#slowly feeling better fortunately so i am going to try to go back to work again next week yayyy. i will miss my sims family sm....

[sprolden]

officially on the 4th generation of my sims family 🙏 truly making the most out of barely being able to leave the house

[quaintii]

The Prey and the Predator

a/n: first time writing smut, so I am new here! I'll try my best 🪱

Wrd Cnt: I dunno ^-^

Warnings: breeding kink, aftercare, oral, spanking, choking, little bdsm, dom!Miguel, sub!reader, fang kink, size kink, stomach bulge, blood-play, hair pulling, suffocation?, p with plot? prob more. MDNI !

Summary: Miguel has been trying to catch you after you have been messing up with the timeline. You're an obnoxious villain most say. You have quite a hunch on Miguel and you love playing around with him, he caught your eye so attentively and you love seeing him angry. Miguel has had enough with this stubbornness of yours and wants to catch you once and for all to stop messing up his plans.

enjoy <3

This was the 5th time today you've messed with him. Miguel was seriously starting to get fed up with your games. He tried to catch you multiple times but you have an invisibility power. You love treating him like a dog on a leash, always coming towards you. You have messed with many other people before but it hasn't been as much as fun as this, you love seeing him angry. Sometimes you stalk him to see what his plans are. You are always near him, just invisible. Since he lacks Spidey sense it makes things much more easier. But he's very attentive with sound because he has enhanced senses.

"I'm so fucking done with her fucking games and bullshit. She's so fucking annoying. Ya es la quinta vez que ha hecho esto." Miguel said while heavily sighing with irritation. "Si lo vuelve acer.. la voy acer que se arrepienta."

You giggled as you kept rewinding the face that Miguel would do whenever he was pissed. You find him quite interesting that you want to prey on him more and see how far his tolerance limit can go. You quit trying to deny your attraction to him cause god his physique drives you insane. Your body is desperately wanting for his grasp on your throat.

As the next day passes, you decide to continue your daily annoyance in messing up his plans to remove every anomaly in the wrong universe. You follow him around about everywhere when you have nothing better to do. You cause him ton of stress by causing ruckus in many different universes. Thing is, he's starting to catch onto your patterns. Which will soon lead him to finally grab a hold on you.

You fortunately make a 'small' ruckus by causing another anomaly to escape from the HQ. Miguel and other spiders are working on a mission to catch this villain while you stand back watching it like a movie. He already knows it was you because your patterns are always consistent. You rest so carelessly, not worrying about a single thing. Your eyes intoxicatingly staring deep into Miguel. You're basically craving him to the point you touch yourself at the thought of him.

It's midnight by now and you're crouching down on the floor in a abandoned broken down building in a random universe. You just couldn't get the thought of him wandering his hands around your body. Touching every crevice of it. You couldn't hold back anymore and touched your core. Rubbing it with your palms slowly but with a rhythmic pace, you start heavily panting out of frustration as it's not enough for your satisfaction of immense pleasure you desire.

You desperately want more so you remove your pants and pull your red undergarments to the side. Using your slick wetness as lube to rub your clit in slow circles. You roll your head back and you whimper lightly.

You stick your fingers inside your cunt, feeling some relief of pleasure but not enough. You start chasing your high as your mind starts to drift to Miguel pounding you so unrelentingly with no mercy. You start moaning his name as a prayer between gasps. Your stomach starts to feel a tight snap and ecstacy washes over your body. You pant stiffly and rub off your cum on your suit.

"God, I seriously cannot believe I'm doing this...this is so fucking embarrassing for me." You say with an expression of disappointment.

You go a couple of days without messing with Miguel because you just can't seem to control yourself whenever he's near you, even when he doesn't know you're there. So you decide to pay him a visit at the HQ and see what thing you should do today. You're unusually nervous this time, wondering if you'll mess anything up. You feel so incredibly queasy around him now.

As you find a portal, you sneak your way in with your invisibility power. You see Miguel watching and scrolling thru some screens and you just can't stop glaring at him sitting on his desk. You had a sudden urge to just climb on top of him and straddle him with your hips. You started having lewd thoughts and you started having a pool of arousal grow the more you stood there.

Little did you know, Miguel could sniff your wetness. He knew it was you because he remembers your scent. As he scrolls through the perspective cams, he finally shuts them down. He pretends he's not aware you're in the same room with him, in his office. Alone together.

"Didn't figure I'd finally catch you." Miguel said with a sly smirk. "You are such a fucking intolerance that I can't stand, I mean you mess with my missions half of the time..god you're such an annoyance! You know that right?" He said while walking closer towards you.

Until out of nowhere, he immediately uses his red lasso and webs to pin you onto a wall. You audibly gasp because you find this completely unexpected. You quickly start thinking what caused him to find what place you were at. How did he know you were there? This was unusual because other times you were around him, he didn't do anything. But your arousal just began to grow even wetter.

"H-how did you know I was here?!?" You said with worry. "I promise I was just playing around, I didn't mean anything horrible. I p-promise, please don't hurt me!" You beg. You try getting out of his grasp but your hands are winded behind your back. You hate to admit it but you're getting even more turned on by this.

"Ay cariño... podía oler tu excitación..Hueles tan bien..como dulce..por fin te tengo en la palma de mis manos amor.." He says while chuckling lowly.

You were struggling to get out his web, your eyes still on his, watching him creep closer to you second by second. Your heart starts racing so fast when he's above you. Miguel is so much more taller than you. You only understood a bit of Spanish but god did you adore his accent.

"Stay still f'me, mi vida. Vuevles aver me? Ya sé que te encantó haciendo estos juegos, muñeca. Queda quieta..stay still.." Miguel says with a tone of lustfulness.

"Please Miguel, I really meant no harm..please let me go. " You keep babbling incoherent words because the only thing you can focus on is his collarbone, his amazing physique. His biceps flex with every move, god how badly you want him to choke you with his hands. His prominent veins also catch your eyes. You observe every aspect of him especially what's between his thighs.

You hold back a stifled moan just from staring at him. Your mind starts racing with so many ways this could possibly go.

"You shouldn't have messed with me, amor. You should always keep in mind how your actions always come with consequences, right cariño? Y'know.. you really caused me a lot of stress these past few days. It's not so easy catching a dangerous anomaly almost everyday, muneca." He said while his muscles begin to tense. He absolutely loved the way he caged over your small body. He could just eat you right then and there.

"Mejor un sabor de tu coño me hace sentir mejor, bebé." His tone dripping with amusement.

"M-miguel.. I don't think you're thinking straight. Okay! I'm sorry about what I've done, I won't do it ever again!"

"Oh I promise you won't do it ever again. I should teach you a lesson. Will you be a good girl for me?"

You try your best to not give into your deep pleasures, so you continue to put up your arrogant side. "Miguel, you wouldn't dare to touch me because you don't know what horrible things I would do this place! I will ruin you!" You yell with fake confidence.

Miguel chuckles darkly. "Not if I ruin you first cariño. Look how cute you look squirming. I think I would love to keep you around as a stress relief toy, què no? I think you and I would both enjoy that." Miguel finally stands infront of you and crouches to your height.

"mmm, smell so good.. let me fill you up, amor. I could smell you miles away..you're so wet for me. You know you want this."

You try denying it as much as you could, you couldn't believe what Miguel was even uttering. Your brain starts fogging up and you finally give up.

"I-i do Miguel. I crave you. I can't hold myself anymore whenever I see you, I want your cock inside me please Miguel." You beg.

"Such a needy little slut aren't you? You want this cock so bad..don't you?" You nod slowly, biting your lower lip. Miguel finally released you from his webs and you immediately flop to the ground on your hands and knees. You look at him through your lashes.

"You look so pretty on your knees for me, cariño. I should do something with that pretty mouth of yours, que no? " He said with a sneer spreading across his face.

"Please Miguel do anything to me.." You say with a whimper in your voice. You're starting to get impatient and your cunt is now soaking wet, longing for something long and girthy inside of you. Your lips hang open. You stare at his crotch and approach your hands to his bulge. God, he was huge.

He slaps your hands away from approaching him. "Who said you could do that, amor? I'm the one who controls around here. You'll do anything I'll say like a good girl right?" Miguel said while huffing, your position on your knees has him holding every restraint he has left in him. "Si Miguel." You say.

He presses his index finger on your chin, lifting it up to face him. "Remember no teasing cariño, only I do that. Do that and you'll get a punishment." Miguel removed his suit and his physique was even more amazingly sculpted. His boxers were then brought to his knees and his cock sprung free. The brown tip leaking with pre-cum. It's begging to be sucked.

You part your lips open and hold onto his length, both of your hands don't even cover him. You lick his pre-cum from the tip like a kitten. You do circles with your tongue on his tip, making him more sensitive.

Miguel's mind starts fogging up with what many things he wants to do to that pretty little pussy of yours and make you his slut.

You then try taking his length in your warm, silky mouth, his cock twitching, begging for more warmth. As you take half of him in your throat, you bob your head up and down in a rhythmic pace. You stroke the rest of him that doesn't fit inside your mouth. You start moaning and panting when you take him, you try going even deeper. Your throat starts choking.

You then look up at Miguel. He has the most lustful expression you've ever seen. His eyebrows are furrowed together, he's biting his lips. Staring deep into your soul with his crimson eyes.

"Ay muñeca, me haces.. fuck.. sentir mejor.." He said while looking down at your small figure taking his length slowly. Miguel was tired with teasing and was barely holding by a thread from throat fucking your throat.

You release your lips around him to breathe. A string of pre-cum from your lips and his cock made him finally lose it. Miguel couldn't hold himself back anymore. All of his morals go out the window as he violently bucks his hips against your throat. Mounts of tears start to stream down your face as his cock runs so deep and warm down your throat. It hurts as first but it then drives you insane.

The sound of sucking and popping echoes through the room. He's so close, you can feel it. You look up at him, battering your wet lashes at him. Taking him like a good girl, you thought.

His head rolls back and his jaw tightens as he's reaching his limit. Your throat wrapping around his cock made him twitch uncontrollably. Your soft tongue swirling around him also aroused him. Miguel was holding onto the wall to stay still because your throat feels so amazing. He starts wondering how euphoric your pussy must feel.

He then loudly groans and curses in Spanish under his breath as he thrusts one more time down your throat to spread his seed. His cum tastes salty then sweet. It's a treat for you. You drink all of his cum, swirling your tongue around his cock, making sure you take every last droplet.

"Mierda..eres magnífica, ma." He says while heavily panting. "Your throat fits my cock perfectly." Miguel looks at you up and down hungrily. He then grabs your arm and places you on top of his desk. He throws everything on the floor. You're his only focus now.

You're cunt is throbbing for something, it feels so empty. You haven't been able to satisfy yourself so you run your hands to rub your clothed clit but Miguel slaps your ass before you do.

"Only I can do that, mi vida. You can't touch yourself without my permission. Ahora.. quítate la ropa." He said with heavy impatience. The idea aroused you.

You do so, you slowly tease him as you remove your suit. Going from top to bottom. Removing every clothing off your body. Miguel hungrily follows your curves. He eyes you so lustfully. You're now fully naked in front of him. He can't stop staring at your pussy. Miguel's gaze is almost unreadable.

Suddenly, he grabs your throat, almost choking you. You try talking but you just give up because you enjoy this too much to even talk back. "What did I say about teasing me cariño? I thought you were going to be a good slut for me.. y'know I don't wanna play games with you anymore."

You moan as his grip remains on your stronger and your body hitched as the cold air washes over you. Your nipples are perked up, begging for some attention. "Now let me touch you, princessa." Miguel kneels down and whispers "puta madre, eres una maravilla.." at your cunt. His warm breath makes you twitch. You can't hold back anymore and want some sort of touch. His fingers separate your lips to see your glistening cunt. His dark, crimson eyes bore into yours as he pushed two fingers up your pretty cunt.

"You're so wet... are you that needy for my cock, princessa?" He said while smirking devilsly. Your back immediately arched back when he licked your slick wetness. He licked and sucked softly on your clit. He swirls his tongue around your clit in circles, driving you insane. You desperately want more so you buck your hips against his face and grab onto his hair. Miguel slaps your pussy again. "What did I tell you, princessa, be a good slut for daddy." "No one else will ever suck your pretty pussy this good like me, ma, nobody." You let out a loud moan as he slides in his girthy, scarred fingers inside your plushy, soft walls.

" M-miguel.." a soft whimper fell from your lips as you pull his hair between your thighs. He can't wait to stuff his big cock inside your soft, warm pussy. He wants you to beg for him, ache for him, moan his name like a prayer continuously. He goes a steady pace, sliding his fingers in and out while licking your clit. You feel so amazing, you roll your head and your eyes to the back of your skull as you feel your dirty desires finally being fulfilled. Miguel bit the inside of your thighs with his fangs, marking you his and his only.

His cock twitched at the feeling of your soft, silky walls around his fingers, tightening around him. "Look at your cunt.. fuck cariño, tightening around me like a needy bitch. Hm? Tell me how bad you want my cock, ma. Beg for it."

"P-please Miguel, I want your fucking cock inside of my cunt, make me your slut. Fuck me already please." You say while you mewl and whine as his fingers starts sliding in faster than before, you feel something familiar in your lower abdomen. You feel something coming up and you finally snap. You moan loud throughout your orgasm, your legs start twitching uncontrollably as you tighten your thighs around Miguel's head. "M-miguel please stop!" You whine. You started to feel so overstimulated when Miguel sucks your clit, attentively watching your expressions. You try pushing him off but your strength doesn't budge. You start slightly tearing up as you feel you'll completely crumble to pieces and pass out. Miguel finally stops.

"Todavía quieres que juega con tu coño, ma? Sabes tan rica. Cómo dulce caramelo. Eres mia." He said gruffly. "Look at me, mama." You face your eyes at his, begging him to fuck you without mercy just with your eyes. His cock is twitching and he couldn't hold back no more. "Use your words, ma.. do you want my cock?" He grins. He teased you with his cock as he runs it up and down your slick cunt. "Yes Miguel, ple-", you were cut off as he immediately thrusted into your pussy without warning. You screamed out of immense pleasure. "F-FUCK." You've never felt this full before, he took up all the air in your lungs in a second as he started thrusting hard into your cervix. You were now uncontrollably mewing and whining his name non-stop.

"Such a pretty pussy just for me. All mine..look how your dirty pussy keeps sucking me in, princessa.. mierda.." You try rolling your hips at his dick to receive even more friction but he slaps your ass harshly. Over and over, making you scream. "Que te dije, amor." Miguel keeps staring when his cock enters your pussy deep after each thrust. Your hips feel like completely giving up, if it weren't for him holding onto your hips and waist, you would've fallen by now. Your eyes bore into Miguel's eyes and he does the same. He loved seeing how he made you feel, your facial expressions of gasping and panting.. begging for more, made his dick harden. The skin to skin contact drew you and him insane, he started becoming primal. Animalistic.

He loves how his cock feels balls deep inside your warm walls. Sliding easily in and out. Your eyes couldn't stop rolling back as your hips twitched against his. Miguel then started teasing your perked nipples, that finally received some attention. His mouth sucked on your tits, hungrily. He would softly bite it to get more of a reaction out of you. You were even more turned on as he would rest his neck on your shoulder. Kissing your neck, leaving you with hickeys everywhere. He brought out his fangs to taste you even more.

You yelped when his fangs sunk deep into you skin, you felt so intoxicated by the overwhelming pleasure when he start sucking your blood. Your body was starting to limp. He wouldn't let go of his fast space. He starts grabbing a strong hold of your throat and hair. He wanted you all over his body. He pulls your chest to his chest, reaching more amazing spots.

"M-miguel! Please.. I can't take anymore.. please stop, please Miguel it's too m-much f'me." You feel his bulge stick out of your stomach. You wondered how he even fits inside you. "No muñeca..I know you can take this like a good slut, your pussy wants this. Don't deny it." Miguel pants."M-miguel please!" You whine as it pleasure slowly becomes overwhelming for you. Without having another say, he immediately flips you on your chest on his desk, bringing your ass up and tying your hands behind your back so you wouldn't intefere. You found yourself almost collapsing just to the touch of his body weighing down in yours. "I can do anything I want to you, you're my slut. You're my slut! Say it!" Miguel says while panting as he managed to slam even deeper into your cunt at this angle. He grabs your throat, making you face him. "Dígalo, mi corazón. Say you're my pretty little dirty slut." "M-miguel, I'm your fucking..s-slut." You slur your words as you could barely hold words in your throat. Your moans would pronounce Miguel's name incoherently over and over.

The sounds of moaning and skin slapping against each other echoes throughout the room. "feels s'good fuck..mierda. Look what you do to me." You endlessly mewl and whine and moan loudly as he continues to slam his girthy cock, hitting your g-spot. Your back manages to arch even more. Allowing him to go deeper inside you than you ever imagined was even possible.

His hands travel to your clit, rubbing it so slowly. Your mouth is completely agape, gasping for air. He leaves soft kisses down your spine and you shiver as he marks you again with his fangs on your shoulders. His talons begin to tightly grip your hips. Leaving bruises on it for later. The low growls of his whiny voice caused you clench tighter around his cock, causing him to twitch. You were so close, you felt it and he did too.

"Going to fill this pretty pussy full of my cum, princess. Cum for me cariño, do it for me. Make me feel good. Want your pussy to tighten around me." With those words being said, your legs and pussy spasm uncontrollably around his rough, thick cock.

He continued thrusting a few more times inside you, overstimulating you beyond the edge. Both of your bodies emit groans, growls, gasps, and pleasurable moans. "F-fuck I'm so c-close, baby..god. Mierda, amo tu coño." He finally cums inside your pussy, the overwhelming pleasure makes you faint for a while. Miguel finally pulls out and groans as he sees his semen leak out your pussy. "I want you to be full of me.." He pushed two fingers up your cunt to make sure his cum would stay there. He pumps his cum back into your womb.

You now fall completely unconscious as the overwhelmed pleasure took over you. A couple hours later, you wake up next to Miguel. He was staring at you sleeping. You try getting up but Miguel placed you back down on the bed. "No baby, your body needs to rest. You're tired. If you want anything, just ask me muñeca." He said while smiling. You never saw this caring side of him, you loved it already. "Why were you staring at me sleeping, Miguel?" You said with a raspy voice. "You look angelic all the time, cariño. Even when moaning my name." He said while smirking. You feel your cheeks heating up as you vividly remember everything from last night. It was so intense that your body was so sore. For now, all that mattered is that Miguel is with you, taking care of you.

A/n: THAT WAS A LOT for my first time, hope u guys enjoy :3 translations below!

Translations: "cariño": sweetheart

"Muñeca": doll

"Mierda": fuck

"Princessa"- princess

"Amo tu coño": I love your pussy.

"Dígalo mi corazón": Say it, my love

"Que te dije amor": What did I tell you, love

"Todavía quieres que juega con tu coño, ma? Sabes tan rica. Cómo dulce caramelo. Eres mia" : You still want me to play with your pussy, ma? You taste so good. Like caramel candy. You're mine.

"Puta madre, eres una maravilla." -- Holy shit, you're so amazing.

"Ahora. Quítate la ropa." -- Now. Take off your clothes.

"Ya es la quinta vez que ha hecho esto." - It's already the 5th time she's done this.

"Si lo vuelve acer.. la voy acer que se arrepienta." - If ehe does it again... I'm make her regret.

[slttygeto]

WHAT WAS I MADE FOR?

⤷ THINK I FORGOT, HOW TO BE HAPPY. | something i’m made for

જ⁀➴synopsis: your boyfriend was made to be the center of attention, to receive so much love--not to deal with your sadness like it was his.

જ⁀➴content warning: fem!reader, angst, reader is a little insecure, just v sad, satoru best boy.

જ⁀➴ word count: 0,8k.

⤷ comments and reblogs are much appreciated!

my boyfriend is so cool

that was always your thought when you went out with him for dinner. he’d invite a bunch of his friends along with their partners, and you’d spend the rest of the night chatting and laughing. you noticed how suguru was always the center of attention, even if he didn’t want to be. his best friend was equally magnetic. like a moth to a flame, they would both shine so bright.

and you’re suguru’s girlfriend. his pretty girl whom he met in college and has been with ever since. three years down the road, and many more to come, as he liked to say. you liked to believe that you and suguru were meant to be together, a match made in heaven. despite your different personalities and approach in life, you always managed to find a way to make it work.

always.

tonight, dinner tasted a little weird on your tongue. you’re sure it’s just you because everyone else seems to be enjoying their food just fine. no one seems to notice the way you scrunch up your face after the first bite, slowly setting the fork down and flashing suguru a polite smile, to which he immediately asks

“are you okay?”

am I okay? you’re not sure if you are, but you nod anyway. you squeeze his shoulder and motion at a friend who was talking to him, asking him to focus on the conversation.

you hated feeling like this. you could feel your stomach hurt, and your heart sinks a little as you try your best to fight back the insecurities. why were they resurfacing at such a time?

you weren’t supposed to feel this way. you’ve talked about this before with suguru, and he reassured you many times that he was dating you because he loved you. even three years later, you still can’t find it in you to tell him that it seems like he deserves better.

not someone who cries when they look in the mirror, or deflate throughout the day for no absolute reason. suguru deserved someone who takes care of him, not a person who is constantly so sad.

you excuse yourself from the table you’re sitting at, muttering to your boyfriend some lame excuse about how you need to fix your makeup. truth be told, if you had stayed at that table any longer, you would’ve thrown up the food and made a mess.

you walk inside the bathroom and as dramatic as it may seem, you lean against the door and let out a sob. it’s quiet, you don’t want anyone to hear you. but then it gets louder and louder until you turn on the faucet to try to drown out the sound of your cries.

this is so stupid.

you’re trying to wipe your makeup, even if it seems a little impossible to fix it right now (but you somehow manage). you’ve been in the bathroom for about 7 minutes now, and you know that if you stay there any longer, suguru would come looking for you.

you step out of the bathroom when you’re sure you look presentable and bump into a strong chest. your heart stills.

please don’t let it be—

“are you okay?” thank god, it was satoru.

you’ve known him ever since you met your boyfriend, and he’s been one of the most reliable friends ever. he was nice, kind, a little cocky but given his looks and fortune, he had a lot to brag about.

“oh, yeah. my stomach was a little upset, come on let’s go—“ you’re avoiding his eyes, but satoru can tell from your swollen lips that something else happened.

“you were crying, weren’t you?” his eyebrows are pinched, and you fight back tears when you look up at him and see the concerned look on his face.

“please, don’t tell suguru.” your voice cracks when you say his name, and satoru’s face morphs into one of confusion.

“but–“

“satoru, please. it’s not what he’s made for.”  

it’s not what he’s made for.

satoru’s lips part in shock, but he can feel his heart clenching a little at your words. he doesn’t know what to tell you, his mind is blank as he stares down at you with icy blue eyes.

“okay then, let’s go back,” he doesn’t press it, slowly leads the way back to your table and you’re immediately overflown with questions from suguru.

“are you okay? is it your stomach? we can get you meds–“

“I’m okay,” you try to reassure him with a warm hand on top of his, but the look on his face tells you that he doesn’t believe you. not one bit.

but suguru doesn’t have to know that you’re not okay. after all, he does deserve better and you’re getting in the way of that. 

⤷ the song absolutely destroyed me, so i had to write something.

2023 © all works belong to slttygeto. do not repost my work anywhere else.

[notafunkiller]

unveiled

Summary: Unable to keep the charade up, you finally confront Bucky, telling him the whole truth.

Pairing: (fake) boyfriend’s brother!Bucky Barnes x female reader

Warnings: 18+, age gap (r is 26, Bucky is 39), teasing, dirty talk, or@l sex, fingering, protected séx, pet names, daddy kínk, language, implied aftercare, no mention of y/n

Word Count: 4.5K

story masterlist

Bucky Barnes masterlist

A/N: This story will have 4 parts, this is the 3rd part.

Please, do not repost or translate without my permission!

Avoiding Bucky for two weeks was hard, but fortunately, he didn’t try to push you at all, which made it bearable.

You miss him, though. You always enjoyed his company, and it feels like you are slowly losing a friend. But what’s your alternative?

As much as you try to be polite, William’s friends completely ignore you when you ask them how they are. So you give up quickly, spending time on your phone as you try to ignore them. You can’t go to your room because that would not fit the fake image, so you’re stuck.

You know William is not a bad guy, and he tried to get closer to you a couple of times, but he’s not the type of person you’d see yourself with. Not even as real friends. You’re just too different, and it’s not like either of you wanted to be in this situation.

Bucky has been busy all evening. From what you heard, he’s been working on an important project this week, even at home. But you are happy to see him coming downstairs, probably headed to the kitchen. At least, he’s alive.

“Hi.”

Everyone acknowledges him immediately, and he gives you a warm smile before going to the kitchen, as you thought.

A few minutes later, when he returns, he’s carrying a plate with two sandwiches and a drink in his left hand. William immediately reaches for the glass, and Bucky gives him a pointed look.

“That’s not for you.”

“Come on, you always let me try.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes at his tone. He acts like a kid a lot of times.

“This is for your girlfriend, punk. The one you’ve been ignoring.” You look at him surprised as he hands you the drink. How did he know?

Everyone turns to look at you, but you ignore them.

“Thank you.”

Cherries again... You blush.

“You’re welcome, hopefully you’ll drink it this time.”

For some reason, this is enough to make this whole avoiding him plan of yours go down the drain  and before you know what you’re doing, you’re in your room calling your mom and demanding her to stop this nonsense and let you come home. Because they can do it in another way. You can’t pretend to be a couple for years, can you? What about your life? What about what you want? You’ve already done so much for them, and you are sick and tired of lying.

Same goes for William. He must want the same thing as you do.

But she brushes you off, trying to make you see from their point of view. Because this is what your father wanted. And you never felt sicker.

“He wouldn’t give you the opportunity to run anything otherwise, baby. You have to do this... I am sorry.”

“No, you’re not! You’re fucking not! Otherwise, you would have left him. He controls you and me. He’s been doing it your whole marriage, and I am sick of it. I won’t let him treat me like this anymore.”

There is dead silence on the other side of the phone for a couple of seconds, and you have to forcefully bite your lip to keep the sobs down. You can almost taste the blood.

“Please, honey, there’s nothing I can do.”

You cannot take any more of her tone, so gou simply hang up and put your phone on silent just in case.

There’s nowhere you can go. Nothing you can do to escape this if you want an opportunity to do things your way. Your father uses you, and your mom doesn’t have your back.

It’s suffocating you, and it’s also terrifying how alone you can be despite not being theoretically alone.

He deserves better, too. He deserves to know.

That snaps something inside you, and before you can change your mind, you get out of your room, fixing your hair and wiping your tears with the back of your hand.

William’s friends are still downstairs, playing something based on their voices, but you ignore them. You go straight to Bucky’s door and knock desperately.

You still jump when he opens it, and you can spot the worry in his eyes right away.

He was taking a bath, you notice the water droplets running down his face and body. He probably threw his shorts and tank top on quickly, but you don’t care. He needs to know.

“What’s wrong?”

“I gotta tell you something. Right now.”

You get inside his room without waiting for an invitation, and only when you hear the door closing, you turn to look at him.

“They’re lying to you. Everyone is lying to you, including me. And I’m sorry.”

He comes closer, concerned. “What are you lying to me about, huh?”

“It’s not true. None of this is true.”

“What’s not true?” He presses again. You’re finally in his room, you’ve stopped avoiding him, yet you’re still panicking. And all he wants is to make sure you’re okay. “Take it easy. Try to speak slowly, you are running out of air.”

“About William and I�� We’re not together for real. It’s all a scam.”

He's speechless for a couple of seconds, frozen on spot, before you watch him start to laugh hysterically.

“I am serious, Bucky. It’s for the merger of the companies.” You continue, thinking he doesn’t believe you. Because why would he? “Your dad wanted to make sure mine won’t back off so they used me. I swear, I can show you-”

“I believe you, I believe you.” He's surprisingly calm as he speaks, as if you didn’t relieve a huge secret. “That’s not why I laughed.”

“I am sorry. I didn’t know why they wanted to keep it away from you, but I-”

“Why did you agree to all of this? What’s in it for you besides the misery of living here?” He asks, so much closer all of a sudden.

“Nothing now.” You sigh, but you don’t care. Even if you have nothing, at least he knows. And sadly, he doesn’t seem surprised by his parents’ actions. “I was supposed to get my dad’s  support with a small business. I also wanted to run a charity organization... accepting this  was the condition so I can have what I want. It’s stupid, I know. I am twenty-”

“I sensed something was wrong with this whole relationship thing. No couple acts the way you two do, but I thought maybe I was overthinking.” His clothes are fully getting wet now, and you can’t help but stare at his chest. Shit...

“I know.”

“I should have figured out what’s going on.”

His tone seems light, as if you’re not talking about how you all made him believe in a lie for months. You fight the impulse to beg for his forgiveness. You feel like a horrible, horrible human being.

“I am so sorry, Bucky,” you cry. “I should have told you. I am not a good friend, and I am so sorry. But now you know, I couldn’t keep it a secret anymore. I didn’t want to, you deserve so much better than all of this.”

“I know you wanted to.” His hand is on your shoulder all of a sudden, and you gasp at the contact. “On my birthday.”

“Yes,” you whisper. “I wanted to tell you a lot of times actually. But I am a coward. William and your parents-”

“You’re not his,” he interrupts you once again, shaking his head as if he can’t believe it. “You’ve never been his.”

You know what he means by his, and you want to correct him and tell him you’re not an object to be someone’s. But you remembered how much you thought about the possibility of Bucky being yours in the past few weeks, so...

“No, I am not.”

“Good.” He grabs you by the back of your head. “I've wanted to kiss ever since I saw you, don’t you know that?”

You gasp. “James-”

“Tell me you want me. Tell me that, and I’m yours. I don’t care about them, I care about you.”

“But I lied to you.”

“You didn’t want to lie to me, though. Analyze the context you are in a little.” He looks drunk as he stares at you, wanting nothing more than to kiss you.

You shake your head. “I can’t do the fun thing with you, okay?”

“Fun thing?”

“I can’t be like Cherry. I can’t stay friends with you after I kiss you.” And you wouldn’t want to even if you could.

He leans in until his mouth reaches your ear. “Who said I wanted that, princess? I told you I am yours.”

“Are you playing a game?”

“Sure,” he says immediately. “I can play any game you want if that makes you want to be mine.”

“Fucking hell,” you moan, feeling so many things at once. He’s seriously giving zero shits about this whole thing, and he’s touching you. Just like you touched him on his birthday. It feels forbidden and wrong, but also perfect. You can have him now. You can kiss him. And you do, bringing his head down so your lips can meet.

You moan quite loudly, but you can’t hold back. Not when he grabs your ass and pulls you closer to him. You hiss when you feel him lifting you in the air so you can wrap your legs around his hips. He’s so hard. So, so hard! And wet all over. You can feel him properly.

He groans when you deepen the kiss, but you’re so into it you could barely hear him.

“Jesus, you taste so good, baby, so good.” He continues to kiss you until you feel like you can’t breathe. You start to move your hips without realizing, chasing the friction because it just feels so good, even with your pants on.

“James, please.”

“Please, what?” He grinds back a little to tease you and you almost cry. So much desire has been bottled inside you for months. “Come on, use your big girl words, baby.”

“I need you. I’m so wet… I need to come.” So much!

“And you want me to make you come?”

You groan. “Obviously!”

“Then ask me to.”

“Come on, James!” You grab his face desperately. “Come on, make me come. Please!”

He smiles widely, and this boyish smirk only makes him look cuter. You want to eat him whole.

“Of course, baby. So polite.”

He doesn’t waste time after your back hits the bed. He starts to undress you quickly, not caring about his sheets getting wet. You help him by lifting your arms and your hips from time to time, but he manages to get everything off in record time.

You can’t believe you’re doing this, to be honest. The reality hits you when he leans in to kiss you, his wet T-shirt making your nipples harden even more. You’re naked in his bed...

“Hey, you’re okay?” His voice is so soft that you can’t help but smile.

“Yes, I’m just... I can’t believe this is real. I haven’t prepared for it.”

“You’re so cute when you’re shy.” He kisses your lips once again. “And when you’re angry.” The trail of kisses is getting lower and lower with every word. “And when you tell me what to do.”

His mouth stops right on your left breast, his hand grabbing the other one.

You moan, losing yourself slowly to the overwhelming sensation, making it hard to focus or think.

“And when you do as I tell you to.” His tongue is everywhere: from your skin to, finally, your nipple, wetting it with his tongue before he properly sucking it.

You jump from the sudden pleasure and grab his hair.

“Feels so good.”

He switches to the other breast as soon as you speak again. “Fuck, I wanted to sleep on these for a long time. I’m depraved, aren’t I? Wanting to fuck my brother’s girl and suck on her tits before passing out on them from exhaustion.”

You moan imagining him sneaking into your room and doing that, and it makes you even hornier. “Fuck, James! I would have let you... would have asked you to make me come in the morning, too.”

You don’t care if you are depraved too. You are in this together. You wanted each other for so long, and now you’re finally getting it.

“Yeah?” He starts to lower his face more after he leaves a few kisses on the valley between your breasts. “What else?”

When you feel him close to your navel, you laugh.

“I’m ticklish, please.”

He melts. Of course he melts and spreads your legs as far as you can go.

“Gonna finally get my mouth on you. I need you to come all over my face...” Based on his tone, it’s like he can’t believe it finally happening.

“Yes, sir.” You tease. “Gonna get you drenched if you want.”

Something snaps inside him, you realize quickly, as he cups your face.

“I am your sir now, princess?”

“Always been,” you gasp. “You’re in your daddification era after all.”

“Shouldn’t that make me your daddy then?”

You freeze a little, unsure what to say because you’d lie if you said you didn’t think about him like that. He’s such a daddy that it hurts. And it’s like he sensed it.

“Fuck, you’re both, okay? You’re both. Please, James. Need your mouth or fingers... anything.”

“Or?” Bucky puffs. “You’re getting both, love.”

You hear laughter coming from downstairs, and you smirk. If only they knew who you actually are with...

Bucky places your legs on his shoulders and back, and you let yourself stay still, waiting for his first move.

His fingers open your lips first, making sure to hold you open before he leans in and gets his tongue at your entrance.

“Shit, Buck!”

He intentionally breathes out all over you. “That’s not how you call me, princess.”

“What do you want then?” You snap, desperately. You need to be eaten out, not teased. “Daddy? Sir? Old man? James? Tease?”

“That tone,” he says, amused by your suffering. “We’re gonna have so much fun.”

“Well, make me come first!”

“Always.”

He doesn’t tease you much after this, getting his tongue inside you for a while as you pull his hair, and then he switches it with his index finger as he decides to lick your clit.

“Y-you can suck on it. I like it.”

He immediately takes your suggestion and, at the same time you feel him adding another finger inside you, he sucks on your clit as if he’s nursing.

You lose control of your hips, moving them like crazy while he fucks you like this.

His free hand travels to your breast, and you groan. “I’m so close, James. Sooo close. Fuck,” you moan again when he pinches your nipple. “Add another finger, please. Another-”

He does it before you can ask again, and it doesn’t take more than a few seconds for you to come all over his face, surprising yourself and, probably him. It feels like you’re drowning in pleasure, it’s insane. 

Even after you finish, he keeps licking just as fast, and you have to pull his hair harshly so he can stop.

“It’s enough, thank you, baby.”

He smiles, getting up to kiss you without hesitation. “I’m your baby now?”

“Of course you are. My big old baby.”

He laughs. “So old.”

“Yeah, my old man, who needs to take off his clothes.”

Bucky nods, standing up.

“Do you have a condom?”

“Ihm.” You crawl to the edge of the bed so you can help him take off his shorts quicker. It’s hard not to stare at his cock. He’s quite thick, and the head is covered in precum.

“What’s that face?” He laughs, fishing. You know he fishes too, but what can you say?

“You’re a big man.”

He laughs even harder. “Do you mean all of me or a certain part?”

“Fuck you!” You take his hand, forcing him to lean toward you. You won’t stroke his ego even more.

“Let me grab a condom first.”

You nod, eagerly waiting for him to get inside you as you watch him his open his nightstand. You brush off the instinct to cover yourself and spread your legs.

“How many times did you think about it?”

“About you in my bed? Too many times. I was gonna screw it over, you know?” He snorts. “The morning after my birthday. I wanted to come and confess I like and want you to myself, but you stayed away from me.”

You watch him open the package and roll the condom on as you answer. “I think your sister sensed it.”

Bucky scrunches his nose. “Not the greatest subject while I am about to fuck you, but yeah, she knew. She saw right through me, and as we left she told me to go for it and do something scandalous for once.”

“Really?” You’re shocked. Why would she encourage him to do that while you were still with her other brother? “She told me not to play with both of your hearts before we left.”

Bucky shakes his head while getting on his knees between your legs. “You can play with my heart all you want, doll. It’s all yours”

“I need something else of yours right now. Your cock, sir.” You tease him, knowing the effect your words will have on him. You enjoy this so much… having this power over him. “How about that?”

“Ihm.” Bucky kisses your lips briefly. “When you tell me to stop, I’ll stop, okay?”

You nod eagerly, wanting to push him. “What if I don’t want you to stop, what should I tell you then?”

“Just beg for my cock. You seem to like that.”

“You would love that, wouldn’t you? If you want me to beg, at least give me a reason to.”

And he gives you a reason to as he pushes inside you little by little. It’s a strange feeling... getting filled like this with no lube, but it doesn’t hurt, it’s just a bit uncomfortable at first.

“You okay?”

“Ihm, just full.” You smile.

“You’re so tight, and wet, and perfect, you know? I feel like... shit, it feels surreal.”

You look down, and you almost moan from the sight. His cock is more than halfway inside you.

“You feel amazing too.”

He kisses you as he starts to thrust, and you don’t remember the last time you felt like this. Maybe it’s also the build up and the time that has passed since you last had sex, but you can’t think straight. With every push, it gets harder and harder to focus or to simply keep your eyes open.

“Come on, princess, talk to me!”

He leaves kisses all over your collarbone and wherever he manages between his thrusts as he waits for you to speak. But what can you say? How can you speak?

“Y-you feel so good inside me, daddy. So good.” It’s like your mind is blank.

“Jesus!” His eyes meet yours. “Say that again, come on, baby.”

“What? That you feel good or...?”

“You know what, don’t be bratty now. I know you’re close.”

“I want it a little harder, daddy.” You smirk when you see him trembling a little, and before you can say anything else, he’s starting to thrust again, but harder just like you want.

“You’re mine, aren’t you? Worrying about me... taking me so well,” he moans, and you quickly grab the sheets when you feel one of his hands getting to your clit without warning. “Gonna come for me? Gonna come while everyone is downstairs wondering what takes you so long? Gonna come for your daddy?”

You do, of course you do, silently, yet strongly. It feels like heaven, and you don’t want it to ever stop. You can taste the pleasure at this point.

“Look at you,” he moans, still thrusting. “So beautiful as you come for me. Tell me you want me to come for you, too. Tell me-”

You interrupt him immediately. “Please, James, let it go, want you to feel good.” You kiss his neck over and over again. “Want to feel your come inside me.”

You both know that’s impossible, but it still gets him over the edge, and he comes, whispering your name like a prayer.

“Was it good?” You ask amused when his head falls dramatically on top of your breasts, his beard tickling you a little.

“I’m a changed man.”

He manages to make you laugh. “Liar!”

“Don’t call an old man liar, sweetheart.”

“What happened to love or baby?” You lazily run a hand through his hair as you wait for his answer.

“You’re my love and my baby, too..”

“How are you single again?”

“I’m not. You took me.” He grins devilishly before leaving a kiss on the valley between your breasts. Again and again.

“Ah, yes, I do.” You sigh, suddenly back to earth once the after-orgasm effect fades away. “We need to talk about it.”

“I know, and we will in the morning. Tonight, your job is to relax in the bath I’ll prepare for you while I go downstairs and make the punk end the party. Then we’ll sleep, okay?”

“Ihm,” you whisper absently. suddenly really tired as he slides out of you with a kiss.

“Gonna throw this away and come back, okay? Try not to sleep.” You don’t have to look at him to know he’s talking about the condom.

“Yes, sir.”

Bucky’s laugh warms your heart.

*

You wake up all sweaty, with Bucky’s arms around your waist and his beard on your neck giving you extra warmth. If you attempted to move him, he’s too heavy; therefore, you’d have to wake him up.

You sigh. “Bucky?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you move? I need to go to the bathroom.”

“Say the magic word,” he whispers with the raspiest voice ever.

“Now. Or is it daddy?”

He laughs. “Gimmie a kiss then.”

“Let me brush my teeth first.”

“Nonsense!” He leans in to kiss your without  warning, tilting your head with his right hand.

You don’t deepen the kiss, though, using this as an opportunity to sneak out of the bed.

“Hey, come here!  I don’t care about your-”

“I stink. You might not care, but I do. Gonna be right back, okay?”

You’re not fast enough, though, since you hit him with the bathroom door when you open it. “Bucky!” You jump, touching your chest.

“Took too long.”

“Such a baby.” You snort, wrapping your arms around his neck, and get on your tip toes so you can properly kiss him this time.

“Now this is a good morning.”

You nod. “Yep. Good morning.”

“Good morning, little liar.”

You frown instantly, your heart starting to race. Shit!

“I am really sorry, Bucky. I really didn’t mean to...” You try to explain, but you sound like a broken record.

“I don’t mean that, love. I am talking about what your principles.”

You feel like your whole body is on fire. This can’t be real...

“Was all a game?” You slam your hands onto his chest. “Is this a game for you?”

“What? I mean your not sleeping or having sex policy, woman. Calm down! What games? I came after you cause you were taking too long, and you think this can be a game?”

“I don’t know... I just panicked.” You take a deep breath, trying to calm down. “It sounded like you were gonna say it was all a game because I lied to you.”

Bucky shakes his head before wrapping his arms around you waist and pulling you into a tight hug.

“I would never do that. I am not a kid and I know what I want. I know why you accepted this, and you didn’t lie to me, you were hiding the truth from a stranger. They are the ones who should have said something.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, baby. I just wanted to make sure you know that.”

You kiss his upper arm in return, and he smiles.

“So tell me... what happened to not sleeping in the same room? Not having sex...”

“Why are you teasing me?”

“It’s my job as your man to do that.”

You let go of him and smile. “My man… I’m not intending to return you.”

“Return me?” He giggles, suddenly amused. “Now that we’re here, I have a question.”

“What?”

“How jealous you were of Cherry on a scale from 1 to 10?”

You gasp. “Are you going to ask everything this morning or what?”

“Do you want me to do it at lunch?” He teases you. “You don’t have to be jealous. We aren’t even close friends anymore, so...”

“I don’t care about Cherry! She’s nice...”

He brings your hands to his lips and slowly leaves a kiss on each finger.

“Then why was my mocktail left there? It was crying for you to drink it.”

You snap, taking him aback as you grab him by the chin. “You’re mine, do you understand? No Cherry, no Berry, no Watermelon!”

He laughs as much as he can since you’re holding his chin, but then something glows in his eyes. “What about Strawberry?”

“No. One. No fruit, no vegetable, no one.”

“Done,” he answers immediately. “But same goes for you. No William, Will, Bill and so on.”

“He’s not my type, obviously.” You touch his bottom lip with your index finger. “I like them old, savage, and huge like trees.”

Bucky immediately bites the tip of your finger before licking it. “We need to tell everyone. How do we do it?”

You freeze, dropping your hand.

What will you do? If this blows up, and you know it will, where will you go? Where will you work? Your mom would try to fight for you, but you know your dad would immediately cut you off and make sure you’ll regret it. He’d want you to beg for forgiveness, so he will make sure no one hires you.

Bucky must have sensed your panic and immediately grabs your face.

“Hey, I can see you making a hundred of scenarios in your head, talk to me.”

“In the bathroom?” You ask, trying to lighten up the mood for some reason.

“Don’t you want them to know?” He asks confused.

“Of course I do, don’t get me wrong. It’s just...”

“Complicated?” He completes the sentence for you.

“A little.”

“We have time, I’m all ears.”

Tags:

@charmedbysarge @identity2212 @vicmc624  @cjand10  @mayusenpai666  @abitofblues @doveromanoff @buckyb-stan

[cosmicmunsonwrites]

Drunk reader meets rafe while he’s talking to his friends. Your drunken status leaves you falling asleep on his lap with him taking you back to his house so your safe

but you came right on time

pairing(s): rafe cameron x fem!reader

warnings: alcohol consumption

summary: after having one too many drinks, you find yourself talking to outerbanks’ golden boy.

authors note: guys i’m so sorry for not updating but with school starting last week, i’m literally dying rn. i changed it up just a tad :) thank you for the request though and i really hope you enjoy!

not edited

do not copy my works. i do not condone rewrites, translations, or edited versions. all my content is my content that i wrote.

not my gif

you were currently sat on the couch with a cup of cheap beer in your hand, waiting on your friend to return from wherever she’d gone. she was your ride after all.

“dude, shes smokin’ hot,” you heard a boy say from your right. you then saw him point to a girl across the room. he was standing with a green beer bottle in hand while talking to another guy sat right next to you.

the boy next to you was very pretty. he also looked very troubled.

“are you okay?” you drunkenly asked, trying to provide him some sort of comfort.

his blank expression immediately morphed into one your couldn’t quite make out when he looked towards you. “what?”

you had thought it was a pretty straightforward question. “are you okay?” you repeated a little louder this time incase he couldn’t hear over the music.

he looked almost confused. “yes? why do you ask?”

you opted for a simple shrug before you took another sip of your drink. “you look upset,” you replied. “jus’ wanted to see if you were alright.” then you held out a hand in front of you. “y/n.”

he hesitantly took it. “rafe.”

“cool name,” you slurred out. once your hands were freed from one another, you leaned over and rested your head on his shoulder and cuddled into his side in desperate need of a nap.

you closed your eyes and allowed yourself to slowly find sleep.

rafe hadn’t even noticed, still engaged in a conversation with topper and kelce. but when he did, he couldn’t help but feel the urge to protect you in your vulnerable state. he gently grabbed the cup from your hand and placed it on the table along with his own. “i think ‘m gonna get going,” he alerted the other two.

“so soon?” kelce asked. “it’s just getting started.”

topper chuckled and hit the boys chest. “you gonna take her to your place or somethin’?”

“what else am i supposed to do? leave her here?” he asked with a quirked brow.

the blonde smirked. “i’m sure any other guy here would gladly take her home.”

“you’re disgusting, top,” kelce grimaced.

rafe simply rolled his eyes, not wanting to engage in a conversation with the idiot he called his best friend. he slowly stood up while making sure you wouldn’t fall over. once he was up on his feet, he lightly tapped your shoulder. “hey.”

you grumbled and stirred slightly. “what?”

“c’mon. ‘m gonna take you to my place, okay? i need you to follow me though,” he said softly, grabbing your hands and gently pulling you up on your feet. you drunkenly stumbled into his chest before finally gaining balance. “ready?” he asked as he snaked a hand around your waist for stability.

you nodded and leaned into him a little closer as you walked towards his car. once you arrived without falling over, he opened the passenger door and helped you get in and buckle up before shutting it and doing the same for himself.

fortunately, the ride to the cameron residence was short.

and to make things even better, his parents weren’t home. nor were his sisters.

with his assistance, you two had successfully made it up the stairs and into his bedroom.

“here,” he said, handing her an unopened bottle of water on his bedside table he’d placed there before he left earlier in the day. “take a seat and drink it.”

you groaned, closing your eyes as you sat down. “i don’t like water.”

his brow raised in confusion. “you don’t like water?”

you immediately shook your head slowly to avoid worsening your headache. “no. too bland.”

he couldn’t help but chuckle. “well, i need you to drink a little bit then you can head to bed.” he began to rummage through his drawers before dropping something onto the mattress next to her. “here. change into these. if you need anything, i’m gonna go get some ibuprofen from the kitchen.”

you nodded lazily and waited until he closed the door behind himself to change into the clothes.

when he returned, he knocked softly and asked a soft, “can i come in?” when he got no answer, he slowly opened the door to find you knocked out already. you were dressed in his hoodie and sweats that absolutely swallowed you. he glanced over at the water bottle as he headed to the closet, noticing you’d taken a few sips. he pulled out a soft blanket from inside and draped it over you in hopes of making you as comfortable as possible.

the thought of you not being here with him right now and having someone else take you home to do only god knows what to you was making his blood boil. it didn’t matter though. after all, you were here with him.

he grabbed out another blanket from the college and a pillow, making his bed for the night on the floor. if this were anyone else he was sleeping on the ground for, he’d be pissed. but knowing you were here and protected by him somehow just made him feel a whole lot better.

[a-little-unsteddie]

under the weather || steddie

this is for @rogueddie’s bday! i’m sorry it’s late but i fell ill and am only just starting to feel better. i thought a sickfic was fitting for the situation :b. hope you like it, eddie! and i hope your bday was good <3

sickfic, pre-relationship, technically post-s4

No one had seen or heard from Steve in three days.

Eddie knew he didn’t really have any right to be as worried as he was, seeing as even after spring break the two of them hadn’t gotten close. Eddie hadn't wanted to push his luck, knowing exactly how he acted during the apocalypse. There was no way that Steve didn't know that Eddie was gay, and despite Robin’s vague assurances, Eddie didn't want to press his luck much farther. But he was. Worried, that is.

Despite not being that close, Eddie still knew that Steve would never intentionally miss picking up the kids from Hellfire—now hosted at the new Munson house, government provided. He was even less likely to miss picking up Robin from work, which was what really caused Eddie to worry.

Robin had called Eddie and asked him to check on Steve, because in spite of their adamant denial, her mother still thought she and Steve were dating, and refused to let her go over to his house alone.

“Just…check on him, please,” Robin had asked him quietly, her voice tinny on the receiver.

“Of course, birdie,” Eddie replied, frowning at the counter. “I’m not sure if he’ll want to see me, though. Wouldn’t it be better to send Nancy or Jonathan?”

“No,” came Robin’s hasty reply, “no, he’d rather see you than either of them.”

That had confused him enough into agreeing and hanging up to get ready to go to the Harrington’s to check on Steve. He didn’t know what to expect, so he just grabbed a can of soup and shoved it into his bag, along with some weed, and just in case, he grabbed his pocket knife.

Unable to think of any more scenarios right at that moment, Eddie left before he could overthink it.

Fifteen minutes and a few ignored stop signs later, Eddie stood at the front door to Steve’s house. He knocked first, and then a few minutes later, rang the doorbell. When there was still no response, Eddie grabbed his knife and checked to see if the door would open. Fortunately,—or unfortunately, it did.

Eddie crept around, listening for any signs of danger and life in general, as he peered into the kitchen from the living room. He passed the stairs and heard coughing coming from somewhere upstairs and frowned. He put the knife away, and made his way slowly up the stairs.

“Harrington?” Eddie called, poking his head into the door that led to his room. The sight that greeted him was heartbreaking, Steve was under a bunch of blankets, the only part of him that was visible was his hair, which looked uncharacteristically greasy.

“Steve?” he called again when it didn’t look like Steve was moving.

Just as he was about to panic, he heard Steve groan in response, what could have been “Munson”, but sounded closer to “m’ns’n”. Steve pulled the blanket down and squinted in Eddie’s direction and whined when his eyes were greeted with light.

“Oh, Steve,” he breathed, glad that he was just sick and not in mortal danger. Eddie rushed over to him and felt his forehead, which was burning up.

“M’fine,” Steve croaked, trying to weakly push away Eddie’s hand. “Was jus’ gon’ get up,” he breathed, trying to sit up.

“Oh, no you don’t, big boy,” Eddie said firmly, pushing him back into bed. “You’re sick, sweetheart. Stay in bed.”

“M’not sick,” he protested, and then immediately started coughing. Once the coughing fit was done, Steve mumbled, “Maybe m’sick.”

“You think so, sweetheart?” Eddie teased gently as he helped Steve lay back down.

“W’d,” Steve started, but a coughing fit took over the sentence before he could even try to complete it. Eddie’s heart went out to him, aching as he watched Steve shiver once the fit was done. “Wh’d’r’you do’n’ere?”

Steve’s words were so slurred that Eddie had to make an educated guess as to what he meant, “Robin was worried about you,” he explained, “wanted me to check on you.”

“‘bin?” Steve breathed, eyelashes fluttering as he struggled to stay awake.

“Yeah, Robin. She’s really worried. Rest now, I’ll get some things to help you feel better, okay?” Eddie murmured and didn’t wait for Steve to respond before he made his way out of the room.

The next two days were spent with Eddie nursing Steve back to health. Steve slept through most of the first day and a half, but seemed to be getting more lucid on the third day. Instead of being completely disoriented from reality, he seemed to be embarrassed that Eddie had to help him, which he was quick to shoot down.

“I’m sure you have better things to do than take care of me,” Steve insisted, probably for the third time. “I can take care of myself from here.”

“I’m sure you can, Stevie,” Eddie said, just as patient the third time as he was the first. “But you don’t have to, I want to take care of you, I like taking care of you.”

Steve’s face turned red, and Eddie bit back a smile as he handed over the fresh bowl of soup. He wanted to say that it was the fever causing Steve’s face to be so red, but his fever had broken the day before. The only thing that Eddie could think of that he’d be blushing right now was something he didn’t even want to consider, in case he had it wrong. He’d spent so long avoiding the jock because he was scared he’d some how sense his big gay crush on him, he didn’t want to jump to conclusions off of a few days taking care of him.

It was a nice thought, though.

“Thank you,” Steve said quietly as he held the bowl in stable hands. The first day Steve had tried to hold it himself, but was shaking so much that it was impossible, so Eddie had fed him then. It’d taken every ounce of self-control to not get overwhelmed with the closeness, instead he focused on the task.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Eddie said, sitting back in the armchair that Steve had in his room.

“Aren’t you gonna eat?” Steve asked with a frown.

“I ate downstairs while making your food,” and it wasn’t a lie, he’d made himself a sandwich.

He didn’t look pleased at the answer, but accepted it nontheless.

“What day is it?” Steve asked after he finished his soup.

Eddie hummed, “Uhh, Thursday, I think. Yeah, Thursday.”

“I was supposed to pick up Dustin from school today,” Steve exclaimed, and immediately tried to get out of bed.

“Ah, ah, ah,” Eddie stopped him, forcing him back into his bed. “The Sinclairs took care of it. Robin also took care of your shift yesterday and Keith is working your shift today, unwillingly, but doing it.”

Steve deflated, but sidn’t lean back. “Can I at least go to the living room?” he asked with a pout. Eddie staunchly refused to acknowledge the way his heart fluttered.

Maybe he was catching whatever cold Steve had.

Eddie sighed, pretending at being exasperated. “I suppose I can let you do that,” he said, standing to help Steve up. The jock was still shaky on his legs, but much more stable than he had been.

Together they worked their way downstairs slowly, taking it one step at a time. Eventually Eddie helped Steve ease onto the couch, and then went over to the tv and VCR.

“What movie do you want?” he asked, looking back at Steve, catching him blushing and looking away. He raised his eyebrows, bewildered as to what he could have been doing that warranted that reaction.

“Uh..” Steve slowly grinned, “Grease.”

Eddie rolled his eyes, groaning. “Of course you want to watch Grease,” he sighed, grabbing the tape and putting it in. “You’re lucky you’re pretty, Stevie.”

Steve blushed, and grinned widely at Eddie as the metalhead made his way back to the couch. He lifted the blanket and Eddie smiled softly, settling into the couch next to him.

“It’s a good movie,” Steve protested. He must have still been loopy from being sick, because he curled into Eddie’s side, and forced him to wrap his arm around Steve.

Eddie tried to keep his heart steady, but found himself unable to.

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

[captainsophiestark]

Husband, Not Handyman

Colin Bridgerton x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for Fictober 2024!

Fandom: Bridgerton

Day Sixteen Prompt: "No, I'm not okay."

Summary: Colin's feeling insecure about how self-sufficient his spouse is, so they set him straight.

Word Count: 1,223

Category: Angst, Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I grinned and put my hands on my hips, hammer still held loosely in one, as I admired my handiwork. In a matter of hours, I'd fixed our lopsided bookshelf, realigned and remedied our sticky door, and nailed down a loose floorboard that liked to trip me at least once a day. Not bad at all for a day's work.

My husband, Colin, had been helping his brothers with some business or other all day. So, with our house to myself, I'd gotten to work on a few of the projects we'd been meaning to deal with. For me, the accomplishment and satisfaction that came from fixing something with my own two hands was almost unbeatable.

I smiled and sighed, then started to put my tools away when the door came swinging open.

I turned to find Colin standing there, a tool kit of his own in-hand. He looked incredibly surprised to see me standing in the middle of our sitting room with a hammer.

"...You fixed the bookshelf. And the floorboard."

"And the door," I said happily. "I had quite a bit of time today, so I figured I may as well just take care of it all. I have to admit, I actually enjoy being handy."

"Oh. That's... wonderful."

Colin sounded almost robotic, the words coming to him anything but naturally. His motions were jerky as he turned around, taking his toolbox and heading back towards the door. I frowned.

"Colin?"

He just gave me a very noncommital noise as an acknowledgement, and continued out the door. I set down my hammer and quickly followed after him.

"Colin!" I caught his arm in the hallway, and when I turned him to face me, he had a pained look on his face. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay." I took a step closer as Colin huffed a breath. We hadn't been married very long, and I'd never seen him acting like this before. I wasn't totally sure how to handle it. "It's just... I feel a bit... useless."

"...What?"

"Oh please! You don't need me. You don't need me to fix things, you don't need me to navigate when we go into town, you don't even need my help building a fire! I just... I don't understand what I'm supposed to do, why you chose to marry me, if you don't need me at all."

Colin stared at me once the confession was off his chest, looking frustrated and devastated. I just stared back at him in shock for a few moments, trying to let his words sink in. Finally, I shook my head and held up my hands to rest on his arms and chest.

"Darling... are you serious? I'm from one of the wealthiest families in the Ton. If I needed a man to fix things around my house, I would've called one! Not married one! Please, tell me you're joking."

"I'm not joking!" Colin huffed, taking a step back and brushing me off. I frowned. "If you don't need me, why am I here? It's supposed to be my job as your husband to take care of you, to provide for you. What am I for if I can't do that? If you're better at it than I am?"

I took a long, deep breath and pinched the bridge of my nose. I let it out slowly, then finally met Colin's eyes again. He looked as upset as ever, but I was determined to knock some common sense into his head, whether or not he wanted it.

"Colin. I did not marry you—nor would I ever marry anyone—because I needed you to take care of me. It's true that, if I never married, I'm in the fortunate position where I almost certainly would've been fine, both financially and in terms of fixing things around my house. The reason I am married, Colin, and in fact the whole point of the thing, is because I love you. You, the man who makes me laugh and who shares my love of travel and who I know I can trust with any secret, situation, or request. Not what you can do for me."

Colin shifted, his expression moving from firmly negative to a bit more neutral. But he still looked somewhat uncertain.

"Listen to me very carefully, Colin Bridgerton," I said, stepping forward and gently taking Colin's free hand. He let me, although he still watched me a little warily. "I married you because I love you. I love you because of who you are. Who you are makes me happy. That's it. Life is better and much more enjoyable when you have someone to share it with, and as far as I'm concerned, you're my perfect person to share it with. And with all of that said, if I ever do need somebody, I know you'll be there to have my back. Just like I'll be there to have yours. Okay?"

Colin bit his lip and frowned, but he stepped closer to me. He set the toolbox down on the nearest hall table, then took my other hand in his, too.

"Are you... sure? You're not going to wish for something different? Or someone different? I just feel a bit more... replacable. Since you don't need me."

"My god, no." I stepped forward, bringing my hands up to cup Colin's face. He tentatively wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me ever so slightly closer to him. I smiled. "I know you might not hear as much from your friends or whoever else, but believe me, you should be more secure in our relationship because it was out of choice, not necessity. I turned down quite a few suitors in the Ton because I didn't want to be with them, and I promise you, they were all perfectly capable of fixing floorboards and doors. But I didn't like any of them nearly enough to want to commit to spending the rest of my life with them if I didn't have to. And since I didn't have to, you, Colin, are the only person I've ever met who's passed the test. By miles."

Finally, a smile broke out on Colin's face. His arms tightened around me, holding me close to his chest, and I let my hands wander to his shoulders and the nape of his neck.

"You know, that makes me feel much better to hear."

"I should hope so!"

"I'm sorry I didn't realize. And I hope you know this already, but I would choose you every time, too. Over everyone else. You're... you're my best friend. And the best person I've ever met in my life. I love you."

I smiled, then leaned in to close the distance between my husband and I, pulling him in for a long, sweet kiss. His mouth chased after mine when I pulled away, and I put a hand on his chest with a laugh.

"I love you too, Colin. The most."

He grinned, all our earlier troubles forgotten as he kissed me again. I smiled into it, letting Colin sweep me away in the moment. Even though we'd had a few bumps in our early courtship and marriage, I really did love him with my entire heart. Hopefully this would be our last bump for a while, but even if it wasn't, I knew we'd get through that together just like we had everything else.

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989 @space-helen

Bridgerton Taglist: @cherrybb-ily

[beom-s-author]

txt reactions- panic attack

warnings: comfort,fluff,curse,love words,crying

Choi Soobin

It took seconds for you to leave the office after receiving the call from Soobin. You knew that guys were hungry after dance practice and wanted to eat something. You bought something for each of them from the cafe next door and jumped into your car. When you got there, Soobin was waiting for you at the door. "Honey, Welcome." He gave you a big hug. Your body got lost in his huge body. This image made the others laugh. You gave them the packages and sat down. You looked at the messages that came one after another on your phone. It was coming from work. You felt panic as tons of scoldings were coming to you because of the faulty files you made. When you noticed that the drink you were holding in your hands was shaking, you quickly put it back. When Soobin looked at you, he saw that your breath was short and your eyes were moving randomly around the room.

Your hands were shaking and your eyes were looking confused. When he realized you were starting to panic, Soobin quickly took you into his arms. While he was trying to comfort you, he was caressing your hair and supporting you by holding your waist with his big hands. While he guided you to take deep breaths, the others quickly brought water for you. Your hands were shaking so much that you knew that if you held the glass, it would fall and break. And so Soobin slowly held it in your mouth. You sipped it slowly through messy breaths and noticed that your breathing was slowly improving. Soobin patted her on the back and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "Shh..there is there is..It is now okay.."

Choi Yeonjun

You were at the mall with Yeonjun. You were walking around holding hands and taking shelter under masks and hats. You were already happy with the effort you made to avoid being recognized. You traveled around and showed each other the ridiculous things you found. But the most important thing was to look for things for your new house. Yeonjun was helping you as much as he could and giving you tons of ideas. You were very grateful to him for this. Finally the shopping was over and it was time to go home. You started walking with Yeonjun. You were looking for the elevator in the shopping mall.

You got into the second elevator and pressed the button. The elevator was moving between floors. As the 2nd floor went from the 1st floor, the elevator suddenly stopped. When you opened your eyes and looked at the door, you realized that you were stuck. At that moment you got worried and looked around. You were out of breath. “Yeon.." He recognized your voice and pulled you. You were shaking. He stroked your head and kissed you. You were literally crying and trying to hold yourself not to pass out. Because Jun will be too stressed and panicked. He hugged you and after a few minutes later, The elevator started again. When you reached to the ground, You were fine.

Choi Beomgyu

It was goddamn exam time and you were under big stress. You were trying so hard to make it up and getting better degrees on this tests. You always ended up with low degrees. And also like this you started crying after the exam. You went to home with bus and the crowded placa made you feel worser than you thought. You went to your house and sat on the couch with trembling hands and sweating. Beomgyu was in the bathroom and bathing because of the sweat he earned in the dance practise room. You were trying to help about it but it was useless.You know it is not gonna ease now. Fortunately, Beomgyu came out fastly and found out you in the livingroom. He brings paper bag for you. You started breath with it. It was helping a lot. Your breath is getting slower and you were finally getting calmer. He kissed your forehead. "I am here honey..Everything will be fine."

[ddoxhan]

stay by my side

if there is no one next to you I’ll just be behind you, just stay by my side

word count : 0.9k words

genre : classic angst; giselle x gn! reader; days were never the same anymore but your feelings for aeri will always be unchanging for as long time exists

t/w : nothing :) this is just some good ol' angst

a/n : not much plot to it but ! it's the feels of not being able to forget someone and maybe, you're better off longing for them than try pressing down your feelings. anyone out there longing for their special someone, I just wanna say it's okay to feel that way :3 it may not be the healthiest choice, but allow yourself to long for that person until you feel it's time to actually let them go <3 enjoy !

things were just never the same anymore, it couldn't. I'd keep having dreams about you, about us. those sweet, spring memories we shared now embedded in my head like a broken record. those days when we spent our mornings showering each other with kisses, when we would take night walks in the park, when we talked about spending the rest of our lives together. those days, when we loved each other like there was no tomorrow. we did, but it just didn't last forever just like what we had wished under that shooting star.

I admit, that I still love you, the same or maybe even more than I did back then. I truly believed that we were meant to be, and no one can tell me otherwise as I've seen those eyes of yours bear the same endearment for me as I do for you. it sounds cheesy, but I am willing to be if it's you. however, as much as I want to let go of you, I don't think I'd ever come to terms with the fact that you did. we were so beautiful, don't you think so? it was as if the world revolved around us. I know we will never be able to go back to those days, to love each other again.

every night that came and went in the same repertoire. staring straight at the ceiling, reminiscing the times I still had you in my arms, crying myself to sleep, jolting awake from the same nightmare, hugging myself back to sleep. the pain was almost unbearable when it gets to the nightmare. it was my regrets for not doing my best for you, and the mistakes that I wished I hadn't made. I could never stand to see tears in your eyes, especially if it was because of me. on the day you left, you looked me in the eye, with tears threatening to roll down your crimson cheeks. that moment broke my heart to pieces, noticing the burning sensation of the wind against my skin.

it seems I have already lost you, with no chance to turn back time.

when I'm sober, everything I did numbed me to the core. when I wake up to your side of the bed empty, seeing that the once lively space all dull with silence, the fridge slowly emptying, leaving nothing but water and some alcohol. it's like I stopped functioning properly when you're not with me. the flowers that you loved so much don't look as lively, the warm breeze that greeted us daily slowly getting chilly, the stars that we spent hours looking at don't sparkle as much. you brought so much color to my world, and it returned back to being monochromatic, like those times before I met you.

you brought so much joy to my life, and I have never felt so grateful for being alive. it was the first time I felt so euphoric, fortunate to see that very smile of yours when you look at me with such affection. that smile was for me, because of me, only me. you made me feel like the luckiest person on earth to love someone as wonderful as you are. I can only hope you felt the same way as I did.

all the things in my life took a turn, not a good one at that, after you left. you took a part of me with you when you told me that things weren't working out. what did that mean? was I not doing good enough? did your feelings for me change? there were so many questions I want to ask, but sometimes, they were better left unanswered. these daggers piercing through my heart are more than enough to leave me bleeding profusely till I can't feel love anymore.

as I spent each day, yearning for your warmth and affection, there's something that I've come to realize as I take a step back to look at things. there will be no one else who would be able to fill your spot, not even with time. it's been months, almost a year that I've been standing here, not knowing what is wrong with me. that's because, nothing is wrong. everything made so much sense.

I love you and nothing can ever change that fact. even if you don't love me anymore, that's okay. all I will do is just stand here right behind you, protecting you from the shadows. although there might not be someone who would be by your side all the time, I will be right here behind you. until the day I get the chance to stand next to you, be the one you can rely on, I will be here for you.

there will be a day where we meet again, whether it be by chance or fate. and when that day comes, I want to be stronger than I am now, to give you that smile you loved so much when we were us. until then, I will take this role as your dark knight. looking over you from somewhere you wouldn't notice, offering you a hand when you struggle, finding solace right here. I know you would be able to tell that I am here, but please, leave me be. for the day I am able to let you go, will hopefully come.

so let me stay by your side for now, aeri.

[francesminos-tt]

I stumbled upon a post here saying Joff is Jacegan’s son, and I also know about a fic where Viserys is Lucemond’s love child, which make me think. A lot. How about a modern au where Joff is Jace and Cregan’s son, Aegon the younger is Rhaenyra and Daemon’s son where Viserys Jr is Luke and Aemond’s son. I am messing up some age gap here.

Please don’t take this too seriously. It’s just a quick crack post!

When Joffrey was born

Jace 20

Cregan 21

Luke 18

Aemond 23

Daeron 13

Jace gave birth to Joff when he was 20. It was totally unexpected, truly, he didn’t even realize he was pregnant until like 4 months in. He was still trying to figure out who he really wanted, Cregan or Sara. (It is Cregan. It is Cregan from the start. Even Sara knows it, if her speech at Jace and Cregan’s wedding is anything to go by.) Jace panicked all through his pregnancy, thinking himself a failure to be knocked up while still in college. He ceased that line of thought the moment he got little Joff in his arms. All is well after that. (Or maybe not, because Jace worked nonstop after Joff’s birth, trying to make up for all the missing school work and graduate in time. Cregan had to feed him real food. Humans can’t survive solely on energy drinks, obviously. One would expect someone smart as Jace, a leading debater at the school debate team, should know better. But alas. Fortunately Cregan was there to help, and he had no intention of ever leaving Jace’s side.)

Luke beats his big brother’s record by giving birth at 18. (19, Luke agues, his water broke when celebrating his 19th nameday, so technically he was 19 when Viserys Jr was born.) Unlike Jace, his pregnancy was a carefully constructed plan to baby trap Aemond. And it worked. Luke is very proud of himself. Aemond can play hard to get for all he likes, but Luke knows his scaring uncle has feelings for him. Or else who would stare at someone like Aemond does every time their extended family is forced to get together? When Luke learned Aemond would go to Citadel School of Business for a master’s degree next year, he knew he had to act quickly. He pulled some strings (black mailed Aegon, to be precise) to get Aemond’s schedule and successfully stumbled upon a drunk Aemond outside a shady bar. The rest is history. (Luke shared his pregnancy with his mother Rhaenyra, who was expecting her first child with her uncle Daemon. They made so many uncle fucking jokes that Jace had to flee the room out of sheer terror. Luke laughed until Aemond picked him up from the sofa to go get a scheduled ultrasound. Aegon the younger was born 3 months prior to Viserys Jr.)

Joffrey always feels like a big brother to Aegon the younger and Viserys Jr growing up, although he is only one year older than them. He takes after Jace, apparently, to care for the little ones, but he also inherited Cregan’s protectiveness toward his family. So when he sees Aegon and Viserys being bullied by some shitface, he rushes to their rescue. Joff took several punches, sure, but he also kicked one of the bullies on the balls. (Cregan is so proud. Jace, not so much at first, but after he learns Joff only gets in a fight to protect Aegon and Viserys, he gets Joff a Switch as reward.) Joff is at least a head shorter than the bullies, so he slowly loses his ground and is about to be shoved into a stinking pond when his knight in shining armor arrives. Daeron is on his way back from tennis training when he saves Joff from drowning in a stinking pond worse than the sewers. Joff spits out disgusting water and kicks Daeron on the shin. To his credit, Joff doesn’t need protection, he can fucking defend himself thank you very much. (Language! Jace shouts.) Years later, when Daeron nervously asks Joff to go on a date with him, Joff barely spares him a glance as he says yes. Daeron is more nervous than he goes to a Grand Slam Final. He can’t be blamed. He’s asking his great-nephew (Oh god that sounds wrong) 13 years his junior to go on a date with him.

Later at a family dinner

Cregan: Look I will allow you to date my son only if you get your tennis player buddies to sign the autograph- (Jace throwing him death glare) Never. I mean I will never let you defile my precious little Joffrey.

Daeron: Come to think of it, I am only 13 years older than Joff while uncle Daemon is like 16 years older than Rhaenyra. No offense, uncle Daemon.

Daemon (sipping wine, looking smug): None taken, kid.

Luke: I know I am not the best person to say this-

Aemond: You are not.

Luke: Shut up.

Aemond: Make me.

Rhaenyra (ignoring the gross sound of kissing in the background): Joff, dear, just remember to use protection. I have some condoms in my drawer that you may like. I believe they are coke flavor.

Jace: MUM!

Daeron: Thank you sister, but I don't think it will be necessary. I won’t even hold Joff’s hands until his 16th nameday.

Jace: YOU WANT TO HOLD MY SON’S HANDS???

Luke (finally breaks the kiss but still sits on Aemond’s lap): Now I feel like we are not the sickest couple in this family anymore.

Aemond: I can be sick.

Jace: THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION!!

Joff (stealing Daeron’s desert while frantically poking at his Switch. Damn that dragon is hard to defeat)

[fucked-up-beyond-repair]

Can't stop puking

For day 2 of Nov(emeto)ber @monthofsick

TW: emeto, vomiting, Implied object-eating, supernatural elements

----

Neal, being a hopeless werewolf, found himself eating through heaps of garbage beyond what his human body would be able to handle afterwards. Fortunately, his roommate, and mage, Lane, always has the solutions he needs.

Because I think it's cute when werewolves act like oversized dogs.

----

Neal slowly opened his eyes as the harsh sunlight streamed through the curtains. An intense pounding headache immediately hit him, accompanied by a sickly rancid taste lingering in his mouth and an uncomfortable fullness in his stomach.

Lane entered their cramped dorm room with a playful grin. "Good morning sunshine, how are you feeling?"

"Terrible," Neal groaned. As he attempted to sit up, his stomach protested; a sharp pain surged through him, regretting the movement as waves of nausea washed over him.

"I figured as much," Lane chuckled. “Luckily for you, I am such a stellar friend that I went all across the hallway to get you some water." Lane handed him the glass as he invited himself on the bed frame next to Neal.

Neal pressed a hand against his forehead, hoping to alleviate the pain before slowly bringing the water to his lips. Each swallow intensified the nausea as the water joined his already cramped stomach. The gas started to build up, making him burp weakly.

"Why did I have to eat so much?" he complained, feeling so full he was afraid he was going to burst. He couldn’t even recall doing so; in fact, he couldn’t remember anything at all. "Uhm, was I drunk last night?" he asked worriedly, even though he usually avoided alcohol.

Lane scratched his neck, unsure of what to tell him. "Someone complained about raccoons or something making a ruckus behind the cafeteria," he explained, giving Neal an apologetic look. "Turns out, it was you - as a huge golden wolf, rummaging through the trash cans.”

Realization hit in, making Neal turn green. His heart raced; panic settling in at the thought of having his stomach filled with heaps of rotten garbage. "I think I’m going to throw up," Neal grimaced, as a wet burp erupted from him.

"Will probably …" Another lump in his throat cut him off, and he covered his mouth, swallowing hard. "Need a bucket…" he panted through the overwhelming nausea.

"You…" Lane hesitated, turning away briefly trying to hide his amusement. "Kind of ate it…" he sighed, looking at Neal with a hint of hopelessness.

Neal barely registered that implication as his stomach contracted. He hurriedly tried to bend to the side, feeling a gush of watery vomit seep through his hand and falling to the floor.

Without break, his stomach continued to heave painfully, but despite the violent retches, nothing else came up. Desperate for relief, he pushed hard against his bloated stomach, wincing painfully as everything shifted upwards. It felt stuck in his throat, only resulting in a wet belch.

"Stomach not keeping up?" Lane teased, placing a hand gently on Neal's abdomen. Lane quickly frowned at the tightness that pressed into his palm as Neal breathed shallowly.

Lane reached for his pockets; having already predicted that Neal's digestion system would need some help. "Drink this; it should help your stomach dissolve whatever you ate last night," he said, offering Neal a small vial.

"Thanks…" Neal mumbled weakly before carefully taking a sip. However, the thick bitter mixture induced a gag, and was quickly expelled onto Lane's shirt.

Ignoring the mess, Lane gently guided Neal’s hand back to his trembling lips. "Try to keep it down; you will feel better soon."

Neal's nausea grew for each swallow, making it harder to keep the liquid down. The mixture seemed to do its work though, relieving the tightness in Neal's stomach briefly before the nausea became unbearable, feeling the dissolved contents slosh inside him.

"We should probably head to the bathro-" Lane was interrupted as Neal shot upright and reached for the pillow. He hurriedly stripped off the pillowcase, and buried his head into it, desperately hoping it would contain the mess.

Neal closed his eyes tight, feeling everything rush up his throat at once. He lurched forwards with a violent heave as thick chunks of vomit filled the thin fabric.

"That’s good, just let it all out." Neal was somewhat aware that Lane remained next to him despite the mess, rubbing his back as he puked his guts out. His stomach was so incredibly full, bringing up wave after wave of lumpy vomit.

"Why can't it stop" Neal groaned. The stench of rotting garbage filled the room, triggering another round of vomiting. It was more liquid this time, seeping through the pillowcase and onto the bed.

When he finally stopped retching, Neal was left weak and trembling, his entire body drenching in sweat. "You think you are done?" Lane hoped, taking away the makeshift vomit bag after seeing it dripping onto the bed. Neal weakly nodded, still panting as the nauseous feeling persisted.

However, Lane could feel Neal’s back tense up again, and a grimace formed on Lane’s face as he sensed a warm, sticky puddle of vomit soaking through his lap.

"Sorry…" Neal managed to utter before another belch interrupted him, bringing up mostly bile by now. "Sorry about the mess…" he whimpered, feeling utterly drained as he leaned into Lane with exhaustion.

"I’m sure you'll find a way to make it up to me,” Lane murmured, a slight blush tinging his cheeks.

Clearing his throat, he swiftly returned to his usual smirk. "Let's just get you cleaned up for now. Then you can rest in my bed for today."

[hiddenobject-fanblog]

His Soul (Chapter 14)

Me And You

Summary: After saving the abducted collectors, you were trusted with Curioso's box. What seems like a dangerous possession slowly turns into an opportunity to learn more about this creature and his curse. Can you earn his trust, and possibly, his affection?

Pairings: Curioso/Reader, Curioso/The Detective

--

Your eyes were narrowed as you focused on your breathing - trying to utilize your nose as much as possible while you jogged on the uneven terrain. You hadn’t gone on a run like this in awhile. The cool air felt good as it hit your face and roughly blew through the strands of your hair. You grinned when you made it to your desired location - the top of a small mountain overlooking your town below. You remember coming here in your early days, making use of your healthy bones while you adapted to the new work you were overtaking. 

You shrugged off the backpack from your shoulders. Bringing the box with you was a testament of your agility, and you decided it was not something you were going to do so often. You felt more tired than you used to…it must be because you were aging , and not because extraneous exercise was more difficult than it used to be.

“We’re here,” You announced. You set Curioso’s box on the lone bench overlooking the edge and placed your fists on your hips proudly. 

“Am I allowed to come out now?” Came your friend’s voice. 

You grinned and dipped your head in permission. “Go ahead.”

You were expecting the bright flash that came with his entrances, so you had your eyes closed before it even happened. When you blinked them back open, you found the tall jester staring out into the vast sight before you. He seemed to be frozen in place. You took this opportunity to sit down and get some rest. You took a swig from your wattle bottle while dabbing the sweat from your forehead. 

“It’s wonderful,” He sounded amazed. 

Your own eyes flitted to the stars and satellites in the sky. Light pollution made it a bit more difficult to find constellations nowadays, but it was still a lovely sight, nonetheless. One you’d been hoping to share with somebody else. It was fortunate not many people knew about this area, and you had purposefully left later in the night so less people would be out and about. Sure, it was a little darker and colder than you were used to, but…as long as you had some company, you didn’t feel as uneasy about it. 

Curioso was soaking it all in, and you couldn’t help smiling while you watched him. 

It had been a couple weeks since you learned of his past and read the infamous book Andrew handed to you. The two of you had been settling into a routine, and now you could easily recite the days you spent with Curioso. Your mornings were filled with companionship as the jester would always greet you from your bedroom and watch you make your breakfast. Then he’d keep conversation with you while you read the paper, and follow you down into your office to see what work you had for the day. What happened after that varied - sometimes you got calls, visits from interested clients, or nothing would happen at all. Either way, your friend was more than satisfied by simply watching you write and work, or would help you pass your time by organizing things and tidying up for you. 

He hadn’t lied - he was happy to fulfill the duties you asked of him, which was to upkeep your office and apartment. You sought out his help to sort your paperwork and work out a better system for your desk. He did all of these things and went above and beyond - becoming your faithful assistant in the hopes that you would make him your partner in return. 

You’d only gotten a call to visit the police department and investigate something small. Despite promising him he would only be bored out of his mind, Curiso still insisted on joining you. He remained in his box while you carried it on your person, getting to see you in action once more and offering his own commentary and theories on what you were doing. 

You hoped you would get a big case again soon. Having Curioso witness the mundane days of your life wasn’t…the best thing in the world, and made you a little insecure about how highly he viewed you. But if this changed his impression of you in any way, he didn’t show it at all.  

Things were going slow once more, so tonight, you decided to get moving again. You were determined to take more walks around the park and resume your morning jogs. An idea popped into your head, and you invited your jester along, who was more than happy to actually get out of the house and have another glimpse into the real world. You hadn’t let word out about where you were going and what you were going to show him, in the hopes that it would be a surprise. 

…So now, here the two of you were, listening to the leaves rustling in the wind and crickets chirping around you. Your eyes scanned across the many lights and colors spotted around the city.  You perked up when Curioso strode over and sat right beside you, crossing his legs and straightening his back. 

You bit your lip at the sound of his bells ringing with his movements. It was always so amusing to you - a constant reminder of the ensemble he was wearing. “Well? Are you glad you came?” 

“Oh, very much,” He sounded so happy that your heart ached. “Thank you for carrying me here. I’d have spared you the effort and ran right along with you, but…”

You waved your hand. “Don’t worry about it. The weight on my back’s going to help me get in shape.” 

“You look good. I don’t know why you’re worrying so much.” 

Your ears burned at the compliment. Your eyes inadvertently glanced down to your body, and you quickly looked away. “I don’t really like sitting around and waiting.” 

A moment of quietness passed as the two of you sat there and enjoyed the scenery. He clasped his hands together and turned to you curiously. “Does it ever get lonely? Having to be by yourself, in anticipation for something to happen..?” 

Your lips fell as you dwelled on your days before getting the box. Yes, you did spend your time dawdling around your abode, trying to distract yourself and ignoring the fact that you were alone. You had no significant other, no pets, no roommates…only Audrey down the street, who you saw nearly every day, but your visits together only lasted so long. You thought of the hollowness you always felt when she’d leave, where you’d have to figure out yet again how to bide your time. 

But you didn’t feel that way anymore. You had someone else to talk to, spend your time with. It was a striking comparison to your days in solitude from before. 

“I guess so.” 

He looked down to watch the grass moving with the breeze. “It was lonely for me, too, when I was in that box. Never knowing if I’d be let out again, or if I was doomed to spend the rest of my days there by myself…” 

You looked up with concern displayed on your features. His stare moved to his lap, where he began to fidget and flex his mechanical fingers. 

“Your company is nice, is what I’m saying,” He finished. 

“You don’t really have a say in the matter, though, do you?” You smiled sheepishly. What was he supposed to do? Insult you and risk being trapped inside again? He returned your grin. 

“Oh, but I do. Remember, Detective…I chose you to own my soul. I didn’t know if you’d ever take me out, but…thank you. For doing so.”

Your face burned again and you could do nothing but nod dumbly. Truth be told, you never would have taken him out if he hadn’t made himself appear on the box. You were under the impression he was trapped for good - witnessing him still seeing and talking with you changed everything. Letting him out was to make up for your misstep, but it was so much more than that now. You gave him his due freedom, made sure he could control whether he was in or out…and Curioso had taken that to his advantage. 

He still returned to the box, of course - when you would have nothing else for him to do and the two of you eventually ran out of conversation. You were sure he was returning there sometime during the night. He said he could rest there, so that’s what you assumed he was doing…but he was usually around you, in person, clearly preferring to be out than in . And you could understand that completely. But it was an interesting observation, all the same. 

“I made you something,” He spoke up quietly. He was avoiding looking at you, which only made you tutter in response. 

“Oh, yeah? What is it?” 

His grin stretched a little wider as a small flash came in his hands. Presented before you was a figurine of… yourself ! Your eyes widened as you looked over all the small details, admiring your signature getup when you were out in action. Your hat, your coat, your long sleeves and shoes…he even modeled you with a magnifying glass in your hand, quietly showing to the world that you were, indeed, an investigator. 

You were too stunned to speak as it was gently laid in your open palm. A teasing voice drew you from your thoughts. 

“It’s you .” 

“I-I can see that…” You cleared your throat when your voice cracked. “When did you have the time to make this?” 

Your fingers trailed over the material, feeling the paint strokes and cuts etched into the figurine. It was clearly hand-crafted. You were well-aware Curioso could conjure up anything with his magic; back in Andrew Collin’s house, it was usually the scales of judgment he’d hold while you mulled over the awaiting fate of the collectors. Nowadays, it was anything you asked for and whatever he wanted to hold and use. 

A smirk grew on your face when you remembered the first request you made - which was an encyclopedia. You’d only been teasing him and wanted to see if he would actually do it. He did, but not without calling you a ‘nerd’ , and plopping a big book in your lap whose pages were filled with nonsense. You knew he did that on purpose, and you remember how hard you had laughed. It was a good memory. 

But this …he took his time making it; you could tell how many hours was poured into its execution. He was undoubtedly talented. 

“When you were sleeping and I had nothing else to do, I’d go in my box and work on it. It must’ve taken me about a week…do you like it?” 

Your eyes glistened as your sight became slightly blurry. “I do. Thank you.” 

This was when he shifted himself on the bench, appearing uncomfortable but clearly having something else to say. “I…I also made something else, to go along with it, but…you don’t really need it…” It looked like he sucked in a breath with the way his chest expanded. “Actually, forget I said anything-” 

‘What? No. Show me what you made.” 

His mask turned away before something else was conjured in his hands - a taller yet thinner figurine of…himself. It was still admirably made and well-painted. You couldn’t help grinning when you saw the sight. The opportunity to tease him was just too good to pass.

“Self-absorbed, much?” 

“It’s not for me ,” He snapped. You hunkered back down and he bowed his head in apology. “It’s..to go along with yours. The Detective and their partner! A-At least, that’s what I was hoping it would convey…” 

You swiped it from his hands with a smug smile. “Alright, then. I’ll keep it.” 

“You - You really want it..?”

“You made it, didn’t you? Like you said - they’re a team, so it’s better if they’re together. You know?” 

Curioso let out a nervous, disbelieving laugh. Like he couldn’t believe what you were saying. But you made your point by lifting your head and holding the figurines close to your body, turning away from him protectively. 

“They’re mine, now, so don’t even think about asking for them back.” 

“Of course not..!” He was still chuckling. You enjoyed the sound - you’d never heard him laugh so genuinely. It was a sound you instantly grew addicted to. “I have so many in that box. In fact, if you want any more-”

“No, no. Only these .” You lifted them up for emphasis. He leaned over to ruffle your hair. 

“And you can keep them.” 

Heat returned to your face as you looked down at what you were holding. Suddenly, you were breathless, uncertain. “I…don’t have anything to give you. It never really occurred to me-”

“-You don’t owe me anything. Just bringing me out here is plenty.” 

“Come on. A walk this short and you give me handmade figurines that probably took you weeks to make?” 

“It’s what I’ve been doing for decades..! And really, it’s not the walk itself that’s the gift, but the freedom you give me. Your company. That’s what I get out of this.” 

“My company? A gift ? What an absurd thought.” 

“People have to pay to have you around, don’t they? I get that for free.” The white of his teeth became illuminated by the moon above, and you felt hypnotized by the sight. Were they always that sharp? 

“I, um…” Words failed to leave your tongue. You found your mouth was dry and had to swallow. “I never did ask you about an allowance, or anything you wanted in return for all you’re doing for me I know you wanted to join me on my cases, but if there’s anything more-” 

He ‘tsked’ at you. “Detective! Have you forgotten I am your loyal servant? You need not offer me anything.” 

“But surely there’s something else I could give you..? I don’t really like having a servant. I don’t even like people paying for me–” 

He stretched out his legs and pretended to crack his back, despite the lack of bones in his invisible body. “As you said, I am your friend, not a servant. Doing friendly things for you. As your truest friend.” 

You carefully set down the figurines beside you and took in a deep breath of the fresh air. Well, as much as the pollution and smog would allow it to be. There were still remnants of a blush painted on your face, in disbelief at the gift given to you and his reasoning for it. You’d never really been given a gift like that before…’thank you’ presents from some clients, sure, but nothing this…personal. 

“Curioso?” Your eyes narrowed in thought as you looked out into the darkened horizon. “If you could have one thing in the world, that’s not getting your body or your freedom back…what would it be?” 

He jumped up in his seat. “Is it time for 100 questions already?” 

“Come on. I’m being serious.” 

He joined your view and you heard him clicking his teeth together. What a curious sound. “I already have it.” 

You arched an eyebrow in disbelief. “Do you?” 

“Yes. A companion - a friend. To make my life a little more...full.” He turned to you quickly. “And what about you? What would you have?” 

You looked down. Your feet were close to his - calves nearly touching but not quite. It was then you realized the small space between you two. You’d been huddled next to him without any second thought. It just felt so…natural. He was your best friend, wasn’t he? You’d been living with him for a bit now. Closeness wasn’t so strange. It wasn’t anything you thought about at all. But here you were, sharing it with him. Like it wasn’t something you were ever deprived of. He wasn’t even warm - the feel of his artificial ‘skin’ was rather cool with the weather tonight. 

You really wanted to say, ‘someone to love’ , because that’s what’s been missing in your life, hasn’t it? A close partner to share your living with, to come home to and wake up beside? A friend was nice, but you already had Audrey. Two friends were…compensating for something, surely. Not that you couldn’t have as many friends as you wanted, but you would always be missing something closer. 

Something you never bothered to reach - focusing on your career and dismissing all attempts at socializing at bars and clubs. But now, the itch was inside you again, regretting what you have and haven’t done in these years. You only had so much time to live, and you didn’t want to spend it alone. 

Meeting his imaginative eyes, a smile played across your face. “I already have it, as well.” 

Except you knew you were telling a lie. With the curious tilt of Curioso’s head, he didn’t seem to believe you, either. But he said nothing, and you figured this was for the best.

[ghostlyyraccoon]

Rational Chapter 2 (Kavetham Hanahaki AU)

Warning: graphic depictions of violence, blood, injury, explicit content

Ship: Kaveh/Alhaitham

Chapter: 2/2 Chapter 1

Summary:

Have you heard what they’ve been saying about the Academiya’s Scribe? Rumour has it he’s come down with a lung disease of the most curious kind! The whole House of Daena has witnessed him coughing up leaves and petals like crazy! Apparently, it’s been going on for several weeks, yet the Scribe refused to go see a doctor until his health took a sudden turn for the worse. Yesterday, he was found unconscious at his desk! Fortunately, the General Mahamatra and Light of Kshahrewar were closeby and able to bring him to the Bimarstan before anything worse could happen.

.

“I am not expected to be back at work until next week,” Alhaitham declared as he crossed the room, sitting down on the divan. For most, It would look like nothing more than a comfortable stroll, while for those more familiar with the Scribe, it would be hard to miss how much care he had to put into sitting down. “Nahida has strictly forbidden me from entering the House of Daena before I'm feeling better again. Apparently, it’s not enough for her that my assailants have been caught already.” Carefully, Alhaitham pulled his legs up, crossing them one over the other. “Well, you certainly won’t catch me complaining about the paid leave. Perhaps my time-out will finally be reason enough to look for an actual replacement for the Grand Sage.”

Kaveh followed him into the room, a packet of bandages in one hand, a jar of ointment in the other. He set both down before putting his hands on his hips, his gaze fixed on Alhaitham’s relaxed form. 

“Contrary to you, Lesser Lord Kusanali has common sense and knows that some situations cannot be solved by brute strength alone. Let it taper off and then you’ll be free to do as you please.”

“It would please me to be indefinitely removed from the Grand Sage’s position,” Alhaitham replied drily.

Kaveh tutted his tongue. “Speaking of which, most people in Sumeru would kill to be in your shoes. Yet all you do is complain.” With a sigh, he sat down on the ground. As he continued to speak, he picked up the jar again, starting to unscrew the lid to check how much of the medicine was left inside. “People wouldn’t respect you as much if they knew how you act when you’re out of sight,” he mumbled. 

Slowly, Alhaitham uncrossed his legs and leaned down. Within his reach was a book he’d abandoned on the ground several weeks ago. Luckily, Kaveh must have missed it the last time he cleaned up the living room.

He picked it up and blew off the dust that had settled on the cover. “It's too much of a hassle, really. It’s beyond me why anyone would choose this job out of their own free will.”

The jar was still halfway full, so Kaveh set it aside. “You know, most would see it as an honour,” he insisted. “I certainly would see it as such.”

“Well, I think we’ve established time and time again that I'm quite different from other people. All this job got me is unwanted attention, more work hours and a knife in the gut.”

Caught off guard, Kaveh almost dropped the lid. “Good grief, Alhaitham!” His voice caught in his throat. “I don't even know what to say to that.”

Without looking up, Alhaitham opened the book; he had dog-eared it the last time he read it. “That would be a first.”

“You-!” Kaveh took a deep breath to collect himself. “You're incorrigible. Now stop trying to distract me, I need to take a look at your wound.”

Slowly, Alhaitham peered over the edge of his book. “Don’t trouble yourself. I can do it by myself just fine.”

In spite of Alhaitham’s words, Kaveh refused to move. He simply waved the jar of ointment in front of his roommate’s face and raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me if I don't trust your levels of self-care after the stunt you just pulled. The multiple stunts you pulled, actually.” The expression on his face was determined. “Take your shirt off, I am going to check your wound.”

“You're acting like this is some form of punishment.” Alhaitham said. “Which would pose the question: Is it supposed to be my punishment or is it maybe yours after all?”

Kaveh watched him as he turned the page, a perfect picture of nonchalance. Using one hand, he pulled up his shirt, his gaze never straying from the page as he somehow managed to undress himself with almost no reading time lost .  

With his eyes trained on the intricate letters, it felt easier to breathe. “There you go. Now stop talking nonsense and let’s just get this over with.”

While his eyes were still trained on one of the pages, his mind was somewhere else entirely. Internally, he braced himself for what was to come. Perhaps it would be easier to stick it out if Kaveh's fingers weren't already ghosting over his abdomen, the touch of his fingertips light like a feather. 

“Considering how you chose to play down a near-lethal stab wound you’d more than deserve a little punishment. It kills me that you're probably enjoying this. It's abnormal. If I were stuck inside for weeks it’d drive me crazy.”

“Abnormal? I think I've heard that one before. You have got to try harder if you're aiming to be innovative.”

“You-!” For a moment, Kaveh mulled it over. “Lunatic! You're a lunatic.”

Alhaitham let out a low hum. “That one isn't new either, Kaveh.”

Kaveh threw his hands up in an annoyed manner. “Fine, I give up! People talk about you far too often,” he grumbled. 

“And you don't count yourself among those people?”

Carefully, Kaveh took off the bandages, observing the scar with a clinical gaze. “I live with you. I have every reason to complain.”

“I believe Cyno and Tighnari would like to disagree.”

“Oh come on now, don’t act as if you never whine about me.”

“Not to them I don’t.”

“Which implies that you do talk about me, just not with them! Stop acting so high and mighty, Alhaitham. Remind me again which one of us got stabbed in a suspicious alleyway?” Kaveh put the used bandages away and mustered Alhaitham’s wound. Carefully, he let his fingertip run along the pink scar tissue and Alhaitham shivered. 

When he received no answer, he kept on talking regardless. “Maybe this is your new strategy to keep me from working.”

“By getting stabbed?” Alhaitham tried his best to keep his breathing calm. “Next time I'll try to keep your timely restrictions in mind before getting assaulted.” Kaveh’s fingers, skilled and spindly as they were, were sending shivers down his spine. Alhaitham felt that sense of guilt he’d grown accustomed to bubble up again. These touches were not his to enjoy. Even more so, it would be unfair to Kaveh, an overstepping of boundaries, if he were to close his eyes and relish in the skinship. Growing up, Alhaitham had so little physical affection, now the mere thought of it was wish and fear alike. Perhaps he was the one being submitted to torture after all. 

Kaveh's movements gradually slowed down until they came to a halt. When he started to speak again, his tone was nonchalant.

“Don’t act as if you have no idea what I’m talking about.” For a second, he seemed hesitant, his expression somewhat abashed. Then he cleared his throat, his fist raised to cover his mouth. “So,” he started, “there's something I’ve been meaning to ask you, and I believe you owe me one.” He busied himself with reapplying the ointment, the bandages remaining clean and unused on the table as the wound was already healed enough to leave them off entirely.

Deep down, Alhaitham knew this statement to be true, so he hummed in silent agreement. Distantly, he was aware of how pliant he was being, and partially, he knew to blame his illness for it. Perhaps he was also simply too tired to keep on fighting with Kaveh, especially when he knew there wasn't anything substantial to argue about. How much sense was there to arguments just for the sake of arguing when time was running through his fingers like sand?

 Quietly, Kaveh screwed the lid of the ointment shut and placed it on the ground. The sound it made upon meeting the wooden planks rang through their living room with a dull thudding.

“Your illness,” Kaveh began, “why didn't you say anything when you found out? Tighnari, Cyno and I, would we not have supported you?”

The question didn't come as a surprise to him. After all, Kaveh was the one who had found him in his office back then, bloody and weak.

Alhaitham had enough sense to know that an apology was long overdue. Still, how much would an apology be worth if the worst was yet to come? How could he smooth things over when he knew for a fact that he would continue to hurt him? Even though Kaveh didn’t consider him much of a friend, much less so a lover, he'd be foolish to assume his death would be received with insignificance.

Alhaitham had already made his arrangements.The liyuean funeral director he had contacted had sworn him her utmost secrecy. Everything had been dealt with in advance. Kaveh would inherit the house and he most certainly wouldn't be too happy about it.

When Alhaitham first found out about his illness, acceptance had come faster than he’d expected. With the first petal lying in the palm of his hand, his heart beating fast, he'd thought to himself that time had been more than patient with him. It had been a thing of inevitability. Had their relationship been more clear-cut, perhaps he would have felt more guilt about his own transgression. After all, isn't friendship a mutual agreement to stay within the expected perimeters of the relationship?

It was an open secret that Alhaitham tolerated most people. Kaveh however, he accepted, with all his flaws and difficulties. His feelings had always been a race against time and finally, fate had caught up with him. 

For Kaveh, the issue of Alhaitham's illness still remained unexplained. A part of him desperately wanted to talk about it, wanted to see how much he could tell without Kaveh catching wind of what truly happened back then.

Foolish as he was, he decided to indulge him. Perhaps his sickness had finally worn him down and made him weary with the way it always had him aching in one way or the other. If it wasn’t his body that was in anguish, then his heart felt more than compelled to do so in its stead. 

“I found out quite some time before Cyno and you figured it out,” he admitted. “Six months.”

Kaveh’s eyes widened and his fingers that had been playing with his shirt's collar stilled. “Six months?! And you didn't-”

“I was undecided,” Alhaitham cut in. 

Quietly, Kaveh sat down next to him on the divan, his face bathed in disbelief, his nose pale. “And you never even thought to confess? You never thought to confide in us?”

“I considered the repercussions and concluded that it would be pointless to tell. Why bother burdening them with the weight of my misplaced feelings?”

“That is wrong on so many levels, I don't even know where to start.”

Alhaitham turned his gaze towards Kaveh. “Then pray tell, if someone you didn't like confessed to you that they love you so much they're willing to die for it, what would you do? Let them down in kind when rejections of any kind could cause deadly harm? Or would you attempt to return the feelings and make everything worse?” His gaze was piercing. “It would be illogical and unnecessarily cruel.”

“I guess I would… try to see if the feelings could be mutual,” Kaveh replied reluctantly.

“And there you have your answer.” 

The thought of Kaveh, once again riddled with guilt over something he had no hand in, had become a common visitor in Alhaitham's mind. It was a mental image he did not welcome; one that had overstayed its welcome months ago. 

“And what if they loved you back and you just robbed yourself of your one chance at love?” It was the same debate they always ended up having all over again.

“It was an option I had already ruled out through thorough and time consuming research. I know them well and thus was able to come to my conclusion.”

“You know them well? Then I must know them as well, right? It's not like you have many friends.” Kaveh’s hands were balled into fists, digging into the fabric of his pants. “You still haven't told me their name.”

“And I will keep it that way,” he replied casually. “But it's true, you do know them.” It was a piece of information that came dangerously close to the truth.

Kaveh's lips were pressed into a tight line. “I guess it was idiotic of me to think your reasoning would be anything less than incomprehensible. Not that you've ever been one to change. The thought of you in a relationship? Preposterous. I must be out of my mind! You probably don't even touch yourself and would even less so allow someone else to do in return.”

Alhaitham turned his head to look at Kaveh, his patience wavering with each and every passing second. Sometimes, Kaveh's misinterpretations of his character did hit a nerve after all. 

“Do you think I'm a saint? That I never fall infatuated, that I never wish for mutual affection, for physical closeness? That I choose to remain untouched? I may be a scholar but I'm not a eunuch, Kaveh.”

“Are you not?” he answered quickly, his voice suddenly breathless. “It’s not like I’ve ever heard y-”  

“Isn't it unscholarly to just assume I never touch myself based on hearsay alone?”

“That’s- That’s most certainly not what I wanted to ask just now!”

Alhaitham was quite certain that was exactly what he wanted to ask about, all decency abandoned in the eye of his fiery nature. He watched the way Kaveh's Adam’s apple bopped up and down as he swallowed and readjusted his sitting position, his hand coming to rest over his lap. There was something about it that made his heart beat faster. 

Now curious, Alhaitham's eyes wandered further down.

Kaveh was hard.

He swallowed deeply and resisted the urge to avert his eyes. Now this was an interesting development. An idea began to blossom in his mind. 

“Oh?” he asked breathlessly, his eyes on the obvious tent in his roommate's pants. He couldn't stop himself from putting his book away to finally give him his full attention. “What’s gotten you so curious? Do you want to find out?” 

Kaveh’s breath caught in his throat. “You're asking if I want to find out whether you're sexually active or not?! Why would I- How would I even-”

Alhaitham's gaze was heavy, his eyes half-lidded. “I think you know how. Don't play coy, Kaveh.” There was this age old curiosity in his chest, this need to be had by Kaveh just once before it all would come crashing down. Even if it would only be for the sake of lust, it would still be better than not having had him at all.. 

“But you- you have someone you love!”

“And I got the surgery for it,” he lied matter of factly. The flowers in his chest shifted uncomfortably. “So I’d consider this a non-issue.” Perhaps the looming number over his head was getting to him after all. Alhaitham was desperate. He swallowed down petals which were trying to fight their way up his throat. 

Kaveh brushed his hair out of his face and watched him with unbelieving eyes. “You want me,” he concluded breathlessly. “Since when-”

“That hardly matters.”

Kaveh threw him a scandalized look. “It definitely does!” 

“Why?”

“You're asking me why?! How can you be so cold about this?”

“I'm not being cold about it, I'm simply being pragmatic.”

“Keep your semantics where they came from. We're talking about sex here. And you just suggested us as-” 

Alhaitham shoved all feelings aside and pushed through the tightness in his chest, putting all his embarrassment aside. Perhaps later on he'd be able to plead momentary insanity. “Then I'm going to spell it out for you. Do you want to fuck me or not?”

Kaveh looked seconds away from fainting. Aside from their heavy breaths, the room was completely silent.

“You just got hurt and-” 

Alhaitham grabbed Kaveh by the wrist, looking him in the eye. “Just answer, Kaveh. It's a simple yes or no question.” 

“Would you even let me touch you?” His voice came out sounding standoffish. “There’s no way you’d-”

“If it won’t kill you to do so? Sure.” The answer came quick, unfiltered. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“You-”

“You still haven't given me an answer. If you truly don't want to, feel free to reject me to your heart's content.”

Maybe it would kill him before his time was truly up, he thought. Of course, there was no way for Kaveh to know this. It was a prim and proper way out of a situation Alhaitham would never force him into. But if he were to agree…

Kaveh's cheeks were flushed red. Slowly, he lifted his hand and put it against Alhaitham’s cheek. Experimentally, he rubbed his thumb along his cheekbone. His eyes were big with wonder as he leaned in, his touches careful and new. 

“Archons. Read between the lines, won't you? Just for tonight.”

Just for tonight. So Kaveh was at least willing to sacrifice that much. It wasn't a full commitment, but much rather one single night that could still easily be dismissed as a lapse of judgement on Kaveh's part.

Alhaitham felt like he was taking advantage of him regardless. For once however, his body and mind were in a state of incongruence. 

Kaveh's hand was shaking as he pulled closer. “Can I … kiss you?” he eventually asked. It was unclear whether the question was directed at Alhaitham or himself. 

Alhaitham leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, opening them only to watch his roommate from under his lashes. “I’d like to see you try,” he taunted. 

Kaveh swallowed deeply and nodded to himself, for once at a loss for words. “Okay, sure. Yeah, I can-”

As soon as he got visual confirmation, Alhaitham closed the distance between them, making the choice for him.  With his head tilted, he pressed his lips against Kaveh’s. A small sound left Kaveh’s lips, a mixture between a sigh and a sound of surprise. It didn't take him long to reciprocate. The kiss was careful, soft like a whisper in the wind. 

It wasn't Alhaitham's first, but it certainly was his best. Not that he had much material to compare it to anyway. He could count the times people had kissed him on one hand. Alhaitham himself had never initiated a kiss before. Until now, that was. Some part of him was glad that Kaveh would be both his first and his last in that regard.

For a moment, he pulled away only for Kaveh’s hand to travel up his neck, finding refuge in his hair as he pulled him back in again. Their lips connected, this time with less curiosity and more desperation. When their noses bumped together, Alhaitham angled his head, opening his mouth to grant Kaveh better access. Their position was awkward as they were still sitting next to one another. For a short moment, Alhaitham felt soothed, the tightness in his chest replaced with a soft buzzing.

“Fuck it,” Kaveh then mumbled against his lips before swinging one leg over Alhaitham's lap, mounting him. They separated long enough for Kaveh to sling his arm around Alhaitham's neck before returning to it. One hand slid up to Kaveh’s waist, holding onto it for dear life.

He could feel Kaveh’s boner pressing against his bare stomach, but Alhaitham himself wasn't doing much better in that regard. There was a certain warmth filling his chest, swiftly travelling down his ribcage and for once, he found himself in an agreeable state of mind. 

“When have you become so shameless, Senior?” he asked between breaths, a smile on his lips.

“Oh shut up you. You started this,” Kaveh mumbled against his lips as he slid his tongue in. Alhaitham welcomed it with open arms. They didn't separate and he let his hand travel up Kaveh's back, diving into the hole of his blouse that exposed his tight back muscles. Alhaitham had half the mind to admit that he’d been fantasizing about doing exactly so ever since he'd first seen Kaveh wear it, but decided against it. 

Kaveh shivered against the touch, pressing himself even closer to his chest, his nose pressed against the soft skin of Alhaitham’s cheek as he halted for a moment to take a shuddering breath. 

“You’re so sensitive,” Alhaitham mumbled next to his ear, his lips pressing against the skin beneath it for the shortest of moments to wander down, leaving a hot trail of kisses down to the base of his neck. Kaveh exhaled lightly and put his hand on Alhaitham’s neck, letting his fingers run over his pulse point.  

“And you aren’t?” he replied, his voice uncharacteristically quiet as he closed his eyes and took hold of Alhaitham’s face, leading his lips back to his own. He stopped right before they could touch. “Tell me why you would want this,” he breathed against his lips. “I still don’t get what led to this. Tell me I’m not hallucinating.”

A chuckle escaped Alhaitham’s lips. “Do you feel like telling me what else you fantasize about in your freetime?”

He could feel Kaveh’s cheeks heating up at the taunt. “I don’t understand you at all,” he bit back. 

“This is real. What reason would I have to ask for something I do not agree with?”

Seemingly, this was all that Kaveh needed to hear as he buried both hands in Alhaitham’s hair and kissed him with a fervour and with such a sudden intensity that Alhaitham felt his mind going blank. Kaveh tugged at his hair, lightly, carefully, and Alhaitham barely managed to suppress a groan.

Carefully, he untucked Kaveh’s shirt so he could let both hands roam freely while Kaveh’s mouth traveled further down to trail kisses along his jaw. The feeling of Kaveh's rib cage under his fingertips was a welcome distraction. 

When Kaveh reached the side of Alhaitham’s neck, he bit his skin lightly, waiting for a response before placing a soothing kiss on top. Quietly, he sucked a hickey against his pulse point and Alhaitham let him. Even if nothing else but the memory remained, at least the marks would be a reminder to bridge over his last days.

As Kaveh continued to suck mark after mark on his skin, Alhaitham regained what little remained of his common sense. A shuddery breath escaped his lips as he opened his mouth, his own erection now barely hidden. “Let’s take this…” he started, but was then interrupted as a gasp escaped his lips when Kaveh sucked at an especially sensitive spot below his ear.

Kaveh’s head shot up, the expression on his face incredulous, his pupils blown wide. “Archons, that was hot,” he blurted out to immediately move closer again, his hands cupping his face as he recaptured Alhatham’s lips. Alhaitham wrapped his arm around Kaveh’s waist and pulled him closer, one hand wandering further down until it came to rest right above Kaveh’s ass. He let it wander further down, giving it an experimental squeeze and when Kaveh took in a shuddery breath at the touch, he ground his ass further against Alhaitham’s now undeniable erection.  

Between kisses, Alhaitham tried to find room to talk. “Let’s take this to the bedroom,” he eventually managed to offer. Of course, he’d have nothing against getting his world rocked on their living room divan. Archons, he’d most definitely fantasized about it before, but there was a certain part of him that wanted this done properly. Also, there was another part of him that remembered the kind of back pain he tended to get after long reading sessions on the divan and concluded that he didn’t need a repeat of that right now.

Kaveh scrambled off him and grabbed his wrist, pulling Alhaitham with him as they headed towards his room. His pointer rubbed along Alhaitham’s skin, ghosting up and down as if he were afraid the loss of touch would break the magic of the moment. 

As soon as they were inside, they didn’t even care enough to close the door behind them. Who was there to see them anyway? This was their home.

They stumbled into Kaveh’s sheets, Kaveh going first and pulling Alhaitham with him. “Now where were we?” Alhaitham pondered and Kaveh made a face, but chose to stay quiet for once. Instead, he goaded Alhaitham closer. “I think,” he began, “we were in the middle of something.” 

“And what would that have been?”

Kaveh shut him up with his lips, his eyebrows slightly creased. He pushed Alhaitham further into the bed, crawling on top of him. Alhaitham realized that he didn't mind lying beneath him at all. The weight of Kaveh’s body on top of his own felt strangely grounding. Kaveh's arms were caging him in and he felt safe. 

In bed, Kaveh was the same as he was in a heated argument: Overly eager and passionate to a fault. His hands wandered down towards Alhaitham's waistband, slipping underneath the tight fabric. Carefully, his fingertips started to explore all the edges and ridges, travelling over strong hip bones and his v-line, coming dangerously close to his boner.

“How do we want to do this,” he mumbled, halting momentarily. 

Although Alhaitham would be fine either way, he had a specific image in mind. He hooked his leg over Kaveh’s waist and flipped them over to tilt Kaveh’s head to the side with his pointer. Although his expression was gobsmacked, Kaveh let him. Alhaitham's nose brushed over the sensitive skin on his neck as he leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “Haven't I said it before? I want you to fuck me.” 

Kaveh stared up at him, his lips parted and eyes glazed over with want.

When there was no answer, Alhaitham pressed his lips against Kaveh’s neck, leaving a particularly dark hickey right where everyone would be able to see it. Kaveh let out a shuddering breath, his eyes closed.

When he opened his eyes again, his cheeks were flushed. He turned his head to the side before looking up at Alhaitham again. “Leave it to you to be this unromantic.”

“Next time I’ll light a candle or two.”

“Because a candle would fix things.”

Alhaitham laughed quietly and put his head down against Kaveh’s chest, but not before pressing a soft kiss against it. 

“What else would you expect from me then?” It was a ridiculous thing to ask, perhaps even masochistic to a degree, since Kaveh had stated quite clearly that their sexual encounter would be a one time only thing. Alhaitham swallowed the hurt and turned it into blossoms against Kaveh’s skin when he didn't answer. As Alhaitham travelled further down, Kaveh’s eyebrows knit together and his tongue darted past his lips. It was a beautiful sight and Alhaitham ached. He mouthed at the cloth keeping him separated from Kaveh’s cock, rubbing his cheek over it. 

“What are you doing?” Kaveh mumbled as his hand buried itself in Alhaitham’s hair, running through the silky tresses. Alhaitham closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation. After a moment, he hummed in reply. 

“Didn't you want to-”

“Get fucked by you? Yes, all in good time.”

Kaveh let out a frustrated noise. “Argh! Stop saying it like that, it’s weird hearing it come out of your mouth!”

Alhaitham leaned on his elbow. One hand travelled up, caressing Kaveh’s chest, grazing over his rosy nipple and pinching it slightly, while the other began to undo his zipper. Kaveh’s cock sprung free, and it was nothing less than a sight to see. Alhaitham whistled through his teeth.

“Don’t even start,” Kaveh pleaded from parted lips. Alhaitham removed his hand and Kaveh cracked an eye open almost immediately. 

“I was simply going to comment on how you are incredibly well endowed for a man of your stature. Studies say-

“Oh my god, just shut up!” Kaveh whined, hiding his face in the crook of his elbow. 

Alhaitham took the opportunity to place a soft kiss against the shaft, looking up to observe Kaveh’s reaction. It was obvious he had felt it from the way his hips twitched and his lips parted. When Alhaitham ran the flat of his tongue from the base up to the tip, slowly and testingly, Kaveh’s resolve to stay quiet seemed to crumble. His lips moved quietly, spelling out a flurry of words. A shaky breath escaped his lips.

Alhaitham added his hand, stroking it up and down as he lowered his head. After all, there was no one who knew how to rile Kaveh up quite like him. After a few more pumps and a few more loving caresses of Kaveh’s ballsack, Alhaitham opened his mouth and took Kaveh’s dick in. It was hot to the touch and slightly salty to the taste. Experimentally, he swirled his tongue around, lapping at the head.

“Alhaitham!” The sound that escaped Kaveh’s lips came out sounding half-scandalized, half-breathless. 

Alhaitham hummed at the call of his name and their eyes met. Kaveh’s eyes were watery, half-lidded and glazed over with lust. Alhaitham made sure not to break eye contact as he sank down further. Kaveh’s dick hit the back of his throat, but he felt challenged to take it even further. For a moment, he breathed in through his nose, forcing his throat to relax as he welcomed Kaveh in. Once the feeling of discomfort started to subside, he started bopping his head further down, his hair falling into his eyes. All of a sudden, Kaveh’s hand was in his hair, pushing it back for him and pinning it behind his ear with care.  

“Where did you-” Kaveh gasped, his voice raspy. “ Where did you learn to do that?”

Alhaitham hummed in the back of his throat and pulled back again before sinking down further. Kaveh’s grip on his hair tightened and Alhaitham felt the desire burning hot in his abdomen when Kaveh’s dick twitched inside of his throat. 

“I think I’m gonna-”

Alhaitham lifted an eyebrow, his sight set on Kaveh and Kaveh alone as he picked up the pace. 

Kaveh’s hand tapped his head, slow at first, then more urgently. Alhaitham slid his hand over Kaveh’s thigh, gripping it, giving it a reassuring squeeze as he swallowed around Kaveh’s twitching cock and welcomed the warm cum shooting down his throat, accompanied by Kaveh’s groan of relief. Alhaitham watched the way his eyelids fluttered shut as he orgasmed. When the twitching calmed down, Alhaitham pulled off with a pop, the taste of Kaveh’s cum still strong on his tongue.

“Archons, Alhaitham.” Kaveh propped himself up again, his chest heaving up and down as he ran his hand through his disheveled hair.

“I thought you wanted me to shut up? That’s what I did,” Alhaitham replied nonchalantly as he wiped his mouth. 

Kaveh leaned forward, his hands still shaky from his orgasm as he reached around Alhaitham’s neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss. It was a sloppy, needy thing. The kiss was enough to remind the roots residing in Alhaitham’s lungs to tighten their grasp.

Although they hadn't set any boundaries, it was strange to be able to kiss Kaveh without any repercussions and even stranger to be kissed back so passionately. Alhaitham knew that there would be no coming back from this once the night was over. He swallowed the cough that was threatening to escape.   

Kaveh’s hand started to wander, first exploring Alhaitham’s tight back muscles, then wandering down to find refuge in the small of his back. The sensation made Alhaitham’s skin tingle. Then Kaveh’s hands travelled further down, grabbing onto Alhaitham’s ass. 

He had been staying quiet for a while now and it was putting Alhaitham on edge. The roots in his chest were starting to stir again, unruly and nervous, edging him on to say or do something to make it all better, to change the fate he had already come to terms with.  

When Kaveh’s lips went off track, pressing down against his cheek, along his jawbone and up behind his ear, Alhaitham tilted his head, deciding to simply relish in what he was given. 

Kaveh nibbled at the sensitive skin near his throat, leaving another mark. While they were lost in each other's touch, Kaveh reached behind without looking back, struggling as he tried to open the drawer near his bed to pull out a small ampoule. He threw it onto the bed next to them. “Lube,” he explained. 

They both reached for it at the same time. 

“Let me help,” he started, when at the same time, Alhaitham opened his mouth as well. 

“I can do it myself just fine.”

Kaveh’s hands slid up his throat, coming to rest there. “You-” He cleared his throat. “You  sucked me off. Let me return the favor.”

Alhaitham let out a deep breath. The thought of Kaveh’s fingers, rough and skilled as they were, buried inside of him, was enough to make his heart thump at a faster pace. “Also… it’s embarrassing that I’m the only one who’s completely naked.”

Alhaitham’s eyes wandered down again. 

“Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just distracted for a moment.”

“Distracted? You were definitely staring. Stop staring! Okay that’s it!” Without any warning Kaveh pushed Alhaitham down against the mattress, his hands firm on his shoulders.

Decidedly, he let both hands slide further down, from Alhaitham’s broad chest down to his pants. When he undid his zipper, his hand brushed over his bulge and Alhaitham shivered, his hips bucking upwards to chase the feeling.

Kaveh took note of the movement, but returned to the task at hand. It was a struggle to get Alhaitham out of his pants, but in the end he managed to pull through. Alhaitham was propped up on one elbow, watching the way Kaveh sat face to face with Alhaitham’s black briefs. 

“Chickening out?”

Kaveh threw him an annoyed look as he hooked his thumbs under the expensive fabric, his fingernails grazing Alhaitham’s skin as he pulled the piece of clothing past his hips. Alhaitham’s cock sprung free, the cold air hitting it with a vengeance.

“Of course you have to be flawless in that regard too,” Kaveh mumbled. 

“What was that?”

Kaveh let out a deep breath and ran his hand along his temple. “Come here.”

“What for?” When Alhaitham didn’t follow suit, only leaning back further to throw Kaveh a taunting look, Kaveh wrapped his arms around his thighs and pulled him closer. 

“Can you at least try not to be actively difficult?”

“But where would be the fun in that?”

Kaveh took the ampoule and unscrewed it, pouring a generous amount of lube into his palm. He made sure that his fingers were properly coated before he moved closer.

“I’m about to enter you and you really think this is the time to be joking?”

Alhaitham spread his legs a bit wider when Kaveh came to rest between them. The feeling of Kaveh’s lube-coated finger circling his hole was strange, but not unwelcome. When Kaveh’s free hand slid up his thigh, massaging it slowly, reassuringly, Alhaitham relaxed. A part of him wanted to slide his hand over Kaveh’s, wished to entangle their hands to keep them connected, but he knew he’d be crossing an invisible boundary if he were to do so. Instead, he buried one hand in the pillow above his head and nodded at Kaveh to keep going. 

Kaveh applied some more lube before he positioned his pointer and carefully applied more pressure to push it in. As he rubbed soothing circles into Alhaitham’s thigh he managed to push past the tight ring of muscle and kept going until he was more than knuckle-deep. He started to move his finger at an agonizingly slow pace, meticulous in execution as he tried to get Alhaitham used to the feeling. The sensation was neither good nor bad, so Alhaitham found no problem with it. Of course, he had tried fucking himself on his fingers before, but it was a different story when it was somebody else doing it to you. A minute passed.

“Kaveh, add another,” he simply said when he felt ready. Kaveh looked up at him for a short moment, his gaze focused. He pulled out and added the second finger without any issues. The stretch felt sweet and did not sting thanks to the lube. It was a feeling of fullness Alhaitham rarely got to experience. The fact that it came from Kaveh’s fingers alone made his erection feel almost painfully stiff. He’d been hard for a while now and the lack of relief was becoming more apparent by the minute. Alhaitham noticed his thoughts becoming more hazy and all over the place. When Kaveh curled the two fingers, grazing past an especially sensitive bundle of nerves, his eyes fell shut, and his fist tightened around the pillowcase. A low sigh escaped his lips. Kaveh’s movements slowed at the sound. He turned his head, lowered it and pressed a quick kiss against his thigh. 

“Are you okay?” he asked after.

It took Alhaitham a moment until he was able to form proper thoughts again. “Add another one.” There was a quiver to his voice that he wasn’t used to. 

Kaveh obliged. “Wait a moment, I think it’s a bit…”

Alhaitham grunted in response at the first wave of discomfort. “Tight. Use more lube.”

Kaveh did as he was told and tried again, this time with even more care. Slowly, he added finger number three, pushing it past that tight ring of muscles to join the first two. Once the worst part was over, Kaveh went back to pressing kisses against Alhaitham’s thigh as he started to scissor him open. When he was knuckles-deep again, spreading and pumping his fingers to ease what was about to come, he sucked a dark mark into the skin of Alhaitham’s thigh. A moan, low and breathy, escaped his lips and his untouched dick twitched with the first pearls of precum. 

Kaveh continued to prepare him thoroughly. “Hey,” he mumbled against Alhaitham’s thigh that was starting to bear the first few dark marks. He pressed another sloppy kiss against the sensitive inside and Alhaitham shivered. 

Begging was far too much effort, but if Kaveh kept going like this, perhaps he’d have to reconsider.

Alhaitham grabbed Kaveh’s chin and turned his head. “If you keep this going I’m going to come.”

Kaveh continued to push his fingers in deeper, curling them towards the end, making Alhaitham quiver. As usual, Kaveh showed himself annoyingly averse to his suggestions.

“Kaveh.” Alhaitham propped himself up further, the feeling of Kaveh’s fingers inside him now so much more sweet and taunting. He had half the mind to press into the touch. “Won’t you give me your huge cock, Senior?”

Kaveh’s movements stilled and his ears flushed bright red. 

Carefully, he pulled out his fingers before pulling Alhaitham in for a long kiss. “I can’t believe you,” he mumbled against his lips, his breath hot. “How can you just say stuff like that, are you not embarrassed?!”

“Not in the slightest, no.”

Alhaitham pushed Kaveh onto his back, all patience lost in the heat of the moment. “Stop wasting our time.” He straddled Kaveh’s hips, his dick, already hard again, lying nestled in-between Alhaitham’s ass cheeks. Teasingly, he rubbed his ass against Kaveh’s boner. Kaveh threw his head back. “Okay, okay, I got it. Let’s do this.”

Alhaitham lifted his hips, Kaveh’s dick now lined up with his entrance. He squeezed a generous amount of lube onto it, smearing it across the tip just to see the way it made him squirm. His free hand was splayed across Kaveh’s chest, pinching his nipple as he started to lower himself onto Kaveh’s dick.

The stretch was good, slightly uncomfortable at first, but not painful. Kaveh let him go at his own pace, allowing him to get used to the feeling. He rubbed his hands over Alhaitham’s thighs in support. Alhaitham grabbed them, guiding them to rest on his hips instead. Kaveh was now halfway buried inside, and Alhaitham’s patience was running thin. He breathed in through his nose, out through his mouth and let one hand slide over Kaveh’s, grabbing onto it as he sank down to the hilt.

Once he was fully settled, a strange feeling started to fill him up. Alhaitham was rarely one to get emotional, yet all of a sudden, he felt like he was close to tearing up. It was a certain kind of closeness he had never gotten to experience with Kaveh before.  He turned his head away, coughing shortly as Kaveh ran his hands over Alhaitham’s ass, kneading his toned cheeks. 

Without any warning Alhaitham leaned forward, capturing Kaveh’s lips with his own. As he leaned forward, he felt the pull at his rim as their position changed and Kaveh bucked his hips to accommodate for it.

“Jesus, you’re tight,” he breathed out between kisses. Alhaitham began to lift his hips slowly, releasing Kaveh’s cock just to push his hips back down again. Kaveh’s cock reached deep down, brushing a sensitive spot, making Alhaitham swallowed deeply, all words lost to lust. When he lifted his hips again he pulled out too far and Kaveh’s cock slipped out. 

When he reached around to slip it back in, Kaveh stopped him.

“Let’s switch positions. You’re still recovering.” He sat back up, his legs crossed, and pulled Alhaitham onto his lap, his back flush against Kaveh’s chest. Kaveh testingly pushed his fingers back inside Alhaitham’s hole, stretching it some more. A low moan escaped Alhaitham’s lips and he let his head fall back as his vision threatened to blur.

“Get on with it, Kaveh,” he groaned, his impatience barely hidden.

 Kaveh pressed a hot trail of kisses along his neck as he pulled out his fingers and lined his cock back up with Alhaitham’s hole. “Stop being so impatient,” he mumbled back and pressed past the tight ring of muscles. “Aren’t you the one who always preaches that patience is a virtue?”

As soon as Kaveh was buried inside of him again, Alhaitham pushed his hips down to swallow him whole. It was a nice feeling that was only disturbed by the urgency of his erection and the shortness of his breath. He started to bounce up and down and Kaveh met him along the way, thrusting where he couldn’t reach.

“There's no scar, I thought there'd be one,” Kaveh suddenly mumbled as he pounded into him. He let his hand run along the sensitive skin of his chest, letting it run down until it reached his abdomen, ghosting over the fresh pink scar. “There's only this one,” he mumbled. “And this one, I remember well.” 

Kaveh buried his face in the crook of Alhaitham's neck, breathing in deeply as he kept talking in spite of Alhaitham’s silence. “You smell like mourning flowers…” he mumbled. “They've always been my favourite.” 

Alhaitham suppressed a cough, trying to focus on the sensation of Kaveh's cock buried to the hilt inside of him. He threw his head backwards until it rested against Kaveh’s shoulder and let out a shuddery breath. A bead of sweat ran down his temple. 

“You talk too much. Get on with it,” he said impatiently, trying to press his hips down further until Kaveh caved in, snaking one hand up Alhaitham’s bare chest as he returned to his rhythm and gave a proper thrust.

“Yeah, yeah,” he murmured into Alhaitham’s neck, pressing open mouthed kisses against it as he tried to maintain a steady rhythm. “Maybe you just don’t talk enough. Have you ever considered that? Wait, scratch that. I don’t need you running your mouth more than you already do.”

“Which one is it,” Alhaitham forced out between heavy breaths. “Do you want me to shut up or be more vocal?”

Kaveh ran his tongue along the salty skin on Alhaitham's neck and wrapped his arm around his torso, pulling him even closer. When Alhaitham let out a shaky breath, Kaveh's lips curled into a smile against his skin. His next thrust hit the bull’s eye. With this new angle, Kaveh now had perfect access to reach that sensitive bundle of nerves. He gave another big thrust and Alhaitham left out a stuttering breath as the tip of his cock leaked with more precum. His heartbeat was fast, almost erratic now as he felt himself teetering closer and closer on the edge. 

The hold Kaveh had on his body was warm and reassuring. As Alhaitham found himself surrounded by Kaveh’s scent, the reality of the situation suddenly set in. Kaveh was fucking him, for the first and only time, and Alhaitham would soon see the light for it. That annoying tightness in his chest returned with a vengeance when Kaveh kissed his neck and nibbled at the sensitive skin, mouthing words he didn’t understand against his skin. 

He couldn't take this much longer. Alhaitham moved his hips to accompany Kaveh’s thrusts, attempting to chase his finish with a newfound desperation. Kaveh seemed to notice, since his grip tightened and his thrusts turned more targeted. His hand traveled further down, coming to rest flat against Alhaitham's abdomen, caressing it, pressing down on it. The next thrust hit just the right spot and finally, Alhaitham felt his orgasm, tight like a fist, coming in strong as Kaveh gave a few last shaky thrusts, pulling Alhaitham's waist down one last time until he spilled inside of him. 

Alhaitham felt a tear roll down his cheek. Then, a wetness coming from his nose followed. It dripped down his chest, down his leg as he tried to take in a deep breath and found himself unable to. The tightness in his chest wasn't something he could simply ignore anymore. It was urgent now. Alhaitham coughed again and a rain of petals spilled as the post-orgasm exhaustion hit him. 

“Alhaitham, what…” Kaveh's voice sounded strangely far off. 

Alhaitham pulled off Kaveh's cock, the sudden emptiness nauseating, the dribble of cum running down his inner thigh strange. In a daze, he wiped his cheek before turning back around.

Kaveh was leaning back, one hand lifted and his mouth open in shock. Alhaitham simply stared back at him. The room was dead silent. 

“You never got the surgery in the first place,” Kaveh stated, his voice shaky and raw. For once, Alhaitham found no words to say. There was nothing that would fix what he had just broken anyway. “Don't you know that this could kill you?! I can't believe you right now. You lied not only to me, but to all of us! It could still kill you! As always, all you care about is yourself!”

Alhaitham turned to look at him and remained quiet.

“I'm going to get washed up.” His thighs were still shaking from the strain and he almost stumbled when he got up, picked up his underwear and left Kaveh behind on his bed. 

Alhaitham was staring down his reflection in the mirror. When making a detrimental decision, he rarely ever considered his own emotions to be a contributing factor. Now, for the first time, he found himself wondering if maybe he should have done so after all. 

It was supposed to be a one-time thing. A washing of hands, if one might say so. A quick and easy release. It was supposed to be his one chance to witness what it might be like to be loved, to be wanted by Kaveh, if only for the duration of a single night. Now,  Kaveh's words tasted like iron on his tongue, heavy and red.

The moment he dropped the suggestion, Alhaitham had known he was done for. Yet still, Kaveh hadn’t scoffed at the suggestion, didn’t laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Something about it must have tempted him. For once, Alhaitham couldn’t understand Kaveh's reasoning. 

Now, the cat was out of the bag and there was no way to shove it back inside. His chest felt tight, constricted, his hands were shaking as he grabbed onto the sink for dear life. There was a certain kind of nausea filling his gut, making him feel uncomfortably close to fainting. Perhaps this was it.

Alhaitham took a good look at his dishevelled presence in the mirror; he should clean himself up. Normally, he'd scoff at the stickiness of it all, bail from the sensation. However, he was far too aware of the fact that once he got out of the shower, most traces of what had taken place would be gone. The marks on his skin would vanish in no time, leaving nothing but painful memories behind. It would be just another thing for Kaveh to regret. 

For once, Alhaitham felt his unwavering psyche crumble, his body still warm from his orgasm, his skin abandoned after having been cherished too dearly. There was so much he still craved and so little left to take. Then his legs, traitorous things that they were, gave in. Alhaitham had enough sense to cling to the edge of the bathtub with one hand as he swayed backwards. The flower that had been lodged in his chest, kept there for safekeeping, finally threatened to break free. 

There was no way for him to breathe. A choked sound escaped his lips as he tried to cough it out, but it wasn't enough. A trickle of blood escaped his nose, dripping onto the bathroom tiles. Alhaitham could feel the sound repeating in his head like a taunt. 

With shaky fingers he reached inside his mouth and broke the flower free. It dislodged after a painful tug, landing next to his side. The inside of his throat felt raw and open. His breathing was flat and painful.

All he wanted was Kaveh. Alhaitham felt like a petulant child with how often the thought seemed to run through his mind as of late. 

And what now? He had gotten what he wanted, hadn't he? What was there left to unearth and ruin?

Another mourning flower was quick to follow. They were Kaveh’s favourites. What a joke. 

For a moment, Alhaitham allowed his head to drop into his hands. He had taunted and teased, had kept his heart locked away behind the doors of a glass house. Finally, he had allowed Kaveh to fill him up and hold him close, the traces of him still sticky against his skin. Perhaps it was time to accept that he’d finally reached his breaking point. 

For the first time in years, Alhaitham felt the need to cry. The last time he did was when his grandmother had passed. A tear slipped past the hand that had come to cover his eyes. Another whole flower broke free, a particularly big one, and it wasn't pretty. He was exhausted, the marks on his skin a grim reminder. 

Alhaitham couldn't say how long he'd been sitting on the bathroom floor until he heard a knock. 

He did not move, just sat there even when he heard someone enter the bathroom. 

Still, he refused to look up. There was a sharp intake of breath cutting the silence of the room in half. 

Then, familiar hands slid over his own, carefully prying them off his face. 

“Hey.” There it was. Of course, it just had to be him again. 

“What is it,” he replied. His own voice sounded strange and foreign to him, void of any emotion. Reluctantly, he pried his eyes back open. Kaveh was staring at him, his eyebrows knit together and eyes wet, so full of worry that it made him nauseous. Despite his overly emotional disposition, Kaveh was rarely one to cry. From time to time there would be this deer in the headlights look on his face that Alhaitham deeply disliked for various reasons, but Kaveh never cried. This was different. 

Carefully, almost like one would approach a wounded animal, Kaveh lifted his hand. “Let's get you-”

“No.”

“Alhaitham-”

“Leave it.” Harsh words were followed by an even harsher cough. Petals, bloody, sopping wet and weeping, were trying to break free. “Don't concern yourself with this.”

“Why didn't you get the surgery?” Kaveh exclaimed, his voice rising with emotion. His hands were balled into fists by his side.  

A sound escaped his lips, a mix between a cough and a scoff.

“Did something go wrong, were there any complications? You must’ve had a reason aside from your infuriating bullheadedness.”

“I didn't get it because I refused to,” Alhaitham confessed calmly. 

“You're still not over-”

“How could I be?”

Kaveh reached for Alhaitham's hand, but he pulled it away before he could reach it. 

“Then why did you sleep with me?! Answer me, Alhaitham!”

“What do you want me to say? That I should’ve known better? I am perfectly aware of that already.”

“Who is it?”

After all that happened tonight, Kaveh still managed to remain stubbornly clueless. A dry chuckle escaped his lips. “Your head isn't solely for decorative purposes. Use it.” The words came out sounding too raw, too close to the truth.

When Kaveh tried to reach for Alhaitham again, he paused.

Alhaitham coughed up another bloody petal into his palm and Kaveh just stared. Carefully, he reached out and pried Alhaitham's bloody hand open. His fingernails scraped against his palm as he picked up the petal, turning it over in his hand until something in his brain finally clicked.

“Mourning flowers,” he repeated, the words he'd uttered in the heat of the moment begging to make sense as clarity hit him. “They’ve always been my favourite,” he said slowly, his voice breaking at the realization. A minute passed. “Tell me that I'm wrong. Come on, tell me my conclusion is incorrect. You're so quick to do it any other day.”

When Alhaitham's gaze remained fixed to the opposite wall, Kaveh swallowed thickly. “You are being serious.”

Alhaitham avoided making eye contact with him, his eyes lined red. Another droplet of blood escaped his nose and he let it drip, lacking both the energy and the will to clean it up again. The liquid ran past his lips, over his chin and down onto his chest. There would be so much more to come, so what would be the use to clean it up now? His only regret was that Kaveh was there to witness it all. Despite himself, his eyes felt heavy. 

Finally, Kaveh couldn't take it anymore. He sat down across from him, the bathroom tiles cold against his thighs as he inched closer. He closed the distance between them and without asking, he pulled Alhaitham into a tight embrace, his head burying into his shoulder. 

Alhaitham's head fell against his chest.

Words he couldn't hear were uttered against his skin and he allowed them to rest there in the space between their bodies. 

“Why do you insist on suffering for my sake?” Kaveh mumbled, all anger blown away. His hands were shaking as they carded through Alhaitham's hair. 

“Who said I did it for your sake?” he replied slowly before his body was shaken with another suffocating cough and Kaveh only held him tighter. When his breathing calmed again, he leaned his cheek against his shoulder, exhausted. “Let it go, Kaveh. I know very well what is and what isn't possible. I never expected to bite off more than I can chew.”

“You're so full of it! If you've given up all hope, then why did you still sleep with me?” The expression on his face was wild, guilty. This was exactly what Alhaitham had been trying to avoid. 

“Why indeed. Perhaps I simply like being selfish.”

“When have you ever cared about being considerate for someone else's sake?!”

Alhaitham chose to remain quiet. He felt light headed and closed his eyes. 

“Alhaitham, hey.”

Exhaustion was pulling at his bones as every new breath came out rattling and rough. Because I like to have you in my life. And I’d like to keep you by my side until the very end. 

Kaveh suddenly pulled back, his eyebrows high and expression shocked. “Say that again.”

“I said that out loud? Oh well. My bad.” 

“How can you be so calm about this, can't you see-”

“Didn't I already say this was none of your concern?” he cut in. 

Kaveh clenched his fists. “Why won't you even consider the possibility that I don't want to see you die!”

“Because you have no say in the matter.”

“Arguably, I am the only other person who gets to have a say in the matter!” Kaveh emphasized. 

“And why would that be?”

“Because I love you, you inconsiderate oat! You don't just get to leave me all alone like this! Iif you think I’ll just let you do that you have a big storm coming!”

Alhaitham spit out another mouthful of petals as he let one hand rest across his chest. “Repeat that for me,” he said weakly. 

“You were the one who said you got the surgery. I thought you were over it! How could I have known…”

“You would have felt guilty if I had told you. There was no need to burden you with my feelings if it would only push you for an answer you couldn't give.”

“But I am giving you the answer you need right now, am I not? So accept it!” Kaveh's voice was shaky. “Why else would I have slept with you?” Slowly, Kaveh entangled his fingers with Alhaitham's, pulling their entwined hands close to his chest. “Tell me what you want from me.” 

Alhaitham looked up and their eyes met. Slowly, he ran his hand over Kaveh's cheek, running his thumb under his eye to catch a stray tear. “Everything,” he said. “You know I'm a selfish man. Whatever you are willing to offer, I'll take.”

Kaveh leaned into the touch.

“Then kiss me already.”

Alhaitham pulled close, and when he hesitated for a moment, Kaveh closed the distance between them, making the choice for him. 

“Well, who do we have here again?” Tighnari asked, his tone dry and his arms crossed as he entered the room. Alhaitham and Kaveh were sitting next to one another, their thighs touching casually. 

“Tighnari! You are a sight for sore eyes!” Kaveh exclaimed as he placed his right palm over his heart. “A stubborn idiot and a bullheaded fool, that’s what you have here.”

“As you can see, Kaveh has stooped low enough to resort to verbal abuse.” Alhaitham explained as he nodded at Tighnari.

“Verbal abuse?! I think I have every right to be cross with you right now! Okay Tighnari, so help me settle a bet here, do you think that-”

Tighnari lifted his hand to pause Kaveh’s incoming rant. “How come every time you call for me you two have something entirely new going on?”

Kaveh threw him a pleading look. “Come on Tighnari, this will be the last time!”

“Based on either of your penchants for getting yourself in trouble,” he threw them a pointed look, “I highly doubt that. Don’t tell me you’ve called me again when you really should’ve gone to the Bimarstan instead”

Kaveh scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner. “Well, it’s not not your area of expertise. And we actually just came back from the Bimarstan. Not that Alhaitham would’ve gone out of his own free will, so of course I had to drag him along.” 

“For all intents and purposes, the trip was pretty useless,” Alhaitham threw in, earning him a heated glare from Kaveh’s side. “Considering how I was already healthy again once we got there.”

This piqued Tighnari’s curiosity. Finally, he sat down on the divan closest to the two, one leg thrown over the other, his torso leaning forward. When he did so, Tighnari took note of something strange.

“Are you two holding hands?” he asked without missing a beat. When he leaned closer and inspected his two friends some more, he noticed more little details. “Kaveh, are those hickeys that I see?” Kaveh’s cheeks heated up in the span of mere seconds and he dropped Alhaitham’s hand instantly. “Tighnari! You can’t just… It’s not-!” he started, then stopped himself. His eyes darted to the side quickly, hurriedly. When he returned his gaze to Alhaitham, a silent conversation seemed to pass between the two.

Kaveh raised his eyebrows at Alhaitham before nodding towards Tighnari. Alhaitham stared at him, then shrugged, which seemed to anger Kaveh, making him gesture even more wildly. Alhaitham shrugged in reply once more.

“It’s exactly what it looks like,” he then simply said, his voice just as monotone as it always was. A beat passed. “My disease was caused by my feelings for him and I lied about getting the surgery for it.”

Kaveh’s cheeks were still rosy. “See, this is what I was talking about! He is the most  impossible man! Just outright admitting to lying like that… With absolutely zero shame, one might add!”

“For all it’s worth, I am sorry,” Alhaitham threw in smoothly. 

Kaveh looked shell shocked as he turned to Tighnari, his face in complete disbelief. Alhaitham grabbed his wrist when Kaveh didn’t reply. He pursed his lips and kept his head turned away for another moment. Only his hand reached out to lock his pinkie with Alhaitham's.

Alhaitham lifted his hand to his cheek until he finally looked at him again. Then, he kissed him softly.

Tighnari slapped his palms on top of his thighs. “Alright! And that would be my cue to go! It was nice seeing you, but please don’t ever call me for something like that ever again. Bye!!” 

“Oops,” Alhaitham said dishonestly. Kaveh slapped his shoulder. 

“You did that on purpose just so I wouldn’t be able to ask him to play judge.”

“Did I now?”

“You most definitely did. I suppose I’ll have to give him your flowers some other day then. We owe him and like this, they can at least serve a purpose.”

Finally, Kaveh looked at Alhaitham again. Slowly, he lifted his hand and caressed his cheek. Alhaitham leaned into the touch and smiled.

[justchillandshipit]

911 Summary/Thoughts Season 1 Episode 6- Heartbreaker

Caveat: I am up-to-date on all 911 episodes. For my reviews, I attempt to rewatch and remember my first impressions. I will occasionally, compare it to what I know now. I’ll try to warn of current spoilers when necessary.

Emergencies: The first emergency is a call for a woman who has a special thyroid condition that presents as a heart condition. She had her heart attack symptoms while in a Cessna. (The events triggering her attack started out as a surprise wedding proposal. The pilot faked plane trouble and put the proposal in the emergency landing instructions.

The second emergency, not including Buck, is a call from a man who believes he has broken his back. When they arrived, the owners were okay. The couple said they didn’t call. The woman was hiding something. She was cheating on her boyfriend with her ex-husband. He hurt himself jumping off the balcony to get away. It wasn't a broken back, and the call ended well.

Personal Stories/Getting to Know: Abby took the first emergency call and later helped the team from misdiagnosing her at the scene. It was a cute scene where she called Buck and passed information through him, and Buck gave her a play-by-play of how the wedding proposal ended. {The woman said yes and then slapped her new fiancé.} In this episode, the focus is on Valentine's Day and love. Abby is ready to move her relationship to the next level with Buck, but he is moving slowly because he’s afraid of ruining it. Buck also hates Valentine’s Day in general. He talks to Bobby about it, who admits that he usually loves the holiday. The conversation sparks memories of his wife whom he misses every day not just on Valentine's.

Chim also returns to the firehouse after recovering from the rebar through his skull. The gang gets him a creepy cake in the shape of his head with the rebar through it. At Chim’s welcome back party, Abby shows up at Buck’s invitation. It is the first time the rest of the gang meets her.

Athena does attend Chim’s party, but she works Valentine’s Day. She checks on a disturbance to find an unstable woman. At first, she doesn’t find anything amiss and feels sorry for the woman. She is kind to her, and the woman fixates on that kindness. Athena takes care of several disturbances as a police officer including a bad wreak. She ends up racing a transplant doctor to the hospital. She gets him there. He looks terrified the whole trip. Later, she is called back to the woman’s apartment. The woman’s behavior leads Athena to check the medicine cabinet to see if the woman might be taking something. She then spots blood in the shower. Before she can apprehend her, Athena finds the body of the boyfriend and the woman sneaks up on her with a gun. The woman is quite mad and believes that Athena has a good heart and that she can bring her boyfriend back to life as a better person by cutting out Athena’s heart and giving it to the man. Fortunately, Athena is able to distract and disarm her. Athena ends her night back home where the kids have left her Valentine’s Day cookies with a glass of wine and a note. It’s her first holiday without her husband.

Bobby ends his night by going to the hospital to check on Buck after he nearly choked to death during his date. Bobby and Abby meet again over his hospital bed and have a nice conversation. If I didn’t know how things worked out with Abby, I would have said that Abby and Bobby may have been a potential ship brewing.

Likes/Dislikes: The emergencies for this episode, not including Buck, were somewhat interesting. The first jump-started the episode so it was important, but overall, the emergencies were not exciting. I liked the interaction between the 118, Athena, and Abby. How the women came around Abby to get to know her and to subtly push Buck toward asking Abby out for Valentine’s Day. It was a nice, funny, and friendly scene.

I like Chim talking to Bobby at the party about how he got dumped after getting rebar through his skull and Buck ends up with ‘Abby.’ He asks, “What’s that kid got that I don’t” At the same time Buck bends over. He then says, “Forget I asked.”

I L.O.V.E.D. the Bobby and Buck scene where Bobby helps Buck with his tie and getting ready for his date. Buck continues to worry about ruining things with Abby and is afraid of having sex with her because he believes he is a sex addict. Bobby gives him advice about getting to know her before having sex. It is a serious conversation, but also fatherly, friendly, and caring. It was a great scene.

I loved the date night scene with Abby and Buck. She’s looking at him across the table and thinking how cute he is and then, as any self-respecting cougar would, she begins to panic. In her head, she’s thinking, “What if they ask for his I.D.? What if they ask for his and don’t ask for mine?” Bahahhahhaa. They spend a lot of the date thinking things in their heads. Buck thinks she looks pretty. He likes her hair. Then he tells himself to stop. He is not sleeping with her. She thinks she can see his muscles through his suit jacket. She says something to him and he gets choked on a piece of bread. She calls 9-1-1 but ends up doing a partial tracheotomy on him. (I loved that part a little less.)

Ships:

Hen/Karen Hen is in the episode, but Karen only gets a mention. Their ship didn’t sail much in this episode. They’re still in the dinghy.

Buck/Abby – Abby and Buck continue building on their ship. I’m starting to feel it. I believe their feelings are genuine, so I was surprised to get a little vibe between her and Bobby. *spoiler* That ship never sails. I’m glad of it.

Favorite quote from this episode:

No favorite quotes in this episode, but it was still a solid and fun episode.

[nixcwen]

➳ rain encounter | kuroo tetsuro

request by anon: Hi, can I request a kuroo x reader, where its raining and she forgot her umbrella, luckily kuroo has an umbrella and offers to walk her home? P.S.- I like your works and the title (is it called that?) of your blog -soft, sweet,serene scenarios- perfectly describes your fics, couldnt have put it better myself. 😊

While the clouds cover the sun, droplets fall to the ground with a little tap, fortunately meek. It was just a drizzle but it doesn’t mean you won’t get wet. After all, when you need your umbrella the most- it’s exactly when you forgot to bring it.

It has been a good few minutes of contemplation, patience, and imagination. Still, the stubborn drizzle refused to go away. As for your imagination, well, none of those who passed by you offered to share their umbrella. They were either people you don’t know or someone with another one.

You held out your hand out of the roof, feeling the continuous tap tap tap, releasing a long sigh after. Oh, well. You thought. Might as well enjoy it.

And so you took a step and looked up at the sky before closing your eyes. The tap you felt in your hands earlier slowly spread into your face. It dropped on your forehead, chin, ‘till your cheek. Then there was none. Confused, you opened your eyes.

“You looked breathtaking under the rain but I thought you might get sick-“ he brought out his handkerchief, handing it to you- “forgot to bring your umbrella?”

You closed and opened your eyes, taken aback by the sudden appearance of your classmate, seatmate, and crush named Kuroo. He was seen as the playful volleyball captain, especially around his team. However, your heart can’t help its beat when he had always been the gentle, thoughtful, and cute seatmate for you. Even more so at this very moment.

“I- yes, I forgot to bring it with me,” you answered, eyes on the handkerchief with eagerness and shyness tearing your mind apart—in the end—he removed the droplets himself and despite the nonchalant face he has on, you were able to notice the tremor of his hands as he gently pats your face.

When he kept the handkerchief back in his pocket, an awkward smile escaped his lips. “Well, I can walk you home- if you’re alright with me, of course.”

"Of course, I am! But would you really walk me home? I mean, wouldn't you be disturbed? You may have some other things to do or maybe my home is far from yours? I don't want to be a nuisance, I can walk by myself, please don't feel obliged or anything, it's just a little rain."

All the while mumbling, your seatmate only has this soft look covering his features. Eyes, although tired, seemed to glimmer. Lips, devoid of teasing smirks and remarks, were replaced by a gentle lift on its corners. His hair, usually notable for its similarity with a rooster's head, was slightly down due to its dampness both from his rigorous practice or the rain, you'd love to know.

With his lighthearted chuckle, you were brought back to reality.

"To reassure you, I won't be disturbed. And, to solve your dilemma, I have more time now that practice is over earlier than usual. I don't mind taking a walk for a mile or two. Come on, let's go?"

"Alright then. Thank you, Kuroo-san!"

As you walk towards your home, it wasn’t a silent and uncomfortable atmosphere that surrounded you both, it was a rather comforting and calm conversation. One that envelopes your heart in warmth, it feels almost as if little butterflies were fluttering their wings inside your ribcage.

“How about we ditch the formalities? You know- we’re the same age, we’ve been seatmates for quite a while now, and we’re even sharing an umbrella as of the moment.”

From tight thinking lips, you decided, “I’ll try. Then let me start with, I guess, calling you Tetsuroo?”

A smile easily escaped his lips.

“That’s better,” Kuroo hummed in thought, “Then, let me call you Y/N."

You nodded with a sheepish smile on your lips.

"By the way, ever heard of what they do to a dead scientist? Hmm… no? It’s actually simple, they barium."

It was hard to keep the chuckle to yourself—not that his joke was hilarious—but it was his attempt of making you smile that you were really fond of.

"Ha! You laughed, I heard that! We're now officially friends, ‘kay?"

"We'll, I-I'm glad," a chuckle erupted from your lips yet again, "so was that some sort of initiation, huh?"

"Yes, it is."

A satisfied smile covered Kuroo's face. Meanwhile, you mindlessly asked.

"How come we never talked like this before?"

There was no sign of stopping. The rain didn't falter for a second. Yet, the sun persisted and displayed itself above the horizon. There was a cold breeze. Yet, warmth seeped into your skin. You heard his answer.

"Cause you never looked my way before."

Appalled by his claim, you replied so fast, slipping in the process.

"Excuse me- what do you mean? When did I ever tear my gaze away from you? I've always looked your way!"

Kuroo stopped in his tracks. You too stopped for a second. However, with the realization that your mouth has betrayed you, you walked with a speed synonymous with one in a marathon.

Let the rain be damned.

Only a person with no shame would confess the first time they had a real conversation with their crush!

"Hey, Y/N, slow down! You'll get sick with what you're doing. Worse, injured. Wait for me, will you?"

"How? I just... I just humiliated myself! AHHH!"

"Give me the chance to join you then!" You stood a few feet away, body turned opposite from Kuroo. The liquid started to soak your clothes. Seconds pass by until there was the familiar physique beside you. He placed the umbrella over your head, shielding you from the rain. "I liked you so much my heart thrums against my chest just by looking at you. Even right now, at this moment, I keep suppressing myself. Will you allow me to express this?"

You looked him in the eye once again. You nodded. A little smile graced your lips.

"If you say so. I will."

His face slowly inched towards you—rain in the backdrop—until you closed your eyes and felt the softness of his lips.

taglist (join here!): @erwinscrybaby, @passionateuchiha, @ek4t

[schmedterlingfreud]

Better late than never, finally Luca had his cinema release even here in Italy! 25th of April, a National Holiday. This makes perfect sense, right? I wonder if that was a marketing strategy or something like this. No school, no work? Come to the movies, Italian people!

I booked my ticket online. Ticket for one, please.

This is my first all alone cinema experience. In truth, my brother offered to come with me, but I denied. I have nobody else (friends, relatives) to ask for, but I think I would have come by myself regardless. I wanted to be alone with my emotions only, like I was always been while watching the movie alone, in my home, thousands and thousands of times. Or, this is what I believed.

The day before I had my night shift at work. Came home at 6 am, after being excited all night thinking about this experience. I'm very tired, so I try to sleep a little bit. I don't want to be exhausted, I want to enjoy myself, and I set my alarm clock just in case. When I woke up I don't bother myself for breakfast/lunch. My stomach is knotted in twists, and popcorn for brunch sounds nice.

It's a gray and chilling April day. A perfect weather for a cinema date, even if I was hoping for a little bit of sun.

Anyway, I immediately buy myself my favourite popcorn: toffee flavour. :)

This place is nearly desert. Just the two guys collecting tickets, one of them behind the snack bar, and few families, or just father and son. What kind of movie are they gonna watch? Luca? Godzilla? Kung Fu Panda?

I try to entertain myself with this kind of questions, slowly nibbling my popcorn, because my heart is beating faster and faster, my belly hurts and my legs are beginning to shake. My head is heavy, like filled with water. My eyes blurred for a certain kind of sadness.

I wonder how this experience would have been if I wasn't alone. It would have been nice to have a friend to share this joy and happiness with. A friend to laugh with, to cry with, or just to enjoy the moment, this little and meaningful sparkle of life.

I think about this singular situation: going all by myself to watch a movie that talks about the gift of friendship.

In the cinema hall I'm not alone but there are very few people. Ten or less people?

It's 2 pm, nobody go to the movies so soon, so our room is small. I think it's better this way. It will be just like at home, intimate, quiet, but with a bigger screen and a better sound. And with my popcorn bowl :)

I chose the last line of chairs to not have someone behind me. Maybe I'm gonna sob a little, and I don't want to embarrass myself. Fortunately, nobody seems to care about a single little girl sitting all alone during a family movie. That's cool, I think.

Every time a movie trailer ends and there's that little black space before the next one, my heart skips a bit and my hands grip the armrests. I'm sweating cold.

"Ohmygodohmygod, that's it, is it time? Another commercial? Is the movie starting?"

And finally it starts.

At the beginning, I was already sobbing. A drunk smile printed on my burning lips. I was waiting for this moment for months, or even for years, from the very first summer when the movie aired on streaming only.

During the introduction scene, underwater, in the fish village, the background music stabs my chest and pierces my poor little heart, opening a window to the first time I've heard it. Memories about that happy and lonely summer, so dear to me.

I still think about that surreal summer of 2021, about that sweet and burning feeling of love, melancholy and sadness this movie gifted to me.

After that, things went downhill for me. What followed was in fact the worst period of my life. I think about how Luca was one of the little joys that remained close to me. The friend I didn't have. An hour and a half to feel less alone, to find a place where I could pretend my problems didn't exist. I think back to the deep feeling of nostalgia I used to experience every single time, returning in Portorosso. The happiness of a place and a time where everything is simpler, just like a world imagined by a child. Many criticized Luca for being a "too simple" movie, yet it has always been that simplicity that comforted and moved me, that gave me a peace of mind that I thought I couldn't find on my own, and I will always be grateful for that.

Luca is a movie about friendship and inner growth, of that troubled time between childhood and coming of age where you have to choose your path, your own way of life.

For many of us, childhood is a time remembered with sweetness and nostalgia. I'm not sure if this is the case for me. Too shy, too quiet, too introverted… even as a child I struggled to make friends and be among them. I've never found a place, or a group of people, to belong to.

Maybe this is the reason why this movie touches me deeply. It gives me back something, a connection, that I have never had and that perhaps I am still looking for, despite having resigned myself to my loneliness. I'm still alone on my tower, I guess.

When I exit the movie theater, it's not so cold anymore. A chilling wind is still blowing from the mountains, but clouds are thin, and a surprisingly hot sun is smiling at this spring afternoon.

I don't immediately jump in my car, even if I have to go the supermarket for my grocery shopping. I wait, I sit on the steps, I lick my lips indulging in that sweet caramel popcorn taste, and I think. I think about my life, my past battles, what the future is holding for me. I fear this question, I fear my solitude, I fear myself, my insecurities, and all that hard paths I will have to cross all by myself because, deep down, I know I will be alone.

In my adult life, I wonder if I still have the right to hope or to wish for something or someone.

To hope for a friend, someone to make me feel important or special, or simply to share a hug with after a bad day. "I'm here for you, no matter what. You don't have to stay hidden in your tower of solitude anymore."

I have no idea what life will hold for me from now on, but I know that Portorosso will be there for me. And I won't be so alone anymore.

... thank you for reading. :)

Remember to take care of yourself, always. 💙