#six and ten is seven because the ten's a one (base ten) whatevers left over goes on the end. five. five on the end of seven is seventy five
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#dyscalculia#actual answer is#two and four is six. seven and eight is.... two eights are sixteen. seven minus 8 is one. one off sixteen makes fifteen.#six and ten is seven because the ten's a one (base ten) whatevers left over goes on the end. five. five on the end of seven is seventy five#seventy five#probably not the first time someone added this but it wasnt in the notes as far as i could see#and im having a very dyscalculic day#the real real answer based on today is cry in public about whether it was six weeks from now or six weeks from four weeks ago ie ten#i did only cry after the conversation though not during so fucking win#Youtube
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HORUS; Isle of Spires
Continuing with the black box shorts that are a small part of my  Horizon Big Bang 2022 piece, When the Darkness Comes, because I think these soldiersâ stories deserve to be heard (even if I made them up).
Isle of Spires Black Box Transcript:
RECON PILOT: No, no! They just cut the Harris in two. The remaining ships are concentrating their fire on the lead Horus, but there must be six more coming in behind it. And there are several ashore and moving inland further up the coast.
Copy that. We'll keep eyes on. But whatever this Zero Dawn super weapon is⊠you'd better use it soon or there'll be nothing left.
Listen to the audio log on my photomode Twitter account here.
Jacob peered down at the remains of the Harris, torn in two and slowly sinking into the bay. From this high up, he couldn't quite make out the crew, who were no doubt pouring into the water for fear of being trapped in the ship's flooding halls.
However, he had no difficulty identifying the machine responsible for the damage. Even though it was almost halfway across the bridge, its long arm reached all the way to the shore, where it had slammed down on the ship's deck, every bit as terrifying as the mythical Kraken. But this machineâthis monsterïżœïżœïżœwas far too real, and it was not a solitary creature hidden in the murky depths.
The Horus was already manufacturing Scars and Khos, which raced ahead or marched along the bridgeâjust one more wave of many. In the distance, hulking titans emerged from the water one after another, steadily advancing.
On the island, the city was already overrun. With eight on land and seven not far behind, it admittedly felt hopeless. Jacob had always tried to keep a positive outlook, even at the worst of times. But thisâŠwhat could possibly stop this?
Project Zero Dawn couldâwould, he corrected himself.
Soon.
Any week. Any day. Any moment now, he reassured himself.
It had to.
Black Box 12/12
Thanks for checking these out! And just for funsies, hereâs an excerpt from When the Darkness Comes, specifically Silga and Untalla being treated to the exact view Jacob got a millennium ago.
Silga slowly pushed herself to her feet and looked around. Her gaze immediately snapped to an enormous machine, just like the ones they had seen around Jagged Deep and scattered across No Man's Land. The hulking thing emerged from the sea, its limbs encircling the overgrown remains of a great bridge, while even more tentacles extended forward onto the island.
But looking further, she could see more. What would easily be mistaken as islands dotting the horizon from the shore was, in reality, the long curling spines of these ancient machines. She counted six in the distance. As her eyes trailed back to the shore, she started to catch the subtle pattern of linked plating buried beneath years of plant growth, barely visible but everywhere. The more her eyes roved across the landscape, fear of heights forgotten in the wake of what she was seeing, the more she counted. All those limbsâdraped across vast rusted ships, curled around the base of towers, sprawled across crumbling ruins, and almost completely buried in sand and soil.
Although she couldn't fully separate the tangle of all those tentacles peeking from beneath the surface, she counted each she found, turning a slow circle as she searched as far as she could see. First in the single digits, then the doubles: 20, 30, 40. Doing the math, there were at least ten in view, half buried under the island, with more spread across the sea.
"I think that's a horus," Silga said, raising her voice to be heard over the wind as she pointed toward the machine splayed across the bridge.
Glancing at Untalla, she saw that the action was unnecessary. Eyes wide, Untalla's gaze darted from the bridge to the sea to the shore to the ruins, clearly coming to the same conclusion Silga had. "They're everywhere," Untalla said, a quaver to her voice Silga had never heard before.
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Have An Evil Day
No prompt this time, just a sequel to âWelcome To Evil-Martâ
Working at Evil-Mart is usually⊠well, itâs retail. Itâs physically exhausting, you have to deal with a lot of idiots without being overtly rude, and your feet hurt. Even though the hours and pay are very good, the benefits are great, and our bosses treat us well compared to most retail employees, itâs still not what Iâd call a fun job.
But itâs not what Iâd call dull, either. Especially not on days like today.
I was promoted to supervisor after the Food Poisoning Incident, so I have a little more authority and a little less obligation to be pleasant and I got issued a weighted cosh because sometimes Evil-Mart customers get⊠feisty. Iâd never had to use it, though, because those who hadnât seen what I did to Majority Rules, either in person or on one of the cell-phone videos that circulated afterwards, had at least heard about it.  They didnât give me any trouble.
I was halfway through my shift, and the worst things thatâd happened had been running out of croissants and a machine oil spill in Aisle Seven, when our greeter pressed the alarm button, which sent an alert to my handset. As front-end supervisor, that meant me, so I went over. Sam, who is unusual in the henching community for having actually aged out rather than âbeing retiredâ jerked his chin in the direction of a tall, swaggering figure. âHe just came in,â he whispered.
I did a full double-take before I took it in. Superdyne. Fucking Superdyne.
Weâd all heard about his dramatic heel-turn a couple of months ago. The whole world had heard about it. Superdyne, whoâd skated closer and closer to the line for years, had decided to cross it in a blaze of bloodshed. He was a villain now, he said. Thereâd been a whole speech about how ingratitude had driven him to it blah blah blah.
I work at Evil-Mart. Iâm from a hench family. If someone becomes a supervillain because they hate Mondays or want to turn us all into dinosaurs or whatever, I donât judge. I will sell depth-charges and laser guns to anyone who can prove theyâre over eighteen without hesitation. But even we get kind of grossed out by the âI am forced to turn evil because I havenât been given enough loveâ thing. People who are actually so fucked up by emotional abuse or neglect or some superhero killing their family, weâre fine with them. But they donât say thatâs why they do it, and most of them need a lot of therapy to even realize it. People who actually say thatâs why are entitled dickwads.
And now the dickwad had walked into Evil-Mart like he was entitled. Like he thought he was one of us.
âLockdown protocols,â I told Sam quietly. âOn my authorisation.â That takes a minute or two, though, so I went over to talk to Superdyne. âSir, I have to ask how you even knew where to find this place.â
He smirked at me. âI have my ways,â he said smugly. Heâd either bribed or beaten someone, that was my guess. âSo this is where the villains shop? We all thought you went to Wal-Mart.â He laughed, like he thought it was clever.
âYes, so you all say,â I said dryly. I didnât feel like pretending he was the first person to make the bad joke. âMy next question, sir, is what made you think it was a good idea to come in here.â
He spread his hands. âIâm one of you now!â he said happily. âIâm a bad guy! So now I guess I shop where the bad guys shop!â He looked around, frowning a little. âAlthough I was expecting more weapons and explosives. A⊠more villainous atmosphere. I didnât know Evil-Mart had fresh produce.â
âI donât advise buying herbs here unless youâre a magical practitioner. Some of them have⊠unusual effects.â A lot of our produce is normal stuff, but some of it not only isnât legal, it doesnât exist anywhere else.
âOh. Well, that makes sense. But the bright lights and the bakery?â
âWe have excellent gluten-free breads. In many ways, Superdyne, this is just another store. We have sales, we mark down the breads in the afternoon, we even have a PA system.â I pulled out my handset, and thumbed the button that tied it to the PA. âAttention, shoppers,â I said in my most soothing Customer Service voice, which made him grin. âEvil-Mart wishes to inform you â â The countdown on my handset reached zero, and I turned to look at the entrance as a huge blast door thudded down. That was the last part of the sequence â staff outside the area were already in lockdown and security were on their way. I smiled, and continued almost without a pause. â- That we are in lockdown at this time, due to the presence of Superdyne in the store. Please remain calm, and be advised that security are on their way to deal with the problem. If you have a personal grudge that you wish to address with Superdyne at this time, he is standing near Register Six with a stupid expression on his face.â
He was staring at me, stunned. âBut⊠butâŠâ he stammered, and damned if he didnât look puzzled. âBut Iâm one of you now!â
âNo,â I said flatly. âYou were always evil, thatâs true, but youâll never be one of us. And for the record, Iâm one of the people with a personal grudge. All those henchmen youâve killed and maimed had families, asshole⊠and they all shop here.â
He swung at me, then, but I spent years in hench training. Even someone super-strong can be dodged, and once I slammed my cosh into his groin a few times his punches got a lot more aimless. Around then, Tiger Ty came over the register, claws out and snarling, and I figured I should stand out of the way.
About ten minutes later, I turned on the PA again. âClean-up to Register Six,â I called, in the same special voice. âCategory 7, class three. Shoppers, please be advised that lockdown is now lifted but Register Six will be closed until clean-up is completed.â
Hunter, whoâd been working Register Six, came out from underneath it. He looked a little green. Well, he was still in his teens, this was probably his first fatal mobbing. âWhatâs Category 7?â he asked in a shaky voice. âI havenât heard that before.â
âBiohazard.â
âOh. Class three?â
âSend three people. He was a juicy one.â I stepped away from a spreading puddle of blood. âRun and get a couple of caution signs we can put around this mess.â I eyed it measuringly. âAnd one of those fifteen-gallon plastic tubs with a lid, Iâll damage it out.â
He eyed the mess. âAre you sure thatâs big enough?â
âYeah, the average human is only about seventeen gallons by volume, and Iâm not going to put all the blood and mush in there, just the big pieces.â
He gulped. âAh. Yes, maâam.â
I called after him when he ran off. âOne of the black tubs, not a clear one!â Which honestly should only be common sense, but you canât count on a flustered teenager to have common sense.
We frown on killing customers at Evil-Mart, up to a point⊠but when a particularly murderous super-hero walks into our store, well, thatâs something else. Iâd have to fill out a ton of paperwork, though.
I had to chase off one of Doctor Malignâs minons and two members of the Genetic Reign before the clean-up crew arrived, both of whom urgently wanted samples. In the end I scraped a few pieces of liver and unidentified organ into two of the bags we use for possibly-contaminated money just to make them go away. (Theyâre good customers, and it was just going to go in the trash anyway.)
By the time the clean-up was done, all the big pieces were boxed up, and Iâd finished the paperwork, my shift had been over for twenty minutes, and Iâd been asked to come up to the bossâs office.
âListen, I have no issues with how you handled the situation, I want you to know that.â Mr Trent leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingertips together. âIt was quick, it was efficient, and⊠given your personal history with Superdyne, not to mention mine and that of half of our customer base⊠richly deserved.â
âYes, sir,â I said. It came out too meek, and I cleared my throat and straightened up. Itâs hard not to be intimidated by Mr Trent, when youâre in the same room with him. Itâs not his fault, and he does his best, but even under the strictest control his fear-inducing powers tend to unsettle anyone who gets too close. We all know heâs not doing it on purpose and we try not to show our reactions. âDo you have any orders regarding the remains?â
âDoctor Order wants them.â He rubbed his chin. âGet someone from the pharmacy to prepare samples for him, please, including brain tissue. Heâs our primary supplier, and we canât offend him. As for the rest⊠as you know, Iâm retired, and I donât usually participate in the Endless War.â One of his hands dropped to his left thigh. His prosthetic leg is some of Doctor Orderâs best work, but the injury that led to his retirement had been brutal even by our standards. âBut this is different. Superdyne came here. To our place of safety. We need to make sure that doesnât happen again.â
I nodded. âDo you want the remains dumped somewhere public? Some kind of dramatic display?â
âNo. Something more direct.â He rubbed his chin again, then tapped the intercom on his desk. âIris, please send up Miss Fedorova from Marketing and Mr Levy from the warehouse.â
âYes, sir,â Iris responded, and he clicked off the intercom again.
âThe three of you worked together very well, during the food poisoning incident,â he explained. âAnd I believe they can assist us in a satisfactory conclusion.â He hesitated, then smiled ruefully. âPerhaps you should wait outside until they get here. I can tell Iâm unsettling you.â
âSir, I know youâre not â â
âNot doing it on purpose.â He sighed. âI do appreciate how hard you all work to make me feel⊠accepted, I really do. But Iâm very annoyed right now, which makes control more difficult for me, so I think weâd both be more relaxed if you waited outside while I do my meditation exercises.â
I waited outside. When the three of us went into his office again, the miasma of low-level fear was definitely a bit lighter, and he smiled. âAll right. Now, this conversation is going to be very confidential, and I will remind you all of the agreements you signed when you were employed.â We all chorused agreement, and he nodded. âGood. Now, this is very much a secret, even among Evil-Mart staff, but we do have a few online clients who are⊠ah⊠on the other side of the fence.â
Ms Fedorova blinked. âWhat?â
Knuckles sighed. âWe ship to a few heroes,â he explained. âThe ones who are⊠less homo than sapiens, if you get my drift.â
I didnât, and from her expression Ms Fedorova didnât either. Mr Trent spread his hands, drawing our eyes to his fingers. Which as a rule nobody looks at, because thereâs fourteen of them, with four joints in each finger, and we know heâs self-conscious about it. âThe less⊠purely human ones,â he said quietly. âOne of the reasons I created Evil-Mart was to give those who canât pass for human, like me, a place to be⊠people. To have dignity. So that the obligate carnivores werenât reduced to living on pet-food or scavenging for scraps, so that those with complex metabolisms could get the supplements they need so that people who are still people, for all their outward differences, could shop in safety. There are a great many more monsters, demigods, abominations of science and other non-standard persons among our set than among the heroes, and I wanted to meet their needs, as well as selling weapons and Lair-away-from-home sets and so on.â
âAnd there are a few heroes who order from us for that reason,â Knuckles added. âThe ones who canât get medications to suit their metabolism, or need to eat things that you canât get easily anywhere else.â
I nodded, because that much I understood. We have some very esoteric âdietary suppliesâ that start with fresh, healthy, well-treated and disease-free prey animals frozen whole (from mouse up to calf and goat kept in stock, larger sizes by pre-order, halal and kosher certified where possible) and end with human blood (rejected blood bank stock mostly, we have an arrangement), and human flesh and organs (sourced from hospitals, morgues and crematoriums, guaranteed no murder, at least not by us). âWell, I suppose that makes sense. Iâm surprised we ship to them, though.â
âOh, they donât know we know. Itâs all assumed names and secret bank accounts.â Knuckles grinned. âBut Mr Trent has all our online customers identified before we ship. And for the ones who donât have any other options, well⊠we let it slide.â
âI can see why you donât want that to get out.â Ms Fedorova tapped her chin. âWhat does this have to do with disposing of the body? I was planning to set up a really ghoulish display in a public place somewhere, I already have some sketches.â Marketing for Evil-Mart is⊠well, it includes more than designing our sale flyers.
âNo. Weâre going to deliver them to a hero⊠one of the ones who owes us⊠and make it very clear that just because someone decides to admit heâs a villain, that doesnât make him one of us and it doesnât entitle him to union services,â Mr Trent said flatly. âI want to make it crystal clear to all of them that a heel turn does not mean their sins are forgiven, or that we will accept them as anything other than a very brief amusement.â
Late that night â we were all on overtime, but it couldnât be done in daylight â we wheeled a cart down the run-down hallway of a shoddy apartment building. âThis is a terrible address for a hero,â Ms Fedorova muttered. âAre we sure he lives here?â
âI deliver here a couple of times a month.â Knuckles was pushing the cart. âIâm sure.â
âOkay.â Ms Fedorova cleared her throat, coughed once or twice, and suddenly her voice was deeper and her very faint Russian accent was as thick as pea soup. âThis is intimidation tactic,â she said, grinning toothily. âDo not act surprised.â
I knocked on the door, but let Knuckles do the talking. âDelivery, Mr West,â he called, using the fake name the guy had been giving.
It worked⊠the door was unlocked and opened almost immediately. âI scheduled the order for next â â the mark said, and then we were pushing inside, slamming the door behind us.
âDo not be alarmed, Mr⊠Dinoid, is it?â Ms Fedorova said, folding her arms. âEvil-Mart is knowing all along your real identity. But you are needing to eat, and we are not turning down regular business, so we make no trouble.â
Knuckles rolled his eyes behind her back at how much she was hamming it up, but I waved a hand. Let her have her fun. So Knuckles started unloading the boxes onto the table while she talked. âFirst, your Budget Bunny Box. Your favourite, da?â The next box, smaller, plunked down. âTwo fresh chickens, halal certified, healthy and having lived good life, gift for good customer.â Knuckles dumped the plastic tub on the floor. âAnd mortal remains of Superdyne, with note.â
Dinoid was staring at us, but that made him shift into a combat stance, his long claws spread. âThe⊠Superdyneâs dead? And in there?â
âWell. Most of him. The big pieces.â Ms Fedorova shrugged an impressively Russian shrug. I hadnât even known that was a thing, but when she did it, it was obvious. âYou must understand, when a mob tears a man apart, it is hard to find every little piece.â
âIâm pretty sure Doctor Malign and the Genetic Reign took off with doggy bags,â I said, as if I hadnât handed them over myself. âAnd Doctor Order probably has some of him too, by now. So looking out for clones would be a good idea, I donât know if thatâs in the note.â
Insofar as that reptilian face could show readable expressions, he looked shocked. âWhy on earth would⊠why? He changed sides? And why did you bring him to me?â
âWe know your address, we know you donât want to turn us in because weâre the only ones who can supply your meals, and our boss wanted us to make this very clear.â I indicated the note. Since Ms Fedorova was hamming up her Sexy Russian Supervillain act, and Knuckles was very obvious Muscle, I figured it was on me to be the Reasonable One. âHe might have stopped being a hero, but that didnât make him one of us. That didnât make him acceptable to us. Our boss wants it made very clear that your failures shouldnât expect to be accepted by us⊠or even spared by us.â
He shifted slowly, the tip of his tail twitching. âI⊠see. I understand why you would reject Superdyne. He was notorious for killing and maiming people on⊠your side. But I know other defectors have been accepted. Philomel, for example.â
âPhilomel was child of villains. She is young, she is rebellious, she sides with heroes for a while.â Ms Fedorova shrugged. âIs understandable, da? The young do foolish things. She comes home, all is forgiven.â
He nodded slowly. âTenebrous?â
âThat story I donât know.â Ms Fedorova glanced at me.
I nodded. âTenebrous was just a kid. He was twelve when Varide recruited him. Nineteen when he broke with the guy. Varide put a kid into combat, left him with massive PTSD, then ditched him when he had a breakdown and went too far. Mx Frantique at least made sure he had a safe place to stay and some therapy.â
âItâs happened a few times.â Knuckles rested his elbows on the cartâs handles, his inhumanly big, strong hands dangling. âBut thereâs a process. A system. If someoneâs sponsored by a villain in good standing, like Frantique sponsoring Tenbrous, they can be accepted. Nobody gets to just choose to join. Especially not a smug, entitled prick like Superdyne.â
Ms Fedorova suddenly leaned forward, scowling. âAnd why are you called Dinoid? You are not dinosaur. You are clearly monitor lizard. Golden monitor, I think.â She reached out and prodded his arm. âAnd not healthy, either. Look at colouration! You do not keep environment humid enough. Are having trouble with shedding, da?â
Now we were all staring at her. âYouâre a lizard expert now?â Knuckles asked.
She shrugged. âWhat? Is hobby. Mammaâs little Varanus Acanthurus are pride and joy. Sadly, cannot keep larger monitors in city. Is unkind.â
Dinoid ran a hand over his head slowly. âNot many people realize,â he said slowly. âThatâs why I order from you guys. I used to get frozen⊠food⊠from a pet supplier, but then I got contacted by someone who told me there was another option.â
âIs good thing. Those pet suppliers, they are rogues. They do not keep animals healthy, can get diseases or mites from those things.â Ms Fedorova sniffed. âI would never buy from them. My babies would get sick.â
He actually chuckled, then, seeming to relax a bit. âYouâre not wrong. After⊠this happened⊠I got really sick a couple of times before I figured out what to eat, and where to get it. And even the reputable suppliers donât always have the healthiest stock.â He opened his mouth wide, making a gagging noise. âYou have no idea how bad that âreptile foodâ is. Eating whole animals may be a little disgusting, but itâs nothing to some of that stuff.â
âI believe it,â I said emphatically. âThereâs a reason Evil-Mart has such an extensive pet-food line. The horror stories we hear from some of our customers⊠well, youâd believe it, I bet, but most humans just look confused.â
Knuckles nodded, and spread his hands. âPeople who canât pass for regular humans⊠or even for people, the way most normies see it⊠are a lot more common on our side of the fence than yours. Thatâs why we delivered to you. We figured you really needed it.â
âDoes he order from the pharmacy?â Ms Fedorova was around behind him now, examining his back. âHe is having calcium deficiency, am betting. He needs nutritional supplement.â
âI take a nutritional supplement,â he said defensively.
âThe one for normal-sized lizards is not enough for man-sized monitor/human hybrid,â she said firmly. âCheck pharmacy section next time. We are having excellent selection of supplements for hybrids, and chart to tell you how much to take for body-mass.â
He looked back and forth between the three of us. âYou people are⊠not what I would have expected from an evil supermarket.â
âWe may be⊠morally challenged,â I said, shrugging, âbut weâre not heartless.â I looked around his tiny, shabby apartment. âUnlike some of your lot. I thought you were on a team. Why are you living here?â
He ducked his head. âI couldnât live at the base,â he said, his tail drooping. âMy⊠I made people uncomfortable. And the stipend isnât much.â
âIsnât much? With the merchandising deals they have?â Ms Fedorova sounded shocked, and the accent had dropped back a lot. âI know for a fact that if the accountants ever got hold of their books theyâd owe more in back taxes than⊠well, than Evil-Mart would if our illegal product arm ever got discovered. And we pay our taxes on the legitimate stuff scrupulously.â
Dinoid blinked rapidly, though I couldnât tell whether he was more surprised by her suddenly dropping her act or the idea that Evil-Mart pays taxes. âYou do?â
âOf course. Not under that name, of course, thereâs a shell company.â She sniffed. âAll villains do. Al Capone, you know. Weâre not getting caught that way again.â
Knuckles and I both nodded when he looked at us, and he shook his head. âHuh. Makes sense, I guess.â
âIt does.â I looked around again. The place really was crappy. âI know itâs a personal question, Mr⊠West, but under the circumstances Iâd like to know⊠how much is that stipend?â
He looked down at the floor for a while, then cleared his throat. âUh. $1100 a month.â
We all stared at him. Ms Fedorovaâs mouth fell open. Knuckles looked shocked, and I was horrified. â$1100 a month?!â I asked, my voice coming out louder than Iâd intended. âFor risking your life on a superhero team?! I have teenaged cashiers working part-time who make more than that!â
He looked almost as startled as we did. âFor working a cash register?!â
âEvil-Mart pays pretty good.â Knuckles shrugged. âBut that stipend is disgusting.â
âYou are being exploited,â Ms Fedorova said, sounding really aghast. âThat is terrible. Why, baseline henchman pay is twice that, and there are danger bonuses andâŠâ Her voice dropped suddenly. âYou donât have a union, do you?â
âA union? Of course we donât have aâŠâ He trailed off. âYou mean you do?â
âOf course we do. An extremely well-armed one.â Ms Fedorova folded her arms. âHenchmen And Allied Industries has represented us for generations. The last time a supervillain executed a union henchman for failure, he was boiled in oil⊠literally. On camera. Oh, of course some of the less reputable villains just pick up small-time trash from the streets, untrained rabble from the gangs and so on, so they can treat them as disposable, but we union members are skilled workers, with rights and protections. I bet you donât even get overtime.â
âOf course not. Crime happens when it happens, and we have toâŠâ He trailed off. âYou guys get overtime?â
âWeâre getting double time and a half for this conversation. And an extra day off.â
His eyes widened again. âReally? Wow, thatâs⊠even when I was working a regular job, before this, I didnât get pay like that.â He looked down at his hands and bared his teeth in what looked like an unhappy expression. âAnd now I canât work anything but this kind of job. People donât like having a scary dinosaur in their restaurant.â
There was a long pause.
âYou can cook?â Ms Fedorova asked carefully.
âYeah. I worked in my parentsâ restaurant before⊠this.â He gestured at himself. âThey were killed when we were attacked, and I was⊠changed.â
We all looked at each other. âAfter youâve returned Superdyneâs remains to whoever you consider appropriate,â I said, grabbing a notepad and scribbling down my number, âIâd like you to give me a call. Evil-Mart is always hiring in the bakery and deli, and I mean always. Most bad guys arenât great cooks. We donât know why, it just seems to be one of those things.â
âYou want me to join the bad guys?â
âI want you to work in a bakery. Villains and henchmen need to eat, and so do their families. Nobodyâs going to ask you to rip superheroes in half, just maybe make a sandwich that wonât give anyone food poisoning.â
âThatâs a regular concern?â
âSix months ago the three of us ran Evil-Martâs physical store completely unassisted for most of a day because the only people who werenât down with food poisoning were the ones whoâd had the vegetarian and kosher meals.â I shuddered at the recollection. âTrust me. Someone who can cater staff functions without a major disaster would never have to live in an apartment like this working for us.â
âAnd we get full benefits, including dental.â Knuckles was shaking his head. âI bet you donât even get hospital.â
âWhat hospital would take me? I always figured Iâd go to the zoo and talk to the vet if â â
Ms Fedorova actually put her arms around him. âYou,â she told him firmly, âare going to resign your terrible exploitative job, and then I will personally sponsor you to the union immediately. I have a spare room. You will like it. Humidity and temperature can be set just how you like, and Mamma Yelena will take you to real doctor expert in health of hybrids.â
âThose exist?â he asked, sounding a bit overwhelmed.
âYeah, the Genetic Reign has like three of them,â I said sympathetically. âListen, you can take some time to think it over, but you donât have to put up with this kind of exploitation just because you donât look human. Nearly a third of Evil-Martâs staff canât pass, and theyâre treated just like everyone else.â
Superdyneâs dramatic demise got a lot of news coverage. Apparently it came as a real shock to the âgood guysâ that there were some monsters even the superest villains wouldnât embrace.
Dinoid no longer exists. Ismail Jameel works at Evil-Mart, and has expanded our fresh food lines a lot already. Heâs a nice guy, and after Ms Fedorova told everyone how disgustingly heâd been exploited by those so-called âheroesâ, he was welcomed with open arms. Literally, in at least one case â heâs dating someone from the warehouse, Iâve heard, though I donât know who. He says we should rename the store, because we suck at being evil.
But evil is a really relative term. It can mean the blackest depravity, or a moment of viciousness, or even just âpeople on the other sideâ. Evil-Mart is called that because everyone, at least everyone on our side, is welcome. Plus, we all think itâs funny that the least-evil megacorporation is called âEvil-Martâ. What can we say? Bad guys have a sense of humour too.
Have an evil day!
#welcome to Evil Mart#good is not just good#evil is not just evil#people are complicated#and so is retail#tw graphic#tw gore#tw violence#tw murder#it's a supervillain story#supervillain shit happens#you are now warned
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Rumors, Freebies, and a Race for Last Place
Part Two of The Bet series
Pairing: Poe Dameron/Reader
Rating: Explicit
Word Count: 22.5K DONT say shit alright just donât
Warnings: Okay. There is degradation in this, some name calling and heated interactions. There is a LOT of smut, dirty talk and rough sex. If these things offend you, please do not continue reading.
***
Itâs recommended to read part one first.
***
Getting into the x-wings is always fun.
It actually might be your favorite part. Granted, alarm bells ringing and thousands of jumpsuits scrambling in all directions is never typically a good thing, but thereâs also an inherent rush about it, a thrill in launching up the metal paneling as quick as you can and suiting up to provide aid. Itâs a side-effect of camaraderie, of being surrounded by like-minded individuals willing to do everything they can to help. You never feel like youâre going to your death, even though thatâs often the grim reality for at least one of you on a good day. Thereâs always a roaring in your ears while you do it, adrenaline sharpening your senses and preparing yourself for conflict, not thinking anything beyond gogogogogoâ
But getting out of the x-wing is⊠not great. At least for you. Itâs sluggish. Your body is always completely drained and you never come out of it feeling the same way you went in. Even in times of victory, thereâs a somberness inside you after battle. As much as you tell yourself youâre fighting for good, for prosperity against an evil machine hellbent on enslaving the galaxy, thereâs only so many explosions lighting up in front of your eyes and screams cutting out through your comms you can take before winning just doesnât really feel like winning anymore. Most pilots are able to handle it better than you are, but since you joined the Resistance, youâve never truly felt the desire to celebrate. Not even when you serve a massive, glaring defeat to the other side. Thereâll always be at least one missing x-wing, one empty seat at the table, one person not here to celebrate with you.
You came back in one piece this time. Barely.
The whole mission went sidewaysâliterally. Youâd purposefully stationed the tandem just outside the coordinates you were meant to be surveilling so that youâd be hidden from sight and dead to the scanners should the fleet arrive, but something mustâve happened. You mustâve powered down a few seconds too early after he turned the thrusters off, because apparently the ship drifted in dead space for close to eight hours without either of you noticing, having no working computers to actively read your location and correct it. You were sitting ducks right in the hyperspace drop zone by the time the First Order showed up, and by that point you had no choice but to engage.
âGold-Ten,â a voice murmurs from behind you, and you blink, suddenly seeing the base landing platform stretching out long in front of you, hundreds of docking ships and boisterous pilots scrambling out of them to hug their comrades and congratulate them even as medics rush past with white coats and gurneys. Theyâre never for the pilots, but they dispatch healers anyways whenever a convoy returns in case a straggler gets picked up. Thereâs an unspoken understanding in space battleâpilots never get injured. They either come back unharmed, or they donât come back at all.
Dameron.
You turn around and watch him slowly approach you with an unreadable expression, his jumpsuit still bunched halfway down his torso. The once bright white sleeveless undershirt is now greasy and damp with sweat, his dark curls sticking to his forehead. He winces with every bow-legged stepâyou know the feelingâbefore heâs standing directly in front of you and something is carefully being pulled out of your hands. You didnât even realize you were holding onto anything.
Your helmet. You forgot to leave it in the x-wing, and youâve been carrying it around under your arm aimlessly while mentally checking off the squadrons as they return, counting the numbers you lost today while everybody else hugs and whoops and claps each other on the back.
Itâs not as bad as you were expecting it was going to be, not as bad as it seemed just an hour earlier when you were listening to Dameron bellow out evasive flight maneuvers a millisecond before he enacted them and you adjusted your firing at the TIEs accordingly. You used to think you were quick with how rapidly you could suit up and fly out, drop in to assist and engage, but on the other side, it felt like your reinforcements lollygagged for ages before arriving. You were left to defend against an entire fleet in one stupid ship, more lines of TIEs sinking like flies from launch decks every second.
âGold-Ten,â you hear again, and you blink a few times, needing to focus your vision before you can find his gaze.
Dameronâs palm, previously hovering a few inches above your shoulder, suddenly drops to spread along the curve of it and you take a deep breath, almost wanting to shudder at the feeling of something touching you. You channel all your focus into it, feel his fingers branch out strong along the tight muscles in your neck, giving you an anchor you automatically lean into.
You and him are no strangers to touching. Before today it was mostly reserved to poking and prodding and flicking and light slapping in an effort to piss each other off, but now⊠you canât even think about it right now, your body will just fucking glitch out on you. After everything that just happened, you cannot think about where else that hand has been recently, not right now.
âYou did⊠you did really fucking good today,â he tells you quietly, slowly trailing his hand down the length of your entire arm until he catches your wrist and a few of your fingers in his loose grip. âSeriously. That was⊠we wereâŠâ
His touch is so present, so reassuring. Grounding, when all your mind wants is to just float away. You glance down at where his fingers are gently tangled with yours and you feel your hand tighten just slightly, the smallest squeeze while he blinks down at you.
âWe almost died, like⊠every single second,â you barely manage to croak, not really having the words to express it right now. You always need at least an hour or two after missions like this to just sit in one place and regroup. Usually you find yourself wandering back to your room to lay on the bed and stare up at the ceiling while you consider your own mortality, but Dameron interrupted you this time before you could process it by yourself. âWeâŠâ Your voice sounds absolutely shredded. âW-We shouldnât even be alive right now.â
âI know,â he nods in soft agreement, taking a small step closer to you. âBut we are alive. Hey.â He dips his head as soon as your gaze starts to drift, catching your eyes once more and drawing your attention back to the present with a squeeze of your hand. âWeâre alive, right? Be alive with me.â
You take a big breath in and close your eyes, feeling the oxygen fill your lungs once more, but this time, itâs⊠restorative. A wonderful, beautiful reminder of your existence. Youâre alive. Usually the word just feels like a synonym for persevering. Pushing onwards despite trials and tribulations, not looking back. But the way he says it, especially with his hand in yours and a quiet invitation to tag along, it sounds⊠breathtaking. Full of light, and hope. It suddenly leaves the dim shadows and slides into a completely different category of feelings, feelings youâd never imagine being able to conjure so quickly after such a close brush with death. Aliveâit slots right in next to words like colorful, radiant, sunshine, and butterflies. Enchanting words, ones youâd like to hear again and again.
Your eyes slowly open and there he is, the man you were sure was going to accompany you to the afterlife. You were stuck with Poe Dameron in one of the closest calls you can remember, and strangely, his presence was nothing if not⊠a comfort. For the first time in your life, you were grateful he was there.
You open your mouth, suddenly feeling the needy, unfounded urge to tell him that. âIâm glaââ
âDameron!â You hear a series of voices call from somewhere to your left, and he immediately drops your hand to whip his body around and place himself directly between you and the approaching onlookers, using his large frame to hide you from their sight.
âWhatâs up, Briggs?â Dameron projects to one pilot in particular that seems to be leading the group, his back oddly close to you in this position. Your fingers still feel tingly from where he was holding onto them.
A chorus of congratulatory, âNice flying, Captain!â and the like can be heard floating through the air from beyond his shoulders, before the leader speaks loudly over them. âHeyâme, Seven, Six, and Twelve were gonna grab some drinks in the mess hall with a few of the Blue girls,â he tells Dameron, slowing to a stop as soon as he sees you standing awkwardly behind him. âOh hey, Goldie.â
You lift a hand and clear the remainder of the dissociation from your throat, not knowing him well enough beyond the squadron he and his group fly with. âGreenies.â
âAnyways, I guess they wanted to know if youâd come too. These idiots are convinced theyâre never gonna give us the time of day unless youââ
âUhâfine, whatever, just give me a few minutes alright?â Dameron quickly assures him with a dismissive wave of his hand. âIâll meet up with you guys later.â
A few of them take turns giving him heavy claps on the shoulder and acclamatory words before the group eventually disperses, and he waits a few more seconds for their attention to fully scatter in another direction before turning back to you.
Shit, heâs standing really close. Why is he so close to you? You take a step back and blink up at him, the noises of the landing deck gradually amplifying back up to normal volume as you retreat back into your own space. Since when did he have that effect on you? You suddenly feel wide awake, and the chorus of happy chaos surrounding you is something youâre finally able to take in. You knew it was happening before, but it was like it just existed outside of the creeping numbness. Now, the knot of internal turmoil has untied itself a bit and you feel your surroundings start to fight for your direct attention.
Dameron continues to look at you the same exact way, though. Like youâre still the only one here.
You look down at his half-suited figure and blink at the helmet loosely held in one of his hands. Hey. Hey, thatâs yoursâ
âGive me that,â you hiss, suddenly snatching it from his fingertips. âYou have people waiting.â
The cutting words serve to snap him out of whatever spell heâs under. Dameron quickly lifts his head and looks around a few times with sharp eyes, before hooking your elbow and twisting you into a complete 180 until your back faces most of the excitement. You resist, immediately trying to push him off you and worried heâs going to confront you about⊠things, but heâs determined.
He doesnât say anything to you at all, though. His fingers quickly grasp the baggy fabric of your jumpsuit even as you sputter and start to ask what the fuck he thinks heâs doing, and you glance down just in time to see him yanking the gaping velcro closed at your crotch.
Your cheeks instantly start burning as he tugs and smooths the fabric down until itâs seamless once more, especially when his eyes flick up to yours without moving his head. Fuck, youâre instantly hot with some wicked emotion, a mixture of embarrassment and outrage and⊠something else. Maker, you almost wish you were numb and disoriented again, if only so you could avoid feeling whatever the fuck this is.
You quite suddenly shove your helmet back into his stomach with an infuriated sound even as he doubles over with a shocked whoosh of air, changing your mind about returning it to the ship yourself before storming off without another word.
***Â
Okay, so youâve done some thinking, and. Well. Fuck him, thatâs what youâve decided.
Noânot⊠fuck him. But like, fuck him. You know. In the negative sense of the word. The bad fuck.
Thereâs a full tray of food sitting in front of you but youâve so far been unable to touch it. Mostly youâre just wondering why the fuck youâre even here. Well, you know why youâre hereâyou should eat, itâs dinnertime and this is the mess hall. Youâve been known to skip out on meals after heavy missions, secluding yourself away and just wallowing for a bit, but you⊠strangely didnât feel like doing that today. You donât want to self-isolate when you feel okay enough to avoid it, not again. So youâre here, because the clock says your tummy should want food, but you canât bring yourself to even look at it.
No, youâre looking at him. Glaring, actually.
Across the mess hall and beyond the transparisteel divider that separates the cafeteria from the bar area, Dameron is all eyebrows and smiles and side nudges and winks right now. You canât hear himâthe sound wonât travel this far, but you can see him situated in the middle of a rowdy group of pilots. He laughs in that disgustingly charming way of his, where his stupidly cute nose scrunches up all cute and stupid and you want to just ask the Maker why heâs doing this shit to you. What have you done to deserve this torture? Sure, you may have willingly agreed to it, even⊠conceived and propositioned the idea, and sure, absolutely nothing is stopping you from forfeiting and walking away at this exact second, but does that make it okay? No, youâve decided. Itâs not okay. Heâs not allowed to⊠to make you feel like this, so fuck him. In the bad way.
âJust fuck him already,â a voice suddenly grumbles as someone plops down into the seat to your right, plastic trays of food clattering loudly on the table and snapping you out of your reverie. Gold-Sixteen blocks your view as he silently drops into the seat in front of you and wraps his green lekku around his neck a few times before immediately beginning to shovel food into his mouth, while Gold-Three opens her box of blue milk next to you and continues. âThe Blues never fucking shut up about it, itâs getting annoying.â
âDonât listen to her, Dime,â Gold-Eleven tells you, quickly occupying the seat on your left and biting into a crunchy piece of fruit, talking loudly over the chatter even as he chomps. âRossi just knows her pool is up tomorrow, she doesnât want to lose any of her precious credits.â
âDonât listen to him,â Gold-Three immediately snaps, leaning forward and around you to point the prongs of her fork at Eleven threateningly. âZhangâs pool starts on Sunday.â
âOh fuck off, you guys are betting on this now?â You groan, shoving your plate away with a flick of your fingers now that youâre certain youâve completely lost your appetite. Sixteen immediately snatches up one of your bread rolls while Zhang swipes your juice and Rossi goes for a packet of glockaw sauce.
âYouâre the one who announced it in front of everybody, weâre just being active spectators,â Rossi returns, ripping the packet and pouring the sauce on her vegetables with a shrug. âHow the fuck do you bet against fucking each other though, thatâs my question? Itâs a paradox, wouldnât you both just lose at the same time?â
âDameron and I arenât going to fuck,â you tell her very slowly and clearly, starting to get a headache. Why is it impossible to avoid this conversation topic, even with an entire Resistance base to roam around in? âEver. The bet never had anything to do with fucking each other, itâs about not fucking other people.â
âLiterally what is the difference?â You hear Rossi ask with her mouth full, but Zhang speaks over her.
âSomebody should probably tell Nine that, sheâs the bookie,â he tosses out carelessly, dropping the core of his piece of fruit to his tray before wiping his hands on his jumpsuit. You bury your face in your hands and let out a loud, exhausted sound into your palms, not knowing which response serves to aggravate your already emotionally overloaded ass even more. Nine is the bookie, of fucking course she is. âBut hey, if it makes you feel any better, I donât think any of it actually goes outside of Gold, so.â
âIâve heard the Blues talking about it, but thatâs it,â Rossi chimes in while chewing some of her veggies. âMaybe some Reds. Point is everybody else thinks itâs already happening, honestly.â
âWhat the fuck,â you whisper, using your knuckles to rub at the backs of your eyes until bright spots appear. Where are stress headaches localized? Are those the ones right under your brow bone? Because stars, you feel it. âFucking⊠why? Why do people think that me and Dameron areâŠ?â
Nobody at the table immediately responds, and you drop your hands after a moment to look at each of their astounded faces in turn.
âYou fucking serious, bitch?â Rossi blurts first, her voice completely deadpan, and you growl in vexation.
âHave I not been vocal enough about my severe dislikââ
âAnd yet you kicked Nine out of your room to let him bunk with you,â Zhang immediately suggests.
âYou request mission assignments together,â Rossi adds.
âSpend your off-days together,â Zhang continues.
âYouâre both really weird about how long it takes the other person to shower,â Rossi tacks onto the list Zhang is now making on his fingers and you shake your head frantically.
âNoâno, thatâs so that we know neither one of us is cheating,â you try to explain, and you already know it sounds unconvincing without needing the two quick, lofty and sarcastic nods on either side of you. âShowers and off-days are prime masturbâno, you know what? No. Iâm tired of the assumptions, I donât owe anyone shit. This is super fucking uncool of you guys, you know that? Itâs insane that this is what counts as gossip in the Resistance nowadaââ
âThereâs only so much bad news people can take, Ten,â Gold-Sixteen grunts down at his almost finished plate, and all three of you snap your gazes across the table at him. The forest-tinted twiâlek doesnât speak much, itâs uncommon to hear his voice without distortion over the comms, but you blink as his sharp teeth continue to form words without looking at you. âQuit being so sensitive. Rather bet on this shit than which system is getting demolished next.â
And with that, Sixteen excuses himself with a silent nod, having gobbled down his full plate while you, Three, and Eleven were bickering. You feel your cheeks flare with anger and shameâyou didnât deserve that, you immediately reassure yourself, but the hidden self-doubt the comment sows just further contributes to your upset. You want to call out to his back that just because the First Order exists doesnât mean you have to put up with your own fucking squadron turning you and your mortal enemy into glorified race fathiers, but heâs already leaving the mess hall while Rossi and Zhang have moved on to other topics, both of them continuing to grab more food from your tray as they talk.
You have a tough shell. But today was⊠a lot. You bite your lip down at the table against the sudden wave of emotion, blinking quickly to clear the weakness watering your vision.
See, thisâthis right here is why you use last names. These people arenât your friends. Betting on who you fuck for laughs, using you as a source of entertainment without your consent just because theyâre in the middle of a war, and then guilting you into feeling like youâre the one acting like a stuck up bitch about it? Youâre fighting in the same fucking warâyouâre on the front lines just like everybody else and nobody gets to lecture you on the devastation of battle. You almost died today. You fought tooth and fucking nail to stay alive and by all accounts, you shouldnât even be sitting here right now, much less dealing with this childish shit. This is your squadron. These people are supposed to be the ones closest to you out of everyone, the ones youâve been flying into chaos in formation with for years, and yet not a single damn person has even mentioned your performance to you today, all anyone can ever seem to talk about isâugh.
Unfortunately, your unobstructed view also allows you to look at the source of your bad mood once more, immediately noticing the way more people have crowded around him now, and the headache continues to throb painfully behind your eyeballs. You were in the same ship, does nobody realize that? You were gunning, he was flyingâyou were offense, he was defenseâthatâs the only fucking difference, and yet, itâs like that side of the mess hall is just completely lit up with hearty laughter and music playing from someoneâs holopad and congratulatory drinks being passed around, while yours is⊠well.
You continue to fume inwardly, struggling somewhere between bitter and hurt, and you can see your reflection through the transparisteel giving him a death glare, wondering how many of the people surrounding him have made bets with Nine. How many of his little entourage have their money wagered on Dameron getting in your pants by a specific datâ
You stop short while staring at his handsome face, an infuriating, horrifying thought suddenly striking you. No⊠no, he wouldnâtâŠ
âDoes he know?â You immediately interrupt the chitchat between Three and Eleven to ask with a deadly edge in your voice, tipping your forehead at pretty boy. Ooh, you can already feel it burning. It would be so fucking typical. Oooooh, Maker, if heâs heard even a fucking whisper about this outside wagering going on amongst the pilots, you will fucking smother his ass in his sleep tonight. How could he not know? With as many friends as he has? If youâre just being made aware of it, then itâs a given that somebody has to have told him by now, which just means that itâs all the more possibleâshit, even more likelyâthat heâs⊠participating, too. You do your best to keep your voice even, but you can hear the quiet fury shaking in it. âThe bet about when me and him are gonna fuck, does he know about it?â
âWhoâDameron?â Zhang turns his head. âNo, I donât think sââ
âYeah,â Rossi says at the exact same time, and your blood instantly turns ice cold as Zhang leans around you to blink at her stupidly.
âNo. Yeah? What?â He says, sounding genuinely confused.
âYeah, remember?â Rossi confirms with a shrug. âNine was mad as all shit, came at me in the rec room a few weeks agâfucking Maker, Eleven, you were there.â
âOh,â Zhang suddenly exhales, âyeah, thatâs right. Oh, yeah, Dime, he knows.â
Youâreâfuck, youâre about to rampage. Youâre burning a fucking hole through Dameron while he converses animatedly with his numerous buddies, waving an open hand and shaking his head at someone with a smile and then gesturing broadly to this side of the transparisteel. His pool is probably up soon, you figure. Thatâs why he came onto you so strong earlier today. He was going to get two weeks of your pay, plus whatever he mustâve offered up to Nine that says heâd get it to happen within a certain amount of time. Perfect, your old roomie and the arch nemesis you stupidly agreed to trade her for, two asshole peas in an asshole pod.
ââshe thought I was the one who told himââ You know Rossi is still talking but youâre not actually hearing any of it. Nobody has any fucking idea. Nobody has any idea what he did to you today, how unbelievably close you were to⊠to actuallyâŠÂ ââwas all just for fun, but then he had a few choice words for her and told his squad that if any of them had made aââ You donât know why youâre so surprised honestly, you shouldâve expectedâŠ
Wait.
âWait,â you suddenly blurt, and while she shuts up immediately, your mind starts whirling even faster. Dameron had some⊠what? âWait. Explain. Youâre saying he didnâtâŠâ You slowly shake your head, furrowing your eyebrows and trying to piece it together. âHe didnât⊠place a bet with her, or anything?â
âWhat? No,â Rossi shakes her head a lot more forcefully than you, getting frustrated. âNo, fuckingâdidnât you hear anything I just said, Ten? He got all high and mighty for some stupid reason, totally reamed her ass out for it.â
âButâŠâ You blink, stunned. âBut⊠why? Why would heâŠ?â
Rossi shrugs. âFuck if I know. All she said was that he ordered Black not to throw in, made her lose a fuckton of money from it. Had no idea Dameron would be so touchy about his sex life, honestly.â
He⊠he isnât. He isnât touchy about his sex lifeâyou feel like he never shuts up about it.
Rossi continues talking, but youâre not listening again. You stare stupidly at yourself in the clear transparisteel as Dameronâs voice comes back to you, repeating something you specifically remember him saying earlier today. Something you thought was just a careless jab at the time, aimed blindly at one of your comrades with nothing more than the intent to piss you off.
âŠI swapped housing assignments with your shitty roommate and slept in the bunk below yours for a month and a halfâŠÂ
You blink beyond your own reflection to focus on him once more, still lost in his own little world, not paying a single lick of attention to you while youâre essentially having a fucking crisis over here. You didnât think the insult had any real substance to it at all. You just naturally assumed that was the result of him wanting to lash out at anything or anyone remotely close to you, if only to get a reaction, so you never gave him one or paid it any mind. Â
This is why he said that about Nine? Because he knew she had organized this fucked up betting pool behind your back?
Stars, you need to get out of here, all these rumors are fucking with your head. Your assumptions and the hairpin turnarounds are giving you worse whiplash than Dameronâs⊠well, admittedly spectacular flying today. You were wrong about wanting to avoid isolatingâin fact, that suddenly sounds like a phenomenal idea.
So, you just get up and leave right in the middle of Rossiâs sentence, needing some time alone. Neither of them call out to you as you quickly walk around the table and through the barrier towards the exit, thank the Maker, and youâre just about to retreat with no interruptions until suddenly two Greenies step in front of you and block your path.
You halt immediately, looking up at them with a furrowed brow. âWhat now?â You grunt, not having the patience to even wait for a response before attempting to squeeze around them.
âHey, so you really saved our asses out there today, Goldie,â the one on the left quickly sidesteps in front of you and rushes to say, and you settle your weight back on your heels with a huff.
âWhat are you talking about?â You glance back and forth between them, not recalling a time youâve ever spoken to either one, before jerking your head to gesture over your shoulder. âGo congratulate trophy boy over there, he was the one flying.â
âWe did,â the one on the right tips sideways to look at Dameron behind your shoulder, likely still laughing and joking with someone about something, something super fucking dumb probably. âWell, uh. We tried.â
âWhat?â You let out a heavy sigh and rub your temples. âThe fuck is that supposed to mean? I donât have the time.â
âHe wonât take any credit, just keeps saying that all he did was steer you around,â the other one shrugs as his companion straightens and looks down at you once more. âWouldnât accept any drinks we offer him, nothing. So we thought weâd buy you one instead. Unless youâre⊠leaving?â
It takes you a few seconds to process that, even as he allows the open invitation to hang in the air. You canât stop the way your torso automatically twists around to study your copilot from across the mess hall in baffled silence, suddenly realizing that theyâre⊠theyâre right. Dameron has no congratulatory drinks sitting in front of him even though more and more people have made their way into the bar. Heâs just sitting there grinning and nodding along to something someone else is saying, completely and blissfully unaware of the extent to which heâs fucked with you in the past twenty minutes. The past⊠whole day. Month and a half. Or⊠fuck, how long have you known him? Two years?
But then Dameronâs gaze gradually drifts this way, before suddenly locking with yours. His eyes flick behind you to look at the two Greenies blocking your exit, and then back to the way youâre staring at him, wide-eyed and startled.
He suddenly stands up and starts to take a few steps towards you, and the sheer abruptness of the movement causes you to react immediately. You stumble your way backwards through the two pilots, feeling a few hands reach out to steady you through the awkward fumbling, but you slap them away and announce loud enough for Dameron to hear beyond them that youâre taking a shower, and you donât give a fuck how long itâs gonna be this time.
***
The knob squeaks as you turn the water on. Usually youâd step back and wait the grueling five minutes or longer it takes for it to heat up with your arms crossed over your naked chest, but this time you move directly under the freezing spray, hoping to use the ice cold to shock your system.
You're finally alone.
Technically solitude doesnât really exist within this base. Youâve heard of others that are a little nicer, having a little more room for the ranks, but not here. Housing assignments, showers and restrooms, mess and recreation hallsâtheyâre all communal. Everyone is given rotating shifts, so while that means thereâs never any true quiet to be found, it also means that showers are spread out well throughout the day and night.
But, at least for this moment, thereâs nobody else around. At least in here, in the tiled chamber with multiple shower heads stationed around youâyouâre sure there are a few girls lingering in the locker room and the entry area beyond it, but for right now, youâre blissfully by yourself.
And yet, you canât seem to enjoy it.
You know you should be basking in the isolation. You should be thrilled at the rarity of only hearing your own flipflops slap against the floor as you turn around and drench your hair with the icy spray, but the lack of an immediate distraction for your focus allows it to wander to things you donât want it to.
Explosions, mostly. Lighting up like fireworks in front of your eyes even as they flutter closed and let water drip down them. Constant, never-ending. Some of them smallâTIEs you shot down, allies drawing fire away from you and then subsequently getting overwhelmed, zipping through dense debris from deadly collisions so quick that you had trouble distinguishing friend from foe. Some of them were massiveâstar destroyers splitting apart, warp drives overloading, enormous casualty counts. You donât know how many lives you took today, not directly.
The beginning was the worstâwhen you were still slightly disoriented, when you were panicked and screaming into the comms for assistance. Then the closest stationed tandem showed up firstâRed-Two and Eight, you think it was. Doesnât matter now. They took some heat off you before the cavalry arrived, but you remember Dameron barking out your name the second their left thruster got nicked and they started spiraling, a ferociously deep, âWith me!â cutting through the white noise. It was enough to snap you back, forcing you to instantly flick your eyes away and focus dead ahead without witnessing their demise.
It wouldnât have normally been necessary. Youâve been flying with the Resistance for years, youâve seen way too much bloodshed by now. But youâve never been the catalyst of itâyouâve always been able to confront threats accompanied by your squadron, right between Nine and Eleven, the flight controls rumbling steady under your palms. Youâve never faced down an entire fleet in one single ship. Youâve never had to rely so directly on the skills of another pilot in order to stay alive.
The water slowly heats to a lukewarm while you reach for the shampoo.
Surprisingly, for as much as the two of you clash in normal interactions, it was like everything eventually became⊠synchronized. Spectacularly so. Dameron started off the enemy confrontation by calling out his flight patterns to give you a chance to adjust your firing in real time, but then at some point, it just stopped being necessary. There was a moment where you both were able to suddenly⊠get it. Get each other. He didnât have to say anything after thatâyou could predict each other without second guessing, react instantaneously, and work your way through the littered battlefield accordingly. You never thought it would be possible to collaborate so well with someone youâve spent ages despising. Sure, youâd both die if you didnâtâshit, youâd probably still both die regardlessâbut this kind of teamwork extended beyond the need to survive. It doesnât matter how much you want to stay alive when reading someone elseâs mind is physically impossible, but for some reasonâŠÂ You have no idea why, but it apparently came naturally between you. It fell to pure instinct, pure reaction, and remarkably, his would somehow match yours perfectly, every single time.
You lather the shampoo in your hair, remembering how his voice changed over the course of the mission. How it gradually shifted from panicked roars and barked orders into ecstatic cheers and genuine praise after landing a difficult shot, how he just couldnât seem to stop whooping. Â
You smile softly as the tepid water rinses away the dirt and sweat from your body, until the temperature is brought up to a gentle, comfortable warmth raining down you and echoing in the empty shower room.
And, your first name. Dameron kept calling you that, the whole time. The one youâre now absolutely certain youâve never personally given to him. The one he wouldâve had to have listened for specifically. Remembered, or at least asked the right person about. But why? Itâs not⊠it makes no sense, he doesnât give a shit. Heâs notorious for not giving a shit. He canât even be bothered to remember the names of the girls heâs actually withâso why did he go to the trouble to figure out yours? Youâve been nothing but a thorn in his side the same way he is to you, right?
Right?
Your mind starts recollecting more recent events, trying to work through and process it by yourself. He was⊠singing your praises today. He was openly giving you credit for the win while you pouted in the corner and assumed the absolute worst of him. As much as youâre frustrated that nobody else seemed to give voice to your contributions, youâre even more surprised that he was the one who did.
And then even earlier. Gold-Nine, holding wagers with members of your squad (and others, apparently) about when youâre going to fuck him. Dameron, tearing her a new one for it, forbidding Black Squadron from throwing in and not attempting to hide his disdain for her from you. He⊠he defended you. Stood up for you when your own squad was being a bunch of dicks behind your back. And nobody ever fucking mentioned it to you. What did Rossi sayâa few weeks ago? Heâs known all this time and only today, only after you⊠openly showed more interest in him than you ever have, after you worked up enough nerve to try in your own little way to flirt back this time instead of responding to his casual comments with contempt and disgust, only today is when he decided to make a real move on you.
âŠYour mind is completely blank and yet you still feel yourself start to heat up just a bit at even alluding to the events that took place earlier. The way his fingers feltâ
Steam begins to fill the open concept chamber while you shake your head against the train of thought and reach for the soap, beginning to circle the bar along your arms and shoulders with a sigh. This is already the longest shower youâve taken in almost two months, and your body slowly relaxes under the mist and heat as you take forever cleaning yourself, slowly and hypnotically rubbing the soap along your skin.
The second you let your eyelids dip shut at the feeling, you immediately shiver at a flash of Dameron dragging his finger out of his mouth and blinking dark eyes at you through the transparisteel.
Fuck. The soap slips from your hand and you quickly catch it against your body before it falls to the ground completely, suddenly feeling the need to breathe in the misty air a bit harder. Shower, youâre in the shower. Come on.
The dirt and grime is scrubbed from your face and you tilt your head to move the bar of soap across your neck. As it lathers, you canât help but remember the way his lips felt against the skin right there, the scratch of his beard. You keep working the soap against that same spot for a while, not knowing if youâre trying to wash away the sensation or simulate it, until you gradually slow and make it lighter, softerâyes, thatâs closer to how it felt, thatâsâ
Soon the water is boiling hot and youâre trying not to boil along with it, remembering everything he said against this spot, the filth he whispered to you here. Your pussy starts to throb between your legs as the memories play out in your mind, how close he got you to shattering bliss without even really working for it. If you put it all together collectively, you donât think he actually touched you for more than a minute or two total today. Mostly he just talked to you, but stars, he hit buttons you didnât even think you had, had you a split second away from cumming harder than Maker knows while his finger rested just above your clit and provided no stimulation whatsoever.
Fuck, you enjoyed it. You did, youâll admit it when thereâs no one else here but you. You enjoyed the fuck out of it. You wish heâd do it again. Force you to lose, force you to cum so you can at least blame him for it, remove your responsibility from the equation and allow you to put just one more thing on his shoulders, to taste ecstacy instead of expecting you to bear the weight of pretending you donât need it any longer. He was doing you a favor, you realize that now. Your body is staging a fucking coup and you wish you couldâve called mercy before it got to this agonizing point. He turns you on, you fucking admit it. He inspires violent emotions in youâjealousy, arousal, anger, temptationâthoughts you donât want to have and consolidating it all into various forms of hatred makes the finer details easier to ignore. Your perception of him has always been skewed by your iron will, but he all but took a fucking sledgehammer to it today, dented it beyond all recognition. You want him, you want to him to take it all away, you want him to fuck youâin the⊠fuck, in the good way.
You donât have a thought beyond that. Your hand quickly falls down the length of your body to wash your private parts, biting your lip as your hips slowly start to rock into it. Youâre getting clean, youâre getting clean, this is how you clean yourself, this is⊠yes, as long as you keep the bar of soap pressed between your palm and the top of your curls like this, youâre cleaning yourself and you can just⊠ease your finger down just a little bit andâ
Flipflops suddenly echo from the twisting hallway leading to the tiled freshers, and you immediately snatch your hand back up again, not needing to turn around to know another girl is walking into the room. A knob somewhere to your right eventually makes a dull squeak as you quickly finish washing up and turn your showerhead off, grabbing your towel and wrapping it around yourself.
Maker, you feel like your pussy is plotting your demise. Fuck, you canât believe you almost cheated in the fucking showers just now where literally anyone could walk in, you thought you wouldâve had more self-control than that. You make your way into the changing rooms and grab your pajamas, starting to tug them on without fully drying your body and having only one thought in mind. Â
Dameron will probably be celebrating late tonight. You can tuck in early, scurry back to your room and cheat there.
Well, no, not cheating, because you clearly remember making a very compelling argument about wet dreams earlier today. Maker, a freebie, the word has never sounded so enticing. What youâd say amounts to a⊠bye-week orgasm basically, since you know heâs already lost at least one match against his own body and youâre meant to be competing on the same level. Itâs only fair to let you persevere through the toughest part of the challenge if he was allowed to throw a game early on and still stay in the competition. Maybe he threw multiple games, you never got a straight answer concerning that, so itâs still under review. He couldâve thrown⊠three games, even. Or four.
You dress as quickly as possible and then nearly bolt through the entrance area to the restrooms with all the sinks and stalls. The balled up dirty clothes and wet towel in your arms allow you to hide the way your nipples are stiff and tender against your thin pajamas, and you canât wait to climb into your bunk and take everything off under the covers. Youâll be able to cum, at least once. Itâll relieve so much stress, get rid of this nightmare headache, rip through your body like lightning and paralyze it until you can start over from square one and think like yourself again.
And, youâre just about to power walk your ass back to your quarters when a body nearly slams into yours as soon as you step foot outside the door, your shoulder jerking back just in time to avoid a collision.
A mechanic, you think. Youâre not exactly sure, you donât hang out with too many of themâheâs Chiss and his glowing red eyes donât even land on you as you gasp and sidestep him at the last second, but itâs not him that catches the majority of your attention. He just exited the menâs room at the same time you left the womenâs, and the door takes a moment to swing shut behind him.
You freeze. It canât be more than a few secondsâbut it feels like everything slows down and it lasts a fucking eternity.
Dameron is standing at a sink in the far corner of the room, naked except for a towel identical to the one in your arms wrapped loosely around his waist. He cradles the base of his own throat with one hand and gently drags a razor down the smooth contour of it with the other, his chin tilted up high and regal while his eyelids dip low to concentrate on his movements. He glances down and holds the foamy blade under the running faucet, tapping it twice against porcelain before the door slides him out of frame.
I can shave, a low, silky murmur slowly fills your ears, heat swelling low and hot in your tummy. Tonight, Iâll shave it off. Make it nice and smooth for you.
You feel like your body is just a collection of rigid knots all tied together, and the one between your legs is the tightest itâs ever been. Stars, on another day youâd say it feels like a bad cramp, even though you know your injection makes your period rare and like clockwork. Regardless, the split second image makes you shudder and clamp up painfully, and you just stand there and stare at the closed door for a second, trying not to shake.
Fuck, this is so fucking⊠presumptuous of him.
Realistically, you know it could have absolutely nothing to do with you. Itâs his faceâyouâre not self-centered enough to have completely lost your concept of autonomy. He can do whatever he wants to his body, and that includes facial hair, full stop. You also know that heâs not being⊠obvious about it, no matter how much it feels that way to you. Heâs using the sink and mirror at the very end of the room, not any of the ones nearest to the doorâbut even if he was, itâs not like he couldâve planned for you to walk out at the exact moment the metal hinge was angled wide open. He couldnât possibly have intended for this, for you to see him doing this. He wasnât making a show, didnât even notice you standing there. You blame literally everything on him, or at least you always try your absolute best toâbut this oneâŠ
It sends a hard shudder down your spine and you clutch the fabric in your arms tighter, trying not to drop it. Fuck. This is torture. Fuck him. Good and badâboth ways, all the ways he can be fucked, fuck him. Your head is spinning, youâre sweating fresh out of the shower, you need to cum. Maybe if you hurry, you can get that precious orgasm before heâs finished, because if Dameron is able to intercept you before you can tend to this, youâre⊠youâre not sure how youâre going to say no to him.
You donât even think you want to anymore. Â
You feel like youâre just⊠holding onto it on principle now. Too stubborn and hardheaded to want change. Too stuck in your own ways to recognize how much everything already has changed.
Somehow, you end up making your way back to your room, but the whole thing is a blur. Your flipflops plap against your heels as you navigate through hallways as quick as you can, emptier than youâve seen them in months. You know most of the pilots are probably out celebrating in either the mess hall or rec room, but the thought doesnât really presently register. Almost nothing registers besides your continuous forward motion and the way you feel yourself throb with every step, aching for something you are going to get tonight. Fuck, you are so attached to this orgasm now, itâs not going anywhere and neither are you. You deserve this, you deserve some relief. Come hell or highwater, itâs happening tonight.
As soon as you step into your room and slap your hand blindly against the wall panel to close the door behind you, youâre carelessly dropping the bundle of fabric to the floor and then shrugging out of your pajamas in the cool pitch darkness, having exactly one mission in mind. You donât bother with lights, with brushing your hair, with literally anything besides clamoring up the ladder to your top bunk and wiggling under the thin bedsheet, making sure to pull it up to your chin before your legs butterfly open. The tip of your finger wets itself on your tongue and then youâre dropping it down and sliding it against your poor clit, the pleasure arcing and flaring so sharp and sensitive even from your touch that you have to give it just a second.
âŠNo, no you donât. You donât have to give it fucking anything. You keep moving your finger hard and quick even as your hips naturally want to jerk away from it, shoving yourself through the sensitivity with gritted teeth and a ferocious will.
Fuck, how long do you think you have? Was Dameron shaving pre or post-shower? You canât remember, all you know is he had a towel around his waist. And that thin gold chain hanging down his neck. Was his hair wet? Fuck, why canât you remember? His chin and jaw were smooth as silk, you know that much. Post-shower, then. Probably. Probably?
His chin and jaw were smooth as silk. You keep getting stuck on that no matter how chaotically your thoughts whirl; they fling out in different directions at different velocities but all somehow manage to go in a perfect circle and end up at the same place you started. His chin, his jaw, his mouth, his neck, his chin, his mouth, his jaw, his mouth, his mouth, his mouthâ
You feel yourself start to clamp down and you speed up, chasing it. The pleasure starts burning deep inside you, the fire slowly licking down your thighs and rising up into your abdomen, and thenâ
And then a series of quiet beeps from the hallway practically blare like alarm bells to your frantic mind.
You immediately stop moving your finger, snapping your legs tight together and flat to the mattress as soon as the door to your room shifts open and fluorescent light spills inside, and you feel like you could actually fucking cry right now.
All this edging is just a form of self-flagellation at this point. You lay there and try not to make a sound, try not to tremble hard enough to shake the whole bunk with it, but even your breathing feels like itâs going to give you away. Dameron, shirtless with his towel draped over his shoulder, slowly steps into the room and then pauses almost immediately, making your heart stutter for a second at what so blatantly caught his attention.
One quick glance down towards his feet confirms the simultaneous hope and fearâyou left everything on the floor. The towel, the dirty clothes, and your pajamas are strewn about haphazardly right where he needs to walk.
You know what it must look like to him. A trail of clothes leading directly to an occupied bed isnât exactly subtle, even though you didnât necessarily intend it that way. Still, what can you say? Your hand is shoved in between your legs right now and youâre in your birthday suit under this thin sheet, what the fuck can you say to him? Sorry Dameron, got too caught up with how stupid wet you get me that I left those there on accident on my way to cheat, but totally not because I lowkey want your help doing it. Convincing, thatâll go over great.
Dameron slowly lifts his head to look at you. Or, at least you think he doesâthe light from the open door behind him casts his body in a dark silhouette, but you know your face is perfectly illuminated for him right now. Blinking down at him from the top bunk with your brows pulled up in the middle, wide-eyed and desperate and caught red-handed. Fuck, you donât know if he can see the way your knees are clamped tight together and your hand rests perfectly still against your pussy like this from the angle heâs at, but you know it has to be super fucking obvious either way. Youâre breaking the rules, youâre touching yourself, and you both know it. You canât lie, you canât even sit up without confirming his very valid suspicion. He can call the game at any point, butâŠ
You watch his head fall back down to study the mess you left for him once more. Fuck, are you positive that was an accident? Normally you wouldnât second guess anything about your own understanding of the interactions that occur between you and him, butâyouâve never done that before. Youâve lived with roommates on this base for years, you donât just⊠get naked before getting into bed, thatâs bad form. How are you going to get up in the morning without having your pajamas shoved near your feet while you sleep? Wrap this thin bedsheet around yourself and scamper down the ladder until you can snatch them up from the floor, and then what? Climb all the way back up just to wiggle the clothes on underneath the blanket before going back down again? Maker, you fucked up, your pussy is plotting your fucking demise.
But then everything inside you pulls taut as Dameron suddenly decides to move. Slowly, he leans down to catch your orange jumpsuit closest to his feet with a few fingers, before he stands upright and carefully begins folding the fabric without saying a single word to you. Electricity buzzes through you as he very obviously takes his time with it, using nearly his whole armspan to lengthen and fold the sleeves while his chest and chin meet for support. When heâs eventually satisfied with it, he takes a few steps toward the empty desk on your side of the room and then sets the neat rectangle of fabric atop it where you usually keep it.
You bite your lip and you canât help itâyou start to move your finger as he goes back to sort the pajamas you wore for barely two seconds from your dirty clothes, folding and putting away whatever is clean and then tossing the rest into the shared laundry basket that gets collected every week. Somehow it makes you feel even more naked, seeing all your clothes be returned to their proper places, realizing that this is your base state now, this is what youâre going to wear tonight. Nothing. You left everything on the floor and trapped yourself up here, heâs simply shifting a pawn forward two spaces in kind now that youâve made your first move.
You can feel yourself pulse threateningly against your own fingertip while he collects your wet towel and drapes it over your closet door to dry, and your breath comes louder through your nose while you bite back the noises you want to make, the way your movements so desperately want to speed up. Your hand working the way you want it to under the white sheets would be too much, too revealing, but you donât know how much longer youâll be able to care.
But then of course, the asshole has to go and put away his towel and clothes, and you endure through the whole thing while pressing back and forth against your clit so hard and slow that your toes curl and pull the sheet tucked under your chin taut. After thatâs done, he makes his way over to the portshade above his desk and slowly slides it open a few inches, the light of three moons outside gradually filling the room. However, when Dameron goes back to press a button on the wall panel and close the door to the hallway, you immediately see how much softer it is in here, how the artificial fluorescents have thankfully disappeared and the room illuminates more than it blinds, glows more than it beams. He presses one more button as the lock inside the paneling slides into place.
You bite your bottom lip and try your best to hide the pleasure youâre building for yourself while he makes his way back to his desk, quietly swiping the radio off it and lowering the volume knob completely before he flips it on. The noise slowly amplifies until youâre able to catch two distinct voices conversing in Hutteseâitâs the only lingua franca that still broadcasts on this old technology in this part of the galaxy, but heâs already flipping through the stations in search of something specific.
If you were thinking straight, you may have actually recognized this for what it is, but youâre having trouble even processing the details of your general surroundings right now, your mind is lagging and too slow at reading between the lines. Dameronâs doing exactly what he said he would do. He laid it all out earlier for you in the x-wing, telling you exactly what he wanted plain as day, and now heâs checking the whole list off one by one. The shade is open and the room is lit just enough to make him out, the door is locked, and heâs finding something to listen to. Something quiet, and easy.
If you were thinking straight, youâd realize that thereâs a much more obvious reason why he shaved his beardâyou never told him the truth about how much you liked it. You never tell him the truth. You allowâeven encourage him to think the sharp things you say to him are exactly how you feel. He did it because he believed you.
Oh, but youâre not thinking straight. Your thoughts are scattered and the only thing they can agree upon is how good this feels, even as your breathing starts to grow heavier, grow louder underneath the sound of the radio. The thought stays right beneath your consciousness, tugging at your preoccupied mind. You work your finger with just a little more verve now that heâs flipping through the stations, knowing heâs distracted by spinning the dial through intermittent white noise while different voices and songs fill the room for just a second at a time.
Your bed, his voice suddenly echoes through your thoughts, originating from your subconscious but almost sounding like itâs coming from the radio in your delirious mind. I want you comfortable.
Fuck, the understanding finally clicks the second he flips to a slower song and you start to burn at the thought of whatâs next. The silent promise that his actions allude to. You have the realization way too late but at least it still comes at all with the state youâre in. Your hand slows down immediately, not even needing to consciously consider the choice between achieving orgasm through your finger or his mouth. Still, itâs hard to stop touching yourself completely when it feels so fucking good to your deprived body.
Fuck, itâs barely been a few seconds since your realization and yet you immediately bristle in distress at how fucking long heâs taking.
So you open your mouth. Youâre desperate and needy and on the verge of something, and it comes out without thought. You donât think itâs loud enough for him to hear, but his head immediately lifts and looks unseeingly at the wall in front of him for a second, as if heâs questioning if he imagined it. A soft melody plays on a bluesy guitar while you hiccup and wait, but he doesnât move.
And then you say it again, higher and tighter in your throat, pitched up to an impatient, girlish whine. âPoeâŠâ
The radio is tossed onto the bottom bunk as soon as he spins around and walks towards the ladder, but itâs like your finger has a mind of its own the moment he disappears underneath your line of sight. Your legs spasm against the mattress and you bite your lip, not caring about the frantic way your hand begins moving under the sheet as his muted footsteps climb up the rungs.
Your eyes snap to his as soon as you can see him beyond the railing at your feet, heaving himself up until everything above his waist is above you, too. His pauses there and his lashes quickly dip to the shameless movements between your legs as you work yourself towards that approaching bliss, and then flick back to the way youâre biting your lip and looking at him so torn, wanting so badly to wait for it but not being able to right now.
Slowly, he begins to move forward, crawling his way up the mattress and over your body, noticeably careful with where he places his limbs. Youâre not hard to dodge, thoughâyouâre like a rigid stick of desperation under him, knees and ankles still clamped tight together and your arms streamlined as close to your body as possible with tension as you keep rubbing your clit. Not to mention the sheet is thin and shows your figure almost perfectly with how tight youâve hooked it under your chin, only leaving the finest details to the imagination.
But then there starts to be a little strain against the fabric, an unspoken question heâs still bothering to ask even though you couldâve told him to fuck off ages ago. Poe could yank the sheet down and flip your shit over and destroy you right now if he wantedâfuck, like you want him to doâbut his face slowly appears in front of yours instead and his dark eyes search your features for answers. The length of his chain dangles from his muscular neck and glows against his golden skin, his whole upper body stretched long and bare over you.
From the gradually increasing tightness pulling on the fabric, you expect the sheet to rip down your body as soon as you lift your chin and let that resistance go, but instead⊠stars, itâs slow.  Why is he going so fucking slow??  The bedsheet barely flutters down to your collarbone before heâs able to stop tugging on it so hard, and then he just gently inches the hem down from that point on.
Fuckâyour eyes drop to his lips as he eventually reveals your shoulders and sternum to the room, and then lower to your cleavage while you let out a hushed whimper, praying he understands the extent of how vulnerable youâre allowing yourself to be. You donât do this oftenâand you definitely donât do it with someone like him. Heâs the one who said you needed this, isn't he? So why the fuck is he dragging out the anticipation? Pretending like he doesnât see the way youâre begging for help in the middle of another warzone thatâs breaking out for the second time today?
Poeâs head drops down to give the contour of your neck a long drag of his tongue, slow and hot and wet, the sheet eventually dropping beneath your nipples and exposing them to the cool air. You bite your lip and keep working yourself under the fabric even as itâs led down the length of your tummy, and you just get wetter and wetter feeling him mouth at your skin as the radio continues to play soft from the bottom bunk. He follows the skin as itâs revealed, licking down from your collarbone and working with the increasing rate of your breathing. His lips never feel like they vary in pressure, even as your chest heaves up and down and your lungs work hard for air.
His open mouth slowly drags down the curve of your breast and it makes your blood burn fire through your veins. You nearly choke when your nipple is enveloped in soft heat, his tongue quickly fluttering up under the stiff peak and giving it to you so gently, contrasting so light and vernal with how brilliant and neon bright the need between your legs is. Your hand starts to work quicker, and fuckâyou can hear it now, your desperate movements audible over the shallow breaths and the sound of one song gradually fading into another below you. Youâre just too fucking wet and your pussy is smushed with how tight your legs are pressed togetherâthe noise is unavoidable, and Poeâs knees are planted too close to either side of your thighs to spread them really at all.
Fuck, you knock against the resistance regardless to let him know what you want, but he doesnât budge and it makes you just about lose your damn mind. Does he have to make everything so fucking difficult? You couldnât close your legs earlier and now you canât open them, and itâs like heâs able to take perfect advantage of each opposing position to prolong your torture.
But then his tongue leaves you even as his jaw opens just slightly, and thatâs the only warning you get before his teeth graze your nipple with a sudden arc of sensation and you flare up all at once.
Itâs a miracle and a curse that youâre able to stop at the very last second, your hand jerking away from your pussy and flexing into a fucking death claw on your thigh at how close you were, and you donât know why. Why did the fuck did you stop? Thereâs nothing standing in your way right now, youâve consciously given yourself express permission to cum, but still. It must just be learned instinct at this pointâhammered into your muscle memory for weeks on end to not allow the pleasure no matter what, especially when youâre this fucking close to it.
Nonetheless you garble out nonsense and cinch inwards on yourself to fight it off now that youâve apparently decided against it. Thereâs nothing worse than a half-assed orgasm, and you have to quickly summon the conviction behind your split second reaction before itâs too late and your body takes the pleasure any way it can get it.
Poeâs mouth releases your nipple at the way your whole spine suddenly hunches in and he drops his forehead to your chest, breathing heavy down the slope of your breast as you tremble and grapple for your sanity.
âDid you just cum?â Is the first thing he says to you, his voice is so ragged and stony itâs practically gravel crunching as he speaks.
âN-n-no,â you quickly stammer at the ceiling, trying to remember how to breathe correctly. Inhale, exhaleâfuck, which one is inhale again, which one comes first? Maker, does he need to call a fucking medic? âHuhhhhalmost?â
Poe takes a deep breath and slowly releases it with a bassy and warm mmmm rumbling against your skin, so coarse but pleased enough to sound like melted chocolate dripping down your body. The noise sends a violent shudder through you and itâs almost enough to knock you back to that edge again, even without your fingers assisting it. Â
His head dips and the sheet pulls down even more, just below your belly button now, and you let out a quiet gasp in anticipation, nearly on the verge of begging him to keep moving downwards. But when Poeâs eyes close and his mouth suddenly moves back up to open over your other nipple instead, your patience snaps. Â
Fuck him, bad way. This is your orgasm, youâre done waiting.
âIâm gonna cum,â you snarl furiously down at him, shoving your hand between your legs even as Poeâs lips quirk against your skin. Itâs not a warning, itâs a threat. If heâs gonna be like this, he doesnât get to share it with you. Itâs your orgasm, youâll give it to yourself if he doesnât give a shit about it. âThought you wanted it, guess not.â
You immediately feel his teeth again in response to your admittedly slightly bitchy comment and this time he lets your nipple roll just a bit between them, making you jerk at the sensation and quickly find your clit again. Oh, youâre soaking fucking wet, youâre wet everywhere. Slick and swollen and burning, and itâs not going to take much at all. The sheet sticks to your overheated body and you canât tell the difference between your sweat, his saliva, or wetness from between your legsâit all just feels damp and slippery as you gradually lose your bearings under his mouth.
âFuck this, Iâm gonna cum,â you breathe once more, possibly nothing more than a mindless reiteration but most likely just one last veiled plea for him to give you what you both want. As if he can tell, Poe quickly lifts his mouth and suddenly the sheet is ripped the rest of the way down your naked body completely, sharp and frustrated, and then his lips brush against your elbow as it twitches, nipping the sensitive skin there.
âBrat,â he growls quietly against your forearm as he keeps dragging his lips down further, following the path it makes along your tummy. âJust likes making shit difficult.â
âYouâre the oneââ you hiccup, trying to sound angry but just melting into a puddle at the tip of his tongue slowly trailing down your frantically moving wrist, ââyouâre the⊠the o-one who⊠whoâŠ?â
But youâre already sprinting towards that edge, feeling him drop even lower and his hot breath fan against your fingers, and at this point youâre too far gone. Poe gently kisses at your closed thighs, in perfect position and ready for you, but you canât stop yourself anymore unless he makes you stop, and the longer he waits down there without grabbing your hand to replace it with something better the more you donât give a shit about whether or not itâs going to happen. You can feel the orgasm rising, you can feel your toes flex and everything start to lock down for the approaching tsunami. Youâre going to get it this time, youâre going to cum, youâre going toâ
âThis isââ you rasp, ââthis is a f-free, a fffff-ffreeeebââ
His tongue softly grazes your knuckle as it works.
And then thereâs a moment. A suspended moment that seems to go on forever, where youâre launched directly over that cliff and yet you still seem to be gaining altitude. Whereâs the drop? Youâre already cummingâyou can feel it, thereâs absolutely no fucking going back now, but itâs like your sheer desperation has so much momentum that your body tricks itself into believing thereâs nothing to land on, no gravity to immediately rip you straight down to your demise.
You choke out his name and your back arches with it and that must be the signal, because Poe finally pulls your hand away and lets his chin dip, and then his jaw falls open and allows you just enough time to catch the glimmer of his pink tongue before it slides wet and slow through your swollen folds.
Heat. It sears through your whole body with a wracked shudder, the slick glide over your clit as his eyes flutter closed, and within the very first second of feeling his mouth on you, youâre instantly cumming inside it.
There. Thereâs the drop.
The burning erupts into molten chaos, crumpling your whole body on impact like an accordion, but he sinks all his weight down on your legs and forces you to endure it with everything below your waist pinned to the mattress. Itâs fucking mayhem. You feel like your voice actually rips itself in half with the ragged cry of blinding relief, so enormous and soul wrenching in power that you couldnât even hope to muffle it. You canât move your hips through it, you canât stutter up to ride it outâyou have to experience the whole thing with your lower body completely still while his tongue takes slow, gentle licks at your throbbing clit, only able to sit your shoulders up and slam them back down and grab his head as you endure.
You cum hard. Fucking hard. Itâs daunting and explosive and utterly devastating in the havoc it wreaks, and just when you think youâve seen the worst of it, itâs just so slow. Creeping along and obliterating everything in its path, taking an eternity to pass because of how fucking big it is.
When youâre finally able to float back down into your own body again, the first thing you notice is how tight his hold is. Poeâs arms are wrapped around your thighs to keep them pressed tight together and you can feel the wetness all the way down to your fucking knees as they tremble against each other. Stars, what did he do to you? You feel like you actually wet yourself, thereâs way too much dampness on the mattress underneath you to feel anywhere close to normal for you.
His mouth eventually leaves you but his head doesnât move, nothing else moves. Even his hot breath feels like rough stimulation to your throbbing pussy.
And then Poe shifts and adjusts his body just enough, catching the backs of your knees and slowly spreading your legs up and apart like you wanted to do ages ago. They feel like jelly, wobbly and unsteady even as his thumbs hook right under your knees and easily support most of their weight. Your pussy is soon exposed completely, and his shoulders move down just before his head drops to lick the collection of wetness right from your entrance. Fuck, he couldnât get it from the previous angle your legs were at, just your clit at the very topâbut this is deep and personal and you know heâs probably getting mouthfuls of how hard he just made you cum, using the tip of his tongue to scoop your arousal up and swallowing it quietly before going back for more.
âPoe,â you whisper, and he rumbles low in his throat in response without stopping. This isnât for you, this isnât for your benefit right now. Your pleasure receptors arenât concentrated right here, just the physical evidence of them being overloaded just a few moments ago, but he stays for longer than necessary. He keeps his mouth here far longer than you need to push past the throbbing sensitivity and start to crave the sensation again, forcing you to bite your lip to stop yourself from telling him to move back up just a couple inches.
So you seek it out instead, the lower part of your body clearly not listening to a damn thing your mind tells it right now. Your hips drop and his velvet tongue catches your clit at the apex of its repetitive motion, and you gasp and rock upwards again as Poe groans and immediately rises with you to chase it. He attaches to the swollen flesh and sucks at it gently for you, following your lead, letting your wet fingers comb his hair back from his face and clutch a good fistful of it as you plant your feet and slowly grind up into his mouth.
Fuck. He was right. You needed this. Everything about it is heavenâendorphins pour off you in waves as you roll your hips against his face, and he lets you do it. Heâs not just pliant, heâs willing. His tongue works diligently, his eyes close and he moans into your pussy, allowing you to tug his hair and fit to his mouth exactly how you want.
Oh, everything burns. Everything smolders and sparks, because heâs always been so withholding and now heâs just going for it. Heâs reading your mind better than he did during the battle today, not necessarily submissive in his approach but⊠servicing. Accommodating. Finally giving in and putting real effort into helping you chase after another shot of ecstasy without being so stingy about it like before.
As soon as you feel another familiar swell of something deep down, your mouth is suddenly dropping open.
âHow manyââ your ragged voice comes out without thinking, and it takes so fucking long to actually attach the train of thought to its conduit of translation. You swallow thickly and flex your fingers in his hair, tugging at him to ground yourself, trying to anchor yourself to the very thing thatâs about to fling you into oblivion again. ââfuck, how many times did you⊠how many fr-freebies do Iâdo IâŠâ
Poe eases his chin back just enough to respond, and the slick sound his tongue makes leaving your clit makes you shudder and miss the wretched words at first. âMm. Just the one.â
And then his tongue is already sliding back through your pussy by the time your eyes pop open in immediate panic, and your clit is in his mouth again as soon as yours drops to frantically contest.
But the words arenât coming, it feels too fucking amazing. Your jaw goes slack and your fingers tighten in his hair. Maker almighty, the orgasm swells up so sharp and quick that you have to fucking kick him at the very last second to get away from it. Thankfully Poeâs mouth abruptly leaves you with his oof of shock at your audacity, lifting his head as you snap your legs together and grit your teeth through your miserable retreat from ecstasy. You donât even notice the way your knee almost knocks into his jaw with itâyou just focus on shamefully easing your way back down again from the platform overlooking bliss like youâre too afraid of the high-dive. After a second, you actually have to turn on your side and rock yourself like a child as Poe slowly sits up with a grimace, lifting his arm to rub at his ribcage where your heel slammed into him.
You peek an eye open to watch him do it and oh no, itâs not a good plan. Heâs so⊠fucking hot. Fuck. Heâs unbelievably good-lookingâhis hair curls and frames such handsome features, his body is lovely and warm and seeing his chest bare and up close like this makes you want to reach out and slowly drag your hand down the smooth curve of his side. But then your gaze catches on the dark sweatpants tented shamelessly between his legs and how heâs glistening with perspiration, too, and how he tugs at the fabric covering his crotch and sighs softly, blinking down at you slow and intoxicated with lust.
You have to close your eyes and bury your face into the pillow because your body is latching onto anything to keep you within inches of that edge. The mere sight of him is enough to make you worry for yourself. You take deep breaths and do your best to tune his existence out entirely. Just you, just you in your bed, trying desperately not to cum without even touching yourself. Youâre naked and curled up and there's no one here to look down at you with deep brown eyes, no one else breathing and especially not equally as loud as you are. Just you, just you.
And, just when you think you might finally get to the point where youâre not teetering anymore, where youâre at least mostly certain that moving around and looking at things and just existing in general isnât going to make you completely unravel hands-free at any moment, he has to fucking⊠go and be himself.
You peek up to see him staring down at you, dark and intimate and devouring, before his hand gently brushes down the curve of your hip. âMaker, you are so fucking hot right now. Was that a close one, pretty baby?â
Your hand snaps out to grab his wrist with a whimper and you donât know if your intent is to stop him or just hang on for dear life, but your grip is weak and you shake and Poe takes the opportunity to grab a handful of your ass while you do absolutely fuck all to stop him.
âMmmm. Open your legs,â he murmurs, releasing your flesh just to give it a soft smack. âYouâre only making it worse like this.â
âWhat? W-What do youââ you stammer, but Poe drags his hand down your thigh to catch one of your knees and pull it up without waiting for your babbled reply. Both knees go with him, your pelvis wound too tight and frozen to do anything but rotate your whole entire body on your tailbone.
âYouâre just adding more pressure by keeping them closed,â he explains, wiggling his fingers in between your knees to try and get enough of a grip to pry them apart. âCâmonâopen your legs, let yourself breathe.â
âNnnnnnstop talking,â you groan, trying to slap at him, but heâs strong enough to force the movement regardless, levering your knees apart and then pushing them tight to the mattress. And, though he would normally be right about it, youâre fighting your mind to get away from the orgasm just as much as you are your body. The sudden exposure and the positioning and the way he automatically drops his gaze down at your needy pussy with his cock still hidden in his pants like that only serves to displace the cause instead of eliminating the effect. Closing the door and opening a window, shifting the stimulation somewhere else but allowing it to throb steady and aching regardless.
âMuch better,â he sighs lowly, digging his fingers into the sore muscles inside your thighs and you just keep your hands loosely attached to his wrists as he works. âFuck me, babyâs got such a pretty pussy doesnât she?â
âPoe,â you wheeze up at him, hearing him rumble at the sight of your cunt contracting around nothing, probably shining and glistening with your desperation for him. By this point, youâre worrying again. You have no doubt whatsoever that he could talk you into cumming just like this, with your hands trembling and clutching at his wrists. If he keeps murmuring filth while holding your legs open and staring at your pussy like this, you have no doubt youâll find a way to get there somehow.
Thankfully, he seems to understand. He goes quiet and just keeps massaging your sore muscles while you try not to writhe underneath him. Stars, itâs like heâs genuinely doing what he can to take it easy on you and youâre still all kinds of fucked up about it, still frantic and desperate while all heâs doing is just squeezing your legs.
âCalm down,â he gruffs, but you canât. âYouâre working yourself up, donâtââ
âStop talkiââ your ragged growl is cut off by your own hiccup as you quickly find the strength to shove at his hands, knowing theyâre at least mostly to blame for your prolonged tightrope walk. You canât fucking think when heâs touching you, you become too hyper-aware of your own body, it feels too good in a way thatâs hard to describe and impossible to explain. Poeâs palms immediately listen and raise in front of him in surrender, his back lifting to give you space while you hide your face from him with shaky hands and gasp. Itâs pathetic and your legs are still held wide open and your fingers tremble hard enough to resemble a malfunction.
You just. You need a hard reset. You need that thirty seconds of complete idle, of figuring shit out on your own without an electric current running through you before you can start working properly again. It canât be rushed, itâs necessary when most people just want to power down and then right back up again. The wires connecting your parts are all criss-crossed and tangled and sparks are lighting up at the slightest stimulus, you just need to experience absolutely nothing for thirâ
âIâm sorry,â Poe murmurs, still staying in his own space but the gravelly voice shooting a bolt of lightning down your spine. Thirty seconds, of course he couldnât give you thirty fucking seconds. âFuck, youâre so hot, Iâm sorryââ
âPlease stop talking,â you beg him, your fingers curling against your face, âMaker, IâI donât want to cumââ
âFuck, I know, itâs the sexiest thing Iâve ever fuckiââ
You go to kick him again and even though it collides wrong and does nothing more than get your message across, the jostle is enough to knock you back from the approaching oblivion just slightly. It serves to wake you up way more than it remotely hurts him, the equivalent of someone just smacking a piece of machinery and fixing the problem temporarily.
You heave an enormous breath and blink your eyes open behind your fingers, immediately locking with his. Poeâs teeth are digging into his bottom lip but heâs mercifully silent, even when you drop your shaky hands down to your spread thighs and stay equally silent another full minute while you make the effort to right yourself. After awhile though, you realize he must be taking cues from you, waiting for you to speak.
Only, you suddenly donât know what to say. Youâre at a complete loss, looking up at him through your eyelashes in uncertainty now. Something youâve never been around him, even as your pussy is wide open for him to look at. He hasnât recently, though, you donât think. Heâs just keeping his eyes on your face, watching you bite your lip and blink up at him while your mind whirls, the only sound that can be heard is the radio continuing to lull from the bottom bunk.
You wish heâd say something. How come heâs choosing right now to listen to what you tell him to do? You donât⊠you donât know what to say to him. Why canât you figure out something? You fidget but then suddenly feel your expression lose all its struggle and just look⊠innocent. Needing his help.
âDo you want me to leave?â Poe eventually asks after another moment, tentative of breaking the silence, and you frantically shake your head before heâs even finished speaking. Fuck, something drops in your stomach at how desperate youâre probably coming off right now, but youâre so lost and you know thatâs at least one question you know the immediate answer to.
Poe tilts his head thoughtfully, slowly reaching a hand towards your thigh without removing his eyes from yours. âWant me to make you cum again?â
You shake your head again, wide-eyed and worried. He immediately pulls his hand back and blinks slowly at you.
âYou want to be edged more?â He asks lowly, and you shake your head vehemently for the third time. Poe sighs and sits back, planting his palms to his thighs and pulling at the fabric of his pants in budding frustration, clearly tired of playing twenty questions. âWell what do you want, baby? You wanna just hang out? Thatâs fine, I donât care, but you gotta tell me.â
Fuck, heâs right, what do you want? The only thing thatâs standing in your way of feeling better, you soon realize.
âWant you to cum first,â you mumble, cheeks warming at how childish you sound.
âNot a fucking chance,â Poe immediately scoffs, crossing his arms over his bare chest. âAnd pouting at me isnât gonna help.â
âWhy not?â You breathe, dipping your gaze down his body. âI can use my mouth.â
âI donâtââ he stops short, suddenly registering what you said and switching gears. âYou canâ?â Poe narrows his eyebrows and looks suspicious. âYouâll let me⊠cum in it?â
âOkay,â you whisper in breathless agreement, sitting up and reaching for him, but Poe groans and pushes you back down on the mattress with a flattened palm against your shoulder like you just aced a test he was hoping youâd fail.
âFuck whoeverâs idea this was,â he grits darkly to himself while you arch up against his hold, wanting him to grab your tits but knowing itâs not a good idea right now. âMaker, Iâm so fucking hardâfuck whoeverâs idea this was, making me turn that downââ
âYou said,â you pant, licking your dry lips and blinking up at the ceiling, trying to control yourself, âbefore, you said that youâre⊠youâre not doing this for a bet, right? So why not?â Your voice goes softer when you flutter your gaze back at him, even though the accusation feels like it should be sharper if anything, since it comes from a very real place of distrust. âWere you just⊠lying to me about that?â
âFuck, come on,â Poe groans, his voice starting to waver as he shakes his head and squints one eye at you, exasperated. âYou donât get it. You canât think of a single fucking reason I donât wanna blow my load just yet? Really?â
The sentence coupled with his rock solid hold on you skitters a thrill through your body and you automatically reach up to run your hand along his forearm. He looks down at the caress and then back to your face and fuck, even you feel like youâre sending mixed signals right now.
âYou could⊠fuck me,â you whisper, and Poeâs dark eyebrows pull up as his gaze falls down your naked body, nodding and digging his teeth into his bottom lip. An agreement backed by so much unspoken desire that it looks like it almost hurts him just to hear you say it out loud. âAnd we can just⊠see who cums first.â
âYeah?â He croaks, his eyes pinned between your open legs. âJust say fuck it all and race for last place? Okay.â
Your heart pounds, having just enough wherewithal to preemptively establish a safety net for yourself. âAndâand we canât finish at the same time or we both lose.â
âFuck,â Poe groans, reaching down to catch the hem of his sweatpants with his thumb and lifting his hips until his cock is exposed to the dim room. âWe canât stop once we start, then, weâll have to see it through.â
Except you donât catch any of the last part because, uh. Well, to sum up. May the Maker have mercy on you all.
Just like that, the only thought in your mind is⊠you get it. Okay, you get it. He told you before that girls were only interested in him for his cock, and it actually⊠stars, it makes so much fucking sense now, you totally get it. You thought maybe he was just boasting as a form of overcompensation at firstâor, to put it another way youâve probably used in conversation with him before, talking big talk but walking small walk. Only now, youâre⊠humbled. By a fucking dick, youâre humbled.
You havenât seen more than a few of them in this context, so you know youâre not necessarily qualified to give an informed opinion, but heavens itâs a sight. Itâs thick and swollen and just a shade darker than his complexion and everything inside you rockets to attention as soon as he wraps his hand around it. Itâs big. It fills his whole palm without much room to spare. Far larger than what youâre used to, and you know that no matter how he fucks you with it, youâre gonna feel it tomorrow. Next weekend, probably.
Your eyes must betray you, because Poe suddenly loosens his grip and breathes your name softly, causing you to flick your eyes back up to his. You didnât realize you were staring so openly.
âIâll go slow,â he reassures you quietly, voice gentle and knowing. The complete lack of sarcasm or aggression in his tone is enough to snap you back to yourself, knowing that canât possibly be right. Heâs talking to you like he did when you stumbled your ass out of the x-wing today, when you were barely responsive and lost in dumb shock. He doesnât have to⊠be nice to you right now, like youâre still only moments away from losing it. Itâs offensive.
âI can handle it,â you harumph, widening your legs while Poe immediately suppresses a grin.
â'Course you can,â he sighs with the slightest note of fondness creeping into his voice, dropping his hips as he lines up at your entrance. âAnd Iâll go slow anyways.â
You open your mouth to respond but at the first push of his head inside, you inhale sharply and your palm immediately shoots out to press against his chest on complete instinct. The stab of pain is impossible to mask from your features and Poe instantly stops with a shaky breath, watching how your jaw drops at the intrusion and your face contorts.
âAhh. ShitâŠâ he whispers as his head tips down, dark eyes clamping shut and his hold on you tightening. âWhatâshit, what the fuckâŠâ
âKeep going,â you growl out, even though you know youâre just making it more difficult on yourself. You can take Poeâs cock, you can take it, he has absolutely nothing to brag about, itâs completely normal-sizedâ
His hips inch forwards and you gasp at the excruciating arc of sensation, slapping at him harder.
âKeep going,â you babble while locking your elbows and shoving him back, âfuck, keep going, keep goingââ
âBaby,â Poe groans, wrenching one of your hands from his chest and bringing your wrist up to his mouth to kiss and breathe hot air on it, âbaby, you gotta let meââ
He moves a little more and you cry out, jerking your hand back from his lips and knocking it hard against his chest before you even realize it. Oh shit, you canât handle it, you havenât been fucked in so longâ
âIâm sorry,â you choke out, trying to be nicer by flattening your palm but then immediately digging your nails in, âfuck, Iâm sorry, itâs justâitâs been awhile since Iââ
âShit, I can tell,â he pants brokenly, his fingers dropping back down to flex hard on your hip. âHoooolyfuck, I can teâah, fuck, itâs alright, itâs alright, justânnnnnnshit, okay, just relax, donât tense up too muuuh⊠muchââ
His cock pushes deeper even as he keeps rambling through it and you feel yourself being rearranged to make room for the slow movement, giving way to a rich pleasure even as the discomfort increases.
Poe stops once more when your hands shove up against him, somehow simultaneously shakier and firmer than all the other times put together and a little more than half of him inside you at this point. Youâre so slick and hot between your legs that thereâs no resistance besides the stretch, nothing to stop him from slamming home besides your weak hands trembling at his collarbone, but everything about the way he stays completely frozen for ages says heâs controlled and patient.
Everything except his face, you soon realize.
When your body is finally able to come to terms with the sensation and you blink up at him, Poe isnât looking at you anymore. Heâs staring directly over your head at the wall, tangible regret manifesting itself in seething frustration marring his expression. His eyebrows furrow and he scowls but all of it is silent and directed at himself, as if heâs asking why the fuck he actually agreed to do this. You know then that it must be really fucking wet. You know then that you must be just blazing hot and tighter than sin and as if in rhythmic agreement, his cock jumps inside you with each pounding rush of blood through it. You can see the sweat beading at his hairline as he continues to ignore you for the moment, choosing instead to silently lament at the wall like it did something to mortally betray him.
You could⊠make this a sprint, something devious suddenly whispers to you. Heâs struggling through the pleasure and you can outlast. From the severity of that look alone, you can put an end to it before it even starts.
Admittedly, you donât even let the devil finish his damn sentence before you decide to take your own initiative. You clamp down around him as hard as you can and Poe whips his attention down to you and punches out a curse that sounds like you wrenched the word from his throat before he was anywhere near ready for it. It comes from somewhere high and defenseless in register and then quickly falls down into a growly pit as his hips automatically lurch forwards the rest of the way inside, hard, smacking into yours as you squeeze wickedly around him.
You keep squeezing through the sudden upward shove of bliss, you keep tightening up even though youâre making agonizing noises and your eyes clamp shut and it hurts. But stars, it feels good, why does it feel so good when it hurts so bad? It makes your throat scrape and your face twist up, but you can hear his cursing getting louder and more desperate so you still donât relax your viselike hold around him.
âStop itââ he snarls down at you rabidly, ââoh fuck, stop or youâll make us both cuââ
Shit, heâs right. You know heâs never been more right about anything as soon as his hips stutter and kick up to a full blown gallop in the middle of his furious scolding, and the sudden build of ecstasy is so fast and intense that you sob his name, not being able to loosen your muscles anymore as soon as it overtakes you. But itâs like a closed circuit, youâre both recycling the same pleasure without knowing how to shut it off. The harder you bear down on him, the faster his hips work, the vicious cycle compounding and circling and manifesting in the perfect typhoon within just a few tumultuous seconds.
But then suddenly he rips himself out of you with a gasp and itâs not a moment too soon, because both of you have to scramble and grab onto things to brace yourselves through the worst of it. You choose the mattress and he chooses the railing, and through the searing discomfort and settling of the chaos thatâs becoming more and more familiar to you as this exhausting day passes, you know you fucked up. You underestimate his self control, time and time again. But, exactly like earlier today, you feel a thrill skitter up your spine at how heâs going to respond to your brazen treachery in the face of a newly established truce.
âFuck,â he jerks his head to spit the obscenity at you, sounding more pissed off than youâve ever heard him, the shredded anger in his voice starting to burn through you. âFuckfuckfuuuuckâyou make me so mad. You make me so mad. I wish I could fuck you right now, on Maker, Iâd ruin you. Iâd wreck your shit until you learn and youâd deserve every single fucking second of it, youââ
He stops short and growls jagged sharp in frustration, but you canât help yourself.
âSay it,â you whimper on a dare, feeling your heart pound. The words quiver with an inexplicable sort of excitement as you dig your fingers into the mattress, wanting to hear his voice snarl the mysterious profanity. âSay it. âYouâŠââwhat? Say it.â
Shock suddenly paints his previously tense expression blank, even though his pupils blow out and his chest heaves. Your voice is too breathless, itâs too needy to sound nearly as antagonistic as you want. Â
And then Maker, itâs as if the sheer control heâs clinging to serves to spark his vexation even more. Mad that you would ask for something so enticing at a moment like this. Your heart thunders as Poe nearly flashes up close to you and points a threatening finger at you.
âYouâre not going to get what you want from me,â he snaps, quiet and furious. âNot tonight. I donât give a shit, I told you Iâd slow fuck you and now Iâm gonna do it until you act right.â
âYouâre an assholeââ you move to lift up onto your elbows, but his hand suddenly plants against your clavicle and shoves you back down flat on the mattress.
âNot even ten minutes after I make you cum and youâve already got a fucking attitude problem again,â he shoots back, positioning his cock at your entrance with his other hand once more, and Maker youâre drowning between your legs. His sharp rebuttal and the firm hold on the upper part of your chest makes it that much wetter, knowing you canât do much more than lift your legs the way you need when he eases his way back inside. Â
âP-Poeââ you gasp breathlessly, but it's like he doesnât hear you.
His expression tenses and he shudders out a low growl. âFuck. Tight little baby. Rude little baby, just wants everything her way but doesnât know how to behave herself.â
You have to bite your lip hard to hold back a whine when heâs completely sheathed and his hips connect to yours, and⊠shit. You already feel it. You already feel that simmering starting to take hold deep down once more, that monstrous second orgasm youâve been fighting now digging its claws into you and licking the base of your spine with fire. And, as if he can tell, his demeanor instantly changes.
âUh, oh,â Poe murmurs quietly, equal parts lilting and baiting, slowly dragging his cock out and then starting up the laziest pace youâve ever experienced with his hand still planted high on your sternum right below your collarbone. âCan you feel it coming? Fuck, I can,â he shudders. âAlready. Fuck, youâre so wet, youâre so wetâwish you had let me eat you out morââ
âYou canât câumm,â you hiccup, grasping his wrist and writhing through the building ecstasy, and you donât know who youâre talking to at this point. Your other palm slaps at his shoulder with increasing urgencyâfuck, heâs been fucking you for barely ten seconds and youâre already struggling to hold everything back. Only, his hand quickly grabs yours and pins it to the mattress, his face dropping closer as he rolls his hips achingly slow. You feel his back working with the steady pace, you see his neck flex as his cock drags so thick inside you, and then your gaze starts to lose focus a bit. It slides up his throat as lazily as heâs augmenting your pleasure, following the contour of his smooth skin until it reaches his face.
And mercy, Poeâs tongue comes out to wet his lips and a dark curl hangs down his forehead, concentrating hard on fucking you steadily without giving into the same creeping euphoria youâre feeling, and you have to turn away and bite back a whimper at the metal railing when the image starts to burn you alive.
âNo,â Poe gruffs and his hand slides up a few inches to frame your jaw, twisting until you face him directly once more. âRight here, you stay right here with me.â
Your eyebrows pull up weakly and your eyes flick across his stunning features, the way heâs so present, so focused and determined while youâre starting to drift. His skin is so smooth, so golden when his jawline used to be dark, andâ
âIââ you choke, starting to lose it, ââI-IâŠâ
âWhat is it, baby?â Poe growls, staring down at you with unwavering, intense concentration. âTell me. You gonna cum?â
âIâŠâ you whimper, blinking at him slowly, âI⊠liked your⊠b-beardâŠâ
Poeâs eyes, previously hardened and steadfast, suddenly go a bit dumb, a bit dazed. After a second, his eyebrows lose all strain, his gaze turns warmer and he rolls his hips deeperâ
But the swell begins to become the only thing you can comprehendâthat and the fact that you should be fighting it. You should be revolting against it, but now heâs looking so softly down at you and you canât remember what could possibly be so bad about letting him take away all this ache and desperation again. Let him continue to take it away, over and over and over until itâs nowhere to be found at all.
And then Poe leans down and kisses you. And itâs⊠nothing like youâd expect.
Itâs gentle. Itâs tender. It goes on forever while he rocks into your soaking wet cunt, easing his throbbing cock in and out of you with such a smooth, repetitive motion that sends sparks of ecstasy down your spine at the apex of each thrust. Â
You handle it silently. At first. You donât audibly react to any of it, you force your voice to at least keep quiet if you canât hide the pleasure from your face or body, but then true to fucking form, he has to go and ruin it all. Poe uses his knees to scoot up just the slightest bit, and then his moan breaks through the absence of the desperate sounds youâve been holding back as his tongue slowly slides into your mouth.
Your pussy flares, contracting painfully around his cock as it hits a spot that makes your legs shake against his sides. Your eyes roll back as his soft tongue dips into your mouth and everything just gets tighter, and tighter. Poe moans again and his hips push a little bit harder into yours on the next thrust, and itâs almost like a domino effect, except that doesnât do it justice. It doesnât topple one by one, it doesnât take any time at all for the beginning to reach the finishâitâs a house of cards, the whole thing collapses and crashes down in on itself all at once.
You cum.
You lose. Fair and square.
You make a long, anguished whine into his mouth as you just start spasming, clutching hard at his shoulders and drenching his cock with it, your eyes squeezing shut as you cum so slow and fucking helpless around him. Oh Maker, itâs fucking devastating, it feels even more destructive and powerful than the first one. You pull and shove and claw at him equally, mouth slack as Poe tightens his hold and keeps tasting your whimpering cries, fitting his hips snug to yours as he slowly pushes you down through the debilitating ecstasy. You sob in euphoric defeat and a low, bone-shattering groan of satisfaction rumbles through his chest in response, grinding his cock into you and holding it deep as your pussy convulses.
All those weeks of holding out, just to lose. You had a freebie, he gave you an orgasm already and it was like a massive dose of spice to your deprived systemâall it did was make your body want it more. Even worse, your orgasm doesnât immediately inspire one in Poe like a part of you hoped it would, if only so you could reasonably contest the validity of the outcome. Heâs able to ride out every twitch and flex as you shudder your way through it, continuing to lazily slide his tongue into your mouth while itâs held open and slack. He tastes like you. He tastes hot and slick and everything about your body feels the same way, damp and unbearably warm from your nape to your elbows to your cunt to the backs of your knees.
You lay there for what feels like a lifetime afterwards, powerless to the way your thighs tremble violently against his hips and letting the tip of his tongue slowly trace the bottom edge of your teeth while he firmly keeps his cock buried inside you. It pulses thickly and you know he wants to cum, you can feel the tension pulling at his shoulders as he keeps perfectly still. But then Poe shuffles his arms up until theyâre braced around your head, using himself to box you in completely without moving his lips from yours. His teeth close on your bottom lip as he inches his hard cock out long and aching from your sensitive channel, and then groans and goes back to the same exact dragging pace from before.
Your expression furrows, even as he keeps kissing you and the movement lights up your oversensitive nerves. Fuck, you want him to speed up, itâs all the more shattering and viseral when he takes his time. What is he doing? What is he waiting for?
âFuck me,â you whine against his lips, demanding a quicker pace. You donât know why he isnât just letting loose on you now, giving into his bodyâs need to cum. Heâs aching for it, still rock hard inside of you. âCome on, I already l-lost, just fuck mââ
âTold you before,â Poe whispers back, refusing to speed up. He keeps his pace dragging and steadfast, no matter how much you work to entice him. âNever⊠fuck. Never gave a fuck about that stupid bet. Suffer though.â
The complete lack of harshness in his tone sears through your nerve endings even though what he said wasnât exactly nice. You never thought hearing him tell you to suck it up could be delivered in a way that inspires so much arousal in you, but then his tongue is in your mouth again as his hips work slow and easy, and your eyes roll back at how⊠overwhelming it feels. So intimate. Youâre completely surrounded by him, his forearms propped next to your head and his mouth on yours, and⊠Maker, there it is again. Your body is so deprived that itâs already gearing up to go again. Heâs being lazy and you canât fucking stand how itâs breaking you down. Gradually, with incredible stamina and a patience you never expected from him. When you first feel that pull, part of you still wants to pick up the other end and start a tug-of-war with the sensation. Youâve been fighting for so long that your body almost doesnât know any different, its automatic reaction is to resist.
A distraction, thatâs what you need. Thatâs what guys do to stop themselves from cumming too soon, right? Fuck, think of something, think ofâŠ
âPoe, you can't think of anything but Poe. Fuck. His cock sinking deep, the way he tastes, how his fingers thread into the damp hair at your crown so you can feel him that much more, how you can hook his biceps with both hands and swirl your tongue around his while he fucks you open. Your hips roll up with the pace and almost immediately stutter back down again, not sure if you can handle the wicked shot of oversensitivityâbut then Poe groans and shifts up until his thighs are under your ass and he can curl you in more, lift your feet a bit more and make you feel smaller. Andâstars, the next thrust in is enough to nearly make you bite him on complete accident, an unexpected sound ripped from your throat as he keeps that specific angle.
Poe keeps going. He keeps kissing you, keeps rocking into you. He lets you claw at him, lets you grapple helplessly while his cock shreds molten hot euphoria deep inside you, and then everything tightens up again.
âAh, fuck,â Poe breaks away and curses a whole few seconds before you descend into mindless chaos once more, garbling out broken syllables with the absense of his mouth keeping yours occupied. Your voice crescendos and breaks at the same time you do, the pleasure arcing through you over and over and wringing you out repeatedly around his throbbing cock. Poeâs lips quickly move forward and give your whole cheek an open kiss while your expression crumples with it. Teeth drag down your skin as he moans hot air across your skin, his hips slowing to a complete stop with an obscenely slick sound.
You throb and clench around him and his lips are suddenly on yours again, his tongue sinking deep and dominating. Your mouth is slack and all you can do is squeeze him through the bliss, scrape your fingernails down his back and hope it leaves a mark.
Eventually the tremors pass and youâre dead in the aftermath, you donât have energy. Your body is starting to acclimate to the slow orgasms and just let them steamroll you flat, fully accepting now that you can cum but still putting everything you have into it like every single one might be your last for a while. You come back to yourself enough to feel Poeâs cock solid and achingly hard inside you, and your bottom lip is being tugged between his teeth.
And then he eases out and goes back to fucking you. Same speed, same control. Â
Your eyes nearly fucking cross. âP-Poeââ
He immediately makes a noise of disapproval with his mouth closed, a nuh-uh but kept tight in his throat. He doesnât want to hear it, heâs not even letting you finish your thought.
You canât take it, though, you didnât think he was capable of this. This is torturous in an entirely different way, overstimulating and shattering you with every thrust.
So, you think back to the one thing that got him to nearly snap earlier, the one time you really got to see that fire you love playing with. Only now, you need that fire, you need him to take everything out on you. Your floor muscles clamp down without warning and squeeze him as tight as possible, squeeze squeeze squeeze until you feel his hips stutter to a halt once more. Your breath catchesâfuck, is this gonna work?âbut then Poe breaks away from your lips to drop his head and sink his teeth into your neck.
You nearly squeal at how careless he is about itâan animal that bites you lazily even though it sends sharp agony rocketing through you. Again, your attempt at sabotage backfires spectacularly as a subsequent flare of pleasure swells up, and oh, thatâs what you want, you want him to be meanâ
âPlease,â you whimper, hooking your ankles behind his back and locking down hard enough to make your toes curl. Poe groans as you grab a fistful of his hair and tug at the way your skin pinches between his teethâyou know youâre gonna have a bite mark for a few days and it thrills you. âFuck, please, Poeâplease just fuck me, please, I want you to fuck me until it hurts, fuck me the way we both neeââ
âYou and me almost died today,â Poe grits into your neck, cutting off your desperate whimpers with a short growl. âMaker, it was so close, I donât think anybody has any f-fuckingâŠâ His hips pull out and then spear deep and you choke, tightening and tightening. âButâshit, we didnât, we lived and nowâoh fuck, now babyâs finally letting me fuck her and Iâm not cutting it short, no matter how pretty she sounds asking.â
His words sound slurred against your neck and you canât tell if itâs his delivery or your perception thatâs lagging. But when you feel Poe inch his cock out and start to slowly fuck you through the tightness, you let out a weak little whine and feel yourself drifting⊠somewhere else. Â
Things subtly lose their clarity, your eyelashes dip and you stop talking because words wonât come. You canât tell if youâre staring at the ceiling or your eyelids or the back of your head, but Poeâs voice abruptly breaking through the silence makes you realize you donât have a concept for time anymore. You couldnât tell him how long youâve been floating, but you almost donât understand what heâs saying at all and it takes you a remarkable delay to fully comprehend. But judging from what he says, it sounds like it hasnât been long.
âShit, are you cumming again?â He suddenly gasps into the crook of your neck and grinds his hips achingly hard into yours, âO-Ohâfuck yeah, you areâbabyâs cumming againââ
âP-Poe?â You stutter and smack your hand against something, him maybe, not knowing literally anything else. Not knowing what heâs talking about, not knowing where you are, not knowing your own name, âPoeâoh m-my⊠Godââ
âWhhhâW-Whatâ?â You hear him breathe a split second before everything compresses down tight, and then it all shoves forward at once. All of the buildup makes itself known the very moment it becomes too much to control, like a flash flood but the downpour happened miles away. You think you might actually squeak this time, helplessly cry out like it hurts because stars, it does. It hurts so fucking good, it spiders pure plasma through your entire body with rhythmic jolts and wipes your mind completely vacant. Your shoulders shoot you up and knock your chin into something and you think you might be crying? You donât know anymore. Your spine comes back down to the mattress like the damp fitted sheet covering it is made of pure iceâyour body is overheated and you keep tensing and jerking back up until Poe forcefully pins you tight against it, growling filth under his breath as he slow fucks you through it.
You feel his hand dropping down between your bodies and you sob pitifully at the ceiling when the tip of his calloused finger brushes your clit.
***
You lose count.
Itâs just⊠constant, there isnât a point in keeping track anymore even if there happened to be the abilityâwhich, nope. Not even close.
He ruins you slowly. Meticulously, with nothing more than steady, unwavering determination. Every structure you built, he takes apart by hand instead of bulldozing it the way you beg him to when you find the words. Youâre certain you find themâyou must find them at some point, but theyâre interspaced between babbled gibberish and breathy whispers of his name.
Even though itâs slowâMaker, itâs so slowâyouâve never been so fucking exhausted. He makes you give him everything and then he drains the reserves, the hidden ones you werenât even aware existed. He never goes fast enough; in fact, you think heâs actually slowed down over the unknown amount of time itâs been since you first called out his name and asked for this. If you were in a frame of mind to notice, youâd probably realize heâs trying harder and harder to not cum, but in your wild headspace, it just feels like a prolonged punishment for you. It still feels like heâs depriving you for his own pleasure, even though heâs actually depriving himself for yours. But you always do manage to find some way to read things wrong with him.
Eventually, he begins to waver. He stops talking so much, stops chastising you when you plead with him. He hasnât looked at you since he first kissed youâheâs either hidden his face in your neck or closed his eyes as his soft tongue slides across your bottom lip before dipping inside.
But then there comes a point where even you realize heâs struggling not to let go now, and in your faded traces of sanity, you hear your broken voice cut through the sounds of the soft radio.
âY-Y-Youââ you gasp, trembling under him, ââyouneedtocum. You need toââ
âNo,â Poe grits against your chin, sounding shaky and weak no matter how sharp he makes his consonants. âFuck, not yet, IâI-I donât want to yet.â
âOh no,â you wheeze out, feeling the swell begin again, the familiar flicker of warning you get as his cock slowly rocks into you. Maker, the pleasure is getting raw and painful even as your pussy is drowning his cock with it, allowing him to glide slow and deep into your sensitive channel and letting the sheer tightness of it be the only resistance your body puts up. You can feel the wetness on your cheeks though, the tears of frustration gathering as your body prepares itself for yet another wave of attack. âOh no, ohhhhhnonononononoââ
âI donât wantââ Poe gasps, his hips stuttering just a bit and one of his hands coming down to smack the pillow next to your head as he chokes, ââdonât want this to⊠e-end yet, Iââ
Your next orgasm suddenly slams through you and Poe immediately rips himself out of you before itâs too late. He shushes you frantically while you sob in distress and writhe side to side through the contractions solo this time, having nothing to clamp down on, not even able to grind up into him because he keeps his leaking cock elevated far beyond your reach.
Oh, thatâs it. That is it.
âFuck me!â You wail up at him, water blurring your vision and tears streaming down your cheeks, âStop fucking around and just fuck me, you asshole! Fuck me and fuck me hard Dameron or I swear to every fucking star in the skââ
You donât get too far. Heâs immediately scrambling over top of you and a strong hand is clamping down tight over your mouth, muffling your high-pitched cries against his palm. Your legs are shoved apart and one is caught under his arm and wedged back as far as it can go. His head drops to your neck, and then he snarls a ragged, âBratââ under your ear before ramming his cock back inside you.
Stars. Stars light up, itâs so muchâthe angle, the force, the speed, the sound his hips make as they start ruthlessly colliding with yours. Your eyes screw shut and you dig your nails into the meat of his back, but he doesnât slow downâhe speeds upâ
âFuck, you still think that throwing your little fucking fits works on me?â He hisses, drilling into your g-spot with such blinding hard precision that you canât do anything more than just claw at his chest, gasping for air that just wonât come into your lungs. âHuh? Think you can just be a little bitch to me about it and itâs gonna change anything? You still donât have any fucking idea, do you? Look at meââ he snarls, grabbing your face and shaking it to get you to respond, ââlook at what you fucking do to meââ
But you canât. You already came countless times and heâs lurching you up the bed with every single rabid thrust into your blindingly sensitive cunt, fucking you into the railing and then the wall behind it. You still feel his fingers grasping at your jaw, forcing you to address him, to look at him, and you canât seem to focus your vision on his blurry features even when your eyes flutter open. Youâre too dumb with grinding pleasure to see anything besides blurs and stars, to say literally anything back to him. But thatâs not what he cares about.
âOh fuck yes, there it is,â his voice whines, pitching up something vulnerable as his hips ram you into the corner hard and unyielding, âfuck, thereâs those pretty eyes, thatâs what I wanted, baby, thatâs all I wantedâth-thatâsâfuck, thatâsââ
They must cross, or roll back, or something, because suddenly you canât see him at all anymore. You donât know what happensâbut you know itâs wet. You know it bursts forth something fierce and you shriek his name with a hoarse and shredded voice like he steals the last part of your whole fucking soul with it. Fuck, youâre not even there for most of it, you might actually black out. Â
In your conscious moments, you can feel his whole body flexing over and over again on top of you. He empties his load deep inside you and takes a fucking eternity doing it, so many breathless praises leaving his mouth so quickly that they slur together and you canât understand any of it even if you could hear him. All you can do is feel your cunt tighten and convulse in tandem with the throbbing of his cock, rhythmically working the cum out of him until Poe stops stuttering his hips, until he finally trails off into nothing but labored gasps and slumps down on top of you in exhaustion.
You both lay there for a while, dead weight breathing.
You want to hold him, your cum-struck mind quietly provides in the comedown. You want to feel his body now that you can finally think straight and take a moment to enjoy this blissful relief. He fucked you so good and you want to touch him, you want to run your fingers through his hair and massage the tight muscles at the base of his neck.
But then you just start giggling.
Itâs stupid. Itâs so fucking stupid. You smack your hand over your mouth but the garbled noise easily floats beyond it, completely elated and having absolutely no explanation at all.
Poe quickly pulls his head back to look at you and you try to twist sideways under him to hide it, but you canât stopâlike a complete loon, you snort and start to laugh harder at the ridiculous sound. Oh, you donât just float, youâre the air itself, so light with endorphins that you close your eyes and get lost in the fit until water wets the outside corners.
After a moment, a hand gently grasps your wrist and slowly pulls it down until he can see the way your mouth opens as you giggle, hear it unobstructed and let the sound bubble up at him and fill the room. And you blink your eyes open just in time to see him slowly break into the most dazzling smile youâve ever seen him bestow a person.
And⊠youâve seen him grin a million times. Heâs almost always smiling, as long as youâre not right in front of him. He smiles at his squadmates, he smiles at girls, he smiles at complete strangers, and you always thought it was pretty. Always knew that he could light up a room with it, you always knew he could get anything he wanted with it, but this⊠this isnât that kind of smile. That one is practiced and alluring. It wasnât fake, necessarily, but that smileâs purpose always had more to do with making anyone who happens to witness it feel a certain way than it did about signifying his own emotional state.
This one is⊠goofy. Amazed, and uncoordinated. Thunderstruck in a way, except the clouds all part at the same time and let you see a rainbow. It makes you feel⊠alive. Colorful. Radiant. Sunshine. Butterflies.
Poe quickly drops his lips to catch yours and you moan happily, sliding your tongue into his mouth this time. You both adjust, you arch into him as he pushes your damp hair back and makes a deep noise of satisfaction, letting you explore while he wraps his arms around you and finds a way to make this atrocious position comfortable. Every part of you is smushed up against him and thereâs absolutely no space to be found, and youâve never been happier.
âWe made a mess,â he groans against your lips, rocking his hips into you with a disgustingly slick sound as if to illustrate, and his cock is soft but itâs still so thick that it stays buried inside your sloppy entrance. âShit, IâI think I might be bleeding.â
âWhat?â You ask breathily, and he heaves himself up with his elbows just enough to reveal his chest. You both tuck your chins unattractively to look and you donât immediately see any blood, but your claw marks are clearly red and visible scraping down his pectorals. âOh. Pfft. Youâre fine.â
He drops back down with a huff and your head is tilted at the perfect angle catch on the tiny droplets of blood decorating the marks criss-crossing his shoulder blades. Oops.
But heâs already kissing up your neck and over the curve of your jaw and making out with you again like he canât get enough of it, and you forget. You forget everything. You forget every disagreement, every gripe with him youâve ever had. Itâs all wiped away and replaced with giddy, childish adoration. Resetting completely and starting off on the rightest foot imaginable.
âLetâs go to my bed,â he murmurs, and you make a tight noise of disapproval. No. This is good, this is how you want to stay. The railing is digging into your lower back and heâs heavy but youâre perfect like this, this is perfect. âBaby,â Poe pants against your lips in exasperation when you quickly clutch the back of his neck and keep him glued to you, âmmphâyou got everything all wetââ
This time you make a low hum of agreement and drag your hand down the bare curve of his spine to his ass to give it a squeeze. A testament to how hard and raw he fucked you. Poe shudders hard enough for you to feel his body tremble but you just kiss him harder, pulling him down onto you more.
âYouâre gonna have to give me, just likeâI donât know, at least an hour or two,â he chuckles, grabbing your hands to make it easier to peel himself from your body and groaning when his cock finally slips out. âCome on, letâs hang out in my bed.â
Youâre so boneless when he pulls you to sit upright, you roll a little bit and Poe has to catch you, and you laugh again. Maker, youâre a complete mess and absolutely delighted about it. Your attempts at grumbling and complaining donât hold any sway when youâre still trying not to giggle, and Poe is able to pull you to the top of the ladder and make his way down first.
As soon as heâs out of sight and calling up to you, you weakly slide into position with a groan and feel yourself leaking at the movement. âGahâlook what you did. Iâm all⊠gooey.â
âI know, sâthe hottest fucking thing,â he says under his breath from the floor, before beckoning you by tapping on the closest rung a few times. âCome on, be careful.â
You do as he says, easing your naked body down one step at a time with wobbly legs. Itâs clumsy and you whine the whole way through, wordlessly grousing and mumbling.
âOh, I just know it,â he comments on the sound, ânice clean sheets, Iâll get the violin.â
Normally, you probably wouldâve snarked something back down at him, but youâre still so loopy and shaky-legged that you just start laughing again. The fact that heâs absolutely right and youâre being ridiculous about something like moving beds suddenly strikes you as incredibly fucking funny for some reason. You donât realize his hands are hovering inches away from your hips until your legs buckle and Poe quickly supports your weight.
âMaker,â Poe chuckles before giving you a firm yank, and then catching you before you can tumble down the ladder in your naked, teary-eyed mania, âletâs go, giggles.â
He carries you a few steps to the mattress and plops you down on top of the comforter, letting you take up the whole bed while he sits on the end and puts your feet on his lap. Poe grimaces for a second and then shuffles until the radio is pulled out from under him, and you can hear the soft sound of it playing once again. You bury your face into his pillow, inhaling the warm scent lingering there while he tosses it carelessly to the side and rubs your shins for a little bit, watching you stretch out naked on his mattress. Â
âIâm not giving you two weeks of pay,â you suddenly grunt, and he just grins down at you, not arguing. Not saying anything. Sitting in comfortable silence with you when youâre expecting him to bicker. So you stay like that for a long time, breathing deep and relaxing, until Poeâs hands leave you for a secondâŠ
⊠to pull a bag of chips out.
Maker, at the first squeaky sound of the wrapping assaulting your eardrums, you want to roll your eyes. You want to tease him about how fucking typical it is. Like clockwork, you could probably set your watch to his middle of the night cravings. You donât know why you thought fucking him would change any of that.
You want to give him shit for it. You even open your mouth, the snark on the very tip of your tongue. But then your stomach growls as soon as he rips the thin plastic apart.
Poeâs eyes shoot to yours and neither one of you move, but apparently your tummy doesnât get the memo. It takes forever to trail off into silence again, and he blinks. Fuck, you know you shouldâve forced yourself to eat at least something earlier. Warmth floods your cheeks and you scramble for something to say, but thereâs no way to play it off.
âWould you like some chips?â Poe suddenly asks with a boyish grin, raising his eyebrows and tipping the open bag freely in your direction.
The corners of your mouth pull downwards even as the inside of it waters. You wouldnât call it stubbornness necessarily as much as it is a⊠a desire to stick to consistency. After the unbelievably hard time you always give him about midnight snacking, youâre hesitant to partake.
Though, the chips rustle against each other and sound absolutely fucking delicious as Poe shakes the bag and bounces his eyebrows, and you know what? Fuck it.
You snatch it without thinking, cradling the precious food to your chest as you dig your whole hand in and shove a bunch into your mouth at once. You catch him smiling again, but he doesnât comment.
You both take turns, and by take turns you obviously mean you take turns stealing the bag from each other instead of just setting it equidistant between you and openly agreeing to share it, but it works for you. It seems appropriate. And then itâs quiet again, just munching and crinkling, except for the radio continuing to play from its place in his lap. You have to work to listen over the loud crunching vibrating through your skull, but when you finally manage to stop chewing and catch a few bars, you suddenly find yourself trying not to smile again. Fuck, itâs been years since youâve heard this song, you love this sâ
âFuck, I love this song,â Poe promptly exclaims with his mouth full, licking the tips of his fingers before scrambling to pick the radio up and twist the volume knob without using his wet fingertips. He starts humming over the melody, loud enough to almost drown it out completely, because of course he does. The one damn time you actually want to listen to his radio and he still finds some way to mildly irritate you.
But this irritation is almost⊠fun. You want to laugh just as much as you want to yell at him.
âHey, who sings this song?â You immediately ask over the sound of him clearly not knowing the lyrics, already ready with it. Oh, the round is in the chamber, your finger is on the trigger, you are ready, and Poeâs eyes sparkle as he seems to stop and think about it.
âMm, not sure,â he eventually shrugs, just before you rush, âLetâs keep it thatââ
And then heâs slapping a hand on your leg and belting out the chorus while you scoff, giggling. He ruined the punchline on purpose and is now getting chip dust all over you, but you know any complaint you make will be drowned out by his suspended notes and backing track, so you just roll your eyes and swipe the bag of chips from him while he continues to serenade you.
âMy ears are bleeding,â you mutter under your breath.
He has a nice voice, you think.
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Itâs Been a Long, Long Time | Ch 6
Summary: Â When HYDRA had their prized asset, the Winter Soldier, they did something no one ever thought was possible: they gave super soldier serum to an omega. With the sole purpose of tending to him during his ruts, she spends decades living in HYDRA facilities, denied her humanity and her life. Now, years later, Bucky Barnes has his mind and his own life back...and the last thing he ever expects is to see a familiar omega again. Bucky/OC, a little angsty but mostly smutty/fluffy/romantic!
Part One | ... | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven
Tags:Â @kyrah-williams @oceanmermaidwitch @shawnie--jo @super-cape @ferxaniti @namjoonwatcheshentai @fandomsstolemylife00 @youngblood199456 @nightlygiggless @darlingely @ bluemoon-icecream @kaz11283 @jenjen8675309 @dollfacev8 @witchinpractice @mystical-b3ar @sukeraa
Bucky refused to leave the omegaâs side while she stayed in the lab. Bruce had to stop him from trying to crawl onto the bed with her, and after about the third time, he convinced the super soldier to just pull up a chair like a civilized person and hold her hand while she drifted off to sleep again. Now that she was with her alpha, she had settled down for another nap, more interested in resting than answering any more questions so long as Bucky stayed and kept an eye on her.Â
Steve had to admit, it was endearing. He had never seen his friend so absolutely enraptured like this. Whenever the omega, or Ten, as Bruce was still calling her, shifted in her sleep, Buckyâs eyes were snapping over to make sure that she was okay. Whenever she let out a little whimper, he was purring and stroking her hair. Whenever she seemed like she might wake up again, his attention was completely on her.
âSo...sure you donât remember her?â Steve asked, pulling up a chair. He had left for a few hours to work out, and after a lack of updates from FRIDAY, he headed back down to check on everything. They were exactly as he had left them, which was a good sign. At least nothing was getting out of hand.Â
Yet.
Bucky shrugged, rubbing the back of the omegaâs hand with his thumb. âI dunno. Itâs...foggy.â
âWell, it seems to me like youâve either got a history together, or sheâs mistaking you for someone else.â Steve said. âQuite frankly, itâs hard to do the latter.â
âIâve dreamt of her.â Bucky said quietly.Â
â...what?â
âItâs not much, but...Iâve seen her face.â Bucky looked down at her. âI think that no matter how many times HYDRA wiped my memory, sheâs always been in there. Kinda like the one constant that was always around, the one thing I could always count on being in the base with me.â
âWhy didnât you ever tell me?â Steve asked.
âNever knew if she was real or not.â Bucky sighed. âI thought...maybe she was just something my mind made up to fill some of the gaps. But she smells exactly like I remember.â
Steve sat back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched his friend. Bucky wasnât snarling anymore, most of his attention trained on the omega while she slept. Now that he was close to her, he had calmed down significantly, though he still wouldnât let Steve within five feet of her bed.Â
âJust got off the phone with Tony,â Bruce announced, walking in. âHe and Pepper will be back tonight. Pepperâs having some clothes and personal items delivered for our new omega friend here. They also asked about renovating a more permanent room for her, but I, uh...told them I wasnât exactly sure what the situation would be.â
âSheâs staying with me,â Bucky said immediately.Â
âNow hang on, hang on,â Steve leaned forward.Â
âSteve,â Bucky growled. âI want her with me.â
âBuck, you donât even know herââ
Bucky interrupted him with a loud snarl, the omega in question whining and squirming in her sleep at the sound of it.Â
He immediately shut up, brushing a thumb over her cheek and shushing her until she was sleeping soundly again. Fuck, he felt so stupid. What was wrong with him? She could have woken up, or been scared, or upset, all because he couldnât keep his big mouth shut. She needed her rest, and he needed to stay quiet.Â
Steve almost couldnât believe what he was seeing.Â
âOh, Buck,â he shook his head. âYouâre in deep.â
â
Amoretta woke feeling well rested, and it wasnât until she tried to stretch and felt the tug of her IV drip that she remembered where she was. Opening her eyes revealed the bright lights of the lab, and as she started to sit up, a few faces came into view.
âWelcome back, Sleeping Beauty,â Bruce said. âHow are you feelinâ?â
She licked her lips. âJuice box. Now.â
âWay ahead of you. Had this one waiting as soon as you started waking up.â He tossed one to her and was pleased when her hand shot up to catch it. âReflexes look good. Vitals are all reading normal. Iâll have to run another test to see whatâs going on with those suppressants, but Iâm willing to bet youâre metabolizing them fairly quickly now. How are you feeling?â
She pulled the little straw off the back of the carton and jammed it into the top. âNauseous. Like usual.â
He raised an eyebrow. âSide effect of the suppressants?â
âAlways has been. Other than that...I feel great, actually.â
âWell, as soon as these wear off, we can figure out something nicer and more modern for you. If you want to use them, I mean.â Bruce shrugged. âYour choice.â
She smiled. âChoice. I like that.â
âHey, weâre all about independence here,â Steve said happily. He was glad to see she was awake, even though Bucky wasnât.
The other alpha was still at her side, but, as of about half an hour ago, he was napping. Steve made a mental note to never let him forget the way he slept straight through the one moment he had been waiting for all day.Â
âWhat time is it?â She asked. âThereâs no windows in this damn place.â
âJust after dinner,â Bruce chuckled. âYou slept most of the day. Bucky hasnât left your side.â
She looked over to her soldier, smiling warmly at the sight of him sleeping. He was even snoring softly. âI havenât gotten to see this in forty years.â
âDid you two, uhâŠâ Steve cleared his throat. âSpend a lot of time together?â
The omega laughed. âYou always this awkward around girls?â
âThatâs notââ
âRelax, Iâm just giving you a hard time.â She sucked on her straw. âBut...yeah, we did.â
âSo...you were just kept for his ruts, orâŠâ Steve was so awkward it was almost endearing. âIâm sorry, that came out wrong. I think.â
âItâs okay. I know my lot in life.â She kept her eyes trained on Bucky as she spoke. âBut if Iâm going to answer more questions, I want to get out of this bed. And I want real clothes. Then Iâll talk.â
And so, only several minutes later, Bruce was handing her a sweater and some shorts he had grabbed from a little stash of extra clothing, and Bucky was startled awake by Ten stepping past him. She was finally free from all the tubes and cords that had been sticking out of her during her little hospital stay, and she was all too eager now to explore the tower.
She stood on wobbly legs, almost falling onto him when she tried to take a step. Bucky was up in a flash, ready to catch her, and as she fell against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her. Despite just waking up, he felt fully alert, completely ready to tend to his omegaâs every need.Â
His omega...he liked that train of thought.Â
âWe can head up to the common area. It should still be quiet.â Steve said, leading the way out.Â
Bucky kept an arm around his omegaâs waist as they followed, Bruce bringing up the rear. He wanted to be touching her at all times, constantly in contact so that he couldnât lose track of her. His instincts were roaring to life, demanding that he do everything in his power to make sure that she was safe and in his line of sight. The elevator ride was tense and full of possessive growling, Bucky constantly shoving Ten behind him to keep her in the corner and as far away from Steve as possible, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the doors slid open and they could step out of the cramped space again.Â
The common area was empty, thankfully, FRIDAY informing them that the other Avengers were all either working out or in their private quarters.Â
âGood,â Steve said, heading towards the couches. âNo interruptions. Got it, FRIDAY?â
âUnderstood, Captain Rogers.â
âCâmere,â Bucky mumbled, pulling his omega down to sit on one of the couches with him. Part of him was feeling a little sheepish and self conscious of his behavior...but the rest of him didnât give a shit. The others could stare and shake their heads all they wanted, but heâd be damned if he let Ten slip through his fingers again.Â
Or whatever her name was.Â
Steve and Bruce sat across from them, making sure that they left as much space as possible between themselves and the new omega. Neither of them had ever seen Bucky behaving quite like this--he was on guard, hyper aware of everything around him. He made sure that she was pressed up against his side, an arm draped possessively over the back of the couch so that it was unmistakable that she was with him.
Christ, what had gotten into him? He couldnât remember ever acting this way about an omega before.Â
âSoâŠâ Steve cleared his throat, sitting with his elbows resting on his knees.
Bucky didnât really like the way his posture made him lean forward towards his omega, but he could deal with it for now. âSo.â
âWhat do you wanna know?â Ten asked, plucking at Buckyâs shirt. She seemed to be even clingier with him than he was with her, perfectly happy to be hanging off him or tucked up against his side. âYou met my demands. I guess Iâm an open book now.â
âI donât want to overstep my bounds,â Steve said. âWe just need to know as much as youâre willing to share.â
âThen ask a question.â
â...Alright.â he cleared his throat again. âYou said HYDRA used you to help with Buckyâs ruts?â
Ten nodded, her expression remaining even and cool.Â
âCould you tell us more about that?â Steve glanced at Bucky. âWere there ever any other omegas, or anyone we should know about?â
âThere were omegas before me.â she answered. âWhen I first got to the compound, there were a lot of us. They kept us all in big cells, so everyone talked. People said things about how HYDRA was grabbing omegas off the street for their super soldiers, and how the one at our base was the biggest and scariest.â
Bruce raised an eyebrow at her tone. He wasnât exactly sure what he expected her to sound like while she regaled them with her life story, but he definitely thought there would be a tad bit more apprehension in her voice. She seemed proud of herself, and more matter-of-fact than a lot of omegas would be while talking about their alphaâs previous partners. Or...whatever you called prisoners whose only purpose was to help during ruts.
âAnd I bet he was,â she sighed, leaning her cheek on Buckyâs chest and looking up at him adoringly.Â
âWell, I donât know about thatâŠâ Bucky said, an almost shy smile on his lips. And...was he actually blushing?
Steve was going to lose his mind.Â
âYou said the other omegas couldnât handle it? Thatâs why you were given the serum?â he prompted, trying to keep them on track before he drowned in the sticky sweetness of her happy pheromones.Â
âRight.â she turned her attention back to Steve and Bucky let out a quiet huff. âHYDRA didnât really like to take care of us. And the soldier--I mean, Bucky--would wear them out. So...HYDRA would just kind of let them go. Or put them down, maybe. I never saw it.â
Buckyâs expression dropped. His blush was gone, and he almost looked like he was going to be sick as he listened to her talk.
âBut it wasnât his fault,â she said quickly, glancing between him and Steve. âI donât think it was ever on purpose, you were just...demanding.â
He gave a groan, leaning his head back against the couch. âYou donât have to sugarcoat it, doll. Iâd rather know what I did, at this point.â
She offered a small shrug. âI donât really remember it being that bad, but I donât think I ever met you before they gave me the serum.â
âThatâs something, at least.â he mumbled, dragging a hand down his face.Â
âWhy you?â Steve asked. âDid you have any prior military experience, any ties to something the others didnât?â
âNo.â she laughed. âI never even got in fights before HYDRA.â
âThen whyâd they use such an important resource on you, specifically? Not trying to take a dig at you, itâs just...well, omegas donât usuallyâŠâ
âI know,â she said. âOmegas arenât supposed to be tough, right? Thatâs why they only ever let alphas become super soldiers.â
âThatâs not what IâŠâ Steve trailed off and then sighed. âSorry.â
âI told you, they gave me the serum so that I would be strong enough to hold my own. It also ensured I would always be around, no matter how many years passed.â Her fingers found Buckyâs free hand and she took it, absentmindedly playing with the smooth vibranium knuckles. âHaving me as a constant meant they could stop spending so much time and effort on always having a new omega around for him. PlusâŠwell, I wasnât really there, but I heard something about it onceâŠâ
âWhat?â Bucky asked.Â
âThey let you choose who was going to become your omega.â She said, looking up at him. âThey gave you a bunch of scents, and you chose mine. I guess it was the only reason they didnât, uh...humanely euthanize me.â
His eyes were wide. The thought of HYDRA killing his omega brought a low growl to his throat, his chest rumbling with the vibrations of it. âNo.â
âWell, clearly they didnât!â She said brightly. âMy file said I was a kicker.â
âSo they gave you, an already aggressive omega, the serum, but never gave you any trigger words or fished around in your brain?â Bruce shook his head. âSurprisingly sloppy, considering who they are.â
âItâs not like they ever sent me out into the world. I stayed in my cell all day, unless I was needed for a rut. Then I went and stayed in a different cell.â She sighed. âAnd if they ever needed to, they could just use the alpha to grab me.â
Bucky clearly didnât like the thought of that. He made a frustrated sound, leaning his head back again. âGreat.â
âIt was never bad.â She let go of his hand, moving her fingers to cup his jaw. âYou never hurt me. You wouldnât. Sometimes, when I acted up, they would make you go retrieve me, because they knew you were the only one who could do it. If they didnât send you, they would just knock me out.â
âSo...that was it?â Steve asked. âRuts, serum, cryo?â
âFor thirty years!â She chirped. âThe last time they froze me, they were freezing him, too. They always tried to keep us in cryo at the same time so that I could be thawed out and ready when he needed me. But...I guess they just...left me there?â She frowned.Â
âSee, thatâs what Iâve been trying to figure out.â Steve said. âI didnât see any signs of a struggle at that base. Iâd say they left in an orderly fashion, but the fact that they didnât take you along makes me think they were in more of a hurry than they made it seem.â
âNatasha might have a better idea,â Bruce suggested. âWe can talk to her, try to figure outââ
âFRIDAY, open the damn door or so help me God I will rewrite your entire personality.â A voice interrupted from the other side of the door.Â
âIâm sorry, Tony, but Captain Rogers asked me not to.â The AI said.Â
âWell, is it an emergency?â The man scoffed.
âNo emergency measures have been executed. No security breaches have been identified.â
âThen Iâm sorry, but Captain Rogers does not outrank me when it comes to my own robots. Open the door, beautiful.â
She seemed to sigh. âVery well, Mr. Stark.â
Ten perked up, leaning forward slightly. She was watching the door curiously, tilting her head a little when she heard it slide open. Bucky rolled his eyes, grumbling to himself quietly and pulling her up against his side as another alpha strode in.Â
âReally? Having a party without me?â the man asked, a smooth, casual air about him as he walked in and looked at everyone on the couches. When his eyes landed on the omega cuddled up next to Bucky, he stopped. âAh, is this our new guest?â
âGo away, Stark.â Bucky growled. He didnât like how long the other manâs gaze was lingering on his omega, not when there werenât any scars on her neck to show who she belonged to.
âAlways such a charmer, Barnes.â Tony said, flopping down next to Steve. âLovely to see you, too. Care to introduce me to your friend? âŠ.No, youâd rather just snarl and forget your words? I knew you were old, but I didnât realize you were actually a caveman.â
âTony,â Bruce groaned. âDonât aggravate him. Please.â
âWhy not?â Tony leaned back against the cushions, completely at ease and totally happy to be pressing every one of Buckyâs buttons.Â
âAre you Tony Stark?â Ten asked, wiggling out of Buckyâs grip to sit on the edge of their couch.Â
Bucky caught her around the waist before she could get very far, though, and dragged her onto his lap. He loomed over her, sneering dangerously at Tony as the other alpha flashed a smile.Â
âBingo.â he said.Â
âI never thought Iâd meet a Stark,â she admitted. âI always heard about Stark Industries, but I lived too far away from any big cities to ever get to see any of his exhibitions.â
âAh. Youâre from my fatherâs time. Of course.â Tony shot a pointed glare in Buckyâs direction. âSeems like Bruce left out a few teensy weensy important details on the phone today.â
âWell, itâs been, uh...an ongoing learning experience.â Bruce said sheepishly.Â
âLots of developments, huh?â Tony raised an eyebrow.Â
âYou could say that.â Steve said under his breath. âWe came up here so Ten could be more comfortable while we talk.â
âOh yeah? Whatâre we talkinâ about?â Tony asked.Â
âThey were asking about my time with HYDRA,â she answered, cutting in before anyone else could. âAnd with...Bucky.â
Saying his name felt odd. Her tongue wasnât used to it, and her mind wanted to call him alpha, or Winter Soldier. Bucky just seemed soâŠcasual, such a strange thing to call a deadly super soldier. When she heard herself, though, she decided that she definitely didnât hate it.Â
Buckyâs heart gave a little leap at the sound of his name falling from her lips. He wanted her to say it over and over again, in whispers and in screams, for nobody elseâs ears but his.Â
â...Buck?â Steve asked, pulling him away from his thoughts. âYou, uh, kinda zoned out there.â
It wasnât until Bucky looked at Steve that he realized his eyes had been trained on the omega in his lap. âYeah?â
â...Is this seriously how youâve spent the past day and a half?â Tony asked. âSteve, Iâm sorry, and Iâm sure youâre just trying to be as helpful as you can be, like always, but I think you should let these two get a room.â
Steve looked at him incredulously. âTony, really? Iâm trying to get to the bottom of why exactly HYDRA would abandon the omega they pumped full of super soldier serum. They can get a room laterââ
âYeah, uh, wonder boy? I donât think your pal is gonna last much longer before he tries to rip our heads off.â Tony nodded towards a very disgruntled Bucky. âYou can resume your interrogation tomorrow, Cap.â
Steve looked to Bruce for help, but he only offered a small shrug and stood, heading towards the door. âHeâs right, Steve. They deserve some alone time.â
âButâhey!â Steve protested as Bucky picked his omega up, striding past the two alphas sitting on the opposite couch.Â
âThanks for everything, Steve.â Bucky said over his shoulder.Â
Ten squirmed, peeking around Buckyâs arm as she was carried away. âBye, Mr. Stark!â
âDonât look at him,â Bucky growled as they walked out the door.Â
âDid his father really make hoverboards? I heard once that Howard was promising hoverboardsââ
âNo.â He said flatly.Â
â...oh.â She huffed, slumping against him. âWhere are we going?â
âMy apartment.â Bucky stepped into the elevator, his grip still tight around her.Â
The omega perked up. âYou have a whole apartment?â
He puffed his chest out a little. âCourse I do. Gotta have a nice place for you, donât I?â
âSo I can stay?â Her eyes were bright and happy. âI can stay there, with you, all the time? Not just when you rut?â
He felt a sad little pang in his heart. When he spoke again, his voice was low and soft. âOf course, sweetheart.â
Then, his eyes widened as he realized what he was saying. âI mean, uh...i-if you want to, that is. I know itâs fast and all, and maybe...would you rather have your own room? Or I can stay on the couchââ
âBucky,â she cut him off with a laugh, a soft hand cupping his jaw. âYouâve been my alpha for seventy years. Iâd say weâre actually moving pretty slow.â
His expression relaxed again, lips stretching into a small smile. âRight. Yeah. Youâre right.â
They spent the rest of the elevator ride in comfortable silence, Bucky rubbing his scent glands all over her hair. He wanted to make sure that the next time they encountered anyone else, she smelled exactly like him.
Like her alpha.
When the elevator came to a gentle stop at Buckyâs floor, the doors opened, and he stepped out in front of his apartment door. It opened for him, having already scanned his biometrics, revealing a small, but cozy, living room.Â
He set his omega down on her feet, watching anxiously as she stepped into his quarters. Did she like it? Fuck, was it too small? It was too small. She probably hated it. Fuck, fuck, fuck...he had to salvage this somehow.Â
âWell, uhâŠâ shit, he sounded too nervous. He wanted her to think he was a strong, capable alpha.Â
He cleared his throat for another start. âWelcome home, Omega.âÂ
Wait. That wasnât right. Should he be calling her that? No, probably not, it sounded too possessive, too uncaring. He wished he just knew her fucking name, or something.Â
âI meanâŠTen?â
Shit, he sounded so stupid. He wanted to impress her, not...do whatever this was.
She just laughed, though, turning and looking at him with those eyes that sparkled like starlight. âAmoretta. My name is Amoretta.â
#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes x oc#abo#omegaverse#alpha bucky#alpha bucky barnes#it's been a long long time#avengers x reader#avengers x oc
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nephilim (cinq)
you know where the cred goes đ
cult au, supernatural creature au
yandere bts x f! reader
warnings: yandere themes, physical assault, graphic descriptions of violence, manipulation, (slight) gaslighting
you were left, abandoned by mortals and immortals alike. darkness knows no bounds, and neither does punishment. there is no refuge in neither blood nor flesh from its wrath. if darkness welcomes you, should you open your arms to it in return? if darkness turns you away, does that mean youâve won? should you choose to cast aside this lonely path of yours, and your conviction along with it, regardless of whatever other horrors lie in wait, you will be saved.Â
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
What is one to do when they hear the words theyâve feared the most leave someone elseâs mouth?
The moment they graced Jinâs eardrums, he gripped his phone so tightly he could hear the glass screen crack.Â
He and Yoongi had been assisting their father in the woods with preparations for the next meeting, the ominous hour approaching in no less than ten days.
He ignored Moonsik and Yoongi for a moment to answer his phone.Â
âHello?â
He could barely make out any of Jiminâs words--the boyâs blubbering masked too much of the information.
âRobotics...bathroom...â
âJimin, I canât hear anything over the sound of you crying. Whatâs going on?â
â(Y/N)...rooftop...Aemilia...â
âWhat are you trying to say?â Yoongi stopped talking to the older man, shifting his gaze toward his elder brother as he noticed Jinâs voice raise in irritation and concern.
âBlood...â
âBlood?!â
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
Jimin had walked out of robotics a little early today, bored to tears.
He had felt much better after getting rid of the idiotic gaggle that dared to threaten you, and threaten him into abandoning you.
He should have known it wouldnât be enough. He shouldâve never left your side, he thought as he kneeled on the rooftop, staring forlornly at the pool of partially dried blood on the concrete.
âShe was bleeding, hyung. Aemilia or her people must have taken her, but I have no idea where they went.â
Namjoon had been in the middle of a meeting with the school board, representing the student council.
Hoseok had been in the dance studio, barking orders out at somewhat competent underclassmen.
Jungkook and Taehyung were holed up in the youngerâs room, playing games rather than doing any actual work.
In short, none of them were prepared. None of them had been there for you as they had promised.
You trusted them when you needed them most, and they left you high and dry.
Jimin felt like he would never be able to get the disappointment and guilt off of his chest.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
Namjoon bounded into the clearing, his usually polished exterior uncharacteristically tarnished.Â
Hoseok appeared not long after him, having raced to the woods the moment he received the news.
They were met by Seokjin and Yoongi, who stood with their arms crossed over their chests, near a miserable Jungkook and a pacing Taehyung. Both boys had been in the house, so they were the first to arrive.
Jimin got there last, his hands and uniform pants stained red from the puddle he had kneeled in on the rooftop.
Six pairs of eyes landed on him and his appearance, confirming the worst.
âThree!â Seokjin cried incredulously. âThree of you were on campus, surrounded by a bunch of humans, and not a single one of you managed to keep an eye on her!â
âShe could be anywhere,â Jungkook groaned in fear.Â
âBy all means, please donât start caring now. Itâs too late.â Yoongi snapped at him. âYou and Taehyung drove straight home to do absolutely nothing. You could at least have offered her a ride home and ensured that she was safe. Youâre just as responsible as they are.â
Jungkookâs eyes grew glassy, but only because he knew his brother was right.Â
âAs much as you enjoy playing the blame game, we have more pressing matters to address.â Namjoon interjected in an attempt to calm them down.
âThat doesnât even begin to cover it, Namjoon.â Seokjinâs icy tone sent a chill down their backs. âIf we really wanted to play the blame game, we would have recognized how this is all your fault.â
The leader stood in tense silence.
âWhat did I tell you mere hours before this happened?â He continued, walking toward Namjoon until they were face to face. âI told you to get your shit together and to keep that girl in line. Hell, none of this would have happened if we hadnât followed your idiotic plan in the first place.â
Seokjin was rarely ever angry enough to hiss in his brotherâs face. They had all learned a long time ago that to provoke the oldest was to invoke Death.
âWe all agreed his plan was the best choice at the time, hyung.â Yoongi cautiously approached the two and lay a hand on Seokjinâs shoulder, leveling a glare of his own at Namjoon. âWe can deal with him later. We need to find her first.â
Jimin took the opportunity to step further into the clearing and brandished his phone, the device still open to his messages. â(Y/N) texted me saying Aemilia invited her up to roof and that she assumed it was for a confrontation of some sort.âÂ
âAemilia doesnât have the ability or strength to do damage like that by herself, though.â Taehyung frowned as he gestured to Jiminâs clothes. âUnless...â
The brothers looked at each other in realization and one by one, rushed out the clearing and out the forest.Â
A quick drive to the center of the city and one pitifully short interrogation later, their suspicions were settled.
Hoseok growled as he re-entered the van, slamming the car door shut. âHow dare he? When did he gain the courage to mobilize our own forces without our knowledge?â
âNever mind Augustus,â Jimin said, although his eyes blazed with anger. âWhere would they take her?â
âThat dog wouldnât have taken her to the normal base, she has far too much malicious intent for (Y/N).â Taehyung growled.
Jungkook lightly tapped his fingers on the car door, looking out the window when the thought hit him.
âYou donât think theyâd take her to...?â
His brothers looked at him in confusion, but he pointed out the window at the tree line of the woods.Â
Having grown up in those woods, they knew it like the back of their hand.Â
They knew the places were young townspeople would go to goof off, the places they had claimed for themselves, and the places that were...strictly off-limits.
It didnât take much longer for the realization to set in.
Once it had, they took off in the direction of the forest.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
In your dream, you once again stood before Ichabod Chapel.
The Chapel, adorned with green vines, had long since been abandoned. Once, the walls must have been a beautiful ivory, but now they were a dark beige, having rotted with time.
A complete opposite to the image of the decrepit church, the seven Kim brothers stood on the ground in front of the entrance, visions dressed in various black silks.
Contrary to its original purpose, the material looked anything but light and airy--in fact, it looked as though it was weighed down or soaked, doused in some unknown substance.
You looked down to see that you were dressed in a white, ceremonial outfit. It billowed out like a ball gown, the sleeves drawing lacy patterns swirling up to your thumb.Â
When you looked up, you were stunned by the brilliant, black wings that extended from the backs of the seven men before you.Â
The sight of their wings enraptured you, those gorgeous appendages, feathers glossy under the moonlight.
Each of them had their own, unique set, varying in shapes and sizes, though the largest pair of wings belonged to none other than Kim Namjoon, who stood in the center of his brothers, hands in his pocket as he flashed you a familiar, mischievous grin.
Namjoon was the first to step out of the line, casually extending his hand out to you, and you hesitantly raised a dainty, (s/c) hand in return, placing it in his.
He pulled you into his arms and you felt him wrap them around you.
His brothers came to circle around the two of you, eventually joining the hug as well.Â
Then, the whispers began.
Their tone was loving, though their words were anything but.
They were desperate, consuming, obsessive, threatening.Â
They wanted you to love them, they needed you to love them, why couldnât you understand?Â
Your head pounded, filled to the brim with cruel promises of tenderness and affection.
The substance from their silks seeped into your clothes, rapidly staining your white outfit red.
You realized just what it was that they were doused in and tried to pull away from their arms but they surrounded you, locking you into their hold.Â
The harder you fought to get out, the tighter they held on to you until you felt as though you couldnât breathe.
Things were better this way. Thereâs nothing they wouldnât do to protect you. Thereâs nothing they wouldnât do for your love.
How could you scorn their love for you? How could you treat them like this?
 They didnât want to hurt anyone you cared about. They didnât want to eliminate everyone you love in order to bring you to their side, but they would if they had to.Â
They paid no mind to the way you were drowning in the smell of it, drowning in blood. Was it yours or someone elseâs? Was it your motherâs? Manaâs?
All you knew was that they were done playing games.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
Your eyes flashed open and you winced as you immediately wished they hadnât.
Your head pounded, each thump forcing your eyes shut with the intensity, still not having recovered from the several hits it received.Â
For a moment it felt as though you were still unconscious and drenched in darkness, as when you tried to get a glimpse of your surroundings, you only saw shadows and moving, ambiguous shapes.Â
The movement of the ground beneath you, however, quickly dispelled such thoughts.Â
It appeared as though you were being carried over someoneâs shoulder. Despite the extra weight, the person you currently rested on was light and quick on their feet, moving with a speed that made you feel worse than you already were.
The familiar crunching of leaves and branches on the ground made your heart beat just a bit harder.Â
According to their footsteps and what you could see of your surroundings, you surmised they had taken you to the forest.
It had been mid afternoon when Aemilia and the people who worked for her and her family accosted you at the roof. Now, there was barely a hint of the moon in your surroundings.
Did she intend to have her people tie you up to the wooden pyre and set you aflame, like some sick imitation of a witch burning at the stake? Or to make it seem as though the Kims had done it?
Despite how afraid of Mayor Kim the citizens were, there was no way everyone would believe you died in such a gaudy display.Â
Only the purple fire that Mayor Kim was capable of conjuring left nothing behind, after all. If they were to going to get rid of you by fire, your remains would be found.
Thereâs no way you could ensure that, however.Â
Thereâs no guarantee that Aemilia wouldnât be able to make good on her promise and utterly destroy you.
A light cough broke the silence, bringing you back to the present, and you tried to calm your heartbeat. Thereâs no way your captors would believe you were asleep if you kept scaring yourself like this.
You felt a tight, scratchy material around your wrists and your hands laying against your back.
You successfully clenched your hands. So they hadnât drugged you while you were out.Â
You were hesitant to shift, as you feared your captors would notice your cognizant state, so you resorted yourself to blinking at the ground and gritting your teeth from the pain and nausea.Â
Thankfully, the people you were with appeared to be none the wiser.Â
âAre we almost there?â A deep voice, seemingly annoyed, huffed.
âBe patient, Lee.â You felt the vibrations of the person carrying you as they replied. âThis isnât just any other job.âÂ
âI understand, but donât you think Miss Augustus is going too far?â
Your captor scoffed. âIf you want to question the Augustuses, thereby questioning the Kims and their authority, be my guest. I just hope you and your family will be able to deal with the consequences.â
The second captor, Lee, had nothing else to say after that.Â
The quiet of the forest left a buzzing in your ears and the swinging sensation your body was making whilst strewn over the personâs back became too much to bear.Â
You figured youâd just make your captor angrier if you barfed down their back and tried to shift to draw their attention, but it was too late.Â
The acrid taste of bile and what you had for lunch earlier that day reached your mouth and your lifted your head, spitting out as much of it as you could.
There was a yell of anger and disgust, and your captor shoved you off of them and onto the forest floor.Â
You held back a shout as you hit the ground, injuring your side even further, and let out the rest of your meal.
âWhat the-?! This disgusting bitch!â
Your captor launched another kick at your stomach and you fought back tears as they aggravated the wounds already in place.Â
Lee stopped them after a while, complaining that another round of beating would just delay their job even further.Â
You wiped your mouth off on your shoulder and grimaced.
To your surprise, you found that you could move your legs.
The first captor lifted you to your feet by your collar, and you recognized him as Mr. Byun, the man the strawberry blonde had referred to earlier.Â
âYour legs still work for a reason,â he sneered and pushed you forward.
Your legs did indeed work, but were wobbly after hours of no use.Â
You tripped and almost fell to the floor again, the bonds around your wrists preventing you from reaching out to break your fall, when the second captor grabbed you by the back of your shirt and held you up.Â
âIâm not really in the mood for any of your foolishness, girl.â Lee glowered down at you. âUse your legs properly, or Iâll break them and drag you by the hair. It would be all too easy.â
You heard a suspicious click and your eyes flickered over to Byun, whose hand rested on his waist. In the other, however, he fiddled with a small lever on what appeared to be a firearm.
âDo you understand?â The second captor shook you and your brain protested, rattling around far too much for its liking.Â
The thought of escape, which had been curling up inside you like the beginning of a fire, was quickly extinguished. You squeezed your eyes shut and nodded.
He pushed you away from him and you walked, following him with Byun at your back, trying to think of a way out of this situation.
You couldnât tamper with the ropes around your wrist, as Byun was watching your every move. There was also the gun, and the fact that both men were trained in the use of it as well as martial arts.
Was there truly no way to escape?
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
The three of you walked for what felt like hours, reaching a part of the woods that you had never seen before.
Here, the trees were sparse and had already lost all of their leaves. The dark branches coiled and twisted toward the sky, as if reaching for affection that would never be reciprocated. The stumps were old, the ground hard.
And then, a clearing. But not the one you were used to seeing.
Your heart dropped as you walked between two trees, noticing the view beyond them.Â
You could now tell that it was well after midnight, for the sun was nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, as always, the moon was high in the sky.Â
Wylynne gazed down on the clearing with a force, as if the moon goddess wanted you to see bright and clear what awaited you.
The crumbling cliff before you overlooked a tranquil lake. Clouds hung in the distance, obscuring what was undoubtedly the outside world.
The outside of Ichabod.
Such tranquility had no business here, you thought to yourself as the pace of your breathing increased.Â
Your captors had brought you to Lorneâs Ledge, also known as the edge of no return.
It was forbidden territory for any Ichabodian citizen.
Even before Mayor Kim came to town, even before the Augustus family had their reign: this was one of the oldest, most sacred spots in Ichabod.
The lady of the cliff, Lorne, saw to it that the forsaken never returned home.
You shuddered. The folklore didnât scare you in the slightest. It would always be the work of man that you detested.Â
Yet, you couldnât help but feel some foreign, oppressive gaze resting on you now that you were here. As if Lorne herself were staring at you, waiting for you to join her in the watery depths--
That familiar click sounded again and your eyes shot to the side. You tried to slowly turn around, but the press of metal against your back forced you to stop all movement.
Lee smirked. âWe have arrived at your final destination, my lady.â
âMiss Augustus was generous enough to leave you with two options. You can walk off and take a nice rest in the lake, or you can die before your body ever hits the water.â The man smiled mirthlessly down at you. âWhich would you prefer?â
You blinked rapidly, mind racing. Even if you were capable of swimming, with these injuries, you wouldnât be able to survive the fall off the ledge,Â
They truly meant for you to die.
Lee didnât seem to be in the mood for your deliberation as his cruel smile slipped into an infuriated frown. âChoose.â He growled. âMy friend here would be all too happy to make the choice for you. How does a bullet in your brain and being rolled off the cliff sound?â
Byun dug the weapon into your skin and you winced, shaking your head.Â
âIâll-Iâll go. Iâll walk myself.â
Your voice cracked horribly after not speaking for so many hours, but the message was received.Â
The metal was removed from your backside and you sighed in relief.
The man in front of you said nothing, simply stepping out of your path.Â
You took a couple more breaths and slowly turned to face him. âC-Can I ask you to do something? As a final request.â
He raised an eyebrow at you in response.
You titled your head in the direction of your back. âCan you untie my hands? After I disappear, there might be a search for me, and someone might try to dig through the lake for my body. A suicide will be completely ruled out if they find the ropes.â
There was no way this would work. Even the Augustuses were too intimidated to bother touching the lake for fear of Lorneâs wrath.Â
Besides, the police knew when and where to look, and where to say they looked. They would lie to your friends and family through their teeth.
Lee must not have been on the force for very long, however, because he grunted and pulled your hands to him.Â
With a slice, the ropes fell to the ground and you clutched your wrists to your chest, nodding partly in thanks and partly in disbelief.
It...worked.
You rubbed your hands together and gently blew on them, fingers numb from the cold breeze.Â
Your captors stood together between the trees, blocking the entrance. They murmured quietly to themselves and you continued to morph your face and body expressions into one of a pitiful teenager about to die, concealing the rather reckless thoughts you were having.
You finally turned around and walked back until you were in front of them, catching the two men off guard. They quieted and stared at you, hands at their weapons.Â
You met each of them in the eye and bowed, lower than you ever had before, then stood upright.
They looked at you incredulously, giving you just enough time to give Lee a harsh kick between his legs and pry the knife out of his hand.
You slashed at his neck, adrenaline returning full force, and actually managed to cut the man.Â
He shouted in pain and brought a hand up to the wound, trying to stop the blood.
Before you could turn to face Byun, however, the loud crack of a gunshot was heard throughout the forest and you felt a painful sting on your hand.Â
You yelped as you dropped the knife.
Then, there was a second gunshot and the pain returned full force, this time on your shoulder.
The elder captor, completely fed up with your actions, slammed the gun against your head and you crumpled to the ground.Â
You could feel something wet on your hand and clothes, but there was too much of it to be sweat in the midnight chill. You slowly lifted your hand, only to see it covered in a dark liquid.
Byun restrained Lee from attempting to beat you this time, barely casting a glance at your pitiful form.Â
âCalm yourself. She wonât be alive for much longer.â He gruffed. âShe said she would walk herself, so walk she will. Weâre just here to watch and make sure it happens.â
He stood over your form and pointed the gun at your head. âWhat a useless attempt. Get up.â
Your shoulder and hand burned like hell, but you complied.Â
You got to your feet once more and stumbled forward, every step taking you further and further away from the two.Â
The barrel of the gun followed your every move.
The tears youâd been struggling to hold back ran full force now at the thought of your imminent death. But rather than let your captors feast upon the sight of your defeated form, you stopped.
You were covered in blood. Your uniform was sullied by your own vomit and dirt.Â
But you straightened your back, ignoring the pain in your shoulder, and held your head up high.Â
You had reached the edge of the cliff now, but your vision was too blurry to see anything besides the vast blue beneath you.Â
The lake that rested below had no warmth or safety to provide for you, but neither did the forest behind you.
You considered praying to Wylynne to see if, in all her majesty and grace, she would save you.
Yet clearly, just like all the people who had come before you, just like the lady of the lake herself, the moon goddess had forsaken you.
You were tired. Too tired to fight against what some would call fate.
You whispered an apology to your mother and Mana, and perhaps even to the brothers, the reason why, you did not know.
Your eyes captured the overcast image of the outside world one last time, then you turned around and took a backward step off the cliff with a sad smile, eyes falling closed, mentally locked on that solitary picture.
Above you, you thought you heard the pained screams and grunts of your captors, sounding as though they were struggling against something or someone.Â
But before you, you saw your mother with her arms outstretched, that patient, loving smile on her face.Â
You reached forward, wrapped your arms around her, and readily slipped into darkness.
Above your falling form, a shadow zipped through the dawn, racing to reach you before you hit the water.Â
He saw you smile and lift an arm into the air, before the smile slipped off your face and your limbs went limp.
The large, black wings at his back beat furiously and he flew faster than he ever had before until he had your beaten form cradled to his chest.Â
The two of you suddenly shot upward into the air as your descent slowed, and as the first rays of daylight peeked out from above the clouds, his form hung in the air, almost frozen in time, black wings outstretched and supporting the two of you as he floated above Lorneâs Ledge.Â
Kim Jimin hovered, adorned in the light of the early morning sun, peering callously down at the vermin who lay trembling between him and his brothers.Â
Or what was left of them, at least.
Jungkook had managed to get his hands on the elder one, and the arm he had been using to carry the gun had been ripped clean off.Â
He was now whimpering in excruciating pain, clutching at the place where his limb had once been.
The younger one, on the other hand, lay resting against a tree.Â
Unmoving, his eyes unseeing.Â
All it had taken was one touch from Hoseok, and the manâs life force was gone, sucked out of him before he could even protest.
He was now nothing more than a lifeless sack of meat.
Taehyung picked up the body as Yoongi kicked one of the elderâs legs to get his attention.
The others stood threateningly over Byun, glowering down at him in utter loathe, as though he were a louse.
The old man whimpered, looking up and between them, then paling in horror as he saw Taehyung and Jimin.
The younger brother walked toward the elder as Jimin gently touched down on the ground, your form still protectively pressed to him. The two Kims met eyes and nodded at each other.
Taehyung turned around and flashed Mr. Byun a crazed smile before flinging Leeâs body as far as he could over the cliff.
He gaped in horror and his voice rose multiple decibels, pleads for his life escaping before he could properly think them through.
Seokjin squatted down until he was at an eye level with him, strong, black wings threateningly displayed. He grinned.Â
âIf you think you have even any hope of escaping your friendâs fate,â he said as the smile slipped off his face, âyouâre dead wrong.â
He glared at Byun with cold, amber irises. âBut before we end your insignificant, paltry life, youâre going to tell us who sent you and why.â
They already had proof of Aemiliaâs crime from Aloysius Augustus himself but they wanted to be sure.
He looked at the younger gentlemen with tears in his eyes. He fought through his pain and got on both knees.
âThereâs no use in begging,â Namjoon stated, arms crossed over his chest. For the first time, he couldnât find anything amusing in the matter.
âPlease! We were only receiving orders, Miss Augustus--â
Before he could finish his sentence, Yoongi used Leeâs discarded knife and slashed it across Byunâs neck, silencing him in an instant.Â
The light left his eyes and the manâs body flopped over.
Taehyung didnât think twice about kicking him off the cliff, either.
Now that those pests were taken care of, the seven rushed to turn their attention on you.Â
The bleeding from your shoulder and hand had not slowed in the slightest, and they could hardly feel your pulse.
âWe need to get her to the hospital, and fast.â Hoseok said, swallowing the rising lump in his throat.
âIâm the fastest. I can take her there.â Taehyung volunteered.
The brothers agreed, and you were gently deposited into Taehyungâs arms.Â
âWhen youâre sure sheâs safe, meet us back here in the woods,â Yoongi said. âYouâll know where to find us.â
"Yes, hyung.â Taehyung spread his wings and took off into the sky.
He carefully cradled you, shifting your body into one of his arms, and attempted to heal some of your worse injuries along the way.
He pressed one hand to your abdomen and began muttering under his breath, a panicked tear slipping out the corner of his eye as he peered at the extent of the damage.
Once your ribs were mostly healed, he pulled his hand away, leaving behind a canvas of dark blue, yellow, and green bruises. He winced and moved on, pressing his hand to your head.
You made no movements, body as limp as ever in his arms.Â
Taehyung touched down on the roof of the hospital and tucked those magnificent, black wings together, the appendages fading away as if they were never there.Â
He held his arm out, his palm facing the door. He only meant to unlock it, but utterly destroyed it in his haste. Quite frankly, he couldnât have cared less.Â
He hurriedly walked down the stairwell and burst into the hospitalâs eleventh floor lobby, reserved for VIP care and treatment.Â
A receptionist was working at the front desk, typing away without a care in the world.
He was interrupted by Taehyungâs shouts. âI found her in the woods outside of our home this morning--sheâs badly injured, please help!â
He looked up at the boyâs outburst, eyes widening when he realized just who and what he was looking at.
He immediately called for available nurses to bring a bed and admit you to a room, then paged any available doctors.
âDo you know who she is, Mr. Kim?â A nurse asked as she examined you for damage.
He nodded. âSheâs a classmate of mine, her name is (Y/N) (L/N). Her mother also works here--please notify her of her daughterâs arrival.â
The man nodded once more, sending someone else to page Nurse (L/N) from the fifth floor.
As the nurses wheeled you away, Taehyung grabbed the receptionist by the wrist and he whipped around in fear.
âThis patient is very important,â Taehyung stressed, squeezing the manâs wrist harshly. âShe is being admitted under the protection of Kim Moonsik himself, at the behest of our entire family. If anything happens to her...â
The receptionist gulped and nodded. âOf course, Mr. Kim. You donât need to explain any further. Weâll do our absolute best to ensure her care and recovery.â
Taehyung glared down at him for a bit longer before he threw the manâs wrist aside and turned away from him.Â
He rubbed at his wrist, knowing it would bruise in a couple of hours, or perhaps even minutes.
The man returned to his desk, beginning to fill out the paperwork for your stay.Â
When he looked up to ask Taehyung more questions about your injuries, the boy had already disappeared.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
In Taehyungâs absence, the six brothers stretched out their wings and flew to a certain section of the woods behind the Kim family home.Â
This part of the woods remained untouched by both the Kim family and the general public. It was only the seven who came out here, and only in times of dire consequence.Â
Several trees in the area had fallen over, cracked in half as though hit or pushed in anger with some spectacular force.
Leaves and branches strewn all over the ground were blown away by the boys and the sudden breeze they brought, large wings disrupting the peaceful quiet of the forest.
The early morning sun peeked through the leaves, painting a picturesque view of the woods, a sharp contrast to the heavy, violent atmosphere headed its way.
Jungkook planted his feet on the ground first, tucking away his wings until they were out of sight. He angrily flicked what was left of Byun off his face, disgusted by the thick feel and metallic smell of mortal blood.Â
Jimin followed right behind him, then Hoseok, Yoongi, and Seokjin entered, Namjoon being the last to touch down on the forest floor.
Jimin and Jungkook met eyes with one another, their anger not even close to subsiding at the death of your captors.Â
Yet, soon enough, curiosity and dread brought them out of their rage when they realized just how quiet it had gotten between the older members.
Jimin shifted his gaze, the frown on his face deepening when he saw the eldest brothersâ attention turn to Namjoon, who was standing deathly still, staring blankly ahead.
Seokjin raised an eyebrow as he glared down at the younger. Namjoon refused to meet his gaze.
The six of them stayed like that for a long time, even when they heard the loud beating of another pair of wings, and Taehyung joined them in the forest.
He turned to Jimin in confusion but the older simply shook his head and grabbed for his and Jungkookâs hands, squeezing them.Â
Finally, after what felt like hours of silence, Seokjin spoke.Â
âThere is no mercy for the prideful,â he stated with finality.
Namjoon flinched away at the words, eyes stuck to the ground.
âYou werenât able to uphold your oath, Namjoon ah,â Hoseok said. His words were concerned, but his tone reeked of condescension.
âAnd because of that, because of your utter failure, our beloved angel got hurt.â Yoongi hissed. âShe almost died.â
Hoseok, Yoongi, and Seokjin took menacing steps toward the leader.Â
He heard his older brothers walking up to him, but refused to meet the wrath that was surely boiling in their gaze.
Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook watched on with bated breath, their hands still linked together.
Namjoon was frozen in place.Â
As the leader of their group, there was rarely ever a moment where he was seen as weak.Â
But the second he had received news of your capture, he lost even the strength to stand on his own two feet.
It was the thought of you, of saving you and bringing you to safety, that had kept him going.Â
It was the only thing that had kept all seven of them sane.
Now that they knew you were going to live, he knew he couldnât avoid his punishment any longer.
Namjoonâs facial expression didnât change, even in the moment where, with surprising speed, Yoongi lashed out at him, decking him in the face and knocking him to the forest floor.
The student body president winced, gingerly gripping his nose as blood started to leak from it.
His older brothers stood, looking down at him in a mock semicircle.
âYoongi ah,â Seokjin said, turning to the younger, âwhat is the punishment for those who commit the deadly sin of pride?â
âBeing broken on the wheel, hyung.â Yoongi replied impassively.Â
âFortunately for you, or unfortunately, I should say,â Hoseok grinned down at Namjoon, âwe donât have a wheel.â
Seokjin stepped forward and lifted his foot above Namjoonâs right leg.Â
âThis is what happens when you place too much pride in yourself and in your actions.â He stated, then brought his foot down on Namjoonâs right leg.
He didnât let up until there was a sick, audible crack.Â
Namjoon reeled back, grunting in pain but refusing to scream.Â
Yes, it hurt, but he knew he deserved it. He failed (Y/N).Â
This is the least he could do to atone for his actions.
âAll things considered, weâre being quite generous with you.â Yoongi stepped up next, kicking his broken leg aside to stomp down on his left one.
This time, Namjoon let out a jarring scream.Â
âYou still have the audacity to scream? To feel pain?â Yoongi ground his foot into the injury as though he were trying to put out a cigarette. âImagine how much pain our beloved is in right now. Imagine what she wouldnât have had to go through, had you done your job properly. Had you listened to us.â
The elder had never been kind or considerate when it came to delivering punishment, a fact that the younger brothers had quickly become accustomed to.
Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook looked on blankly, but inside they felt a deep sense of pity.Â
Namjoon was their brother and their leader, the constant face of their strength.
It hurt to see him in so much pain, no matter how necessary it was.Â
Namjoon sat on the forest floor, both legs twisted at an awkward angle. He grit his teeth together as he tried to control his breathing.Â
He noticed no one else was approaching him, but he knew that the punishment wasnât over yet, not so soon. He slowly, inquisitively lifted his head.
The eldest three looked at Namjoon expectedly. He pleadingly raised his eyebrows, but their stares held no mercy.
He bowed his head in defeat.Â
The senior wrapped his right hand around his left forearm and squeezed until he heard something crack.Â
There was the quick, soft sound of a sob coming out of his mouth, and then all was quiet.Â
Hoseok went last, shuffling through the leaves on the forest floor to squat next to his younger brother, wiping away some of his tears and gently running his fingers through his hair. âWeâre doing this for her. Everything we do is for her, you know that as well as we do.â
Namjoon glanced at him warily, tense because he knew what was coming next, but didnât know when to expect it.Â
âThatâs why youâre prepared to face the consequences for your actions, yes...?â
With a sickeningly sweet smile, Hoseok wrapped his hands around Namjoonâs right forearm, breaking the bone in a quick moment.
Namjoon clenched his teeth together so hard, he swore he heard something else crack.Â
Any movement within the top or lower half of his body left him in excruciating pain, and he stifled a scream each time.
âYou did so well, Joonie.â Hoseok continued patting his head.Â
They surrounded him, praising him with how well he took his punishment.Â
He was only able to withstand a few more minutes of cognizant thought before his eyes rolled back into his head.
Hoseok caught his younger brother, gently laying him back onto the dirt.
The six men stood in the silence, staring at the form of their treasured leader with pity.Â
Seokjin turned around and met each of his younger brothers in the eye. He then wordlessly walked away from the clearing and Namjoonâs broken body.
Yoongi and Hoseok followed him, blank expressions on their face.
The youngest brothers were all too quick to pick up on the message.Â
Overstep your boundaries, and endure the same fate.Â
After taking one more look at Namjoon, the youngest brothers trekked out of the forest, silently following behind the other angels.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
When you finally pried your eyes open, you were greeted by an unfamiliar chill.
You were cold. So cold, the chill settled uncomfortably in your bones.
White blankets were tucked around you, pristine sheets morphing to mimic your form.Â
For a moment, you incredulously thought that this must have been your arrival to heaven.
Then, you soon heard a monotonous beeping and you felt the subtle prick of wires along your skin, an IV casually grazing across the back of your hand.Â
It hurt to move your right shoulder, and your abdomen ached, the areas bandaged so tight you could just barely feel them.Â
There were bandages around your wrists and hand as well, and the pungent scent of ointment told you those were for your rope burns and bullet graze.Â
Your head injuries were also wrapped, if you deduced the source of your current headache correctly.Â
You were alive. Alive, and well taken care of.
â(Y/N)?â
You winced, your head not taking too kindly to the reintroduction of noise. A swivel to your right, however, and your motherâs worried face appeared.
â...Mom?â You voice cracked horribly, and she smiled and hummed in acknowledgement, lifting a water pitcher next to her and pouring you a glass of water.
You drank as if you were Tantalus himself.
âI was so worried.â your mother stated, her voice breaking right along with yours. The sound alone nearly brought tears to your eyes.Â
She lifted her hands and grasped your uninjured one, intertwining your fingers.
 âI got paged yesterday morning and asked to come up to the eleventh floor, just to find out that you had been admitted.â Your mother spoke, answering your questions before you even got the chance to ask. âAnd at the request of the entire Kim family, no less. Kim Taehyung brought you in himself, claiming youâd been assaulted and found outside their door.â
You tilted your head, peering at your mother in disbelief.Â
She met your gaze and flicked her eyes toward the door, then back towards you without turning around. You followed their direction.
Outside the small, rectangular window of the door, there stood a tall figure dressed in dark clothing.
Your mother leaned toward you and whispered. âThat woman has been standing guard since the doctors finished their checkup.â
You gulped and nodded in understanding.
â(Y/N).â Her tone shifted slightly, still holding concern but taking a solemn turn. âI never ask you questions about how school is and your life is going. We usually leave each other to our own devices, and thatâs clearly been a mistake on my part. But I need you to be completely honest with me here.â
âHave you displeased the Kims in any way?â Her grip on your uninjured hand tightened to the point where all of your knuckles turned white. âIf they have you here under some sort of watch until the next meeting...if theyâre trying to...âÂ
Your mother gulped, unable to finish the rest of the sentence.Â
Her voice lowered into a harsh whisper. âTell me. Iâll go alert a trustworthy coworker, and I will have you out of this town before Kim Moonsik can utter another prayer.â
Your eyes widened comically. âMom, no! Nothing like that happened. They saved me. The Kims saved my life.â You repeated, gripping her hands. âIf they hadnât brought me here, I would have-âÂ
The weight of your words finally hit you, and before you could realize, tears gathered in the corner of your eyes. âI could have...â
You fought to speak through the trembling of your lower lip. âIâm sorry I never told you about my day, I just thought Iâd be able to handle it all by myself. The police commissionerâs daughter, she was trying to get rid of me and she-Mom, she-â
Your mother cupped your cheeks as your tears cascaded down your face. She gently rubbed your lower back as you muffled your cries by burying your head into her neck.
She didnât let you go for a while, even after you managed to collect yourself.Â
She poured you another glass of water and you sipped at the beverage, telling her the trials youâd faced these past couple of weeks.
âI thought it was a regular instance of bullying,â you sniffled, putting the plastic cup down. âthat she didnât want me getting too close to her crush. So I endured because I had no intention of taking anything of hers away. Who am I, in Ichabod, compared to a woman of prestige like that?â You sarcastically asked.
âBut apparently, my mere existence bothered her.â You shakily recounted what had ultimately been the most terrifying moments of your life to your mother.Â
You obscured some parts of the story, not wanting your mother to worry even more, and claimed that the Augustusâ men had taken you to the clearing to scare you and beat you up, and that you surmised they dropped you off outside of the Kim home afterward.Â
By the time she finished hearing the whole story, her grip had embedded itself into the edge of the hospital bed.Â
Your motherâs vexation was interrupted by the sound of people speaking outside your door.
âMaâam, I apologize. By the order of Kim Moonsik, only family members are allowed to visit the patient right now.â The figure outside your door spoke with an uninterested tone.
âWith all due respect, officer, please donât assume my gender.â You heard a familiar voice snipe. âMy best friend is lying in there and sheâs practically a sister to me. I donât particularly give a damn about your order. Kim Moonsik can kiss my-â
âMana!â You yelled, trying to catch both of their attention before your best friend could get themselves arrested.Â
You flipped the hospital blankets off of you and your mother helped you to your feet, then to the door. The injuries on your abdomen and head protested with every step.
The guardâs eyes widened a bit as you slid the door open, and so did the eyes of every hospital staff within sight of your room.Â
âMs. (L/N), I implore you, please go back to bed to rest!â A nurse in the hallway rushed over.Â
The guard hastily nodded in agreement. âYes, please do. I sincerely apologize for the commotion.â
You waved them off, reaching a hand out to Mana. âI'll go back to bed, but only if you let Mana in. Theyâre family.â
Mana stood in the hallway, hurriedly dressed in sweatpants, a disheveled oversized hoodie, and sneakers, but gingerly holding a teddy bear with a card.
The guard looked between you, Mana, and the nurse for quite some time. The nurseâs frantic expression must have convinced her, though, because she finally stepped aside.
Mana extended their arm, gently grabbing your hand in return and waltzing past the security guard with a smug expression.Â
The moment the three of you were back in the room, however, they ushered you back to bed as well.
â(N/N)!â Mana said, going to hug you, then rethinking it when they spotted all the bandages.Â
They placed the teddy bear in your arms and stood a card that cheerily read âGet Well Soon!â on your nightstand. âHow are you feeling? Iâm so sorry--I should have been there with you!â
âMy head and chest hurt, but Iâm alright.â You shook your head with a small smile, clutching the doll to your chest. âDonât apologize, you had no idea this was going to happen. This was all the result of my stupid decision--I was the one who fell into her trap.â
Your mother excused herself, leaving you and Mana alone for a few minutes.
You filled them in on what had happened to you, withholding no details, and their face lit up in anger. âShe ordered them to take you to Lorneâs Ledge?! That psychotic cunt! Just wait until I drag her across the square, weâll see how high and mighty she is then-â
âMana, calm down.â You smiled, thankful for your friendâs protectiveness, but weary after everything youâd just gone through.Â
âI never want to stoop to her level,â you admitted, wringing the sheets in your hands.Â
Your mother gently slid open the door, returning with water and a tray of food for you.
âI think...Iâve had enough of mind games and tricks for a while.â You whispered, then smiled at her as she lay the meal in front of you.
Manaâs gaze turned soft, and they patted your hands and back in support.Â
âI donât even want to think of what would have happened if the Kims hadnât gotten there in time.â your mother muttered.Â
You nodded in agreement.Â
You werenât particularly sure how or why, but the Kims had saved your life.Â
Not only had they offered you some of the best care in the city, free of charge, but they even stationed people outside your room.
Somewhere in the back of your mind, something told you that holding them with such a mindset would put you exactly where they wanted you to be.Â
Yet something else countered that thought, claiming that it was that same distancing mindset that had pushed you into the arms of danger in the first place.Â
Perhaps Mayor Kim felt responsible for it because his men got usurped by a high school girl.
Or, perhaps, it was his sons who felt even more responsible.
Your mother and Mana stayed with you the rest of the night, each taking up their own positions on the furniture. Mana draped themself on the couch while your mother took the armchair.
You allowed yourself to drift off to the sound of them breathing, the chill and fear of the previous morning now a distant, foreign thing.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
Your mother and Mana werenât constantly at your side, as one had to attend to her duties at work and the other had to go to school.Â
There were other individuals who were perfectly happy to waste the day with you, though.
On the first day, you were visited by Jimin.
The sophomoreâs usual high-energy self was nowhere to be seen as he stepped into your hospital room holding a small bouquet of (your favorite flowers).Â
Jimin rushed at you, barely giving himself enough time to greet him before he fell to his knees in front of your hospital bed.Â
You gasped aloud in surprise and urged him to stand, but he would have none of it.Â
âIâm so sorry, (Y/N).â His eyes glistened as water streaked down his cherubic face. âIf I had read your message earlier, if I hadnât been so stupid to turn my phone off, you never would have gotten hurt like this.â
You winced as you pulled yourself to the edge of the bed, your hand only hurting slightly less than it had before. âYou didnât know at the time, I wouldnât blame you for that. When you did know, you rushed to help me. Thatâs something I will be forever grateful to you for.âÂ
You exhaled and smiled your rare, genuine smile, a warm countenance on your face that pierced Jiminâs soul. âSo please,â you held your hand out to Jimin.
The boy looked up, pitiful expression morphing into a delighted smile. He gently took your hand and stood, then ushered you to rest comfortably back at the top of the bed.Â
The two of you spent the rest of the day talking, Jimin distracting you from your current situation with stories about his family and their travels.Â
By the time you realized youâd never gotten answers to your questions, the sun was starting to set and you were having trouble keeping your eyes open in the middle of Jiminâs conversation.
If the raven haired boy had noticed it, he didnât say anything.Â
If anything, he continued speaking, his voice low and chiming with laughter as he recounted precious memories.
When he heard the familiar sound of your soft, slow breathing, he stopped. He simply gazed upon your visage, smiling at the way your (s/c) skin lit up in the afternoon sun and held a hand up to block the light from getting in your eyes.
He stayed that way for the next several minutes, then gently caressed your cheek, letting his hands linger for shorter than he would have liked.
Once the night was well underway, Jimin collected his things and left your side with one more forlorn look.
He shot a strict gaze at the guard, who gulped and nodded at the unspoken order.
Finally, he turned and walked down the hallway toward the elevators.Â
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
On the second day, you were visited by Taehyung. You were still asleep when he first came into the room, but your mother was sitting beside you and her eyes widened when she saw him.
Before the younger boy could even speak, the older woman bowed low in gratitude.
Few people had ever seen your mother in a vulnerable state, you included, as she purposefully made it so.Â
Taehyung was a rare exception that day as he gently gripped her shoulders, feeling the slight trembles that coursed through her as he straightened her posture.Â
Suppressing an amused smile, Taehyung thought of the differences between you and his supposed mother.Â
While the actress trembled out of fear for her own life, your mother shook at the thought of losing you.
As expected from the woman who raised you, their perfect treasure.
âI can never repay you for the hospitality youâve shown my daughter,â your mother whispered.
âThereâs no need for such matters, Ms. (L/N). Weâll always protect and watch out for your daughter. Weâre honored to have her in our lives.â Taehyung replied with a sincere tone.
She accepted the flowers he brought, carefully laying the bouquet on your nightstand, right next to the vase where Jiminâs flowers lay.Â
When you did wake up, you had your own chance to thank Taehyung for finding you and bringing you to safety, along with sponsoring your stay in the hospital.Â
He waved away your thanks, claiming that he was simply glad that you had turned to Jimin for assistance so that they were able to know about it.
âYou know weâll always be there for you, right (Y/N)?â
Always.
âJust say the word and weâll come running.â
We love you.
His heart ached with the weight of the words he couldnât say.
But you smiled in appreciation and he melted, as it was the smile they had longed to see for so long. The one that you usually reserved for your mother or Mana, the one that they had only gotten glimpses of in the time that they had known you.
He wouldnât let you do anything for yourself the entire time, claiming you needed to rest up and heal as soon as possible. You reluctantly agreed, enjoying an unusually lazy day.
He played music for you, and soon enough the two of you were lost in a passionate conversation about your favorite artists. Funnily enough, there were several of them who you shared interest in.
Before Taehyung returned home for the day, he insisted on covering you with the blanket as well, tucking it up to your neck and pressing it in at the sides.
Your eyes were closed out of embarrassment as his form hung over yours.Â
He fought the urge to bend down and kiss your forehead, for he still feared that he could frighten you away.
Instead, he reached up and switched off the light directly above your bed. With an ambiguous smile, he left, closing the door behind him.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
On the third day, you were visited by Jungkook.
The atmosphere was a little awkward at first, considering how soft-spoken the freshman tended to be around you.
When you tried shifting the conversation by asking him about his personal interests and passions, however, his eyes lit up.
Jungkook demonstrated several different types of punches for you in the room, even helping you weakly set up your form with your still healing hands.Â
You learned much more about boxing forms and gaming techniques that day than you could ever remember, but you did leave with plans to have private self-defense lessons with Jungkook after youâd finished healing.
At some point during his visit, you had drifted off and by the time you woke up again, Jungkook was already gone.Â
You panicked slightly, worried that heâd be upset and think that you wanted him to leave. As you turned to your phone, however, you noticed a folded piece of paper resting on top of the back of it.
When you opened the paper, you saw a beautiful pen-and-ink sketch of you, lying in your hospital bed and napping.Â
Jungkook had somehow taken your messy, disheveled state and turned it into something that evoked a tender feeling within you.
You grinned down at the paper, amazed by his talent. Was this how he saw you? As this...ephemeral, peaceful being?
You gently stood the paper up so that it rested between the two vases that housed Jimin and Taehyungâs flowers, right next to Manaâs card.
The afternoon soon gave way to evening, then evening to night.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
On the fourth day, Seokjin saved you from the monotony of bland, hospital food by bringing you home cooked meals.Â
The mere smell of the dishes had your mouth watering.Â
He refused to let you do anything yourself, much like Taehyung had the other day. But unlike Taehyung, Jin went so far as to feed you himself.
It was embarrassing, but no matter how much you protested, he wouldnât let up.
He sat in the chair your mother usually preoccupied and held the utensils out to you, neatly making sure you finished your meals.
At one point, he pretended the food was an airplane and you playfully slapped his arm, resulting in him dissolving into a surprising windshield-wiper-like laugh.Â
Jin spent the rest of the day with you, telling you awful jokes that under normal circumstances, you wouldnât have found that funny.Â
His companionship was greatly appreciated, however, and you found that you grew surprisingly fond of his laugh.
Before Jin left for the evening, he gently lifted your hand and placed it in his lap, then revealed another bag heâd brought on his visit.
To your surprise, he clipped a small (silver/gold/rose gold) bracelet around your wrist. The ornament carried two charms: one of a well-detailed moon, the other a pair of angel wings.
You rushed to have him take the bracelet off, hesitant to accept such a valuable gift.Â
Yet the look in his eyes pierced right through you, his previous joy still present and glimmering but hidden beneath the depths of something more sinister.
You leaned against your pillows as Jin gently lifted the back of your hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it, just like he had the first night you met.Â
âThe moment I saw it, I thought of you.â He smiled, affectionately rubbing his thumb over your wrist. âKeep it. For me?â
It wasnât a request.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
On the fifth day, you were visited by Hoseok and Yoongi.
You were slightly surprised at the fact that they had come together, as their outer attitudes seemed to be opposites, but you found that they complemented each other very well.Â
They were extremely considerate of you, allowing you to do things for yourself but offering their assistance should you need it.Â
Hoseok spent the day cheering you up by performing routines for you in the little space the room provided.
As strict as he was infamous for being, Hoseok clearly knew his craft. You were mesmerized by his movements and insisted on clapping for each of his performances, your hand healing quite nicely now.
Yoongi delighted you with tales of his rambunctious actions in high school, and some of the best well-kept faculty secrets.
There were several things you learned about Ms. Divii and Mrs. Hargrove that day that you would have been perfectly happy not knowing for the rest of your life, but you giggled and gossiped all the same.
It appeared as though the elder Kim brothers had a similar thought process, as Hoseok and Yoongi each gifted you (silver/gold/rose gold) jewelry similar to what you had received the day prior.
Hoseok looked as though we was going to cry when you went to turn down his gift.
One sharp look from Yoongi later, you closed your mouth, smiled, and expressed your thanks.
Hoseok fondly clipped the necklace onto you, his heart performing somersaults as you leaned into his embrace.Â
He silently gulped, overcome by the sudden desire to press his lips to your neck.Â
When he made eye contact with Yoongi over your shoulder, his face reddened slightly as the elder smirked at him.
He reigned in the perceptible want in his eyes and leaned back, flashing you his signature smile. âThere you are, angel. Pretty as a picture.â
You lowered your head to hide your flush. âYou guys really donât have to bring me these gifts,â you murmured lightly.Â
âWith a visage as perfect as yours, we simply canât help ourselves.â Yoongi stated in reply, lifting your ring finger to slide a band onto it.Â
How unfortunate it was that it was the right hand instead of the left.
He was able to hide his disappointment from you, but not from Hoseok.Â
Nevertheless, there would surely be an opportunity in the near future.
How else would all of those worthless people know that you belonged to them?
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
On the sixth day, Namjoon limped his way into your hospital room, a grimace on his face.Â
You greeted him with a warm smile that quickly shifted into a worried expression. âOh goodness, are you alright?â
Namjoon nodded, taking the seat next to your bed. âI injured my leg, itâs nothing serious. I should be perfectly alright soon.â
Seokjin had been kind enough to heal most of his limbs, the elder worried about your reaction to seeing him in such a state.Â
They purposefully made him wait in agonizing pain for nearly a week, however, to rub the punishment in, before clearing him to go visit you.Â
It seemed as though the student body president had lost his usual self-assured, constantly amused atmosphere. He was strangely quiet, and his body language was similar to that of a man whoâd been beaten into submission.Â
That was far from the Kim Namjoon you knew.
For several moments, the two of you sat in awkward silence.
The two of you hadnât been on the best of terms the last time you spoke. Just thinking back to that moment when heâd felt like he was on top of the world, completely in control, made him cringe.Â
Then, you turned and smiled at him. âYou know, if you really need to, you could always join me as a patient. Itâd definitely make the days less boring.â
Namjoon knew you knew there was a change in his attitude, and rather than lording that over him, you simply welcomed him as you usually did.
âIâm so sorry, (Y/N).â The words blurt out before he could stop them.
You shook your head, slightly amused. âWhatâs with you and Jimin these days? You donât need to apologize for saving me. Unless you want to, and, well, thatâs a completely separate manner--â
âNo!â Namjoon lifted his hands up and waved them around. âI just-"
You smiled, entertained by the frantic side of the normally suave, composed teen. âThink nothing of it, Namjoon. You have nothing you need to apologize to me for.â
Your expression darkened slightly as you continued. âIf anything, I should apologize for not trusting you all more.â
Namjoonâs lips quivered, desperately wanting to form a victorious smirk, but he settled for an understanding smile.
In the end, heâd been right.
As usual.
âWho remains close to you, who you decide to trust, thatâs completely your decision. You should never have to apologize for it.â Namjoon said.
You smiled in acknowledgement, then furrowed your brows in confusion when Namjoon started to dig around in his bag.
âI heard we were gift giving this week.â He pulled out a beautiful, leather bound journal and fountain pen and carefully placed the items on your lap.Â
âThis is absolutely gorgeous. How did you know I like writing?â You smiled.Â
Of course he knew. He knew everything about you.
âI didnât,â he replied, shrugging with a small smile. âI like to write in journals as a form of catharsis, and thought you might want to try.â
âThank you so much.â You lifted an arm up and gestured for a one armed hug, one that Namjoon happily accepted.
Clutching the journal to your chest, you gathered the courage to ask him the question that had been running around in your head the past week.
âNamjoon?â
âYes?â
âHow did you guys find me in time?â
The elder clenched his jaw and shifted his gaze aside as if he couldnât beat to direct his apparent anger and frustration toward you.Â
âWe heard from Jimin that Aemilia took you and interrogated the police commissioner about any of our private guardâs movements. He fessed and told us that Aemilia told him that I texted her, claiming that there was another soul in need of punishment.âÂ
Namjoon grit his teeth, vexation rolling off of him in waves as he practically hissed out his words. âHe authorized members of our private force to move under her order in order to subdue you.â
Recounting the ridiculous lie that the redhead told her father, and the fatherâs idiotic tendency to believe her, made his blood hot.
âAfter we heard that, we rushed to all the places in the forest that the Augustus men might have taken you. Thankfully, we got to Lorneâs Ledge in time and Jimin was able to save you before you could fall off the edge.â
âAre you sure?â You said. âI could have sworn I stepped off...I thought I was a goner.â
Namjoon shook his head. âWe definitely got there in time to save you. You sustained several head injuries, so Iâd understand if you didnât see Jimin or blacked out.â
You bit the inside of your cheek, pondering his response for several moments before nodding at his answer.Â
There was no way you would ever be able to forget what happened that night.
You knew for a fact that your feet had left the ledge.Â
But he was right, you did take several nasty hits from Byun and Lee.
You wanted to keep asking him questions, but the pained, forced look in his eye made you pause on that front.
Perhaps that projection you saw of your mother had actually been Jimin.
You wrung your hands together.Â
âWhat matters now is that youâre safe and sound.â Namjoon gently placed his hand atop yours and gave it a supporting squeeze. âAll you need to focus on is getting better. We definitely wonât let them get away with this.â
You nodded again, smiling slightly at Namjoon in thanks for his concern.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
Halfway across town, Aemilia Augustus paced around in her room, practically biting off her perfectly manicured nails in worry.
It had been seven days.Â
Seven days of nothing.
Not a single word had come in from Byun or Lee.
When she arrived at school that first day and heard everyone talking about your absence, she felt pure and utter bliss.Â
There was no joy like the joy she felt in that moment.
Such euphoria simply couldnât be replaced.
The only moments that could possibly top it were her future engagement with Kim Namjoon, or the day she would take over her family business.
Because so many days went by without a single peep at your face, she thought her plan was working.Â
She felt on top of the world.
But Byun and Lee were two of the most promising soldiers on the squad. There was no reason as to why they were taking so long to get back to her to confirm your measly little death.
As a result, she was starting to panic.
Of course, she had an emergency plan.Â
She had no need for it, as there was no way her plan could go wrong, but she always had to be prepared, after all.
Just as she was about to take deep breaths to calm herself down, she jumped at the sound of pounding footsteps and yelps drifting into her room from downstairs.
She heard the annoying cry of her mother and father, and then the sound of several people talking.
A grim chill fell over her.
Unexpectedly, her plan had gone horribly, horribly wrong.
There wasnât much time left now, as she could hear the footsteps get closer and closer.
To hell with her parents--their capture was inevitable.
Aemilia Augustus would not be captured like a criminal, not as long as she was alive and well.
Aemilia padded over to her bedroom door, shutting it closed as softly as possible and smacking the lights off.
She dove into her walk-in closet and squeezed herself as tightly as possible into a corner, a rack of evening gowns and day dresses covering her.
Every couple of minutes, a door would slam open and she listened, holding a hand over her mouth as the pounding feet searched every room on her floor.
It didnât take them long to arrive at her room, and she shook as she heard them throw things around.
A rectangle of light shone into the room as someone opened the closet door and Aemilia stilled as though she were encased in ice.
It was silent for a long, dreadful moment. The officer turned their head this way and that, walking into the room and turning on the light to search.
From where Aemilia was hidden, there was no way they would be able to find her. She thanked Wylynne that she hadnât taken up on her motherâs offer to hire a maid to clean her closet.
The officer turned away to leave and Aemilia cheered in her heart.
After the guards left the premises, she would collect as many valuables as possible from the house and run off to her familyâs private home in another part of town. From there, she would plan what to do next.
Her plan wasnât perfect, but she would be able to get away with it.
Or at least, she thought she would.
Just as the officer was about to close the door, a strong, invisible force yanked Aemilia out from her hiding spot and she came crashing down noisily from behind the evening gowns, taking a few with her.
The officer immediately turned around, beckoning his partner to get her.Â
She hurriedly gripped a platform heel and attempted to plunge it in the manâs eye, but he caught her wrist and painfully twisted her arm behind her back.
The redhead screeched in fury and pain. His partner soon joined him, and they dragged her out into her room, each officer tightly holding on to one of her arms.
âWhat are you doing? Unhand me this instant!â She shrieked, writhing around in an attempt to escape. âHave you forgotten who you take orders from?!â
âNo, but it seems as though you have.âÂ
She paused at the sound of that familiar voice.
Her beloved casually strode into the room in all of his glory, his head held high, that ever present cocky, amused smile that she loved so much on his face.
âNamjoon.â She whimpered. âNamjoon, theyâre hurting me.â
The student body president kneeled down in front of her and gently took her chin in his hands.
Her eyes filled with tears and she stuck out her bottom lip, waiting for Namjoon to tell the men to let her go. They better anticipate the earful they were about to receive. How dare they treat their future queen this way?
Namjoon lovingly stroked her cheek with his thumb, wiping away her tear. She nuzzled her cheek into his hand, looking up at him with a pitiful gaze. He smiled at her.
Surely he would save her.
Aemilia closed her eyes, suppressing a victorious smile as she felt Namjoon pull his hand away from her face.
But rather than the sound of him barking orders, she was met with the sound of a harsh slap.
Her eyes flew open in shock.
Her face stung.
âNam..joon...?â She whispered, stupefied.
The senior was sneering down at her, pulling a handkerchief out the square pocket of his jacket and wiping his hand on it.
âWhat disgusting thoughts you have,â the man spat, dropping the handkerchief in another subordinateâs hand.Â
âBurn that.â He commanded.
Aemilia simply stared up at him in disbelief.Â
Had he...hit her?
âNamjoon, why are you doing this?â Her voice trembled. âYouâd never hit me, youâre my...weâre-â
âNothing.â Namjoon interrupted with a disinterested gaze. âI am not your anything. Iâve never given you any inclination that could lead you to assume that I loved you, or liked you, or cared for you in the slightest.â
Aemilia dropped to her knees in incredulity.Â
âThatâs not true! You cared for me, I know you did! Ever since that (h/c) haired bitch appeared, youâve turned away from me!â She screeched, her shrill voice piercing their ears. âI shouldâve gotten rid of her sooner!â
As soon as the words left her mouth, all the air in Aemiliaâs lungs disappeared. She heaved her chest, trying to breath, but found herself unable to.
He squatted down to face her.
âLetâs get one thing absolutely clear.â Namjoon spoke in a frighteningly low tone. âI never cared for you. You were nothing more than a useful little pawn in my game. A pawn who somehow tricked herself into believing she could become a queen.â
Her face turned redder and redder from anger, embarrassment, and the lack of oxygen.
â(Y/N) is more of a queen than you could ever be,â Namjoon stated, smiling at the memory of you sitting up in your hospital bed, grinning at him, the sun forming a halo behind your head. âSheâs an angel. Our precious everything.â
He turned his gaze back to the creature before him. âShe isnât someone the likes of you can ever attempt to touch, much less harm or overthrow.â
Namjoon straightened, moving to walk towards the entrance to her room. âThatâs my fault, Iâm afraid. After all, I wasnât able to properly regulate my inferiors.â
Black dots swam at the edge of Aemiliaâs vision. She kept her eyes locked on Namjoon, still praying that this was all a prank or a joke, and that he would comfort her by sweeping her up into his arms.
âYou truly have no idea whatâs going to happen to you, do you?â He chuckled with a mirthless smile. âDonât worry. Weâll fix that soon enough.â
Finally, her body gave in and shut down from the lack of oxygen. The redhead flopped over on her side, Namjoonâs cruel glare burned into the backs of her eyes.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
On the morning of the seventh day, you took advantage of your solitude by pondering the events of this week and the rather complicated emotions that came with them.Â
Despite their reputation and despite your fears, you had grown closer to the Kims over the past month.Â
They never threatened or harmed you or the people you cared about. They had welcomed you into their lives with open arms.Â
You had kept them at an arms length in an effort to protect yourself and your loved ones. But what had distancing yourself from them gained you?
Still, there was no way your method could be wrong. It was your livelihood, your path to survival in Ichabod.Â
There were rules here, rules that couldnât be broken.Â
Yet the majority of those rules had been broken the moment you invited Jimin to sit with you at lunch.
Was it even possible that an alternative path to salvation freedom existed?
Had the Kims truly provided another way?Â
Your mother went around the room collecting and packing up your things for you as Mana helped you change in the bathroom, making sure to be careful of your still-healing shoulder.
When they left to fetch your discharge papers, you sat at the edge of the hospital bed and deliberated what could potentially be one of the most important decisions of your life.ââââââââââââââââââââââ
i am so, so, so sorry for taking longer than usual to post! college and midterm season caught up with me--iâll try not to let assignments interfere with my writing schedule in the future ;-;-; thank you so much for sticking with me through the wait! the long awaited day has finally come! revenge has never been so sweet hehe. also, the way that i have no idea how to write fight scenes--pfft. i hope you all enjoy the chapter <33
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#yandere x reader#yandere bts x reader#yandere jung hoseok#Yandere jeon jungkook#yandere kim namjoon#yandere kim seokjin#yandere kim taehyung#yandere park jimin#yandere min yoongi#yandere bts au#high school au#bts cult au#supernatural creature au
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fgo criticisms have been flaring up in the wake of dwâs sakura wars mobile game quitting after only half a year but I have a disease that makes me get defensive when people try to rip fgo apart as this uniquely terrible game with uniquely terrible devs so iâm going to complain about people who are complaining for a bit.
i hadnât heard of the sakura wars game before it shut down but from what iâve been able to find it suffered from a lot of the same problems as (launch) fgo, terrible gacha rates with no pity, slow ap recovery rates, barebones repetitive gameplay. so i guess seeing how fast sakura wars was shut down people feel like itâs only the fate name holding up fgo and in the early launch days of barely playable fgo that was definitely the case but I donât think itâs fair to fgo to act like people only continue to play it because itâs fate, and âbeing like fgoâ wasnât the only problem with sakura wars either. sakura wars is a vn/dating sim series that attempted to revive the series with a mobile game that featured none of the original cast that fans cared about while fate was already a series with new characters and a new setting every instalment and the thing that stood out in this new game was actually that it DID have characters from previous fates available. hell, itâs not fair to sakura wars to claim that its series name is simply weaker than fateâs when there were other factors involved in its failure beyond âbeing a delightworks gameâ
fgo DOES improve, launch fgo is unrecognisable compared to current fgo in a good way. events have become more streamlined (events have mid- to lategame enemy hp scaling but feature damage ceâs to let newer players keep up, mission events are set up so that they basically clear themselves just by farming the most recently unlocked node), they experiment with new game modes and gameplay mechanics on the regular, theyâre taking more care to make viable permanent servants and buff the older ones, and the past few months thereâs also been a noticeable effort to throw out random banners for minor things as an excuse to rerun old limited servants more often. Iâll admit the bar is on the low side (strengthening quests are a ridiculous model, there shouldnât be this many limiteds to need reruns in the first place, etc) and progress is slower than many people are willing to put up with, and Iâm not saying anyone Has to put up with it or theyâre a fake fan or whatever, but like, granblue fantasy is seven years old and still doesnât have the ability to uncap a weapon multiple stages at a time when its entire gameplay loop centers around farming and uncapping weapons and theyâve buffed heles like 7 times but sheâs still shit, none of fgoâs problems are exclusive to fgo.
i LIKE playing fgo. i like tapping the cards and watching my little guys go and coming up with different teams to make them go harder or just look good together or even lean into the Themes. and this is going a little bit on a tangent but i have this post window open anyway i was talking with friends earlier that one problem that a lot of mobile games seem to have is that they use âmaking the game play itselfâ as substitute for âmaking the game fun to playâ. the only game with autobattle functionality (out of the ones I play, i donât know everything thatâs out there of course) that I feel DOESNâT do this is arknights, where you solve the puzzle that the stage presents in order to earn the right to not have to solve the puzzle every single time you play the stage and coming up with different efficient or perhaps ridiculous ways to solve the puzzle is part of playing the game. the worst case I know is dragalia lost which upon realizing that playing it sucks implemented an item to just let you skip playing stages altogether. âthis game is good because you donât have to play itâ is not the selling point some people (and devs) think it is, and fgo refuses to fall into that trap - something I believe is an intentional decision because of their explicit refusal to implement NP skip.
one big advantage that fgo has over the other mobile games iâve played is that itâs entirely turn based with no real time elements beyond start and end times of events. fgo doesnât NEED to continue playing itself when you look away because looking away has no bearing whatsoever on your ability to clear the quest, fgo doesnât give a shit if you look away for six hours and then close the game and only reopen it another ten hours later, you can continue right where you left off. the problem is not that you have to manually play the quest, because as far as the system is concerned you can take as much time as you like to clear that quest, itâs that the greater structure of the game wants you to repeatedly manually clear the same low-stakes quest for disproportionately small rewards. this oneâs easy enough to solve by just increasing material droprates across the board. repeat clearing a low level quest is much less frustrating if you actually get drops every other clear.
but thatâs a bandaid solution, because related to the issue of having to manually farm low-stakes quests is the lack of high-stakes quests to do when you want to do something a little more engaging than routine farming. outside of event challenge quests with their time limited availability, certain main story chapters that you canât replay, and recently on JP the permanently available kiara challenge quest in the main interlude, there simply isnât any difficult content to play. you could argue about fgoâs merit as strategy rpg in the first place i suppose but if you ask me it does have that merit and there is a clear effort from dwâs part to improve the depth of fgoâs strategy elements, the issue is that there is simply not that much content available to unleash those strategies on. of course youâre gonna get bored if all there is to do is either brainlessly repeat the same quest for minimal rewards or play the specific challenge quest that the game hands you right this moment regardless of whether thatâs the kind of challenge you feel like facing right now. the solution to this one, although itâs likely going to take some significant effort on dwâs side to implement, is to make main story quests replayable.
you want to flex your brain muscles but thereâs no challenge event right now? you stomped on a boss by using overpowered servants the first time but want to challenge yourself with some 3* this time? or the other way around, you beat a boss by the skin of your teeth the first time but want to stomp all over them now that you rolled some bitching 5*? you rolled a servant thatâs not that suitable for day to day farming but would really shine in more difficult content and you want to try them out? you have a silly strategy in mind that would only work against certain story enemies? youâre like me and just really crave the shimosa duels? all of this involves content that already exists and is available in the game, dw would just have to figure out a way to let you access it again after clearing the chapter. and of course ideally this extends to event story quests once theyâre added to the main interlude
i guess another way to put it is that i think the reason a lot of people say fgo has bad gameplay is not that its gameplay system is actually bad, in fact it has the potential to be very engaging, but rather that itâs a system that is set up to respect your time through the ability to put down the game absolutely whenever you want without being penalised, only for the game around it to go and penalise you for putting it down anyway. if you donât diligently spend all your ap farming this quest you wonât get single damn material drop, and if you donât play the event while itâs happening youâre going to miss out because you canât be sure when if ever itâll return. so the number one way to solve the problem of fgoâs âbad gameplayâ is not to make the game play itself whenever it tells you to play, but rather to make content more easily available so you donât have to play if you donât want to and CAN play if you do want to. thank you for coming to my ted talk i suppose
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Oops
Spencer Reid x Reader
Warnings - criminal minds based mentions of violence (not really), drinking
Summary - When something slips out at the round table things between the Reader and Spencer get really awkward
(i got the idea from notjoselyn on tiktok)
Y/n walks alongside Penelope as they move through the BAU bullpen. Talking about the girls' night plans the girls have been working on for the last couple of weeks. "That club would be so fun," Y/n says brightly, "but did everyone agree? I mean it's a little you know loud and crazy."
"I mean Emily is always down," Penelope says, "especially when I ask her... And JJ needs a minute away from her kids. Even if she won't admit it."
"Little angels my ass," Y/n chuckles as they reach the round table, "oh my I have the cutest dress to wear. It's a little- you know."
"Oh, I do know," Penelope says smirking lightly, "you're gonna look hot!"
"Mmm you just wait and see," Y/n chuckles.
"Wait and see what?" Spencer asks as he joins the two at the table. The girls chuckle lightly as Spencer looks between them. "What?"
"Well, boy wonder we are talking about our upcoming girls' night," Penelope tells him, "specifically about the dress miss Y/n here is going to wear." Y/n chuckles lightly. Spencer nods lightly. "What color is it?"
"Black," Y/n tells her, "a little black dress moment you know?"
"Yes!" Penelope says brightly, "oh I can't wait." Y/n chuckles lightly. "I have this really cute dress picked out- it's purple very sparkly. Very eye-catching."
"Hot," Y/n says playfully. Spencer looks slightly amused with the banter. "I just hope JJ can keep up. I mean with all the mom duties she's been slacking behind on girls' nights... I feel like we are gonna exhaust her."
"Redbull drinks exist for a reason," Penelope says.
"Right," Y/n says.
"What even happens on a girls' night?" Spencer asks.
"Chaos," Y/n tells him, "We all drink until we can't stand. Dance with strangers. Leave the FBI training at home and have fun."
"Sounds dangerous," Spencer says, "do you have a designated driver?"
"Uber," Penelope tells him.
"That's not safe," Spencer says, "do you guys not pay attention to the cases we get? How many of the girls we see started out at some random bar?"
"If you're so worried you be our dd," Y/n offers. He looks between the two girls carefully.
"Fine," He says, "I'll go."
"You can't go," Emily says as she and JJ join them at the round table, "it's girls' night."
"I won't ruin the fun I'll just keep you from dying," Spencer says, "1 in 5 violent victimizations involving perceived alcohol use by the offender."
"That's ruining the fun Spence," JJ says placing her hand on his shoulder, "we are big girls-"
"No no, he wants to be DD then let him," Y/n says, "we save uber money that way. Plus he can't be the one that gets to play wheres, Emily."
"Or Can we keep clothes on Penelope," JJ chuckles. Y/n nods lightly. Spencer raises a brow lightly. "Just remember you signed up for this." Rossi and Hotch join the others in the room. The conversation shifts from reckless drinking to the cases they are supposed to be consulting on. "I'd say, sadist."
"Profiler JJ always comes through," Y/n says smiling lightly. The blonde chuckles lightly. "I mean it profiles relatively simple... This all the cops have?"
"Yes," Hotch answers her, "I think what we have so far is all that we'll be able to give them based on the files they sent." They all nod lightly. Handing the files over to Penelope as they move to the next one. After six or seven more cases the attention starts to shift. Small conversations breaking out around the table. Y/n tries her best to focus but the words were all blurring together.
"So are the girls' night plans always this dangerous?" Spencer asks her. Clearly more curious than he's trying to let on.
"You worried about me?" Y/n teases lightly.
"Well yeah," Spencer says, "I'm worried about all of you... I mean it's really risky going out like that- not that I'm saying you guys can't take care of yourselves but- you know what we see. The statistics show how dangerous it is."
"I understand what you're saying but we watch out for each other," Y/n assures him, "and besides with you babysitting us we will have a knight in shining armor to save us if it goes too far."
"You don't think it'll look weird with me watching a group of girls?" Spencer asks.
"You're right," Y/n says, "we should ask Morgan if he wants to go."
"Go where?" Morgan says looking from his conversation with Hotch.
"To this new club," Y/n tells him, "tonight with the girls and Spencer."
"Spencer?" Morgan asks clearly shocked at the addition of the younger man.
"Don't be so surprised," Emily says, "he offered to make sure us ladies got home alright." Morgan nods lightly.
"Yeah and you can make him feel a little less left out," Y/n offers, "make it seem less like he's babysitting... Rossi, Hotch if you want to come as well we can make it a team thing."
"If it's a team thing then I want everyone to forget what happens when we leave this office," Penelope says, "whatever happens when we drink stays in the safety of the club."
"Jack has a sleepover," Hotch tells them, "maybe another time." They all look to Rossi. The older man chuckles.
"I think my clubbing days are past me," Rossi tells them, "plus its poker night."
"Lame," Emily teases lightly, "Morgan will you at least come?"
"Of course," Morgan says, "I don't wanna leave our boy genius all alone." Y/n looks back to Spencer and smiles lightly. Trying to get back to her work. The boy keeps his eyes on her. She looks up carefully. He smiles to deflect the fact he's been staring at her.
"That necklace looks really nice on you," Spencer tells her. She smirks lightly.
"Thanks," Y/n says, "but your hands would look nicer." The words leave her mouth before she can process what she said. She freezes at once as the table looks around in slight amusement and shock at what just happened. Y/n's eyes widen in horror. Rossi laughs lightly.
"At least let him take you out on a date first," Rossi jokes. Y/n looks up to Spencer who's still frozen. His mouth slightly open as if all words are suddenly lost to him. Morgan just laughs loudly at the situation. Y/n can feel her face go red. She moves covering her mouth lightly.
"Did she really?" Penelope starts.
"Oh she did," Emily says in pure amusement.
Y/n closes the file and moves to stand up.
"I'm gonna walk out the door," She says slowly, "and when I walk back in here we can pretend that it never happened."
"Please," Hotch says. She nods quickly. Walking out the door. She takes a lap around the BAU in an attempt to work through the crippling embarrassment this situation is going to bring her for the next forty years. She can already tell she's gonna see this in her nightmares.
Back at the table, Spencer is still frozen.
"She broke him," Emily chuckles as JJ waves her hand in front of Spencer's eyes. He blinks quickly. He looks over the others.
"Did that actually just happen?" Spencer asks them finally. They nod lightly. His face is bright red. Suddenly that big brain of his is nothing more than a peanut. When Y/n steps back into the room he's still in slight shock. She shuffles nervously back into her seat beside Spencer. Making a point to not make eye contact with anyone.
"I'm never going to live that down am I?" She whispers over to Penelope. The blond chuckles awkwardly.
"Oh no honey," Penelope says, "probably note."
"Oh goddammit," Y/n says softly. She moves the file lifting it to cover her face.
Meanwhile, in Spencer's big brain he's trying to process that the girl he's had a crush on for years said that his hands would look good around her neck. He tries to explain it in any way that makes sense but he's out of luck there. All he can think is what just happened?
Y/n's thankful when Hotch dismisses them back to their desks to work on their reports. She's suddenly very grateful for having the desk furthest away from Spencer. She can't even begin to think about what the hell she'd say to him to clear all this up. And Spencer and Emily laughing lightly don't help at all. She can just imagine all the things he's saying. Not to mention him avoiding her eyes at all cost.
Her face is still bright red when she shuffles into the elevator to head home later. However, life is forever cruel. Instead of giving her an empty elevator to escape to Hotch and Emily jump in beside her. She chuckles nervously.
"I'm not going to say anything," Hotch tells her, "just- try not to say anything like that while we're trying to work."
"Right," Y/n says softly.
"Where did that even come from?" Emily asks leaning forward to get a look at the girl. Y/n chuckles nervously.
"You're gonna have to get me drunk before I answer that," Y/n says carefully, "mostly because that's the only way you're gonna get me to talk about what is probably one of the top ten most embarrassing things that I've ever done." Emily chuckles lightly.
"Well, then the first round is on me."
When she meets back up with Emily the other girl is pretty much shoving a drink into her hand. Y/n takes it without a word. Knocking back the shot eagerly at the thought the others would be meeting them soon. More so that she's going to have to see Spencer... Considering she invited him.
"Oh, you do look hot!" Penelope exclaims as she and the others move to join the two girls. Penelope engulfs Y/n into a hug. Clearly excited to see her outside of the work setting. "Oh and look at you, Emily!" As Y/n's eyes settle on Spencer she starts to panic.
"I'm gonna go get our first round," Y/n says planning her escape route in her mind. Before the others can say anything she's rushing off to the bar. She orders the drinks quickly. Trying to focus on the bartender's movements.
"Hey," A soft voice says. She turns to look at Spencer. She turns back to the bar immediately. Spencer looks at her slightly confused. "You shouldn't walk off alone it's dangerous." The bartender sets the tray down. She takes it eagerly.
"You could see me from the table," Y/n says trying her best to not look at the boy. He follows her carefully as she hurries through the crowd back to the table. She sets the drinks down at once. "To the BAU!" The others grab the shots eagerly. She takes hers knocking it back quickly. Spencer looks over her carefully.
"Oh, I love this song!" Penelope says as she drags Y/n off to the dance floor. Emily follows. The second they get to the floor y/n tries not to focus on the awkwardness. Instead pushing her attention onto dancing with her friends.
"So?" Emily asks, "where did that come from?"
"Deep in my subconscious," Y/n answers, "you know I've always had a thing for Reid but- I can't believe I said that out loud!"
"I thought I was dreaming!" Emily chuckles as she moves her hips to the beat, "but Hotch's face- that was real."
"So was Spencer's heart attack!" Y/n adds, "did you see him? I thought he was going into shock!"
"I think he did," Emily says over the music. The two chuckle lightly. Emily looks over to the boy. Elbowing Y/n to look as well. They see him drinking out of a water bottle as he looks over the crowd carefully. Morgan talking to him about something that seemed serious. Spencer looks like he's turning red again.
"He looks good tonight," Y/n says to Emily, "the whole sweater and tie combo." Y/n bites her lip lightly. Emily chuckles.
"Maybe you can have his hands as a necklace then?" Emily teases. Y/n scoffs lightly. "Go talk to him- now."
"Why?"
"Because I said so," Emily says, "and you trust me with your life." Y/n sighs lightly. "Come on." She doesn't get a chance to argue. Emily yanks the girl along the dance floor before practically shoving her into the booth. Then Emily looks to Morgan. "Let's get another round." The two are gone before Y/n has a chance to process her thoughts. Spencer smiles lightly.
"Hey," He says softly.
"Hey," Y/n says, "how's the- weather?"
"Fine," Spencer says, "about earlier-"
"I know over the line," Y/n starts.
"You think about that often?" He asks. Y/n's eyes widen at his words. Layers of confidence and the slight smirk on his face make her wonder if she blackout and this was a dream.
"Uh- well I," She mumbles lightly. Spencer leans over to her ear.
"Cause we can make it happen," Spencer whispers. Y/n steps back at once. Spencer looks at her carefully. "Shit Morgan said the wouldn't sound creepy. I'm sorry- I just was trying to be flirty." Y/n looks at him carefully. As if she's deciding him if he's real or not.
"Wait so you don't think I'm a freak?" Y/n asks him carefully.
"No no- I was just kinda taken back," Spencer admits, "I mean I'm not exactly used to hearing that." Y/n chuckles lightly. "But you know- we could?"
"Hmm- I don't think they'd notice if we left," Y/n chuckles lightly. Spencer bites his lip lightly.
"Well if you don't think they'd notice," Spencer says. Y/n chuckles grabbing his home to pull him along the bar to get to his car.
They absolutely noticed.
#spencer reid#dr spencer reid#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid one shot#spencer reid Criminal Minds#criminal minds x reader#Criminal Minds
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BRF Reading - 26th of September 2021
This is speculation only
Cards drawn 26th of September 2021
Question: What will be the consequences of this pseudo-royal NYC 'Tour' (to the Harkles)?
Interpretation: It will be a burden to them and link them to Prince Andrew in some way.
Card One: The Ten of Wands. This is a card of feeling burdened, of losing creative energy, of having your dreams turn to dust around you. The card shows Jason sitting in a burning shelter made out of planks from his ship, the Argo. The results of his adventures, the golden fleece, lies discarded on the ground.
Here Jason stands for the Harkles. They have built a pseudo-royal tour based on what they have used for attention since they left the BRF - PR contacts and money (shelter from the beams from the Argo). This tour is burning down around them. It is not going the way they expected and it will become a burden to them in the future. The prize they have gained since leaving the BRF, their narrative of having to leave the toxic BRF/being victims of the BRF, has been undermined and discarded by this royal cos-play (the golden fleece).
You can not say you were forced to leave a toxic BRF for your mental health, do everything you can to build a new life separate from the BRF where you are 'thriving', and then do a pseudo-royal tour that screams "Look at us! We are royals!". The hypocrisy is obvious to everyone except the Harkles. They have destroyed their narrative for a pseudo-royal tour that is turning out the opposite of what they expected. As the card shows, their dream of being celebrity royals is burning to the ground around them right now, leaving them with nothing but ashes.
Card Two: The Page of Wands. In this reading, the Page of Wands is coming across as a PR message. I drew two clarifiers and they were the Six of Cups, the card of childhood, and the Knight of Wands, my card for Harry when he is being an idiot - that is, when he is indulging in hasty actions without thinking them through. So the PR message indicated by the Page of Wands involves Harry, a child of the BRF, sending a message to the BRF.
What the message is can be seen through the figure on the card - a boy riding the golden sheep who will later become the golden fleece, waving a torch. The boy is Harry, the golden sheep is what Harry sees as the success of this 'tour', and the torch is the PR he is using to send his message to the BRF, saying "Look at me on the way to success without you! I don't need you! I can royal all by myself!". So even thought the tour is turning into a disaster for them and will become a burden for them, Harry is flaunting it to the BRF as a huge success - he can royal better than them (and without obeying their stuffy rules). The BRF, of course, is quite capable of sending a message back via PR, but I don't think Harry has thought of that.
Card Three: The World. The World is a card about the end of a cycle, of looking back at what you have done to get where you are, tying up any lose ends, and then celebrating your achievement before moving on. This pseudo-royal 'tour' can certainly be seen as a celebration of the Harkles' delusions, vut that is not the main energy I am getting from this card.
The energy of this card is of ending. It is over. Something has finished and can not be resurrected. I think that this end of a cycle refers to the Harkles's victim narrative, with the toxic BRF, as their 'tour' has seriously damaged the credibility of that narrative and exposed them as attention seekers. The ending could also be of the pseudo-royal tour itself - that they got this one and no more, as it would not surprise me if the word came down through diplomatic channels that these events with the Harkles are not to be allowed in the future.
The World is the major arcana card for Saturn, and Saturn is the planet that shows Karma, your past actions coming back to you. It is the planet of hard work - if you work hard and follow the rules, Saturn will reward you at some point in the future. It is the planet of time, as Saturn is all about the future consequences of present actions, and it is the planet of authority and authority figures, like the parent who makes you do your homework instead of playing. The Harkles have not worked hard, they have disobeyed the rules set down for Megxit and the rules of common decency, and they have flouted the authority of their parents/grandparents, disowning Thomas Markle and publicly mocking the BRF and hence HMTQ. Having the planet Saturn, the planet of consequences for your actions, appear in a spread about consequences under those circumstances - well, it is not the best card to have, to say the least.
As a consequence of this 'tour', I expect at lot of things to end for the Harkles, both expected and unexpected.
Card Four: The Knight of Cups. This is a water sign card, particularly a Pisces, and in this reading it is coming across as Prince Andrew, a sun-sign Pisces. Coming after The World card, this tells me that the ending of a cycle and Saturn consequences shown by that card will involve Prince Andrew in some way. The Harkles may be exposed as being linked to him and his activities as a consequence of this pseudo-royal 'tour'.
I drew a clarifier for this card, and it was the Nine of Pentacles. Pentacles is the money suit, so that indicates a link to Prince Andrew and his activities involving money, i.e. his shady business deals (this came up in my spread yesterday as well).
The Nine of Pentacles is also the card of being happy, rich and Single, the Knight of Cups can be a very romantic attitude to things or about romance in general, Prince Andrew is divorced, and taking all these things together this could be hinting at Harry being single as a consequence of this tour (again, this came up in my reading yesterday - divorce energy).
Card Five: The Five of Swords. This is a card of not being able to win for losing. It can be a card of conflict and disagreements. Whatever you do, you will not be happy with the result. In my deck, it carries a message of having to do your duty, however distasteful. The card shows the god Apollo appearing to Orestes, who is in exile, and telling him that his duty is to kill his mother, an act that will damn him in the eyes of the gods, but not doing it will damn him as well.
The Five of Swords can mean legal troubles, as an extension of its meaning of conflicts and disagreements. Coming after the Knight of Cups representing Prince Andrew, it could indicate that the Harkles will be involved in Prince Andrews legal troubles in some way (how, I don't know).
In its meaning as doing your duty, however distasteful, this card is a general message both to the Harkles (which they have ignored up until now, so I don't think they will listen to it) and to the next card, with which it is strongly linked.
I drew a clarifier for this card and it was the Seven of Pentacles. This is usually my card of dodgy sex acts, and as such reaffirms the link between the Harkles and Prince Andrew's legal matters. The Seven of pentacles can also show a case of divided allegiance, not knowing where to invest your time and talents. The divided allegiance energy is coming through strongly with respect to the Harkles. I don't know if one of them is going to decide to turn back to HMTQ, thus splitting the pair, especially after the divorce hints in the proceeding card (don't trust them Your Majesty!), or if the divided allegiance refers to their involvement in Prince Andrew's court case and they will work for their own interests in this matter, or if it is something else. I only know that that is the meaning that is coming through this card with respect to the consequences of this tour - a divided allegiance, and that ties in with the 'doing your duty' and 'not winning for losing' aspects of the Five of Swords card.
Card Six: The King of Cups. This is a water sign person, particularly a Scorpio, and it is coming across as Prince Charles. It is also coming across as strongly linked to the Five of Swords card in the sense of doing your duty, however unpleasant. Something about this pseudo-royal 'tour' is going to result in Prince Charles being forced to do his duty, a duty that he regards as unpleasant and that will not benefit him personally. The energy is very much that Prince Charles is forced into this and does not do t willingly, but rather because he has no other choice.
Underlying Energy One: The Chariot. The Chariot is the card of cancer, and this card is coming across as Prince William, who is a sun sign Cancer. Whatever the consequences of this tour are for the Harkles, Prince William will be behind them and pushing to make sure they are enacted. He will be like the Chariot card - going around or overcoming all obstacles and driving straight ahead until he achieves this.
Underlying Energy Two: The Hierophant. This is the card for institutions, and here it comes across as the BRF. The card is linked to the one before it, the Chariot. Consequences will come either from the BRF or from how the Harkles have mocked the BRF by this tour, or both areas. With the consequences from the BRF, they will be pushed through by Prince William, with the support of the BRF.
Underlying Energy Three: The King of Wands. This is a fire sign person, particularly a Leo. This is usually my card for Meghan, and her energy is here, but there is also the energy of a member of the BRF - Princess Beatrice, also a sun sign Leo. Princess Beatrice will be involved with whatever the BRF is doing, and she will support it.
Meghan's energy is a surprise, but it is definitely here. The 'tour' is going to have consequences for her and Harry, and she will be the one behind some of the consequences that fall on Prince Harry. I just drew two clarifiers for this card - The Two of Cups, the card of relationships, especially romantic ones, and deciding whether to pursue the relationship or not, and the Hermit, which is the card for Virgo, the sun sign of Prince harry, and is also the card for being alone/single. The Hermit card shows Kronus, the god also known as Saturn, who is our modern figure of Father Tim,e carrying the scythe associated with death/the grim reaper. The consequences from Meghan will affect the relationship between her and Prince Harry and may , in time, lead to Harry becoming single, i.e. lead to divorce/the death of their relationship.
Conclusion: This pseudo-royal tour will become a burden to the Harkles and expose the hypocrisy of their 'toxic BRF' victim narrative. It is being used by Harry to send a message to the BRF, and that message as well as the tour itself will lead to the ending of things for the Harkles, both expected and unexpected, as part of the consequences of their actions coming home to them. Prince Andrew will be involved in some way; they may be linked to him via shady money matters, or via his legal troubles, or both. Prince Charles will be forced to perform an unpleasant duty that is related to this 'tour' by the Harkles. Prince William will push through whatever actions come from the BRF, and these actions will be involve the support of Princess Beatrice. There will also be consequences for the Harkle relationship, with Meghan taking action against Harry, and there are indications of a divorce in the future.
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By My Side (Part 1)
Summary:Â While at home one night, the reader, an actress, is almost kidnapped and at her friendâs suggestion she hires Jensen as her bodyguard. While the pair doesnât get along, an incident at the readerâs new home leads her and Jensen to taking a drastic measure...
Masterlist
Pairing: Bodyguard!Jensen x reader
Word Count: 3,900ish
Warnings: language, minor injury, attempted kidnapping, drugging
A/N: There will be no taglist for this series. Please check out the masterlist for posting dates/times. Enjoy!
_________
âGet the fuck off!â you said, kneeing the man that was halfway through dragging you down your stairs. You threw a punch and a kick, swinging more than a few times before the grip on you fell away and you booked it for the front door. You sprinted outside and down the driveway, dashing across the street and banging on your neighborâs door.Â
A light came on and you glanced over your shoulder, spotting the guy dressed in black and wearing a mask jog to the end of your driveway.
âShit, shit,â you said, a strong arm grabbing you and yanking you inside before you could even turn back around. The door slammed shut after you and you took a deep breath, your neighbor standing there in his boxers, saying something to his wife in the background.Â
âY/N, are you okay?â said Jared. You straightened up and nodded, his eyes going wide.Â
âGen! Tell them she needs an ambulance too,â he said.
âIâm fine,â you said as he walked you to his kitchen and sat you down at the counter. Gen was in there, on the phone with the police it sounded like, as Jared went to a cupboard. He pulled out a red bag and then was walking back over with a wad of bandages, holding it up to your forehead. âIâm fine.â
âYouâre bleeding,â he said. âWhat happened?â
âI donât know,â you said, pressing your hand to your head, seeing the half secured zip tie stuck on your other wrist. There were sirens in the distance and you shut your eyes.
âHey, no sleeping. You might have a concussion,â he said.
âIâm not sleeping,â you said, squeezing your eyes shut. âFuck.â
âItâs okay,â he said, the sirens getting louder before there were flashing lights in the window. Gen walked over to the front door, letting the police in. About four officers came inside, one of them immediately coming over to you.
âWhatâd he look like? How many?â he asked.
âUh, all in black, with a mask. He was white I think from what I could tell. Maybe six foot, average build, strong. It was just the one as far as I know. Last I saw him he was at the end of the driveway before my neighbor let me in his house,â you said.
âYou two, call it in for backup and start looking. Jones, get a full statement from these three. Start with the vic. Medics will want to look at that head,â he said. âWhich house is yours?â
âRight across the street. Red front door,â you said. He left and the other cop in there pulled out a plastic bag from his back pocket.
âI need to cut that off for evidence,â he said, glancing at your wrist.
âShould we do anything?â asked Jared as the cop made a cut and bagged the plastic tie.
âI would keep pressure on that wound for the moment,â he said, writing on the bag and taking out a notepad and pen. âAlright. Letâs start from the beginning.â
âI was asleep less than ten minutes ago in my bed and I woke up to someone touching my arm and I found that tie thing on me and the guy tried grabbing my other arm but I rolled away. I got caught up in the covers while I was running away so he caught up to me in the hall outside my bedroom and I just started hitting what I could and then he tried to pull me downstairs and I hit him some more and then he let go and I ran over here.â
âHowâd you sustain the head injury?â he asked.
âWell he was hitting me too when I started fighting back,â you said. âI was half-awake.â
âOkay. Sir, Iâm going to need to ask you a few questions now.â
Three Hours Later
âHey,â said Jared, setting a cup of tea down at his breakfast table. He rubbed your back and you sighed. âRough night huh?â
âAt least I donât have a concussion,â you said, touching your butterfly bandages on your head.
âPolice said your alarm wasnât on.â
âSo this is my fault?â you asked.
âNo, I didnât say that. I am saying that you and Gen have a very popular show together and if she didnât have me around, Iâd want her to have a bodyguard, maybe even full time,â he said.
âI have had this conversation with my manager multiple times. Iâm not getting a bodyguard. For events and conventions, fine, Iâll have one. At work? In my life? No way,â you said.
âY/N, you know I used to be in the army. Then I was a cop. Then I was on a SWAT team before I retired to become a stay at home dad,â he said.
âYes. Youâre an adorable scary badass. Whatâs your point?â you asked.
âWhen I worked SWAT, I worked a a few kidnapping cases. The honest truth is sometimes we donât find you until itâs too late or we never do. Itâs not like a movie. Itâs not like your guys show and someone swoops in. No one shows up out of the blue to save you. You save yourself or you donât get saved. Rarely do we get you out of that situation.â
âAgain, whatâs your point?â
âMy point is whoever that person was, when they come back because they will come back, Y/N, and when they do, theyâre not going to be that sloppy. They may drug you. They may knock you out. They could do a number of things but your chances of getting way again would be extraordinary. I love ya and Iâll always protect you. But next time, I might not be able to stop something bad from happening. You alone over there...I wouldnât know until itâs too late.â
You were quiet, playing with the tea bag in your drink as he drank from his own mug.
âI donât want a stranger coming into my home,â you said.
âY/N, Gen and I want you to stay here for as long as you-â
âI meant a bodyguard, Jare. I donât want somebody I donât know to start coming into my life and controlling it.â
âI have a friend from my army days who does that kind of work. Heâs between jobs at the moment. Iâll vouch for him,â he said.
âYouâre not gonna give me a choice on this, are you,â you said.
âGen and I are moving. A bigger place,â he said. âWe think itâs a good idea if you had a change of scenery too.â
âYou think sheâs in danger too?â
âWe donât know but sheâs five months pregnant. We donât want to risk anything,â he said. âItâs just a thought.â
âCan...can I stay over here a few days? While I figure out what I want to do?â you asked.
âYeah, of course, Y/N.â
Two Weeks Later
âI like the new place,â said Jared as he helped you carry in the last box.Â
âItâs uh, a bit big,â you said. âBut the owner wanted to sell fast and I wanted out of the other one fast so it worked out.â
âSeems like a lot of space for one person,â said the man walking in through the open front door. He was in a pair of dark jeans and a blazer, a tee shirt underneath. You stepped behind Jared but he chuckled. âReally Jare? Didnât mention Iâd be stopping by?â
âY/N, this is my friend Jensen. I told you about him. You said you were interested in meeting him,â said Jared.
âMs. Y/L/N,â said Jensen, holding out a hand.
âY/N please,â you said as you shook it.
âI prefer to keep things professional,â said Jensen. âItâs easier that way. So, this is the new place, hm? Which room will be mine?â
âThereâs a guest suite over on the first floor you can use,â you said.
âWhereâs the master?â
âUpstairs.â
âPreferably Iâd like to be in a room closer to yours,â he said.
âFine. Take the guest room upstairs,â you said. âThis is just a test run remember.â
âMy contract says this is a six month test run,â he said as he looked around. âI see youâre still moving in so perhaps we can go over some of our new procedures in the morning.â
âSure,â you said.Â
âIâll move in my belongings then,â he said. âI donât have much.â
âMhm,â you said. He nodded and headed back outside, Jared catching the look you gave him.
âWhat?â he asked.
âHeâs gonna be a joy to live with,â you muttered.
âHeâs quiet until you get to know him. I wouldnât have recommended him if I didnât trust him. Heâs saved my life before. I know heâll have your back,â said Jared.
âYeah,â you said, his phone going off. âJared, go. I know youâre already late for the baby checkup.â
âYou sure?â
âYeah. I only have boxes left to unpack anyways. Go on. Iâll talk to you guys later,â you said. He gave you a wave on the way out, leaving you to stare at the pile of boxes sitting on your kitchen floor. You cracked your back and started to work, catching Jensen move in a few duffel bags of his own. He left and wandered around outside eventually, allowing you to try and get the essentials all stored away.
By the time it was seven, you were exhausted but your bedroom, bathroom and kitchen were all set up. You plopped down on the couch, closing your eyes. They blinked open when you felt a presence standing over you.
âIâve done a review of the property. Iâd like to have an upgraded security system installed tomorrow,â he said.
âWhatever. Just put it on the card my manager gave you,â you said.
âIâd also like to consider hiring an additional person to monitor the system at some point. They can be remotely based,â he said.
âLike I said, whatever,â you said, closing your eyes again.
âI assume I have access to use the kitchen as I desire,â he said.
âNo smoking. No drugs. No random hookups you bring here and as long as you donât bug me and stay away from my ice cream, weâll be fine,â you said.
âI can agree to that. As long as you follow my rules, weâll also be fine,â he said. You laughed and sat up, walking to the kitchen to find your phone. âDo you think thatâs funny?â
âI think the fact you think youâre going to be making rules in my home that I paid for is very funny,â you said. You took the phone to check on the pizza and wings you ordered for yourself, Jensen walking over and stopping in front of you. âCan I help you?â
âYou are paying me a very large sum of money to keep you safe. If you donât listen to what I say then I canât guarantee your safety,â he said.
âLet me get something clear. Iâm doing this to appease my friends and manager. Do whatever you want around here but donât start telling me how to live my life,â you said.
âI took this job as a favor,â he said, snatching your phone out of your hand and tossing it on the countertop behind him. You scowled and he walked forward, forcing you to back up until your back hit a wall.
âDude, backoff.â
âPretend Iâm that man that tried to take you before. What do you do? Right here and now. Whatâs your plan?â
âIâm serious,â you said, trying to brush past him and getting a light shove into the wall for it. You glared at him but he held his ground, pushing you again when you moved.
âIâm serious. Tell me what your plan is. Better yet, show me,â he said.Â
âI donât care if you are Jaredâs friend. I am this close to punching you. Move now.â
âI said show me.â
You narrowed your eyes and brought up your knee to hit him in the groin. He pushed it away before it connected though and you were off balance, Jensen grabbing you and yanking you away from the wall, putting you in a headlock and tugging your arms behind your back.
âDonât go for the most obvious move in the world,â he said. âNow that didnât go how you wanted it to. Whatâs the plan now?â
âGet off,â you growled, trying to stomp your foot down on his but he moved it back and kicked out your ankle, making you fall back against him. He picked you up and you started moving your legs, Jensen suddenly dropping you down onto the hardwood floor. You hit your knee and winced, a hand suddenly grabbing the back of your shirt. âAlright! I get the fucking point.â
âDo you?â he said, squatting down beside you. You tried pushing his hand away but it tightened and you tried throwing a punch, his grip almost too hard now and his free hand easily blocking the hit. âYou have no plan. Youâre too small and too weak to overpower someone. You canât afford to have no plan. The thing is, when itâs real, youâll be panicking and youâll have no time at all to think of one.â
âStop touching me unless you want me to call the cops on you,â you spat out. He moved his hand away and stood, staring back at you.
âYou need to do what I tell you if you want to stay safe. I will teach you what to do if youâre in that situation for whatever reason. But the rules keep that situation from happening in the first place. Understand?â he said.
âUnderstand that you are fired as of now. Pack up your shit and get out of my house,â you said. You got to your feet and he raised an eyebrow. âIâm your boss and I can fire you whenever I want. Get out.â
âHow on earth Jared is friends with a someone like you I will never understand,â he said. He headed upstairs and the doorbell rang. You forced a smile for the delivery guy and took your food back to the kitchen, digging in before Jensen was even tossing his first bag down the stairs. You rolled your eyes and were on your third slice by the time he was walking downstairs.
âDonât let the door hit you on the way out,â you said. He shot you a dirty look, his head cocking as he set his bag down. âOh now what?â
âYou look really pale,â he said, walking over to you. âYour pupils are huge.â
âYou know what else? You are so not as hot as you think you are,â you said, reaching for another piece of chicken before he smacked your hand. âYou are this close to me calling...someone.â
Your head got dizzy for a second, Jensen grabbing your arms and setting you down on the ground.
âI feel funny,â you said, tipping over and resting against him. âReally, really funny.â
âYou just got drugged,â he said, using his phone to dial a number. âNo more takeout. Got it? Obviously this person knows you moved. I want to put someone at the house full time.â
âIâm gonna fall asleep now,â you said, shutting your eyes.
âNo, nope, try to stay awake,â he said. You hummed and he grabbed your face. âY/N. Try.â
âYouâre really pretty for a grumpy grump,â you said.
âI thought I wasnât hot. Just stay awake for me, Y/N,â he said.
Twenty minutes later you were in the ER with an IV in your arm and feeling a whole lot of crappy. Jensen said something to a doctor before he walked over to the stall you were in and stood by the bed.
âHey. Police are at your house. Neighbor said they saw a silver pickup parked down the street. Seemed shady. It was gone by the time they got there,â he said.
âCourse it was,â you mumbled.
âYou more with it again?â he asked.
âYeah. Feel really tired is all,â you said.
âWell I called your manager. He said heâd be here soon so Iâm gonna head out,â he said.
âHuh?â you said, sitting up as he started to leave. âWait.â
âLast I remember, you fired me. Nothing has changed,â he said. âGoodnight.â
âWait,â you said, grabbing his wrist, the effort taking more energy than you were anticipating. He didnât shrug you off, instead gently setting your hand back in your lap and pushing you to lay back down.
âYou should rest. Thereâs a cop outside the room,â he said.
âStop. Just...sit down,â you said. He sighed but sat on the edge of the bed, raising an eyebrow. âHow could somebody already know where I moved? Hardly anyone knows.â
âYou rent a moving truck?â he asked.
âYeah. Movers did the furniture,â you said. He shrugged and you shut your eyes. âThe movers?â
âNo, probably not them. But that truck probably has GPS for mileage tracking and if this person has your credit card info, they could figure it out,â he said. âThe food thing probably happened back at the restaurant you ordered from. Somebody slips in the backdoor, puts some stuff on your food and slips back out.â
âWhatâs your suggestion?â
âI donât work for you anymore.â
âLetâs pretend earlier didnât happen. Please,â you said. âI canât...I canât be alone right now and something feels really off about this whole thing.â
âThis whole thing has felt off the second Jared told me about it. Tonight just further proved that point,â he said.
âYou were in the army longer than he was, right?â
âHe decided to retire, go be a cop. I stayed in. Worked on a few more specialized skills a bit longer before I left and got in this line of work,â he said.
âIâm going to assume you know what youâre doing then.â
âYeah. I know what Iâm doing. I canât guarantee anything but I can give you some pretty damn good odds,â he said. He stared at you for a moment and looked you over. âYouâre smarter than the stereotypical actress I pegged you for.â
âIt had to have been someone on my team or thatâs close to me in order to know that I was moving,â you said. âOr else the person never would have known to look today.â
âSomeone that knows your go to takeout place too. You need to be extremely careful about who you trust right now,â he said.
âI trust Jared and Gen,â you said.
âI trust the guy with my life. Iâd trust him with yours. Gen is fiesty when you piss her off but youâre her best friend. They didnât do this.â
âYour expert opinion, whatâs my next move?â you asked. He rubbed the back of his neck and made a face. âJensen.â
âIdeally? You go off grid. I mean off grid, off grid. Middle of nowhere, no one knows where exactly. Cut yourself off and itâd give us more time to figure out who this person is and what exactly it is they want with you. If theyâre as close as we think they are, theyâll find a way to sneak in again and next time, it might be my food thatâs drugged. Itâs a big risk to go back to the house.â
âI canât go be alone though. What if they did find me somehow?â you asked.
âI said off grid. I didnât say alone,â he said. âItâs an extreme approach, Iâll give you that. But it gives me more time to work on this and itâll keep you safe.â
âWhy not hire a bunch of guys to stay around me all the time?â
âBecause youâre still in danger if you stay in LA and I donât have the ability to check that many guys out. I got guys I know I can trust but theyâre all over the country and the only other one here is Jared and Gen needs him. No offense but sheâs got a kid with another on the way. More bodies means more priority,â he said.
âNo, no. Please keep them safe too. If itâs a fan of the show, they could be in the same situation,â you said.
âIâm not going to try and tell you what to do because obviously, you werenât a fan of me doing that before. But if you want to be able to sleep safely at night, we need to go, just you and me. Jared and Gen can know but thatâs it and I mean thatâs it. I can secure a safe place and everything weâll need. But itâs going to be a drastic lifestyle change.â
âHow drastic?â
âLike no internet and our electricity will run off a generator drastic.â
âIf I stay here?â
âI give it a week tops before they try something again,â he said.
âWe wrapped two weeks back and since Genâs pregnant, we arenât slated to start filming for another seven months. Iâll have to cancel some events but if I was ever going to go off grid, nowâs the time to do it.â
âI will get it arranged. Do not speak a word of this to anyone,â he said.
âJensen,â you said as he stood. âWhat was that back at the house? You acting all aggressive like that?â
âThe last client I had, I was lenient, never taught them anything, let them push me around and dictate how I worked. They got put in a bad situation because of that. If you donât take this seriously, then whatâs the point of me being here.â
âWell wherever we go, Iâm gonna need a few things. Women stuff,â you said.
âMake a list and tomorrow, pack a bag,â he said. âI want us on the road tomorrow night. I donât care what you tell your team about why youâll be MIA. Just tell them something so we donât get a missing persons report on you.â
âAlright,â you said, Jensen nodding and starting to leave. âWait. Where are you going?âÂ
âI need to start preparing. Like I said, thereâs a police officer by the door.â
You stared at him and he took a deep breath.
âHow about he stays in the room with you until weâre ready to go home and get what we need, okay?â he said.
âOkay,â you said.
âHang tight. When youâre up for it, weâll get out of here.â
_____
A/N: Read Part 2 here!
#spn#supernatural#jensen ackles#jensen ackles au#jensen ackles x reader#jensen ackles x you#au#bodyguard!AU#bodyguard!jensen#bodyguard!jensen x reader#spn fanfic#supernatural fanfiction
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Can't Afford Love on Minimum Wage
"Do you have lavender-infused non-dairy macrobiotic sorbet?"
Sasuke felt his left eye twitch. "All sorbet is non-dairy. That's what makes it sorbet."
The customer flipped her long, blonde dreads over her shoulder, which disrupted the dreamcatcher resting on her pale forehead. "Whatever. Do you have it or not?"
Sasuke pointed toward the blackboard behind him. "Is it on the menu?"
Cultural Appropriation Barbie's eyes narrowed. "Shouldn't you know what's on the menu?"
"I do."
He could recite all twenty-six ice creams listed on the board, along with their primary ingredients, any allergens, a short description of their flavor profiles, and suggestions for which ones paired together best. Sakura had drilled all of that info into his head during his first two days at Jeni's.
Sasuke really wished he could go back to memorizing flavor facts.
"Then why are you asking me what's on it?"
"Because apparently you didn't read it," Sasuke said.
The customer gaped. "Where's your managâ?"
Sakura swooped in before she could get the question out and said, "Hi, I'm the shift leader! I think what Sasuke is trying to say is that we have some great options you might like. For a similar flavor, we have a wildberry lavender ice creamâ"
"I don't condone enslaving cows for their milk."
Sasuke gestured toward the end of the freezer. "How do you feel about goats? We've got a goat cheese one down there."
"Sasuke, why don't you take your break?" Sakura said brightly.
"Sure."
As he headed toward the back, he heard Sakura describing their newest vegan flavor, a refreshing, bright sangria-style frosé sorbet, made with pear, strawberry, and watermelon.
Sasuke took a seat on a cardboard box filled with jars of fudge, butterscotch, and caramel sauce. He checked his phone. Only one message. From Naruto, naturally.
Good luck on your first day dealing with people. Try not to get fired this time lol
Sasuke could hear Sakura telling the vegan customer that her four-scoop cone and a pint of frosé sorbet were on the house and that she was very sorry about the employee who had been so rude.
"He's still in training."
Might have fucked that up already.
Dude. You've only been there three days đ
Shut up
Do you know what macrobiotic means?
Macrobiotic? I think that's like the stuff they give you when you get syphilis
Sasuke rubbed his eyes. He must have gone temporarily insane to think Naruto would know the meaning of a word with more than three syllables.
That's penicillin you moron, a kind of *anti*biotics
"What the hell was that?" Sakura asked.
Gtg get fired ttyl
Sasuke put his phone in his pocket. "Sorry. Guess that was a little rude."
"A little? I'd hate to see your version of being very rude."
Sasuke waited for the verdict. On the one hand, Sakura was only a shift leader, not a manager, so she might not have the power to fire him. On the other, this was his third strike in as many days, so he had to be on thin ice.
Sakura ran a hand through her chin-length pink hair, and he had the stupidest thought: her hair is the same color as the frosé sorbet.
"You obviously need some guidance on how to give quality customer service. Have you ever worked at a place like this before?"
Sasuke had spent the last five years caught in a revolving door of food service and retail jobs. So he wasn't being entirely honest when he said, "A couple times, yeah."
"Okay, well, whoever trained you before must not have done a very good job," Sakura said. "I'll try to teach you how to deal with difficult customers with more⊠grace. And patience. And better manners. Andâ"
"I get it. I suck with customers. Can't you just stick me on the waffle cone station or make me clean shit?"
"As often as I possibly can," Sakura said flatly. "But sometimes you're going to have to scoop or run register, and your pissy attitude will break the tip jar. Half the money I make here is in tips, and I am so not letting you gut my paycheck."
"Wait, what? Half?" Sasuke asked. "You make seven bucks an hour in tips just for scooping ice cream?"
Sakura smirked. "Closer to ten, actually. And I make good tips because of my excellent customer service skills. Watch and learn, unless you want to live off minimum wage."
He could more than double his paycheck by being nicer to customers?
"Okay. I'm all yours." Sasuke held out his hands. "Teach me how to not be an asshole."
Sakura hid her smile behind her hand, giggling. Damn, her laugh was as pretty as the rest of her.
"I don't make any promises to improve your personality," she said, her voice teasing. "But I'll teach you how to fake it."
Sasuke doubted that. Chances were, he'd cuss out an annoying customer before the end of the week and be job searching again by Monday.
Until then, at least Sakura would keep him company.
.
.
Author's Notes: Here's a sneak peek at my SasuSaku romcom! Yes, you read that right, I'm writing comedy. It's based on an absolutely hysterical tiktok by Scott Seiss (which I'll link to in a reblog later, bc for some reason tumblr hates links). Many thanks to @birkastan2018 for inspiring the first line of this fic! And this is entirely @toondoon1010's fault for giving me the idea for this story.
#sasusaku#ssfanfiction#ss fanfiction#sasusaku fanfic#sasusaku fic#fic teaser#my fanfiction#can't afford love on minimum wage
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Hi! Do you think youâd be willing to write some Cubs fluff for Mardi Gras? Like Leo making Finn and Lo do something (I donât exactly know how itâs celebrated)?
Oh my god I LOVE Mardi Gras!!! Also, I havenât done Cubs fluff in a while, and I combined it with a couple other related prompts. This fic includes Cubs and Coops bonding (ft. Logan being a little shit), Leo learning to drive in the snow, a chaotic trip to the grocery store, and Lions family dinner after a winter walk. Hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove, as always <3
âEasâEasy, babe, just take it nice and steady,â Finn gripped the âoh, shitâ handle with one hand and Leoâs thigh with the other; in the backseat, Logan rubbed his neck where the seatbelt bit into it.
Leo took an unsteady breath and carefully pressed the gas again, wincing as the car rumbled under him. âOh god, oh fuck, okay.â
âSnow isnât that hard to drive inââ Finn cut off as Leo slammed on the brakes again. ââas long as you donât brake hard whenever you feel a little bit of ice. Lo, you okay?â
âFine,â Logan wheezed, bracing against the car door.
âSlow and steady wins the race,â Finn murmured, keeping his eyes fixed on the road as Leo began inching forward again. âIf you start to slip, take your foot off the gas and do not slam the brakes, okay? We donât want to skid.â
âI donât get why you canât drive us there,â Leo said, glancing in each of his mirrors even though they were still in a fairly residential area. Ten minutes on the road and theyâd barely made it four blocks from the apartment.
âBecause you need to know how to drive properly.â
âI know how to drive!â Leo saw Finn and Logan exchange a look through the rearview mirror and smacked him lightly on the chest. âStop it. Whenâs my next turn?â
âStill 53rd.â
âLeft or right?â
âRight.â Finn tapped out a quick text on his phone. âCap and Loops just arrived at the store.â
âFuck,â Leo muttered.
âItâs okay, Peanut, take your time,â Logan said. âJust focus on getting there safely.â
Leo tried to breathe deep and they rolled down the block, flinching each time snow or ice crackled under the tires or threatened to make them slide. âI drive in the rain all the time. This shouldnât be hard.â
âRain is way different than snow.â Finn pointed to the next intersection. âTurn there.â
They took the turn a bit wide, but thankfully there were no cars on the other sideâstill, both Finn and Logan went pale. Logan cleared his throat. âStreets here arenât as wide as New Orleans, mon amour.â
âYeah, yeah, I know,â Leo grumbled. âHow much further?â
âThe parking lot is on the next block.â
They almost got stuck driving up the small ramp into the parking lot due to Leoâs âslow and steadyâ approach and he could have sworn he heard Logan muttering the Hail Mary in French under his breath. Parking was easyânobody in their right mind would be driving after a true Gryffindor snowstorm. Except us, he thought wryly as he turned the engine off.
âDonât forget to lock the car,â Finn said mere seconds after the key was out.
âDude.â
âSorry. Uh, Capâs by the produce section.â
They were too focused on not slipping and falling on their asses to talk much while they walked through several snowdrifts to get to the front entrance of the grocery store; Leo sighed with happiness as soon as the heated air hit his face.
âHarzy!â Cap waved an arm over his head from the apple stand, smiling brightly. âYou survived!â
âIt was a close one,â Finn called back with a grin, sliding his hand into Leoâs back pocket as the three of them walked over.
âDibs on riding in the cart!â One of Loganâs legs was already halfway into the basket before Sirius could stop him; he kicked aside the celery and onions and settled down, leaning back onto Siriusâ hands. âBonjour.â
âGet out.â
âNon. I live here now.â
âIâm not pushing you.â
âI will!â Finn said. âWhereâs the old ball and chain, Capsicle?â
âCall me that again and you can say goodbye to your ball and chain,â Remus said drily, lugging a bag of rice over from the other aisle. He stopped when he saw Logan, looking amused. âHiya, Tremz. You look comfy.â
âOh, I am.â Logan lounged in the cart, letting one leg drape over the side; he groaned when Remus set the rice bag on his chest. âWas that necessary?â
âNo, but it was funny.â He grinned at Leo. âHow was driving?â
Leo shrugged. âDecent.â
Sirius snorted as they began walking toward the meat section. âThat bad, huh?â
âItâs a miracle I wasnât beheaded,â Logan said. âFish, how fast can you make it to the end of the aisle?â
âLoops, time me.â Finn tightened his grip on the cart and bent into a runnerâs stance; Leo and Sirius both rolled their eyes as Remus dug his phone out of his pocket and opened up the timer.
âReadyâŠsetâŠgo!â Finn ran for three steps before hopping onto the under carriage as Logan whooped. Remus stopped the timer. âFour point six seconds! Get back here, I wanna try.â
âYouâre not going to beat that time,â Logan laughed as he climbed out of the cart.
Sirius raised his eyebrows at the same time Remus stuck his tongue out. âWatch me. Knutty, can I trust you to be an unbiased timer?â
Leo shrugged. âSure, gimme your phone.â
âYou have one of your very own.â
âTrying to hide something, are we?â Logan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Sirius pushed him away by the forehead. âSpill the beans, Loops! Got some spicy messages in there? Some things poor baby Nutter Butter canât handle?â
âNo, I just donât trust any of you with anything that belongs to me,â he laughed. âYouâre walking safety hazards.â
âIâm taking that as a compliment,â Leo said as he set the timer. âReady? Go!â
Sirius nearly tipped the cart over when he stood on the lower bar, making both of them yelp and wobble for a moment. Leo stopped the clock at the end of the aisle. Three point nine seconds.
âSorry, guys, thatâs four point eight seconds!â he called as Sirius pushed the cart back up to them.
Remus narrowed his eyes. âShow me the phone.â
âI already reset the time.â
âSo we definitely won,â Sirius said while Remus clambered out of the basket and Logan took his place. âGet out, Tremzy!â
âMake me!â
Sirius reached in and grabbed him under his armpits, but Logan kept a tight grip on the sides. âAre you done?â Remus asked wearily once Sirius started shaking him. â âcause our grocery list is, like, a million miles long.â
With a disgruntled noise, Sirius dropped Logan back into the cart. âWith any luck, heâll be crushed under the food. Whatâs next?â
They had a few more competitions during their journey through the store, including onion basketball, vegetable Tetris, and a highly amusing game of twenty questions that ended in Sirius laying the bag of rice over Loganâs face.
Leo did some mental math as they walked out with six grocery bags full of ingredients. âWeâll need about seven pots to fit all this, but weâve only got two that would work.â
âI think weâve got one or two as well,â Remus said as he hauled a bag into the trunk of their car and brushed his hands off. âCeleste probably has some, and I can give Lily a call. Where are we making it, again?â
âDumoâs. Thereâs nowhere near enough space at the apartment and I donât want these two anywhere close to it.â
Finn shot him an offended look over a bag of onions. âHey!â
âI love you, sweetheart, but if you fuck up my gumbo Iâll cry.â In the back of his mind, Leo was already thinking of small jobs for Logan and Finn to do so they could make it together, but they didnât need to know that. It could be a Mardi Gras surprise.
âThe sunâs coming out,â Sirius mused, looking upward at the clear blue sky. âNothing we bought is going to melt. Do you want to go for a walk before we head out?â
Logan checked his phone. âWeâve got time.â
âSounds good to me,â Leo agreed.
âIâm never going to say no to a snow day,â Finn laughed, wrapping his arms around Leo and Logan. âLead the way.â
âSo, Knutty, gumbo is basically chicken noodle soup, right?â Sirius asked as he linked elbows with Remus and started down the sidewalk.
âUh, no.â Leo made a disgusted face and reached out to smack the back of his shoulder. âThatâs blasphemy. Gumbo is more like stew, but you put less meat in it and more of a vegetable base. There arenât noodles, either. Do you even know what a roux is?â
Sirius glanced back at Finn, who shrugged. ââŠI do not.â
âFuckinâ hell,â Leo muttered. âA roux is the base to all good New Orleans food. Itâs flour and oil, and you heat it up so whatever youâre making has an actual taste to it, as well as some thickness. If you get it wrong, the whole thing is pretty much ruined.â
Sirius raised his eyebrows. âDamn.â
Ahead of them, a pack of kids played pickup hockey on the parkâs frozen pond. Several of them wore Lions sweatshirts or hats and Leo leaned his head on Finns beanie with a smile. âLook at how cute they are,â Finn cooed, waving to some of the astonished parents who had spotted them.
âOh, killer hit,â Remus said as one kid went on a breakaway. âIs heâhey, nice shot!â
They paused for a second to applaud and a jumble of excited yelling echoed off the trees around the pond; Leo burst out laughing and draped his other arm across Loganâs shoulders, pulling him in closer to their huddle as they began to walk again. âWe should head out there sometime. We live close enough.â
Finn hummed in agreement and stood on his tiptoes with a hopeful smile. âKisses?â
Leo obliged, still grinning. âYouâre ridiculous. That had nothing to do with hockey.â
âI didnât get any kisses,â Logan grumbled, snuggling into Leoâs ribs.
âGet up here and Iâll give you one!â
âMy nose is cold!â
Leo sighed dramatically and bent down to kiss the rosy tip of his noseâat the last second, Logan popped his chin out of his coat collar and caught his lips. âThat was smooth as fuck. Better?â
âMuch.â
âAre you three being gross again?â Remus teased, craning his neck to look back.
Finn raised his eyebrows. âDonât start something you canât finish.â
âOne walk,â Sirius sighed. âI wanted one walk where we could hang out in peace and quiet.â
âYou invited the wrong people for that,â Leo snickered as they looped back around the block into the parking lot. âHarzy, baby, can you drive us back?â
âYou need to learn!â
Leo turned on his saddest puppy eyes and stuck his lower lip out. âPlease?â
Finn scrunched his nose up and flicked his shoulder lightly. âYouâre too cute for your own good.â
âIs that a yes?â
âObviously.â
------------------------
After a quick pit stop at their apartment to pick up the pots, they arrived at the Dumais house just past two in the afternoon. Sirius and Remus pulled into the driveway just as they began unloading groceries from the truck and hurried over to give them a hand; all five of them were immediately mobbed by children the second they set foot in the house. Leo carefully took the onions from Logan so he could sweep Katie over his shoulder and tickle her knees, making her dissolve into giggles.
âMy boys!â Celeste called from the entrance to the kitchen. She practically glowed with excitement as she pulled them into a group hug and Leo melted a little when she pressed a kiss to each of his cheeks. âYou brought the food, yes?â
âWeâve got everything we need,â he confirmed, holding the onions and a pot up as proof. âAs long as youâve got counter space, weâll be a-okay.â
Sirius and Logan lingered in the doorway, chatting with the kids in rapid French that Leo didnât even try to keep up withâhe used to think regional differences were made up for internet clout, but even after living with Logan for close to a year he sometimes struggled with the pace.
Celeste helped them gather cutting boards, knives, and basic spices that they hadnât picked up at the store; Leo felt a thrill in his gut and drummed his hands happily on the countertop at the sight of the familiar ingredients. He made a mental note to send a picture to his mother later that night as he rolled up his sleeves.
âThink you can handle rinsing vegetables?â he asked, passing Finn a bag of green peppers.
Finn rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, and he pressed a kiss to Leoâs cheek before going to the sink. Remus unpacked the last of the bags and gave him an expectant lookâLeo was struck by the sudden realization that for once, he was the only one in the kitchen who knew the recipe.
âUm, Iâll start the roux,â he said, grabbing the flour and oil. âLoops, can you start dicing the peppers, celery, and onions? Cap can help out once he gets the squid children off him.â
A smile tugged at the edge of Remusâ mouth. âBold of you to assume he wonât drag them in here.â
âAlright, Rookie, whatâs my job?â Sirius panted, grinning wildly as Adele wrapped herself around his lower leg and groaned with each dragging step.
Remus spared him a playful I told you so look, and Leo shook his head. âAs long as you can use a knife with a kid clinging to your leg, you can help your fiancĂ© chop the basics.â
Sirius mock-saluted him and hobbled to the counter; behind him, Logan wandered in with Marc under one arm and Katie under the other. âI have potato sack delivery,â he announced, giving them each a gentle shake. âCan these go in the gumbo, too?â
âNo!â both shrieked at the same time, flailing their legs.
âThose look like pretty good potatoes to meâŠâ Sirius said, glancing down at Adele. âWhat do you think?â
âPut âem in the soup!â she yelled.
âItâs not soup,â Leo complained, though he couldnât be heard over the loud protests of the youngest Dumais kids.
Sirius finally got Adele to let go of him when he started cutting onionsââDo you want to smell like onions?ââbut Katie perched on the edge of the counter and watched every move Leo made with eagle eyes as he finished each roux and began mixing the trinity in. Each motion was muscle memoryâthe smells wrapped him in a hug made of tangy peppers, smooth chicken broth, and a kick of spice at the very end.
Much to his surprise, Sirius, Finn, and Logan were quick learners. Making five massive pots of gumbo was much easier when he had five more hands helping him; Celeste had even been sweet enough to put jazz on as they cooked and the six of them took turns dancing, partnering with whomever was closest.
The others started arriving at fiveâalmost immediately, the kitchen was crowded with ten new hockey players who crammed as close as they could to the stovetop to smell the bubbling broth. Noelle was the only one who was allowed to get within ten feet of the food, much to Talkerâs chagrin.
Honestly, it was a miracle that they made it to the table without the rest of the team falling on the gumbo like a pack of wild hyenas who hadnât eaten for a week. Kaseyâs bouncy leg shook the edge of the table in anticipation until Leo reached over and smacked him on the thigh with his spoon. âBe patient, Bliz.â
âIâm always patient!â
Eight different people made noises of protest and he scoffed, leaning his face over the bowl to get a whiff of the thick steam. Dumo tapped his fork on the side of his cup; it wasnât quite a classy ding-ding, but it made enough noise to catch peopleâs attention.
âFirst, thank you all for coming here for a family dinner,â he said, smiling so wide it made Leoâs heart warm. âSecond, Iâd like to welcome the older and wiser OâHara to his very first Lions dinner, since he had the great fortune of visiting just in time to be adopted by the team for a night!â
Loud cheers filled the house and Alex gave a slight wave, blushing under the attention as Kasey and Nat jostled him between their shoulders.
âAnd finally, everyone say âthank youâ to Knutty for sharing his top-secret gumbo recipe from home. We might not celebrate Mardi Gras like New Orleans, but this is a party nonetheless.â Dumo raised his water with a wink and Leo squeezed Loganâs hand under the table as seventeen voices thanked him for his cooking, despite the fact that they hadnât even tasted it yet.
The house went dead silent as people took their first bites, then erupted into noise. âHoly shit, Knutty!â Nado all but shouted, shoving another spoonful into his mouth. âThis is witchcraft.â
âItâs called âcookingâ, you should try it sometime,â Leo shot back, grinning. The chicken thighs melted in his mouth, and the pop of lemon and spice at the back of his throat tingled all the way down to his bones. He didnât think Pots had taken a breath in thirty straight seconds. Leo closed his eyes, letting the tangled muddle of his familyâs voices roll over him, mixing with the taste of home.
âĂa va, mon amour?â Logan asked under his breath, touching his elbow.
Leo smiled and touched their foreheads together, setting his spoon down on the edge of his bowl. âIâm so fucking happy right now.â
Logan smiled and the edges of his eyes crinkled. âYou look happy.â
âYou two are whispering without me?â Finn whined, scooting his chair over a few inches and squishing Logan between them. His bowl was already half-empty, Leo noted with a sense of satisfaction. âThatâs rude.â
âI love you,â Leo said. It needed no embellishments; no big, dramatic displays. âAnd I love making food for everyone.â
âYou can do it any time, baby rookie.â Kasey scraped the sides of his bowl to catch the last few grains of cornbread, knocking his knee with Leoâs. âNext time we have a sleepover, Iâm not ordering pizza.â
âSo Iâm going to be your personal chef?â Leo snorted. âNot a chance.â
âWhatâs that saying? The Mardi Gras one?â
Leo savored his next bite of gumbo and looked around the table as everyone chatted and laughed at the top of their lungs. âLaissez les bon temps rouler,â he said. âLet the good times roll.â
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Only in a Sitcom
Fandom: WandaVision Pairing: Darcy Lewis/Jimmy Woo Rating: T
Summary: Darcy has no idea what the hellâs going on with this WandaVision thing, but neither does Jimmy. Itâs kinda fun to have somebody to binge-watch alternate reality TV with.
read ch. 1 one / 2 two / 3 three / 4 four / 5 five 6 six / 7 seven / 8 eight / 9 nine / 10 ten 11 eleven / 12 twelve / 13 thirteen / 14 fourteen 15 fifteen / 16 sixteen / 17 seventeen / 18 eighteen
this fic is now complete!
Darcy, Jimmy, and Monica have been working their way across Westview in as straight a line as possible, knocking on every door in every cute little cul-de-sac in their path. It was Jimmy who asserted they should never put their backs to a dangerous situation, but Monica who overruled that statement, pointing out that they were more likely to stay focused if they didnât keep staring at the fight in the sky.
Darcy thinks they were both right. Thereâs a tingle rippling up and down the back of her neck, like she gets when sheâs up in the middle of the night, spooked by shadows her anxious, overtired mind is too eager to turn into monsters, but the heebie-jeebies give her the energy to work quickly. She takes on an entire crescent on her own, readying people for a departure sheâs certain theyâve been longing for. As sheâs coming out the crescentâs other end, she realizes the Hex is getting brighter; the red storm clouds are being sucked back into themselves to leave a thin daylight.
Standing at the corner, she watches Jimmy and Monica emerge from the street opposite. Darcy jogs over, wincing. Wanda couldâve put orthotics in these Escape Artist boots. Theyâre blistering her feet.
âThis has to be a good sign, right?â she asks, motioning to the calm skies.
âLook,â Monica instructs. She jerks her chin and Darcy and Jimmy follow her line of sight to see Wanda, Vision, and the twins coming up the main road.
Darcy gasps.
Wandaâs gone from bumming-around-the-house sweats to battle-ready chic. With her armour-like bodice, gloves that leave those magic fingers free, and an usually-shaped tiara framing her forehead, sheâs both intimidating and otherworldly. But sheâs smiling. Darcy would call it a sad smile and it hurts her heart to see it, even though she doesnât understand.
As Wanda passes them with her hand held fast in Visionâs, she turns her head to nod at Monica. Itâs in her eyes too, the same thing thatâs in her smile. Something tired but present. Gone are the comedically darting glances of her persona as the bumbling new girl in town and the frazzled energy of a mom trying to corral a couple of superkids. It looks like sheâs finally letting go of the illusion/delusion.
âCan we do anything for her?â Jimmy asks as the family continues on down the middle of the street.
âNo,â Monica says. âThe rest is for Wanda to do on her own.â
âWe might as well head back towards the center of town,â Darcy says. âWe donât need to waste time at the edges. Theyâll be the first to wake up.â
She points to where the Hex is shimmering on the horizon. The seconds pass and the shimmer looks messier, a weave of overlapping wires fritzing with energy. The edge is coming closer, but unlike when Wanda pushed the boundary farther, closing it around Darcy and her S.W.O.R.D. nemeses, this isnât menacing. Wandaâs powers are no longer looking to consume more territory, theyâre contracting. Faster than the incoming wave of the walls, the Hex goes dark. The red glow is intensely magical in the sudden night.
The three of them fan out, hitting the houses in their new route, and make their way back to the town square. Theyâve been telling everyone to remain in their homes until they receive further instructions to evacuate, but Darcy spots a figure on the sidewalk by the department story. Itâs Agnes, except⊠not as they saw her lately. No wild hair or billowing, layered outfit. No levitation. Darcyâs wary in the face of the woman who appears so much like her former self, the one supposedly under Wandaâs control. This Agnes has a damn Peter Pan collar poking out of her sweater! She couldnât look much less threatening.
âWhat do you think?â she asks Monica when she joins her.
âI donât know.â Monica peers across the street at Agnes in the dark and when Agnes notices, she flashes a wide smile.
âWell, maybe we shouldâ Hey, no, wait!â
But the Captain strides across to meet Agnes. Darcy almost follows in her idolâs wake, but she quickly remembers that Monica has powers to protect herself that far exceed the right hook Darcy used to drop Agent Handcuffs. Whatever Agnesâs deal is, Darcy knows sheâs an entirely different kind of beast from an asshole S.W.O.R.D. agent.
âWhatâs going on there?â Jimmy wonders, coming up beside her.
Thanks to the stress of trying to speak to as many citizens as possible in a short amount of time, including looking dozens of people still under mind control in the eye and aching for their lack of agency, the fear of and for Wanda as she witnessed that clash in the sky, and, really, the car crash thatâs still pretty recent, Darcy reacts to her boyfriendâs presence by wrapping her arms around him tightly. With his tie pressed to her cheek, she feels him hug her back.
âI donât know,â she says, carrying on the conversation without pulling away an inch, âbut Monicaâs finding out.â
âAgnes looks like an average Westviewer again. Itâs disconcerting.â
âShe mustâve been faking right up until she went head-to-head with Wanda.â
âAnd now sheâs one of them for real.â
âSeems like,â Darcy agrees.
When Monica returns to confirm Agnesâs newly mind-controlled status, Darcy peels herself most of the way away from Jimmy, leaving her arm around his back, beneath his FBI jacket. He rests his arm around her shoulders.
âI donât know what we do with her,â Monica says, hands on her hips. âWe canât undo what Wanda did, but do we leave Agnes here in Westview, trusting that she isnât able to hurt anyone? Do we bring her in?â
âIf itâs beyond our power to help her, maybe we just leave her here,â Jimmy suggests. âWanda knows where she is, so we let Agnes stay in a place she can be found when or if Wanda decides to release her.â
âItâs tricky,â Darcy says slowly. âAgnes is capable of doing so much damage, and Iâm sure sheâs going to get good and angry while Wanda has her trapped inside herself. You and I know how that feels,â she says to Monica. âBut that Agnes is secureâas far as we knowâinside Sitcom Agnes, like little Agnes nesting dolls. I donât know if this is the kind of punishment she deserves for pushing Wanda to the brink, but I do know itâs not going to be pretty if that inner Agnes is unleashed with nobody around to mitigate the consequences.â
âSentient Weapon Observation and Response Division,â Monica says softly.
âHmm?â
âS.W.O.R.D. Thatâs what weâre supposed to stand for. I think, without Tyler Hayward around, itâs high time S.W.O.R.D. went back to its roots of trying to understand exceptional people, circumstances, and technology instead of just attacking them.â
âSounds as though you might have a plan, Captain,â Jimmy says. Darcy glances at his face and catches his small, knowing smile.
Monica beams back.
âThe former Director may have kicked me off the base, but Iâm still S.W.O.R.D. and I still believe in my motherâs original goals for the organization.â
âHey, itâs your legacy,â Darcy says. âYou have my vote for Director.â
âYou want to put Agnes under S.W.O.R.D. observation?â Jimmy asks.
âNot just Agnes. Not if Wandaâs willing to listen.â
With the sky rapidly lightening, Monica roughs out a plan that involves a partnership between S.W.O.R.D. and Wanda Maximoff. A partnership because any other dynamic would surely fail. After what they all witnessed today, itâs obvious that someone as powerful as Wanda canât be held against her will. In exchange for Wanda making reparations to the people and town of Westview (not the least of which will be repairing all physical damage, which Monica knows Wandaâs capable of, since thereâs no longer a Monica-sized hole in her living room wall) and an agreement to be held in the custody of S.W.O.R.D., under the leadership of Director Monica Rambeau, Monica thinks she has plenty to offer Wanda.
âYou think sheâll do that deal?â Jimmy asks.
âThatâs my question too,â Darcy says. âI mean, without the deal, Wanda can go where she pleases, right?â
âBut sheâll be alone,â Monica counters. âWe know what her loved ones mean to her. Thatâs what all this has been aboutâWanda doing whatever it takes in order to go through life less alone.â
âWhat can you give her?â
âVision,â Jimmy says abruptly. âThe other one, the one who left. You think heâll be back.â
âI think heâll want answers,â Monica agrees. âWhatever Hayward did to him, he did at S.W.O.R.D. and Iâm betting that Wanda will see thatâs her best chance to reunite with Vision.â
âVision will come back,â Darcy says, putting it together, âand Wanda will be there waiting.â
âAnd in the meantime, we use her expertise as we continue our work in a⊠more transparent vein. Give her access, keep her busy.â
âKeep her happy,â Jimmy cuts in. Monica nods her acknowledgement.
âYes. Show her what itâs like to help people again. What better way to remind her thereâs more to the world than her artificial paradise than to have her consult on the work weâre doing in space?â
âIf you need somebody to sell Wanda on the space angle, Iâm your girl,â Darcy volunteers.
âIâve already had some ideas about that,â Monica promises with a smile.
Her eyes focus beyond Darcy and Jimmy and they turn to see what sheâs looking at. Black hood drawn up over her head, Wandaâs walking back into the downtown. Alone. Darcy hopes that the fact that sheâs black-hatted doesnât mean sheâs already decided against working to redeem herself to rejoin the good guys.
âYou better stay in touch too,â Monica tells Jimmy, shifting as she prepares to intercept Wanda.
âIf you reach out to Darcy, Iâm sure I wonât be far,â he says. Darcyâs heart performs quick, happy thumps.
With that, Monica walks purposely towards Wanda. Darcy watches her cautious body language and Wandaâs tension in response to being accosted, but there isnât any visible escalation. When FBI vehicles and the team Darcy assumes belongs to Major Goodner roll up the street, Wanda doesnât flee. Darcy looks to Jimmy.
âYou better go take charge,â she suggests.
He gives her a bashful smile.
âI will in a minute. The evacuation should run like clockwork after all the prep we did. With the Hex removed, everyoneâs free.â
âTheyâre free, Iâm freeâŠâ
âAre you free Saturday?â The smileâs a little slyer now.
âAfter all this, I donât even know what day of the week it is,â Darcy admits, âbut yes.â
He laughs.
âWhat are you thinking?â she asks, twisting to face him as his hand moves from her shoulder to her waist. âQuiet night in watching TV?â
âYou know, I think I need a break from TV for a while. How about a movie?â
Darcy grins.
âYou buy the tickets, Iâll buy the snacks?â
âDeal,â Jimmy says, and smiles against her mouth when he ducks his head to kiss her.
#my writing#Only in a Sitcom#wandavision#wandavision spoilers#Darcy Lewis#Jimmy Woo#Monica Rambeau#Darcy Lewis x Jimmy Woo#Darcy x Jimmy#Vision
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Maybe, Maybe, Maybe
Fun bit of survivorsâ guilt for @badthingshappenbingo, based pretty heavily off Donât Poke the Bear and Variations on a Theme. Post-finale.
They take it in turns to keep watch for when he wakes up: Doug, Reneé, Isabel, first names still such a novelty. Just his luck, he opens his eyes to the impassive face of Captain Lovelace.
âHi, dickbag. Sore head?â
âUnnnnhhâŠâ he whines as if heâs lying under a ton of rocks rather than a cosy quilt on Reneeâs living room floor. His face is a patchwork of bruising. âAspirin?â
She takes pity, and passes him two and a glass of water. The sitting up takes longer than he thought it would.
âYou look terrible. Lucky for you, Renee makes a mean chilli con carne. Never would have guessed she could cook.â
âNo thanks, I should, should be going-â
âYou need food in your system, thatâs non-negotiable. First thingâs first, though, youâre having a shower, and you either go willingly or get dragged bodily, because you goddamn stink. Do I make myself clear?â
âYes, sir,â he mumbles automatically, and he remembers the Colonel - Warren? Was it on a day he could call him Warren? - once saying something similar and his head pounds. ((âmr jacobi, of all the irresponsible, stupid shit i have seen from you this really takes the-â))
âBathroomâs on the second floor, just past the master bedroom. Dominick put a pile of clean clothes in there before he left for work. And itâs Isabel, okay? Not sir. Not Captain. Never again.â
***
âWho did this to you?â
He grips his mug of sweet tea like itâs thousand dollar whiskey. Heâs still ashen. âI did this to me.â
âYou beat the shit out of yourself? Okay, yeah. Donât buy that one.â Isabel repeats the question. âWho did this to you?â
âJust some guys I pissed off. I donât know how many. I donât know who. Happy now?â
The room goes silent. Isabel continues:
âAnd did you go provoking them deliberately?â
Not for the first time, Renee wonders whether they should have included Doug in this little intervention. Heâs been through so much just like the rest of them, but he doesnât know it, and heâs clearly freaking out at the situation.
âWhy would he want something like that to happen? He looks terrible!â
âI donât know, Doug,â Isabel says levelly. âCare to answer, Jacobi?â
Heâs not on a first name basis, apparently.
âNot⊠I didnât... no. No, no, no. I was too drunk and⊠picking fights, but suddenly there were too many of them, okay? But I got out. And if I want to drink then thatâs my own problem, so thank you for the hospitality but-â
Renee cuts in there. âWhen you drink yourself into a stupor, get attacked by a gang in a back alley, and stumble into my doorway at 0300 hours after six months of radio silence, it becomes our problem.â Her look of pity makes his stomach churn even more than the chilli did. He breathes in, hold, out; in, hold, out; in-((alanaâs breathing technique and why why why is she everywhere in everything why does he have to see her out of the corner of his eye when itâs been so long he canât properly remember her face-))
âFine. What do you want from me?â
âYou are a good man and you saved every single one of our lives and we need to understand why youâre so intent on throwing yours away.â
Jacobi starts laughing then, guttural laughs that worsen the ache in his head and bones but he canât seem to stop them. â...me? Iâm a good man? Oh my God, Lieutenant, thatâs hilarious. Give us another.â
âYou need to take this seriously! This is a form of self harm! You could have died!â Isabel is pacing up and down. She and Renee do good cop, bad cop like itâs a professional sport.
âBoo fucking hoo. And the world would forever be worse off for my passing.â
Isabel stops, and turns back towards him with some heat in her gaze. âI have lost too many crew members who deserved to die far less than you do. Okay? Is that what you want to hear? Do you need me to reconfirm that you are a an asshole? Do you need to hear about how Fisher, and Hui, and Fourier, and Lambert were all far better people than you will ever, ever be? Or will you accept that you are good in there? That deep down youâre on the right-â
âWe burned their letters.â Heâs staring at the duvet heâs wrapped in, running his finger over the flowers on the pattern. âOkay? Still think Iâm a good person?â
â...wait. What?â She laughs a little, in shock perhaps. âBut you told meâŠâ
âI told you what I needed to tell you to make you trust me. We burned your crewâs letters. Lambertâs⊠I remember those especially. His hands were shaking really hard when he wrote them, werenât they.â
Itâs not a question.
Isabel stops pacing, and Jacobi grins again but it doesnât reach his bruised eyes when he looks up at her. âMore than mine, even. You could tell he was sick. They didnât make any sense. We laughed at them. The irony of a Communications Officer who canât communicate. Are you listening to me? We read their letters and we burned them and we laughed about it-â
Renee loses her softness. âJacobi, that is enough!â
Isabel has a hand on her chest as if something has hit her there. She counts to ten in her head, ((fisherâs technique to try and stop her fighting with sam, never worked but still stuck in her head, or this copy of her head, or whoever she is now-)) and leaves the room.
They hear her slamming drawers in the kitchen.
Doug glances at Jacobi and shakes his head, before hurrying after her.
âHow could you,â ReneĂ© says. âHow could you.â
âI donât know. Will you let me go and ruin my own life now?â
âNever,â she replies. âBecause, God help me, youâre still a member of my crew.â
At that, his eyes prick with tears he canât explain. He rolls over on the air bed, and closes them.
***
âLovelace?â Jacobi finally makes himself walk into the kitchen, grimacing like each step is on hot sand. The words are monotone. âIâm so sorry. What I did and said is... inexcusable.â
âNope. Thatâs too large a word for your vocabulary. Come back to me with an apology RenĂ©e didnât script,â Isabel snaps, going back to scribbling in a sketchbook.
âLook, Iâm not much good at this-â
âYouâre telling me.â
âIâm⊠really used to people yelling at me and hitting me until they feel better. Or you can shoot me if you like!â
âJesus. Well, I am not about to do that to ease your guilt. You look like youâd snap if one more person poked you. So apologise properly.â
âIâm sorryâŠâ
âFor?â Isabel prompts over the top of her book.
âIâm sorry for burning your crewâs letters.â
âYou did what you were ordered to do. It is what it is. Iâm not condoning it.â
Thereâs a moment of silence, and Jacobi realises sheâs waiting for him to continue. âAnd⊠Iâm sorry for bringing it up. That was⊠needlessly cruel. It sucked.â
âIt really did,â she replies, putting the book down. âTell you what: that sounded somewhat genuine, and Goddard brought out the shit in all of us. You look so pathetic, Iâm going to forgive you. Not because you deserve it, but because I donât bear grudges. Not anymore.â
She holds out a hand, and he shakes it. âThank you.â
âWow. That actually hurt for you to say.â
Jacobi nods. He sits down across from her at RenĂ©eâs huge darkwood table, and thinks about how she and Dominick must have bought this when they moved in together with plans to have people over for dinner every other night. Maybe even plans to have kids.
He wonders if Dominick ate at it alone while his wife was gone.
âSo, you gone on that holiday yet?â
âNo, actually. Iâve legally been dead for about seven years, so getting a passport is proving pretty tricky.â
âI can imagine.â
âWhere have you been, anyway? We tried to get into contact with you. We drove down to your old apartment - got your address from the Goddard database - but it was cleaned out.â
Jacobi looks sheepish. âYeah, well, Iâd mostly been staying at Alanaâs for the last few years or overnight at⊠yeah⊠so Iâd not been a very good tenant and turns out they took âlost in spaceâ as the perfect opportunity to kick me out. So Iâve been sofa to sofa, on the streets a bit-â
âFor heavenâs sake, Jacobi. We would have helped you, you stupid asshole! All you had to do was ask and you could have stayed here! Renee and Dominick would probably even let you have a cheese collection or whatever the fuck it was.â
âGuess the amount of drinks it takes for me to lose my pride is somewhere over eighteen?â
âHow do you have a functioning liver?â
They sit in an almost comfortable silence for a few minutes, Isabel reopening her sketchbook.
âI never knew you drew.â
âYou never knew me outside of a life-threatening situation.â Isabel sighs, twists the pencil between her fingers. âI donât think I did. Before. The old âmeâ, I mean. But I was bored and I canât get a job because of the âbeing deadâ issue, so I thought I should take up a hobby or something. Might be therapeutic. Iâm not very good at itâŠâ
âCan I see?â
âI, uh,â Isabel suddenly looks uncertain. âI drew her. Maxwell. I drew everyone, actually. Are you sure you want to look?â
âYes.â
He leafs through the pages, at first simple doodles before branching into full portraits. Eiffel, upside down and smoking a cigarette. Hilbert, looking troubled at a shadow behind him he canât quite see. Two ghostlike figures in lab coats staring out at the star, the man with a prophetic terror etched on his face - must be Isabelâs old crewmates. Mr Cutter smiles up at him with far too many sharp teeth in sharper lines where the pencil was pressed far too hard and he turns the page quickly. Thereâs Kepler, mid-whiskey speech and it almost stops his heart. He pauses. Maxwell.
In the picture, her eyes are shining as she stares at Heraâs console, fingers nothing more than a blur - the three-day stint she spent trying to get the AI online. Aside from the orange and blue of Wolf 359, elsewhere in the book Isabel has barely used colour, but here the room is bathed in a serene green light from the screens. Behind Maxwell, Jacobi sees himself, little more than a stocky, sketchy outline, waiting for her to finish.
He looks so proud of her.
He looks so⊠content.
After staring for a long moment, Jacobi closes the book and hands it back. âThank you.â
âYou can keep the pictures of them, if you like,â Isabel offers, but he doesnât know whether he would like, so he says:
âTell me about your crew.â
âWhat?â
âYour old crew. Tell me about them. Was Lambert the one staring at...?â
âNo. No. No, that was Kuan Hui, our senior astrophysicist. He was whipsmart and funny and fearless, until the time Goddard Futuristics played around in his brain, stretched out his perception of time. He was completely alone in the dark for two weeks. His smile never really reached his eyes after that.â
Jacobi sips tea awkwardly, even though itâs cold.
âSomething like that, it stays with you. At least he had Fourier, though.â
âThatâs the woman behind him?â
âJunior physicist. Victoire Fourier had eyes like stars. Cleverest person Iâve ever met. She played six instruments, spoke four languages and she had the most gentle soul. She used to read to Hui when he got sick with Decima. Coughed up every organ in his body. I thought it would break her, but she was made of stern stuff. She vanished off the space station in the final days and I still donât know what exactly happened to her-â
âI⊠do. If you want to know, I mean.â
Isabel shakes her head. Then pauses. Then shakes her head again. âI get the feeling whoever is to blame is long gone.â
Jacobi shrugs. âWho else?â
âWell, there was Mace Fisher. Fisher⊠Fisher died because of me, not Goddard Futuristics. Asteroid shower tore him from my hands. He had a boyfriend waiting at home. He was sensitive, sensible, grounding. A real older brother type. I- I didnât deal particularly well with his death. Well, you know that much.â
((Pill popper!)) Jacobi gulps more cold tea.
âAnd Lambert?â
âSam Lambert. Officer Samuel Lambert had a stick up his ass. He was whiny, and authoritarian, and he treasured his copy of Pryce and Carter more than ReneĂ© and Kepler combined did. He drove me nearly insane, and I drove him likewise. The best second in command you could ask for. A damn good man. Sam got sick after Hui, so we knew what was coming. What it meant. He was brave, though. At first.â
((âC-Captain, please shoot me, please, it hurts, it hurts, Captain, please, I just want it to-â)
She falters.
âLovelace?â
âYup?â
âYou know, itâs not even really about the Hephaestus. I keep⊠itâs insane, but I keep thinking about⊠I was an explosives guy for the Air Force. Before Goddard. A trigger failed and two men died. Andrews and Sullivan. I havenât thought about them in years and suddenly-â
âTheyâre everywhere?â
Thereâs a sudden understanding between them.
âTheyâre everywhere. Them and Maxwell and Kepler. Theyâre in mirrors, in the back of my brain, around corners.â
âFlashes of them.â
âAnd if you just reach out far enough, maybe-â
âMaybe-â
âMaybe.â
((letâs go be monsters)), Jacobiâs brain echoes. He grits his teeth.
âDid it stop for you? When does it stop?â He finds himself asking. Isabel doesnât answer.
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Gojo and Sukuna: The Strongest vs The Strongest
Gojou and Sukuna are both pictured lounging on top of a pile of skulls: the people theyâve climbed over to reach the top of their respective worlds. Gojou is the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, and Sukuna is the strongest cursed spirit. As they both carry the title of the strongest they actually have a lot in common, and are destined to duke it out one day - more details UNDER THE CUT.
1. Individualism
Gojo and Sukuna are both characters who base their entire identity around their individual strength. Their number one priority is the development of themselves. They need to stand out. They need to stand out on top. Thatâs why they share the phrase:Â âThroughout the heaven and earth, he alone is the honored one.â
Selfish and self-centered is a personality trait that typically has negative connotations, but being a selfish person is not necessarily a good or bad thing. All it means is you prioritize yourself first, your own thoughts, your own world view, your own sense of self.Â
âI alone am the honored oneâ is actually a phrase of self enlightenment. Itâs said that after the Budha Sakayuni was born he took seven steps from his mother and said that while pointing to the heaven and earth [x].Â
Gege has confirmed in his author comments he uses it to confirm the arrogance of the characters, and in doing so he portrays both the good and the bad of having such a sense of arrogance. See, selfishness is considered a bad quality, but what about self-confidence? Self-esteem? Believing in yourself can lead you to good things. Doubting yourself may seem humble, but it can lead you to making mistakes, or even lashing out at others. These arenât necessarily good or bad theyâre just qualities that people have. Personal enlightenment means becoming the best version of yourself that you can possibly be (if Iâm WAYYY SIMPLIFYING). Gojou and Sukuna know themselves, and what they desire better than any other characters in the series.Â
Gojo and Sukuna have such high confidence in themselves that they believe they can do pretty much anything, and usually they can. In their world view if you have the strength to do it, then anything is possible.Â
Gojo calls this philosophy swinging for the fences. They are both like star players on the team, who do everything they can to stand out and be the best. Their are two competing needs in the story, the individual good, and the collective good. Gojo insists you donât have to sacrifice yourself and put yourself down for the good of others, which is why he tries to assert his individual will on the world. He wants to make the world better how he sees fit. He generally thinks heâs right, and more right than others. Sukuna is the same way to a more extreme extent.Â
The flaw of this thinking is that eventually they both tend to see themselves as above other people. When they stop seeing other people and cut themselves off like this, they start to believe they have to do every single thing alone. Instead of asserting their own will over others, it becomes more and more like their own will, their own ideas, their own thoughts and feelings become all that exists to them. Thatâs when their thinking starts becoming warped.Â
Collectivism and Individualism are ideas that seem to contradict each other but thatâs wrong, theyâre actually complementary ideas that coexist. People are individuals. People are a collective group. Both of these ideas exist at the same time.Â
Gojoâs self confidence, his selfless fighting for others always using his strength for the sake of others, trying to make a better world as he sees fit are all good things, but the fact that he believes no matter how strong he becomes no matter how hard he fights heâll always die alone because itâs not worth becoming close to others in the Jujutsu World is just... sad. It means ever since Geto left, Gojo has trouble accepting other people and becoming close to them. Whereas Sukuna just doesnât care. The flaw of doing everything alone is exactly that, youâre eventually alone, you become the only person on earth.Â
2. Collectivism
Gojo and Sukuna both have an individual mindset, but where they differ is how they use their massive strength. Gojo believes in himself above all else but, he uses his strength for the collective good of the jujutsu world, whereas Sukuna only ever uses it for himself. Gojo parallels Yujiâs grandfatherâs advice at the beginning of the manga pretty much exactly. Heâs strong, so heâs obligated to help people.Â
Gojo and Sukuna believes their strength makes them capable of anything, but Sukuna takes that one step further. Sukunaâs strength means he can do whatever he wants to others. Whereas, Gojo holds himself back. Itâs why Sukuna is the king of curses, but Gojo isnât the king of sorcerers.Â
Gojo is at least capable of acknowledging other people in a way that Sukuna isnât. Sukuna believes that the world should be run on strength alone. Gojo acknowledges that heâs perfectly capble of slaughtering everyone at the top and declaring himself king, but that he doesnât really think that will change things ultimately.Â
The thing is other people exist, even if Sukuna wants to ignore this inconvenient reality. No man is an island, yadda yadda. More importantly though, other people play a big role in individual identity too. If you were a person who never interacted with other people in your life, youâd just be insane. Youâd be feral like an animal. You wouldnât even have a sense of individuality. The individual ego is shaped just as much by our interactions with other people, seeing how weâre similiar and different to others than it is by how we view ourselves. Gojo and Sukuna both grapple with this idea. One thing they have in common is they both have awful peresonalities.
Theyâre not even lousy, theyâre childish. They play games with other people. Gojo makes constant references to video games and pop culture like heâs a really hip teenager. Sukuna makes every fight into a game where he viciously mocks his opponent because heâs just so bored. The reason is because as individuals theyâre also stunted, specifically because they have such trouble acknowledging other people and other people have such an influence on our peresonalities. Gojo doesnât really need to grow up because heâs always been stronger and smarter than all the adults. Sukuna is a thousand year old spirit who acts like heâs thirteen.Â
This longing to understand other people exists in both of them. Sukunaâs one redeeming feature is that when people are strong he will acknowledge them. He reaches out and connects to Jogo before his death. The problem is if you donât meet his own personal definition of strength, then by his rules youâre basically nothing.Â
Gojo seems much more aware of the fact that heâs not good enough to change things alone. What he wants is allies who are just as strong as he is, people he can rely on, people he can stand together and fight with.Â
Sukuna genuinely doesnât care about others. In fact, he views the desire to have companions, equals as a weakness. If you accept other people in any other regard, it weakens you and your individual will + desires as a person.Â
But as I said, acknowledging other people is just as formative in your identity in ackonwledging yourself. Sukuna is just flat out wrong here. Heâs the extreme result of Gojoâs tendency to do everything himself. For Sukuna other people just straight up donât exist. The only people he acknowledges are the ones who meet his standards, his servants like Ura-Ume, and the one he plans on using like Megumi and that itself is a weakness. An oversight.Â
3. Gojou vs. Sukuna
Sukuna has been planning, since literally the introduction chapters and the very first arc of the manga how heâs going to take Gojo down when he eventually claims Yujiâs body as his own.Â
However, even if Sukuna were at full strength in Yujiâs body, Gojo would still win. I donât think Gojoâs being cocky here itâs a genuine assessment of his strength. Which is why Sukuna has gotten crafty. We saw a long, long time ago he took an interest in Megumi the moment he learned he was a shikigami user.Â
Sukuna notices that Megumi a shadow based shikigami user should have been easily able to beat a one finger curse, and asks why he didnât. Itâs after this point he takes a special interest in Megumi. He sees much more potential in Megumi, then Megumi even sees in himself.Â
He places his bets in the personal development of Megumi Fushigoro. Over time, weâre reminded again and again the itnerest Sukuna has only in Megumi, and itâs slowly revealed why piece by piece.Â
We learn two things about Megumi over time, that he intentionally holds himself back all the time, even though among the first years heâs the closest so far to developing a domain expansion. Number two is what weâve learned in the last chapter.
Megumi actually has an insanely strong Jujutsu ability that he was born with. Among the Zenâin family itâs the only one that could ever possibly equal the six eyes. In the past it was a six-eyes user and a ten shadows user who fought to the death as equals. Megumi is someone who has had the capability to surpass Gojo all along, he just doesnât believe himself capable and inententionally holds himself back.Â
Which is why we learn this chapter, the insanely strong spirits that Megumi can summon with his ability we finally get a clue as to why Sukuna has taken an interset in him. Even if everything goes swimmingly and he takes over Yujiâs body, he still has to fight Gojo.Â
Sukuna is keeping Megumi alive because from the beginning, being a thousand years old he knows this ancient history between the Zenâin and the Gojo families, and he knows that Megumi being a ten shadows user has the potential to be an equal, or even stronger than Gojo.Â
The Gojo and Sukuna fight is going to happen eventually in the manga and when it does, Sukunaâs planning on using Megumi as a tool against Gojo. Thatâs what weâve been building to all this time. Thatâs Sukunaâs plans for Megumi.Â
#sukuna#ryomen sukuna#gojou satoru#gojo satoru#megumi fushigoro#jjk meta#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu kaisen meta#jujutsu kaisen theory
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Fandom: Blue Exorcist/Ao No Exorcist Pairing: Bon/Rin Soulmate Au: Shared dreams until you actually get to meet. Part: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight , Nine , Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen, Sixteen, Seventeen , Eighteen
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Bon offered Konekomaru a halfhearted shrug. He wasn't sure what was up and he wouldn't be okay until he had some answers.
It was⊠it was probably a misunderstanding. If Rin was fighting with Yukio on top of everything else, he might be upset enough to not recognize this place.
He couldn't imagine Rin would recognize this place and not try to meet him. Not when he was going through so much and Bon was one of the few people who probably knew the story, and not when they'd been waiting so long to meet. Rin cared a lot about him, he was pretty sure Rin loved him, and it wasn't like him to break a promise.
Actually, why was Rin here, and why was Yukio not only aware of demons, but also an exorcist? Why hadn't anyone told Rin about demons if he was a halfling? If Rin was getting attacked by them, why the hell hadnât Yukio intervened?
His eyes shot to the door suspiciously. What was going on in there?
Three gunshots rang through the air from the classroom. Bon's heart slammed into his throat as his hands sprang to the door.
"What are you doing?" The purple haired girl demanded, "he told us to wait out here."
Bon didn't care what Yukio had said. Rin was in there and nothing, much less fear of upsetting a teacher, was going to keep him away if Rin was in danger.
The door was locked from the inside. Two more shots rang out.
*âHeâs a dragoon,â a teen Bon hadnât noticed earlier muttered. They had a hoodie blocking their face, and were standing next to a kid who seemed to be asleep and was holding a puppet.
âWho is?â He snapped back, still trying to twist the knob pointlessly. Shoving the door hard, he peered through the window only to find he couldnât see anything.
âFâSensei. Heâs a dragoon. Heâs probably just taking care of the demons.âÂ
Bonâs eyes snapped back to the door, and he forced himself to let go of the handle. His soulmate was going to be okay. The demons had probably just reacted to Rinâs presence. It was probably fine.
The hinges were on the inside, and the stained glass windows that lined the classroom wouldnât be capable of opening. Besides, with whatever magic was on the cram school, he wouldnât be able to get through them. They probably didnât lead anywhere.
Damn it, he should have spoken up.
The door grew suddenly hot under his hands. He released it with a grunt, stepping back from the heat, and bumping into the hoodie teen.
âBon?â
âIt got hot.â He shook his hands out and squinted at the door in confusion. Hovering his hand near it, he could still feel a slight heat, but nothing like it had been.Â
Fire didnât make sense. Yukio had been using Goblins to give them temp-taints, and if theyâd gotten out of hand⊠they werenât weak to fire. According to the element wheel, they should be susceptible to an air based attack. Or simple holy water. Hopefully not that, because Rin would be susceptible to holy water.Â
The door unlocked and swung open, showing Yukio stepping back to welcome them back in the partially destroyed room. The chalkboard was shot to hell, the desk was shoved to the side, several desks had been toppled over, and there was a strange, greasy black substance coating the desks, floor, and part of the chalkboard. Rin was standing by one of the toppled desk, staring down at it with a mildly confused frown.
There was a scratch on his cheek, but he looked otherwise unharmed, if not a little disheveled.Â
âPlease grab any items you may have left, and follow me. Weâre going to move to a different classroom for the remainder of todayâs lesson.â The rest of the class filed past him to gather their stuff at Yukioâs bequest. Bon stood rooted to the spot, staring at Rin. The anxiety that had twisted his stomach up in knots was slowly unraveling to leave him with a rush of relief that had his knees feeling a little unsteady.
âMr. Suguro?â Yukio inquired politely.
Bon told himself to move but didnât as Rinâs head lifted up, and turned towards him.
Rinâs eyes were the same shade of blue in the real world.
There was a strange delight in seeing the immediate recognition light up the beautiful blue eyes, and watching Rinâs mouth pop open in shock. There were still other people talking, the rest of the class was probably staring, and none of it mattered because a delighted smile was lifting Rinâs lips.
âRyuuji?â
And, oh, he hadnât known hearing Rin, the real, breathing Rin say his name would be any different than in their shared dreams. It was. Rin said his name like a caress, breathless with wonder, a little frightened, and so hopeful that Bonâs heart was slamming its way back into his throat and clogging his ability to say anything at all.
He stared back for an endless moment, taking in all the details as he tried to inhale, tried to speak, tried to do anything but stand there like a lump, and suddenly he was in front of Rin with his hands reaching out to touch his soulmate. This close, he could see that Rinâs pupils were red and that his hair was varying shades of blue and black. He could feel warmth from his soulmate, and heâ
âMr. Suguro!â
Bon jolted at Yukioâs suddenly loud voice. Rin jumped, jerking back and baring his new fangs. Yukio adjusted his glasses and gave them both very pointed looks. âPerhaps you can restrain yourselves until after this class?â He eyed his twin in a way that felt worried, âsomewhere private?â
There were a lot of people in here, and they were all staring at them. His face heated up in a blush at that realization, and he promptly dropped his hand back to his side. He didnât want his first interaction with the real Rin to be in front of an audience.
Rin shifted forward, drawing Yukioâs attention to himself. âItâs just a temperature, right?â
âTemp-taint, Rin.âÂ
âWell just scratch him so we can talk.â
Yukio rolled his eyes in irritation. âItâs not just a scratch, Rin. Iâll have to heal it or it could seriously injure him.â
Rinâs hand shot forward and wrapped around Bonâs wrist. His touch was shockingly real, and warmer than it had ever been in the dreams.
âEveryone,â Yukio turned his attention from them, which was good because Bon was going to need a moment to recover from the shock of Rinâs actual touch, and regarded the rest of the class, âplease move to the room two doors down on the left. Iâll be with you shortly.âÂ
Their classmates filed out, Konekomaru and Renzou watching him with worried looks until he mouthed that he was okay, and it was just the three of them.Â
âI will give you exactly five minutes, Rin. Do notââ Yukioâs eyes shot to Bon distrustfully â âdo not be longer than that, and be careful.â
Rin rolled his eyes and crossed his arm over his chest. âWhatever.â
Yukio stared at them for an uncomfortable moment before turning on his heel and exiting the room, leaving them alone. Together.
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A/N:Â *Just realized I forgot to mention Takara and Yamada (aka Shura in disguise) in the last update xD
#bonrin#rin okumura#ryuji suguro#soulmate au#ao no exorcist#blue exorcist#aoex#aoex fanfiction#bon/rin#bon x rin#bon suguro#my fics#ryuuji suguro#my tumblr fics
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