for discussion for him.

Ausdret always thought that this was just a youthful romance of Leon's, in fact he never thought that it would thrive for so long, for years. Leon was a man who could have any woman he wanted, not only because of the power he possessed, but also because of his beauty.

However, what the butler couldn't have guessed was that Leon would fall in love with Lady Ashley, a princess from another place. A likely romance, but love doesn't work properly in royalty.

"But Your Highness-" Leon interrupts Ausdret before he can continue.

"I am the prince, and you collaborate with me." Leon begins, his voice becoming an authoritative, voracious whisper.

"As I'm your highness, you must agree that you didn't see anything unusual. That I was on a business trip these last few days." Leon says, his gaze narrowing once more on the servant.

What could Ausdret say? He had always supported this boy, and even with a lump forming in his throat, he wasn't going to do any different again.

The butler knew that this situation wasn't fair to you, nor to Ashley, it would only end up with broken hearts and a quarrel that couldn't be undone.

Perhaps Leon was too young to understand this, but at some point fate would catch up with him.

"So? Did you see anything?" Leon asked, almost daring him to give an answer that was the opposite of what he wanted to hear.

"No, Your Highness. I didn't see anything suspicious." Ausdret replied under his breath, closing his eyes and shaking his head in denial.

"Good." Leon grumbles back.

The journey wouldn't take long, but Ausdret already knew that the rest of the way would be filled with the ache of an inconvenient silence.

You knew you'd end up getting into trouble with your recent actions, but that still didn't stop you from going ahead with them. At that moment you were in the grassy fields on the outskirts of the castle.

It was easy to get here, you just needed the help of Chris and your maid, Evelyn. Nothing more than a silly little lie to disguise your departure.

The view was beautiful, you felt almost at home in a place like this. You were sitting on the horse while Chris guided the animal, walking through the grass carefully while also keeping an eye on you.

You couldn't tell if you were approaching Chris out of hurt ego, or because he was someone incredibly interesting and good to have around.

Perhaps you had combined the useful with the pleasant, because in all honesty, you couldn't deny that you were enjoying all this time with Chris, even feeling more at peace with yourself.

"Well, at least you escaped the tea party." Chris jokes, looking at you with a smile.

You nod, smiling back at him.

"God, I can't imagine what it would be like to spend another afternoon with Mrs. Hisltons!" You grumble, frowning as you remember all the tedious conversations the lady has put you through.

Chris couldn't help himself and laughed out loud, looking at you with those beautiful brown eyes.

"Oh, tell me about it. As soon as I got here, she gave me a good lecture on why I should get married." Chris says with a playful tone, walking slowly with you through the pastures.

You smiled a little, petting the horse as a question popped into your mind.

"But, forgive me for being impolite, but why haven't you gotten married yet?" You asked calmly, giving him the opportunity not to answer if he didn't want to.

"Nothing in particular, I just haven't found any suitors that catch my eye." He says, without much ado, getting straight to the point.

You'd think someone as cultured as him would want a woman who knew a bit more than just dresses and jewelry. Completely fair and understandable.

But you still can't help thinking that Chris was alone by choice, it wouldn't be the first time a man had preferred being alone to being married.

"I understand, but is it something you're thinking of doing? I'm sorry if I'm being intrusive." You say with a peaceful smile, trying to get to know the man you've grown so close to over the last few days.

Chris then paused and pondered, thinking of an answer that would measure up. But he couldn't think of anything more sincere than:

"Yes, I intend to." Just like that, or any other explanation.

But you saw his eyes light up a little when he looked at you for a brief moment, making you quietly gasp.

You then returned your gaze to your surroundings, the countryside that was such a contrast to the life you had. Which was far from peaceful.

Although you knew it shouldn't take you so long to get back to the castle, as they would probably notice you were gone, you could stubbornly stay here with him.

With Chris, the man who had been giving you so much comfort recently.

Chris then looked at you with a charming gaze, helping you off the horse. His hands found your waist, steadying you as you got off the animal.

Feeling his heavy, manly hands on your body made you feel something different, but you preferred not to mention it. Not least because you were being completely inappropriate for a dame.

You allowed yourself to feel the ground beneath your heels, removing the footwear from your body, feeling the grass between your toes.

The thought of returning to your new home was already distant, you could even swear that you forgot about Leon for just a moment. You forgot about the fact that he was coming back today.

And that he would be back around noon. And it was almost two in the afternoon, he was probably already at the castle by then.

But well, what would be the point of sneaking out of the castle with the Duke if not for a bit of confusion.

"You know, this is turning out to be one of the nicest afternoons I've had." Chris says, smiling and following you as you walk across the lawn.

"Oh, yes. It's nice to get out of that place for a bit." You say, looking at the sun, which is already descending.

Chris followed you, keeping an eye on every step. And you even saw out of the corner of your eye that he tried to take your hand, but hesitated to make such an intimate gesture.

You even heard the trumpets sounding in the distance, announcing the prince's arrival, but nothing that made you move from where you were.

And well, from the way Chris stood next to you as you watched the landscape of the field, he wouldn't leave until you asked him to.

At one point, you thought it would be better to leave, perhaps so as not to cause Chris any trouble. But the moment Chris's fingers touched your cheek, and he tucked a lock of your hair behind your ear, something in you sparked.

It was impossible to hide the red tinge that appeared on your cheeks, as well as the way you just ignored everything else. Everything seemed right.

You were surrendered, and you didn't want to leave this man's side. What on earth were you doing?

Why did you feel so torn? It couldn't end well.

"Where is she?" It was the first question Leon asked as soon as he set foot in the castle, finding it strange that his fiancée wasn't here to greet him.

"The princess isn't feeling well, Your Highness." Evelyn, the maid who helped you escape, answered.

Leon wrinkled his eyebrows, glancing at the door of your chambers, he hadn't quite believed that excuse.

"Tell her I'll come and see her. She doesn't have to leave her room." Leon says, looking at the way the maid was beginning to shudder.

"She's really not well, Your Highness-" Leon didn't care how much the maid protested, he went ahead and went to your bedroom.

He opened the door without any manners, looking around as he searched for any sign of you. But he was disappointed when he found your bed empty, the room perfectly tidy and untouched. You hadn't been in that room for a while.

Your lie was already falling apart, as they say lies don't go far.

"Where is she?" Leon asked once again, this time more coldly and authoritatively, demanding an answer.

"I don't know! She was here this morning." The maid manages to stutter, unable to face Leon.

Leon clenched his fists, frustration and irritation taking over his feelings. You were getting out of hand, it wasn't enough that you'd been so bold with Chris, now this?

Even though he was away, he knew everything that was going on in that castle, and he couldn't let it continue the way it was.

Who did you think you were?

"Have her searched all over the castle." Leon demanded, leaving your room to look for you.

As soon as Leon saw that the maid hadn't moved a muscle, he added:

"Immediately." His voice was a low grunt, capable of sending a chill down anyone's spine.

The maid moved quickly, warning the other servants about the princess's 'disappearance', and they all stood by to look for you.

Nothing. They looked for you in every corner of that castle, every room, every space you could be in. And they found nothing, not a single sign of you.

Leon was fulminating, realizing that you and the Duke weren't in that castle. And you probably weren't close.

"We haven't found her, Your Highness. The princess isn't in the castle." One of the servants dares to speak, trembling at having to address the prince.

"What do you mean she's not in the castle?" Leon muttered, looking out the windows while trying to find you somehow.

And Leon had to stop himself from gritting his teeth as he watched the scene with his own eyes. You came in through the back door, a delicate hood over your head to disguise your identity.

You were sitting on Chris's horse, smiling happily as the man led the horse inside. You seemed so close, so intimate.

Something about it made Leon go crazy, he can't say, but some strange feeling rose in his chest and made a knot form in the pit of his stomach.

What were you thinking? You were a lady, Jesus! You should behave like one.

"You are dismissed, return to your duties." Leon says to the other servants, leaving no room for questions.

Drastic situations call for drastic measures, only then will you be able to understand your place. And how you should act as a future queen.

Leon waited, right in the center of the main hall, he decided he would act as if he hadn't seen anything. He felt his breathing quicken, heard the sound of his heartbeat in his ears.

He didn't know if it was anger, disappointment or something else.

You didn't realize he was there until you saw the pair of blue eyes looking you up and down, for some reason sending a shiver up your spine.

"I was worried about you." He was the first to speak, approaching you without a second thought.

"Excuse me, Your Highness. I needed some fresh air." You say, your voice smooth as silk, sweet as honey.

You needed to act as if nothing much had really happened, as if you hadn't gone off with the Duke alone, without letting anyone know.

Even more so, going out alone with a man.

Leon narrows his eyes, placing a hand on your waist, pulling you close. His touch made you gasp, your eyes widen and your breathing hitch, at the same moment you felt your breath mingle with his.

For a moment, you looked at each other, his penetrating gaze causing an incomparable flush to rise to your cheeks. His hands on your body, one holding your cheek, steadying you to do what he wanted to do.

What was he going to do? Oh, you realized it in the next second, when you saw his face coming closer to yours. His nose touching yours, and then, that's when…

He kissed you.

His lips against yours, his hand holding you firmly and preventing you from moving. It was unconscious, instinctive, you moved your lips in sync with his. Your arms wrapped around his neck, and you sealed this moment with the warm intimacy of a kiss.

It wasn't sincere, it was carnal.

The world around you seemed to stop, you were focused on the warm feeling that took over your body, the way the heat of the moment enveloped you. Your body molded itself to his so well, it was so perfect.

As if it was meant to be.

It was painful to separate your lips from his, your mind in a whirlwind of emotions. Was it real? Had he reconsidered? Maybe he was going to give you both a chance?

You were a very dreamy girl perhaps, those endless dreams that you wished from the bottom of your soul were real, that you clamored for to come true at some point.

But oh, that little act, it was far from a dream.

When you regained your senses, you looked around and saw a group of high-class ladies staring at the two of you. The dreamy looks and sighs they gave when they saw the couple, the passionate couple.

In the corner, you saw the king and queen, smiling approvingly at the two of you. They were proud.

A show off.

Reality weighed heavily on your mind when you understood. It was nothing, it was a show off, an exhibition. The momentary magic wore off and gave way to the bitterness that once again fell upon you.

Whose fault was it? Yours, for having once again believed in the foolishness that was Leon's chance of seeing you beyond being a prize. Or Leon, for toying with you in such a way?

In any case, what a shame. The taste of his lips was imprinted on yours, the sensation of his lips against yours was still so vivid. So real. You felt loved in a few seconds, putting yourself in your place soon after.

With one simple action, Leon reminded you of who you belong to, legally, and also reminded you of your place. Of your obligations to him, he came out the winner once again.

Damned bastard.

[mcu-coworkers]

Vampire

Summary: You tell Miguel his truths and in return he shows you his.

Word count: 1.9k+

Warnings: none really:]

A/n: Hello everyone welcome to long awaited part 4 as well as the final part to this little series! thank you guys so much for loving it I truly can't express how grateful I am for all of you I hope you love this ending and I hope to you all again in my next story! Also I will be attaching the tag list to this chapter since hopefully that makes it a little easier to find everyone. I hope everyone enjoys.xx

Tag list

Parts: I II III IIII^

Credits to the owner^:)

It had been a week since you went back to HQ and you were starting to feel lighter.

In a way, telling Miguel your truth helped you get there.

Because now, you didn't have to keep thinking about the thought of what you’d say to him if you ever saw him again.

But you did see him again, and in your opinion, you said just the right things.

Suddenly you found yourself having more energy, listening to happier songs, and taking Milo on longer walks or fun adventures.

Things were finally starting to look up for you, so much so you actually thought about returning to the spider society to get back on fighting multiversal crime.

Right on queue Peter walks through the portal.

“You sure you wanna do this? You said you’d never come back.” he questioned remembering how he found you right after everything happened.

Thinking about it one more time, you smiled and turned on your suit.

“Yep, I'm just gonna lay low. Be a freelance spider with no commitment to a sector or anything you know?” you said reassuring yourself.

“Okay but  I   mean more like to get back in you’ll have to talk to Miguel. And he hasnt been in the best of moods lately.” he said watching as you walked.

Your smile only got wider as you made your way to the portal, for the first time you felt nothing.

No butterflies in your stomach and no heart beat skipping at the mention of his name.

Progress right?

Shrugging his shoulders Peter followed you in standing right beside you as you entered the busy hallways.

“Alright well  I  ‘ll leave you to it. I'm gonna take May Day to get her mid day nap.” he said walking away.

“See ya later Pete thanks for bringing me in.” you said waving him away.

As you made your way to Miguel's office you thought about what Pete said earlier, had he really been such a grump.

You’d think he’d be happier not having to deal with you.

But like always, nothing and no one could ever help that man no matter the case.

As you made your way up Miguel was practicing his speech with Lyla.

“... I   didn’t mean what  I   said that day and if  I   knew the damage it would do  I   wouldn't have said it in the first place? Sounds stupid doesn't it?” he said, turning to face her.

“Yep, just like the first two times you said it. Miguel when you go find her you have to speak from the heart not from a piece of paper it just sounds so Scripted.” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Scripted? It's not scripted. I just think writing my thoughts down will help me pull it together.” he said huffing in frustration.

“How about this, you pretend im Y/n and tell me what you’d say, no notes just your thoughts. Right now.” she said sitting in a little AI chair she made for herself.

Thinking about it he just gave up.

“Okay but record it so  I   can take notes after.” he said, beginning to pace around the panel.

Sighing he began to get frustrated with himself, “Ay cono esto no esta sirviendo.” he said rubbing his face.

“Come on Miguel, get to it.” Lyla said, rushing him.

“This is stupid! Shes probably off with who ever the fuck Milo is having the time of her life because  I  , like the big fucking idiot  I   am, pushed her straight into his arms!” he said, at this point he was over the smashing and breaking things so he just leaned against his desk.

“It doesn't matter what  I   say anymore Lyla, She’ll never forgive me, she’ll never listen to me.  I  ‘ll never get to tell her that  I   love her and even if  I   did she’d never believe it because she thinks  I   am a big giant asshole.' ' he said lowering his voice as he got close to the end.

“But you know what? That Milo is one lucky soul, he gets to look into her eyes, make her smile, just simply be in her presence. He has everything  I   wish  I   had. Y/n.” he said, still looking down.

“ I   was a vampire, sucking the life out of her and then just tossing her to the side like she meant nothing, when in reality she was fucking everything Lyla. Milo is one lucky guy.” he said, looking up at Lyla to see her smiling.

Confused by her reaction he was getting ready to ask.

“Milo is a dog, my dog.” you said, startling him.

“Dios mío (my god), Y/n? What are yo-what are you doing here.” he said, his heart practically racing out of his chest.

“Well  I   was here to ask for my place back in the society but  I   think I'm gonna go.. Yeah I'm gonna go.” you said as tears began to well up in your eyes.

There was no actual way you just heard all of that.

Looking between you and Lyla Miguel went after you.

“No no no wait just please.” he said, holding onto your arm.

Pulling back you felt anger, the audacity of this man.

“Who do you think you are? Huh?  I  was so in love with you Miguel! So stupidly in love with you because  I   thought you were this hero that helped everyone and you just needed someone to help you.” you said laughing to yourself.

“People told me to stay away from you, that you’d never accept the help or even my friendship. But  I   shook them off and thought they were crazy for not wanting to see through that rough surface you carried, but  I   did,  I   wanted to.  I   wanted to believe that  I   could break through and see the real you, but  I   realized there is no breaking through. That was it there was no surface, that's just who you are and it was all thanks to you. No one else helped me realize it, just you.” you said shoving a finger into his chest.

“And when  I   took that leap of faith and told you how  I   felt you kicked me to the curb, you bled me dry like a goddamn vampire. Because of you  I   almost gave it all up.  I   was so broken, so lost. All because  I   risked my place next to you and  I   lost it. But in reality   I   never had it. There was no place next you because you're Big bad Spiderman 2099 and you work better alone. Fine, work alone.” you said walking away, nope, not walking away you weren't done.

“ No you know what, it's not fair. You do not get to reject me and make me go through all of this to just turn around and say that you love me. You’re a vampire, Miguel O’hara. You just like to suck the life out of me and toss me to the side until you feel like using me again.” you said tears were beginning to fall.

“Y/n please,  I   never meant for you to feel like this,  I   just,  I   just want you to come back.  I   understand if what  I   said was too much but we need you here.  I   need you here.” he said, looking at you with soft eyes.

God he was making it difficult to walk away.

“If this is your way of getting some fucked up little thrill  I   wont do it,  I   wont.” you said looking at him with threatening eyes.

“ I   know it's hard to believe what  I‘m saying but could you atleast try? Dios mio mujer  I‘m trying to confess my love for you and you're making it impossible!” he said, running his hands through his hair.

He fell for such a headstrong woman.

Looking at you again he decided to just go for it, “Oh fuck it.” he said looking at your lips.

“Wha-” before you could finish his lips were on yours and he was pulling you in for a passionate kiss.

Putting your hand against his chest you considered pulling away but as he cupped your face and pulled you closer your hands found themselves making their way to the back of his neck and pulling him closer.

Pulling away, Miguel continued to give you pecs allowing you to catch your breath.

“Believe me now?” he whispered.

“Mmmm, still a little skeptical.” you said smiling as he leaned back in smiling into the kiss.

“Aww aren't you two just the cutest? Lyla please tell me you got that.” you heard startling you as you pulled away.

“Yup, got it all.” she said pointing to the recording hologram, “So good.” she said smiling.

You tried to detach yourself from Miguel but he continued to hold you tightly by the waste.

So instead you opted for hiding into his chest and smiling.

“What do you need, Parker.” Miguel said as he looked at the walking interruption.

“My friend who came to see the walking grump was taking a little long just wanted to make sure she made it out alive.” he said, covering May Day's bright eyes.

“As you can see she is alive and well, you can go now.” he said, putting his attention back on you.

“Alright, im gone you kids be safe, take it slow.” he said jokingly.

“Peter!” you yelped turning a bright shade red.

“So,  I'm a blood sucking vampire?If  I   knew any better  I‘d think you have a thing for vampires amor.” he said as he kissed down your neck gently grazing you with his fangs.

Moving your head to give him more space you moved your hands into his hair and pulled at the roots.

“Just one.” you said smiling as he brought his lips back to yours.

“Good. Because this ones gonna do more than suck the life out of you.” he said as he pulled you back in for a kiss.

Smiling into the kiss you pulled away trying to control your laughter.

Confused by your reaction Miguel just watched.

“You were je-jealous of my dog?” you said trying to catch your breath.

Shoulder slumping Miguel hoped you wouldn't bring that up.

“You're not letting that go are you.” he said looking at the wall.

“Oh no, never  I   do have to admit, he is one handsome boy.” you said bursting out in laughter.

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” he said as he attempted to keep a straight face, hearing your laugh in his office again made it hard.

Finally, everything was how he wanted it.

You at his side, with a dog, but nonetheless at his side.

Now he just had to get Milo on his side too.

Did this mean he was a dog dad now? 

“Wait Lyla did you know she was coming here?” he asked suddenly realizing that you just so happened to walk in at a perfect time.

“Yup, saw her on the surveillance footage and you were taking too long for my liking, you are welcome boss man.” she said, saluting him before disappearing.

Deciding to let it go he focused back on you, “worth it.”

Meanwhile Lyla was showing the other spiders the video collecting her winnings from the bets she placed.

“These damn AI’s always know everything.” Jess whispered under her breath.

She’d take it up with Miguel later, but for now… who knew he could be such a softy?

You did, more than ever now.

[mymoodwriting]

Because You're Mine

Female!Reader x Werewolf!SKZ

Genre: A/B/O

Warning: Anxiety, Betrayal, Drugs, Sedatives, Manipulation, Restraints, Pheromones, Alpha Omega dynamics, Electrocution

Words: 4.4K

Chapter Six

(Prev//Next) (@starillusion13 @salfetkablog @youngunknownwitch @loveforred @hydroyaksha @meowmeeps @azazel-nyx @luvyev @stellasays45)

Prompt: With omegas completely removed from society, they needed their own communities and institutions to grow. All your life you had lived and gone to school alongside your fellow omegas, and orphaned alphas. You had managed to keep yourself together, but now at the university level, keeping your secret had grown impossible. You had to face your fears and make friends with an alpha eventually, and now was the time.

“I cannot believe you!”

Somehow you managed the strength to express your anger, but you could only hold yourself together for a moment. Once you made your point you ran off back to your room. You tried to shut the door behind you, but Felix and Jisung had been quick to follow you, clearly worried but also upset over what had happened. You let them in and then locked the door. You were still freaking out and needed some space to breathe. So you went into the bathroom and turned on the shower head, sitting under it.

“Y/n, everything’s going to be okay.” Felix assured. “We’re okay.”

Both boys were at your side, Felix taking your hand to hold. The tears on your face were mixing with the water, and you were doing your best not to hyperventilate. If your heart beat got out of control the alphas would surely come knocking, and knowing them, they’d knock the door down if necessary.

“What if they’re onto us? What if they know-”

“They don’t know anything.” Jisung stated. “You know other alphas were always meant to come to the dorm to help you get used to multiple scents. It’s just bad timing.”

“Or on purpose. I feel like something bad is gonna happen…”

“Nothing bad is gonna happen. Look, we just need to change the plan a bit but this doesn’t ruin anything for us.”

“I… I don’t know how much longer I can do this… they know something is off but won’t push it but… I… I’m scared…”

“It’s gonna be okay, you know you have us.” Felix reminded. “Besides, this actually works in our favor.”

“It does?”

“Yeah. With the new alphas here, we can suggest a movie night as a bonding experience, and how could any of them refuse? We’ll have them all in one place and knock them out together. This actually solves a problem for us, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah… I guess it does…”

“See, everything’s fine. We just need more gummies.”

“Right…”

Felix’s words really helped to calm you down, taking away the feeling of hopelessness. This was just a minor setback, and nothing more. Although when you heard knocking at your door you got tense.

“Y/n, please open the door.” Chan said from the otherside. “We need to talk.”

You shook your head. “I don’t want to…”

Jisung got up and went to relay the message, but Chan was insistent on talking. There was probably no getting out of it, and at least it would be three to one, so you got out of the tub, Felix wrapping you in a towel and helping you dry off. Jisung opened the door and let Chan in.

“I- why are you wet?”

“I’m fine… what… what is it… you…”

“Look, I’m sorry. I know you’re upset about the other alphas coming in but you’ve been making good progress, and we can’t lose that momentum. You’ve been distant lately and it’s really starting to worry us, all of us, especially me.” Chan sighed. “I need to know what’s going on.”

“…”

“Y/n, please.”

“…”

“Fine. Felix, Jisung, what’s the problem.”

You looked up at Chan with wide eyes. Jisung and Felix glanced at each other nervously. The tension in the air quickly shifted and they weren’t sure what to do.

“Uh…”

“One of you better start talking.”

“She’s just overwhelmed and anxious.” Jisung blurted out. “She needs time to gather herself and relax. That’s all.”

“Is it?”

“Yes.” Felix added. “We all know her situation here. She’s been doing well but a slight step back isn’t a bad thing.”

“Alright, but I want you to properly introduce yourself to the others. Please.”

“… sure…”

“Be out in five. Thank you.”

Chan left and Jisung locked the door again. Your legs gave out and Felix caught you, helping you sit down on the bed. You took a few deep breaths, calming yourself down.

“That wasn’t so bad.” Felix said. “We’re good.”

“Yeah…”

“Let’s get you into dry clothes and then say hi to the others.” Jisung suggested. “We’ll be done real quick.”

“Yeah… yeah… I… can you two sleep with me tonight?”

“Of course.”

You quickly changed into dry clothes and the three of you went out to the living room to greet the new roommates. Of course Jisung and Felix were a bit familiar with them, so this was more about you.

“Uh… hi… my name’s y/n… it’s nice to meet you all… sorry… about earlier… I look forward to getting to know you all… in time…”

“Same here. I’m Changbin, by the way.”

“I know… your friends told me about you before…”

“That’s cool.”

“I… uh… I’ll excuse myself now.”

Thankfully you wouldn’t really be seeing the others for the rest of the evening as they’d be unpacking and settling in. You returned to your room, working on homework. Jisung and Felix eventually joined you, the three of you having a little study session. The two knocked out and you stayed up a while longer to finish some things, ultimately passing out at your desk. You randomly woke up in the middle of the night, groggy and disoriented. You hadn’t woken up the other two, and remained quiet so as not to disturb them. 

It was early in the morning, but not quite time to get up. Your stomach was growling, already wanting breakfast, but that wouldn’t be a good idea. Instead you thought maybe a little snack would quiet your hunger until later. You carefully snuck out of your room, making your way down the hall. As you reached the kitchen you suddenly froze, hearing voices. It didn’t take long to realize the alphas were all gathered for some snacking of their own. You would have quickly retreated, but you wound up overhearing their conversation, realizing they were talking about you.

“Was it really a good idea to bring us in already?” Jeongin questioned. “Y/n didn’t seem too happy about our presence.”

“I know, but this is a necessary precaution.” Chan stated. “She’s been worrying me like crazy as of late, and she’s developing her abilities. If things go south I need to make sure we can handle it and take care of her.”

For a moment you felt bad about being so difficult. The new alphas had nothing to do with your distrust, but then you remembered the recording you had. Maybe it was just those three, but you couldn’t take a chance. Your plan was still to leave, and that’s all you wanted to do right now. You quietly returned to your room, crawling into bed and trying to get some sleep before classes. 

♥♥♥♥♥

You only really managed to doze off, not actually sleeping for the night. At least now you could get up and leave. You were careful as you got your things, not wanting to wake up the others. You managed to sneak out of your room, quietly making your way down the hall and towards the door.

“Morning.”

You froze, slowly glancing over to see Seungmin in the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. He gave you a warm smile, and you shyly returned it.

“I didn’t know you were a morning person.”

“A bit.”

“You want breakfast? Classes don’t start for another hour anyway.”

“Uh… sure…”

You didn’t want to be mean since he hadn’t really done anything, besides, you were kind of hungry. Seungmin made you some eggs and toasted some bread for you, happy to see you eating. He kept himself a few feet away from you, being very respectful of your space.

“Shall I walk you to class? I still have time before my own.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“It’s no bother. I was about to head out myself.”

“Okay then…”

You couldn’t really deny his request, so the two of you headed to campus together. Seungmin maintained a polite distance, but even then he was comfortable to be around. He asked about you, and it wasn’t really that hard to be honest with him. He was a good listener, and seemed like a really nice person. When you reached your classroom he wished you well and was then on his way. Despite how rough things had been last night, he certainly helped put you at ease. After your class you weren’t really that surprised to find someone waiting for you.

“Let me carry your things.”

Changbin took your bag and books, happily walking off towards your next class. Of course the boys knew your schedule, and Hyunjin probably suggested stopping by. The new ones would want to get close to you, and this was one way to do it. You had no choice but to follow Changbin, trying not to make things awkward.

“How are your classes?” Changbin asked. “If you ever need help with anything just ask.”

“Thanks…”

“I hope we didn’t upset you too much yesterday. It was a bit sudden for us too, but I hope we’ll all get along.”

“Me too… you’re really big…”

“Right? I like to work out a lot. I can carry you if you want.”

“No, no, my legs work just fine.”

“My offer still stands if you ever need it.”

“Sure…”

Changbin was very friendly, you wouldn’t think that would be the case if you noticed him from afar. His smile was genuine, and he seemed like someone fun to be around. You were glad you weren’t as nervous around the new alphas as the others. A part of you wanted to believe they weren’t like the others, that they weren’t nefarious underneath all the smiles. Still, you couldn’t take any chances. When you returned to the dorm the smell of bread caught your attention, leading you into the kitchen. There you found Felix and Jeongin baking.

“Hey, you want some? They’re still hot, but should cool soon.”

“Did you guys make them?”

“Yup.” Jeongin said. “Felix is really good.”

You didn’t trust food from the alphas, but if Felix had been helping, and it was with Jeongin, you trusted it to be safe. You happily waited for the pastries to cool, and they were amazing. You had a few more as you studied in the living room, Jisung and Felix joining you, and the other alphas giving you space. It was nice not to hide. From there things kind of fell into a routine. Felix or Jeongin always packed you some snacks for the morning. Seungmin would walk you to class in the morning, and after a while Chan joined in as well. It was a bit nerve wracking, but you managed, and eventually it wasn’t so bad. Changbin and Hyunjin wound up escorting you to different classes throughout the day, sometimes together, sometimes apart. Minho and Jisung would come around too, keeping you company in the dorm and on campus, and always together. Being alone with an alpha would not be a good idea and they knew that.

Even though not much changed, you were certainly feeling more exhausted. It was barely a little over a week since the new alphas arrived, and if you weren’t in a good state of health you wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. You were still taking your meds on a daily basis, and getting enough sleep, yet you felt kind of off. You figured it was the anxiety of what you had planned. Execution day was right around the corner afterall, you just had to keep yourself together until then. At least it was easy to distract yourself with school work. Since you always got up early to get to class, you were usually the first one there and spent some time alone.

You had your snacks for the whole day, usually having one in the morning, and then the rest throughout the day. You were feeling a bit hungry so you munched on more than one, putting it away once others began to show up. Perhaps you really weren’t sleeping enough, and were having a hard time staying awake in class. You were dozing off, trying to stay awake, but your exhaustion eventually won out. You wound up asleep in class, resting your head on your books. No one dared to wake you, after all omega classes weren’t that serious. So when the class ended you were left to sleep. Even the next class wouldn’t have bothered you, but there was someone waiting for you, and once the rest of the class was gone they entered.

“Awe, she looks so cute.”

Changbin came over to your side, softly petting your head. He tried to softly coax you to wake up, but you were unresponsive.

“Is she okay?”

Before Changbin tried to wake you again Hyunjin stopped him. Your heartbeat was steady, so nothing was wrong. He checked your things and grabbed your snack bag.

“She must have been hungry this morning.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. Let’s get her back to the dorm. She must be very tired.”

Changbin picked you up in his arms, carrying you bridal style. Hyunjin grabbed your things and followed behind him. You were sleeping peacefully, no nightmares, which was always good. Although there was concern, and Changbin asked about it when they got to the dorm. The others were in class, so it was just them for now.

“Are you sure y/n’s gonna be okay? If she’s not getting enough sleep then-”

“She’s fine. It’s just she’s been having anxiety, and Chan wanted to help, but you know how she’s been lately. So he asked Jeongin to put a little something in her snacks. Although if she takes too much at once it would mix with her meds and act like a strong sedative. She’s gonna be out for a while, but she’ll be fine.”

“Ah, that makes sense. She was so anxious when we met, but she’s been more docile as of late.”

“Just doing our job. I’ll have to tell Chan and have him lower the dosage so this doesn’t happen again.”

♥♥♥♥♥

It was strange to regain consciousness while in motion. Things were still blurry, but the voices were familiar. You heard bits and pieces, but you were perking up when you heard your name mentioned. You felt something soft beneath you, somewhat able to make out your room. You groaned and rolled over in bed. Even though your mind was fuzzy you were starting to register the words that were spoken.

“Chan wanted to help… put a little something in her snacks… mix with her meds … she’ll be fine… she’s been more docile… just doing our job…”

The rush of adrenaline jolted you awake. You sat up in bed, startling the two others. Your breathing was uneven, and you were staring at them like a deer in headlights.

“Oh, you’re awake.” Hyunjin noted. “How are you feeling?”

“…what… what have you been giving me…?”

“What are you talking about? We-”

“Don’t lie to me! I… I…”

“Did you have a bad dream? Just relax, we’re here.”

“… you’re liars… you’re all liars!”

When the two took a step towards you it forced you to move back, ultimately falling off the bed. They quickly rushed over to your side, wanting to make sure you were okay, but the second you felt hands on you the panic spiked. You began screaming and kicking, trying to get them away from you.

“Get out! Don’t touch me!”

“Y/n, you need to calm down.” Hyunjin said. “We can help.”

“No! Get away from me!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay, we’re not gonna hurt you.”

“Liars!”

You were cornered and at a disadvantage, but that didn’t stop you from fighting back. Although two against one is hardly fair. Somehow you managed to slip out of their grasp, but only for a moment. Changbin quickly trapped you in a back hug, keeping your arms pinned down to your sides. You tried jumping and kicking your legs, but Hyunjin grabbed a blanket to wrap your legs up, not wanting you to hurt yourself. Now that you were restrained they could do what was necessary. You soon caught a whiff of a sweet scent, feeling a bit dizzy.

“That’s it, deep breaths for me.” Hyunjin encouraged. “Just relax, it’s gonna be okay.”

“… stop…”

Once you had lost your strength you were moved to the bed, Changbin at your side in case you tried something. You knew what was happening, the alphas using their pheromones to calm you. It was unfair, but you were helpless to resist. Your head was foggy, and even though you didn’t like this scenario, you were too out of it to do anything, not even feel fear. A few tears slid down your cheek. Even if this was different you couldn’t help but think back to that day, tied up and helpless.

“What is going on!?”

When Chan got to the dorm he immediately caught your scent, along with Hyunjin and Changbin. He knew it was odd for the three of you to be back so soon, and so he went off to find you. He came to your room, intrigued by the scene before him. You were resting in Changbin’s lap, wrapped up in a blanket, which was fine, but it was the smell. Your room was filled with the two alpha’s pheromones, practically turning this into a drug den for you.

“We just needed to-”

“Get out!”

Chan came over to you, pulling you from Changbin’s lap, taking your head in his hands. Your eyes were glassy, and you couldn’t even recognize him.

“What were you thinking!? We’re not properly trained on using our pheromones! It’s all theory now, you don’t know what you could do to her!”

“She was freaking out.” Changbin explained. “What if she ran off or something? It’s our job to take care of omegas, that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?”

“This isn’t how to do it! We’re still learning ourselves, not to mention you did this in her room! This was supposed to be her safe space away from all of us, and you completely ruined it! Get out! Go get Felix and Jisung, now!”

The two headed out in a hurry, Chan getting you out of your blankets and taking you to the bathroom. He started a warm bath, getting you out of your clothes, but leaving you in your undergarments. The water wasn’t so high, so he could leave you for a moment while he stripped your bed and put the sheets in the washer. A while later when Jisung and Felix returned to the dorm Chan explained what had happened, and told them to look after you, and help clean up your room. They didn’t ask for details and just did as they were told.

Felix went over your room, having got some cleaning supplies. Jisung on the other hand checked in with you. He saw how out of it you were. When he reached out you moved away, clearly not in any state to recognize him or his scent. It was frightening, but Jisung knew, he hoped you’d be alright. He helped you wash up, wanting to clean all the scents off you. Felix got you new bedsheets, rolling around in them too so they didn’t smell too clean. He helped Jisung get you out of the bathtub and into some dry clothes. They noticed the tears on your face, but weren’t sure if they could say anything.

“… jisung…”

“Hey, hey, I’m right here, how are you feeling?”

“I thought they were nice…”

“Y/n, this isn’t-”

“I can’t trust them… any of them… I can’t do this anymore…”

“Y/n-”

“All the alphas are liars!” You cried. “They say they know best, or they think they do but this… what did they do to me? Why…”

“It’s okay, you’re okay y/n.” Felix said. “They didn’t hurt you or anything, they were just worried and did something they weren’t supposed to.”

“I have to get out of here… I can’t… I can’t…”

“I know. I think we can do it this Friday, what do you say?”

“Yes… I want to leave.”

“We’ll do so together.”

You got into bed, breathing in the smell of clean sheets, smelling a bit of Felix too. Neither of the boys left, staying with you throughout the night, and come morning. You weren’t going to be leaving your room anytime soon, and they knew that. The others brought food, wanting to check on you, but you didn’t want visitors. Of course if you actually wanted to run away you needed to face them first. Everything was set, so you just needed to put things in motion. The fact that this was the end was what gave you strength. Chan always came by in the morning to check on you, but you’d never talk to him. Until now.

“Chan…”

“Hey, how are you? It’s been a while since I heard your voice.”

Your strength could only go so far, so you were talking to Chan from the other side of the door. You knew he and the others hung around outside your room, listening. Just hearing your voice, your steady heartbeat, it was enough for them to know you were alright. Changbin and Hyunjin had given an apology, but you didn’t respond to it.

“I… uh… I wanted to apologize.”

“Huh? You have nothing to be sorry for. The others-”

“No, I do. I understand… I… you guys say it all the time… that you’re looking out for me… I might have taken things the wrong way… I’m sorry… I’ve ruined all my progress, haven’t I?”

“I wouldn’t say that. You can still talk to me, and you haven’t been having nightmares, right?”

“Not really… Jisung and Felix are good company…”

“I’m glad. They’re good boys.”

“I don’t… I don’t want to mess… this… up… I don’t want to be scared forever…”

“We’ll take things slow, like always, step by step.”

“You think… maybe we could do something… like a movie night…?”

“Movie night?”

“Yeah… like get everyone together… so I can at least get used to your scents again…”

“Are you sure? That might be a lot.”

“I want to at least try.”

“Okay, we can do that.”

“Does Friday night sound good?”

“Yeah, I’ll let the others know.”

“Thanks.”

♥♥♥♥♥

This was such a terrible idea, to have all the alphas around at once, but after this you’d be free, and that gave you strength. Even though the alphas were happy to see you they kept a distance and didn’t make much conversation. Felix had picked out a movie for the night, and you helped get the popcorn and snacks. It would be best for you to hand out the gummies, surely they’d eat them if it came from you. The alphas sat around, leaving you on the couch sandwiched between Jisung and Felix. The movie was a long one, and you cautiously watched the others, seeing them doze off little by little.

Once it seemed everyone was asleep Jisung and Felix checked. They moved cautiously, leaning over the others and snapping their fingers by their ears. There was no reaction at all, so they were definitely asleep. With that confirmed you three went to get your things. You had packed some food and other necessities the day before, so now it was time to leave. You didn’t look back, not wanting, not having, anything to linger on. Fortunately for you that night you had moonlight to guide you. After exiting the door you stayed out of sight and made it into the surrounding woods, the trees hiding you in the darkness.

There was something special about the air, it felt so fresh, and calming. Even though you had no idea how far into the woods you had to go to find some form of civilization, you were just glad to be outside and away from a place you no longer called home. The quiet was nice as well, but you still made some conversation with the others. You talked about your future, and the things you wanted to do. The possibilities were truly limitless now. There was nothing to hold you back. Eventually you were fortunate enough to find a source of water, a stream. You could follow it as it would surely lead to a place where other people were, and the water could hide your scent.

Neither of you really knew how long you had been walking for, but you were starting to feel a bit dizzy. Perhaps the adrenaline of this escape was finally wearing off. It wasn’t a bad idea to rest, so you all settled down by the stream. The sound of the water was quite calming, making it easy to zone out and just think of what awaited you. Although that dizzy feeling persisted, both Jisung and Felix realizing as well. You knew what they were gonna say, but you weren’t gonna go back. If you got sick out here so be it, but you couldn’t go back. You let them know before they even said anything.

“Let’s just keep moving. We still have our meds anyway, so I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t think you will.”

Your head snapped over to the source, immediately your heart sank, a chill traveling along your body. The red eyes of an alpha stared back at you. For a moment you were frozen in time, standing in disbelief, and then you broke out into a run. You weren’t thinking about anything besides escaping, even though you completely left Felix and Jisung behind. With each step reality began to seep back in. Your heart was racing, pounding in your ears, your vision moving between clarity and blurriness. You thought you were moving fast, good footwork to keep you from falling, but getting tackled to the ground was your downfall.

“No! Let go! Let go!”

Your hands were pinned behind your back, keeping you down even as you squirmed and screamed. You noticed someone standing in front of you, and then squatting down. The hand on your head made you freeze up, and you slowly looked up to see Chan. There was a disappointed look on his face, yet he was eerily calm.

“You’re in a lot of trouble for this.”

Perhaps you could plead your case, say something, anything, to get out of this, but nothing left your mouth besides a scream. You felt a rush of electricity from the back of your neck, cutting your world to black. Whatever awaited you when you woke, it surely wasn’t going to be good.

[aihoshiino]

chapter 158 thoughts

i lied the hyperfixation took over and reanimated my body

Chapters Since The 143 Kiss Happened And Went Entirely Unacknowledged And Unaddressed Count: 15

Aqua Hoshigan Status: N/A

Usually when an OnK chapter ends on a bombshell like this one apparently does, I usually play a little coy as to my thoughts on it but I don't really see much point in doing that this time. This chapter basically is its final moment, with some swings taken at basically every other character on the way down so I don't see much point in separating it from the rest of the work. That said, my ultimate feelings on it will ultimately depend on how the story progresses past this moment so don't expect me to go too deeply into it for now. All I'll say at the top of the post is that I think this is deeply contrived and continues Akasaka's trend of seemingly beating every character with the dipshit stick in order to make a certain dramatic plot beat happen.

But it'll be pretty messy to follow if I get into the chapter's final scene right here and now, so let's rewind to the start and break down the rest of this chapter too. Don't worry, I have plenty of unpleasant things to say about it as well!!!!

Akane's here!! Actually in truth I had somehow forgotten that she'd cut her hair in the weeks since her last appearance so seeing her turn up with it so short kind of startled me for a second LOL

More AKKN yuribaiting… usually I eat up this kind of queerbait with a spoon because I am a simple creature but it doesn't really hit this time. I think it's because we're running through the Tokyo Blade arc in the anime right now and being reminded of how utterly electric their rivalry used to be makes the lack of meaningful follow-up and ultimate state of their relationship just kind of sad to me.

Seeing Akane and Ruby talking also feels kind of surreal given that it's almost 60 whole chapters since they've actually properly interacted onscreen… Like, obviously they were acting together in the Movie Arc and we can infer they had some offscreen chats then but… well, that's things we can infer, not something that's actually in the text of the story. Akane's involvement in the movie really was a total waste of potential, huh…

that said, wtf is akane even doing in miyazaki. girl who are you stalking this time.

Speaking of things that are weird, Ruby's hostile reaction to the idea of Akane getting a new boyfriend is… kind of bizarre, to the point where I literally have no idea where it's coming from?? Like, regardless of what this chapter tries to pretend, Ruby and Akane are absolutely not close enough for Ruby to feel upset at the prospect of Akane blowing her off in favour of boyfriend time. If anything, you'd think that having Aqua's ex-girlfriend definitively Out Of The Way would only be good on her eyes because it means one less obstacle between her and getting to shlonk her brother, but… apparently not???

The only way I can really make any sense of this is assuming this is the old and crusty "single girl getting jealous that her friend has a boyfriend at Christmas" joke, which I guess indirectly answers the question of whether or not anything AquRuby related has resolved in the Offscreen Dimension.

Anyway, Akane's chatter in this scene leads into something I've been kind of holding my tongue about in favour of waiting until it was addressed in the story and we're finally here - as previously predicted, this chapter starts on the note of attempting to assert that Ruby has 'become an idol who surpasses Ai' and you'll notice the way I phrased this because uh… no, she very much hasn't!

This idea of Ruby 'surpassing' Ai has been floating around in the story for a while now and as I've said before, unless OnK puts a huge amount of legwork into supporting that idea, I simply wouldn't believe it. It didn't, so I don't.

Not only is this assertion just half-heartedly plunked into the narrative - incredibly underwhelming for what should be a huge moment of triumph for Ruby - but the visual storytelling of the manga fails it as well. Like, compare this to similar moments from the very arc the anime is adapting this season - hell, in this very chapter, we see a panel of Kana's dazzling acting during Tokyo Blade. In comparison, the panels we see that supposedly show how Ruby has become an idol beyond compare… they just look like literally every other panel of any of the girls doing idol stuff. Hell, she looks distinctly less striking than some of Kana's performances as an idol and they certainly don't match or exceed the panels we've seen of Ai's spellbinding performances, which really undermines what the story is trying to say.

This is made even worse for the fact that the story has repeatedly pointed out that Ruby is the subject of incredible amounts of favoritism in the new B-Komachi - their boss is Literally Her Actual Mom who was explicitly called out by Ichigo for favoring work opportunities while leaving her fellow members out to dry. Members who, I feel the need to remind everyone, were scouted by her twin brother, not Ruby. Members whose careers as idols suffered during Ruby's clout chasing BH era because of her clout chasing and whose hurt feelings on this are framed as something Ruby is graciously forgiving about.

Like… I'm not saying it's impossible for Ruby to become an idol who outshines her mom, but this narrative as it's currently being presented in the manga falls flat for me because we never actually see Ruby face any kind of struggle on her road to doing this. Ai, Kana and Mem all face significant structural, social and industry-wide issues and toxicity that they must grapple with and overcome but Ruby just… does not?? Ever?? And given the way the narrative has framed Miyako's involvement in her career, the only conclusion I can draw is that Ruby is being shielded from all this by Miyako at the expense of the other girls. Especially because Ruby literally said so in 156!

Idk man. This whole chapter just sucks for basically every B-Komachi girl - that panel of the girls on stage where you literally can't even see Mem's face is so fucking miserable lmao. There was so much weight was placed on B-Komachi's togetherness as a trio of not just idols but friends who genuinely care for each other that seeing the story end up in this place of unironically indulging in all the same favoritism of Ruby and sidelining of her fellow members that Ichigo and Miyako did with the original B-Komachi is honestly just upsetting. Not only does it drag down Mem and Kana's stories, but it ends up making Ruby come off as a tremendously self-centered person in a way the narrative clearly does not understand and is uninterested in unpacking.

And like… bro, I don't want to be pissed off at Ruby!! Pre-BH Ruby is one of my favourite characters in the series!!! But the way she's been coddled by the narrative is deeply frustrating to read! It's frustrating to see everyone else's arcs compromised in favor of forcing this bizarre narrative about Ruby that doesn't even do any good for her either.

I can so easily see a better version of this story where Ruby surpasses Ai because she has so much support and faces none of the obstacles that Ai did, where the story is making a point of just how much further Ai could have gone and how much more she could've done if she hadn't been treated like such utter shit by everyone around her. But the point the story settles on seems to just be that Ruby is a better idol than Ai because she arbitrarily is not affected by societal and systemic oppression for no clearly articulated reason, I guess! You go, girl!

huffs. anyway.

Ruby's little monologue about the short-lived life of an idol also feels like the final nail in the coffin for the story being able to even pretend to do any meaningful industry commentary. Compared to how biting it was in the early arcs, it's a pretty standout representation with OnK's bizarre relationship with idol culture as of late, especially as pertains to Ruby's place in it. I can sort of get what I think Akasaka is going for here - it's part of the theme the story is leaning into lately of letting go of your past and moving towards a brighter future and this is how Ruby is coping with Kana's time in B-Komachi coming to an end. The point being made here is that change is inevitable no matter how you try to hold onto things and the only way to freeze yourself in stasis forever is to die.

But having this framed through the lens of Ruby talking so warmly about the impermanence of idols is just kind of… hello?? Ruby's framing here almost seems to treat the issue as some beautifully tragic but inevitable thing… and is very much is not! Idols age out of the industry because of its obsession with youth and beauty and the fetishization and commodification of virginial purity. Seeing Ruby frame it as this sad but natural thing when these fucked up purity standards literally killed her mom is just. What is going on here.

Speaking of baffling! Nino my girl, what are they doing to you…

I mentioned this in my chapter 155 thoughts that I felt extremely cold about the way the story was choosing to characterize Nino in the actual pages of the manga. I won't repeat myself too much but compared to the messed up but deeply human character we saw in 45510 and the RBKN conflict, this Nino honestly feels like a mean-spirited caricature, amped up to such dramatic extremes that she stops being a person and instead becomes a flat cartoon character used for moving the plot along. I loved Nino in 45510 and the Movie Arc so seeing her reduced to this psycho lesbian stereotype really stings.

also wtf is the manga trying to say with the 'since we killed ryosuke' bit. that was a whole ass suicide. this manga gives me such a headache sometimes.

Anyway. I can't talk around it anymore so. RIP Ruby, I guess. It was nice knowing you, but-

no but seriously, I'm holding my tongue on anything to do with this twist until next chapter because my actual thoughts will depend on how it plays out or if this is even really happening at all - which is NOT something i would even entertain as a possibility if oshi no ko was not the manga it currently is lol

But there's also the fact that, as others have pointed out, that panel of the stab is presented with faded colours and overly dramatic lighting in a way that is consistent with how OnK sometimes presents flashbacks or otherwise unreal visualizations. Given how incredibly dumb the entire cast - including Ruby - would have to be for this to actually, really happen, I'm withholding judgement until I see how this pans out.

That said. Man. I was really taken aback by how not just underwhelming but outright Not Good the actual panel of the stab is. The attempt to mine an emotional reaction out of the pre-existing iconic panel of Ai's murder just falls entirely flat because this version of it is worse in just about every regard. Ai's panel is composed beautifully, with the white petals and the motion of her body perfectly drawing the viewer's eye to the knife and the uncharacteristic expression of total shock on her face really hammers home the 'oh shit' moment. By contrast, Ruby's panel is flat with oceans of dead space despite being a much smaller panel and the actual stab has no weight to it, visually or otherwise. Ruby's body and face aren't reacting to it in the least - her expression is totally lifeless and she just looks like she's mid-stride, not that someone's just stabbed her in the gut. And to add insult to injury, the fucking layering on the killer's hand isn't even right. It's so obvious these two characters were drawn totally separately and pasted together afterwards and the entire moment falls flat as a result. Mengo, girl, what happened here!!!

and to add insult to injury. break next week. because why woudn't it be.

any of yall got ibuprofen

[dfortrafalgar]

I'm Losing You... (But We're Filling the Cracks)

Having a family isn't always as easy as fairy tales make it seem. But sometimes, you just need a little bit of love... and a little bit of science.

Warnings: read chapter 1 for warnings.

Taglist: @phsycochan | @mirillua | @augustanna | @chaixsherlock | @whore-of-many-hot-men | @nerdisthenewcool | @lilypadmomentum | @1dkneo

Chapter 27

[Prev] [Next]

“How was the drive over?”  Nico Robin had one of her long legs crossed over the other, her laptop on the short counter in front of her as she typed notes into your patient portal.

You tossed her a smile.  “Not bad, the seatbelt in my car feels really strange the bigger I get, but I’m just happy I can still drive for the time being.”

The blue-eyed woman nodded before turning to face you.  “Based on your 18 week ultrasound, your babies have a heart rate of about 120 beats per minute, which is in the perfectly normal range during this gestational period.  Their amniotic fluid levels are also normal.  Overall, I’m really pleased with how healthy they are.  You’re a few weeks into your second trimester now, have you noticed any significant changes?  Any symptoms we should be concerned about?”

It took you a few moments to think.  “Well, my skin is really itchy and my back really hurts.  My breasts have days where they’re really tender and days when they’re not.  My feet hurt sometimes,” you rattled.

Dr. Robin nodded understandingly across from you.  “As strange as it is for me to say, hearing that you have normal symptoms of pregnancy makes me incredibly happy.  Along with your bloodwork that has been consistently normal and your ultrasound from last week, I am incredibly pleased with your progress and the growth of your babies.”  She pulled on a pair of rubber medical gloves and wheeled her stool over to your bed where you placed your feet on the stirrups for your wellness check.

“I am too,” you replied with a broad grin, your hand going to rest over your swollen belly as you reclined on the table, staring at the ceiling as Robin poked around and examined your condition.  “I’d much rather have symptoms and know that everything is alright rather than nothing at all.”

“Of course, of course,” your doctor agreed, nodding her head affirmatively.  She flashed you a cheeky smile from in between your legs.  “Are you positive you don’t want to know the genders?”

Your hands braced themselves against the side of the bed you sat on as your shoulders bounced with the force of your laugh.  “Don’t tempt me!  I’ve been doing so well wanting to keep it a surprise!”

Your reaction made Robin laugh as she removed her gloves and marked a few final notes in her patient chart for you.  “Well, if everything seems to be going normal then I’ll be seeing you again in another few weeks!  But you know the drill, call me back immediately if you notice any changes or concerns.”

She helped you down from the table and you slipped into your clothes and shoes, following her to the front desk to receive your patient summary for the visit, along with scheduling your next check-up and ultrasound.

The weather had gotten absolutely stifling in the late summer days, and partnered with your ever-expanding womb, you were finding yourself more and more sweaty hauling around an extra few pounds during the horrendous heat.  With your air conditioner blasting, you drove back home to spend the remainder of your day in the cool comfort of your apartment.  You couldn’t even imagine how Bepo must have been feeling, all of that thick, fluffy white fur must have been suffocating for him during the summer months.  You could barely get him to go outside during the daylight hours, but in the winter months, you needed to go through hell and back to get him inside.  The thought of your pup at home made you smile as you pulled out of the parking lot and hit the road back home.  He had become so much more attentive toward you recently, almost serving as your guard dog.  Even when Shachi and Penguin came over, despite knowing who the two men were, Bepo would stand guard in front of you and refused to let anyone pass.  His keen doggie instincts definitely knew there was something different about you.

It didn’t take long for you to get home, the traffic was incredibly minimal.  What you wouldn’t give to be at the beach on a day like this, soak up some sun… with your pregnant belly on full display.  The thought made you smile, blood rushing to your face.  Law probably would take a minor issue with that.  ‘I don’t want any other man tossing looks at you,’ he’d probably gripe.  You chuckled to yourself as you turned down the road your apartment was on.  Like Bepo, Law had also become much, much more protective of you.  When he could help it, he refused to miss any update or appointment, staying by your side constantly.  You thought maybe you’d get tired of it, but if anything, it made you feel even better about your relationship.

Knowing that Law had no plans on leaving you after you gave birth, loving you in and out of pregnancy, made your heart flutter.

You grabbed your bag and exited your car, locking it behind you as you walked through the stifling humidity into your building, up the elevator, and onto your floor.  You slipped your key into the lock and pushed open your door, calling out to Bepo who snorted from the other room.  You kicked off your shoes, hung your bag on a hook by the door, and proceeded to the living room where you could finally put your feet up on the couch.  You grabbed your journal off of the counter on the way.  You’d been so good keeping up with it, almost obsessively so.  A few weeks ago, Ikkaku had told you about a similar journal that her mother had kept, and how nice it would be to have your kids eventually read it when they grew up.

That sentiment made you fill out entire paragraphs on some of the pages, a permanent smile plastered on your lips as you wrote.

Bepo stood from his bed when you sat on the couch and immediately laid down directly beside you, ears perked up and constantly on alert should anyone come through the door.  You reached down and carded your fingers through the thick fur between his ears, watching with a giggle as his eyes slowly drifted closed and his pink tongue slipped through his muzzle.

“Are you blepping?” you asked.

The dog snorted.

You were periodically checking your phone throughout the afternoon.  Law had another fairly large procedure today, a Transmyocardial Revascularization, which involved some technology that he didn’t frequently use in the operating room.  When he left your apartment that morning, he was already laser focused, reading through his notes and charts while he scarfed down his breakfast.  He only broke composure enough to give you a kiss in the doorway, his hand ghosting over the side of your belly before he left.  You were hoping he would text you when the procedure was done, but at the same time were completely understanding if you didn’t hear from him until he got home.  Sometimes, he got so swallowed up by his work that he forgot he even existed.

A sudden fluttering sensation from your abdomen almost made you drop your phone.  You sat up, startled, your hands flying to your belly, pressing against your skin.  The suddenness of your movements made Bepo stand up as well, staring at the door expecting someone to walk in.

Your heart was pounding in your chest, your mind immediately assuming the worst.  You weren’t in pain, you hadn’t been spotting, everything had been completely normal.

You felt it again, this time against your hands.  A quick flutter within your gut immediately followed by a shallow, quick rippling sensation against the muscles of your abdomen.  You felt it in the palm of your hand.  Near the other side, the same thing happened.

They were moving.  Your twins were moving.

You stood up, startling Bepo who stared at you confused and alert.  You gazed down at your dog dumbly.  “They’re moving.”

He tilted his head as you spoke to him.

“I don’t know why I stood up,” you blurted, sitting back down with your hands flush against the couch cushions.  A giddy, childlike grin crawled to your lips.  They were moving.  They were moving.

It took about another three hours for Law to get home, and while you waited you had been so overcoming with energy thanks to the excitement of feeling your babies fluttering that you vacuumed your entire apartment, cooked a pavlova with the leftover berries in your fridge, and deep-cleaned the inside of the oven.  When your husband finally walked into the entryway and called your name, you almost sprinted to meet him, skidding across the floor in your socks.

“Hey, babe–” 

You cut him off swiftly, grabbing his hand and holding it against your belly.  You stared down at his inked fingers as they relaxed over your bump, his lips sealed.

“Come on…” you uttered.  “Do it again…”  It was a longshot, but you hoped that somehow they could hear you.

The fluttering sensation bounced around your abdomen once more, followed by the ripple against your muscle.  Law jerked his hand away from your skin, almost like he was forced to touch manure without gloves.  His golden eyes were boggling out of his head, his jaw slack and cheeks flushed.

“Was that…?” he stuttered out, words escaping him.

“They started moving!” you cheered, throwing yourself into him, bubbly laughter escaping your throat.  

Law was quick to wrap his arms around you once his shock subsided, clutching you to his chest.  His own broad smile was on his face as his chest bounced with your giddy laughter.  “So I take it your appointment today went well?”

You pulled away from his embrace, excitement coursing through your veins so rapidly that the only thing your body told you to do was grip your husband’s cheeks and press a tender kiss against his lips.  He muffled a surprise grunt against your mouth before his hands found purchase on your hips, slightly dipping you backward and ghosting his teeth against your puffy lower lip.

“Sorry,” you all but whispered, barely pulling away from him.  “I think I got the zoomies.”

He quickly turned his head away to snort at your words.  “The baby-kicking zoomies?”

“I made pavlova,” you sighed.  “That’s how excited I got.”

Your husband pressed another hot kiss against your lips before kicking off his shoes and taking your hand to bring him to the kitchen.  “Looks like our dinner is pavlova.  Not that I’m complaining.”

As soon as you stepped back into the main living area, Bepo was at your feet, nuzzling your legs and sticking his nose into your butt.  No matter how many times you shooed him away, he came right back, tongue peeking through his muzzle and beady black eyes melting your heart into oblivion.  And now, Law was following the dog’s example.  You served slices of your light desert onto two plates for the both of you, following Law to the couch where he proceeded to rest a hand against your belly throughout eating the sweet treat.  And while watching the television… and while you washed the dishes… and while you showered… and while you curled up next to him under the covers to sleep.

“Am I going to have to follow you to work now?  So you don’t miss a kick?” you asked over your shoulder, adjusting your body so you could press further into your husband’s chest with your back.

His hand lazily stroked up and down your side as he pressed light kisses to the back of your head.  “Maybe.  … Probably.”

“I won’t be very good in the operating room,” you laughed quietly into the darkness.

“Oh, that reminds me.  I forgot to tell you something with all the excitement.”  You felt Law push away from you slightly, giving you enough room to roll over and face him.

“What’s up?” you asked, curiously.  Your eyes couldn’t quite see his face, but his hand on your waist kept you glued to him nonetheless.  

“The biggest surgery of my life got scheduled today,” he said.  “A heart-lung transplant.”

You bolted upright in bed, reaching over for the lamp next to your pillow and pulling down on the power chord, illuminating your small corner of the room.  Your eyes were wide.  “Are you serious?”

With disheveled hair, Law sat up as well, hunching his back to rest his elbows on his knees.  “Yup.  Early May.”

“Holy shit,” you uttered.  “I… didn’t even know that was possible.”

Law nodded.  “The man has been in the ICU for almost an entire year now.  Every treatment option has been exhausted for both his heart and lungs.  Stents, catheters, bypass surgeries, blood-thinners, every available diagnostic test for pulmonary failure has been tried and done.  He’s approaching end-stage heart and lung failure and has been intubated for quite some time, and he recently got approved for transplant from the donor board.”

You absorbed his words with awe.  “That’s a lot… poor guy.”

Your husband hummed.  “It’s tough, but we all think this surgery will be the ultimate best thing for him.  He’s got AB+ blood which is incredibly lucky for him, and a donor has been selected based on cardiopulmonary quality.”  He glanced at you and could tell based on the slightly grim look on your face that you were curious where they even got the heart and lungs from.  “Organs are usually harvested from people who have suffered from brain injuries.  If they established prior to illness or injury that they would like to be a living tissue donor, then if they suffer brain death, they can be eligible for organ donation.  I’m not familiar with the donor right now, but I assume that’s the case for them.”

Your heart clenched at the thought.  “Wow…”

Law scooted closer to you and rubbed your back.  “It’s tough medicine, but someone’s sacrifice might be able to save the life of another.”

A smile pulled to your lips before you realized something.  “Wait…”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

“May 22nd is my due date,” you stated.  “Not that I’m telling you to not do the surgery, obviously, but… what if…”

“You go into labor while I’m in the operating room?” he asked, finishing your sentence for you.  “The entire procedure, if it still happens when scheduled, might be anywhere from 12 to 16 hours.  So I guess we’ll just have to hope that you don’t go into labor on that day.”

“That’s a long time… are you going to be alright?” you asked, leaning into his touch, your voice filled with worry.

Law smiled.  “Don’t worry about me.  You remember my sleep schedule in college, I’ll be fine.”

You grinned.  “Just don’t start drinking energy drinks again, I don’t want your kidneys to give out in the OR.”

Your statement made Law laugh as he reached over you and pulled the cord on the lamp once more, plunging the room back into darkness.  “I promise I won’t, that shit’s nasty anyway.  We can talk about it more in the morning and when it gets closer, though.”

The comfortable darkness filled the room as you snuggled into your husband’s arms.  “Sounds good, baby.”

A kiss to the skin of your forehead was the last sensation you felt before drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

—

“Okay, I know you guys said you didn’t want us to go crazy, but we went a little crazy.”

You and Law were seated on your loveseat across from Ikkaku, Shachi, and Penguin, who sat behind a plethora (read: a metric ton compared to the total volume of your apartment) of bags and boxes.  Ikkaku began rifling through some of the bags at her feet, grumbling about a list she had written down of your coworkers and what they had chipped in with.

Law was dumbfounded, his eyes wide and incredibly confused.  You felt a small kick in your belly, prompting you to sooth your bump with your hand.  You were about 24 weeks now, and your home wardrobe had largely consisted of Law’s oversized sweatshirts to account for your very pronounced abdomen.

Penguin clapped his hands.  “So, we didn’t want the lovely couple to get themselves worried about getting all their baby gear, so in these two boxes,” he interrupted his words to violently slap the unlabeled cardboard next to the armrest on his side of the couch, “are the cribs.  Two of them.  You know, for two babies.”

“And in these boxes,” Shachi kicked two more unlabeled boxes with his foot, “are bedspread sets for the crib mattresses.”

“Oh, shit, we still need the mattresses,” Penguin gasped, slapping Shachi’s shoulder making the red-head wince.

“Don’t they come with the mattresses already?” Shachi replied, rubbing his arm.

“I found it!” Ikkaku hollered, pulling out a double-sided sheet of loose-leaf paper.  “Okay, everyone from the office went behind your back and got a bunch of stuff for you.”  She cleared her throat and passed you a large holiday-themed gift bag, which you leaned forward to grab by the string handles and pull to rest in your lap.  “That one is from Nami.  She went kind of crazy with getting clothes, I told her to keep them gender neutral since you guys don’t know the sexes yet, but a lot of them are feminine anyway, so… let’s hope for girls.”

Law leaned over to peer into the large bag as you picked through it.  ‘Crazy’ was an understatement.  Nami had seemingly given you an entire wardrobe for the first year of your babies’ lives.  Onesies, shirts, pants, a bunch of bundles of newborn socks, little hats, headbands, swaddles with different patterns, mittens, and two winter coats that would fit them up to six months.  There was more beneath the initial assortment you sifted through.

“This entire bag is from only Nami?” you asked, completely bewildered.

“Well, Nami and Nojiko,” Ikkaku responded, skimming her list.  “Oh, there should be a small bottle of newborn laundry detergent in there, too.  Just F-Y-I.”

“Okay, so the cribs do in fact come with mattresses.  You just have to let them rise like bread for 24 hours before putting them in the cribs.  They should be firm,” Penguin explained, scrolling through his phone.

You cringed at the mention of bread.  You still hadn’t gotten your tolerance for the texture back.

“This next one is from Sanji and Zoro, but mostly Sanji.  He got you a set of baby monitors, two mobiles for each crib, and a diaper changing table.”  Ikkaku slid another box towards your feet.  The top of it was labeled with elegant handwriting that read, ‘TO THE LOVELY COUPLE~’.

Shachi dragged over another box.  “This is a double stroller.  All assembly required.”

“This bag is from Usopp, I think it’s a bunch of baby hygiene products.  Baby powder, light wipes, a few bags of diapers to get you started, some diaper station pads, little washcloths and towels, diaper cream, the works.”  Following her words, yet another bag was slid over to you, this time snatched by Law.

“Diapers are expensive,” he mumbled.  “How did everyone pull all of this together?”

Ikkaku shrugged.  “Sanji and Nami are well-off.  Usopp?  No idea.”  She dismissively looked back at her list.  “Oh, this next one’s from Ms. Boa.  I can’t remember what she put in it, though.”

Another box was kicked over your way, already open slightly for you to rifle through.  It was completely filled to the brim with everything you would need for breastfeeding.  Two breast pumps, a large volume of milk storage bags, nursing pads, and a few tubes of nipple cream.  At the bottom of the box, there was a variety of decorative bibs, a few baby bottles, a bottle warmer, and a specialized bottle sterilizer.  Your head was whirling.

“Guys, you’re making me dizzy,” you practically wheezed, leaning back against the couch.  Law rubbed your shoulder reassuringly.

“We’re almost done,” Shachi stated.  He picked up a bag next to Ikkaku’s shoe.  “Oh, I forgot.  This one’s from Rebecca.”

Law picked his head up.  “My head nurse?”

“Is that who that is?” Shachi asked, sliding over the bag.

“How did you get her number?” the surgeon asked, picking up the package and opening it.

“The hospital has a database with contact info.  You should tell them to update your picture, by the way.  You look dead in your current headshot.”  Penguin’s backhanded comment made you snort.

The gift from Rebecca was exactly what you would expect from a cardiology nurse.  A thermometer, a pair of baby nail clippers, petroleum jelly, a few rolls of sterile gauze, a first aid kit, an assortment of pacifiers, and a few baby toothbrushes.  He felt himself smile.  She had always been a caring, generous person.  While he was still a bit perturbed by the whole hospital database thing, it came as no surprise to him that Rebecca would be so generous as to provide gifts for her superior and his expectant wife.

“This is the last one I think,” Ikkaku mumbled, dragging over another box with her foot.  “Oh, this one’s from Luffy and his brothers!”

This time, both you and Law perked up.

“Luffy?” you asked.  “I haven’t seen him in, like, three years.”

“Where’d he even go, anyway?” Law asked.  “I lost track of him after a while.”

Ikkaku laughed, pushing the box toward you.  “Sanji told me something about his grandfather trying to force the three of them to join the military.  I think they moved somewhere just to get away from the hustle and bustle for a bit, but also to get away from that marine grandpa of theirs.”

“What was his name again?” Shachi asked.

“Garp, I think.  Isn’t there a picture of his face on that marine recruitment poster they keep hanging at the local community college?” Penguin queried.

“That’s right.”  Shachi snapped his fingers.  “I never liked that guy.”

You leaned over as far as you could manage with your belly to open the box from Luffy and his two older brothers.  On top of the packing, which was surprisingly well-done (probably not by Luffy), was a hand-written letter.

To the happy couple, Congratulations on your pregnancy!  It’s been so long since we’ve all gotten together, but I’m so glad to hear you’re both doing well.  At some point we’ll all reconnect, I’m sure Ace and Luffy would love to get to romp around with some toddlers, but at the same time, I would completely understand if you wanted anything but that.  Regardless, I hope this box of goodies finds you well.  Best of luck during the rest of your pregnancy!

From, Sabo (who wrote all of this, by the way), Ace, and Luffy

Beneath the newsprint used as packing material, a large collection of toys was compiled for the two of you to pick through.  A rolled up playmat, some teething toys, an assortment of cardboard baby books, some of which were medical themed, a portable pack-and-play, a generous bunch of baby toys for both the home and a stroller, and a few toy organizers.  It was assumed by everyone in the room that Sabo was the one responsible for picking everything out.  The other two most likely trailed behind and poked each other with toys from the children’s section of the local supermarket.  Regardless, the sentiment was appreciated.  A fond smile crawled onto your lips as you scooped up one of the toys from the box.  It was a sturdy stuffed white dog with floppy ears and a pink tongue.

“Bepo,” you called, beckoning your fur baby over.  “It’s you!”

Law grinned at the display, but quickly hid his face at the mischievous cooing noises his best friends were making from across the room.  Bepo was excitedly sniffing the nose of the dog toy before you plopped it back into the box to save for later.

“What’s the plan for you guys in terms of crib placement?” Ikkaku asked, cleaning up the space around her.

You and your husband glanced at each other.  You hadn’t actually thought about it much until then.  While your apartment was technically a two bed-one bath, the second bedroom was substantially smaller and filled with storage that the two of you always insisted you would one day tackle, but never did.  It became a closet forbidden for life, until now, that is.

“I think we’re going to clean out the second bedroom and use that,” Law answered for the two of you.  “That won’t be for a few more months, though.”

“Better get on it soon,” Shachi chided.  “Those little munchkins will be here before you know it!”

You grinned, tossing a glance at Law as he pinched the bridge of his nose in between his fingers.  You turned back to your friends across from you.  “Thank you guys for bringing everything over, though, I really appreciate it!  We both do.”

“Of course!” Ikkaku piped up before the other two could speak.  “I didn’t know when your maternity leave was going to start, so I wanted to make sure you got everything now.”

“A few more weeks,” you confirmed.  “But I’m glad to have all of this stuff so early, then we won’t have to stress when it gets closer to the due date.”

“Do you plan on breastfeeding?” Shachi asked suddenly.

“Shut it, Shachi,” Law barked.  “You just spoiled us.  Don’t test it now.”

The exchange made you laugh, Law seeming to smolder in the direction of his rowdy friends.  Your laughing seemed to trigger something in your babies, too, as you felt two simultaneous flutters in your belly.

You liked making them laugh.

[therealcocoshady]

Recovery - Chapter 12

Eminem x FemReader (Y/N) fanfiction

Summary : Reader explains the origin of the nude pictures and Em decides to take action to prevent them from leaking.

Tags : Angst, Comfort, Fluff, Smut

CW : Argument - Mention of domestic violence - Mention of nudity - Sexual intercourse - Mention of drugs and overdose

Three years ago, you were just starting out your relationship with Simon. The two of you had been beating around the bush for a while and he had finally asked you out, right when you thought you were stuck in the friendzone forever. However, as time went on, things had not progressed the way you hoped they would. The dates he took you on were always nice and you had fun getting to know each other on a more personal level. You could even go as far as to say that some of these dates were extremely romantic. But after nearly five months of dating, you had not gotten past kissing and a bit of mild foreplay. Eventually, you’d grown tired of it and started to wonder if there was something wrong with you. Maybe he wasn’t attracted to you that way, or maybe you weren’t pretty enough. Or maybe you hadn’t been sending the right signals ? Either way, part of you wanted to send the message that you were ready to take things further, on a physical level. That is when Cassie suggested that you send him a few suggestive photos. She presented the idea in such a way that it actually sounded good, even though it was slightly out of character for you. She wasted no time and even took you shopping for some nice lingerie. You went back to your dorm room where you set up your camera and snapped shots in the different sets you had bought before sending them to your friend so that she could tell you which one you should send to Simon. Eventually, though, you decided against sending the pictures, going so far as to delete them. This proved to be a good decision. It turned out that Simon was attracted to you - more than you thought - but wanted to plan the perfect evening and make it romantic. Plus, you’d come to learn that he thought really poorly of girls who took this type of suggestive pictures anyway. If anything, you sending him those pictures would have ruined your chances with him. You never mentioned the shots to him and even came to forget about them. Until they showed up in Paul Rosenberg’s inbox, that is. 

When he showed them to you, you were in complete shock, taken aback. You didn’t even remember taking these pictures in the first place. With the events of the last few months, your memory wasn’t the sharpest either, so it took a while for you to actually remember taking them and in what circumstances. But now it was clear as day : Cassie hadn’t actually deleted the pictures as you had directed her to. It was the only reasonable explanation. 

Oh God, you whispered as you put the pieces together. 

What ? Marshall asked. 

I took these pictures when I was with my ex, you started to explain. 

And that motherfucker leaked them ?! He started to yell. 

He would never, you said. But that’s besides the point. I never actually sent them to him. Didn’t have the guts. I deleted them and thought they didn’t exist anymore. But I had sent them to Cassie. 

Cassie ? He asked. I mean, I know there’s some drama with her, and that she said some unkind things, but are you sure she would leak some intimate pictures of yours ? 

That’s the thing, you said. I’m pretty sure she sees me as the opposite now. Talia paid her a visit and… apparently, things escalated. 

Yeah, I know that… she was going to talk to her, he said. But how bad could it have been ? 

They pretty much beat each other up… 

Shit, he said in an annoyed voice. 

You shrugged. The more you thought about it, the more it made sense. You looked at Paul. 

So… In your opinion, what do you think I should do ? You asked. 

As I said, a procedure could take weeks, months even. But if he is to be believed, we only have a few days, he explained. I’m afraid you can’t do much. It’s a double-edged sword, really. If you were to confront her, this might prompt her to leak them. 

I’m scared she’ll leak them anyway, you said. I mean… It doesn’t make much sense for her to send them to someone she doesn’t know just so that they’d have leverage over Marshall over some stupid diss-track, does it ? 

You bit your lip. Your heart was starting to pound again. The idea that anyone else might come across these pictures made you sick. Marshall grabbed your hand. 

I’ll take care of it, he said reassuringly. 

But there’s nothing you can do, now, can you ? You asked nervously. 

I’m not letting anyone get to you like this, he said firmly. Now, stop biting that lip and go hang out with the guys. I need to talk to Paul for a second. 

I can’t face them, you said sheepishly. 

Just for a minute, alright ? Then I’ll let you settle in the office so that you can work in peace, he offered. 

You nodded and went to the lounge where you found the others talking. As soon as they saw you, they went completely silent. 

Hey Y/N, Porter said. How are you doing ? 

I’m good, you lied through your teeth. 

You look lovely, Royce said. 

Guys… I know you know. Please don’t pity me, you said with a sad smile. 

No one’s pitying you, sis’, Jamal said. 

If anything, we’re ready to kick some ass, Royce added. Seriously, what do you need ? 

A Time Machine, you sighed. 

Don’t worry, Porter said. We’re going to destroy that son of a bitch. 

You smiled softly and made your way to the kitchen. You were depressed and wished there was something you could do. You couldn’t believe Cassie could do this to you. When you confronted her, you were mad, but you figured that the two of you would remain friends and get over it eventually. You thought you just needed time to forgive her. Surely, she couldn’t be mad at you for simply leaving her hotel room after an argument ? That didn’t make sense. Or maybe you were delusional and her altercation with Talia was biggen than you thought. 

You let your tears flow silently as you made yourself a cup of tea. A few moments later, Marshall came to see you. 

Hey beautiful, he said as he pulled you in for a hug. The office is ready for you. How about you take it easy today ? I could order some food for you, you could take a nap… 

Mmmh, you simply said. 

I’m so sorry, he said. 

You shrugged, not saying anything. He kept his arms around you, even though you were not really responsive. 

Really, Y/N, if I had known it would happen, I…, he began. 

But you did nothing wrong, Marshall, you sighed. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. If I hadn’t gotten wasted, we wouldn’t have been spotted together and he wouldn’t have dropped that diss. I’m sorry. 

It’s… What’s done is done, ok ? He said softly. He probably would have dropped a diss anyway. I mean, he came for a bunch of other rappers. So none of it is your fault. 

He gently took your hand and led you to the office where you ended up spending the day working. Every so often, you couldn’t help but check your Instagram, which was blowing up. Even though you didn’t post anything nor interact, people kept on commenting on your pictures and DMing you. Eventually, you decided to change your profile to private. When you were ready to go home, you went to search for Jamal. In the hallway, you found Marshall and Talia, talking casually, a far cry from their last interaction. 

Hey baby, she said softly. 

Hey, you replied. I didn’t know you were here. 

Just arrived, she explained. I came to pick you up, actually. Let’s go home, ok ? 

Oh, I think Jamal was about to leave anyway, you said. But I’m glad to see you ! 

Jamal is staying here for a bit, Marshall explained. I need him to work on the beat for… You know. 

Are you really going to reply ? You  asked. I thought you didn’t want to. 

Insults are one thing, he replied. This is going too far. I’m taking care of it. 

You looked at him anxiously but he gave you a soft smile. 

So… Are you guys… Alright ? You asked him and Talia, referring to their altercation from the other day. 

Oh, that… Yeah, of course, Talia said. 

Something in her tone seemed a bit uneasy, but you were tired and figured it was just your brain playing games with you. You hugged everyone goodbye and went home with Talia. The two of you spent the evening playing board games in order to help you clear your mind. You were about to go to bed when someone rang the doorbell. When you went to open the door, you found Simon standing there, a bouquet of peonies in hand. 

Hey, Y/N, he said.

Simon ?! You asked in disbelief. What are you doing here ? 

Look, I debated coming here at all, but I needed to see you, he replied. I’ve been thinking about you a lot these past few days and… I think I made the biggest mistake in my life when I left you. Can we… talk ? 

Uh… Sure, you said. 

You closed the door and went to the garden with him, sitting on the bench. 

These are for you, he said as he handed you the bouquet. I know these are your favorites. 

Thank you, you said softly. 

It was weird that your ex was giving you flowers, but you were touched by the gesture. He remembered they were your favorites. Plus, after the day you had, it was more than welcome. 

So… You wanted to talk ? You asked as you put the flowers aside. 

Yes, he said. I have been an ass, I know it. I should have acted better. What I did was… unforgivable, really. 

Thank you, you said. 

I was hoping that, maybe, we could… Start seeing each other again ? 

What about Sarah ? You asked. I thought she made you happy. 

She did. She is great. But she is not you, he explained. The last few months of our relationship were hard but I’ve come to realize that… At the end of the day, you are the woman I promised to marry and have kids with. I can’t get over that. I’m not asking you to move back in, yet. I understand that we’re going to need time, but… I want you back, Y/N. I was serious when I said I wanted to have a family with you. I want to care for you. 

Oh Simon, you squealed. I am not in the right headspace, right now… 

Is it about him ? He asked. That Eminem guy ? Are you really seeing him ? 

No, it’s not, you assured him. And his name is Marshall. 

You can’t be with a guy like that, he said. 

A guy like what ?  You asked. 

Y/N, he is… a rapper. These guys are dangerous. I mean, he is clearly a thug. 

You let out a small laugh. You had come to forget that Simon had quite a disdain for hip-hop and rap. He was very similar to your father this way. To him, it didn’t qualify as “proper music”. You had never given it much thought before, but now, it made him seem like a total snob. The people you hung out with, they were far from being thugs. 

He is not a thug, you said. He is great. And I owe him a lot. 

Is it about the money ? He asked. 

What the hell is that question ?!  You asked back, clearly offended. Simon, you know me. I’m not… I’m not after money. I couldn’t care less about that ! 

Then what reason do you have to be with him ? Guys like that… They’re dangerous, he said with concern. 

You haven’t met him, Simon. He is the least dangerous person I know, you said. 

You don’t have to defend him, Y/N, he replied. 

No, you don’t understand… 

What good can he be for you ? He asked. I heard about the song that mentions you. And the threats to post pictures of you. If you were with me, you wouldn’t have to deal with that. 

That’s not his fault, you sighed at the unfairness. 

I don’t want to see you get hurt, Y/N… You know he beats up women, right ?! 

You… What ?! You exclaimed. Simon, this is ridiculous. I know him, alright ? He wouldn’t hurt a fly. I know he has a reputation but it is nothing more than a persona, some tasteless jokes at worst. If you listened to his music, or if you knew him, you’d know. 

He admitted to it, he said. I… When I saw you with him, I had to look into him, you know ? Just to make sure that you’re safe. And… Who in his right mind talks about killing his baby’s mother in a song ?! That’s not the kind of man you want to be associated with. 

You sighed and looked at him. In truth, you hadn’t caught up with Marshall’s work so you had no idea what the hell Simon was referring to. But you knew Marshall enough to know that he was the least violent person on earth. The man you hung out with, that you befriended, was a gentleman and he would never hurt a woman. 

You don’t know him, you simply said. I do. I know what he is made of, and he is not like this. He is one of the most important people in my life right now, and I won’t have you talk about him this way. 

No, you don’t understand, Y/N, he repeated. This man is not good for you. He will never love you like I do. 

He has my back and I have his. And he has shown me more love than you have in the past five months, you pointed out. For someone who loves me, you were nowhere to be found. 

Yeah but when I saw you with him, I… 

So that’s what it is about, you huffed. You just don’t want to see me with another man. That’s not love, Simon. That’s… territorial. You know, weeks ago, I would have given anything for you to knock on my door with peonies. I would have given anything for you to tell me you love me and that you want me back. But it is worthless if it comes from a place of jealousy and possessivity. I’d rather be alone. 

He stared at you, looking sorry. 

So it’s him instead of me ? He asked. 

It’s me instead of anyone else, Simon. I am growing, I am changing and, believe me, I am not in the right headspace right now, you said. But if I have to put it this way… Yes, it’s him instead of you. I will have his back any day. 

Don’t come crying when he hurts you, he simply said. You may have his back, but this type of man will always put himself first. Not you. No matter how you deserve it. He doesn’t have your back. Not even a little bit. 

I think you should go, Simon, you said softly. Thanks for the bouquet, though. And for what it’s worth… I am sorry I said some unkind things last time you came. I wish for you to be happy. But it won’t be with me. 

He stared at the ground while you got up and wished him good night. You went back in the house and put the flowers in a vase before going to bed. 

When you woke up the next morning, you heard Talia and Jamal arguing in the kitchen. 

Can’t you grab her phone and delete the apps so that she doesn’t see that thing ? Jamal asked. 

She’s not stupid, Jamal, Talia argued. I think she deserves to know. If it were me, I would want to. 

I can’t take her to the studio today, he said. Not like this. 

You know full well we can't leave her alone in here, she said. Especially not if she sees… Who knows what she would do… 

You finally entered the room, interrogation all over your face. 

Shit, Jamal mumbled. 

Hey baby, Talia said. How are you ? 

You tell me, you sighed. 

So… You heard us ? Jamal asked carefully. 

You shrugged. 

What’s that about ? You asked as you grabbed a glass of juice. Shouldn’t you be at work already, Tay ? 

Yeah, I’m running a little late, she said in an annoyed voice. Look… A couple things happened. And I don’t know how to break it to you. We have… News. Good and less good. 

About what ? You asked. 

There’s a couple of things, Jamal said. First… We found a connection between Cassie and the rapper.  Talia did, actually. That explains a few things. 

Huh ? You asked. They know each other ? 

The guy’s her cousin, Talia explained. 

Are you sure ? 

Yeah, she said. It hit me yesterday. When we were in the early days of college, she kept on bragging about how her cousin from New York was a rapper and how he was going to make it big and work with… Whoever. I did a bit of research and it turns out… It’s him. 

That explains a few things, I guess, you sighed. Is there… Something else ? Like, bad news ? 

Look, honey, Talia said softly as she grabbed the glass of juice from your hands. Maybe you should sit for a second ? 

She pulled a chair for you and you sat, staring at them. It felt as if they were about to tell you that someone had died. 

Now, I know this sucks, but I want you to remember that, whatever happens, we are here for you, ok ? She said. 

Just spill it, you said. 

Well, the thing is… Hum… How do I put this… 

One of the pictures leaked already, Jamal said. 

Your jaw was on the floor. You wanted to scream but were unable to. 

A picture… of… me ? You asked. Of me naked ? It… It is on the Internet ?! 

It’s not that bad, Talia said immediately. It could be worse, really… 

No, Tay, you have no idea, you said. I have seen the pictures they plan on leaking. It’s bad. 

I know. I haven’t but this one is ok, I guess, she replied. I mean… Some of my bikini pics aren’t that modest. 

She pulled her phone and showed you the picture that was published on Twitter, on the rapper’s account. It was you, wearing a black lace bodysuit. You were laying in your bed, looking ingenuous, the black lingerie contrasting with the white bedsheets. In all fairness, it wasn’t as bad as a lot of pictures you could see on Instagram and other social media. Definitely more modest than some. Still, having this picture put out for the world to see without your consent was humiliating. It also made you scared, as you knew that this picture was the most modest of the whole set. The rest of them were clearly more suggestive. The reception was mixed. Some followers of the rapper didn’t shy away from commenting on your body (for better or for worse), mentioning how embarrassing it must be for Em to be with such a slut. Some people, however, expressed support for you and mentioned what a low blow it was to drag someone’s innocent partner in a feud. A few even encouraged others to report the pictures. Still, you were embarrassed. You buried your face in your hands.

Oh my God, you whispered. It’s happening. 

There has to be something we can do, Talia said. 

You need to take me to the studio right now, you told Jamal. I need to see Paul about this. 

He simply nodded and you rushed upstairs to get ready. When you got to the studio, it was earlier than usual. Jamal stayed outside to smoke a cigarette while you got in, searching for Paul. As soon as you entered the building, you heard loud voices in the kitchen. It was Marshall arguing with Paul. 

I’m just saying that it may be a better idea to distance yourself from her, Paul said. If you put out the track, it’s going to seem like the guy’s got you by the balls. Not to mention that it would mean you’d confirm the relationship. 

I don’t care about that, Marshall groaned. You’ve seen the pictures, right ?! I can’t let it happen. Y/N is going to be crushed. I can’t do this to her. 

Look, I hate to say it but… at that point, the guy may be winning anyway. If you don’t reply, he might leak the pictures, but if you do, it proves he’s got the upper hand, Paul said. At least, if you don’t publicly come out, you can keep your dignity. You can even deny the relationship later on. 

Shut up, Marshall said. I’m not doing this. If we don’t do something, her pictures are going to be out there for everyone to see. You’ve seen these, right ? How would you feel if it were your wife’s pictures ? Or your daughter’s, or your niece’s…? 

Marshall… Y/N made her bed. She willingly took these photos and she was careless with them. My job is not to let that hurt you, your career or your reputation, Paul replied. I couldn’t care less about her tits or her pussy being out there. 

You better shut the fuck up ! Marshall yelled. Last time I checked, I hired you and I’m your boss. So you better stick to the plan and do your job. You handle legal, I handle music. Understood ?! And I won’t have you shame Y/N. 

Paul sighed and they got out of the kitchen, only to find you standing in the hallway. Paul greeted you curtly before going to his own office, as Marshall came to hug you. 

Hey, he said. Didn’t hear you come in. 

I got here a few minutes ago, you simply said. 

Shit… Did you… Hear us ? He asked, embarrassed. 

I did, you sighed. Paul… 

Paul’s an ass, he simply said. But we’re handling it, alright ? That dickhead is going down. In every way possible. 

Marshall… The first picture was leaked, you said. 

I know, he replied. But this might actually give us leverage. Now we have proof he is ready to make good on his threat. I won’t let anything happen to you. You know that, right ? I’m going to destroy that son of a bitch.

You have my back, you squeed as you were reminded of your latest exchange with Simon. 

Of course. You know I do, he said with a smile. 

Suddenly, you were overwhelmed with emotion, adoration and gratitude. This man was really coming through for you. Without a second thought, you pressed your lips to his, brushing them gently. You hummed softly as you broke the embrace. 

Oh my god, I’m sorry…, You whispered.

Come back here, he whispered back with a grin. 

He pulled you closer as he captured your lips with his. The kiss was soft and sweet. You could feel the warmth of his lips against yours. You put a hand on the back of his neck as he gently grabbed your waist. Your chest was soon pressed against his, as the both of you leaned into the embrace. You put all the emotions of the last week into this kiss. It was the relief you didn’t know you needed. However, the moment was interrupted by the front door opening. He gently let go of you before anyone walked in. 

I better go. Tons of things to do for that diss track. But I’ll definitely come to get some more of this when I’m done, he hummed as he gave you a soft peck on the lips. 

You nodded shyly and the both of you went about your day. You settled in his office, a bit giddy over the kiss. You hadn’t planned on kissing him, it was a spur of the moment thing, but you were glad he kissed you back. In the afternoon, Paul came to see you. 

Y/N. Do you have a minute ? He asked. 

Sure, you replied politely. 

So, seeing as the first picture was leaked, we will be able to press charges, he said. I have already gathered pieces of evidence and we are ready to send the rapper a cease and desist letter. A police officer will come in a short while to take a statement from you. 

Alright. What about Cassie ? You asked. She might as well decide to leak them on her own, though. 

Well, that’s another story, he sighed. I don’t doubt you but, simply speaking, we don’t have proof she is the one who gave him the pictures. We can’t really do much about this girl, except for hoping she doesn’t have a mass platform to leak the pictures. 

Well, she has about… 15K followers, I think ? You said. 

So it’s less significant than the millions of followers that dude has, he pointed out. 

Yeah but people will still massively share the pictures if they leak, you replied. 

I know, he said. But I can’t do much more. I’m sorry. 

She’s the rapper’s cousin, you added. 

I know. 

Isn’t that sufficient proof ? You asked tentatively. 

That’s not how it works, Y/N. But maybe I could do something if you could provide me with the email or messages in which you sent the pics ? Or if you have a text that proves that you asked her to delete them at some point ? He asked. 

It was three years ago, Paul. I… I don’t have these anymore. 

I’m sorry. Then I’m afraid I can’t do much.  

Thank you anyway, you sighed. I know it’s not in your job description. And that you “couldn’t care less about my tits or my pussy being out there”. But I appreciate it. 

He nodded politely and left the office. An hour later, two police officers came in to take your statement. You were definitely ashamed, especially since one of them, a man in his early sixties, couldn’t help but comment on how foolish you had to be to take nude pictures. Yet, you could clearly notice he stared at your body. You knew he had seen the photos. Was this how it was going to be ? Would all of your interactions be this awkward from now on ? Shortly after they left, Marshall came to see you.

How did it go ? He asked. 

Well they took my statement, you said. So I think that’s what matters. Would’ve been nice if the guy had stared into my eyes instead of my tits, though… 

Fucker, he sighed. 

How about you ? You asked. How is work going ? 

Just finished recording, he said with a smile. The guys are going to work on some arrangements and then, all I’ll have to do is post it at the right time. 

Ok, you said softly. 

Want to come hang out with us ? He offered. You’ve been here since morning, you haven’t even eaten. 

Well, believe it or not, having strangers comment on your body doesn’t really encourage you to eat a lot, you said sheepishly. Apparently my thighs are too fat, or something like that… 

Bullshit, he scoffed. You’re just too hot to handle for the haters. 

He stroked your cheek and gently took your hand. 

Come on, he said. I think the guys miss you. 

Do they ? You mused. 

Of course, he chuckled. We love having you around. 

Sorry, you said. I’m not the best company lately… 

That’s understandable, he said as he placed a strand of hair behind your ear. 

You shrugged and started to walk towards the door but he pulled you in for a kiss. He was holding you gently yet firmly, both hands on your waist. You traced his shoulders as you kissed him back. 

I was looking forward to this, he whispered with a smile that made you blush.

He stroked your cheek and let go of you before the two of you went and joined the others. They were, indeed, happy to see you and were excited to let you hear the first version of the track they recorded. It was really good, especially considering how little time they’d had to work on it. You liked everything about it, from the beats to the lyrics. 

What do you think ? Royce asked.

It’s really good, you said. By the way, how do you know who… “wins” ? 

It basically comes down to the puns and bars, Porter explained. In some cases, it’s kind of a tie, but here, it’s going to be obvious to everyone. 

Speaking of bars… Was the mention of my black lingerie really necessary, guys ? You asked. 

Em, you’re on your own on this one, Royce said with a grin before they all got up to go and smoke a cigarette. 

Marshall nervously scratched the back of his neck. 

I mean… It sort of rhymed with the whole thing, he said. But if it’s too much, I can totally change it. 

Mmmh, you said. I don’t know. I mean, Paul was right. If you do that, you’re basically confirming the rumors… You do refer to me as your “girl”... 

It’s me having your back, he shrugged. Plus, it’s a line. Nothing more, you know ? I made sure not to put the focus on you. In the track, I also refer to Kim as my wife, so… But again, if you don’t like it, I can come up with something else. 

No, no, it’s fine, you said. You’re the lyricist.  I think I’m just embarrassed about this whole situation, you know ?

Don’t be, he said. I know the whole thing is unnerving right now, but we’re ending the guy as soon as this drops. Along with other surprises. 

Meaning ? 

You’ll see, he grinned. I don’t want to jinx it. But if everything goes according to plan, this guy will be OVER. I can guarantee you.

When is the track dropping ? You asked. 

Sunday night. 

It seems so far away, you sighed. I don’t mean to rush anything, and I appreciate you coming through for me, I do… But I am scared that he’s going to pull something else until then, you know ? 

Oh, believe me, he’ll be busy, he said with a smirk. 

And he was right. For the next two days, nothing else happened on social media. Your picture was still very much online and the whole story was picked on by a few news outlets, but at least, no more pictures leaked. On Sunday night, Jamal and Talia invited Marshall for dinner, to celebrate your first week of being sober again. 

I have something for you, he said with a smile when he greeted you. 

Do you ? You asked with a grin. You know you’ve done enough for me lately, don’t you ? 

I know, but a deal’s a deal, he said. Happy one week of sobriety, Y/N. 

He handed you a bag that looked unassuming from the outside. When you peeked inside, you let out a little shrieking noise. It was his Saint Laurent jacket. 

Oh my God, you’re the best ! You said as you hugged him. You were feeling like a child on Christmas Day. 

You’re welcome, he said with a laugh. Take care of it, alright ? It’s one of my favorites. 

For how long do I have custody of that glorious piece for ? 

Is a month alright ? I have a photoshoot planned, he said. I’d like to wear it. 

Deal, you chuckled. Thank you thank you thank you !!! 

Talia and Jamal were looking at you with amused looks on their faces. 

What’s that about ? Jamal asked. 

Y/N’s been eyeing my jacket for a while, he shrugged. We actually have a deal : for each sobriety milestone, she gets to raid my closet. 

That’s going to help rumors, Jamal pointed out sternly. 

We’re in Detroit, Marshall said. There’s no paparazzi here. Besides, I don’t think the track is going to help matters. I don’t really care, to be honest. But yeah, maybe don’t take pictures in my clothes, Y/N. 

That’s fine, you said with a smile. We don’t want the world to see that I wear them better anyway, now, do we ? 

Speaking of your clothes, Em, I think I washed some of them the other day, Talia said. 

Oh, yeah, you said. The clothes you let me borrow last time. They’re in my room. I’ll go and get them. That way, I can put this beauty in my closet. 

I’ll come with you, Marshall replied. 

The two of you went upstairs. As soon as you entered your room, Marshall closed the door and pulled you in for a kiss, taking you by surprise. 

Sorry, he chuckled. Had to say hello properly. 

Hey there, you giggled. I like this. 

Me too, he chuckled. 

You put the jacket in your closet and gave him the clothes he had let you borrow the last time you were at his place, along with the merch tee-shirt. 

Thanks for the clothes, you said softly. 

I must admit I like you in my stuff, he said. You make it really sexy, you know ? 

Do I ? You mused as you blushed. 

Absolutely. And if it were just the two of us here… I would gladly show you how sexy I think you are today, he whispered in your ear. 

His words had you turning crimson red. That was new. In the past, he had made a point to remind you that nothing was to happen between the two of you. Yet, he had returned your kiss two days ago when you kissed him, and he seemed pretty intent on doing it again, not that you had anything against it, on the contrary. However, this left you with a lot of questions. Unfortunately though, you were too much of a coward to ask them. 

Are you alright there ? He asked. 

Yes, you said shyly. I… Would like that, actually. 

Good to know, he said as he kissed you again.

As the kiss deepened, you wrapped your arms around his neck while he gently squeezed your ass. 

You drive me crazy, he whispered in your ear. You’re irresistible. 

Is that so ? You grinned. 

You have no fucking idea what you do to me, Y/N, he groaned.

Tell me, you whispered in between kisses. 

I’ll show you, he grinned as he pulled you closer to him, making sure you could feel how hard he was. 

I want you, you whimpered. 

Not yet, he whispered in your ear. We’ll go for a drive after dinner, ok ? 

You reluctantly let go of him. His words were promising and you weren’t too sure how you could be expected to wait. He winked at you and you both made your way downstairs and got settled for dinner. Marshall was constantly checking his phone, which was a bit unusual for him. After what seemed to be the thousandth time, he let out a victory smile. 

Guys… This motherfucker is officially done, he declared proudly. 

Dropped the track yet ? Jamal asked between bites or dessert. 

Better. I got his label to drop him. And a promise from a bunch of others not to sign him, he said with a grin. 

You didn’t ?! Talia exclaimed. 

Oh, I definitely did, Marshall said. Track is dropping later tonight, and he already received a small surprise today. 

You really went all out, you said. 

Had to put this motherfucker back in his place, he shrugged. I’m sick of bastards coming for the people in my life. And this one was way out of line. 

Dinner came to an end and Marshall convinced Talia to let you go with him for a drive. She lectured him and made him promise to bring you home before midnight but let you go eventually, as a present for remaining sober for a week. He drove you to the exact same spot you went to when you took the Aston Martin for a drive. As soon as the car was parked, he was all over you. You ended up in the backseat of the Escalade, making out while exploring each other’s body. 

You’re so beautiful, he whispered in your ear. 

I want you, you whimpered. 

So soon ? He chuckled. 

Please. 

Anything for you, baby, he said as he kissed you. 

The pet name made you giggle, but you soon let out a moan as he sucked on your neck while helping you undress. The sensation of his hands against your skin was delicious and you couldn’t get enough. Every inch of your body was craving for his touch and he seemed happy to oblige. You helped him undress as well and he kissed you hungrily before putting on a condom. He had you lay down in the backseat and looked in your eyes as he positioned himself at your entrance. 

I want you so bad, he said. 

Show me, then, you teased. 

Before you knew it, he was inside of you, causing you to gasp at how big he felt.

You feel so good, he groaned. 

You feel so good. 

He grinned and started rocking his hips. Your nails were scratching his back while his fingers were digging in your waist. His mouth found your neck again and he let out a chuckle as he found out how easy it was to reduce you to a moaning mess by simply sucking on that sweet spot. 

You like that, baby ? 

Yes, you whined. Yes, yes, yes …

I could mark you up, you know, he whispered. That way, everyone would know you’re mine… 

I want to be yours, you whimpered. 

This prompted him to pick up the pace and, soon enough, he was slamming into you. You had to prevent yourself from making too much noise and started biting his shoulder. 

Oh my god, you moaned. I think I’m going to come. 

You think ? He teased as he thrusted even deeper. Or are you sure ? 

I’m sure. Oh God, you cried as you dug your nails deeper into his skin. 

I’m not done with you yet, he chuckled before getting out. 

The sensation of hollowness was almost painful. You were desperate for him, longing to feel him again. 

Get on top, he ordered as he proceeded to sit. 

You did as he said and straddled, whimpering as he entered you again. 

Take all of it, he whispered.

It’s too much, you whined. 

You can do it, he said softly. You’re doing so good. 

He gently teased your nipples with his hands and mouth as you were slowly grinding on him. He moaned as your movements became more frantic. The position allowed you to feel all of him and it soon became overwhelming, your thighs starting to become sore. You groaned in frustration. 

Don’t slow down, he ordered. Keep going, baby. I’m so close… 

I can’t, you whispered. Help me, please. 

I got you. 

He firmly grabbed your ass and started pumping. He was thrusting hard as you let your head fall back. After a moment, you found it in yourself to go again and your hips moved in sync. The sensations were exquisite and you felt closer than ever to your climax. 

Oh God, you moaned. 

Come for me, baby, he said gently. 

But… you ? You cried. 

I’m right there, he moaned. 

You were euphoric as you felt waves of pleasure washing over the two of you. You could feel him twitch inside of you as he came and you couldn’t contain your own juices from spilling. 

Oh shit, you said as you collapsed on top of him. 

He chuckled before closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around your body. You could feel both of your hearts pounding, as you were chest to chest, and his breath in your neck. You were shuddering. 

You’re incredible, he whispered in your ear. 

You’re amazing, you said, still in a haze. 

Here, take this, he said as he grabbed his jacket and placed it over your shoulder so that you wouldn’t be cold. 

You stayed in this position for a while, neither of you really wanting to move. You nuzzled his neck as he played with your hair and stroked your back. You were about to fall asleep when he gently shook your shoulder. 

Hey, beautiful, he said. Let’s get dressed. Otherwise we’re both going to fall asleep. 

We can sleep here, you shrugged. I don’t care. 

Talia will kill us if I bring you home one minute late, he pointed out. 

Mmmmh, you groaned before burying your face deeper in his neck. 

Come on, he chuckled. 

You unenthusiastically got off him. He kissed you gently before grabbing some tissues for the both of you to get cleaned up. You got dressed and he disposed of the tissues and condom before getting back in the driver’s seat. He was groaning when you sat back in the passenger seat next to him. 

Next time, we’re doing this in bed, he chuckled. My back is killing me. 

Next time ? You couldn’t help but ask. 

He turned to you and smiled softly. 

Well, yeah, he said. Unless you don’t want to ? 

Oh, no, I want to ! You said. It’s just… I thought that you… didn’t ? 

I know, he said as he scratched his beard. I said a bunch of stuff, but… There’s just something about the way you draw me in. You drive me absolutely crazy, Y/N. There’s something between the two of us and I just can’t deny it’s there, you know ? When you kissed me the other day, something sort of shifted, it was… it felt kind of right, you know what I’m saying ? 

You nodded shyly. It was exactly how you felt, and him saying he felt the same  was a relief.  

I care about you, he continued. I think you’re absolutely incredible and I really like our relationship. And I also really enjoy kissing you and the naughtier stuff, too. So… I guess what I'm really saying is that, if you’re up for it, maybe we could… Hang out a little more ? 

He sounded almost shy and it was the most adorable thing ever. 

I’d like that very much, you said with a smile. 

Good. 

You stared at each other and chuckled. 

Now, he said a little more seriously, because I care about you, I think we should make things clear, ok ? What I said last time still sort of stands. You’re still in recovery, and that should come first. And most of all, I want us to be friends before being anything else. If being more doesn’t work out, I want us to still be friends. You mean so much to me, I don’t want to lose you.  

Ok, you nodded. 

Just because you have me wrapped around your pretty little finger doesn’t mean I’m not serious about that, ok ? 

You nodded again and smiled shyly. 

Good. Now I’ll take you home, he said with a smile. 

Do you really have to ? You said as you batted your eyelashes. 

Yeah. First of all, Talia is scaring the shit out of me and I don’t want to end on her bad side, he said with a smile. Also, you’ve had quite a week and you should rest. 

Fine, you groaned. 

He took you home and you spent a few minutes making out in the car before you had to leave. You were interrupted by the constant buzzing of your phone. It was an unknown caller and you decided not to answer. You resumed the kiss but were interrupted again. You sighed and decided to take the call. 

Hello ? 

You fucking bitch !!! You heard Cassie yell on the phone. 

Cassie ?! You asked in disbelief, not believing that she would actually have the nerve to call you. 

I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY PULLED THAT OFF. First you send Talia and your boyfriend after me ?! And now my cousin gets jumped at his apartment by dudes with guns ?! Who do you think you are ? She yelled. 

First of all, I never sent anyone anywhere, you said curtly. Second, you are the one who got him to drop that track, aren’t you ? You’re the one who leaked my pictures ! 

Only because you sent Talia and Em to my hotel room to threaten me !!! You need to tell Em to back off, Y/N. This is too serious. 

There was only Talia, you said. And I didn’t send her there. You two have your beef, do not make me a part of this, Cassie. 

I swear he was there, Y/N ! He threatened me, she swore. So yeah, I told my cousin to add a reference to you in the diss - which was coming anyway - and I decided to use the pictures as leverage. But I only leaked the first one. I wouldn’t have leaked the others !!! We just wanted Em to answer, for publicity. But now, my cousin is in the hospital. Tell him to back off, or I swear I will end you !!! 

You shot a glance at Marshall, who could clearly hear the exchange, as the two of you were seated side to side in the car. At first, you thought Cassie was lying. But the distress in her voice and Marshall’s ashamed look told you otherwise. 

Let me call you back, you told Cassie. We will clarify the situation like adults. I swear I had no idea, ok ? 

Whatever. I want proof Em’s backing off before tomorrow, she said before hanging up. 

You stared at Marshall. His mouth was agape and you could see fear in his eyes. Like someone who knows they are in trouble. 

Please tell me that’s not true, you said. 

Y/N, he said, I’m sorry. 

What part are you sorry for, exactly ? 

I…- he began. 

What’s up, Mr Lyricist. You don’t have words, all a sudden ? Let me help you. What. Are. You. Sorry. For ? Is it for the part where you lied to me about going to visit Cassie with Talia ? For the part where you threatened her ? For the part where you sent armed men to another rapper’s apartment ?! You asked with anger. 

It wasn’t supposed to happen like that, he tried to explain. 

I can’t believe you, you said as you left the car. 

You walked through the driveway and made your way to the house as he followed you. 

Y/N, I did that for you !!! Marshall pleaded. 

For me ?! You asked with a sarcastic laugh. That’s rich. I didn’t ask for shit, Marshall. 

I went and confronted Cassie with Talia because I couldn't stand to see you sad. I saw how distraught you were about those pictures. I had to do something, he said with sadness in his eyes. It drove me crazy to have this dude come for you. 

Is that why you acted like a fucking thug ?! 

I swear it wasn’t supposed to happen this way, he tentatively explained. They were just supposed to scare him. They didn’t mention shit about guns and they most definitely weren’t supposed to hurt him. 

I can’t believe it, you said. I’m going to be sick. 

You have to believe me, he pleaded. I only did that to protect you. Because I have your back. I only thought about you. 

No you don’t. Guys like you… They don’t have anyone’s back except theirs, you said as you thought about Simon’s words. If you had my back, none of this would have happened. If you truly had my back, you would have put a statement right after the pictures came out. That would have actually protected me. But you only thought about yourself. All of this… It makes you look good, in the end. You eliminate concurrence, you get some press coverage out of it, you get the crowd hyped and ready for your next album and you even have people thinking you have a girlfriend so that they leave you alone on the subject. It’s a win-win situation for you, Em. 

Don’t think that, he said with tears in his eyes. I was trying to save your reputation…

My reputation or yours ?! You yelled. My reputation was fine before I was publicly associated with you. No one dragged me in the dirt. No one mentioned my name on stupid diss tracks. No one tried to leak my nude pictures before. It’s all because of you, Em. 

I swear to God, Y/N, if you call me Em one more time, he groaned. 

What are you going to do ?! You asked with a manic laughter. Tell me, Em, because I am dying to hear it. 

You do not want to see me get angry, he said as he closed his eyes. 

What are you going to do, huh ? You asked as you got closer to him. Are you going to go all thug on me ? Are you going to have me held at gunpoint ? Or are you going to do whatever it is that you did to your ex or any woman you slept with ? 

Do not mention that, Y/N, he warned as his eyes got darker. 

Should I expect a diss track ? Are you going to rap about killing me ? You asked with anger. Or are you going to punch me ? 

Go to hell, you ungrateful bitch, he spat. You think you’re respectable ? You are nothing but a whore and a junkie. I should have left you at that party, to get fucked by whoever was there. Hell, maybe it would have been better if you had overdosed on pills before we met. 

You stood still, staring at each other in silence, taking in the words that were said. Your heart was pounding in your chest and you felt nothing but anger and sadness. All the affection and desire you had ever felt for him was replaced by hatred and disdain. At that point, it was clear that anything the two of you might have meant to each other was thrown to the fire. 

I thought you were the best thing that ever happened to me, Marshall, you said almost whispering. But in the end, you are the worst. I wish I had never met you. 

With these words, you turned around and entered the house, ready to confront Talia.

[syndxlla]

best friends don’t look at each other the way we do

A low stakes, high reward and self-indulgent Zelink fan fiction. Canon-compliant. Takes place between BOTW and TOTK

Chapter Five: My North Star

Read chapter four here

My masterlist

Song: August by Taylor Swift

Summary: Link and Zelda get a visitor from an old friend, and start to remember how to live for the hope of it all.

Warnings: brief and non graphic mentions of death and dead bodies, canon-typical violence and horror, PTSD (always for this fan fic)

Word Count: 3.3k words

Authors Note: finally some happy moments lol. Also this is unedited!! ALSO I KNOW I HAVE SO MANY UNANSWERED ASKS RN I PROMISE I AM NOT IGNORING YOU IM JUST BUSY AND LAZY kloveyoubye

It takes only three more days for Impa to arrive at their door, angrily pounding her staff on the wooden plank. It’s early, she beats the rooster, and Link is rubbing sleep out of his eyes as he stumbles to the door from his makeshift bed he’s made adjacent to the kitchen.

He’s shocked to see the old woman staring up at him, as far as he knows, she hasn’t left Kakariko village in decades.

“You completed the mission and your first instinct was NOT to come and tell me?” She asks, her wrinkled lips pressed firmly into a frown. Link looks up to see Cado, apologetic. His hair is down, shirt is off, and he’s barely wearing trousers. He yawns.

“Good morning, Master Impa.” He bows deeply to her and she just whacks his skull with her cane in the same manner she did the door. Link yelps and rubs the top of his head. “What was that for?” He asks.

“Where’s the princess?”

“She’s sleeping still, it’s barely sunrise.” Link rubs some more sleep from his lashes, his hand in a tight fist. “You know, most people say good morning when you see them first thing…”

Impa then lets herself into the house, pushing past him like the angry ball of spunk she is. “I’ll have tea.” She states, “And I’d like to see my friend.” Link and Cado look at each other, the Sheikah man staring at him apologetically.

Link nods, walking to the furnace and kneeling in front of it. He blows on the dying embers from the night before, placing a small log on them. Flames catch, and he’s setting the kettle over them, still full of water from yesterday. Cado closes the door and sits across from Impa at the table. Link eyes his bed roll in the corner of the room, kicking some blankets around in an attempt to make it look less disheveled, but the elderly woman just squints at the state of the house. If only she had seen it a week ago. Link was starting to feel proud of he and Zelda’s progress, wildflowers being placed in a vase on the table, and their plates polished and put away neatly for the first time. After Impa’s scrutinizing gaze, however, he was feeling all sorts of insecure again.

The air is stagnant.

“She's still sleeping…still.” Link clears his throat, his voice hushed. “She needs to rest because-“

“Link, two bodies were found just outside of the castle two days ago, the man who found them also reports seeing a Shadowy Figure, covered in what he suspects is malice.” Impa interrupts him.

“What?” He asks, startled.

“I didn’t want to lead with that, but it cannot be ignored.” She spoke in the same hushed tone. They didn’t want to wake the Princess, and they especially didn’t want to scare her.

“Treasure hunters? I mean it's still a war zone there, it wasn’t anything else… right? He was lying, surely. All the Malice disappeared…” Link asks, feeling the blood go from his face.

“The man was Me.” Cado frowns. He would never lie. “After we got your message from Purah, I traveled to the castle to confirm that the Calamity was destroyed. The bodies were hylian, two young people. A boy and a girl… I thought it was..”

Cado’s voice became too loud, and Link hushed him.

“We want to think it was leftover spells, but we don’t know. We don’t know who else to ask to investigate.” Impa says.

“Now that Hyrule is safe, it's time we start reestablishing civility, democracy.” Cado steps in.

“It’s been eleven days since I defeated him.” Link crosses his arms, “I’m still not sleeping through the nights, Zelda doesn’t have her full strength back yet. You promised me I would get to rest when it was all over.” He looks at the Sheikah Chief.

“Don’t lie to me, Link.” Impa shakes her head, “I know you can’t stay in one place for too long. No matter how hard you try.” She states. She wasn’t wrong, but recently Link has started to feel different.

The kettle starts to whistle. Link swallows his frustration and takes it off the heat, preparing three cups of green bell tea. Everyone feels discomfort. “Did the figure do anything?” Link asks as he pours the hot water into the cups, his back turned to the Sheikah.

“It just stared at me, it was tall, hunched over.” Cado describes, one could easily hear the fear in his voice. “We stared at each other, I couldn’t tell if it was from this world or not.”

“Tall like a Zora or tall like a Gerudo?” Link asks, still turned away.

“Gerudo.” Cado struggled to say it. “I drew my sword, and as soon as I did, it turned away from me and walked into the mist to the south. I never saw it again.”

Link swallows and then turns around finally, carrying the cups to the table. “And the bodies?”

“Cause of death was unknown, I checked for a pulse multiple times but they were both long gone. They were dressed in traveler's garb. Their dress seemed to be from the north.”

“If they have families they need to know.” Link sits, holding the mug of tea in his hands.

“You’re the only one who could inform them about such a thing.” Impa says. “Tabantha is a long way, but you could be there and back in an hour if you warp. We’ll stay here until you-“

“The sheikah slate is utterly destroyed.” Link admits. “I left it with Purah but she essentially told me it's beyond repair.”

“You’d have to go on foot like the rest of us.” Cado smirks.

“Why would I?” Link asks, perhaps too forcefully. “I did my quest.”

Impa stares at him, silent for a moment, “You don’t really feel that way.” She shakes her head, “And if you do, then you are not the same man who woke up three years ago.”

“I’m not!” Link almost shouts, and they all bite their tongues, listening for any sound from upstairs. “Impa… you know I care. You know I want to go find whatever that figure was, but I am tired.” His voice cracks. “I can’t just sleep this one off.” He can’t look at her, if he does, he’ll break. “This is much deeper than exhaustion. It’s… it’s traumatic.

I still see him. His eyes, the way His heat radiated and burned my skin, the sound of His laughter. He Haunts me at night, I swear He finds ways into my dreams and taunts me there. Like it was all just a game to Him. Because it was. It always was. He’ll do it again a hundred times, and we can’t ever stop Him. There will be countless more Links who lose their hearing and can’t sleep and won't even look themselves in a mirror because as long as the triforce exists, He will mock us all with His deviance.”

Link stares into his tea.

“Impa…” A quiet voice says from the stairs, and all three of them are turning to see her. Long, blonde hair draped over her shoulder, eyes sleepy and confused, hands at her sides.

She nearly trips down the stairs as she runs to the woman, wrapping her hands around her neck and crying. Impa immediately holds her back, laughing, taking an old, bony hand and stroking the top of her friend's head with it.

“Good Morning, my dear.”

Link and Cado share one more glance.

The day is spent with hugs and laughter and Zelda looking into Impa’s eyes and crying every time she sees that they’re still the same eyes. Link cooks for them, and gets as quiet as he was at the start of this war. It’s all he can think about. Did it return for other Links? Did it return this early?

Zelda must have noticed his distance because while Impa is telling Zelda all about the man she married, the Princess is glancing at Link. His shoulders tense, his head down, his voice silent. She frowns, deciding to ask him about it later.

Cado was delighted to meet the woman, bowing deeply for her. He eventually got on a tangent about his children while they ate the omelets Link prepared, but Link stayed silent. He glances over at the Master Sword, leaning against the corner of the room, staring back at him.

He distracts himself the rest of the day with Epona, tending to her constantly while Zelda tells Impa every single detail about her time sealed away. The two prayed over each other a few times. The sun gets low in the sky, Link stays silent.

They come back inside, and before Impa and Cado enter from the outside to begin their next hour of catching up, Zelda places a gentle hand on Link’s shoulder. “Link,”

He turns to look at her, everything about him immediately softening as her green eyes stare at him.

“You’re upset?” She says, her voice soothing.

“No I’m not.” He denies. She raises an eyebrow.

“I know you.” Link becomes acutely aware of her thumb that starts rubbing circles into his muscle and he has to remind himself how to stand. ”Talk to me.”

He knows he can’t tell her about this, not yet. “Later?” He asks. She smiles and nods.

“I’m here for you.”

Link begins dinner, and Zelda washes up, leaving the three alone for the first time since early morning.

Impa stares, Cado uncomfortably clears his throat. Link looks at them, frowning, knowing what they want.

He sighs deeply.

“I will return to the castle. Zelda and I briefly discussed returning the Champion’s weapons to their people, and can do it then.” He finally says. “Tell every leader to warn their people to avoid the castle at all costs.”

“Good.” Impa nods.

“But-“ Link holds his hand up, “I’m not going until both she and I are ready.” He says.

“What do you mean by ready?” That old woman was always so pushy.

“When Zel and I both feel ready to return to those places without it absolutely crushing our spirits, we will go. Together.”

“Hylia knows when that will be.” Cado scoffs.

“Exactly.” Link says. “Unless more deaths are reported or this shadow is seen again, it can wait. Everyone has been avoiding the castle for a century, what’s a little while longer?” Link states, silently proud of himself for sticking up for himself and not just being the obedient soldier he was trained to be. “Besides, no one should be there anyways, it’s not safe.”

“You’re in love with the Princess.” Impa states with a chuckle and Link sputters, the wind knocking out of him.

“What? Why would you say that?” He asks.

“I saw you two. The way you look at her.” Impa smirks. Link feels his ears heat up, Cado stifles a laugh.

“You are so rude.” Link replies.

“I think you two need each other.” Impa shrugs, “But do not let any worldly affection keep you in the way of what really matters here: Hyrule and its people.”

Impa always knew exactly how to remind Link that he is just a soldier.

“We will leave before we eat. At this rate we will not return home until late into the night.” Impa states, standing back up.

They say their goodbyes. Zelda promises to visit, Impa gives her a kiss on the forehead, Cado bows again. And just as the sun begins to set, the pair is headed through the bridge.

Both Link and Zelda stand in the doorway as they watch them leave. Zelda starts to sniffle, wiping a tear.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Link says in a comforting tone when he sees her cry, turning to face her. “It’s okay, we’re gonna see her again real soon.” He reassures. Zelda sighs.

“She got so old, without me.” She tries to swallow her sob but fails. She presses her tear-stained face into the crook of Link’s neck, and he just holds her for as long she needs. Zelda is the one to pull away after a moment of comfort. “I’m sorry… I know there's something troubling you, too. I shouldn’t be so selfish.” Zelda sighs.

Link swallows, “It’s nothing. Not for tonight.”

“You're sure?”

“Positive.” Link nods. “Can I show you something?” He asks, and Zelda is nodding as he takes her hand and leads her up stairs. He pushes open a hatch on the ceiling in the corner, and a rickety ladder slides down. Some dust and cobwebs fly down, but when the air clears, Link is climbing up onto the roof of their house. He helps Zelda up next, and she’s looking up at the night sky with bright eyes. It’s still not totally dark yet, but the first few stars are starting to shine.

The roof is slightly slanted, but not enough to cause either of them concern. They both comfortably find a position on the tiles, facing south, noses pointed at the heavens. There’s about a foot of space between them, and Link wants to scoot closer into her, but chooses not to. He closes the hatch from the outside, so the warm light of the house doesn’t pollute their view.

“I like to come up here to clear my head.” He says. “It doesn’t hold a candle to the night sky in Hebra or out in the desert, but it's still pretty spectacular.”

Zelda hums, “You’ll have to take me someday.” She stays looking at the sky but Link looks at her. Her profile is beautiful, hair long and cascading, ears pointed and blushed. Surely she knew he was staring, but neither of them did anything to stop.

“One day.” He nods before looking away and laying on his back. He rests his arms behind his head, crossing an ankle over his bended knee. “That one is called Haru.” He points to an especially bright star, “It’s part of the constellation Nabooru.” He then traces the warrior constellation with his finger.

“I remember, yes.” Zelda scoots into him, and he tries to stifle his smile. She doesn’t lay next to him, but now they’re a mere inches apart.

“And this is the North Star.” Link cranes his neck back to see it. “It moves though, did you know that? True north changes over time, so that one was the North Star when we were born, but over time the celestial bodies shifted and now it's that one. They didn’t even know that until I came back, because I was following the original one and ended up in Lanayru instead of Eldin. I talked with Purah and Robbie and they agreed, isn’t that fascinating?” He asks with a smile.

Zelda smiles so wide she thinks her cheeks will burst. “I never heard you speak like that before. With so much passion and eloquence.”

Link looks at her and just chuckles, “Now everyone follows the new star, but it didn’t have a name yet….”

“We should name it!” She gasps.

“Oh…I already did.” Link frowns, “I named it after I got my first memory back.” He shrugs. “I”m sorry. But there are plenty of stars without names anymore. A lot of the scientific research got destroyed with the…” He stops himself, “Well you know why. No one these days even knows the constellations anymore. I’m the only one.”

“What did you name it?” Zelda smiles.

Link looks at her again, “Zelda.”

She just about passes out from flattery, smiling down at her knees which are bent into her chest, blushing a little. “That’s very nice.”

“It was my true north.” He says. “I’d have been lost without it.”

It was fully dark now, and the sky lit up with the twinkling lights, the moon was a small sliver of a crescent and hung low in the sky near the sea.

“When did you remember the constellations?” She asked.

“They come to me slowly. It was required for all knights to know them, as I’m sure you remember.” Link described, looking to the heavens again. “I still can’t think of half of them.”

“Well isn’t that one Navi?” She points to another star.

“No, that one is Navi.” Link scoots up to her level, closing the gap further between them, and takes his hand to move her arm to the right star, his calloused and scarred flesh rough against her soft skin. “That one is the top of the constellation Hylia-“

“-Hylia”

They say it together. Perfectly in tune.

Their faces turn towards one another, locking eyes. The air freezes, time itself seems to hold.

Their hearts simultaneously skip a beat, and a soft blow of warm wind passes by, brushing through their hair.

Link makes the mistake of looking at her lips and for a split second he swears she leans in, but before anything goes any further, she’s moving away and laying down next to him.

He supposes this is alright, too.

“I wonder what she thinks of all this.” Link says.

Zelda is quiet ....“I sometimes wonder if the God’s regret making man.”

“What do you mean?” Link asks, looking at her.

“Well… man is what caused the curse of the loop anyways. If it weren’t for us, Hyrule wouldn’t have to be rebuilt every ten thousand years.” She frowns. “Maybe they wish they had left their creation to rest without our feeble beings.”

“I don’t think that.” Link shakes his head. “I think they put us here because we are flawed, not in spite of it.

I think our mistakes, our sins, our curses are what makes us special. Life would be futile if we were perfect. There would be no motivation. No growth. No passion.

You cannot have good without evil, or light without dark, or joy without pain.

That’s what’s so beautiful about life. I think the God’s know that. I think they love us because of it. That is a luxury they don’t have. I see it as a gift. To live for the hope of it all.”

Link rambles, and Zelda is stunned for a moment. She turns her head to look at him, this time he’s the one with wonder-filled eyes staring up, ignoring the gaze of the other.

“I really think you should wield the triforce of wisdom.” Zelda teases.

Link looks at her, their noses almost touching. “Oh no, I’m only profound when I’m around you.” He shakes his head, giggling. “You should see me try to talk my way through Gerudo town, there's nothing wise about it.” His tone is playful, and they both laugh over it. “I accidentally told a woman she looked pregnant instead of ordering a drink at the bar.” Link explains and then says the two phrases in Gerudo, Zelda can admit they have very similar pronunciations and the both of them are full-belly laughing at the situation. Zelda asks how he managed to get out of that situation, and Link had to describe further that he was in disguise, which made everything harder to get through. Zelda couldn’t get the image of Link in a woman’s clothing out of her mind, and Link only sets her off further when he finishes the story with him getting slapped by an elderly Gerudo Woman. It isn’t much longer until she has tears welling down her face, but this time they are finally tears of laughter and joy.

When they both finally pull themselves together, Zelda smiles at him, wiping a tear from the corner of her eyes. “Thank you.” She sighs, her stomach aching from laughter.

Zelda then takes a risk, and snakes her hand in between them before wrapping it around Link’s. They don’t lock fingers, and it isn’t even necessarily classified as a romantic gesture, but she just squeezes his hand, thankful for cheering her up, thankful for reminding her that there is still hope.

There is hope in balance.

She tries to pull it away, not wanting to overstep, but Link is holding her hand tighter, keeping it in his grip. Zelda happily obliges, and they keep their hands clasped at their sides the whole night.

—

Chapter Six