#so I have a lot of fondness for him as a person and just am grateful to have had the experience of it all
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some Chrollo things i found/realized on my rewatch + reread of hxh
- he has REALLY bad posture. in the PT base during yorknew, when Chrollo is reading a book, he is literally hunched over and his back is at like a 45 degree angleđ„ș
- heâs very smug and cocky. after his fight against Zeno and Silva, he asks with a smirk to Zeno âif we were in a fight, who would win, you or me?â and chuckles knowingly when Zeno replies. during Chrollo vs Hisoka, Chrollo says that he is â100% sure that i am going to winâ
- his personality switches depending on who heâs with. with the troupe, heâs logical and stoicânever losing his temper. when heâs with Hisoka, heâs much more relaxed and friendly + smiles much more often. when heâs with someone older, heâs respectful.
- he doesnât seem to mind celebrations/parties. heâs seen drinking with the troupe in a manga panel after the auction.
- he seems very self aware of his handsome appearance, as he lured Neon in + most of the abilities in his book are from women.
- in terms of physical strength, Chrollo is 7th in the Troupe âabove Bonolenov, Nobunaga, Shalnark, Pakunoda, Shizuku, and Kortopi, making him MUCH MUCH MUCH stronger than even superhumans such as Gon and Killua. (I love this fact for some reason)
- he had many similarities to Gon and Kurapika as a kid. (read Ch. 395-397, which is the Troupe backstory. it has a lot of cute baby Troupe member scenesđ„ș)
- he has a habit of covering his mouth with his hand whenever he is thinking deeply about something or connecting the lines.
- he knows a shocking amount about the Kakin Empire (in the manga), even more so than some of the Princes of the Kakin Empire.
- he seems to have a habit of smirking whenever something is going according to plan or when something went according to plan. he also just seems to enjoy smirking in general.
- his favorite color seems to be purple due to much of his outfits being some sort of variation of purple.
- in official arts + mobage cards, he seems to have dark circles under his eyes. in the yorknew city arc, he is also the only troupe member who didnât sleep during the entire arc, meaning that he seems to have some sort of insomnia.
- in mobage cards, Chrollo seems to have a habit of fidgeting with his clothes. (pulling off his tie during the Christmas mobage card, playing with his hat, etc,.)
- he is very athletic, considering how at the end of yorknew city when he was left nen-less on those plateaus, he managed to climb down and find shelter all by himself.
- he is also very rich, since on average, every Zoldyck assassination costs around 1 billionâChrollo managed to afford to assassinate the 10 Dons, meaning 10 billion Jenny.
- Chrollo doesnât seem to care whenever someone is being disrespectful towards him or the troupe.
- Chrollo seems to have a particular fondness for suits, as he is often seen wearing a suit in official arts
- Chrollo often wears clothing that covers much of his body
- Chrollo seems to have the traditional values of a chivalrous man, meaning that he respects women quite a lot and makes sures to keep them safe. Chrollo made sure to catch Neon in the most respectful way when she âfellâ (he literally could have just grabbed her by the arm and it would have been fine), he made sure to keep Pakunoda + Machi + Shizuku in the same team during yorknew (there were no men in their team), and during the Chrollo vs Hisoka battle, none of the female spectators (or even the commentator) were harmed.
âââ
AUGHHHHHH CHROLLO ILYSM PLEASE LIVE UNTIL THE END OF THE SERIESđđ„șđ«â€ïžCHROLLOOOO UR MY BBY AND ILYSMMMMMđđđđ„șđ„șđ„șđ„čđ„čđ„čâ€ïžâ€ïžâ€ïžđ«đ«đ«đđđ
#hunter x hunter#hxh#chrollo#chrollo lucilfer#hxh chrollo#hxh hcs#hxh x reader#chrollo hcs#chrollo hunter x hunter#chrollo lucifer x reader#yandere chrollo#chrollo smut#chrollo x y/n#chrollo x reader#chrollo x you
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Rebecka smiled at him when he talked about sharing things with her. She wanted that. She wanted him to tell her everything, and she wanted to tell him everything. She want that desperately, because that was who she had been before all of this happened.
She had been the one to open up, to lay it all out on the table, to be vulnerable and open and risk everything for the kind of connection she felt with this man.
But that was before.
With a deep sigh she opened her mouth to tell him, to let it all spill out of her and then he would either leave her in the street or he would stay and comfort her.
But as she was looking over at him, she saw him come at her, his arm wrapping so easily around her and he pulling her close to him. She faltered just a little bit but he was there to steady her and she didn't fight it, she let him catch her before she fell.
She looked back as he asked her about what she did here but her eyes came back to land on him.
"So, you mean when I'm not wallowing in self pity or going over every questionable decision I've ever made?" She shook her head but there was a small smile on her face. "Reading, swimming, I used to love to play games, board games and card games and dice games... but it's really not the same alone."
Her body may have moved closer to him, and maybe it was the water that she was avoiding, or maybe it was just wanting to be close to him.
"When I lived in Stockholm, I would spend a lot of evenings at my parents house. I was never a big fan of going out and partying, that is my sister. And after my last relationship ended, um, like 3 years ago now, " she rolled her eyes and shook her head, " we would just stay in and my mother would cook, or my father would grill out, and we would watch movies and play games. I miss it."
Rebecka looked back up at Magnus. "I am also very fond of sleeping. I should be the most well rested person in Sweden... and yet," she giggled.
The Neighbor
Part 1
The first time he saw it, he thought he was having a nightmare.
He was holding a cup of coffee up to his lips, about to take a sip, watching the new neighbor stand at the stump between their houses where they split the logs for their fires.
She was smallish, thin but moderately athletic. Her shoulders were broad, but her hips were slim.
So when she picked up the axe, he expected her to be pretty strong. I mean, you need to be strong to split wood.
Magnus had been doing it his whole life, he had almost always lived in the country. But the new neighbor... there was something soft about her, something...sad but a little bit angry.
Perhaps it was the way she gripped the wooden handle of the axe, or the way she set her jaw as she tried to pick up a piece of wood that would even give Magnus a challenge.
And there were other pieces of wood for her to pick up, but she was set on that one.
Magnus took a small sip of coffee and watched her struggle to set the large log on the stump.
"No, don't do it..." he whispered into his quiet cabin.
He watched her take a deep breath and step back, lift the axe... and then bring it down on the log.
Magnus winced and sucked air in through his teeth as her whole body reverberated with the shock of the impact. And the log remained unsplit, unfazed by her attempt.
"Shit," he whispered.
He watched as the new neighbor let the axe fall to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked back to her cabin, obviously in pain.
"Didn't anybody teach you how to split wood?" he said, as if he wasn't talking to his empty cabin, as if he was talking to her.
He shook his head and watched her go inside her door and then he went to sit down.
The next morning, he went out to split some wood. He moved the large log she had put there the night before. He had no idea if she was watching him, but he hoped she was. He chose a small log, he tapped the axe into the top of it and then he picked up the wood with the axe and tapped it hard a few times on the stump until it split into two pieces. He did it again, and again, and again.
He dared not look at her cabin, but he hoped she could see him and she would know better what to do the next time she needed wood.
Then he split a few larger logs, maybe a few more than he needed to, leaving some for her to split like he had at first. It was how his father had taught him when he was small.
She watched him from her window, tears in her eyes. And the tears weren't because she couldn't split wood, and they weren't because her arms and back were still sore from the last time she had tried. Salty tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the neighbor split the wood, her mind filled with everything she had lost, the life she didn't have anymore.
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Things I make for myself when insomnia kicks in
Just a chart about what I wanna change up and keep consistent in my art - I mainly wanna draw Raph with a tail because he deserves one, it fits too well. Donnie gets a long tail too because I didnât realize how dino-like he looks until I gave him one, and now itâs a must for me haha.
#rottmnt#rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles#rottmnt headcanons#note these are veryyy much for my own art so by all means ignore this completely for your own unless it resonates#these are just my personal headcanons#Iâve been getting more and more fond of the turtles having tails - especially Raph whose design honestly feels more complete with one#I also am now attached to Donnie having a long tail too because 1) he looks cute with one and it really works for him and-#2) I LOVE giving the Brains and Brawn duo more stuff in common#I could write an essay about how many things Brains and Brawns duo has in common in general#but also portal duo as well!!#we already know that Mikey and Leo look a LOT alike#so I think itâs cute when Raph and Donnie have stuff like that in common with each other too#like how canonically Donnieâs sclera are on the yellow side like Raphâs#anyway Iâm sorry if this is a random post I am very tired and still have not slept#ALSO yeah i wanted an excuse to doodle April itâs been too long i missed her#Iâm excited to finish this comic up to show the OTHER reason I gave Donnie a long tail#I made this in like five minutes because working on my comic was not working out#also Draxum totally has a tail heâs a sheep#I lean away from Mikey and Leo having longer tails mainly because their designs are already so busy#with all the colors and shapes present on them#so to me longer tails kinda takes away a bit#meanwhile Raph and Donnie are more monochrome in comparison so I feel like tails only help them?#I think as well Donnieâs torso/carapace being on the shorter side makes a tail balance him out#(me trying to justify the visual gag im putting into the comic for literally only two panels)#didnât draw the caseys because I am tiredddd#and they would have just ended up where April is anyway
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Was nobody gonna warn me that I would fall a little bit in love with every character in Stardew
#I am literally following them around and getting excited like a little puppy its insane#I cant decide who I wanna marry I like all of them⊠I was a little torn between Sebastian and Harvey at first but now Alex is an#unexpected fav??? and I like Elliott and Sam theyre so goofy.. and I appreciate how down to earth Leah is#Emily is also quickly growing on me she feels like the valleys manic pixie dream girl to me. or at least Clintâs manic pixie dream girl#the only characters I donât have much to say abt are Shane and maru.. Shaneâs still a little mean to me like I know he warms up to u as#u get to know him but Iâm not there yet.. and Iâm just not all that interested in Maru sadly#itâs not just the marriage candidates its almost all the NPCs especially Granny Evelyn SHES SO NICE?? shes fun to talk to I love giving#her my best flowers.. I also like saying hi to Willy and Marnie theyâre nice!!! I love Marnieâs smile itâs so cute#Iâm also fond of gus after seeing Linusâ 2 heart event that was so sweet of him⊠mister gus Iâll give u my best ingredienceâŠâŠ..#Iâm too busy trying to finish the community centre and make money before I go around marrying anyone or building up friendship#so I havenât had a lot of time to get to know everyone ;w; Iâm trying to trigger the wizards heart events now that Iâm at like 9 hearts#with him cuz I wanna be able to move my buildings around#I actually have 2 saves rn one on my brothers pc and one on iOS. but the one on iOS is cosmos file and it just playing as him as a character#not as myself and I think he would marry Alex. but my pc save is my personal file so Iâm marrying Harvey#until my pen gets fixed Iâll be drawing at a snails pace pairing the stupid thing but Im making cosmo a ref definitely#I kinda wanna get to know Pam too.. sheâs like rough around the edges but in a jaded way I wanna know what sheâs like yk#stardew valley#puppy plays sdv#sdv#Stardew#yapping
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Misce and Me: Presenting as Omega, First Heat, and The Neck Thing.
OK so this post has been a long time in the making! I may actually start a new tag/post series of my personal experiences with my misce identity and such, and call it "Misce and Me" since it's a cool little title.
The whole idea for this post in the first place started from an offhanded thought of, "my neck being a very sensitive erogenous zone is actually very omega of me, huh?" But I never managed to put it into words since I kept going on tangents and just struggling to explain what I meant in a concise way that could've been made into a short personal post, especially since there's a much longer story there that it ties in to, a sort of contextual "how I realized I have a super sensitive neck/what might've caused it" type thing. I'll have to put some warnings here and the rest of the post will be under the cut both for the sake of length and content. It's nothing explicitly sexual, but does brush on the topic at times.
Warning: some parts of this post will likely mention sexuality/related topics, and contains a lengthy story about a personal experience with a crush from years ago. This post will also likely be a long read, so I'm putting it under the cut ÂŻ\_(ă)_/ÂŻ
Alright then. Let me get started.
This is an actual IRL thing that happened to me. I'm not mentioning the names of the people involved for obvious reasons.
As I said, originally this post was going to be very short, just a paragraph or two, about how my neck is very sensitive to touch in general and how people touching my neck can be either a fear trigger, or incredibly comforting and/or pleasant, depending on my mood and who is touching me, among other things. I was just going to talk about that at first, but then I realized how it actually ties in to a lot of other things, namely, what I tend to consider my "first heat", and the time that marks me "presenting" as an omega for the first time (i.e. starting to exhibit the traits of my dynamic). It's also a source for some of my personal headcanons regarding omegaverse and/or misce, since it comes from actual personal experiences.
Disclaimer 2: I feel it's necessary to state that all of this happened when both me and the person this is mostly about- someone I had an unrealized crush on- were around the age of 16 or 17. We never dated, and nothing explicit ever happened, but considering we WERE minors at the time (2015/2016ish), I want to be extra clear and state that no consent laws would have been broken in my country even if we HAD dated/anything had happened. Still, I want to keep things vague, especially about the other person, out of respect for privacy. Nobody (save for the person himself, maybe one or two close friends who were present to witness this all at the time, and the handful of people I've recounted this story to afterwards,) would be able to recognize either me or the other person from this.
"Hmm, I hear you, Gamie, but necks ARE erogenous zones for pretty much everyone? Are you sure it's not just that?"
The original topic of this post would have been just a short anecdote of "it's very omega of me to have such a sensitive neck", so let me start by prefacing and expanding on that a little;
My neck is very sensitive to touch, and I have strong reactions whenever it is touched, no matter what kind of touch- medical-related, platonic, romantic affection, or sexual, it's always noticeable, and has to do a lot with who is touching me. For example, medical professionals don't bother me so much since it's usually for a good reason but I do tend to wince/tense up regardless, and while I don't like my family touching my neck, sometimes I'll ask for a shoulder massage and it's unavoidable, so I don't mind too much, even though both cause some minor anxiety, which is likely to do with the fact that I feel vulnerable when my neck is touched. Meanwhile, close friends, or people who are flirting with me (and I'm receptive towards) touching my neck tends to send a lot of mixed signals that are usually pleasant, but also somewhat hesitant/embarrassed (depending on the situation). Partners (romantic/sexual) touching my neck almost always gets a positive reaction though, whether it's just stroking my neck/back of my head or more intimate acts, i.e. kissing etc. Because of the sensitivity, it's almost always a massive distraction and often also a turn-on for me. I tend to consider this to be inherently tied to my identity as an omega, even though it's not necessarily abnormal since necks in general do tend to be sensitive- mine is just a lot more than I assume most others'?
Back when I was around 16, 17 years old and went to high school, I had just started to figure out my gender identity (transmasc) a few years prior, and back then especially, I had this very, very strong feeling that I need to present as masculine as possible so that people will "take my gender identity seriously" instead of just thinking I'm "following a fad" or something. I actually passed as a boy so well that I was only really clocked when teachers would occasionally use the wrong name (deadname) and I'd have to correct them- thankfully, all were understanding about it.
Well, it might be. But to me, I just tend to associate it with being an omega specifically. And maybe mine is a bit more sensitive than usual as I said, though, I haven't exactly experienced living in the body of anyone BUT myself, so I can't say I know for sure. The reason I associate it so strongly with my being an omega has a lot to do with how and when I started REALLY noticing the sensitivity, as it happened around the same time I tend to associate as the time when I "first presented as an omega" and had my first heat. It'd been a thing all my life for sure, but it never felt like an erogenous zone, just a sensitive one, until I was maybe 16 or 17 years old and in (the local equivalent of) high school. I actually figure I'd go into a personal story of mine since I've been wanting to talk about it, just never found the chance to. So, I'm going to tell the misceblr my actual irl story of the time I had a crush and started presenting as an omega around the same time.
This may end up being quite lengthy, so get comfortable, I suppose. I'll start with some background to everything;
Well, in high school, it was also the first time I'd ever had someone flirt with me IRL, since I had been bullied for a long time before that, and had basically zero confidence beyond spite and anger at the people who had made my school years a living hell before then. I wasn't completely blameless either, but looking back now, I realize all my issues with others when I was younger were honestly just caused by my ADHD symptoms, and that went undiagnosed until this year.
The person who flirted with me was a cis guy, who I'd more or less assumed was straight, and so I just brushed it all off as like... oh he's just doing that "dudebro affection" thing, because at the time, I would mainly hang out with guys, and occasionally a few queer/nonbinary/ally friends who mainly were in different classes than my own. So, given that the group both he and I were in WAS mostly straight(ish???) Cis Dudes, I never really saw any of it as more than weird ways of showing affection, when this guy would do stuff like pet my hair or brush his hand against the back of my neck, or find any excuse to touch me in general, usually specifically the neck region (excuses such as, "Oh hey your hair is shorter did you get it cut?" And then touching the back of my neck/base of my skull under the disguise of feeling that "fresh haircut feel" or whatever. Yes, looking back, I was oblivious as hell). This kind of stuff had always made me tense up slightly and sent shivers down my spine, honestly likely because I hadn't ever had anyone touch my neck in a way that wasn't either completely accidental or obviously fully platonic, and it was emotionally difficult to process something that was so new and overwhelming. I used to think I didn't blush easily, but looking back, I'm certain he would've clearly seen me go red in the face from just those touches alone, and if he'd been straight, I imagine he would've commented on it and stopped, instead of persisting. (Also, I later found out he was very likely at least Bi, if not gay, but at that point we had already lost contact, sadly)
At some point during the fall semester, I had gone to school extremely tired, having a bad hair day, feeling sleep deprived and grumpy, probably about to get my period or something and hence even more irritable than usual. I was on time for class and went in, sat in the middle seats, next to some girls I knew well enough but weren't REALLY friends with, mainly because none of the guys I USUALLY sat with in this class had arrived yet, and I thought they might've been skipping class anyway. They eventually arrive after class has already started, and the guy who had been making advances towards me walks past to go to the back row seats (as usual) but on the way, he reaches towards me in an attempt to pet my hair/pat my head or something, a gesture he did often, and I actually usually enjoyed, however, this time I was worried about my hair, since I'd spent an hour trying to get it to look decent, and the amount of hairspray I'd used was probably not very healthy for my lungs (ah, my pop punk quirky phase was... something)- So as he touches my head, I send a sideways glare at him out of annoyance, maybe pushed his hand away as well if I recall correctly. Only- I'd already been in a bad mood all morning, and my glare must've been exceptionally cold, because his expression kind of dropped, and he hurried to his seat. I didn't think much of it at first, I'd rejected touches like that on occasion before and shown some frustration in the past when I'd been in a bad mood, and though he'd avoid me for a bit to let me cool off, he would always end up talking to me again in a day or two at least. This time, though, was a bit different.
I feel that I first "presented" as an Omega, somewhat tied to all of this happening with me and that guy, around that age. I had of course been aware of the omegaverse trope for a long time- I mean, I grew up reading fanfic, so duh- and to some degree related to (omegaverse), but didn't REALLY look for fics etc themed around it specifically. This guy, I won't describe him too much beyond that he was a bit taller than me and had a bit of a "skater guy" type style + would ride his skateboard around the halls no matter how much teachers told him to stop lmao. I never felt that he was "my type" in particular, but we clicked well with similar senses of humour and overall he was a comfortable presence in a way I hadn't really experienced before, especially since I'd dealt with so many bullies pretending to be friendly only to mock me later, but he was never like that at all, even when I was paranoid and pushed him away because I feared he WAS. He was also very touchy with me, as I already explained, and a lot of it adds up to me now as courting behaviors, and I do fully think thay if he were misce he'd almost certainly identify as an alpha.
But, anyway- looking back, there was a point in time when I started realizing that this guy probably was flirting with me- it didn't FULLY hit me until years later though, and when I first started suspecting it, it was more like a vague feeling that I couldn't fully confirm. It was actually a specific instance/situation that happened between me and him that finally clued me in and made me consider the possibility, and this instance is what I actually tend to think probably triggered my first heat too, so I'll talk briefly about that, but I also need to give some context of what had happened before;
It was some time around or just before the winter/christmas holidays, one of the last days of school before break, when we went to like, an art gallery or something similar- neither of us wanted to attend the church service since neither of us considered ourselves believers of the christian faith most common here anyway, AND it was a LOT more fun to look at some pop art than to sit in a church listening to some guy talk about jesus and whatnot. I had actually heard he woulf be going to the gallery so to some degree, I had planned to confront him there- I also figured that there would likely be some group/pair exercises, so I was able to use that opportunity to spend a bit of time around him and engage in some playful banter and joking around just like we had been, before I'd unintentionally given him the coldest death-glare fuelled by a lack of caffeine known to man. At first, he came across as really nervous and flighty, but I made sure to just be casual and joke around normally, to try and show him that he didn't need to fear interacting with me- I still don't know why it had been so upsetting to him at the time to be honest- maybe he was scared I was rejecting him or something- and why he had put so much energy in avoiding me, but honestly, seeing him relax slowly and realize that I truly had not meant to make him think I'd suddenly started hating his guts when I'd just woken up grumpy that day, and that there was no need to avoid me like that, considering I was treating him completely normally, if not even more friendly than before.
He avoided me for months. Even when we HAD TO share a class or were hanging out with the same friends (who in hindsight must've been going insane just watching this dumb af back-and-forth of me being oblivious and the guy being obvious). It actually genuinely confused me- I only figured later on what had caused it (my glare), and when I did, I started to try and look for ways to show him that I didn't hate him nor was I mad or upset at him, but he would quite literally slip away at the first possible chance, so I never was able to talk to him one-on-one enough, until a month or two at least had passed.
Anyway, after the art gallery tour ended, we were standing in the lobby of the building it was hosted in, chatting a bit, since I had finally been able to talk to him and things seemed to be back to normal. We had obviously missed on a month's worth of hanging out and chatting at school, after all, so I imagine the both of us were really relieved and happy to have things be alright again.
Now, Back then, I was in a strange quirky tumblr-influenced half-emo half-pop-punk phase where I would incorporate stuff from other styles and aesthetics kind of randomly as I saw fit, and at that specific time, I'd been really into steampunk-y stuff, and had taken to wearing these steampunk goggles I'd bought at some point either as a headband, or more commonly, around my neck, like a necklace, because I was 16-17ish and thought it was Cool And Differentâą (year was like, 2015/2016? I think?) And I was having a very weird phase back then anyway... Well, he notices the goggles and comments on them and asks if he can take a closer look at said goggles, I say, oh sure yeah!, fully expecting him to wait for me to take them off and hand them to him to look, since, you know, at that age I was EMBARRASSINGLY oblivious, and genuinely thought he was actually interested in looking at the goggles (this one goes out for all the autistic friends I have who keep telling me I'm autistic. Maybe you're right.(/hj))
Instead, he grabs the goggles and pulls ME closer. By the neck. Not like, in a way that chokes me or hurt me in any way, more like a gentle tug- the goggles had an elastic band, so it was more like a slight tugging sensation at the back of my neck that made me take a step forwards and lean in- plus, he did it slowly enough that it wasn't like a sudden yank but more like a gentle, persistent tug. I could have very easily pulled back and told him I'd take them off so he could look, but honestly, I was a bit too mesmerized and didn't actually WANT to step away anyway. Yeah, it's cliché as hell now that I think about it- It's like a fanfic trope come to life, yknow, like pulling someone closer by their tie or whatever? But somehow real life. I was so surprised in the moment- not unpleasantly, but just, completely DID NOT expect to suddenly be barely a few inches away from his face (if that!) all of a sudden so I just completely freeze in place, confused and just baffled at the situation. In that moment I felt a lot of mixed feelings and signals, none bad, just very confused, because to ME it was very sudden and unexpected considering my utter obliviousness to all the previous moves he'd made on me. I think that was the point when I finally started suspecting that maaaaybe he had been flirting with me- or at least trying to test the waters with me, so to speak- this whole time (and even so, was in denial for years afterwards lmao- to this day I wonder if maybe I'm just reading into it too much and he honestly WAS just a dude being a bro and actually interested in the goggles after all). Honestly, to him, I must've looked truly ridiculous, wide-eyed, shocked/surprised expression, kinda frozen in place and not knowing what to do, and DEFINITELY blushing.
And to be honest my memory of the moment isn't the clearest because I was well and truly frozen like a deer in the headlights. All I remember is how the surprise felt like a bucket of ice water being poured over me because I didn't even dare to breathe at first, frozen in place and not knowing what to expect, and then melting really fast because I started feeling very dizzy and warm when my brain caught on (I imagine the realization made me blush, and that would have been the feeling of warmth or 'melting' as I put it). He DEFINITELY stayed like that way longer than necessary, just gently 'looking at the goggles' as though they were the most interesting object in the world- or, again, maybe they were, and I just FELT like the moment went on forever.
Anyway, nowadays, when I think of my life with the context of my misce identity, I tend to feel that this was the thing that triggered my first heat, because I remember that on our walk back to school, I'd started feeling strangely hot, sweaty and shaky, like, literally trembling afterwards- I felt hazy, almost feverish, and couldn't stop thinking about that moment at all (I think I explained what happened to an IRL friend and they just stared at me in confusion, like, "okay and???" As if it was not a big deal at all). Our school day was a lot shorter that day, because it was around the holidays, and I was so utterly confused about everything that the rest of the day is a complete blur to me, I barely remember getting a happy holidays type card from this other person who had kind of been pursuing me (which is an entirely different story) and some presents from friends. Iirc, I basically bolted home from school at the first opportunity, though iirc the guy (the one this whole thing has been about) also left me a card of some kind, but honestly at that point I was way too mushy-brained to retain many memories. I don't really even remember what happened when I got back home, but knowing me, and how I am when in heat, I can make a few educated guesses which I won't share.
Anyhow, I tend to think of that day as the day I'd had my first "heat" as an omega, because I remember feeling really warm, shaky, and just, all kinds of feelings. Honestly, at the time, I wasn't sure of my own feelings for him because I was just kind of confused about everything and still figuring it all out- I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to romance, anyway, but looking back, I'm pretty damn sure I'd had a crush on him for quite a while as well, otherwise I wouldn't have been so sad and disappointed that he started avoiding me after I glared at him, and definitely would not have been so shocked and reacted so strongly to that situation in the art gallery lobby. I recall feeling like he had me under some sort of spell, honestly, which is kind of silly thinking back- but if he had pulled me any closer or, gods forbid, kissed me for example, I think my knees would've ACTUALLY given in right there. I wasn't far from it to begin with.
So the neck thing- I think, it started because someone I would classify/headcanon as an alpha (in omegaverse terms, not the, 'alpha male' kind, DUH), whom I was interested in, and who seemed to clearly be interested in me, kept finding excuses to touch my neck. It was always sensitive, and I could feel the touch sort of linger for a long time, days, at times. And after that incident, my neck has always been hypersensitive, ESPECIALLY during heats. It's actually to the point that if a partner touches me in a similar (romantic/sexual) way, my knees just go kind of weak immediately, and I feel dizzy, because it's overwhelming to me. Maybe it's because necks are vulnerable and sensitive, but for me it's specifically the back and sides of my neck that are the MOST sensitive, not necessarily the region of my windpipe/etc. Similarly, when it's a person I have no interest in who is touching me, I tense up, instead of "freezing and then melting" which is how I felt on That Day. It's a pretty strong signal to my brain that I should probably become pliant and relaxed and obedient, as well as a "hey maybe I should be getting aroused about this?" Brain-thing, BUT if it's coming from someone I don't see as a potential partner but who seems to have romantic or sexual intent regardless, it feels more like an attempt at dominating or controlling me, which causes some anxiety.
As an afterthought, I wanna add that there are close friends I have who could touch my neck and I wouldn't mind at all- either they're so close platonically that I'm fully okay with it, or I'm 110% confident there is absolutely ZERO sexual intent behind their actions. If anything, I'd probably just relax and feel drowsy, more than anything, if touched like that.
Basically, this instance has shaped a big part of my headcanons on scruffing, dynamic presenting, heats and heat triggers, and much more. I don't think that this random guy I haven't talked to in almost a decade actually made me "awaken as an omega" as some versions of omegaverse put it, but I do think that during that fall I was starting to present anyway, and the things he did (touching my neck, petting my hair, etc) affected things that trigger my heats because of the emotional/psychological associations. I think that I would have presented anyway, and had a first 'heat' around that time anyway, but I think my crush on him and his constant touchy-feely-ness definitely sped up the process.
It's kind of a shame that this was the closest we ever got, in a way- back then I was still in contact with a very abusive person who basically forbade me from interacting with other people almost entirely, and it was one of the biggest reasons I was so shy and hesitant around this guy, even when I wanted to reciprocate somehow. It's such a shame because I haven't ever really felt a similar kind of pull towards anyone else after that, the relationships I've been in since have all started because someone else had been interested in me first and approached and courted me, and I'd ended up slowly getting attached and becoming fond of them. Not that that's a bad way to get into a relationship when it works out- I mean more that there's never really been a similar feeling of complete breathlessness and being flustered and mesmerized the same way this guy was able to make me feel by just gently pulling at my neck a little. Other people have certainly tried, and most exes are aware my neck is a very sensitive spot for me, but it's never affected me quite so strongly since this guy back in High School. Maybe it's just because I was young and clueless and far more easily affected by flirting and such, sure- it's just a bit, I don't know, sad? I guess, since it never really went anywhere with that guy. We grew apart, and never ended up getting closer, and I've never had the chance to let him know I was interested in him the whole time, nor explain the actual situation with the glare I gave him and why it must've seemed so out-of-nowhere (when the truth was I'd just had the shittiest morning imaginable to my teenage self). I did follow him on a social media app with my personal profile some time ago recently though, and he followed me back, so maybe one day we'll reconnect properly, but who knows. It's pretty cliché and I don't actually hold out any hope that the same person who had me weak in the knees in high school would be similarly magnetic to me now that I'm an actual adult, nearly a decade older than I was back then- it's more like, I just have a few regrets, and wish I'd said something back then? But most of all, I hope I can experience a similar kind of attraction again some day, regardless of who it is for. A crush like that, when the other person is also giving signals, is very magical, and the smallest things feel super flustering. It's even better when the other person is a genuinely good person, like he was. Definitely leagues above the trash I was settling for back then because I had zero self-confidence and thought that nobody who actually treated me kindly and with respect would ever truly love me.
Actually, I could honestly talk about that guy for quite a long while, since I have a lot of fond memories of him, and high school in general, but I'd end up going on for even longer, and my main point was to just tell the story of the time I started 'presenting' as an omega (though I didn't know that's what it was until much later), and what I consider to be my first actual heat, as well as talk about the fact that my neck is extremely sensitive and it's always been kind of amusing to me since it's a VERY omega thing.
To the guy I'm talking about, if you somehow find this and thus my blog, firstly, I'm sorry THIS is how you (most likely) find out that I actually had a crush on you the whole time and SECONDLY, I am so sorry you now have to know I'm into some (relatively) weird things. Dm me?
Oh and to anyone who is NOT that guy but recognizes this story and now knows who I am, you didn't see SHIT. Look away, bitch, erase this from your brain, none of your business.
Uhm. Anyway, I wanted to add a bit more about the neck sensitivity, since it's the source of my headcanons for how omegas in general would have very sensitive necks (which is one reason for why some choose to wear collars or chokers or other similar accessories, as a way to feel more "protected" or "covered up")
I ended up discovering a lot of these things later on as an adult, in other relationships I had, but.
Most of my neck is very sensitive. The front (throat) has some spots, but the most noticeably erogenous areas are the sides of my neck, the spots right below my ears and jawbone, and the back of my neck from where my back connects to my neck, all the way up to the base of my skull. The types of touch that tend to get the strongest responses out of me are usually the, someone placing their hand on the back of my neck gently but like, firmly enough to make me aware of it, especially if they're using that to guide me around etc. It feels like a subtle physical "sign of claiming/courting someone", or a signal of intending to do so.
General Headcanons;
Since I tend to imagine bonding bites would be on the back of the neck (muscles, less vessels and delicate structures to injure, etc), it's a sort of headcanon that touching that region in general is a pretty flirtatious/strong signal of intended courtship when done to an omega. It's not necessarily only a courtship/flirtation thing, it could also be a sort of equivalent to scruffing, an action that feels reassuring and causes the omega to subconsciously relax and become calm and agreeable IF done by someone they trust (friend or partner or family, etc). I imagine that some alphas and betas also do it to their omega partners in public on occasion to show to others who might seem interested in the omega, that the omega is already being "courted" or "claimed" (especially when no bonding/mating bites are visible or present for whatever reason). Since the action of placing a hand on the back of an omega's neck is basically covering their scent glands, it has a similar message as kissing your partner some stranger has been oogling, just to let them know they're "not available". I tend to headcanonize that it's seen as rude and intrusive to do it to omegas you do NOT know well, for example first dates, one-night-stands, or people you've just started getting to know, and people who do that before there's been any signals of interest or even courtship are, in many cultures, seen as the asshole type who is just trying to get into the pants of any omega they see. It's not quite a form of PDA, more like a social cue that expresses both interest and intent to the omega without being overly obvious or intimate, as well as gives some "hey back off" type vibes to other people. I imagine this works with betas and alphas too, to some extent, but when done to any other dynamic it's generally seen more as a protective or friendly gesture, instead of one that expresses romantic/sexual interest in any way, since my headcanon is that omegas in general have the most sensitive necks out of any dynamic.
#gamietxt#misceanimalis#miscecanis#misceverse#miscelife#misceblr#misce lifestyle#misce and me#personal stories#gamie lore#Lowkey I wanna talk about this guy (the one who was seemingly 'making moves' on me in HS) because like#I don't exactly miss HIM but I do miss the way I felt and as a person he was very fascinating#so I have a lot of fondness for him as a person and just am grateful to have had the experience of it all#tbh I still am not sure if he was actually flirting or not /gen#I wish I could have asked but I never had the balls as a teen and now we're not really in contact anymore#I should check up in him and see how he's doing...#mmm but all this is to say- hey potential partners. please touch my neck it feels good and will make me very flustered#anyway I hope this wasn't too boring of a read#I'll share more personal stories that I have some misce-related perspective on if people want to hear more#I'll also gladly talk about this specific guy I was crushing on more bc idk I just thought he was an interesting human somehow?#also because it was the first proper crush I ever had and felt very meaningful even though literally nothing happened between us lmao
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I got absolutely zero crafting done today because I was busy trying not to panic about being under a tornado watch (it's over with no tornadoes, all good now), playing Stardew Valley, and getting sidetracked by discussions about human teeth plushies here on tumblr, but crafting updates should hopefully resume tomorrow! I do have a baby blanket almost done I'll probably be able to finish tomorrow, I just haven't taken any progress pictures
#the person behind the yarn#I am like halfway through spring year 1 in stardew valley#and I think it's going well! I like fishing but am less fond of mining in game#but I've got a coop and a silo so far and have built enough hearts with villagers to start getting stuff in the mail#which is cool! I've mostly played Stardew Valley with the kidlet I used to babysit#and have been pretty much unable to build hearts with villagers or like...plan#it's a lot of fun playing stardew valley with him but it's a different kind of fun playing it by myself#and getting to play a little more strategically and hopefully actually complete the spring bundles in spring#just one more gold star turnip to go!
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man idgaf about what treville and richelieu have going on (mostly nothing) (they dont like each other but they work together a lot bc of their jobs.) (i guess treville holding onto a sense of honour whilst working with the cardinal is interesting but like that's not. thats not really those two having something interesting going on). lets talk about the king and the cardinal man.
#the way the king sometimes resents the cardinal's influence but is so easily manipulated to feel lost without it.#the fact that he'll openly acknowledge the cardinal wants him to rule unfairly and play favourites. with a fond look on his face#''i will disband their whole regiment if that's what it takes to make you happy. only please don't leave me alone'' with tears in his eyes#all of which was exactly what the cardinal was going for and he just gets away with it!#the queen finds out he was trying to have her Killed and she says yeah fuck you obvi but i wont tell the king tho bc he loves you ?#i'm not saying any of this is like romantic to be clear lol. it's just very interesting#i mean i dont think it can probably be categorised really. but im definitely not calling it that#it is super interesting though the way the cardinal needs to undermine the queen and place himself closer to the king to succeed in his aim#it would be somewhat appropriate for sure to say its kind of a parent-child relationship in some ways but that's definitely not all of it#in terms of the way the king relies on him and his guidance. but again thats not all of it and he's not a child. or not actually a child.#and i could say this about any of the relationships between men on the show but of course Because they're both men that means the#Possibility of it being anything but fully platonic is not something he can acknowledge and for that reason whether it is or Not there's#still going to be a level of repression and denial that just complicates things. even though/if theres not truly anything to deny#meanwhile honestly i think the cardinal is personally being normal about it even tho he's a freak about a lot of other things#i mean idk that was my impression. i am sorta-watching through s1 again so maybe i'll develop my ideas on that#anyway#me.txt#musketeers posting
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everyone always wants to talk about jenny nicholsons video essays and iâm like does ANYONE want to talk about the art of the mattress aka the sleep song. bc it plays in my head every time i see anything about her.
#sleep sleep sleep time to go to sleep now⊠it is night and i need to sleep while it is darkâŠ.#also of course itâll be okay from the wedding episode <3#anyway she blocks me on twitter also. not as scandalous as it seems i just made a vague tweet abt friendship is witchcraft#and presumably got auto blocked#i wasnât even calling her out either i think i was just like. reflecting on how the song from it was trending on tiktok#itâs an understandable reason to block people just. not wanting to engage with that part of her history i get that#this was also before her briny video so she hadnât spoken on it in a long time#brony*#i genuinely like that video a LOT i think she is able to offer a really unique perspective on a lot of brony fandom culture#not just as a big name creator but as a long time fan of older mlp gens#and ofc what she had to say about the use of the g slur in fiw was like. i mean i believe her.#that she and the cocreator had no idea it was a slur and dropped that aspect when they realized it was.#like i didnât know for a long time either. itâs not my place to be like âand that means itâs fine and not a problemâ#and i donât think it IS fine. but certainly everything she said about her intentions seems like. true and honest.#anyway brony stuff aside i hate her for the way sheâs spoken about john boyega. no apologies for THAT huh!!!!#there are some things out there that ppl attribute to her that are fully fake/edited but#ppl will also say âoh she didnât say anything bad about him that was fakeâ no she very much did#but iâve followed her on youtube since she was still actively making fiw like she had a bit with a pony oc that she did for a while#i remember the first star wars video when i was like oh she Is A Reylo#which on its own is like. ew but iâm still interested in her stuff#but you know. she crossed a line i think#and i do still find her stuff INTERESTING#and i am genuinely still fond of fiw though a lot of that is nostalgia#but like she has a lot of interesting stuff to say about mlp and obviously as a theme park fan sheâs inescapable#and it pisses me off that sheâs friends with other creators i DO like but also they know her as a person and i donât#sorry this was gonna be a short post i just canât talk about her a normal amount#i have to explain every thought i have about her#anyway i havenât watched the star wars hotel vid but i probably will eventually#in like an incognito tab#r.txt
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Hey author, did you really have to punch me in the heart like that?
And do it again? And again? In fact, tore my soul apart by the seams.
Y'know what, just entirely incinerate me won'tcha?â annnd I'm outta tags. Aw dang it.
And JESUS the artwork for this, Gods./pos
A picture is a moment in time captured forever - A reminder of the key events in your life, preserved for eternity. As you gaze into the past, you might even feel like you can reach through the frame and pull those feelings, those events, those people back into the present.
Thanks to The Second Coming, this feeling becomes reality for Mango, giving him a second change he'd never thought possible. Together with Purple and his past self, he may be able to change fate and have his whole family together. Of course, things are never that easy. Especially when the sins of the past still hang heavy over his head.
------------------
With a single click, the moment was captured forever.
Mangoâs kid, his shimmering Gold, grinned brightly at the lens from her spot on top of the podium, arms stretched up to triumphantly display her silver trophy. Sheâd been disappointed to have lost the final round of the tournament, of course, but the young stick had always rebounded quickly. Sheâd wiped her eyes, offered a handshake to the kindly Ruby kid whoâd won, and accepted her place on the second highest podium with victorious pride.
The picture Mango took was glorious; not quite as precious as the real sight of his childâs accomplishment, but it would serve as a fond reminder. A window back on this precious day for years to come, even long after his child was grown and far from his side. A wistfulness grew in the tall stickâs chest at the thought. The day heâd be without his child was still a long ways away, but he knew heâd never be prepared for Goldâs inevitable departure from the nest and into the greater world. He couldnât even begin to imagine a life without her.
âWoohoo!â The excited proclamation broke the older stick from his thoughts, looking down at his child just in time to see Gold kick open the front door of their abode. A broad, excited grin stretched from cheek to cheek across her face, illuminating the room like the little ray of sunshine she was. The trophy in her hands was thrust up into the air above her head as Gold continued to cheer, exclaiming wordlessly in her zealous excitement.
Mango took a moment to chuckle at his childâs antics before switching into dad mode to parent her out of this sudden hyperactive state, setting his camera aside for the moment to focus entirely on the present Gold. âEasy there, honey.â He gently scolded, taking the trophy into his own arms. It wasnât particularly large, only about as long as Mangoâs forearm, but it was more than heavy enough to break something if Gold got overexcited and began swinging it around. âLetâs put this somewhere we can show it off, eh?â
As he spoke, Mango hoisted the trophy onto the nearby bookshelf, where the sunlight from the window caused the metal to sparkle. It stood tall and proud, glittering silver standing out against the more earthy tones of their living room.
âOkay, okay!â The young stick agreed, a bubbly laugh mixed in with her words. She bounced on her heels as she gazed up at the silver trophy. âBut Iâm not stopping here! Next tournamentâs in six months, and this time-â Her first pumped excitedly in the air, â-Goldâs going for the gold! Youâre gonna be so proud!â
âIâm already proud!â Mango insisted joyfully, delighting in Goldâs squeal as he scooped his kid into a firm embrace and spun them around, âYou worked so hard for this, Iâd be proud even if you got last place!â
Goldâs only response to Mangoâs praise was to continue to laugh, pretending to struggle in his hold while reveling in the twirling motions. He brought them down slowly, gently, only releasing her when her feet touched the ground. She bolted from his hold as soon as she could, little firecracker that she was. How Gold could still have so much energy after a fifteen-round tournament was beyond Mangoâs comprehension. Just watching that final round had made Mango tired.
But still, he kept his chin up as he informed the younger stick, âAfter all that hard work today, I think itâs only fair that I let you choose dinner tonight. You can have anything you want-â
âSecret ingredient pie!â Gold cheered, throwing her arms up in celebration.
Mango frowned, annoyed for more reasons than that heâd have to throw together the family-famous, overly complicated secret ingredient pie. â-Anything you want thatâs an actual dinner food.â He amended. âIâll make the pie for dessert later, but you need to eat real food too, honey.â
âAww.â Gold groaned, momentarily put out, before springing right back up. âTacos, then?â
âTacos sound good.â Agreed Mango, already compiling a list of ingredients in his head. âIâll need to grab a few things from the store, but that shouldnât take too long-â
âWait!â
Mango had not taken but three steps towards the door when his childâs call caused him to spin around. She barreled towards him, the discarded camera clutched in her hands, and her skid to a stop came a few seconds too late, resulting in Mango having to reach out and steady her before she bowled him over. Gold didnât miss a beat, immediately hopping back and holding out the camera for her father to take.
âWe gotta take one more picture!â The younger stick insisted, âYou took like a million pictures of me at the tournament, but we donât have any of us together!â
Taking the camera, Mango briefly flicked through the photos and found that Gold was right: though he had taken plenty of her preparing for the tournament, at least one from each match, and had those perfect, precious shots of Goldâs triumphant smile at the podiums, there were none of the two together. Of course there werenât. This was Goldâs special moment, Goldâs time to shine, and the fact that her only complaint of the day (besides no pie for dinner, which was just typical kid nonsense) was that her dad wasnât sharing in this victory with her was⊠just so Gold.
How a stick like him ended up with a kid like her heâd never know.
âSo we donât!â Mango agreed lightheartedly, playfully tussling the kidâs hair. âGo get your trophy, weâll take one real quick before I head out.â
While she did just that, Mango took the time to adjust the settings on the camera so the indoor photos wouldnât be too dark to see. Mango heard her thundering footsteps approach before he was ready to look up. Gold, the little rascal that she was, pressed the cold metal of her trophy into the side of Mangoâs face as she whined at him to hurry it up. Mango chuckled at her, chiding her gently even as he obeyed her request.
His arm outstretched to put some space between them and the camera, Mango alerted his child he was ready with a simple, âSay cheese!â
Trophy held high above her head, Gold cheekily replied, âMascarpone!â
A click, a flash, and the moment was captured forever.
Gold snatched the camera out of Mangoâs hand before he could move it back, trophy quickly discarded on the ground, and the older stick could only shake his head in response to her overeager antics. Her bright smile shined brilliantly as she gazed down at the photo, but in the span of a few seconds it grew duller and duller, until her smile transformed into a confused frown and her eyes reflected apprehension.
As a father, Mango was well aware that he had a weakness for his childâs frown. Logically he knew that he couldnât just magically make everything in her life all sunshine and rainbows all the time. That just wasnât realistic. But knowing this didnât stop the curdling in his stomach at the thought that something in her life just wasnât perfect, or the urge to fix it, no matter what it took.
âHoney?â He asked gently, âWhatâs the matter? Did the photo not come out right?â He leaned over her shoulder to take a look himself.
Gold didnât resist, tilting the camera so her father could see the picture. âThereâs something else in the background. I thought it might be a smudge, but⊠it has eyesâŠâ
Mango didnât need his child to point out the problem with the picture â he could easily see it for himself. At first glance it did indeed look like a bit of grime had gotten on the cameraâs lens, but a closer look indicated that this wasnât the case. The top of the figure looked like a stick, with a hollowed out head and brilliant emerald eyes, but the bottom half was more distorted, like a number of monstrous limbs sprouting out from their body in distorted blobs of flesh. Locking eyes with the figure caused Mangoâs entire body to stiffen.
It was like it was⊠staring at him through the camera.
Unease stole the breath from Mangoâs lungs, leaving him unable to vocalize his confusion. There was nothing like that⊠thing in their home. He was certain there wasnât, even before he whipped his head around to stare at the spot in their kitchen where the figure would have been. Of course there was nothing there, just the scratched up kitchen table standing where it always did.
Now Mangoâs expression matched his childâs confusion, âWhat is that-?
A strange noise, like the distorted buzzing of television static, drew the tall stickâs attention back to the photo. Mangoâs breath stilled again, for an entirely different reason this time. The figure had moved. Its arm was stretched out towards them, hand open as if inviting the two sticks to take it, to pull them into that picturesque world with it and remain in that moment of time.
A chill ran down Mangoâs spine. âDelete the picture. Now.â
The sudden command â or maybe the unnaturally stern tone in which it fell from Mangoâs lips â caused Gold to jump, briefly fumbling with the camera as her little fingers search desperately for the delete button. When Mangoâs eyes connected again with the picture, he could feel his heart stop as the ghostly imageâs eyes seemed to glow brighter, its hand extending to grab rather than invite. Goldâs fingers found the delete button, but one tap did nothing. The second tap did nothing. Third, fourth, fifth⊠Gold mashed the button repeatedly, but the picture remained, the figure remained, the emerald illumination of its eyes growing brighter and brighter, closer and closer-
âItâs not working!â Goldâs obvious panic jolted Mangoâs brain back into place and jump-started his fight-or-flight instinct. He snatched the camera out of her hand, noting how the glow of those eyes seemed to have reached the other side of the cameraâs screen, threatening to melt through the frozen image and into reality. The only thing Mango could think to do was hurl the camera as far as he could and put himself between that ghoul and his kid, holding her close so that every inch of her was protected from the green light that had finally broken free of its glass prison. The emerald beam engulfed them both, expanding to completely swallow the father-child duo without even a second for them to move out of its way.
Then, in a flash, the green light vanished. All that remained of the Ochre family was a camera, cracked and abandoned on the floor of their small home.
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â-And weâll finish this off with some fresh basil on top. Then, voila! The perfect lasagna!â Mango concluded, sprinkling the green leaves atop the lasagna with a touch of dramatic flair. Purple, predictably, was enraptured by the showmanship, their eyes alight with enchantment as they clung to his every word. It was always like this with them, though â whether it be cooking or fishing or whatever hobby of the week Purple had picked up, the kid would drag him through all of it with those same warm eyes, like the âOld Manâ, as they oh so affectionately called him, could do no wrong. It melted Mangoâs heart, and heâd often wonder if Purple was doing this to him on purpose.
He wasnât the same stick heâd been on the day heâd lost his child, and heâd never be again, but slowly, surely, Purple was helping Mango grow into somebody new. That was a debt heâd never be able to repay.
Purple hummed over the meal, inspecting it exaggerated scrutiny. âNot bad, not badâŠâ They agreed, nodding in approval, âBut itâs missing a little somethingâŠâ
âOh?â Mango cocked a brow at the younger stick. Knowing Purple, this could be a pleasant surprise worthy of a Michelin star restaurant, or the grossest thing heâd ever put in his mouth. Never in his life did Mango think heâd become a gambling man, and yet, here he was.
âYeah, I think it could use a littleâŠâ Purple quickly whipped a white bottle from behind their back. A wild grin spread across their face as they held it precariously over tonightâs dinner, âMAYONNAISE!â
âNO!â Mango yelled back. He reached out to snatch the squeeze bottle, moving just slow enough for Purple to yoink it back with ease.
Vicious cackles fell from Purpleâs lips. âIâm kidding! Iâm kidding!â They assured him between chortles. The kid laughed like a jackal, far louder and scratchier than Goldâs delicate giggles, but Mango still found it charming all the same. So much so that it took actual effort to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upward.
âYouâd better be.â Mango warned with faux gruffness in his tone. âYouâre enough of a heathen as it is. Thereâs only so much blasphemy one stick can take in his own home.â
âHmph.â Purple huffed dismissively at him, the effect somewhat diminished by the wide grin they couldnât keep off their face. âIf you ask me, you donât blaspheme enough. Still,â A subtle change in Purpleâs demeanor signaled the end of the game. Mango let himself relax and lean against the counter, confident that Purple wouldnât destroy their dinner now that theyâve had their fun, âwe havenât even put this in the oven yet, and it looks incredible! I didnât realize cooking was so much fun!â
Honestly, neither had Mango, before Goldâs presence had forced him to make the jump from an all-instant food diet to cooking from scratch. âItâs quite relaxing.â Mango agreed. âIf youâre interested, I can teach you to make all sorts of new stuff.â
âOh?â Purple glanced at him from the corner of their eye before looking down and beginning to play with the hem of their shirt, which Mango had quickly come to learn was something the kid did when they were nervous. It happened more or less whenever they tried to ask him for something, which just about broke Mangoâs heart. âThen maybe⊠maybe you could teach me how to make your secret ingredient pie?â
Mango tried not to wince, but couldnât help the sudden stiffening of his shoulders. Subconsciously, his gaze drifted from Purple to the picture hung beside them; The day of his last tournament, with the luster of Goldâs second place trophy being completely out-shined by her smile as she playfully pushed the trophy into her fatherâs face.
There were more differences between Purple and Gold than Mango could possibly count, but every day he seemed to find just as many similarities. One of which was their shared love for that confounded secret ingredient pie. It was⊠fine, as far as pies went. Sweet and soft, with a hint of tartness. Nothing you couldnât get from any bakery standard fruit pie, and certainly not good enough to warrant the ridiculously complicated recipe that had been passed down through the generations of the Ochre family. And yet, somehow Mango had managed to end up with not one, but two kids who absolutely adored the taste of the stupid treat.
For every special occasion, little Gold would trail at his fatherâs heels and tug at his pants, begging to lick the spoon or mix the filling. With age Goldâs interest in the pie hadnât wavered, begging time after time for her dad to teach him the recipe. But it was always such a pain, so Mango put it off. Not right now, heâd say. Iâll do it later. Maybe next time, again and again, and thenâŠ
And then Gold was gone. There would be no more ânext timeâ.
Some part of Mango recognized that this was a chance to make up for his mistake, to knock away one of the many regrets he carried on his shoulders, and yetâŠ
âWell, itâs⊠a bit much for your first time baking.â Mango waved away Purpleâs request with a too wide smile. His cheeks hurt from forcing his grin so large. âWhy donât we start with something simpler⊠like cupcakes?â
Purple deflated a little, but much like Gold before them, they bounced back quickly, matching his fake smile with a sincere, if mildly sad one. âI do like cupcakesâŠâ They brought their eyes up to meet Mangoâs, and the sheer affection reflected back at him, even after being denied, was almost too much for his heart.
âThen we can make cupcakes tonight.â Mango compromised, talking over the twisted wrenching of his heart. He then gestured over to the pile of dishes from their dinnertime prep work that laid in the sink. âAFTER you finish cleaning the kitchen, of course.â
âAww, what?!â Purple whined.
âWell, I warned you, didnât I?â Mango laughed off the complete horror on Purpleâs face at the prospect of doing their daily chores. âI told you, âitâs your turn to clean the kitchen, so think carefully about what we cookâ, and you still chose lasagna for dinner.â
An adorable pout was the only response Purple had for Mangoâs proclamation, crossing their arms and glaring menacingly at the pile of prep dishes soaking in the sink. After a moment of the dishes not being intimidated into cleaning themselves, Purple spun around towards Mango and fluttered their lashes, sidling up to Mango and staring up at him with big, watery eyes. âOld man~!â
âNo.â Mango responded coolly, slipping and letting his smile show at Purpleâs aghast expression.
âBut- but- we both made the mess, so we should both clean it up!â They argued back.
Already the older stick was shaking his head. âNope. We already agreed on a chore schedule, and Iâve done all my chores for today, including cleaning up many of your messes. You canât change the rules now just because they donât suit you anymore.â
With that the oven timer dinged, and Mango redirected his attention back to tonightâs dinner. He slipped on a pair of oven mitts and delivered the lasagna to the oven, all the while Purple was muttering agitatedly behind him. âSo not fair.â
âLifeâs not fair, kiddo.â Mango replied back, slamming the door to the oven shut. âGet used to it.â
The kitchen then went silent, save for Purpleâs irritated muttering, which in itself was slowly petering out. Mango liked to think that Purple was maybe going to accept their lot and just do the stupid dishes, but he knew that it was far more likely the kid had only shut up to try and scheme their way out of their chores. There were only so many ways one could escape the ever-present threat of dirty dishes, however, and Mango was confident enough in his counter-strategies to not pay Purple any mind, instead directing his attention to setting the table.
Peace reigned for only a short time in their home, however, before a cacophony of shouts and blur of colours tore through Mangoâs kitchen like a tornado, sucking Purple in as the colourful gang that made up Purpleâs friend group trampled through his kitchen. The five sticks emerged in waves; first Green and Red, leading the pack with enthusiasm and gusto as they embraced Purple eagerly. Following suit was the Yellow one, the bright kid to whom Mango had entrusted that stupid staff heâd made, easily slipping behind the others to startle Purple with a poke to their back. Blue was next, a little slower but with no less fervor that her friends as she pulled Purple into a headlock to grace them with a playful noogie. Finally, there was Second. They hung back a little from their friends at first, only approaching the group once everyone had calmed down to throw their arm around Purpleâs shoulders in greeting.
Now, Mango didnât necessarily dislike the kids. He honestly thought their positive and forgiving nature was a good influence on Purple. That said⊠âHow the hell did you all get into my house?â He demanded flatly.
Yellow grinned back at him, using Purple as an armrest to prop herself up. âYou left the front window unlocked.â She informed him breezily, entirely too calm.
âI did not.â Mango crossed his arms as he retorted, subconsciously bristling as five of the six kids began to snicker at him. The last one, Second, merely twiddled their thumbs in the back of the party, focused entirely on their fingers even as their entire body stood tensed behind the others.
âNot the bottom front window.â Blue chimed in, pointing to the clerestory window just above the front entrance. Sure enough, the thing was open, but Mango was absolutely certain heâd have heard the kids come in through that thing. They were many things, Purpleâs friends. Subtle was not one of them.
Sharp squealing cut the conversation short, and before Mango could find its source Purple suddenly yelped and fell to the floor. Mangoâs heart jumped into his throat, suffocating him for a prolonged, painful second before playful laughter restored his breath. In the middle of all that commotion, nobody had noticed the friend groupâs infamous pig until it had tackled Purple to the ground to shower the young stick in licks and snuggles. Purple responded in kind, petting the pig atop its head with a little chuckle.
âWhoops!â Red ran forward to scoop his precious pet up. âSorry Purple! Reuben hasnât seen you in a while, so he got a little too excited, didnât you boy?â Redâs voice went high-pitched and cooing as he praised his pig. âYes, you did! Yes you did, you silly little man!â Purple could only laugh at the tone of Redâs voice and continue to scratch the top of the pigâs head.
As precious as the moment was, Mango couldnât even bring himself to savour it before reality caught up with him. âOh no,â He interrupted, pushing himself to the center of the crowd. âNo, you all know the rules: No Minecraft stuff on the main floor! Keep it in the basement, or take it home!â
Red gasped, holding the pig close. âReubenâs not a stuff! Heâs a member of the family, arenât you boy?â Red scratched under the pigâs head as Purple scratched its ears, utterly lavishing it in attention.
âI donât care if its your twin!â Interrupted Mango. âIâm not getting arrested for video game smuggling because of you chuckleheads!â Back during the âPlanâ, Mango hadnât really cared about taking such risks, but now he had something to lose if he went to jail. He was willing to make exceptions for Purple â this was Purpleâs home too, after all, and he could trust the kid to be careful with their elytra. The rest of the gang? Not so much. âIt stays in the basement, or it goes home. Pick one.â
Red made a show of his reluctant acceptance, sighing theatrically as he picked up his pet. âIâm so sorry, Reuben.â Sobbed the sorrowful stick, clutching the pig close as if this were a eulogy and not just sticking it in the basement. âYouâre just too much pure goodness for this⊠sinful world!â
The display had even Purple, monarch of melodrama themselves, rolling their eyes. âWeâll go down and spend some quality time with him later.â They promised, âWe can⊠uh, play catch?â They suddenly looked a little lost, âDo pigs like catch?â
This seemed to be enough to placate Red, for now. As they walked towards the basement, Mango turned to Yellow. âAnd you-â
âStaffâs already down there.â Yellow promised, briefly flicking through her inventory to demonstrate its emptiness. âTeleported it when we got here, donât worry.â
That suited Mango perfectly fine. In addition to the whole not being arrested thing, heâd rather not have to handle that staff again. It was a brilliant feat of engineering, a masterful display of game code. It was also the catalyst to a near apocalypse Mango himself had caused for the sake of punishing everyone â anyone â for Goldâs fate. By the time heâd realized what heâd done, Mango had nearly lost a second child, and almost killed Notch knows how many innocents.
So, needless to say, heâd prefer to not have to look at that thing.
By this point Red and Purple had returned, sans pig. Greenâs elbow into his side and whisper into his ear caused Red to suddenly perk up, dour expression brightening exponentially as if suddenly reminded of something. Blue and Yellow, on the other side of Purple, exchanged a knowing look as they smirked at each other. And Second, whoâd taken advantage of Redâs scene to withdraw to the shadows behind the group, was suddenly pulled back to the forefront with the others.
Alarm bells once again rang in Mangoâs head. âDid you kids, uh⊠want to stay for dinner?â A whole lasagna was probably enough to feed all seven of them. Though heâd hoped to have leftovers for the next few days, Mango supposed he could make the sacrifice. For Purpleâs sake. âWeâre having lasagna.â
Blueâs eyes immediately lit up in interest. âOoh~! Lasagna! Thatâs a recipe I donât have yet!â As if by magic, a pencil and paper appeared in Blueâs hands. âIâve been meaning to try recreating a dish from taste alone. I bet I can identify all the ingredients-â
âThe food can wait!â Unable to contain the excitement heâd clearly been holding this entire time, Green finally let loose, cutting Blue off at the pass as his patience ran dry. He jumped on his heels before rushing towards Purple, taking the startled stickâs hand to pull them forward. âWe came here because we have big news! Huge news! GIGANTIC news! And youâll never guess what it is!â
Purple squirmed back and forth in the otherâs hold. âUhhâŠâ They leaned away from Greenâs entirely too close face, and Mango took that as his cue to intervene before the kid exploded from embarrassment or something.
âGo on, guess!â Insisted the green stick, his hold on Purple not loosening until Mangoâs firm grip pulled Purple out of the smog of excitement to get some calming fresh air.
Once he was certain Purple had gotten a gulp or two of tranquil space, Mango set the young stick down and directed his attention back to Green. âJust get to the point.â Mango insisted for all of their sakes.
The denial didnât do anything to diminish Greenâs excitement, or the enthusiasm of the four fighters as they worked together to push Second into the limelight. Being thrust into the center of attention only caused the already nervous stick to grow ever more anxious, their entire body going stiff at the sudden sensation of eyes trained on them from every direction. Now, Mango didnât know know these kids quite as well as Purple did, but heâd squared off against Second more than once in his quest to destroy Minecraft, and the orange stick never showed fear like this, even when things were at there most dire. So what could be causing them such distressâŠ? Combined with the excitement of the other four sticks, Mango could hear the alarm bells getting louder.
Oblivious to their friendâs blatant discomfort, Green blurted out, âWe just found out⊠that Sec has super powers!â
Mango could feel his eyebrows skyrocket up as he stared at the excited group of children, mouth agape. At his side, he could hear Purple exclaim, âYo, what?!â Followed by the sound of excited arm flapping.
Second scratched at the skin on their arm, holding themselves with all the rigid attention of a child at the principleâs office. âYeah, heh. SurpriseâŠâ
âWhoa, thatâs so cool!â Purpleâs proclamation only brought Second more discomfort, and Mango reached over to take hold of the kid and force them to calm down, lest the downcast and blushing Second keel over and die on the spot, but Purple slipped away before he could make contact. In a blink of the eye Purple was in Secondâs face, bouncing energetically on their toes as they eagerly questioned, âWhat kind of powers? What can you do?â
âOh, you know, just the typical stuffâŠâ Second trailed off, their eyes focusing on a spot on the ceiling instead of Purpleâs wide, bright expression. âFlying, telekinesis, healing, electricity⊠uh, eye lasersâŠâ
Each item added to the list only caused Purpleâs smile to grow and grow, until a wide grin was stretched across their face. In any other circumstance such a look would cause Mangoâs heart to melt, but at this moment it only caused an electric tingle along his spine to signify incoming danger. Flapping their arms again, Purple demanded, âYou HAVE to show them off!â
A cacophony of agreements came from the rest of Secondâs friends. They were all varying levels of excited; Green seemed most eager, strongly encouraging Second by lightly shaking their shoulder. Red squealed in open excitement, and Blue immediately started pleading with wide puppy-dog eyes. Only Yellow kept some modicum of self-control, but curiosity and excitement still lit up her eyes. Despite the discovery being fairly recent, it seemed none of these kids had any experience with Secondâs powers, and that caused a pit of dread to form in Mangoâs stomach. This was a recipe for disaster.
Hurriedly, he tried to speak up, âI donât think-â
Mangoâs attempt to interrupt was completely bowled over by Purple in their excitement. âWhat should we have you do?â They wondered aloud. âMaybe we can set up some targets for you to shoot down?â The other kids seemed eager, nodding along to that idea. âOr you can race me flying with my elytra! Or-!â Purple suddenly gasped, hands covering their mouth as they smiled wider, âOr you can use your powers to clean up our entire kitchen!â
For a brief moment, annoyance trounced Mangoâs anxiety, âPurple, thatâs your chore for the day. You canât just use your friends to do your chores for you.â
Purple only paused to give Mango a smug, satisfied look, before completely disregarding his words. If anything, Mango was certain his disapproval had only prompted Purple to go ahead with the request. âPlease, wonât you clean the kitchen? Pretty, pretty please?â
The fluttering lashes and puppy dog eyes worked better on Second than Mango himself, but not quite enough to completely convince them. Conflict clear on their face, Second shrunk in on themselves and dug their nails into their arms. None the wiser to Secondâs inner turmoil, each of their friends began pilling into them, begging incessantly.
âCome on, please~!â Red whined, pulling on Secondâs arm.
âIâll make you all the cookies!â Blue promised from their other side, pushing her head into the crook of their neck. âLike, so many cookies!â
âWith that much stuff? Itâll be epic to see if flying all around!â Yellow mused. âI bet with enough practice you could pull off a âWizardâs Apprenticeâ!â Her arms flapped at the thought, âOoh, man! That would be the coolest!â
âYou gotta show Purple what you can do!â Green pleaded, giving Second a sorrowful pout that would put even Purpleâs best acting to shame. âPlease! Please! Please! PLEASE!â
The kid demonstrated an iron will as they shook off their friendâs clutching hands and pleading eyes to put some distance between them. âGuys, I dunnoâŠâ Second kept their eyes away from their friends, focusing instead on a spot on the wall. âIâm still pretty new at this⊠and I donât want to mess anything upâŠâ
Despite their clear reluctance, Secondâs friends kept egging them on, and Mango stepped forward to put a hand on Secondâs shoulder. âI agree.â He stated, giving the kids a glare when they started to protest. âThese powers sound like theyâre still new, and using them so haphazardly would be blatantly irresponsible, especially for chores. You kids could stand to be a bit more thoughtful about this.â
Mango looked down, prepared to reassure Second that they were indeed doing the right thing, only to find Second staring up at him. Their lips were pressed thin as they pierced him with a burning, non-laser glare for a long, long moment, as if trying to see into his very soul. After a moment, the orange stick turned back to their friends. âOn second thought, letâs do it.â
âWhat?!â Mango shouted in disbelief, his exclamation drowned out by the cheers and hollers of the others. The rainbow whirlwind sucked Second back in and absconded to the center of the kitchen, their voices blending into a single tangle of noise as they discussed the upcoming show. The sudden change in Second caused Mango to freeze in place, staring stupidly after the group. This⊠well, if Mango was being honest, this was far more like the Second he knew from their previous encounters than the skittish stick that had stepped into their home only a few minutes prior. But the fact that Second had even been that nervous to begin withâŠ
Well, there was nothing else Mango could do but swallow his apprehension, make a silent vow to try reverse psychology on the rebellious brats next time, and trail after them.
By the time Mango had rejoined the group, the others had forcibly propped Second up onto the table Mango had just set like, not even ten minutes ago. Though clearly still wracked with nerves, they took a moment to gain their balance atop the structure, knees a little wobbly.
Despite the resistance heâd faced previously, Mango tried one more time to talk sense into Purpleâs friends. âYou donât have to do this, you know.â
Mango was surprised to see that Green was the first to turn to him, a fierce glare aimed directly at the protesting adult. Everyone else seemed to have varying levels of exasperation and confusion at Mangoâs interference. After a moment of silence, Second responded. âYeah, I know. But itâs fine. I can do this.â Second looked down at their own hands, gaze unfocused. âI can do this.â
Secondâs eyes fell shut, and when they opened again, their natural green colour had sharpened into a bright, illuminating emerald shine. Electricity crackled and zapped as it crawled over their form, stretching away from Secondâs body to spread across Mangoâs kitchen. The faint scent of ozone began to permeate the air. Mango could feel static run across his exposed joints, causing him to shiver. After a moment of just this, Secondâs body lifted off the table, hovering in the air a few meters above the floor. Soon enough, other things in the kitchen began to lift up as well â the clean dishes on the dining table, the table itself, the chairs. In the span of maybe thirty seconds, everything in the kitchen lighter than the microwave was hovering weightlessly in the air, as though being touched by Secondâs sparking power had turned off the gravity.
In spite of his early complaints, Mango couldnât help the awe that washed over him as he took in the display of power. There was a pattern to the movement of the objects, to the flowing of electricity, that was nothing short of graceful. To his side, Mango could hear Red oohing and awwing over the display, drowning out Yellowâs mumbling as she thought aloud to herself. There was buzzing on Mangoâs other side as well; whispers between Blue and Purple as they observed the show. When he glanced over at the kids, Mango found Green also present at Purpleâs side, watching Second with a painfully familiar expression. One Mango saw every time he looked at a picture of himself and his Gold: Pure, unadulterated pride.
Secondâs power soon brought order to the chaos theyâd made of Mangoâs kitchen, conducting the flying dishware in a delicate ballet. Every single item bobbed and weaved around each other to the rhythm of an intricate melody nobody but the Second Coming could hear. The swishing and swirling of water drew everyoneâs attention to the sink, where a stream of water began to bend and twist upward to form rings between the layers of dancing cutlery.
âHydrokinesis!â Yellow gasped. âThatâs a new one!â
The scratching sound of pencil meeting paper was only barely audible over Blueâs inquiry, âIs it really hydrokinesis, though?â She scratched her chin, âOr just⊠telekinesis used on water?â
âIs there a difference?â Red asked.
All three of them were immediately hushed by Green, âLet them do their thing.â He scolded roughly. Mango hadnât considered that there was a second in command among the group of friends, but given how everyone immediately shut up at Greenâs order, it seemed the most melodious stick took that role when Second was out of commission.
Once everyone had quieted down, Mango returned his attention back to Secondâs show. Along with the ring of water, globs of what Mango assumed was soap had joined in the choreography. The tempo and melody of Secondâs inaudible song changed, transforming the ballet into something more of a waltz. The dishes flowed from water to soap to water, two steps forward, one step back, before the clean dishes were added to an entirely new ring of floating tableware to dry. On and off flickered the ceiling lamp as Secondâs power crawled across it, and combined with the jade sparks of lightning that flowed freely through the room, it completely transformed Mangoâs kitchen into a much larger, more ominous space. Mangoâs fingers twitched, itching with sudden nerves, and to sooth them he reached around Blue to take one of Purpleâs hands. Though he couldnât see Purpleâs face, Mango could feel the kid squeeze his hand back, and for a moment all fear was erased from his mind.
Then a plate broke.
Its shattering echoed loudly through the entire house, trampling over any thought Mango could have formed and forcing all attention on it. Throughout the entire performance, Secondâs face had been one of pure concentration, serenely focused on the energy surging about, but the sound had utterly destroyed any illusion of control Second had beforehand. Panic flittered in their illuminated eyes as they stared down at the shards of ceramic littering the kitchen floor, no longer affected by Secondâs power.
âAhh!â They cried out, startled by the mistake. Immediately Secondâs body language changed, shrinking in on themselves as they focused their attention on the broken plate. Their power forced the shattered remains into the air once again. âUhh, d-donât worry, I can fix it!â
The change of attitude caught them all off guard, and Mangoâs dread returned tenfold, churning his stomach. Green was the first to speak up, stepping forward with arms held out in an attempt to placate Second. âHey, dude, itâs okay-â
Unfortunately for Green, his attempt at reassurances only startled Second further, and a glass cup exploded into millions of tiny shards against a wall. Mango subconsciously pulled Purple closer at the sound, heart beating a mile a minute in his chest. Second themselves squealed frightfully, their attention redirecting again. The once meticulous dance had grown discordant in response to their distress, the dishware weaving and bobbing in random, quickening movements around the kitchen. Secondâs uneven breathing could be heard over the sharpening crackle of lightning and thunder that was slowly growing louder and larger as the kid lost control. One of the larger bowls hit the corner of a chair, chipping it and causing more distress to the stick in the center of the chaos.
âSec! Stop!â Red cried out. It was unclear if Second had even heard him; they were hunched over in the center of the room, practically hyperventilating as all their focus centered on the broken objects. More things began to break in the chaos; A cracked cup here, a bent fork there. The longer their panic continued, the faster the rings of crockery spun until the kitchen had become a veritable tornado. At this point even the appliances had begun to join in the anarchy.
Purple, still firmly clutching Mangoâs hand, stepped forward. Not enough to be caught in the tornado, but enough that Mango could see fear in their eyes, and it only made him hold on all the tighter. âDude!â Purple called over the noise. At this point the chaos had created a cacophony so loud Mango could barely hear the kid over it. âYou need to calm down! Youâre gonna destroy the entire house at this rate!â
The loud hiss of, âPurple!â From Mango came too late. The idea was already out there, and it only increased the sense of panic from every stick present. A pathetic whine signaled an increase in the speed of the spinning kitchenware. Green surged forward the instant he heard it, with Yellow barely being able to pull him back before he could get clocked in the head by a flying food processor.
âH-hey!â Blue worked her way in front of the group, hands held out placatingly in front of her. âSecond, try and focus on me, okay? Itâs going to be alright. Iâm going to approach now â slowly.â True to her word, Blue made small, cautious steps forward. The wild winds whipped her hair violently, but she showed no signs of distress against their might, âIâm going to make my way to you, and youâre going to calm down, and nobodyâs going to get hurt. Weâre going to be fine.â
And, for a brief moment, it seemed like she was right. Secondâs eyes were glued to her approaching form, and the sight of her smile eased the tension from their body.
âLook out!â Red shouted suddenly, then tackled poor Blue just moments before a spinning plate shot through the air where her head once was. Instead the dish continued to whirl through the kitchen, straight over the ceramic shards of another broken plate and right towards⊠towards the photo on the wall-!
Mangoâs heart leapt into his throat. Without thought he started forward, maybe to throw himself between the flying dishware and one of his last memories of Gold, but by the time heâd released Purpleâs hand and made the first step it was already too late. Though it took only a second in real time, to Mango it felt like it was playing out in slow-motion. The plate shattered against the frame, shards of ceramic and glass flying in every direction, and the frame fell to the ground. Wood splintered apart with a deafening crack as it finally hit the linoleum. The picture fell, face down, on the ground.
Around him, Mango could barely hear the sound of audible gasps and whispered exclamations over the ringing in his ears. The tips of his fingers felt cold and numb. For just that moment in time, nothing existed but him and the broken remains of Goldâs memory.
Green sparks crawled over the pictures, shaking Mango from his stupor and forcing him to tune back into reality. From the center of the kitchen he could hear a tangle of jumbled words and accelerated breathing, âNo, no, this is okay, I can fix it, itâll all be fine, I can fix it⊠I-I can fix itâŠ!â Once the picture was levitated up, a miracle was revealed to Mango; though the frame was broken beyond repair, the picture itself appeared mostly in tact.
âKid, hold up-â Mango tried to call out, turning to look at Second. Sharp emerald lights met his eyes in return, freezing the tallest stick in place for a bone-chilling instant.
âI can fix it, I can fix it, I can fix itâŠ!â The haphazard promises fell from Secondâs lips along with their labored breaths. Then they clutched their head and screamed, âI CAN FIX IT-!â
An explosion of emerald light knocked everyone back. Mangoâs body tumbled maybe a meter or so before coming to a grinding halt. Mango winced at the burning sensation on his limbs, but the second he was able to move he immediately crawled over to the kids in order to put himself between them and the violent storm Second had made of his kitchen. The green energy had formed an opaque tornado, completely hiding The Second Coming from view. Through the chaos Mango could see shattered remains of plates, randomly bent cutlery, and even full-on appliances that had been forced airborne by Secondâs power poke out of the squall before being sucked back in.
Mango barely had a minute to take in the catastrophe that Secondâs show had become before the kidsâ chatter redirected his attention. âOkay, letâs not panic!â Yellow instructed, pushing her glasses up as she picked herself off the ground. âWe can- uh, we got this! If we just ground the lightning-â
âGround it with what?!â Red snapped back, gesturing wildly at the mess in front of them. âSecâs power isnât like normal lightning, that wouldnât work!â
âAnd you have any better ideas?!â Purple demanded. Thankfully for Mangoâs poor heart, the kid stayed down close to the ground, even as they joined in the argument.âWe canât just do nothing!â
Blue joined Yellowâs side quickly, fidgeting with her fingers. âIt-Itâs just because Secâs panicking! We just need to wait for them to calm down, and-â
âAnd what, just leave them like this until then?!â Yellow questioned sharply, causing Blue to flinch back. If Yellow noticed, it didnât show on her face. âI am not going to abandon them! Not after everything, I canât-!â
Everyone seemed to wince in response to Yellowâs outcry, and the following tense silence was quickly filled with a pitiful, mournful wailing from the kitchen. The sound seemed to echo in Mangoâs head, plucking at the strings of his heart painfully. And he barely knew Second; he couldnât imagine how this must feel to the kids, who had known The Second Coming for their entire life.
A hitched breath drew Mangoâs attention behind himself; Green had gotten a little lost in the chaos, overshadowed by the others yelling over themselves in an attempt to find a solution. That cry, however, had him marching ahead of everyone until he was standing directly in front of the entryway, his green form seeming to glow in the luminescence of the emerald lightning that surged along the tornado. Greenâs fists were shaking, but if the expression on his face was anything to go by, it was not fear that caused him to tremble, but sheer determination.
After a moment of simply staring ahead, Green finally spoke aloud. âScrew it,â He said, and that was the only warning any of them had before he charged forward. âHang on, Sec! Iâm coming!â
Everyone watched him disappear into the chaos in stunned silence, before Yellow gritted her teeth and shouted, âDonât worry, weâre on our way!â as she followed suit.
Blue and Red spared a moment to glance at each other, nodding as they each reached the same conclusion. Though they both jumped up at the same time, Red was on his feet first, running directly into the tornado with a battle cry.
Trailing directly after the others, Blue cried out, âItâs going to be okay, Second! Weâre on our way!â as she barreled ahead.
Movement at his side jolted Mangoâs attention as Purple stood up against the winds of the storm. Though their body was rigid in fear, conviction was strong on their face as they, too, began to run forward. Everything seemed to slow in that instant. Tension squeezed Mangoâs lungs in his chest. All air escaped him in one startled gasp. Purpleâs body seemed to transform, going from violet to deep yellow. The green light threatening to engulf them turned to black corruption. Red lights flashed at the corners of his vision. A fatal error has occurred, this connection is terminated.
âNo!â Mango managed to force out, leaping to grasp Purpleâs hand once again. His hold on them was tight like a vice. Though he could hear his own heavy breathing, his lungs burned with a craving for oxygen.
Though startled, Purple quickly began to struggle against Mangoâs hold. âWhat are you doing?!â They asked, voice laden with desperation and fear in equal measure, and it only made Mango hold on all the tighter. âWe- I have to get in there! Sec needs us- needs me!â
âI need you!â Mango forced out in a single, painful gasp. âI- I canât lose anotherâŠ! Iâm not going to let you run to your death!â
Though the slip up made Purpleâs expression soften some, they still held firm. âIf we do nothing, then Secâll, like, I donât know, explode or something! Then weâll all die!â Instead of trying to get away, Purple clasped Mangoâs hand with their other, meeting the taller stick's gaze with fire alight in their eyes. âI can do this! I promise, nothing will happen to me!â
Mango glanced down at their intertwined hands, Purpleâs fingers gently rubbing soothing circles into his skin. Subconsciously his breathing began to follow the rhythm of the motions, and the burning fire in Mangoâs chest was extinguished. With a deep breath and one final look into those pleading eyes, Mango relented. âOkay,â He said, but refused to release Purpleâs hands. Instead he pulled the both of them up to a standing position. âThen weâll go together.â
After a serious nod, Purple broke the tension with a playful wink. âTry to keep up, Old Man.â They teased, and something in Mango felt lighter, even in the face of oncoming danger.
With his hold firm on Purple, Mango began walking against the fierce winds of Secondâs maelstrom. The gales of the tornado roared louder and louder the closer and closer they got, until its rumbling was all Mango could hear ringing in his ears. The sharp cold of it stung at his face, but Mango kept firm, doing his best to stay in front and shield Purple from the worst of it. One of Purpleâs hands slipped from Mango, and a near heart attack was mitigated when he looked back to see Purple pulling Red down from where heâd been sent flying back. Looking around, Mango could make out the three other friends scattered in various directions, struggling to walk against the wind only to be pushed aside by a particularly strong gust or forced to jump away from a large piece of debris haphazardly flying around.
âWe canât get close!â Red yelled over the rushing tempest. âWe keep getting knocked back by all the stuff flying around!â
As if to demonstrate, a chair flew straight at them, only visible once it was moments away from hitting them. King quickly moved to pull Purple and Red down to the floor, covering their heads with his arm in order to protect them.
Purple was the first to lift themselves up, gritting their teeth. âThen how are we supposed to get throughâŠ?â
Yellowâs shout, barely audible above the roaring winds, drew Mangoâs attention up and towards the irritated stick as she charged forward. She got close to the eye, a mere arms length away from the goal, before Green yanked her out of the way of a swarm of flying knives set to impale her in five different ways. His heroic efforts were rewarded by Blue being tossed into him and Yellow, knocking all three back to where Mango, Red, and Purple were hunkered down.
Not even a second after being tossed back, Blue was already back on her feet. She went to charge forth one more time, but was stopped by Green grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back. âThis isnât working!â He scolded, sounding angrier in his attempt to yell over the hurricane. âWe have to try something else!â
âWell, what else can we do?!â Blue asked tearfully. In lieu of an answer he couldnât give, Green instead took hold of her hand.
The gears in Mangoâs head began to turn. They couldnât get anywhere near the center of the storm; the winds were too strong, blowing so hard that it was impossible to make it to the center before being hit by the dangerous debris flying haphazardly around. A stick alone wouldnât be able to breach the maelstrom without getting blown away, but there was no way a group could move through without getting hit by one of the large appliances or pieces of furniture caught in the tornado. Not without a shield to guard them.
Mango knew what he had to do. With a shaky breath he picked himself up, bracing his knees to stand against the storm. Purple made a concerned noise as Mangoâs hand slipped away from theirs, but in spite of that Mango instead focused on his surroundings, on every little sliver of glass or lump of wood flying around that could hurt them. As he focused, Mango called back to the kids, âI have an idea!â Everyone looked up at him, all of the young sticks suffering various degrees of battery from their attempts to reach Second. âAll five of you, huddle together and move in tandem! If you keep a firm hold of each other and work as a unit, youâll be able to stand against the wind!â
âBut what about all the stuff flying around?!â Red asked, even as he and the others moved to take hold of each other. Red was at one end, Blue next to him, then Green in the middle, with Purple at his side and Yellow on the opposite end.
Mango took a deep breath, focusing on the rapidly approaching microwave as it flew closer and closer. Once it was within range, Mango demonstrated exactly what would happen with all the stuff flying around. He braced himself against the floor and was only pushed back a few centimeters as he gripped onto the heavy appliance. Though taking the force and weight of the microwave made his arms ache, Mango spun around and tossed the now useless contraption to the side.
âIâll take care of that.â He assured the children as he turned to them, forcing down the anxiety and pressure he felt and forcing up an encouraging grin. âYou all just focus on getting Second out of there.â
Purple swallowed down their nerves before matching Mangoâs smile. âJust be careful, Old Man. Iâm not taking care of you if you throw your back out.â
Snorting, Mango turned away from the kids to focus on his job. âIf youâre my nurse, I think Iâll take my chances with the lightning.â His voice then dropped, turning serious. âNow get moving!â
All of Mangoâs attention then focused on the winds around him. He played the role of guard for the children as they inched along, using each other as support against the harsh gales. The friend group moved together in near perfect harmony. Purpleâs inexperience, in comparison, was obvious. They stumbled where the others stepped smoothly, needing to glance at their feet or their friends while everyone else seemed to simply trust that the others would step where they needed to. Even with the handicap of Purpleâs inexperience, however, they made surprisingly quick progress through the raging storm. Mango moved as quickly as he could to knock back any debris, any heavy machine, any sharp piece of glass or ceramic that could harm the kids. They were encouraging each other behind him, counting down the steps until they reached their goal.
âJust a little closer!â Purple cried out as Mango wrangled a cabinet door away from the group. Their voice was almost entirely lost in the wind that surrounded Second. âJust⊠a littleâŠ!â
And then the five disappeared into the heart of the storm. Mango breathed a sigh of relief, switching up his focus to dodge the hazardous kitchenware instead of blocking it head on. Nothing in the tornado ventured any closer to the eye than where the children had just entered, so Mango could be certain theyâd be fine from then on. A bone-deep ache made itself known as Mango let himself relax a touch, but he didnât fall back. Instead Mango rooted himself firmly nearby, alert for any kind of disturbance in the maelstrom; any sign that the kids were distressed or injured.
That was all he could do for now, besides put his trust in them.
---------------------
Second could barely hear the sound of the winds whipping about over their own heart pounding in their ears. Every part of them burned; their throat, their lungs, their arms, their eyes. Shaking fingers yanked at their long, flowing hair. The cycloneâs violent winds pressed down on them harder with every haggard breath they took, stealing the air from their lungs as they slowly suffocated in their gale storm of despair.
The storm had started as a seed of panic within them, planted as the sound of shattering ceramics itched at their skin. With very new mistake, every blatant screw up, every near miss on their dearest friendsâ lives, the seedling began to sprout, bringing with it a harsh, ashy wind that left a bitter sensation on their skin. The photographâs destruction had been like bone-meal, escalating the growth of the squall until it swallowed Second whole. The winds raced at the same rate as their heart as it pounded within them, fighting to escape the cage of Secondâs body. With each forced beat the ache inside of them grew and spread. They were dying, Secondâs thoughts screamed at them from within their fuzzy brain.
They were going to die here.
They were doing to die here.
And it was all⊠their⊠faultâŠ
This wasnât the first time Second had ruined everything. Every new experience they brought to their friends was marred by pain and death in some form. The darkest corner of their mind swirled with memories of their torn-apart, dying bodies slowly fading into distorted code, or disappearing in a puff of gray smoke as their programs were ended without a second thought. Their own hands tingled with the memory of a cold steel blade pierced through Greenâs body, or violet bruises ringing on their fists as they looked down at Redâs frightened face. At every step, through carelessness or powerlessness or their own unhinged actions, Second was always forced to watch the most important parts of their life suffer and agonize and absolutely languish in pain.
Why had they thought they could fixthis? Second knew theyâd lose control, knew that this power would poison what theyâd built, but theyâd made the mistake of giving in, and now they were going to die.
They were going⊠to dieâŠ
All alone⊠after ruining everythingâŠ
They⊠they were⊠going toâŠ
âSec!â A sharp voice cut through the cyclone, jolting Second out of their thoughts with a wave of prickles along their body. Before they could even register the origins of the sound, a pair of arms encircled their waist. The touch was soft and sweet, causing the burning of Secondâs body to ease just a little bit; just enough that they could make themselves look down to lock eyes with Green. He smiled up at them, not so much as flinching against the blazing heat of Secondâs shining emerald gaze. âIâm here! Iâve got you!â
Stunned, Second couldnât even bring themselves to return the embrace before another pair of arms forcibly wrapped around them. âDonât worry, Sec!â Red assured through a large, vibrant grin. âItâs just a little thunder, nothing we canât handle!â
Another jolt to their side signaled Yellowâs entrance, squeezing them so hard that rough burning churning within them was squeezed out, to be replaced a soft, bittersweet pressure. âTold ya, didnât I?â Yellow asked, never once letting her hold loosen. âIâm not letting anything tear us apart.â
Next to join in the group hug was Blue, her shimmering eyes taking in the fierce, violent green of the lightning and reflecting back only a soft, gentle aura of emerald. âI know you must feel so scared right now,â She consoled, her voice feather-light on their skin, âBut youâre not alone â everyoneâs here! Weâre all here with you!â
Last but not least, Purple forced themselves into the hug by worming their way between the others to snake their arms around Secondâs middle. âPfft, if youâre trying to get rid of me,â They scolded jokingly, âItâs gonna be a lot harder than that, Sec.â
Though the storm raged on, Second found themselves unable to tear their focus away from their friends. The many arms around them were velvety smooth, sweet on their skin with a tang of desperate heat. Their voices caressed Second with gentle softness as they whispered fluffy comforts for the winds to carry to their ears. Warmth flooded over Secondâs entire body, forcing out the various aches from all over. Secondâs shoulders relaxed as they took in a deep breath. Oxygen hit their lungs for the first time since the picture broke. Secondâs eyes fluttered shut as they let themselves relax.
What had they been so worried about? Despite the accidents, the threatening villains, the near-death experiences, they always came through it together on the other side. Mistakes were forgiven, wounds were healed, and no matter what came their way, Second could stand against it, firm in the knowledge that their loved ones were at their side, supporting them all the way.
As long as Second had them, theyâd be okay. They could fix anything.
Second opened their eyes. Beyond the twister they found a pair of silhouettes, a tall one and a short one. Second couldnât make out their faces, but the tension in their limbs betrayed their obvious fear. The emerald eyes of the super-powered stick remained trained on the nervous figures,
Itâs okay, Second tried to tell them, to reassure the clearly frightened figures, but all that escaped their mouth was a staticky noise that made their friends hug them all the tighter. Upon realizing that their voice was turned off for the time being, Second instead reached out to the pair, to try and show them that it would be alright, that they werenât alone, that help was right there and ready for them.
The strangers grew more panicked, and Second stretched their arm further to reach for them. All of Secondâs attention was hyper-focused on the two upset figures, to the point where everything beyond them and the arms around Secondâs waist disappeared from their mind. All they wanted was to give the two strangers a little taste of the comfort that everyoneâs presence granted them. To fix the pain they could sense on the pair and stop the fear that was clearly growing stronger and stronger within them as they fiddled anxiously with something in the smaller oneâs hand. Second felt something deep inside them urging them to keep extending their arm, to keep pulling at the two figures. To fix the distress on their face and bring them home.
All they had to do was reach a little further⊠further⊠just a bit moreâŠ
And then everything disappeared in an explosion of brilliant emerald light.
--------------------
Between the ringing in his ears and the throbbing in his head, Green was certain heâd be in for a world of hurt the moment he opened his eyes. Despite this, the distant murmurs of fear and horror from his friends had Green forcing his eyelids up, inviting a piercing beam of light and agony into his brain. Seconds stretched into years as Green waited for the discomfort to fade enough for him to focus his eyes and look out over what was once the Ochre familyâs kitchen. Now the room was in absolute shambles; everything, from the smallest plate to the gigantic refrigerator, was damaged in some way. The linoleum floor, cool on Greenâs aching legs, was positively littered with shards of glass and ceramic. A food processor was stuck in the wall, its cord dangling uselessly over a crack in the tile beneath it. Water formed small pools throughout the room, one dangerously close to an electrical outlet on the opposite wall. The only electronic in the room that still functioned a little bit was the ceiling light, which flickered on and off rapidly enough to compound Greenâs growing headache.
Green forced down a swallow as he took in the wreckage. The memory of Secâs pleading, of the fear on their face, played in his mind like a broken record, and then his eyes began to burn anew. Just a few minutes ago theyâd all been having fun, and Second had finally begun to relax. Heâd thought that maybe, just maybe, they were finally starting to accept themselves⊠and then everything exploded. The thought of how Second must be feeling was like his heart was sinking to the bottom of his stomach, swirling its contents into bile.
Still, there was much to be done, so despite the nausea and tears threatening to break through Green pulled himself into a sitting position, wincing as the pounding in his head compounded. He fought through the fuzz at the edges of his vision and the painfully loud ringing in his ears to focus on his friends, to try and ascertain their current condition. Mango was the first one he was able to pinpoint, and naturally the taller stick had rushed to Purpleâs side. Other than a few bumps and bruises, neither of the two looked too badly injured. Red appeared to be fine too, sitting next to Yellow and speaking unintelligible words to her. Yellowâs one leg was splayed out in front of them, and when Red made contact with her ankle she winced. Green couldnât see how badly it was swollen, or if there was any sign of a break, but the fact that she was injured at all nearly brought Green to tears again. He forced it down and left Yellowâs care to Red, scanning across the room until he found Blue, also mostly unharmed, hovering anxiously over Secondâs body with her hand on their neck.
The sight of his motionless friend caused Greenâs breath to catch in his throat. No⊠were they⊠did he cause his best friend toâŠ?
Mere moments later Blueâs shoulders relaxed and she visibly exhaled, a small smile forming under her tired eyes. Green echoed her relieved sigh. Second was⊠alive, at the very least.
In the little time between awakening and checking on his friends, the ringing in Greenâs ears had died down. Not completely gone, but low enough that he could now hear the others chattering amongst themselves. Their voices blended together into a cacophony of noises, and Green found himself unable to tell his friends apart. He could catch the occasional word, but without context they made virtually no sense.
Mango unexpectedly stood up at the other end of the room, his shoulders stiff with tension as he immediately stood to put himself between Purple and⊠something. Because they hadnât moved Green had initially overlooked them, but following Mangoâs gaze Green could see⊠someone in the corner of the room. An extra person- no, two extra people, lying unconscious on the floor nearby. Green struggled to focus entirely on them and Mango, who made a hush motion in response to Purple opening their mouth to say something, before steadily approaching the two new entities. His face was set with grim determination as he approached the figures, but as he got closer, it gradually shifted. Mangoâs eyes widened, beginning to bulge out of his head, and Green forced everything into focusing on the older stick as he inched over to that dark corner, truly taking their new guests.
And then he started laughing.
A loud, humourless cackle that reminded Green more of the mad king whoâd almost killed them all than Purpleâs sarcastic guardian. Green continued to push through the fuzz in his brain as Purple picked themselves up and raced over to the old man. They paused once they reached him, staring in shock at the source of Mangoâs distress.
âItâs finally happened!â Mango declared between laughs, his eyes completely glazing over with a sheen of distress. âIâve finally gone insane!â
Purple, eyes wide, stepped in front of Mango with their arms stretched out in an attempt to placate him. âNo, no!â They assured him, words rushed in their panic. âYouâre not crazy, I promise, I see them too! P-please stop laughing-!â
â-Iâm fine! Iâm not the one who, exploded, you need to go help Blue-!â
Green winced, struggling to stay focused as everyone elseâs voices began to pick up volume, fighting each other for his attention.
âOkay, câmon, wake up-!â
âYou canât walk on that, are you nuts-!â
The voices pounded in Greenâs ears to the rhythm of his racing heart.
âH-hey, come on, take some deep breaths-!â
âSeriously, let go-!â
âPlease, Sec, please-!â
He groaned as he held his throbbing skull. Every noise was blending together; the voices of his friends, the dripping of water from the sink, the buzz of the malfunctioning light as it flickered on and off, on and off, on and off, poking at his brain through his pupils. The bile in his stomach churned again, fighting to rise up his esophagus.
âI- This isnât real. Thereâs no way this is real, this has to be-!â
âC-come on, Old Man, focus-!â
âYellow, will stop trying to-!â
âGet off of me-!â
âCome on, Blue, think-!â
âWill you all just SHUT UP?!â Green shouted over all of them. Every single stick in the room went totally silent, finally relieving a little bit of the pressure in his skull. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Green used the wall to help himself stand. Though his limbs ached, the worst of the pain was in head, allowing Green to stand without opposition. Looking out over the chaos, Green felt something well in him at the scared, desperate looks his dearest friends were giving him; Guilt and determination and sorrow. It fueled the flame within him, and Green took charge, immediately pushing past the pain to issue commands. âYellow, let Red help you to the living room.â
âIâm fine-!â The injured stick tried to object.
Green immediately shut that down. âNo, youâre not. If you were, you would have walked away from Red by now.â Green sighed. âLook, I donât want to be mean, but if you try to walk on that ankle youâre going to make it worse. And the last thing we need right now is for things to get worse. Itâll only take a few moments for Red to help you walk to the armchair. Let him do that, and we wonât have to worry anymore, alright?â
Any protests died on Yellowâs lips as she absorbed Greenâs argument. Though she may not have been happy about it, the logic won her over, and she huffed in irritation even as she hooked an arm around Redâs shoulders. The two began to stand in order to limp out of the room, and Green shifted his focus.
Mangoâs breakdown had been halted by Greenâs sudden cry, too stunned to continue, and Green used this opportunity to make his way over to him and Purple. The violet stick quickly moved to the side to let Green through, and for the first time Green was able to get a clear look at the new sticks summoned by Secondâs power. His eyes immediately went wide as he absorbed the sight before him.
The first of the two newcomers, the taller one, looked nearly identical to Mango. The very few differences were entirely cosmetic; his hair was a little shorter, his clothes a little neater. There were no bags under his eyes or scars on his body from the fight for Minecraft. Small though the differences may be, they made a huge impact, making this version of Mango look ten years younger than the reformed tyrant Green knew. Curled under his arm, as though shielded from the entire world, was the second, smaller stick. Their body was a deep gold, and despite not knowing anything about this stick, Green was immediately struck with a sense of deja vu. It felt like heâd seen them somewhere before, but the context entirely escaped him.
Green was not, however, stupid. Given how the other Mango was curled protectively around this new stick, and the real Mango had a mental breakdown at the mere sight of them, Green was certain this new stick was someone of great importance to Mango. A few theories were already cooking in Greenâs brain, but there were more important things to focus on at the moment.
âOnce Redâs done helping Yellow,â Green informed the two, drawing their attention to him. Though Mango was no longer laughing like a madman, his eyes were almost entirely blank. Purple was more present, holding themselves anxiously as they focused entirely on Green. âHeâll help you guys get these two somewhere more comfortable. Should we put them in Mangoâs room?â
A moment of silence fell over the two. Purple suddenly couldnât meet Greenâs eye, glancing awkwardly to the side, while Mango seemed to take a moment to process the question. Eventually, the old man answered, âWe can put them in Goldâs room. Itâs a little dusty, but it should be fine, I guess.â
Green cocked a brow at the taller stick. âWait, Goldâs roomâŠ?â That answered some of Greenâs questions and raised so many more, but for the moment Green restricted himself to the most important one. âThere are only two bedrooms in this house. Where does Purple sleep?â
âI gave them my old room,â Mango answered without hesitation. Purple seemed to flinch at the confession, something like shame crossing their face. âThese days Iâm usually not sleeping through the whole night anyways, so Iâm good with just the couch.â
Well, at least Purple had a real bedroom. Still, something about this revelation left a sour taste in Greenâs mouth. It would have to be dealt with at some point. Not now, though. Now, Red had returned, and Green flagged him over to assist, flinching a little as Redâs fast movements caused his head to spin.
âUh, Red and I can handle, um, the old man- the other version of you, I mean.â Purple muttered, stumbling over their words. âYou can take Gold- i-if youâre okay with that, that is.â
It took Mango a moment to recognize what Purple was saying, eyes glazed over as he stared vacantly at this Gold character. Upon realizing what was being asked of him, Mangoâs breath hitched. His fingers twitched as he approached the two with heavy, slow steps. Gingerly he pulled back his other selfâs arm to expose Gold, who stirred slightly but did not awaken. Mangoâs hand lingered above them, hesitant to touch them. Slowly it lowered, flinching away from them several times in the process. Eventually, his hand met their face, and Mangoâs eyes welled with tears when their body held solid against his touch. From there things moved quicker, Mango taking the younger stick into his arms with delicate care. Cradling them like a baby, Mango took long, careful steps out of the kitchen.
Purple watched after him until the two were gone, twiddling their thumbs. It took a gentle tap from Red to bring Purple back to reality, the other jumping a little at the touch. âUm, sorry.â Red scratched his head, a little awkward in the face of current tensions. âBut, err, I donât know where the bedrooms are, so I was thinking you could take the feet and direct us, and Iâll grab the head. You good with that?â
âUh, yeah, sure.â Purple agreed. Green watched as the two set about lifting the taller stick up and out of the room. His aching head was absolutely throbbing, pounding in rhythm to the flickering light on the ceiling. But he couldnât slow down now. Not when he hadnât even dealt with the worst of the damage heâd caused yet.
Taking only a moment for a calming breath, Green slowly waltzed over to Blue. She held Secondâs head in her lap, whispering soothing words and little pleas to awaken as she ran her hands through their long mane of hair. Though he knew Sec was alive, the sight of them shocked Green; their eyes had dark shadows under them, their limbs weak and limp. Second looked worse than Green had seen them since the day they had-
Green shook his head, ignoring another wave of nausea that rolled over him. âHow are they?â He asked instead.
âWell, I canât find any serious injuries,â Blue updated as she continued to stroke the fluffy mess of bedhead, âBut they may have internal injuries? Itâs hard to tell- Iâm equipped to deal with minor wounds and Minecraft ailments. Not⊠this.â
âWouldnât their healing powers take care of that?â Green asked, kneeling down next to Blue to take their dear friendâs hand in his own. It was cold and clammy against Greenâs skin, which made him clutch all the tighter, willing some of his warmth into it.
As if to answer, Blue pointed out a number of bruises on their body. âIt hasnât kicked in yet. Maybe theyâre too tired to do it? Or maybe itâs a good sign!â Blue forced herself to perk up at the thought. âEvery time Secondâs used their healing powers itâs because someone got seriously hurt. Maybe theyâre not hurt bad enough for it to activate on its own.â
âMaybe,â Green agreed, even though that didnât really sound right to him. Since Sec had become aware of their powers, theyâd shown the greatest connection to their healing. It was one of the strongest abilities. âStill, I donât think theyâd be too comfortable sleeping on the floor. Is it safe to move them?â
âOh! Uh,â Blue thought for a moment, her eyes scanning over Sec uneasily. Moments passed into minutes before she answered, âI- I think so. As long as weâre careful.â
Green nodded, already standing to take hold of Secondâs legs. âOkay, Iâll walk backwards with their legs, you take their head.â Blue nodded, taking a firm hold of Second as she slowly stood up. Between the two of them the limp stick weighed almost nothing, and Green carefully walked backwards into the living room. He could see Yellow resting in Mangoâs giant armchair, leg propped up on the coffee table with a pillow. Her eyes followed their movements like a hawk as Green and Blue, working in perfect harmony, brought their unconscious friend to Mangoâs couch and slowly, gently, set them down. Second didnât so much as stir during the transfer, which only made Green all the more worried. What he wouldnât give to have his best friend suddenly sit up and throw a pillow at him for disturbing their restâŠ
For now, Green once again took hold of Secondâs hand and watched their drained, pale face as they slept. He didnât know where heâd even begin to apologize for this.
----------------------
While Purple had snuck into this room to learn more about the illusive Gold in the past, this was the first time theyâd been allowed to enter Goldâs bedroom, and it made their heart beat a thousand miles per second. The Old Man stood to the side, cradling his kid as he allowed Red and Purple to maneuver the⊠er, other Old Man into the twin-sized bed. He was barely able to fit, but once they set him on the mattress some sense of familiarity must have kicked in, causing him to curl in on himself to fit a little more comfortably. Once he was set down, Mango waltzed over and slowly, reluctantly, put his child to rest next to the bizarro world Mango. Immediately Gold curled around his father, her arms wrapping around him in search of comfort, and even unconscious the handsome version of Mango immediately returned the embrace.
Something sour slithered in Purpleâs gut at the sight, a bitterness that immediately made them disgusted with themselves. As much as they coveted the same kind of love so easily given to Gold when they were feeling off, to feel this kind of jealously towards a dead kid⊠well, it wasnât like they hadnât known they were a bad person, but still. Not cool, Purple.
They were a little lost in thought, so Mango suddenly lugging himself up to the bedâs side to stare at the two intertwined sticks startled them. Though he was looking directly at them, the Old Man seemed to not see the two, instead staring at something far, far away.
âUhâŠâ Redâs awkward voice reached Purpleâs ear, and they turned to look at the stronger stick as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. The old man didnât seem to hear him. âSo, Iâm gonna go, uh, check on the others⊠yeah⊠weâll be in the living room if you need us⊠uh, sorry again about your kitchen.â
Purple watched as Red sidled towards the door, staring at them with wide, unblinking eyes, as if expecting them to come at him. When nothing happened, he turned around and hastily walked back to the living room. That left Purple alone in the houseâs forbidden room with an Old Man, an unconscious Old Man, and a ghost.
Swallowing past their nerves, Purple approached Mango and reached across the sudden chasm between them to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. âHey,â They addressed softly. Mango didnât so much as twitch at their touch. âAre you feeling okay?â
It took a moment for Mango to respond. âSweetheart, Iâm feeling a lot of things right now,â He droned, not taking his eyes off of the two sticks curled up on the bed, âand none of them are okay.â
Purple winced. Sweetheart only tended to come out when one of them was feeling particularly bad. Usually Purple themselves. Still, they pressed onward, âYeah, thatâs fair,â They agreed. Then, with a little hesitation, they asked, âHow⊠how do you think Second⊠brought them here?â
Mango sighed, bring his hand up to hold his forehead. âI dunno. Cloning, maybe? They have art powers or something, right?â He stumbled back, and, thinking quickly, Purple pulled the chair from the nearby desk and got it to Mango just in time for the Old Man to collapse into it. Once he was seated, Mango nodded his thanks to Purple and leaned over the two bedridden sticks. âIâm not exactly in a state to think too hard about that.â
Okay, fair. Purple tried to think of something else â anything else â that they could do in order to make Mango feel better. After fumbling over their words for a moment, they eventually asked, âIs there anything I can do to help?â
âI thinkâŠâ Mangoâs breath hitched. âI think I just some time alone, kiddo.â
Something deep inside Purple shattered at the request. Still, they nodded obediently. âOkay, Iâll go check on the others, then. Weâll⊠be in the living room.â
Purple knew if they turned back to look at Mango, whatever theyâd see on his face would push them to tears, so instead they kept their eyes trained on the floor as they walked out the door and shut it behind them. Despite their proclamation, Purple lingered for a few moments, just long enough to hear soft sobs come from the other side of the door. Their heart ached, urging them to go back in, to let him know that it would all be okay, but that single, weak request kept Purpleâs twitching fingers at their sides. With great effort they forced themselves to trail back from the bedrooms, leaving the Ochre family alone to process the events of that day.
Once back in the living room, Purple was met with another tense scene. Each member of the gang was idling around in total silence. Green was sat by Secondâs side on the couch, holding their hand and petting their hair as he watched them warily. Blue also hovered over their orange friend, fretting over them as she searched for any change in their condition. Red stood in place in between the armchair and the couch, tapping his foot impatiently. Yellow was the only one who was entirely still, slouched uncomfortably in the armchair with her foot propped on the coffee table. Her eyes were trained firmly on the wall opposite the couch. The air was thick with tension and nerves.
Steeling their nerves, Purple asked, âHowâs everyone doing?â
âOkay,â Green murmured, briefly looking up to meet purpleâs gaze.
âIâm good!â Red assured, plastering on a huge smile that didnât quite meet his eyes.
âDonât worry, Iâm fine.â Blue assured gently, tapping her fingers on Secondâs arm as she checked their pulse again.
âPeachy,â Yellow spat sarcastically, glaring at the ground.
Then, after a pregnant pause, all four turned towards Secondâs unresponsive form. The tension returned tenfold.
Red finally spoke up, cutting off the pressure as he smiled awkwardly at the group, âYou know, if Sec were awake, theyâd probably say something like, âAt least they let me sleep in for onceâ.â The turn of phrase was made in a terrible impression of Secondâs voice, followed by a nervous laugh that quickly petered out, âHehe, hehe, heâŠâ
More silence.
âTheyâll be okay⊠right?â Blue asked softly.
âOf course they will!â Cut off Green, looking mildly insulted at even the suggestion that they wouldnât be. âTheyâre Sec! Theyâre always okay!â
Yellowâs already haggard face wrinkled, making her look far more tired than just a few moments prior. Her eyes reflected the ghosts of memories past as she once again cast her gaze away to avoid looking at Second. âYeah,â She agreed absently, though she sounded like her mind was somewhere far, far away. âTheyâre always okayâŠâ
Immediately Purple got the sense that they were missing a few pieces of the puzzle. Like, maybe half of the pieces. And the box. And it was was one of those obnoxious white puzzles, so it was hard to put together in the first place.
Desperate to escape the pressure of the moment, Purpleâs eyes scanned over the group, and soon came to rest on Yellowâs ankle. Though mildly swollen, it didnât look broken, so Purple hazard a guess that it only needed rest and icing. They piped up, âUm, why donât I get you some ice, Yellow?â The query broke through whatever spell Yellow was under, dragging her mind back into the present.
Before she could respond Blue let out a sharp gasp, immediately turning to Yellow and waving her hands in a placating way. âOh my gosh, Yellow, I am so sorry! I didnât even think about that- I was so focused on Second that I forgot- I canât believe I-!â
âHey, hey,â Yellow consoled, sitting up straight for the first time, âItâs alright. We all know the rules: The one whoâs hurt worst gets priority treatment. And itâs just a little sprain, itâs not like itâs broken or anything.â
âBut stillâŠâ Blue kept her eyes trained on Yellowâs propped up foot, swallowing audibly past a lump in her throat.
Purple winced, mind racing as they searched for a way to cut through the tension, but Red beat them to it with a cheery, upbeat proclamation: âPersonally, I blame Green.â
âWhat?â Green snapped back, looking vaguely offended by the accusation.
âYou have two working legs,â He explained in a matter-of-fact manner, âYou couldâve gotten up up at any time to take care of Yellow, but noooâŠâ
Purple snickered openly at the look on Greenâs face, which only got louder when he turned his glare at them. Yellow, snorting, chimed in, âYeah, Green, arenât you supposed to be the responsible one?â
âOh, we all know thereâs no âresponsibleâ one!â Green put strong finger quotes around the word responsible, causing a wave of roaring laughter to engulf the living room. And just like that, the atmosphere grew lighter.
While the others fell into their normal banter, Purple used this opportunity to slip into the remains of Mangoâs kitchen. The place certainly looked like a tornado hit it, with every object damaged in some way or another. Purple stepped around cracks in the ground and puddles of water splattered around on their way through, taking note of the damage as they went. Literally all of their cutlery and tableware was in pieces. The food processor was firmly embedded into the wall, its glass cracked and its cord swinging sadly in air. Purple stepped over the dented door of the microwave, and had to glance around for a moment to find the rest of it crunched up and tossed to the side.
Convincing insurance that a super-powered stick created a twister in the middle of their kitchen would be a pain in the rear, Purple mused as they sidled over to one of the cabinet drawers that had been forced out of its place. There they found a cloth rag, which they quickly grabbed before heading towards the tipped over, broken refrigerator. If they wanted a payout good enough to rebuild their kitchen to its former glory, theyâd have to come up with a good story. The damage was too extensive to be explained by a burglary turned fight, so they doubted that would pass the smell test. A bear attack, maybe? Were there even bears in this areaâŠ? Honestly, the best thing Purple could come up with was an explosion. The microwave was relatively new, and still under warranty, so with a little ingenuity Purple was certain they could alter the scene of the crime to fit that narrative. Perhaps theyâd even get a bit of a payout from the company that made the microwave.
Nodding in satisfaction, Purple paused in front of the fridge. Theyâd have to go over the story with Mango later to smooth over any mistakes, but they were certain they could get a full remodel covered with ease. The satisfaction the thought put on their face disappeared when they opened the freezer door a bit too roughly, resulting in it falling off its hinges and dangling from Purpleâs hold. Gingerly they set it to the side and dug out a few pieces of melting ice to wrap in the cloth before finally making their way out of the kitchen to return to the others.
â-and so I said, âThatâs positively blue-tiful!ââ Red recited, and Yellow groaned lightly while Green and Blue cracked up. Somehow Purple got the feeling that they were laughing more at Yellowâs misery than whatever joke Red had set up.
Purple suppressed a smile as they approached, holding up the makeshift ice bag as if to explain their absence. âThanks,â Yellow grumbled with a pout. She winced as the ice was set on her swollen ankle. âYou got anything for the headache Redâs puns are causing?â
âCome on, Redâs just trying to make you feel better.â Purple scolded playfully, âIt isnât very ice of you complain.â
They almost cracked at the complete and total betrayal that befell Yellowâs face. âPurple,â She gasped in horror, âI trusted you.â Green, Blue, and Red all howled with laughter, Red even doubling over and clutching his side.
âThat was your first mistake,â Purple informed her ominously, their grave tone in contrast to the wide grin stretched across their face.
A sudden, deep voice broke through the merriment. âI see youâre all doing well,â Mango noted, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. Purple could tell that his eyes had a hint of redness to them, but that was the only sign that there had been anything amiss. If anything, he was⊠too composed, which made Purpleâs gut curl in on itself. How many times had the Old Man cried in secret, hiding his pain from Purple? How often had they stumbled across Mango post-crying session and bombarded him with their pointless complaints, completely oblivious to his suffering?
Their self-deprecating musing were ground to a halt when Mango made his way across the living room to Secondâs side, taking a look at them himself. âHow bad is it?â He asked.
âN-not that bad⊠no serious wounds or anything, I think theyâre just drained,â Blue filled him in. She again checked Secondâs pulse.
Mango hummed aloud, âStill, Iâd rather be safe than sorry. We should get them to a hospital or something.â
âA hospital?â Green questioned, suddenly looking uneasy. It quickly spread to Blue and Red.
âUm,â Yellow interrupted, âLook, the details are too⊠complicated to get into right now, but that would be a really bad idea. Especially if they decided to isolate Sec.â
Red and Green both went pale. Blue looked close to tearing up. The argument Mango was clearly about to get into died on his lips at the sight, but he still didnât look quite ready to let this go. Knowing how the old man worried and figuring that it wouldnât be the greatest idea in the world to give a vulnerable super-powered stick to the government, Purple decided to step in. They moved from Yellowâs side to place a comforting hand on Mangoâs arm, redirecting his attention back to them.
âI donât think you have anything to worry about,â They confirmed, âSecâs got super healing powers, so theyâll be able to patch everyone up once theyâre rested up.â
Still Mango looked unconvinced. "I donât knowâŠâ
âTrust me,â Purple pleaded, and they were pleased to see a little crack in the old manâs armour.
After a moment of hemming and hawing, he sighed, âAlright, fine, for now,â Mango agreed. The others slumped in clear relief at his resignation, âBut if theyâre not up by sundown, weâre taking them to the nearest doctor.â
âThey will be,â Green stated with unyielding confidence.
Mango nodded, then glanced over at Yellow. âYour ankle isnât broken?â He asked.
âSprained,â She confirmed, âJust need to ice it and keep it elevated. Iâll be fine.â
Satisfied with that, Mango nodded affirmatively. He looked a little more at ease than he had been back in the kitchen. âThat just leaves one more. Green,â Said stick flinched at being called out, âHold still for a moment. You hit your head pretty hard back there. I want to make sure youâre not concussed.â
Purple winced. Come to think of it, they had heard a pretty hard thump after Second had exploded. Had that been Greenâs head hitting the wall? There had been so much going on theyâd barely taken note of it.
Nearby, Purple heard Blue whisper under her breath, âI didnât even noticeâŠâ They didnât respond to her, but placed a gentle, consoling hand on her shoulder.
Some simple questions were exchanged between Mango and Green, each one Green answered with ease and clarity. Finally, Mango asked Green how he felt, âI was nauseous and dizzy at first,â The musical stick explained, âBut after I sat down and relaxed a little it went away. Now I just have a raging migraine.â
âHmm,â Mango scratched his chin, âWell, try to take it easy, just to be safe. Head injuries are no joke. Iâll ask you again later, but so far you seem fine.â
Some relief returned to the room at Mangoâs unofficial diagnosis. Red and Yellow tossed some concussion related jabs at Green while Blue smiled warmly down at him. Laughter returned to the living room, and it felt like their friends were finally at peace â save one glaring omission to the group.
They hoped Second would wake up soon.
--------------------
Line after line, form after form, their art came to life.
Through careful craft of masterful strokes, an animation came to be. Tiny little paws made contact with an invisible floor as a kitten was gently coaxed into existence. Nose pointed straight, tail upturned in the air. Little bits of fuzz were represented by stroke after stroke of line. The small kitten stood proud, ready to make the step forward, and The Second Coming looked down at her with pride. Then they clicked to the next frame, and began the process again. Frames of the same drawing were gradually altered, until the little kitten made her way across the ground in order to explore the brand new world she was brought into.
The Second Coming nodded at her, turned to save her existence, and came face to face with the Second Coming.
A reflection stared back at them, eyes aglow with soft emerald light. No words were exchanged â they were seldom needed when the Second Coming faced themselves. The quiet contained no tension, no fear. Only a sense of peace. Some moments passed, and then the mirror turned and walked away. The Second Coming tried to follow after them, as they were usually expected to, but a hand held up in a universal âstopâ motion kept them in place.
Carefully maneuvering down beneath them, The Second Coming waltzed through the timeline of the kittenâs animation without concern. Their gaze remained focused and forward until, quite suddenly, they stopped at the very first key frame of the animation. It held firm in place as they pulled at it, harder and harder, until a perfect copy was pulled free, along with a brief flash of a fresh, entirely blank timeline. Seeing the timeline empty of their creation caused a moment of panic in the Second Coming, which quickly quieted when they looked back to see the kitten sitting there, unharmed, licking her paws with perfect grace and serenity.
Quick as theyâd made their way across the timeline the Second Coming returned, carrying the key frame with the same care as though it was the kitten herself. A hand gesture beckoned the Second Coming over, and the Second Coming joined themselves at the precipice of the timeline and the canvas. They looked at themselves, and their self looked down at the key frame. Gently their hand stroked the top of it, before it took hold and began to stretch it larger, and larger. The Second Coming leaned forward to get a closer look, and was rewarded with a kitten jumping into their arms.
The kitten stared up at them, mild confusion on her face. She also stared at them from across the canvas, hackles raised as she noticed her other selfâs presence. In response the version of her in Secondâs arms hopped down, carefully skirting around herself as kitten and kitten inspected each other.
For a while the Second Coming and the Second Coming watched as the two kittens came to terms with each other and began playing. Though they were the same kitten, they may as well have been simple litter-mates with how easily they came together. A tap on the shoulder drew the Second Comingâs attention over to their other self, who gazed at them with strong, unblinking eyes. They held up the key frame, then gestured to the kittens. The Second Coming followed their movements.
From the key frameâŠ
To the kittensâŠ
To the key frameâŠ
To the kittensâŠ
And the Second Coming understood.
--------------------
Second shot up from their resting position, crying out, âHoly heck I broke space time-!â
Just as theyâd made it into a sitting position they froze. Pure, unadulterated agony spread across their entire body. Burning tears built up in their eyes, and Second desperately blinked them back even as their breath hitched. It was like every single one of their muscles were trying to pull away from their bones, burning as they struggled to break free.
âAhâŠâ They winced, and tried to ease back into a laying position. This only caused another flare of horrible pain from every muscle that was forced to move. âOw, ow, owâŠâ
âEasy, Sec!â Blue consoled, the gentle heart being by their side in an instant. She carefully positioned her hands on their back and chest to help them back down. âTake slow, deep breaths⊠there you go, youâre almost thereâŠâ
Slow and steady, Second pushed past the pulses of torment to lie on their back. The worst of the pain faded, though uncomfortable aches still wracked their entire body. Following Blueâs advice, Second began to take in deep breaths, holding them for a short time before exhaling. Breathing clearly made it easier to relax their muscles, which in turn made the pain⊠not disappear, but lessen just a tad.
Blue was suddenly shoved to the side, and Redâs face appeared in her place. âSec! Oh man dude, you had us so worried!â Out of the corner of their eye, Second could see Purple nod in agreement.
âHey, give them some space!â Green scolded as he pulled Red back.
Yellow snickered, and Second tilted their head as much as the pain would allow to glance at her. She was sat in Mangoâs ridiculously large armchair, her leg propped up on the coffee table before her with an ice bag on top. Looking over their friends, Second found that they were all sporting various bruises, cuts, and lumps. Even Mango, the least harmed of the sticks, had clearly irritated eyes and dark purple spots on his forearms.
They did this, Second realized. After everything, theyâd hurt the people they cared about most. Again.
âAre you alright?â Mangoâs voice, unusually kind, cut through the self-loathing that was starting to dominate Secondâs thoughts. He towered over Blue as he gazed down at them. âI know you have healing powers, but it might be best to let a doctor look you over. I can get you to the hospital in less than ten minutes.â
âHospitalâŠ?â Second repeated, swallowing down a fresh lump of nerves. A hospital meant doctors â scientists, men in coats, isolated in tiny space, donât move, itâs for your own good⊠âN-no, Iâm okay. Iâll heal myself once Iâve got a little more energy.â
âYouâre sure?â Asked Mango. When Second made a small sound of affirmation, he relented, albeit a little reluctantly. âAlright, Iâll let it go for now⊠but Iâd like to change the topic, if you donât mind.â Mango took a spot on the couch, careful not to touch Second in any way. âWhat did you mean when you said you âbroke space timeâ?â
There was a glint in Mangoâs eyes that brought an entirely new sense of discomfort to Second, but they ignored it and did their best to explain, âItâs like I said,â Their throat was already beginning to ache from just this amount of talking, but it was easy enough for Second to ignore, âI- my powers used the picture as a sort of key frame, like in animation. You can jump between key frames to get to dynamic moments in the piece, to- to plan the pacing of-â Judging from the look on Mangoâs face, Second guessed that they were getting a little off-topic and tried to steer themselves back on track, âEr, anyway, the key frame created a portal back to the moment it was created and- and basically made a âsplitâ, to bring them back here.â
âA split?â Yellow asked, stroking her chin curiously. âSo, does that mean theyâre copies?â
Second shook their head instinctively, then winced at the resulting ache. âNot quite⊠itâs more like, I split the timeline? Since everyoneâs memories of Purple and Mango are in tact and history clearly didnât change, itâs likely I created an alternate worldline where those two sticks mysteriously vanished one day. You know, because I pulled them into the future.â
âUmâŠâ Red looked completely lost, âOkay, can you explain that again, but in a way that makes sense?â
Thank goodness Yellow took point, because Secondâs head was already aching, their thoughts spinning as they tried to come up with another way to put it. Instead they laid back and listened as Yellow explained, âItâs basically just alternate universes.â She stated smoothly. âLike, instead of the timeline exploding or all of our memories altering to account for Mango mysteriously being brought into the future, instead thereâs another world entirely identical to this one, except that Mango and that other stick donât exist there, because theyâre here.â
âIâm still confused,â Red said.
âFor now, just know that these are past versions of Mango and Gold Ochre.â Purple summarized, âBut, man⊠thatâs incredible. We knew you were strong, dude, butâŠâ
Every pair of eyes was on Second, pinning them with a sudden pressure on their chest. More little murmurs broke out between Secondâs friends, whispered words that they couldnât quite make out, and Second forced their eyes shut. Unable to hear their friendsâ conversations, Secondâs traitorous brain filled in the blanks, shouting at them about how different they were, how dangerous they were. How they no longer belonged with these amazing, wonderful sticks. Second groaned and tried to drown out the chattering both in and out of their head, but it only made the voices louder.
Why did they have to be cursed like this? Why couldnât they just go back to being normal?
âAll that aside,â Green suddenly said, drawing attention back to him and away from Second. Freedom from the burden of being the center of attention muted the voices in their head, at least for now, âI think weâve waited long enough, so I wanna know. Who the heck is Gold?â
Mango suddenly went rigid. He frowned coldly, glaring at nothing in particular, while Purple immediately moved to hover anxiously at his side. They reached to comfort him, but didnât make contact before withdrawing and instead offering gentle reassurances. âItâs okay. I can explain if you-â
âSheâs my kid,â Mango finally revealed. Everything went quiet as the news echoed in their thoughts. âHe⊠died a few months before I met Purple.â Mangoâs eyes suddenly darted up, meeting Secondâs head on. âAnd you brought her back.â
An awkward feeling settled over Second, as though they were taking credit for something they didnât do. âI hadnât exactly planned that,â They reminded him, âI just wanted to fix what I broke.â
âFix whatâs brokenâŠâ Mango echoed, then huffed out a gentle laugh, âWell, you certainly fixed something. I donât think I can ever repay this.â Some sort of weight fell off of Mangoâs shoulders, and he gratefully smiled down at them. The weight of his appreciation sat heavy on their chest. It didnât feel like theyâd done anything but mess things up, and yet⊠theyâd saved a life? The duality of their feelings clashed within Second, leaving them unable to vocalize their thoughts. Oblivious, Mango continued on, âNow itâs just a matter of⊠explaining this whole mess to them,â He visibly winced, âThatâs gonna be ugly.â
Second, sensing the discord in his tone, immediately volunteered. âI can do it,â They proclaimed, âIâm the one who brought them here, so it only makes senseâŠâ
âAppreciate the thought, kid,â Despite his words, the disapproval was clear through Mangoâs tone, âbut this is kind of a family matter. I wouldnât feel right about having you do my job. Besides,â He tossed a side eye to Red, Blue, and Green, all of whom, Second noted uneasily, were watching them with very intense expressions, âI think if you try to get up off that couch, your friends are going to duct tape you to it.â
Unable to deny that, Second agreed, âOkay, fair enough,â Then they chuckled, âHeh, at least theyâre letting me sleep for once.â
For some reason, Red burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
Meanwhile Purple stood up, eagerly rushing to Mangoâs side. âIâll come help!â They offered.
âThatâs not a good idea either,â Mango told them, and if he noticed how their entire form seemed to slump, he didnât comment on it, âIf I know myself as well as I think I do, then I know exactly how my past self will react to the news that Goldâs dead, andâŠâ A haunted shadow fell over the old manâs eyes, âI donât think you need to see that side of me again. In the meantime, hold down the fort here. Iâm officially putting you in charge.â
âWait, whyâs Purple in charge?â Yellow complained.
Mango side-eyed the lot of them, as though they were the ones whoâd almost blown up an entire video game world, âBecause theyâre the only ones Iâm certain wonât try and get themselves killed the moment Iâve left.â Mango stood up and walked towards the bedroom hallway, paused for just a moment, and then picked something off of his bookshelf. A dusty relic, shimmering bronze in a painfully familiar circlet. A crown.
Probably Purpleâs, though Mango didnât seem to have any reservations about borrowing it. He waltzed out with only a wave backwards, which Purple echoed with drained melancholy.
Once Mango was gone, Red took his place sitting next to Second, plopping down with a raspberry. âSo, what, we just wait around for them to wake up?â
Purple shrugged. âI guess-â They were cut off by a loud roar, fierce and angry like a lion, and Purpleâs face started glow bright pink.
Yellow couldnât help but poke fun at the suffering stick, âAw, is someone a little hungy~?â She cooed.
âAgh, will you shut up?!â Snapped the mess of a stick, âI didnât exactly get the change to eat after you guys showed up. We did make a lasagna, butâŠâ Purpleâs voice trailed off, and without further explanation they disappeared.
Oh yeah. In addition to all the other problems theyâd caused, Second had ruined Purple and Mangoâs dinner. It wasnât much of an offense, in comparison to all the other events of that day, but it felt like the sour cherry on top of the melted garbage sundae.
Soon enough Purple returned, oven mitts covering their hands and a casserole dish carefully carried along with them. The look on their face was uncertain and vaguely disturbed as they presented what was supposed to be their dinner to the group. A perfectly normal, if underdone, lasagna, with the added twist that it glowed a sickly green.
âUhhâŠâ Second couldnât tear their eyes off of the abomination. âWhoops.â
Red twisted away from the cursed creation, staring at it as though expecting it to attack. Green and Blue each approached to investigate themselves. Greenâs nose wrinkled as he got closer. Uneasy silence covered the room as they all wondered just what Secondâs power had done to the poor thing.
Then, at last, Blue shrugged and pulled a knife and fork out of nowhere. âMeh, Iâll still eat it.â
Everyoneâs horrified expressions shifted from the monstrous creation to the monstrous stick. Green looked vaguely ill. âDude,â He stared in disbelief, âThat thingâs like, three different kinds of radioactive.â
âIâve put worse things in my mouth.â
--------------------
Soft sunlight poured through the window, gently caressing Mangoâs face with unseasonable warmth. His eyes fluttered open, his blurred vision gradually clearing to reveal the familiar sight of his childâs bedroom ceiling. Spending nights here wasnât an uncommon occurrence, especially when Gold was younger and afraid of what might be hiding in the roomâs darkest corners, but what bugged Mango were the holes in his memory. He and Gold had just returned from a tournament, that he recalled. Theyâd celebrated and begun planning dinner, and then⊠nothing. Just a deep-rooted sense of unease and a blinding green light assaulting his eyes.
Propping himself up on his elbows, Mangoâs attention was immediately drawn to the divot in the mattress right next to him, where Gold was curled up at his side. She was unharmed â which thank goodness, but why would he think she was hurt? - and slumbering as soundly as she always did, her breath escaping in sweet little whistles.
âGold?â He grabbed her by the shoulder and gave her a rousing shake.
Like the deep log-sawer she was, Gold grumbled and groaned at his prodding. Her face pinched as she resisted the toll of the living world, grumbling and groaning at Mangoâs attempts to awaken her. âFive more minuteeesâŠâ She whined, pulling her pillow around her ears in an adorable fluff sandwich.
Though he couldnât shake the nerves wracking his entire body, Mango found himself smiling at the adorable sight. âCâmon, honey, get up,â He nudged her a few more times, and she complied with a ridiculous amount of effort, picking herself up like she had suddenly doubled in weight. She let out a cute little kitten yawn, stretching up so high he was sure sheâd reach the ceiling. Turing, who gave this kid permission to get so big? Mango would have to have words with them.
Once she got her bearings, Gold looked around and immediately put on a puzzled frown, âMm, dad?â He asked, his voice shifting in a subtle way, âWhen did we go to bedâŠ?â
âStill putting that together, hun,â Mango answered. There was an itching at the back of his neck, a nagging sense of forgetting something important, but whatever it was kept escaping his grasp every time he reached for it.The oncoming migraine was already clawing at his skull.
The sound of someone clearing their throat cut through the air, forcing every thought in Mangoâs head to a grinding halt. Instinct had him throwing an arm up to push Gold behind him, only barely registering the kidâs gasp, before he turned to glare firmly at this intruder. Then his glare dropped in shock as he found himself face to face with⊠himself.
Or, at least, a man who looked nearly identical to him. Instead of neatly tying back his hair he let it hang haphazardly off his shoulders, with bangs and curls jutting in every direction. Dark shadows lined hie sunken eyes, with little hints of redness indicating a level of exhaustion Mango hadnât felt since Gold was an infant. Even his clothes were a wreck; ever since Gold became old enough to start doing his own laundry Mango had made a point of keeping his own clothing as neat and pressed as he could, if only to set an example. So while the wrinkled, stained clothes didnât turn him off as much as it would other sticks, it was certainly startling to see.
âNice to see youâre both awake,â He commented coolly, not yet addressing the blatant elephant in the room. His voice was like a recording of Mangoâs own, altered mildly to add some huskiness.
âWait, dad? But youâre⊠and youâŠ?â Goldâs head spun back and forth as he looked between his father and his fatherâs perfect doppelganger. The poor dear seemed so lost. Finally, he pulled his head over Mangoâs still extended arm to whisper a little too loudly, âDad, do you have a secret twin you never told me about?â
Before Mango could respond, Mango- the other Mango, ah heck, that was gonna get confusing â answered in his place. âNot exactly, honey. Itâs a bit more complicated than that, butâŠâ He stepped a little closer, and smiled a tiny, broken smile, âItâs so good to see you.â
A sinking weight began to form in Mangoâs gut at the sound of his voice. There was sincere, unadulterated joy there, and while Mango would never be unhappy to see his kid, there was something under the happiness that was far more desperate than he was comfortable hearing in his own voice. His eyes, though darkened by the shadows of exhaustion, were shimmering as unshed tears reflected the sunlight.
âI understand why you might be confused. Iâll explain everything in a moment, but Iâd like to begin by re-introducing myself.â To that end, his other self sauntered across the floor with surprising confidence for someone who was clearly such a mess, grabbing Goldâs nearby desk chair and spinning it around to sit backwards in it, in exactly the same way heâd always scolded Gold for, and placed some cheap looking prop crown atop his messy mane. âYou may call me âKingâ. At least for now, so people can tell us apart.â
Gold blinked dumbly at his fatherâs doppelganger for a moment, then a bright, wide grin stretched across his face, âWhoa!â He cried out, pure excitement dancing in his eyes, âYou look so cool!â
âYou look ridiculous,â Mango informed him matter-of-factly.
âI know,â King stated, dramatically tossing his hair back with one hand. He didnât specify who he was agreeing with, âBut to get back to the subject at handâŠâ For a moment this King guy hesitated, slumping and folding his hands in his lap before eventually proceeding, âThereâs no real way to ease you into it, so Iâm just going to come out and say it: Youâre in the future. About two years in the future.â
Mango could feel his eyes widen. Goldâs fingers dug into his arm as he gasped, âThe futureâŠ?â
âIndeed,â Confirmed King, and his eyes crinkled in amusement.
This new knowledge had Mango looking over their surroundings with fresh eyes. Something about Goldâs room was different. Not in the sense that it had been rearranged or had needed repaired in some way, but that it felt⊠uncanny. It had a level of order that was very unlike Gold. There were no books left out, no school supplies haphazardly thrown around, no broken boards from Goldâs attempts to learn some new move. Everything was arranged like some sort of display room; too nicely, too neatly, contradicted only by the scent of dust lingering in the air.
Kingâs broken smile as he looked upon Gold came back to mind, and the knot in Mangoâs gut tightened.
âWhoa, thatâs- thatâs crazy!â Gold pushed past Mangoâs arms to crawl closer to King, totally enraptured by the infinite possibilities the future might bright. âDo you call yourself King because you rule the world? Has there been some kind of crazy apocalypse and youâre leading the survivors? Has the Internet ended!?â
Before Gold could take his hyperactive, overly imaginative questioning any further, Mango took the reigns and pulled Gold back by his collar, âEasy, Hon,â Mango scolded lightly, âRemember, itâs only been about two years. I donât think the world wouldâve ended in that time.â Much less Mango becoming some sort of monarch, but that thought was so ridiculous it didnât need to be said. What idiot would make Mango a king?
King stood surprisingly rigidly, looking⊠too uncomfortable at questions he shouldâve very well expected from his kid, âA lot can happen in two years.â He informed them both without any further elaboration.
âStill!â Gold pumped his arms up in excitement, his sunny smile shining so bright that even dull, downtrodden King seemed to lighten up, âYouâve gotta have so many crazy stories! Like that big fair coming up this summer,â That made King visibly flinch, raising so many more alarm bells in Mangoâs head, âor-!â Gold gasped, âThe next tournament! You gotta tell me how Iâll do! Do I win?! Did I screw it up?! How many people did I beat?!â
The look on Kingâs face was visibly pained, and the weight in Mangoâs stomach became a black hole. It sucked in everything â his feelings, his attention, his damned air â as a terrible puzzle began to put itself together in his head. The dust on everything. The longing in Kingâs eyes. The exhaustion that encumbered every inch of his form.
No. No, Iâm just imagining things. Thereâs no way-
A sigh, and King sunk in on himself, looking every bit like a monarch burdened with the weight of the world. âThere are⊠some things you need to know. Donât get up, this is going to be a long storyâŠâ
--------------------
Of all the things Purple had thought theyâd be doing with tonightâs dinner, playing some odd combination of keep away and football was not what they expected.
The ball, also known as the âradioactive lasagna abominationâ, was held high above Purpleâs head as Blue stretched herself to try and steal it from them. It was all in good fun; Blue wasnât seriously trying to fight Purple, and Green had decided it was safe enough to not risk worsening his potential concussion. Instead he sat off to the side, offering wayward advice and vague warnings to help keep the lasagna out of Blueâs clutches. Red was cheering over in vaguely the direction of the couch, more on the side of chaos than either of his friends. Meanwhile Second and Yellow, while initially entertaining themselves by watching, had quickly grown tired of the antics and were quietly talking amongst themselves about quantum⊠something? Purple wasnât smart enough to be able to figure out what they were talking about from just the little snippets they could overhear. Not when they had to focus entirely on Blue.
The thing about Blue was that she was ever so slightly taller than Purple, tall enough that Purple had to lean back to keep the lasagna away from her. This inevitably lead to them losing their balance and falling flat on their face, nose inches away from the glowing casserole. Its smell smacked Purple with a repugnant odor, like the food was three weeks out of date, and they gagged involuntarily. How could Blue even want to put this disgusting thing in her mouth?
When theyâd fallen Blue had landed on top of Purple, and it took almost no time for her to begin scrambling forth to get at the lasagna. Purple sharply butted her chin with their head and slipped out from under her to take hold of the dish once again. They were only up on their feet for a moment before Blue charged after them.
Panicked, Purple began frantically scanning all around the room, from table to window to houseplant, looking for somewhere, anywhere, to get rid of this radioactive time bomb before Blue could make the mistake of eating it. Finally they caught sight of the open window on top of the door, the same one Yellow had jokingly implied the group had entered through earlier, and without a momentâs hesitation they got into form and began to spin, building up momentum, all the while aware of Blueâs heavy footsteps stomping closer and closer. Just moments before Blue could grab them they tossed the lasagna like a discus, sending it flying over the door, out the window, and into Mangoâs front yard.
Everyone froze. Silence fell over them all before slowly, gingerly, three sticks made their way towards the door. Green first, getting up off his chair to inspect the damage, then Purple, then Blue sheepishly trailing behind. The sun was starting to go down, but there was still plenty of summer sun warming their faces as they stepped outside. It took a moment to find the lasagna â the thing had flown roughly thirty meters once it exited the house, landing food side down in one of the neighborâs flowering bushes.
...There was smoke coming from the hydrangeas. The entire plant withered in double speed; its leaves going black and stems drooping down. The delicate pink petals shriveled up and fell off. Soon enough those poor flowers were dead, a single wilted shrub amongst the rainbow that decorated the neighborâs front lawn.
Silence reigned for a heavy second. Then Blue made a sound like a small âmeepâ, her hands flying up to stroke her jaw, as if verifying that it was indeed still in tact.
â...And this is why we donât like it when you put random things you find on the ground in your mouth.â Green scolded, sounding more tired than genuinely angry. His fingers were massaging his temples in a vain attempt to stave off what was no doubt a resurgence of his earlier migraine.
Blue anxiously tapped her fingers as she murmured in acknowledgment, âYeah, Iâm gonna go try and get that pan back before someone notices⊠Sorry, PurpleâŠâ
With that Blue trudged out into the big stick world all on her own, tiptoe and tumbling across the lawn as though avoiding the gaze of some non-existent sentry. Nobody was present, of course â after moving in Purple began keeping meticulous track of the neighbors comings and goings, mostly for safety reasons but also for their own amusement, and knew none of the neighbors who would care would be home for several hours. Everyone else knew how to mind their own business, so Purple gave Green a casual shrug and made their way back inside.
If there had been any tension inside from the Great Lasagna Toss, it had completely dissipated by the time Purple had returned. Second and Yellow had roped Red into joining whatever conversation they were having, and though Red looked to be developing a migraine on par with Greenâs, he seemed to at least be beginning to understand what they were talking about.
âSo a âfixed timelineâ means that nothing you can do will altar the past and change the future, even if you tried to directly?â Red asked.
Yellow nodded, seemingly satisfied with how Redâs slap-dash time travel education was coming along, âExactly. The most common reason for this is the single timeline theory. If you time travel, you will always have time traveled, and so the time travel was a canonical event from the beginning. But there are versions of this theory that say the universe will altar itself in order to course correct. Things can only go one way, and thereâs no changing fate,â She hummed, stroking her chin, âThatâs actually one of my primary concerns with the current situation. Maybe we can stop Gold from dying, but in doing so we may be condemning them to an even worse death later.â
Purpleâs heart jolted in their chest. They jumped over to Yellow, startling the bright stick as she scrambled a little in response to their sudden closeness. âHey, hi. Maybe donât say that in front of the Old Man? Like, ever?â Without giving her a chance to respond, Purple continued, âI think heâs had enough mental breakdowns for one day.â
âNghâŠâ Second groaned from where they were still laying on the couch. There had been some positive progress, in that they could now turn their head and make tiny movements without crying from pain, but they still couldnât pull themselves up into a sitting position, âThe more I think about this, the more I feel like I should be in there with him. I mean, Iâm the one who brought them here, you know?â
âUh-huh,â Yellow agreed, though her eyebrow was quirked up at the sickly stick.
Second continued to ramble to all the sticks presence, barely paying mind to Green when he joined them, having apparently gotten bored of watching Blue stealth across the front lawn, âHe doesnât even know about string theory, or multiple worldlines, or- or the risks of tearing a hole in space-time? Like, what if thereâs some sort of backlash from using that much energy at once?â Secondâs face grew more and more tense as their rambles continued, âOr what if thereâs actually still a microscopic black-hole in the kitchen, and it could tear open and swallow everything at any time?! Or-or-â Seconds eyes seemed to lose focus as they gazed up at nothingness. Their voice got hoarser, their breathing harder, their speaking faster, âW-what if we were wrong about the multiple timelines thing, and the paradox of having past versions of two people here is slowly tearing the universe apart, bit by bit, until thereâs nothing left but the cold, endless void-?!â
âWhoa there, buddy, reel it back a little bit,â Red was the first to break free of the stunned stupor Secondâs stream of madness caused, but once he did he moved to Secondâs side to place his hands on their shoulders. Judging by how Second didnât so much as twitch at the contact, his touch must have been unusually gentle, âYouâre doing the thing again.â
Secondâs eyes were bulging out of their face, but in a strange way their confusion seemed to ground them, forcing Second to focus on Red, âW-what thing?â
âYou know, the thing,â Red leaned over Second to make sure they could see him as he continued, âThat spiraling thing you do, where your train of thought hits, like, this tiny little pebble of random danger and goes flying off the rails into this insane paranoia tornado, until it goes crashing back down into the central station of common sense,â A grin fit for a clown spread wide across Redâs face as he described this phenomenon, âYou know, that thing?â
Whatever the intention of Redâs comment, it at least got Second to calm down, even if it was only by making them more annoyed than worried, âI do not do that,â They insisted.
Greenâs snickering laugh only increased the level of petty pout that Second was putting on, âYou totally do, dude!â
âMajority rules,â Yellow added, smugly pushing her glasses up her nose.
In desperation, Second tilted their head towards Purple, âI donât do that, right Purple?â
âI may not be a quantum physicist like you and Yellow,â The violet stick crossed their arms and leaned back, âbut I am not stupid enough to get in the middle of this.â
Howling laughter erupted from the other three sticks, and Second sighed melodramatically, head slumping back on the couch, âI hate you all,â They declared in a weary sigh.
âAw,â Red cooed, moving his hands to cautiously squish secondâs face, âIs da wittle cwybaby feewing gwumpy?â
Secondâs face lit up in a bright green blush, âWhat did I do to deserve this?â
Purple felt lighter as they laughed along with everyone. They hadnât realized just how rigidly theyâd been holding themselves until all that tension was forced out of them by a little dose of joy. That was the nice things about these guys; no matter how bad the circumstances, no matter what horrors life put them through, they always managed to come out the other side whole and together. What was it that got them through the tough times? Was it one anchor that held them together, like Secondâs protective attachment, or Greenâs compassion? Was it all of their good traits coming together, making something greater than the sum of their parts? Or maybe they just loved each other that much, that they could manifest happy endings for themselves by believing hard enough?
Envy scratched at Purpleâs insides, just the same as it did every time they saw the colourful group together, but its insistent scratching got softer and quieter every time they got together. Though their earlier thoughts about Gold proved Purple was still a terrible person, they felt like being around the others was slowly, surely, making them better. At least, they really hoped so.
The merriment of the moment was interrupted by a loud, angry, âYou son of a bitch!â, followed by a thump that seemed to shake the house.
Second was first to react, immediately trying to sit up, but Red vetoed that idea by pushing down on their shoulders roughly enough that Second winced. âStay down, ya masochist!â He scolded, âWe got this! Come on, guys!â
The prompting shook Purple out of their momentary shock to follow Red out of the room, heart racing. Heavy footsteps behind them indicated that Green was following as well, racing along in tandem through the side hallway where the bedrooms were. They filed past Mangoâs Purpleâs door to reach Goldâs, and Red yanked it open to exactly the sight Purple had been afraid of. The younger Mango had knocked down the older one, pinning him with his weight and attempting to punch his lights out. Old Man Mango was barely blocking his blows with his already bruised forearms, wincing visibly with every hit. Purpleâs crown, once proudly displayed in the living room along with one of Goldâs trophies, had been knocked to the ground in the middle of the chaos.
Purpleâs breath hitched.
âD-dad, please-!â Gold was crying, visible tears running down his face. Her entire body was shaking, âPlease, c-calm down!â
âHow could you?!â Younger Mango seemed deaf to everything, even his own child, at that moment, âHow could you let this happen?!â
All Old Man Mango did in response was grunt as he was hit again.
Nobody was moving forward to stop this mess; Red and Green were utterly petrified, and Gold was clearly not in any state to do anything. So without further thought Purple leapt into action, barreling into the forbidden space and grabbing onto the younger Mangoâs arm. The sudden touch had him turning his tearful, angry glare at Purple. Ice spread through Purpleâs veins as their eyes made contact, freezing them in place for the entire half-second it took for Mangoâs fist to connect with their face.
Pain exploded across their cheek and traveled through their entire head, and for a moment Purple felt so much younger, so much smaller. A tall stick, the same colour as the sunset the night sky towered above them, looking down at his their child with wild, frightened eyes. You need to get up, Purple! Their voice echoed through Purpleâs ears, ringing heavily with each throb of pain, You need to fight, Purple! I canât protect you forever, Purple-!
âPurple!â
Jolting back into reality, Purple blinked away their blurred vision and found warm orange replacing cold navy. The Old Man Mango had finally stopped letting himself be used as a punching bag and was hovering anxiously over them, hands reaching out but seemingly unable to bridge the gap between them. Beyond the clear horror, Mango wore guilt plain on his face, looking close to tears yet again. Over⊠Purple? Or scaring Gold, maybe?
Whatever it was, the hysteria of his current mood remained in the old manâs voice when he called out again, âPurple! Are you alright?!â
The throbbing pain lingering in their jaw, but at that moment all Purple wanted was for the Old Man to stop looking at them like they were some kicked puppy. The way his eyes bore into them, with lingering tears and intense focus, was making their heart clench painfully tight and their chest fill with a strange warmth. So Purple playfully smacked away his stalling hands and smiled their biggest, brightest smile, âPfft, Iâm fine. Iâve taken hits twice that hard when I was half this size.â
Mango retreated a little at Purpleâs words, no longer bordering on the edge of hysteria but still looking very uncomfortable, âI know youâre trying to make me feel better, but thatâs actually doing the opposite.â
Not even bothering to hide their rolling eyes, Purple quickly surveyed the room again. Poor Gold was the first thing they noticed; their eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets as they covered their gaping mouth, horrified at what their father had just done. On the opposite side of the room, Green was being held back by Red. He glared daggers at the younger Old Man, who in turn was staring at Purple themselves with shock and⊠something else, something dark, that made Purpleâs insides squirm in familiar fear.
Why? What did they do besides get punched out?
Some sort of accord seemed to have been reached between Red and Green, the two briefly nodding at each other in the corner of Purpleâs vision before separating. Red lazily jogged along the outer edges of the room while Green approached the younger Mango and grabbed his arm roughly, âWell, since you two are clearly going to behave like children,â Green scolded as he dragged Young Mango over to Old Mango, only to do the same to him, âThen weâre going to have to treat you like children. Red!â
A sharp squeaking noise flooded the room, signaling that Red had yanked opened the closet door, and without further notice Green pushed both adults inside. Red slammed the closet door closed immediately once the two were inside, and Purple was joining in on their mutiny before their brain could fully comprehend what was happening, grabbing the knocked over chair from Goldâs desk and using it to prop the door shut. With the chair wedged firmly in place, the thumps from within the sealed room had no hope of breaking free.
âHey!â One of the two old men called out from within, beating on the door with such force Purple could swear they could see it shaking, âLet us out of here, you damned brats!â The pounding of their fists against it matched the pounding of Purpleâs heart as they realized Holy Heck they just locked their guardian in the closet-!
Red leaned against the door with a smug aura. From the safety of the outside he taunted, âNope~! Naughty adults have to be punished in the time out zone~!â
âListen, you little-!â
âDonât bother,â A more tired version of the same voice reasoned with the angry one, âThey wonât listen to you anyways.â
Maybe it was how calm the Mango heâd always known sounded in the midst of all this chaos, or maybe the shock of the situation was finally starting to wear off, but Purple suddenly found themselves grinning at this ridiculous situation, âCâmon, Old Man,â They teased, hearing a bristling repetition of the nickname from who they were sure was the younger of the two, âYou know you canât really come out of the closet until you truly accept yourself.â
Who the heavy sigh that followed came from didnât even need clarification, nor did the mumbling of, âPurple, I swear to Turing-â
As Green and Red went over the security on the door to be sure the two fighting adults couldnât just bust their way out, Purple found themselves turning back to Gold, who had been watching the entire circus play out with utter shock. Purple had guessed from pictures that they and Gold were around the same height, but the way he curled in on himself made them look so much smaller, so much more fragile. It wasnât easy seeing a parent lose themselves to their own madness, Purple sympathized. Especially when learning about your own death was the catalyst.
So Purple approached and, making sure not to startle her by speaking too loudly, asked, âHey, how are you doing?â
Gold jumped a little at suddenly being addressed, anxiously twiddling his fingers as he answered, âUh, fine, Iâm fine, Iâm⊠sorry, I shouldâve done something to stop them, or help, but-â
âI think we can excuse you for being a little⊠out of it today,â Consoled Purple. They felt like they should do comfort them â rub the kidâs shoulder, hug her, something â but the full weight of the situation kept them standing awkwardly still. Eventually, Purple managed to break the silence, âIâm Purple, by the way. I usually go by they/them.â
They held out their hand, and after a moment of silent staring Gold took it, âUh, Gold. Iâm- Iâm a guy, at least for now. Thatâll probably change, but Iâll let you know when it does.â Despite his clear discomfort, Gold forced a familiar smile onto his face. The family resemblance between father and son was so strong it wouldâve been impossible not to see the Old Man in Gold.
âThanks!â Red chimed in, sliding up to them from the side, âIâm Red, and thatâs Green. Weâre guys too! Mostly!â
Green rolled his eyes as he sauntered up behind Red. âChill out, dude. Câmon, we should leave Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dork to their suffering and introduce Gold to the others.â
âOthers? There are more of you guys?â Gold asked, too stunned to protest as Red and Green practically pushed him out of the room, âD-did my dad start an orphanage or something after I died?â
Purple couldnât hold back their snorting laughter, âNah, Iâm the only one who lives here. Everyone else is just freeloading until further notice.â
---------------------
SO. Today hadnât been going exactly like Gold planned.
He thought heâd be winning the tournament today, taking home a trophy just as golden and shiny as his colouring, but managed to flub it up at the last moment. Then, before Gold could even start to lick his wounds, he and his father were thrust years â literal years â into the future, where Gold was dead and his dad looked halfway to it. Theyâd gotten as far as the incident at the fair before his other father completely lost his marbles and began trying to beat himself to death, only for some poor other kid to suffer the consequences.
Now he was standing awkwardly in his own living room, so familiar yet so different, where a rainbow of strangers were hanging around with a variety of injuries.
âBlueâs not back?â Green asked as they all entered and wait, this wasnât all of them???
One of them, a yellow stick with glasses, shook their head, âProbably still stealthing her way back. Iâm sure sheâll-â
The front door exploded open with enough force that Gold was certain the old bat next door heard (if she was still alive after two years, dear programmers itâd been two years-), and a bright blue stick with a cheeky grin and one of dadâs new two year old casserole dishes held over her head triumphantly. âBehold! I have retrieved the evidence!â She looked around the room, stopped her gaze at Gold, and blinked owlishly for a long moment, âUh, I feel like I missed something.â
Green openly snorted, âA few things.â He agreed, waltzing past Gold without concern to plop down next to the messed of a stick laying on the couch. Without even looking he took this stickâs hand and continued conversing with the blue stick, poking some eating related jab at them. Looking past them, Gold did a double take as he finally caught sight of the kitchen and holy heck what happened to the kitchen?!
A violet hand on his shoulder made Gold jump momentarily, glancing back to see Purple smiling kindly despite the fresh bruise on their face. He wasnât quite sure what to make of Purple; theyâd been so nice, even after Goldâs dad straight up punched them in the face. A part of Gold felt like they were taking advantage of Purpleâs hospitality after what dad had done, but an even bigger part was grateful for something â anything â to cling on to in the middle of this insanity.
âYeah, sorry âbout the mess,â Purple gestured vaguely to the ruined room, shrugging, âAs it turns out, time travel has some wicked side effects. Including literally exploding.â
The stick on the couch, who Gold had assumed was asleep (or maybe in a coma), mumbled an exhausted, âSorryâŠâ before rolling a little to better face the others.
âAh, right, let me introduce everyone!â Purple leapt out from behind Gold to take center stage. It was obvious to Gold how they reveled in the spotlight, every gesture made being grand and graceful, âFirstly, presenting the perilous potion pilferer, the gluttonous god of the grill, the mighty Miss Blue!â The blue stick had seated herself on the arm part of Dadâs armchair, snickering at Purpleâs introduction, âSitting next to her, measuring up at a whopping 1500 grams of brains and 50 grams of muscles-â
âHey,â The Yellow stick warned, not bothering to wipe the amused smile from their face. Gold brought a hand up to his mouth to help hold in his giggling.
â-Her sassiness, the Unyielding Miss Yellow!â Purple spun around the armchair to stand between it and the couch, âNow, youâve already been introduced to the Wrathful Red,â Purple presented Red who, despite his title, was grinning like heâd just won the lottery as he posed, âAnd Green the Guileless!â Green rolled his eyes playfully, âBut be prepared, for our last friend is certainly not our least. They are the worldâs deadliest mom friend, a hot-headed herald of hibernationâŠâ Purple presented the stick on the couch with jazz hands, âThe Second Coming~!â
The others let out a round of whoops and hollers that didnât seem particularly appreciated by this Second Coming character, who waved everyone off with a grumpy frown. âYou can just call me Second,â They informed Gold in a mumble. While they werenât as visibly injured as everyone around them, they made up for that by looking deathly ill. Their eyes were practically swallowed by dark circles, and their exposed flesh was clammy and pale.
Dropping the act, Purple seemed a little more serious as they informed him, âSecondâs the one who brought you here with their super powers. It kinda drained them.â
Goldâs mouth was open before he could even fully take in the information, âOh, so thatâs why they look like a drowned cat.â
Immediately his eyes bulged out of their sockets, and howling laughter flooded the air from the other sticks. Why did he say that?! What in the Outernet made him say that to the stick who SAVED HIS LIFE?!?!
Second looked like they were suppressing a grimace, âGee, thanks.â
Waving his hands frantically, Gold immediately tried to eat his words, swallow them, anything to take them back and redo his introduction, âI am SO sorry! I-I donât even know why I said that, that was SO stupid-!â
âHey, hey,â Second awkwardly consoled, slowly lifting themselves up into a sitting position. Everyone who could stand immediately stood at attention, watching their change of position with hyper-vigilance, âItâs okay, letâs just⊠start over,â They lifted their arm with shaking effort, managing a grin for Gold, âHi, Iâm Second.â
Feeling a little relief wash over him, Gold reached over and carefully took his hand, giving it a light shake, âIâm Gold. Itâs nice to meet you.â
Secondâs eyes remained trained on Goldâs face the entire time, watching him as if looking for something, and Goldâs muscles locked up as he struggled not to look away. It felt like those emerald eyes were trying to pierce through his very soul. After a moment, a wide smile spread across Secondâs face, âWhatâs wrong? You look like a cat thatâs about to be drowned.â
Everyone laughed even longer and louder than before as Goldâs jaw dropped. Once his brain caught up with the present, Gold found himself joining in on the merriment, âOkay, okay, thatâs fair.â He agreed. Greenâs arm slung around his shoulder, and Gold found himself feeling surprisingly warm. Despite how crazy his life was right now, even with his dad locked in the closet for actual assault, Gold found himself feeling genuinely relaxed. He felt like⊠things would be okay.
A pained stomach grumbling out interrupted Goldâs thoughts, and everyone turned to Purple with various levels of amusement. âGeez, you still havenât shut that thing up?â Green teased, his arm still around Goldâs shoulders.
âWith what?!â Purple asked, âIn case you havenât noticed, the kitchenâs still wrecked!â
Gold perked up a little. All this time he had been allowing himself to be drawn along by the chaos, going along with everyone else and allowing himself to be comforted by the generosity. But this was Goldâs house too, and a little nagging voice in the back of his head reminded him that Gold had the power to give back, at least a little, for everything theyâd done for him. Like giving him comfort and taking his mind off things and saving his damn life.
âOoh! I can handle that!â Gold informed the others triumphantly, before pulling away to sprint towards the living roomâs bookshelf. Once it had been neatly arranged; there had been a separate shelf for dadâs manuals, dadâs novels, Goldâs novels, and Goldâs comic books, but now books of various genres and owners were mixed up. There were also books about flower meanings and game guides mixed in, as well as novels from medieval fantasies that Gold assumed were Purpleâs, on account of this being a genre neither Gold nor his father were into. But pressed against the very same spot as it was two years ago was One Hundred and One Ways To Pick Up Sticks. Dad had told Gold it had been a tasteless gift after a bad breakup, but it did have its uses. Like, for example, being ridiculously large and thick for the type of book it was.
Gold opened the hollowed out book and took a wad of the large amount of cash â not as much as two years ago, he noted, but still plenty â before turning around to wave the fistful of bills for the others to see. Yellowâs eyes lit up as she squealed, and everyone else seemed to freeze in place at the sight of real money.
Purpleâs mouth fell open in shock, âWait, he had a secret stash this whole time?!â They scowled, âThat cheap Old ManâŠâ
âNice!â Blue recovered first, grinning wickedly. She rubbed her hands together and licked her lip. On the opposite side of Yellow, Green and Red exchanged a high-five, grinning wickedly.
Only Second seemed to hold some reluctance, âUh, is it really okay for us to use that?â
âGeez, you really are the mom friend,â Purple rolled their eyes, plopping down on the couch near Secondâs feet.
Still, the worried look on their face was making Goldâs stomach squirm, so he held up a finger and declared, âWell, why donât we ask him?â Turning towards where his bedroom was in the house, Gold raised his voice and shouted, âHey, Dad! Weâre gonna use some of the emergency fund to order out! If thatâs not okay, say something!â Gold held a hand up his ear to amplify his hearing, and waited.
And waited.
And waitedâŠ
After a few more seconds of nothingness, Gold shrugged, âGuess itâs okay.â
Second weakly smiled in response, âHeh, alright then.â Their eyes fluttered a little, trying and failing to resist the siren song of slumber.
âPizza cool with everyone?â Purple asked, already pulling out a cellular device. It was sleek and dark, with a protective jacket covered in adorable stickers. After receiving a round of affirmations, they nodded and began dialing.
âOh, make sure no meat for me!â Red suddenly piped up.
Blue nodded thoughtfully, âIâve never gone full vegetarian with a pizza. That actually sounds pretty good!â She licked her lips, no doubt imagining the taste of red sauce and vegetables on her tongue.
âIâm good with whatever,â Green piped up, âBut make sure to get something simple for Sec. They tend to like the more traditional pizzas, and theyâre already not feeling well, soâŠâ His hand found its way to Secondâs head, gently petting through the long orange tangle of hair, and Second subconsciously pushed back into his touch.
Purple nodded along to their requests, taking clear note, âOkay, so weâll get three pizzas. One classic pepperoni, one veggieâŠâ Gold perked up, and quickly leapt to interrupt Purple and get his own favourite pizza added on.
âOh! Oh! Could the last one be Hawaiian?â
â-And the last will be Hawaiian, obviously.â
The two sentences, spoken in perfect harmony, echoed through the living room as Purple and Goldâs eyes met. Silence lingered in the air between them; It held no awkwardness or tension, only a strange sense of warmth and understanding. Somewhere deep inside of him, Gold could feel the spark of a new bond ignite.
Purple smiled, sauntered over to Goldâs side, and tossed an arm over his shoulder, âGoldie,â The violet stick smiled as they cheerfully proclaimed, âI think you and I are gonna get along juuust fine.â
---------------------
Thump.
âArg⊠come on!â
Thump.
âWhy wonât this stupid thing-â
Thump.
âOpen?!â
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Behind Mango, the so-called King sighed from the spot on the ground where heâd made himself comfortable, âGive it a rest. Those kidâs arenât going to make it so easy for us to get out of here.â
Spinning around on his heels, Mango glared furiously at this pathetic future version of himself. How could he just sit there, all poised and collected like their his child wasnât out there, alone, grappling with the knowledge of his incoming death and stuck with a bunch of strangers. If anything he seemed⊠detached, staring at the wall in front of him without an ounce of concern for what was going on. The expression on his face was completely and utterly devoid of emotion.
His blood began to boil.
âMaybe itâd be a little easier,â Mango sneered out under his breath, âif you did anything other than just sit there, you useless piece of-â
King cut him off, âOh, shut up. Youâre giving me a migraine.â As if to emphasize this point, King began digging his fingers into the temples of his skull, âTake it from someone whoâs been there: You donât want to fly off the handle at any little thing. Trust me, youâll end up regretting it.â
Spinning on his heels, Mango leveled a glare at King. âThis isnât any little thing!â His fists twitched at his side, begging Mango to let them fly forth, to punish, to hurt. He held off for now, âThis is my baby! My Gold! Dying! How could you not be furious?!â Just the thought of Goldâs suffering constricted Mangoâs lungs in his chest, making each inhale of air a fight, âHow could you just let this go?! Heâs the only good thing in this cursors damned world, and heâs gone!â Turmoil churned in Mangoâs gut, making him vaguely nauseous. He pushed through the pain, spitting it all back out at King, âHe was pulled into some game attraction, glitched out of existence, and you just sat back and watched! YOU LET HIM DIE!â
He could see it now. Gold, pushing back against the pull of that accursed game, desperately reaching out to him, Dad! Dad, help me! Iâm scared! Before his body would be overwhelmed by the errors, horror and pain spreading across his face as he was eaten alive-
Struggling to speak against his own heaving lungs, Mangoâs volume lowered as he growled, âI donât care what you say, I am not you. I would never sit back and do nothing while my child was murdered.â
Throughout the tirade, King didnât once speak up. Didnât so much as twitch. He kept his gaze level and even on the wall opposite of him. âYouâre not telling me anything I havenât already told myself,â He responded coolly, far too coolly, once Mango was done. His vacant, uncaring eyes wouldnât meet Mangoâs, which boiled his blood hotter, âBut Iâve been where you are. I know exactly how youâre feeling, and I know that giving into that anger will just make things so much worse. If you donât cool off, youâll end up doing something you regret.â
âRegret more than letting my kid die?â The idea was almost laughable, if it wasnât so painfully stupid.
Finally King got off his lazy butt, standing and at last meeting Mangoâs eyes. They were as cold and empty as King himself. âEarlier, when that kid tried to stop us from fighting, you swung your fists without even looking,â The phantom pressure of that childâs face danced across Mangoâs knuckles, causing him to flex his fingers on impulse. He supposed the kid had been innocent in all this, but it was hard to feel bad when heâd caught the look on his future selfâs face; how could he have so much concern for this random bystander when his dead baby was right there? Oblivious, King continued, âDid it ever occur to you that it could have easily been Gold whoâd tried to stop us instead?â
Now that made Mangoâs blood run cold, because he was certain his future self was right. If those kids hadnât run in to interfere, Gold wouldâve tried to stop him as soon as the shock wore off. That was the kind of kid Gold was; sweet and selfless. And then he wouldâve punched his own child.
Pushing that thought of his head, Mango immediately redirected, âAre you sure itâs Gold youâre worried about? Because you seemed awfully concerned about that other kid⊠Purple, was it?â Kingâs brow furrowed in irritation, and Mango felt a small bit of pleasure in finally getting a reaction out of him, even if it confirmed his worst suspicions, âWho are they, anyways?â
âTheyâreâŠâ King tripped over his tongue, looking away from Mango as he no doubt realized what Mango had, âItâs complicatedâŠâ
âDoesnât seem too complicated to me,â Mango stepped into the otherâs space, backing him into the wall. For a so-called King, he didnât seem to have any of the qualities of a king: the decisiveness, the bravery, the poise. He was just a cowardly old man, with fear in his heart and sweat on his brow. âIt seems like you just picked up some random kid off the street to fill the hole in your life,â King seemed to bristle at that, which only spurred Mango on, âYou disgusting, pathetic bastard. What kind of father are you, to just forget your child and replace them with-â
That was as far as Mango got before he was thrust against the opposite wall, a bruised arm threatening to crush his windpipe. The Kingâs eyes had gone wide and wild, like a feral dogâs, and Mango reveled the fury, âPurple is NOT a replacement for Gold,â He growled, voice low and dangerous, âNo one could EVER replace Gold.â
Despite the pressure on his throat, Mango gave the other his biggest, smuggest grin, âWhat was it you said about giving into anger?â
The single sentence caused King to remember himself, and he quickly retreated, leaving a vacuum of tension between them. He sighed, and attempted to wipe the anger from his eyes, and didnât quite succeed, âI know how you feel because Iâve been there,â King grumbled, âDo not presume to know how I feel in return. Purple is not Gold. They will never be Gold, and I donât expect them to be Gold. I was going to tell the full story before you lost your shit, but to make it short, after Gold died, I⊠hurt people. A lot of people,â As he spoke, Kingâs eyes lost focus, staring at the wall in front of him without seeing anything, âI was going to kill them. I was going to kill myself. And I failed because of Purple. They saved me. I owe them my life- No. My life isnât valuable enough. I owe them so much more than that.â
A ghost of a smile formed on Kingâs face. Mangoâs stomach turned. How could this⊠sick monster smile while his baby was dead?
âIâve already been angry about Goldâs death,â Continued King. He sounded less angry with every sentence, which began eating away at Mangoâs limited patience yet again, âI know what that feels like, what it does to me. But this isnât a time to be angry. Thanks to this⊠miracle, I have a chance to change fate. Iâm elated,â Kingâs hand reached up to brush his too long hair out of his face, smiling softly, âI can save my child.â
âMy child,â Mango interrupted insistently. Owlish blinking was what he got in response, and he sharpened his glare as he elaborated, âYour child, if youâll remember, is dead. Gold is my kid, and Iâm not going to become you. I wonât let anything happen to him.â
King pressed his lips together thinly and stared at Mango, but did not protest. âFine. Whatever,â He brushed off, âThatâs not whatâs important. The only thing that matters right now is Gold,â For once, the King was speaking sense, âI wonât try to make you like me, or pretend thatâs even possible. But for Goldâs sakeâŠâ An empty hand reached out, an olive branch of peace, âWeâll need to work together.â
There was no need to elaborate further. This King was his and Goldâs only connection in this world. It was still unclear if there was a way for the two to return to the past. Theyâd need a safe place to say, and while this had once been Mangoâs home, it now belonged to King. Two years was not a terribly long time, but it was more than enough to rock their worlds upside down. Theyâd need to rebuild everything from scratch, and as much as he loathed this carefree version of himself, this King who as good as murdered his own child when he turned his back on Gold, they needed the safety and security he could provide. Furious as Mango was, he at least maintained enough pragmatism to see that.
So Mango stared the Usurper of his home in the eyes, and took the offered hand, âFine. For now. But the second Iâm on my feet, Iâm taking MY kid and weâre leaving.â
âAs long as Goldâs safe and happy,â The King smiled a weary smile as he shook his hand, âThatâs all that matters.â
Once the truce was firmly established, Mango pulled his hand from Kingâs grip and wiped it on his shirt. King took this opportunity to gently shove his way in front of Mango to inspect the sealed door. He first tried the knob, then knelled down and began banging at the door in random spots. âIf youâre trying to break through, youâre going to need more force than that,â Mango advised, folding his arms, âI figured if we both hit it in tandem-â
âWeâll break down the door,â King put a single finger up, shushing Mango like a child, and then he beckoned with his hand to his seething younger self, âbut before we resort to destruction of property, hand me one of those hangers, will you? I want to try something.â
Automatically, Mango reached up and took hold of one of the wire hangers. Letting this bastard boss him around was far from Mangoâs idea of a good time, but at this point he just wanted out of the stupid closet.
King spun the wire hanger and began to methodically deconstruct it. Even the weakest of sticks were more than strong enough to bend the metal without use of any special equipment, so it was only a matter of seconds before King had untwisted the hanger out of shape. He then carefully bent the top into a hook-shape and slipped it through the crack on the side of the door. Mango leaned against the wall and simply watched. He was more than capable of putting together the plan, but wondered if it would really work, or how long it would take for Mango to take hold of the chair. If the wire metal would even have enough hold to pull the chair down with breaking or bending out of shape.
It did, in the end, but it took long enough that Mango had begun to nod off while leaning against the wall. The crash of the chair meeting the floor had been what startled him back into the world of the waking. Once his eyes were open, Mangoâs eyes met Kingâs, and it was only then that heâd realized that his response had been to jump at the sound. There was an unpleasant crinkle of amusement around the foolish Kingâs eyes as he stepped out, took back his crown, and mockingly bowed.
Smug bastard.
---------------------
Madame Marroneâs Pizzeria wasnât the best pizzeria Purple had ever eaten at. Heck, it wasnât even the best one in delivery range, but it was fast and cheap and good for what it was, so it was Madame Marroneâs chocolate brown visage on their pizza boxes when theyâd finally arrived. Everyone was eager to dig in, and despite the initial scramble for the best, hottest slices, everyone worked in tandem to best serve each other. Green poured soft drinks with showmanship and flair, and Blue took care of Yellow and Second, so that they could get their fair share despite not being able to stand.
The Hawaiian pizza, which everyone else had stupidly left untouched, was shared equally between Gold and Purple. The Old Man had stared a hole through Purpleâs head the first time theyâd ordered pineapple pizza, looking like heâd just seen a ghost. And now that they knew the reason, Purple could barely contain their laughter. Whoâd have known that the crotchety Old Man would have such an amazing kid?
Because he did. Have an amazing kid, that is.
Over pizza, it became obvious to Purple why Goldâs loss had hurt the Old Man so deeply. It wasnât just that Gold was his kid â it was because Gold was a one in a million child, especially kind and especially sweet. They had only known the gang for a few minutes, but they already fit in far faster than Purple had. It was like theyâd always been one of them, joining in the jokes and ribbing as if it was second nature. Watching them interact made Purple feel cold and lonely.
They were a bad person.
Gold told them all what the Old Man had shared, and it had quickly become apparent that theyâd only gotten partway through the tale before the Old Man who would be known as Mango assaulted the Old Man who would be known as King. The fact that Gold had no idea who any of them had been should have been Purpleâs first clue, but in their defense theyâd had more important things to focus on at the time. Theyâd only managed to get to the point of Goldâs demise before the chaos had broken out.
Red had winced, hearing the details of Goldâs passing. âIâm sorry, man,â He sympathized, âMinecraft glitches are rough.â Though the Booth Thirty incident and the âHerobrineâ incident were two very different circumstances, it was likely the closest any of them could ever come to understanding what Gold went through.
âItâs not like I actually experienced that,â Gold shrugged off the show of empathy. Theyâd all rearranged themselves after the pizza had arrived, and Gold had taken over the arm of the Old Manâs armchair, right next to Yellow. âBut itâs so weird to think about. I mean, I knew death was a thing, obviously, but Iâve never even lost someone before. Iâve never thought seriously about what happens after death. Have you guys?â
Nobody seemed to be in a rush to answer that question, only exchanging nervous looks amongst themselves. Yellow stared directly at Second, while Blue and Red leaned in closer to them and Green took their hand. The group had all had their near death experiences in the past, but this didnât feel like that. It felt like earlier, when the idea of taking Second to a hospital was brought up. Like they were keeping something from them.
Ignoring the tightening knot in their chest, Purple spoke up to finally respond to Gold. âI have,â They confessed. It was hard to avoid that topic, when your last remaining family was slowly fading away in front of your eyes, âThey say when dataâs deleted from a hard drive, itâs never really completely gone. That some trace of it always remains. I donât know if thatâs true, but I want to believe it is.â
Because it meant, in some way, that Purpleâs mother had remained with them after her death. That Purple hadnât been entirely alone. It was a cold comfort in the darkest of nights, when Purple had no company but the chilling moonlight, but a comfort nonetheless.
âI⊠hope thatâs true, too,â Gold agreed.
It occurred to Purple that they could tell the rest of the story right then and there. The details theyâd been missing from the Booth Thirty Incident had been covered by Goldâs retelling of the event, and everything else theyâd been present for. But the look on the Old Manâs face when he left to finally speak with Gold, that utterance of âThis is a family matterâ, muted their voice. It wouldnât be right for Purple to tell Gold what theyâd done. That was- that was Kingâs job. From family to family, no room for anyone else.
...Purple was a really bad person.
âWell, personally, I donât,â Yellow declared, âI can barely handle one Green. The army that would arise from his many, many foolish Minecraft deaths? No thank you.â
Green scoffed at Yellowâs complaints, âYouâre just jealous. You couldnât possibly compete with an army that awesome.â
âH-heyâŠâ Secondâs mumbling broke through their ribbing, âCan we maybe change the subject? Iâm not really up for talking about this right nowâŠâ
A round of worried looks passed around the room. While Purple lacked context for many of the groupâs misadventures, they knew Second well enough to know that the fact that they were asking so pleasantly was more of a red flag than anything else they couldâve done. The group instead decided to tell Gold a story from their shared history. It seemed subconsciously unanimous that they not share the memory of their first meeting, what with Purple leaving Blue and Green to drop down a pit and then getting their first home in years burnt down. That could come later, when there was a little less tension to go around.
So instead they told some tales from League of Legends, a place renowned for its lack of sportsmanship but where, ironically, Purple and their friends had some of their most pleasant memories. Purple themselves took the limelight, being the experienced storyteller that they were, and weaved a tale of swords and sorcery to enrapture the bright golden stick. Green hopped up and joined as co-host, abandoning his second slice of pepperoni at his spot, while the others chimed in at timely moments. Red interrupted with humorously over-embellished assertions. Yellow added a dash of sarcasm to every mistake any of them made. Blue would defuse the little tension that popped up with expert ease. Even Second, as exhausted as they were, acted as the straight man for their comedic shenanigans. Between the six of them, it was all too easy to make Gold bust a gut.
This was the state the two Old Men found them in, when they finally escaped their imprisonment. The one who Gold told them would keep the name Mango was first, crossing the room in long, quick strides before anyone could even register that he was there. The second he was able to he took Gold in his arms, peppering his face and curls with sweet, soft little kisses. Gold giggled and laughed and proclaimed his embarrassment, but Mango didnât relent, only holding on all the tighter.
âŠPurple was a really, really bad person.
The Old Man who would be King emerged afterwards, staring at the embrace between father and child with a wistful wanting that made Purpleâs stomach turn. It was so obvious how much he yearned to be his other self, to be able to hold his real kid tight and never let them go. Then, in the blink of an eye, the mask of a calm, collected king slid onto his face. He adjusted his crown, pushed back his bangs, and began marching straight towards Purple.
ââBout time you broke out,â Purple said in lieu of a proper greeting.
The backhanded remark was barely acknowledged. Instead Old Man King tenderly took Purpleâs face into his grip and inspected the still sore side where the punch had landed. A strange tingling sensation drew Purpleâs gaze over the old manâs shoulder to the other old man, glaring daggers at them from over Goldâs fuzzy curls, and they couldnât help the flinch in response.
Whether or not King could feel it too was unclear, but he shifted positions to block Mangoâs view of Purple, and they allowed themselves to relax a little.
âItâs not as bad as Iâd feared,â King spoke in clear relief, though his small smile was dampened by clear hints of guilt, âHow do you feel?â
Eager to clear that remaining fog of regret from the Old Man, Purple scoffed and tossed their hair back, preening dramatically, âAlas, despite Mangoâs best efforts, the curse remains in full effect. Iâm still tragically beautiful.â
King snorted, âAt least your egoâs still in tact,â He then glanced down at the plate of pineapple and ham pizza sat nearby. It was Purpleâs third slice, which they had no shame about. It wasnât like theyâd have to share with anyone but Gold (and maybe Blue, though she seemed content with her veggie pizza), âAh, you ordered out?â
âYup!â Purple chirped, breaking away easily from the Old Manâs fragile hold to take their food, âWe tried to salvage the lasagna, butâŠâ
âIt killed a bush,â Blue blurted out, a haunted look in her eye as she recalled just how close sheâd come to swallowing the rancid thing.
Both Mango and King wore comically identical expressions of shock at the news. King, more used to their mayhem than his younger self, broke free of his stupor first. He sighed and buried his face in his palm, âOf course. Of course it did. If the neighbors ever sue me because of you brats, Iâm dragging you all down with me.â
âWouldnât be the first time!â Red chirped, like he was referring to casual criminal mischief and not that time King nearly killed them all. Purple couldnât help laughing along with the others as they all cracked up. Nearly dying hadnât been funny at the time, obviously, but among the many lessons these chaotic gremlins had taught Purple was that it was important to be able to look back at your pain and find the joy in it. It hurt, but it also gave Purple everything they had today, so it was hard to see it as all bad.
Someday, they mused, looking up at Kingâs grimacing face, theyâd manage to convince the Old Man of the same.
For Gold, however, all the vague reference and laughter caused was confusion. âWhat do you mean?â
It had been so easy to forget, in the wake of all the revelry, that Gold still wasnât aware of everything that had gone down. Purple could see the Old Man tense and pale as he realized what was coming, and without thinking Purple immediately took his hand, folded behind his back where nobody could see. They squeezed it tight, pouring all their care into their grip, letting the Old Man know, in their own way, that they were here, right here, and that it would all be okay. He wasnât alone anymore. Their reward was seeing King slowly relax, his shoulders slouching and his breathing smoothing into an even, pleasant rhythm.
After a moment of drinking in each otherâs comforting presence, King released Purpleâs hand and exhaled, âIâve brought this up to⊠your father before,â There was a strange intonation to those words, your father, and the implications made Purple frown, but they didnât interrupt, âBut there was more to the story I was telling you earlier. Things that happened after you died. You⊠deserve to know.â
Mango looked to the side. It wasnât clear how much King had revealed to him, but it was enough for him to avoid his childâs confused eyes searching him for answers.
âOh boy,â Yellow sighed, pushing back into the armchair and making herself comfortable, âGreen, pass me another drink. This is gonna be a long one.â Green did so, and everyone made themselves comfortable on the couch. With tender care Second was shifted over to make enough of a spot for Purple to take a seat on the couch, which they did with a grateful smile. King grabbed the desk chair and took over Purpleâs spot at the center of attention. Unlike Purpleâs showmanship and jolly energy, however, he held himself solemnly, like a man trudging along to the guillotine.
It took them a moment to settle down enough for Kingâs satisfaction, and once they did he sighed and began, âWhen you⊠died,â The light in Kingâs eyes completely left him, âI lost everything I had. My hopes, my dreams, my faith in this world⊠it was all gone. How could I hold on to any of that when my baby was deadâŠ?â Unrestrained tears fell from the Old Manâs eyes, and Purpleâs fingers itched with the desire to reach out, to take his hand yet again. But the eyes around them, the burning anger in Mangoâs face, the repetition in their head of âthis is a family matterâ kept them frozen in place.
Gold, however, had no such restraints, and even Mangoâs hold couldnât stop the bright stick from slipping out of his grasp and over to King. His arms wrapped around the Old Manâs neck, grounding him with the pleasant weight of warm sunshine. Purpleâs fingers dug into he fabric of their pants, wondering why couldnât they just be happy to see that? Why did it hurt so bad? Why couldnât they just be a good person?
âIâm so sorry, DadâŠâ Gold cooed, and Kingâs breath hitched, âI didnât mean to hurt you like this.â
âOh, honey,â Even through the tears, King managed to smile for Gold, âYou never hurt me. Losing you was painful, but that was not your fault,â Purple turned to glance at Mango, and found him frowning in open displeasure at the sight before him. Well, at least Purple wasnât the only bad person. King allowed Gold to hold him for a moment longer before gently, reluctantly, pushing him back, âbut⊠please go sit down. I need to finish telling the story.â
With a great amount of effort, Gold broke away, sitting down next to where Mango was standing. The second he was within armâs reach, Mango had him back in his embrace, holding him tight so he wouldnât disappear again. His worried eyes stayed glued to King the entire time.
âNothing mattered anymore. All I could think about was that moment, that terrible moment where Iâd lost everything⊠I saw it every time I closed my eyes, every time there was a red light or a blaring alarm, every time I saw that cursed game symbol. It was all could think about. Every day and every night for⊠who knows how long. I was hurting, and I wanted to hurt the monster that took you from me.â
Silence fell over the room. While the friend group had known, in a general sense, that King had undergone some sort of trauma and went mad, this was the first time theyâd truly realized why King had done what he did. Goldâs eyes widened, and Mangoâs narrowed.
âBut Iâd already beaten the gameâs technicians to a pulp,â That had Gold openly gaping, and Purple winced as a phantom pain echoed across their cheek. If King had gone that hard against the techs whoâd been trying to run the game, theyâd certainly felt it for days, âAnd the company had me sign a waiver. Itâd been foolish of me not to read it, I know, but I couldnât undo it. There was no legal recourse for me. I couldâve gone vigilante with it, but I didnât have the resources or know-how to do such a thing without getting caught. And besidesâŠâ Kingâs eyes darkened, âMy attention had focused⊠somewhere else.â
âOn the game itselfâŠâ Green realized aloud. Red and Blue exchanged a look over Secondâs head.
Gold still looked confused, but now there was a hint to alarm in his eyes, as though he was beginning to suspect what was going on, âI⊠donât understandâŠâ
âFrom my perspective,â King began to explain, âit had been Minecraft that had ripped you from me. The game was an unstable, volatile mess that promised you happiness and fun and instead robbed you of everything. I know now I wasnât being rational, but at the time, it felt like the monster that had taken you from me was Minecraft itself. And I swore to myself that I was going to destroy it,â A mad gleam fell across Kingâs eyes, âNo matter what it took.â
Mangoâs posture had stiffened, looking over at his other self in something like astonishment, â...huh,â He muttered, âYou werenât kiddingâŠâ
âBut- but-â Gold sputtered, confused and grieved and horrified by what he was hearing, âBut itâs a game! An entire world filled with monsters, and npcs, and other players, and- and- innocent people!â Goldâs hand flew to his head, holding it high while Mango immediately reached to comfort him. How much comfort he could offer when he was the mirror image of the one who was upsetting Gold, however, was up for debate, âIt wasnât the gameâs fault the fair booth was glitched up! You canât punish innocents for something that wasnât their fault!â
King sat silently, unable to meet Goldâs haunted eyes.
The utter anguish on Goldâs face struck Purple to their core. They still remembered the pain of being walked out on, and left behind, and having a back turned to their pleading hand. Being betrayed was rough. Being betrayed by a parent⊠well, nothing cut quite so deeply. Eager to push that pain out of Goldâs fragile heart, Purple intervened, drawing the spotlight to themselves, âBut we beat him~!â They spoiled, hoping that knowing King lost would mitigate at least a bit of the heartache, âAnd we undid all the damage King and I did! No sticks were harmed in the making of this final showdown!â
âUh, yes, sticks were harmed in the making of this showdown,â Yellow interrupted incredulously, âMANY sticks were harmed in the making of this showdown, actually.â
âQuiet, peg-leg,â Purple hissed back.
âBack up for a moment,â Mango suddenly interrupted, standing rigidly straight, âYou said âall the damage King and I didâ.â Purple winced. Yeah, they had let that slip, hadnât they? âWhat do you mean by that?â
This was where King regained control of the narrative, taking back the spotlight from Purple to spare them the interrogation. âIn order to destroy Minecraft, I needed an immense amount of power. Something strong enough to destroy the game down to its very base coding. Something from the game itself⊠to that end, I created a staff capable of harnessing the full power of any game item that I could acquire. I spent my life savings on illegal game smuggling, trying to get an item capable of what Iâd envisioned, but nothing I acquired was strong enough. They could break things, sure, but they werenât able to break down the game in the way I really needed. Then, during my research, I uncovered the secret of the Icon; an in-game item that enabled complete and total creative freedom over the world. You were invincible, able to place any item at whim, and had total control over the game. The only problem was nobody knew where to find it.
âI didnât give up, though. Finding this thing, and using it to destroy the game that took my baby from me was all I could think about. I didnât sleep, I barely ate. I wandered the city aimlessly, asking anyone whoâd give me a second of time, âHave you seen this icon? Do you have any information? Please, anything, Iâd give anythingâŠâ Kingâs voice cracked, which signaled him to take a moment, take a breath, before continuing, âThen, I finally found it. Through a YouTube video, of all things.â
A chorus of groans came from the couch and the armchair. Second buried their face in their hands. Green sighed and muttered, âThatâs how you found us? Cursors damn it, AlanâŠâ
âWeâre gonna need to have another long talk about this,â Blue moaned, âUgh, as if the last one hadnât been bad enough.â
âAlanâs the human you all live with, right?â Purple asked, receiving some half-hearted confirmations in response.
Gold seemed confused by the mere concept, âYou all live with a human?â He arched his eyebrow at them. Though his haggard eyes indicated Kingâs actions were still haunting him, Gold was able to put that aside for the moment to indulge a subject many city sticks knew little about: humanity, âI thought all humans were violent, stick-killing psychopaths.â
That wasnât so uncommon a belief in a city run by Rocket Corp: everyone knew the tragic tale of its recently deceased leader, how theyâd been created for the sole purpose of suffering and dying, how theyâd manage to drag themselves from the Recycling Bin and rose to power, creating a safe haven where humans couldnât touch them. Many older sticks had some human related trauma, from negligence to downright abuse, and though the younger generations were spared the direct trauma of human interaction, the horror stories remained.
âThatâs not⊠always trueâŠâ Second protested, but it sounded weak and shaky for reasons beyond Secondâs physical state.
The tension returned with a vengeance.
â...actually, that kinda proves Kingâs even dumber than we thought,â Red suddenly piped up, mockingly oblivious to the bristling of the Old Man. He picked the perfect insult; most things unrelated to Gold (or, occasionally, Purple themselves) rolled off Kingâs back, but one of the few insults he couldnât stand was one to his intellect. It was, to put it in Kingâs own words, one of the few things he hadnât lost that day, âI mean, you saw Alanâs videos of our adventures and you still thought it was a good idea to threaten and steal from us? Talk about moronic.â
Seething, King spoke through grinding teeth as he responded, âWell, I hadnât exactly planned on fighting you kidsâŠâ
âYou shouldnât be fighting anyone,â Gold scolded, and though his glare bore into King, Purple didnât miss his side-eye at Mango as well, âOr stealing anything.â
Thoroughly scolded, King winced and looked away, âRight, sorry. But, to continue, I used what I learned to seek out the sticks who had the Icon. Thatâs what lead me to Purple. Or, rather, them to me. I⊠wasnât exactly honest with them.â
Purple snorted. âThatâs putting it lightly. The guy framed the entire thing as a game. More extreme than I was used to, sure, but the end goal was to get complete and total control of Minecraft. With the staff and the full power of the Icon, we could rule together with an iron fist!â Purple pumped their first up, as though in example, â...Of course, I didnât know what the staff was really capable of, or what the Old Man intended to do with it. If I had, I donât think Iâd have gone along with it.â
Or at least Purple would like to think they wouldnât have. They didnât want to ponder too hard on it â given Purpleâs thirst for power and how nice the Old Man had been when Purple was obedient, Purple wasnât sure theyâd like the answer theyâd come to.
âSo, the Old Man and I conquered a fortress in the game⊠even without the Icon, the staff was ridiculously powerful, it was so easy. Then we set about following his plan. Iâd go find the others and lure them into a trap, then Iâd get the Icon for King and weâd conquer the world,â Purple looked over at their friends, and felt a familiar kick in their gut, âAgain, I am so sorry about that. I had my reasons, butâŠâ
âWe know,â Green consoled, patting Purple on the shoulder, âWeâve already forgiven you.â
âYou know what they say about trusting people,â Blue chimed in, grinning cheekily, âThird timeâs the charm!â
âDonât think thatâs about trustâŠâ Second rebuffed jokingly from the comfortable cushion of Blueâs shoulder.
Warmth flooded into Purpleâs cheeks. They couldnât say what miracle allowed their friends to forgive them after all the garbage theyâd pulled, but Purple would never take it for granted. Er, this time.
Red had taken over story-time in the meanwhile, âSo, we ran into Purple after an already pretty long day,â Purple could hear Blue mumbling under her breath. They couldnât quite make out what she was saying, but it made Second chuckle, âAnd they lured us into this parkour course. It was pretty fun at first! But, then I won, and I realized the others werenât coming, and the guards wouldnât let me leaveâŠâ
âWe were trapped,â Green summarized, âStuck there so King wouldnât have worry about us while he stole our Icon⊠hey,â Greenâs brow furrowed, âWere you just going to keep us there? While you blew up Minecraft? Did you at least have some way to get Purple out?â
This question made Purple look away from the Old Manâs face for the first time throughout the entire story. It was done and over with. They didnât need to know. They didnât want to know. Kingâs mistakes, however painful, were done and over with. They were happy now. Questions like these shouldnât be haunting Purple. They shouldnât.
âThere were plans in place for that, to get you all back to your PC before everything went down. I may have been cruel, but I hadnât planned to sacrifice anyone else to Minecraft,â King answered, and Purple let out a breath they didnât realize theyâd been holding, âThings got⊠out of hand after you all broke out, though.â
âSeems they were out of hand for a long time before that,â Green quipped dryly.
Gold nodded along, staring blankly ahead of him, âYeah, no kiddingâŠâ
The dismissive scoffing from Gold seemed to stun both King and Mango, but nonetheless King continued on, âWhen the kids realized what I was planning, they tried to stop me. We fought. I⊠didnât hold back. Purple had succeeded in getting me the Icon, and after that I stopped caring about anything but reaching my goal. And⊠I succeeded.â
âWait, what?!â Gold jumped up, alarmed, âNo, but⊠no! Everyone hereâs fine, that means you- did you actually destroy a wholeâŠ?â
Taking in shallow, rapid breaths, Gold backed away from King and held his head in his hands. Mangoâs hands rubbing his back and voice speaking soothing comforts did little to ease his panic. Purple glanced back at King and felt their heart ache in what was surely only an echo of the pain the Old Man felt. Though he clearly longed to reach out, to close the gap and squeeze all the pain out of his child, something held him firmly in place. His hand, though outstretched, couldnât seem to bridge the gap between them.
Well, if King couldnât bring himself to comfort his child, then Purple would have to take up his job for him. They reached across the chasm between themselves and Gold and gently prodded his shoulder, forcing him to look up at Purple, âHey,â They put on their biggest, most confident smile for Gold, âRemember what I said earlier? I turned on King, and the good guys won. Minecraftâs still in one piece. King screwed up, but nobody died, I promise.â
Too distressed to respond verbally, Gold just swallowed and nodded. His father drew Gold closer and hugged him tight, and though Goldâs hands gripped at Mangoâs arms, he didnât look any more at ease.
Kingâs longing eyes clung fast to Goldâs anxious form, but after a moment he continued, âWith the Iconâs power, the staff was able to create a beam of destructive force that would erase the entire world of Minecraft line by line. And if anyone dared to try to stop me, all I had to do was point the beam at them and wait for them to be erased or give up,â Goldâs hands flew up to cover his mouth in shock, âBut Purple⊠didnât give up. Even when the beam was pointed right at them and their body was disintegratingâŠâ The Old Manâs voice shook as he remember. Purple winced, rubbing at their arm to soothe an ache that wasnât there, âThey kept pushing forward, and⊠and by the time Iâd realized what I was doing to them⊠they were almostâŠâ The Old Manâs eyes, pained and sorrowful, redirected towards Purple. The sheer intensity of emotions forced them to look away. It was so hard to breath when he looked at them like that, so full of regret and guilt and something else, something warm that made Purple feel very, very small, âI⊠will never be able to apologize enough for that.â
For once, the natural snark Purple tended to depend on caught in their throat. All they could bring themselves to do was nod. Eyes bored into them from every side, but Purple kept their gaze glued to the ground and ignored them all.
â...So you almost killed Purple?â Gold spat. Purple pried their gaze from the flooring to where the other kid was staring, âIt wasnât enough for you to try and wipe out an entire world, you had to hurt the only person who was trying to help you, too?!â
King didnât have a response. He didnât even try to defend himself, merely hanging his head in shame.
Mango, on the other hand, didnât hesitate to reassure his child, âDonât worry, Honey,â He tried to console, unaware that his soothing words made Gold grit his teeth all the harder, âThis isnât going to be our future. Iâll make sure of it-â
âRight, because youâre not going to do anything like that!â Gold snapped, pulling away from Mangoâs attempts at comfort, âItâs not like you just started throwing punches at literally everyone the second you heard something you didnât like!â
The poor Old Man couldnât have looked any more hurt if Gold had punched him.
Scrambling to do damage control, Purple hopped up fully out of their comfortable seat on the couch to stand in front of Gold, arms held up placatingly. âHey! Hey! Itâs okay, itâs all gonna be-â
âItâs not okay!â Gold screamed at Purple, his tear-stricken face a near-perfect mirror of Mangoâs. Unlike Mango, however, Gold immediately retreated when he saw Purple flinch away, âSorry, âm sorry, I didnât mean that, I justâŠ. I donât understand,â His head fell into his hands again, tears flowing free and unashamed down his face as he repeated, âI donât understand⊠he hurt you. He almost killed you,â Purple idly rubbed at their arm, unsure of what to say, âHow can you forgive that?â Gold looked past Purple, to the many sticks sitting at attention on the couch, âHow can any of you forgive that?â
For a long, long moment, nobody spoke. The silence rang heavy in the air, a blaring siren of tension and pain. Then, with a rigid inhale, Second handed their single slice of barely touched pepperoni to Blue, who gave it a long glance before setting it aside, and sat up straight with visibly pained effort. Their voice was soft as they answered, âI canât speak for the others, but now that I know, I can kind of understand why Mango- King did what he did.
âWhen you lose someone⊠or even think youâre going to lose someone⊠itâs like thereâs a vice grip on your heart. You feel so many things, all at once, and they all make you feel small, and vulnerable, and helpless,â Second took a brief break to cough before diving right back into it, âbut, one of those things you feel is anger, and anger is different. It⊠tricks you, because even though it's just as bad as the other stuff, it feels constructive. Like, even though everythingâs breaking down around you, thereâs something you can do. Some power you can take back. And by the time you realize it was lying to youâŠâ Secondâs eyes fell, clouded by dark thoughts, âYouâve already hurt the people you wanted to protect.â
Without exchanging words, Red reached over and took Secondâs hand into his own, squeezing it tightly. Greenâs arm wrapped around Second to pull them in close, allowing their head to rest against his pulse. Surrounded by the comfort of their friends, their tense body relaxed completely.
Gold frowned at the group, âBut that doesnât make it okay.â
âNo,â King agreed, quietly surprising Purple. With how heavily his sins were weighing down on him, Purple hadnât expected the Old Man to speak up again, âIt doesnât.â
Silence lingered in the air as Gold struggled to find a proper response. And evidently failed, as after a moment he looked to the others and asked, âHow did you beat him?â
âIt was all Sec, baby!â Green cheered, proudly displaying his orange friend.
Second rolled their eyes at him, âIt was a team effort, actually. I realized we could reset the game if we got the Icon back to our PC, so we ran back as fast as we could and just BARELY made it!â After that proclamation, Second sunk further into Green, somehow looking even more tired, âFor real, though, I wouldnât have gotten close without you guys.â
âWhat would you do without us?â Yellow teased, a smug grin settling on her face. The friends shared a round of chuckles amongst themselves. Gold didnât partake, only staring blankly at the wall behind the group. He only broke out of this trance when Yellowâs gentle touch on his arm caused him to jump, âHey, I get it. You only just learned that you were going to die in less than two years,â Yellow spoke those words so casually, but the ripples of pain they caused through the room were all too palpable, âand then we dumped all this on you. Itâd be a lot for anyone. You should take a break and get some rest. Looks like itâs getting pretty late, anyways.â
Purple glanced past their friends towards the window and, sure enough, the sun had set along the horizon, leaving the outside world blanketed in a canvas of shadows. Even if Second and Yellow werenât injured, theyâd likely be staying the night anyways. It was simply too dangerous to traverse through the Minecraft world at this time of night.
âOkayâŠâ Gold acknowledged, hugging himself. Mango once again attempted to reach out to him and was once again rebuffed, âIâm⊠Iâm going to go get cleaned up.â
And without another word, Gold disappeared around the corner of the bedroom hallway.
From there, everything began to unwind. There was an initial awkwardness that had been broken by Second yawning, which prompted everyone to clean down and get ready for the night. Green and Red went to the closet where King had stored extra bed supplies, Red grumbling all the while about how they couldnât even compete for the spot on the couch. Green teased back easily, carrying probably too much for a guy with a suspected concussion. After dinner clean-up had fallen to Blue, who asked Second numerous times if they were done before carefully wrapping up the single pizza slice theyâd been nibbling on for later. She carried stuff to the basement while Yellow, still stuck in her armchair, made herself useful by holding a trash bag, albeit begrudgingly. Mango had, of course, immediately jumped up to trail after his child, and disappeared into the hallway after him.
In the midst of all the chaos, King sat rigidly still, glossed over eyes staring dead ahead at nothing in particular. He didnât so much as twitch as the flurry of activity picked up around him.
Taking a calming breath, Purple approached, resting a hand on his shoulder. The Old Man remained stationary, âHey,â They broke the silence hesitantly, âYou doing okay?â
For a moment, it was like King hadnât even heard Purple. They were about to repeat themselves when he finally responded, âI did the right thing, didnât I?â He asked.
âYup.â Immediately responded Purple.
That, at last, broke the mask King wore, making a small smile appear, âNo hesitation, huh?â
âLook,â Purple leaned their full weight on the Old Man, âI may not be an expert on âhealthy family dynamicsâ,â They punctuated their words with air quotes, âbut Iâve seen a lot of sitcoms in my time, and every time someone hides a big secret, it always comes out in the worst way possible. If you hadnât told him yourself now, then heâd find out from someone else later, and that would have been far worse.â
Just the thought of that put a visible wince on Kingâs face, the poor Old Man nodding, âThatâs true. I just wish I didnât have to make him hate me.â
âHe doesnât hate you,â They reassured, carefully watching Kingâs face to make sure he wasnât getting too upset, âHeâs scared, and hurt, and really overwhelmed. Give him some time. Iâm sure heâll come around.â
Well, Purple couldnât really say that for sure. They werenât in Goldâs head, after all. But speaking from their own personal experience, hating a parent was hard. So much harder than it had any right to be. Even now, in the midst of the happiest time of their life, Purple couldnât stop their mind from wandering to dangerous what ifs, could have beens, and impossible futures where they had three loving, happy, healthy adults in their life.
Fragile hope sparked in the Old Manâs eyes, âYou think so?â
âI know so,â Purple, master of âfake it âtil you make itâ, proclaimed.
Their reward was a pair of arms wrapping tightly around them, so quickly Purple couldnât help the instinctual flinch in reaction, but once they recovered they immediately moved to return the embrace. Hugs werenât uncommon between the two, per say, but there was something bittersweet about this one. After all, King had his own child back. This⊠may be the last hug Purple would get for a while. So they held fast for far longer than King was normally comfortable with, soaking in the warmth of his arms around them.
Purple would be okay with this. For Kingâs sake, theyâd be a good person, just this once.
âAhem,â A voice broke shattered the moment, ending the embrace and leaving Purple to retreat into their own cold loneliness. Mango stood there beside them, arms crossed, looking around at everything but Purple, âSorry to interrupt,â He actually looked anything but sorry, but Purple wasnât about to call him out and get punched again, âbut I looked around, and I couldnât help but notice that I no longer have a bedroom.â
Right⊠Purple had also taken over the Old Manâs room. King had presented it to Purple as a spare room, and he rarely slept through the whole night anyways, so it had taken Purple a while to piece together that the room next door had been Goldâs, not the Old Manâs. A part of them felt guilty for not even offering the room back to King, but they selfishly felt kind of glad that he was willing to make such a big sacrifice for Purple. Even so, it was clear in hindsight that Purple should have insisted they make themselves a room in the basement. And now they looked like a selfish prick in front of Kingâs kid and past self.
âThatâs right,â King acknowledged, surprising Purple by taking one of their hands into his own, âPurple needed a space of their own, and I donât sleep much anymore, anyways. Normally when I need to sleep Iâll catch a nap on the couch, butâŠâ He glanced over to said couch, where Green was fluffing a pillow for Second, âI suppose thatâs not an option tonight.â
Purpleâs posture straightened immediately. They could sleep in the living room with the others â all five were used to bed sharing, it wouldnât be too weird. That way Mango could get his old room back. It was only fair, since it was his room to begin with. And maybe they could start mending bridges with the younger Old Man, or at least get him to look them in the eye without glaring. They opened their mouth to make the offer-
âYou can sleep on the floor in my room.â
-And Gold beat them to it. Heâd appeared from behind the corner of the bedroom hallway, looking just as drained as he had when heâd disappeared.
Both King and Mango appeared startled by the invitation. âBoth of us?â King asked incredulously, and his brow only furrowed further when Gold nodded, âAre you sure?â
âIf I didnât offer, youâd both just be up all night worrying about me anyways,â Gold huffed. It was clear from his guarded body language and low voice that nothing was forgiven quite yet â but for him to make this offer, Purple must have been right on the money with their earlier reassurances, âSo, yeah. You can both sleep in my room with me if you promise not to fight.â
The two versions of Goldâs dad eagerly agreed, and Purple fell back, swallowing the unmade offer, where it lodged in their throat and weighed unbidden on their lungs. Theyâre fine, they told themselves, watching Gold walk away to grab what little linen remained in the closet after the friend group had taken what theyâd needed. They were fine with this. The Old Man could be really, truly happy.
And if Purple felt anything other than pure joy at the thought? Well, that was just them being selfish again. Theyâd get over it.
---------------------
Mango had always been a light sleeper.
Even before Gold had come along, sleeping just wasnât something that came naturally to Mango. Heâd stay up late, awaken multiple times throughout the night, and be up and out of bed at what his old roommates called âthe unholy hours of the morningâ. Having a fussy baby around had only solidified this for him. As a small child Gold would often be up and out of bed for a late night glass of water or trip to the restroom, or to climb into Mangoâs bed after a bad dream. He was used to his daily alarm being the sound of the hardwood floor creaking and groaning as Gold tried and failed to sneak into his room.
So when Mangoâs fretful slumber was interrupted by the all too familiar rasping of old flooring, he was up before his brain could even catch up with his current situation. âGoldâŠ?â He mumbled, pushing up from the surprisingly hard mattress he was sleeping on.
His full memory only came back to him when another hand, the same colour as his own, rested on his shoulder, reminding him that heâd been sleeping on the ground next to his own lookalike. âNo, Goldâs still in bed,â King confirmed, tossing his head in the direction of the bed, where Gold slept with his back to the two, âThatâs probably Purple. âM gonna go check on them⊠be right back.â
Without waiting for a response, King picked himself up and hobbled silently out of the room. Mango took a long, slow breath in, steadying his mind to recall everything that had happened. Right, he was in the future. King, who claimed to be him, was a failed terrorist, his kid was⊠dead⊠and then there was Purple.
Thinking of Purple made Mango scowl and roll back over. It wasnât the kidâs fault his evil doppelganger had used them as a replacement for his dead baby, but it was hard to separate that reality from the sour taste Kingâs blatant affection left in his mouth. The tyrant didnât hesitate to shower Purple with praise, or shield Purple from Mango with dagger-like glares. And because of⊠what? Gratitude to the kid for stopping him from destroying an entire world? Guilt for almost killing them? Why had Purple even come to King in the first place?
You know, thereâs an easy way to find outâŠ
Mango turned under his blankets to look away from the door. No. No, he wasnât going out there. He couldnât leave Gold alone after everything, and Purple wasnât his problem. It was just a passing curiosity. Nothing more.
And whereâs their real parents? Their real home? Who ARE they, anyways?
It didnât matter. It didnât matter.
Why were they so content to play therapist to a stick who almost killed them?
It⊠didnât matterâŠ
The way they cowered when you hit them⊠were they�
Mango forced himself up. It wasnât like he was going back to sleep, anyways.
Instead, he slipped out of Goldâs room, trailing far enough behind King that he wouldnât take note of Mangoâs presence. They both knew which of the floorboards would creak if they were stepped on, and which ones could be traversed safely, so following after King was a simple affair, even in the dead of night. They both cautiously stepped over the gaggle of sticks sleeping like babies in the living room, carefully maneuvered through the completely destroyed kitchen, and Mango watched King slip out the back door before creeping next to it. The wood of the door, while splintered, was one of the more undamaged parts of the room. While the air carried a mildly humid heat, the door was pleasantly cold against Mangoâs face as he pressed his ear against it to listen in to the two on the other side.
âHey,â King began with a greeting, and Mango could hear someone scrambling on the other side of the door.
âAck! H-hey, donât scare me like that,â Purpleâs scolding voice responded.
Laughter followed, deep but playful, âSorry, sorry.â
âWhat are you even doing out here? Shouldnât you be asleep?â Huffed the younger stick.
This was followed by an exaggerated groan of complaint as King audibly ruffled Purpleâs hair, âI barely sleep on the best of days, and todayâs been⊠a lot.â Purple mumbled something that sounded like agreement, âSo I was already awake when I heard you leave your room. So, you want to tell me whatâs up?â
A long, silent moment, filled with only the distant sound of crickets in the night, passed before Purple eventually responded, âI- Itâs nothing, really. Sorry to drag you out here-â
âDonât give me that,â Chided King, âCâmon, tell me whatâs going on. The King demands it.â
Purple snorted in laughter, though it wasnât a particularly jolly sound. Rather, it sounded⊠tired, âItâs not important,â They tried to downplay, âJust⊠a bad dream. Iâll be fine.â
âAh,â Another moment of silence passed, followed by a simple question, âPink or Blue?â
âWhy do you think it always comes back toâŠ?â There was another pause, in which Mango could imagine King giving Purple the same look Mango would give Gold when his child would come home with unauthorized candy. Purple sighed, âPink.â
âThat makes sense, given that weâve seen the dead come back to life today,â King shuffled over on the stoop; closer to Purple, maybe, âDo you⊠want to talk about it?â
âNot really much to talk about,â Purple proclaimed, before elaborating anyways, âMama and Pops and I were up at the beach, north of the city. Do you know it? Itâs at the lake with the little island in the middle.â
âNever been, but Iâve heard good things,â Confirmed King, âIs it nice?â
âItâs beautiful,â Purple sighed, their voice tinged with melancholy and nostalgia, âWeâd go every year, and we were always there until super late at night. Pops would carry me on their shoulders into the deep water, and Mama would take me to see where all the pretty fish gathered⊠then, when it got late, weâd have ice cream and watch the sun set together. No matter what else was going on, we were always happy there.â
Were. Mangoâs mind clung to that word, brow furrowing. He knew now that Purple had parents at some point, but the family they came from seemed to be in just as much ruin as Kingâs own. That answered some questions, and raised so many more.
âWeâll have to go up there sometime,â King responded, speaking to Purple like one might speak to a skittish kitten.
âYeahâŠâ Despite the affirmation, Purple didnât sound particularly enthused at the idea, âbut, normally when I dream of the beach, itâs a happy dream. So I was surprised when a storm rolled in and my Pops⊠disappeared. Then I heard screaming, and I saw my Mama out in the water, where it was really deep. There was something clinging to her. Some kind of⊠monster. I couldnât make it out really well, but it had really big, really sharp teeth.
âIt dragged Mama down into the water. She kicked and screamed, and started coughing really bad, but she couldnât get away from it. At first I just sat there and watched like a total idiot,â Mango couldnât help wincing at the raw bitterness in Purpleâs voice, all directed inward, âbut as soon as I was able to move I dove down after her. I swam as fast as I could, but it was like there was some sort of upward current. I couldnât break free of it, no matter how hard I kicked, and she just got dragged down further, and further, and then⊠then I couldnât see her anymore,â Purpleâs voice shook a little, âI⊠once I lost sight of her, I froze. All I could think was that I wasnât strong enough to save her, wasnât good enough to save her, and it hurt so bad. I didnât even realize I was drowning too until I woke up gasping.â
King and Mango both took a tense moment to absorb Purpleâs story. The guilt Mango had been suppressing redoubled in his chest, creating an uncomfortable bubble of pressure within him. Despite the way their voice shook and warbled as they recounted their dream, Purple wasnât crying. Was it because they didnât want to burden anyone with their grief? Were they too used to the pain to cry? Mango couldnât say for sure, but the idea of a child pushing their pain down so deeply, when they were being used as a narcotic to drug away someone elseâsâŠ
âIâm⊠so sorry,â King cooed softly, his voice a careful orchestra of concern and restraint. âYou know⊠once Second recovers, we can ask them to do what they did for Gold for your mom. Iâm sure they wouldnât mind.â
â...No.â Purpleâs answer was sad, but resolute, âNo, that wouldnât be a good idea. What happened to Gold was a tragic accident. Mamaâs death was⊠not. She died of a long, incurable, painful illness, and we donât know if Secâs healing powers work on diseases like that. If we brought her to the future, no matter how far back we went, Iâd just have to watch her die again. Not only that, sheâs so nice, all my friends would love her, and then theyâd have to lose her too. It just wouldnât be fair to anyone involved.â
Mango felt a stupor fall over him as he mulled over Purpleâs answer. When heâd learned about Goldâs death, he could only process two things: the fury he felt at the monster whoâd allowed his baby to die, and the urge to protect Gold, no matter what it took. The effects on other people, on the world around him⊠heâd never even considered such things. How could he even think of anything but his child? The amount of thought Purple was able to put into the consequences of their actions was⊠utterly baffling.
âThatâs an incredibly mature decision,â Spoke the King, âand Iâm so sorry you had to make it, sweetheart.â
âEh, those were more like excuses not to ask, really.â Purple sighed, far more world-weary than any kid their age should sound, âEven if the others didnât kill me for asking after Sec almost died, it wouldnât be right to make them risk their life again just for me,â They paused, then added, âDoesnât mean it doesnât hurt, though.â
âI know,â Consoled the adult. Mango could hear him gently patting Purple on the back, presumably, and without thinking Mango clasped his own hands together. âIâve heard being in a more comfortable space can help with nightmares. You said you wanted a hammock bed, right? That shouldnât be too hard to install.â
There was a brief pause before Purple answered, âYou⊠donât mind me modifying your room like that?â
âYour room,â King corrected without hesitation. âItâs your space now, Purple. Iâd like some heads up if you want to, you know, knock down walls or anything, but you can change it up however you like. You deserve to feel at home here.â
âHeh,â A little more cheer was evident in Purpleâs voice as they absorbed Kingâs words. They seemed more confident, somehow, âYeah, thanks. Hey, maybe we can take that trip up to the beach. You know, if you donât bring any drama.â
Now that Purpleâs mood was on the upswing, Kingâs own voice took on a more jovial tone as well, âExcuse you. Iâll have you know that I had absolutely zero flair for the dramatic before you entered my life.â
Mango couldnât help but raise an eyebrow. Um, no. Even he had to call bull on that one.
âYouâre welcome~!â Purple teased back, âBut, seriously, the beach is kind of my happy place. So we can only go together if you promise to keep it a happy place.â
Context made King respond a bit more seriously, âI promise. Nothing but happy memories at the beach!â Then he hummed in thought, âIt might be a while before we get to go, then. âDramaâ has kind of taken over our lives right now.â
âWhen hasnât it?â Purple joked back, âBut, until then, maybe we can go somewhere else? And we can even bring Gold and your evil twin.â Mango scowled as King snorted. How did he, the one who wasnât a terrorist, end up with the title of evil twin? âLike, we can check out the amusement park! Or I can show Gold my tree house-â
âGonna have to veto that one, bud,â Interrupted King, âI know it wasnât the gameâs fault, just some malfunctioning tech, but Iâm not sure if Iâm ever going to be comfortable with Gold going into Minecraft after what happened⊠Iâm only barely able to handle you going in there alone.â
Mango flinched away from the door for a moment. The game that killed his kid⊠Purple played it? And King let them? What was wrong with this guy?
âYeah, thatâs fair,â Purple agreed casually, as if they werenât talking about a stick-killing murder simulation, âthen I guess we can do something else. Maybe the park?â
âYeah, the parkâŠâ King sighed dreamily. Which park they were referring to was easy to guess; it had been his and Goldâs go-to place for after school playtime since the kid was a kid. His child was a hyperactive angel of destruction, and the park was a perfect place to let out all that excess energy in a healthy manner. Mango smiled at the memory of scrapes on his arms and legs from sword dueling with branches. He could practically feel Goldâs weight in his hands as he helped the child across the monkey bars. If Mango had to pick a happy place of his own, that would probably be it. âThat sounds lovely. Gold could show you all his favourite spots, I could use myself as a punching bag to teach you both proper dueling,â Mango rolled his eyes as Purple let out a snorting laugh, âWe could get corn dogs.â
âI hate corn dogs.â Purple answered. Heâd suspected it after noting their taste in pizza, but this confirmed it for Mango: Purple was an absolute heathen.
King took this betrayal in stride, âThen the princess can get themselves a pretzel.â Purple tried to complain, but King cut them off by ruffling their hair. He chuckled fondly at them, all sweet and loving and⊠how could he not feel any guilt, showing them this kind of affection, when all heâd done was use Purple to fill the hole in his life? âHow are you feeling now?â
âMmâŠâ Purple took a moment to mull it over before answering, âTired, actually. I think Iâm ready to head back in.â
The two were already standing by the time Mango processed what that meant. He scrambled to separate himself, jumping away like it was on fire and hopping across the sprawled out bodies of Purpleâs friends like they were hurdles on a track. The echoing creak of the door opening hit Mangoâs ears just as he darted out of sight, throwing himself behind a wall to avoid being seen. Purple and King were murmuring softly between themselves as they slowly and carefully walked through the living room to avoid waking Purpleâs friends.
That slowness would be Mangoâs saving grace. He turned and began creeping through the hallway towards Goldâs bedroom at the end. In his haste to escape, he forgot himself, and placed a foot down without thought.
Creeeaaaak
...Damn it. Mango winced. It was doubtful that Purple heard that, given how new they were to the house, but there was no way any version of himself would mistake the sound of the door outside his old room creaking. Not with how many times heâd been woken up in the middle of the night by a restless little golden angel knocking at his door.
â...Purple, hold up a second,â Kingâs voice quietly called out. Purpleâs questioning noise turned to one of shock, âYouâve got something on your cheek. Here, let me-â
âEw, Old Man, no-!â
Oh. King was giving him a chance to get away without being busted by Purple. Mango didnât take the time to question his motives; he quickly walked, paying more mind to avoid the squeaky boards on the floor, and cautiously, quietly, pulled the bedroom door open. It made a slight squeaking noise, but there wasnât really any hiding that, so Mango hurried inside and shut the door as quietly as he could manage.
Gold, thankfully, was still in bed, turned away from where King and Mango had set up their blankets for the night. Even in his sleep todayâs events were clearly weighing on him, and Mangoâs heart ached at the sight.
At least the poor kid was able to get some rest.
--------------------
Gold hadnât been able to get any rest that night.
How could he? The joy and excitement of preparing for the tournament this morning felt like a far off, distant dream. All he could think about was that shameful confession his father â his Dad â had poured out to him. All the people heâd hurt, the world heâd almost destroyed for Gold, over an incident that was almost completely separate from the game itself.
Both Dad Mango and Dad King had gotten up at some point, but Gold hadnât even bothered to roll over and check on them. Were they fighting again? It shouldnât have mattered, but another knife of betrayal stabbed into Gold anyways. Heâd asked them to do one thing, one thing! And they couldnât even manage that.
As he laid there, Goldâs mind flickered through the dayâs events like he was mindless clicking through programs on the television. Purple had tried to hide it, or downplay it, or whatever, but Gold knew that his dad had hurt everyone in the living room, including Purple themselves. Whenever he tried to close his eyelids, his imagination conjured movies of the others fighting for their lives, of Dad glaring them down with a maniacal grin on his face, of Purple pushing against the pain of whatever hell Dad had summoned, begging him to stop, glitches and errors threatening to pull them apart pixel by pixel just like they had King Dadâs GoldâŠ
Tears burned at his eyes, and Gold sniffed and hastily wiped them away. Heâd always known his Dad had a temper, but⊠but heâd thought his Dad was a good personâŠ
Eventually one of the Dads came back, a near inaudible creak in the otherwise dead silent night signaling his return. Gold didnât bother to turn over to check which one, or if it was both of them. The idea of talking to his own Dad made him feel worn down â the bad kind of worn down, where your entire body was sore and you could feel the strings of sanity snapping in your mind. Gold held as still as he could and hoped Dad wouldnât approach to check on him.
Several moments passed, and Gold felt a sense of guilty relief when he heard the rustling sound of sheets as Dad got back under the covers.
He was followed soon enough by the door opening again, and other Dad entered. The door clicked shut behind him, only audible in the silence of night, and then the air was painfully still. The lack of noise caused Goldâs heart to beat louder in his ears. Anticipation stole his breath.
âItâs rude to eavesdrop, you know.â
Gold gulped down his nerves. Shoot.
Thankfully, before he could make the mistake of speaking up, the other version of his Dad, the one whoâd entered first, responded from where he laid on the floor, â...Sorry.â The voice was soft, and lacked the hostility he had in previous conversations with himself.
âIâm not the one you need to apologize to,â The Dad not laying down answered, âTomorrow youâll be telling Purple, and saying a proper âsorryâ,â His tone was firm, and Gold realized that the one standing by the door was, most likely, King.
âI will,â Mango replied. He didnât put up a fight at all, which somehow made Gold more nervous and suspicious than he wouldâve been if heâd fought the demand. He paused for a brief second, then asked, â...Purpleâs mom is dead?â
Goldâs breath caught in his throat. Purple was⊠was that why Purple went along with everything Dad had wanted? Because they didnât have anyone else?
King sighed out a long, tired sigh before responding, âYeah. Sheâs been dead longer than Gold. Some glitch in her core coding⊠I havenât exactly pressed Purple for details, and they werenât keen on giving them.â
âAnd their other parent?â Mango asked gingerly. Gold was reminded of an incident from when he was younger, when heâd broken a window with a baseball, and Dad was asking about the damages owed. The dread was tangible.
For a long moment King didnât respond, and Gold was almost starting to think he wouldnât when he finally answered, âThatâs not my story to tell,â Kingâs voice was tinged with quiet rage, making Gold shiver. Is that what the others heard, when his Dad tried to destroy a world? Or was Goldâs father louder in his villainy? âAnd if I tried, Iâd genuinely get too angry to sleep. Just know that if I had my way, that stick would NEVER get anywhere near Purple again.â
âSo my hunch was correct,â Mangoâs voice was quiet, almost inaudible, âThe kidâs an abuse victim.â
Oh, and it just got worse.
âLike I said, Purpleâs story isnât mine to tell.â King spoke through gritted teeth, âIf you want the details, you can ask them like the adult youâre supposed to be. But Iâm not saying anything else about it. I donât even think Purple knows how much I know about their previous home.â
Mango scoffed, âNo wonder the kidâs so attached. How can you not feel guilty?â
âGuilty?â King echoed.
âFor using that kid like you are? For taking in some sad, pitiable orphan just to make them replace your dead child?â
That- that wasnât true, Gold forced himself to think. There was no way that Goldâs Dad would do that to some poor kid, right? But⊠there was no way Goldâs Dad would commit attempted murder, or destroy an entire world, either. He searched himself for some sign, any sign, that his Dad wouldnât do that to Purple, and was met only with a clawing emptiness in his chest.
At this point, Gold didnât know what to think of his own father.
âIâve already told you,â Anger crept into Kingâs voice, though he kept the volume low, âPurple is not a replacement for Gold. Theyâre not some pet project, or some band-aid solution Iâll abandon now that Goldâs back.â
â...Well, itâs not like itâs my business,â Mango dismissed. Gold could hear rustling as he turned away from King, âOnce I have the money, Gold and I are out of here. After that? You and your sad orphan can play happy house all you like.â
Bile churned in Goldâs stomach. How could his dad talk like that about Purple? After what theyâd done for Gold? After what heâd learned about them?
Was his Dad always a bad person, and Gold had just been too stupid to see it?
The argument may have continued, but Gold was beyond caring. Bitter resentment and sour guilt pooled in his stomach to create a nauseating mixture. He couldnât understand; how could his Dad claim to love him while using his death as an excuse to treat the people around him like trash? And poor Purple, caught in the middle. Kingâs emotional support and Mangoâs target of resentment, allowing themselves to take on the Ochre familyâs burdens so the rest of them could be happy. It felt to Gold like someone should take on Purpleâs burdens, for once.
And if his father wasnât up to the task? Well, then Gold would have to do it instead.
---------------------
(Inhale) So.
I've been itching to put this story down for a while. My original idea was to make it a comic, but after some thought I decided to make it a fanfic instead. I just didn't expected it to be so LONG. Seriously, this is a multichapter fic and this is chapter ONE. Oh boy.
Feel free to let me know what you think so far, or if you come across any typos or anything. I did my best to edit, but this ended up being a lot longer than I'd expected. There were just so many little moments I'd wanted to include, I couldn't bring myself to cut anything.
I'm not sure how often I'm going to update this fic. It took like a month of work to write and draw everything, and I do have other things I want to do. But I'll do my best, I promise.
#Okay so I found this through ao3 and I flipped. I'm too scared to comment on there so I'm going feral here.#OHMYBDCHFUCKFIGN GODTV YOUREW THE PERSOEN YOUREE THE THE TFRWLLE yOURE THE FELLA I KNEW FROM MY THSC PHASE!!!!! YOURE THE ONE WHO WROTE VS!!#(Valiant Souls I mean) OH MY GODSHGDHEAVENS!!! I ADOREW THIS#side note: I think I have an inadvertent fondness of sticks BUT that aside#OH MY GOD KING ORANGE AND PURPLE AND TSC AND RED AND THE REST OF THE COLOR GANG!!!!!#(You can tell who's the favorites from who gets mentioned first.)#YOU DON'T KNOW HOW QUICKLY I SCRAMBLED TO READ THIS FIC AFTER I SEARCHED UP VS ON AO3 REREAD THE CLOSING CHAPTERS OF IT#(Can't believe I was still lurking there to see the tumblr banner change during an important chapters release I liked VS a lot did you know)#I looked at your profile there and flipped when I saw AvA there but why was I surprised I thought. Sticks. Of course. Of course you did.#I LOVE THIS FIC??? I LOVE HOW YOU CAN MAKE ME HATE MY THEORETICAL PAST SELF AND HOW I KNOW I'D BE TOO STUBBORN TO SEE MY OWN DOWNFALL??#YOU POTRAYED THAT FEELING SO WELL?? THE IDEA OF LOOKING AT A MIRROR OF YOUR PAST SELF? *cough* sorry anYway. The idea that even as you con-#convince your past self on why falling into this rabbit holeâą of rage you know you'll fall into is bad but your past self thinks you're-#you're big bad and stupid and does the Thingâą you know will get him into trouble and only hurting others around him in ways he doesn't reali#(I am looking at one person. Hi Mango- no not you King hi King)#Tell Gold I said hi./j#SPEAKING OF GOLD â CALL ME INSANE BUT IT'S FUNNY HOW PURPLE HAS MUCH IN COMMON WITH GOLD BUT NOT (This was mentioned wasn't it?#âthe more differences I find between them the parallels alike them outweighâ or something of the like. Mango(King) you funny man.)#JXNSDKAJFHSJDJSJDJSJD#Okay sorry but I looked at the cover again.#I still sincerely believe that is NOT a trophy#That looks either like an IV bag (what's it called?) or a hamster bottle or like someone else said â a water bottle. No offense â#I have severe processing issues./hj#I love that charming mistake.#And final note. I think.#Clearly this fic wasn't designed to be visualized with the design for KO/MT I had in mind because an averagely heavy man pinning down someâ#some burly mf who's just taking the brunt sounds utterly comedic. (Mango the former King the latter. Of course.)#I adore this fic I came cause I know you for writing good Sticks and what do I come back to? You writing good sticks. I actually love that.#AvA#AvM#King Orange
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Confessions Series - Part 2: Description [Genshin Impact Male Characters]
In a nutshell: He asks if you have your eyes set on someone. You start describing HIS features and watch for his reaction. (Hint: He likes you too)
Other works in this series: (Part 1 - Overheard)
Warnings: The usual, haven't written in a while, please forgive mistakes, bit of angst in Diluc (couldn't help it), I am a sleep deprived mother, some profanity, for some reason did not feel like writing Zhongli though he's one of my faves.
Characters: Aether, Albedo, Alhaitham, Ayato, Baizhu, Bennett, Chongyun, Cyno, Dainsleif, Diluc, Gaming, Heizou, Itto, Kaeya, Lyney, Neuvillette, Scaramouche, Tartaglia, Wriothesley, Xiao, gn!reader
Personal Favourites: Diluc, Wriothesley
Aether
"Yeah, I do," you start. "He's very selfless...He's always running around helping other people,"
Aether nods, intense gaze in his eyes while listening.
"Hmm...He has...a partner. Like a companion he always travels with..."
Aether's brows start to furrow and his head tilts the slightest bit. Paimon flying next to him has no clue who it is whatsoever.
"He's not originally from Teyvat...He's on a journey, you see..." this is where you start getting nervous
You see it click in Aether's head slowly, and his eyes start to widen the slightest bit
"Hey, that sounds an awful lot like you, traveller! Why have we never met this person before, Y/N?" Paimon asks and you only smile.
"P-Paimon," Aether glances at her and then back to you. It's silent for a moment. Paimon is super confused.
But Aether being Aether didn't want to get the wrong idea and racks up the courage to ask you one last question. "He's on a journey...to look for his twin sister?"
You smile the brightest smile you've ever given him. "Correct!"
"Ah...Well..." Aether starts to feel the heat on his cheeks. "That's..." he doesn't say anything else for a few seconds. "Don't get me wrong, I'm just...I'm happy!"
Is basically flustered when he realizes you've technically just confessed to him.
Albedo
"Simply put, I think he's dedicated to his craft," You shrug and smile
"...An admirable trait," he responds.
"He's frequently in Dragonspine. He spends a bit of time in his lab there," you decide to just go straight for the obvious.
Albedo pauses. "I...see..." Turns to you with a small smile "I wasn't aware that you were that fond of me,"
"Now you know," you simply say and try to play it off with a wave of your hand.
He chuckles under his breath and strides over to you while saying. "Well then, I suppose it's my turn to talk about the person I've set my eyes on,"
Proceeds to describe you accurately, down to your likes and dislikes. In his eyes, you seem like something so precious and you can't help but feel a bit embarrassed.
Alhaitham
"Hmm... Sort of," you explain. "He's a little...hard to reach,"
Alhaitham "...and you still pursue him?"
You laugh a bit "I'm hardly pursuing him, I'm just...observing. I like watching him, even though he has the most unreadable face I've seen,"
Alhaitham goes quiet for a moment. He catches on fast, he already has an idea but is cautious about what he says. "...I see," he doesn't ask anything else, but you continue to offer information.
"He likes reading. Really smart guy...but kind of no nonsense type. Very straight to the point," You begin to feel a little nervous so you pretend to read your own book with a small shrug.
The silence is deafening.
"I suspect that type of person will be hard to put up with," he suddenly says aloud and you chuckle in response.
"Possibly, but he seems to be putting up with me too...I guess?"
He suddenly closes his book and leans forward to pry the one in your hands away. He locks his gaze with you. "...'Putting up' is hardly the word I would use." his lips twitch the slightest bit before continuing. "He has little to no patience for other people...so if he keeps you around...perhaps it signals something else,"
"Something else...As in, I'm special?"
Again he quiets for a moment, before he stands up, chair scraping the floor. "...Precisely," he turns to start walking out of the library, waving a hand behind him. "I'll pick you up in the morning tomorrow,"
Ayato
"I do, but he's a very busy sort of man,"
Ayato "Is that so?" he pours tea for you.
"Quite. He's also a very important person,"
He hums and watches the billowing steam from the tea. "It sounds as if I might know this person," but he genuinely doesn't know it's him, he just thinks its another noble.
"...You most definitely know him. He has a sister. Lovely girl." This is where you avert your gaze from him in fear of him instantly connecting the dots.
He talks in pauses "A...sister..." His mind is starting to make connections but he can't be quite sure yet. So he prods further. "...Does she happen to have a vision?"
"A cryo vision holder, yes," you're biting the inside of your lip at this point. There's a moment of silence before you hear Ayato laughing rather gleefully, like he was amused by a story.
"I see." he ends with a chuckle. "I apologize for being so busy, Y/N," he smiles at you "I promise I'll do my best to arrange my priorities in order to spend more time with you,"
Baizhu
"He takes his job too seriously and can be quite reckless...Sometimes he even puts himself in danger,"
Changsheng catches on immediately. The snake had already known for a while. Baizhu was just being dense. "Oh here we go," the snake half whines.
Baizhu gives it a weird look before turning his attention back to you. "That does sound reckless,"
"I've told him a couple of times to think about himself too...but I guess he's just really passionate about his job,"
Baizhu sort of shrugs, "What IS his job?"
"...Well for starters he owns a pharmacy around town,"
To Baizhu the realization hits all too slowly. It's not that he was slow or dense, but he was having a hard time believing that it was him you were talking about, specially when you hadn't said it outfront.
"...You do realize I'm the only one who owns a pharmacy around town?" he asks, eyes piercing through you and awaiting your answer.
Changsheng is the one who answers for you. "Yes you ridiculous doctor, Y/N's pertaining to you!"
It's the first time you've seen him blush and he turns his head away when he does so. "I-I see, well...that's rather, unexpected...but not unwelcome,"
Clears his throat "Just give me a moment"
Changsheng would roll its eyes if it could.
Bennett
"Has a lot of energy...Sometimes I wonder where he gets all of it. I really like him for that though."
Deflates as soon as you start talking about your "crush". What kind of answer was he expecting anyway? That you had eyes for him?
"He has a bit of a...problem when it comes to luck," you continue
Bennett stops, you look at him and you can practically see the gears in his head starting to turn a little faster.
"Y-Y/N? Are you talking about..." then the gears suddenly stop. "Oh what am I saying, it can't be. Ahahaha! Let's go!" starts walking again as if nothing happened
Your jaw drops and you're forced to just DIRECTLY tell him you're talking about him.
"...Oh...Oh! F-For real?! Oh...Sorry... I just thought... there's no way! B-But, I'm really glad! Really!"
Chongyun
"Hmm...He's a little shy...but he's very responsible,"
Chongyun stares at you intently and nods as if taking notes.
"He doesn't like spicy stuff,"
Chongyun nods twice, eagerly.
"He's very dedicated in learning about thaumaturgy,"
Chongyun blanks out, brows furrow but still nods. Slowly.
"He's really good with a claymore too!"
Chongyun stops and stares at you, you see a hint of red gracing his cheeks "Y/N...You can't possibly be...talking about... m-m-m-"
Can't seem to say it, so you outright say that it is, in fact, him.
Combusts into a tomato red
Cyno
"How do I say this...He's a pretty strict guy." The two of you are playing Invokation TCG during this convo.
"Mmhmm..." Cyno is focused on his cards, frankly he doesn't give a craps ass who you're into. He didn't even know why he asked, he just dug himself a hole.
"...but he really only takes his work seriously. It's his job to be serious, I guess. I think that's what Matras need to do," he finished his turn and its yours now, though he's still studying his cards intently. Until you get to the Matra part.
"He's a Matra?" You rarely see a surprised face on Cyno so you focus your gaze on him. "Which one?" He further asks. Honestly he looks about to murder someone.
You blank out a bit at how intense his stare was, "Well...You know. That one, the one who's really into Invokation TCG,"
He immediately follows up without missing a beat "I don't know anyone else who's into--" then it clicks.
It was so damn silent for a good 10 seconds. You clear your throat, tear your eyes off him "Um, it's your turn,"
STILL doesn't budge until he finally goes back to his cards with a whisper, you can't really tell but he looks slightly bashful and you can barely, BARELY hear him "...If I win then we go on a date,"
"Okay, and if you lose?"
Cyno "...I'm not gunna lose,"
"See, I told you he's a really serious guy,"
Dainsleif
"I think he's a very dedicated person," you get lost in thought a little, thinking about him. "Whenever I look at him...Sometimes I feel as if there's a certain sadness in him... Perhaps he blames himself for not being able to protect his nation,"
He IMMEDIATELY knows. And he knows that you hurt for him too. How could he not?
"He searches for answers... I don't know for how long, I suppose a long, long time," you close your eyes, imagining how long he must have been wandering Teyvat.
You only open your eyes when you feel a hand brush against yours. He's looking straight at you, neither happy nor sad. "...You don't have to feel that way, for my circumstances,"
The brush against your hand disappears and reappears next to your cheek, his fingers gently resting on it "...Knowing that you feel that way, has taken away some of the burden that I shoulder,"
His gaze suddenly hardens and his voice drops to a whisper, "But please, just don't end up in the same way as everyone else,"
Diluc (I don't know why I end up writing a whole novel for this guy. I guess he's my OG favourite)
You pause for a moment, wondering how to describe Diluc. "...Sometimes... I feel as if I know a lot about him and yet... he's still far off in the distance,"
Diluc, rifling through paperwork, doesn't even look at you. "...That tells me nothing about him," there's a bit of bite in his statement.
You sigh a little, "I mean, simply said he's a hardworking man. He always has Mondstadt's best interests in mind...but he prefers to work alone,"
He's silent, but you can still hear the paper shuffling.
"....but people love him. They care for him. I suppose I understand why he keeps a distance but..." at this point you don't even realize that you're just rambling and staring into space. Sort of in a daze of thinking out loud. "...isn't it lonely? ...I suppose I shouldn't assume how he feels. Maybe he's fine with it...I just wonder how long till he sees us..." there's silence, no ruffle of papers, you're still just staring at the bookshelf and you continue in a monotone voice. "...or sees me,"
You blink, and all of a sudden its as if a magic spell is cast on you and you wake up to the reality that you've been rambling about him. You sit up straight "Oh," then turn to him with a careful smile. You don't think he knows what or who you're talking about anyway. "I better get going," you stand, "Jean must be waiting for me."
You leave, and he doesn't stop you.
You don't really think anything of it, feeling as if your whole monologue was very vague...but to your surprise he knocks at your door in the evening, there's a bit of rain falling.
"Diluc? You're drenche--"
"I see you,"
The determination in his voice lulls you to keep quiet and only stare up at him, wondering if he had more to say, but instead of saying something, he leans in, wrapping his arms around you and resting his forehead on your shoulder, as if he had been defeated.
You only welcome his embrace, and, for the first time in a long time. Diluc finally feels like he's home.
Gaming
"Passion!" You nod your head as you say it. "He knows what he wants to do and is incredibly dedicated to it!"
Gaming looks surprised, has no idea you're talking about him. "Huh! That's really cool!" He thinks he's the total opposite. "Wish I could be as dedicated as him."
You kind of laugh out loud and he raises his eyebrows and tilts his head. "What?"
"Gosh you really sell yourself short," you shake your head "Anyway, this guy, right, he kinda works two jobs," you put out your hand to count one and two "One, for the Secure Transport Agency and two, he's in a Wushou Troupe,"
Gaming instantly straightens his back and looks at you wide-eyed. You figure you had to be direct when it came to him otherwise he'd never get it with how modest he was.
"...You're...talking about...me?" You smile at him sympathetically.
"You know, Gaming, I wish you saw yourself the way others saw you. You're a great person,"
Big smile, but legit looks like he's about to cry. "Between the two of us? I think you're greater Y/N,"
Heizou
"...Honestly he's kind of a flirt," you raise your eyebrows at the fact and kind of question yourself why you like this kind of person. "Makes me wonder if he does that to everyone, you know?"
Heizou hums and puts his hand under his chin in a "thinking position"
"That's not enough evidence to go by. Perhaps we can investigate this guy together to see if he's worthy,"
You look at him, pursing your lips while musing and giving him a suspicious look. You're not sure if he's figured it out.
He's got no idea. I mean, it was a pretty general description. "Any distinguishing features?" he asks.
You look at him in a deadpan manner. "Red hair, I guess. And moles under his eyes,"
He looks back at you with a matching blank face.
Then breaks into a wide, close eyed grin. "I see! From experience, that person is truly trustworthy,"
You sigh a little, "Is he though?"
He chuckles heartily. "I promise you he is," offers you his hand with a genuine smile. "Let me show you,"
Itto
"Ummm... big, tall, strong looking guy. Intimidating at first look but he's actually a dork," you explain.
Itto crosses his arms above his chest with an unamused face. "Tch! No way! Ain't no one taller than me in Inazuma!" Then he looks smug again. "Anyway, keep goin'. What else?" Only asked you because he wants to see what your "type" is.
"...Popular? Nah... Infamous is the word, I think. He kinda gets into a lot of trouble,"
Itto raises a brow "You serious? Whaddyou want with someone like that?" as if he wasn't a troublemaker himself.
"I mean... He also loves life and somehow always sees the good side of things."
Itto "Eh... guess that's a good thing..." folds his arms behind his head and huffs.
This guy is never gunna get it so you drop more obvious hints. "He's an oni who has his own gang."
For a split second he looked like he was going to get it, and then... "WHAT?! There's another oni who wants to challenge the Arataki Gang?"
"That's not what I--"
punches his fist onto his palm "Lead the way Y/N, let me at 'em!"
"I'm talking about you!"
"Huh?"
"Itto, there's no other oni around town!" leave it to him to make you exasperated.
He quiets for a few seconds. "...But Y/N..."
You expectantly stare at him, curious what he was going to say about your confession.
"...Did you just call me a dork?"
Of course that's what he picks up on.
When he finally processes it though, he's stoked and on an all time high.
Kaeya
"...good at talking to people, and he knows it... Exudes charisma like he breathes air," You're saying this with a glare.
He chuckles and rests his head on his fist. "Why, pray tell, do you look angry when saying that?"
"Not angry..." you mumble under your breath, eyes trailing away from him. "Just... probably a lot of people like him,"
"And you don't like that?" He smirks. He totally knows.
"...No...Well...I'm okay with it... It's just... I think he's so much more than what he shows to others,"
That, he wasn't expecting. He actually feels genuinely touched.
"Sure he jokes around a lot...Is good at making people feel comfortable...but he's also kind...and you can always count on him," there's a faraway gaze in your eyes now, a small smile on your face. "To me, he's...a safe space."
Kaeya's smile drops. It looks like he's unhappy and you think that maybe you've made a mistake. Still...there's no way he knows that it's him, right? It was kinda vague...
You're about to stand and excuse yourself but he catches your wrist easily. "...You know..." he starts, meeting you eye to eye. He looks at you as if he's looking into your soul, his eyes the gentlest you've seen them.
"You make it so hard, not to fall deeper in love with you,"
Lyney (I have no idea how this ended up so dramatic)
"He isn't exactly a trickster...but he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve,"
Lyney "Oh?" Raises an eyebrow. Something kind of clicks in him, but he shakes it off. "The good kind or the bad kind?"
You stall a little, thinking of the answer, knowing that he's Fatui. "The...good...kind,"
"You don't sound very sure," he gives you a lopsided smile.
"It's complicated," you admit. "Regardless of the circumstances though, I think he's a great magician,"
You watch his face turn into surprise quite quickly, but he still looks and feels unsure of himself. "Oh, perhaps...I can learn a thing or two from him?"
Your smile turns forced and hard. He can't be serious? He STILL doesn't know, or...what?
"I...Well..." You don't know what to say next, but he seems to get the idea.
"Sorry, have I put you in a hard place? Ahaha..." Scratches the back of his head. "My apologies, I was just curious,"
This, for some reason, really puts you off and you feel as if you've been rejected, even though you technically had not outright told him that you're talking about him.
It seems silly for you to get upset, but you are. So you stand, and make a request of him. "Can we... just pretend this conversation didn't happen?" and you give him some sort of excuse that you need to run an errand or something, and you're off, leaving him feeling...guilty. But he doesn't know why. Or does he?
Lyney would look like the type of person who would be confident about himself. But, really, as a magician, he had to be 1000% sure about something before he went ahead with it, and so...that's where his doubt stemmed from.
Lynnette is really the one who knocks some sense into him. "...and you...let Y/N leave?" after hearing the story from him.
"Oh, Lyney... Regardless of what Y/N feels... For you, next to Freminet and I, is there someone else that you love dearly?"
That's how he ends up at your doorstep. Though you've seen his disappearing rose trick hundreds of times, he was the most sincere at that moment, when he says sorry that he didn't get the hint and to give him a chance.
Neuvillette
"Serious person. He seems to put his work first, above all else," you say. "I respect him a lot for that,"
Neuvillette is interested in what you say, but doesn't know at all that it's him. "He does sound quite respectable," he says while looking through some files.
"A long time ago he said that he feels like he's an outsider...but really I feel like there isn't anyone who knows Fontaine the way that he does,"
Neuvillette, moves the file he was reading downwards, just to look at you questioningly. "He's from Fontaine?" this was surprising to him.
"Well...he currently resides in Fontaine, yes," you nod.
"Ah," he answered curtly. "And I have never met him?" he asks.
"...He's very busy." you bite your lip, about to say something and you know that the next sentence is the point of no return. "He's the Iudex...so it's hard to catch him,"
You swear you can hear your heart hammering in your chest.
You see him put his files down and just stare at you with a sort of...unsure look.
His shoulders relax, he wasn't even aware he had been tense that whole time. "That... must have taken a lot of consideration and courage to say," he clears his throat.
You only nod your head slowly, moving your gaze away from him with an awkward smile. Hand absentmindedly grabbing a book and flipping through the pages...you had no idea what you were doing out of nervousness.
"I apologize...I'm unfamiliar with what to do in these kinds of situations... However," he pauses and seems to think carefully about what he was going to say next. "Please don't take it as a rejection. I'd be honored to navigate this with you, if you would so graciously have me,"
Scaramouche
"He's an asshole," you bite back a laugh.
He instantly knows.
"Actually he acts all tough only to give in to his inner-kind-of-agreeable-personality,"
He snorts
"What? Am I wrong?" you challenge him. You KNOW that he knows. The two of you have been hovering around each other for a while, and there's a certain closeness between the two of you. Though that line was never crossed.
He doesn't answer you back but prods you more. "Is that all? You like that he's an asshole? Are you some type of masochist?"
You almost laugh. "No, you moron. I'm saying he has a weird way of showing he cares. He's always biting my head about not being careful enough. But if he really didn't care he wouldn't be screaming at me, you know what I mean?"
Scaramouche grumbles something under his breath and crosses his arms, turning away from you.
"Say that again?" You ask, not hearing what he said.
"...I said, you're not as stupid as I thought you were," shrugs his concealed embarrassment off and turns back to you all nonchalant again. "Anyway, stop yapping and get going, we got things to do,"
Snatches your hand and starts pulling you to walk with him.
Tartaglia (I feel like this is ridiculously short but I also feel like Tartaglia would have known a LONG time ago if the two of you had the feels for each other)
"Oh man...Probably the most reckless man I know,"
Also knows. Instantly. But shuts his mouth just so he can listen to you talk about him, but it gets deep real quick.
"In my opinion he's a handsome guy. Real charming," you smirk the tiniest bit. "but I don't know if I can keep up with him, honestly. It's a little hard not knowing when he's going to come back...or if he's even gunna come back at all,"
You weren't going to hide the fact that you were scared shitless he didn't return from Fontaine for ages. You legitimately thought he had died.
Tartaglia stops you there, by suddenly cradling your cheek. "Y/N," he's wearing a pained expression. "I'm sorry,"
"Don't be, it's your job, right?" You reassure him, and shrug.
He sighs "Yes, but I'll promise this to you as I've promised my family," he smiles, the most confident smile you've seen on him. Even more confident than when he wields his blades. "I'll come back to you, I always will,"
Wriothesley
"Er... How do I say this... He kind of has some... big boss energy?"
"Oh?" he sips at his tea, glancing at you while he looks at today's paper. "So he's a bigshot?" he asks curiously.
"Somewhat, yes. Intimidating at first look, but...he just has a great sense of responsibility," you pick at the selection of cakes and cookies he has.
"Huh," he lets out in a quick huff. In the deepest, DEEPEST parts of his mind there is a NANOSECOND that he thinks its him but it gets erased so quickly he's not even sure that he had thought about it.
"Sounds like a good person... Any interesting, weird quirks?" he grins as he says this, yet again glancing at your expression.
Your lips tremble a bit at what you're about to say, because you're SURE he was going to get it once you say it. You gulp and feel the hairs at the back of your neck stand before you say out loud "He likes tea. I kind of wonder if it's an addiction," you can't meet his eyes.
He's looking at the paper he's reading but nothing.registers.in.his.brain.its.like.it.stopped.working.
You shift in the uncomfortable silence but he calmly folds up the newspaper and places it on his table. "...I'm inclined to ask, because it would be embarrassing if I got the wrong idea,"
"Mmhmm," you pop a cookie in your mouth to distract yourself.
"By any chance, are you...talking about me?"
"Mm," you nod your head, still not looking at him and glue your eyes on the cookies instead, out of embarrassment.
Suddenly chuckles. You brave a peek at him, now covering his eyes with a single hand, head tipped back to rest on his chair.
You're not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
"Sorry, no, it's just... I didn't think it would happen this way." Visibly takes in a big breath and sighs it out slowly. Seems to have regained his composure and is back to his confident self, smiling at you. "Thanks Y/N, I... don't think it's much of a secret that I enjoy your company too. I'm just a little embarrassed that you beat me to it...some big boss energy huh?"
Xiao
"...He takes on everything by himself. I worry about him," You look at the stars as you say this. Xiao doesn't say anything.
"But I'm glad that he's opening up a lot more now. It's great to see him among friends,"
Xiao has a feeling at this point, that its him you're talking about, but he still doesn't say anything and keeps his gaze in front of him rather than on you.
"Yes, the road in front of him is long but...he's also already come a long way," you sigh a little "The time of Rex Lapis has long gone, but he still sticks to his principles. I think his dedication is part of what I like about him,"
This is when he turns to you, blank look on his face, contemplating on what to do. When you turn to meet his gaze, its then that he decides to bridge the gap between the two of you, shoulder to shoulder, leaning in sideways to catch your lips in a chaste and rather shy kiss.
"You should give a bit of credit to yourself, for putting up with me all these years, Y/N,"
End!
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#genshin impact#genshin fluff#neuvillette x reader#wriothesley x reader#diluc x reader#alhaitham x reader#childe x reader#tartaglia x reader#gaming x reader#scaramouche x reader#itto x reader#aether x reader#cyno x reader#albedo x reader#ayato x reader
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ANGEL â SAM WINCHESTER.
SUMMARY â sam starts to grow fond of an angel. they have grown more comfortable around each other, and tensions run high when dean leaves for a bar.
WARNINGS â no plot all porn... 18+, softdom!sam, unprotected sex, p in v, oral, f!receiving, unexperienced!reader, angel!reader, LOTS of praise, biting, creampie, mentions of religion, sam's a sweetheart. he's also a freak.
WC â 4.3k. i got carried away.
A/N â i feel like i'm going to hell just from the warnings alone. i erm. i don't even know. shout out the two people who asked to get tagged in this đ first ever smut fic, if you hate i'll probably delete my account. i am not editing 4.3k words btw. i'm lazy.
angels weren't supposed to enjoy the feeling of a human. that much was well known.
and when you came from heaven to assist castiel in whatever the hell it was that he was doing, that was repeated to you over and over again. these 'humans', they weren't important. your only job was to make sure sam winchester didn't get hurt. that was all this was supposed to be. a casual round of protecting the winchesters.
you didn't understand human norms, and at first, sam didn't like you. you didn't take personally, of course, because, well, sam hated any angel at first. castiel quickly explained to you about the brother's and how you'd be spending more time with them while he awaited directions. honestly, you couldn't care less about either of the brothers, too. they were hunters, and you were an angel. you weren't supposed to mix anyway.
sam winchester was more interesting than his older and shorter brother, though. sam was thoughtful and a lot more curious about you than he let on at first. as you spent more time 'watching' over him, you realized he enjoyed asking you questions about heaven, and the angels, and about castiel. and you tried to answer them to the best of your ability.
sam was more open to learning about you than dean, and he was more considerate when it came to teaching you knew things. slowly, he started defending you against dean's antics, and he learned about how curious you were, too.
he spent many late nights awake with you, struggling with his insomnia. you made it much more enjoyable. on the off chance that he did get some sleep, he'd wake up to you in the bunker, lounging and reading one of his books. as soon as you saw him awake, you'd pounce on him, eager to talk all about it.
sam found you endearing in the same way you found him intriguing. you both taught each other different things. he taught you about different emotions and how to communicate them to him. he showed you his favorite movies. he told you about his time in standford and about how he was studying law. you taught him about the bible, about praying and how you'd always come if he prayed for you. you taught him about heaven and hell, and angels and everything in between.
eventually, you two become friends, as much as younger sam would have hated to admit that. he showed you what friendship was and what it was like to worry about someone more than yourself. he explained to you what love was and about heartbreak. sam watched as you turned from this unemotional, blunt angel into a person, crafted by the things you loved.
you two kissed about six months after hunting with him. you were unexerienced, and painfully so, and your first kiss was nothing but giggles and awkward stares. the second, third, and fourth ones weren't any better. sam was ridiculously dotting and patient, and even though you were an angel and didn't understand what a relationship was, you still tried for him, and he loved you for it.
after a week of sneaky kisses and rushing into each other's rooms once dean fell asleep, you seemed to have gotten the hang of it. you and sam hadn't done anything remotely sexual other than a few hands-under-the-bra's and one /bad/ attempt at a handjob. sam was enthralled in watching you become more confident and learning how to touch him the way that he liked and how to kiss him properly. so he didn't mind taking things slow.
you two agreed to not have sex yet, partially because to you, it was a sin, and partially because you didn't know what you were doing. sam had no issue waiting. that was, until tonight.
you don't even remember how this happened, honestly â the lingering touches became more frequent, more needy, and at some point, sam had slipped you out of your shirt and bra. you'd barely even made it to his room /thank god for dean being out at a bar tonight/, before he was kissing you, his lips hiding something more intense tonight.
you wouldn't have protested anyways, but as soon as your shirt was gone, sam was all over you.
"i know it feels dirty, honey. but it's not. i wouldn't lie to you." sam hums against your throat, kissing the soft skin. when he talks like that, all low and soothing, you might just believe anything he says. he pulls back to look at your concerned expression, and his smile softens.
his movement stills, and you frown, almost wishing sam would convince you to do more. that feeling in your stomach, the one that felt close to nausea, started to feel nice. and you craved more of it. you craved more of sam.
although his desire outweighed his guilt for ruining the purity of an angel like this, sam still sat up for a moment, his hazel eyes practically begging you. he was nothing, if not a gentleman. "do you want this?" sam asks, hushed and spoken like a prayer, and you think you might get sent to hell just from how he's looking at you.
sam's hair is a ruffled mess, and his long sleeve black shirt was rolled up to his elbows. his carhartt jacket had long been discarded by you, tossed somewhere into the dark abyss that was the dingy, horribly lit motel room. he looks beautiful.
"i do, sammy, butâ" you breathe out shakily. before you can finish answering, his hands are on your hips, tugging you closer to him. you're both standing up, his large hands moving up your skirt to trail up your sides. sam can feel your back arch against his hands slightly, and it's taking everything in him to not lose his resolve.
san, who previously said he was okay with waiting, felt like a selfish man tonight. he could honestly care less about your innocence right now. what he did care about was you, though. sam knew that if you wanted him to continue, he wouldn't be able to stop.
"but what?" sam mumbled, his fingertips digging against your hips. his erection was pressed dangerously against your thigh. he shifted you until you were pressed against him â he knew what he was doing and the effect it was having on you. you didn't answer and could only grumble a complaint out.
"just needa taste you, honey. we don't have to go all the way if you don't want to." sam's words are a contradiction to how he was staring at you. "although, i have thought about doing more." he hums, and he has a slight shit eating grin on his face. it's sort of surprising that this is your sweet sammy.
you're conflictedâ this is wrong. sinful. but there was a bubbling heat in your stomach, and you wanted nothing more than to make sam feel good. maybe a part of being human was indulging in your sins. you pout at him slightly, and sam has to stop himself from moving his hips up against you. he doesn't just want this, he needs this. he needs to corrupt you, to ruin your innocence until all you can think about is him.
"fine. be gentle, though, sam. i mean it." you relent, although you didn't need much convincing. honestly, if he tried to pull off of you, you'd be the one begging him to touch you and not the other way around.
"oh, fuckâ" sam groans, and he almost instantly falls to his knees. his hands are tugging off your jeans faster than you can process. "you don't know how long i've wanted this." his tone makes you feel dirty, and you can't help when your brows crumple into a slight glare. you didn't know what he was doing, but you wanted him to hurry it up.
you help him kick your jeans off around your ankles and step out of them. you're left in your cotton panties, and for some reason, it turns sam on more to know you weren't planning for this. honestly, neither was he.
"leave these on." two fingers slip underneath the elastic by your thigh, tugging them and letting them go, the fabric snapping against your skin. the action makes you suck in a breath. sam's lips make their way to your upper thighs, sucking and kissing at the sensitive skin. it's not enough, and he knows that. he's driving you crazy on purpose to see you squirm for him.
"samâ" you chastise, like a scold, your hand running through his hair and tugging on it gently, trying to bring your hips closer to him. sam fucking moans. he moans at getting his hair pulled, and it makes your brows crease in bewilderment. /you would definitely be keeping that in mind./
sam looks up at you with those same puppydog eyes, and you swear you're going to burst into literal flames and have your wings removed instantly. "needa taste my girl's pussy. y'gonna let me?" sam says softly, his voice muffled by your thigh, gently biting on a spot. when you whimper, he pulls back to kiss at the forming bruise, his hands massaging at the fat of your ass.
truth be told, you'd probably let him fold into a pretzel at this point, but you didn't want to stroke his massive ego.
the noise you make is answer enough, and sam deftly pulls your panties to the side. his hand brings yours to hold them. he needs *both* hands for devouring you. sam's two middle fingers move to collect your slick from your folds, and you shiver. his brows raise, and he smiles again. "you're soaked, baby. you really want me that bad?" he asks, and you're nodding quickly.
sam can't hold back when you look this pretty above him. you can feel his breath against you. even just looking at you bare in front of him is enough to make him want to cum in his fucking jeans.
he flattens his tongue against you, and your hips stutter against his mouth. you've never felt anything like this before. you can feel sam's grin against your cunt, his hands cupping into your ass and pulling your hips further into his mouth.
seeing such a large man, especially one like sam, at his knees, lapping at your pussy like a fucking starved manâ it makes your head fuzzy.
without warning, his middle finger slips into you. your hands move to his hair to steady yourself, massaging at the brown strands, pushing some from off his sticky forehead. the concentration on his face is almost cute, but it soon becomes too hard to keep your eyes open.
another finger slips past your folds, and you're mouthing his name like a prayer. his fingers are rocking into you at a slow speed, but his mouthâ it was fucking dirty, the way he'd suck on your clit, only pulling away to breathe. everytime he pulled away, a string of saliva followed, connected between you two. his chin was slick with your arousal, his chest panting with heavy breaths. and then he was right back to devouring you.
maybe sam winchester was the devil.
your hands tug on his hair slightly, and sam groans against you. the heat in your stomach was building and sam was near drunk on your pussy. when he looked up at you with those hazel eyes, you moaned, your thighs tremoring.
"samâ sam, it feels too good... pleaseâ" you breathed out, panting too now, and sam didn't relent, no matter how hard you were tugging at his hair. his hand was holding your hip hard not daring to let you squirm away from him. indents of his fingertips would ruin your pretty skin by the morning. you had to shy away from his intense gaze.
sam pulled away, still fucking his fingers into you. "eyes on me, baby." he mumbled, before sinking flush against your clit again. you listened, although your face was an embarrassing hue of pink. sam was just as loud and needy, if not worse than you. everytime your thighs clenched around him, or you tugged on his hair, profanities and groans slipped from his lips. he needed you.
sam kept his tongue latched onto you, his eyes showing that he was as desperate as you were to make you cum. the noises he was making were filth, soft grunts and groans, all muffled by your puffy pussy. when your eyes flickered down, you noticed that one of his hands were palming himself through his jeans.
with every shake and spasm, it was like sam knew you were close. he was using his hands to rock your hips more onto his tongue, your weight practically suffocating him. sam would gladly die a happy man in between your folds, if it meant getting to look up at your beautiful face contorting in pleasure. his chest swells at the fact that he is the one who gets to touch you like this.
that feeling returned as quickly as it left, and soon you were cumming on his face, your legs shaking as he kept his fingers curled into your folds. that was probably the best thing you'd felt since coming to earth. sam pressed a kiss to your overstimulated clit, before kissing up your stomach, your breasts, collarbone, and finally standing to his full height over you.
"how was that?" sam asks, licking the wetness off his fingers. as much as he wanted to ruin you, he also wanted to make sure you were comfortable.
heavy pants still wracked both of your bodies, your thighs aching and barely able to hold your own weight. he had the audacity to ask that after making you feel things you hadn't felt in your centuries alive? in between deep breaths, you shot him a slight glare.
"what do you think?" you tutted, puffing his lips out in that gorgeous pout that made sam was to kiss you stupid, holding onto his biceps so you didn't lose balance.
sam grins in response, his hands moving to your bare hips, pressing you into him. his cock was fucking painfully hard and he had to refrain from rutting against you. "i need to fuck you, honey." fuck sam and his beautiful eyes, pleading at you. his hand leads your to palm him from over his jeans, and he moans softly, so prettily.
you were conflicted. you knew his cock would feel so much better than his fingers, but this was wrong. "sammyâ" you say in the same chastising voice that drives him insane.
"please, let me fuck you. need to feel you around my dick. fuck, doesn't even have to be all the way." sam pleads, and you have a hard time saying no to that. he was practically begging you. you sigh at how weak you were for this man. "please fuck me, sam."
sam eyes widen slightly, and he can't help his grin as he pushes you back against the bed. his eyes stay on you as he pulls his shirt off, discarding it across the motel floor along with all of yours. you can't help but stare at him. all tanned, scarred, and bruised, despite being young. it was so different compared to your imperfect skin, free of any blemishes or let alone scars.
sam's tantalizingly slow as he takes off his belt, followed by his jeans. he's fucking huge. that much you can tell by his bulge alone. your eyes widen slightly when he strips his boxers off.
he wanted to take his time with you, to treat you like the goddamn angel you were, to wrack every noise he can from your lips. but, sam was impatient as hell. and he was really, really hard.
"you're beautiful." sam coos, caging you in between his much larger frame. there is a shine in his gaze, so soft and loving, that it almost makes you feel queasy. he's not doing this because he's bored or because he wants to get off. sam's doing this because you're his world.
"you're alright." you respond, not able to hold back the giggle that escaped your lips afterward, especially when you felt sam's annoyed sigh against the crook of your neck. you can feel his irritated grin. sam fell in love with that devilish laugh of yours, and he found it endearing that even during this, he could make you sound like that.
it was such a sharp contrast from how emotionless and... awkwardâ you first were when you met the winchester brothers. sam has loved watching you adapt this sassy personality, loved eyeing you while you admire new things, hearing the way your voice heightened whenever you laughed, the way you took over parts of his and dean's own quirks and personalities.
"just alright? you wound me, angel."
this time, you rolled your eyes. you turn your head to the side to press your lips against the mole below his right eye. "you're beautiful too, sammy. you already know that." you huff out, your tone unmistakably soft. sam scoffed, nipping at her neck slightly. it was nice to hear that from you, regardless of what he thought about himself.
unfortunately for you, the compliment rushes to sam's head. he sits up slightly, his cock pressed against your lower stomach, a hand brushing over your cheek, moving your fanned hair out of your face. "are you sure you're okay with this? we can stopâ i'll put on a movie, and we can forgetâ"
you interrupt sam's worries by pressing a kiss to his palm. "yes sam, i'm sure. please." and that small act of intimacy followed by your voice pleading for him was enough reassurance for sam. no need to tell him twice.
sam pumps himself a few times, his eyes not once leaving yours. "scoot your hips up for me, honey." you oblige, and you can feel his cock pressed against your clothed entrance. the sight leaves nothing for the imagination and sam sighs as his fingers pulls your panties down to your ankles.
sam looks like he's in fucking heaven, his lips parted and staring at you bare in front of him. his thumb habitually moves to your clit, rubbing soft circles against it just to watch you squirm under him.
"sam, quit being a damn tease." you frown and wiggle your hips into his more. his gaze is making you shy, something you didn't know was even possible as an angel.
"innocent angel, my ass." sam mumbles under his breath, but he obliges, lining up his cock to you. he collects your slick with his tip, dragging the wetness over your already overstimulated clit. sam rubs it against your folds a few times, before pressing only about halfway in. the moan that leaves your lips is heavenly, so much so that sam's head has to fall to your shoulder and bites it softly so he doesn't cum too fast like a damn high schooler.
"you're so fucking tight, shitâ" sam groans and it's so dirty coming from him. he's usually so sweet to you, so hearing this is different. and arousing. but different. you'd expect this talk out of dean, not sam.
sam really wished he would've slept around a little more in college now because it was taking far too much concentration to not finish already.
"need to fuck you, baby. please." sam all but whimpers out. all of your beliefs, your nightly prayers, all of it was gone the second you felt him inside of you. you can only nod in response, your hands tugging at his waist to come closer to you.
sam stills, looking at you for a moment like he can't believe you want this. and slowly, he pushes in all the way, and you both share a pornographic moan.
sam is quiet as he lets you adjust to his size. he wasn't one to toot his own horn, but he was pretty big. and even though your vessel wasn't a virgin, mentally, you still were. sam had a mantra of things going through his head â the main ones being: please don't cum, please don't cum, please don't cum. don't say i love you. don't move too fast yet. let her adjust.
sam leans down to kiss your forehead. "good?" he hums.
you nod again. "hurts a little." and sam is nothing but patient, kissing each of your temples before brushing your hair away.
"i promise you're doing so good. it's gonna hurt for a moment. it'll feel better soon. just relax." sam murmured against your shoulder, his lips sighing down towards your collarbone. "gonna move now, sweet girl." calloused palms are pressing your thighs to your chest. he leans down enough so you can hold on to his shoulders if you need.
with one hand still on the back of your leg, and the other one cupping one of your breasts, he pulls out almost all the way before rocking in slowly. your eyes screwing shut from pleasure is enough to test the waters with a more heavy thrust. "that's it, baby. look at youâ" sam groans, his fingertips digging into your skin. his eyes were glued to where his cock was entering you rhythmically, and god, he could get addicted to that sight. sam could fucking see where the tip of his cock was pressing into your belly. his palm moved over it, adding slight pressure to your lower pelvis. the feeling made him groan out your name softly. he was just as loud as you were. "so beautiful."
part of you wanted sam to shut up so you could focus on the feeling of your walls fluttering around his cock, but the other half of you enjoyed the flithy words leaving his flushed lips.
"oh, fuck. sammy, 's too muchâ" you whimpered out, your hand squeezing his biceps. your legs wrapped around his waist to bring him closer, the balls of your heels digging against his ass. sam think he likes that you're not very vocal. it makes every beg, every moan that much more special to him. he was the only one who got to see his angel falling apart like this.
everything about sam is fucking massive, from his height, to his sheer size difference over you. it shouldn't have been shocking that his dick was huge too, but you felt it now. you felt every single inch, stretching you out, your arousal slipping down his shaft. sam's thrusts grew more feverish, his shaggy brown bangs falling into his face as his head fell forward slightly. "i know you can handle it baby." he grunted in response to your plea, hazel eyes fucked out with lust.
that feeling in your lower belly returned, and now, at least, you know what it meant. it was overwhelming, but not enough for you. your hand reached for sam's hand, guiding it to you clit. sam thought that was the hottest thing he'd ever fucking seen, and shuddered slightly. "you wanna cum around my cock? is that it, sweetheart?" sam asks, a small, contemplating smile on his lips.
you're writhing under his cock, your back arching off the bed, his thumb rubbing soft circles around your nub. you tap his bicep in warning of your approaching orgasm, but he doesn't stop. he doesn't slow down either. in fact, he ruts his hips faster. the feeling of you clenching around his dick is enough to send him over the edge, too. he's biting down hard on his cheek to stop himself from cumming before you. he wants, needs to see you cum first, before he can.
your face contorts into pleasure, and you cum hard, sam still fucking you through your orgasm. he groans and his eyes close when he watches you making a mess all over him. "thaaat's it. that's my girl." he encourages, the feeling of your walls clenching around him tipping him over the edge. "fuck. gonna fill you up." he grunts against your shoulder, his hips stuttering slightly and you moan as you feel his cock twitch inside you, before you feel cum spurt into your cunt.
sam pulls out a moment after, his eyes blown out when he watches his spend leak from your pulsating hole. he uses two fingers to spread it around over your folds. once he's satisfied with his handiwork, he slumps down into the bed next to you.
you're still a panting, sighing mess. you feel your legs twitch occasionally, and you're finally coming to your senses. you were just fucked stupid by your best friend. a human.
"jesus, sam. is this really what humans are doing?" you ask, out of genuine curiosity, and sam pinches your side with a slight laugh. he looks spent, almost as bad as you. his head falls to your shoulder, pressing his lips to the soft skin present.
"the lucky ones, yeah." sam huffs in amusement. "you're okay, right? i didn't hurt you, or pressure you or anything?" his voice is a little persistent, worried, already overthinking like he wasn't just inside of you.
"'course not. that was amazing. i think i'd go to hell if it meant having sex everydayâ i see why castiel was encouraging me into trying this." you tilt your head to the side, and sam raises an eyebrow. he didn't even dare ask what odd things castiel told you about. nor did he want to know. he couldn't see castiel doing anyone without scaring them away with his bluntness first.
sam chooses to ignore that, leaning over to pepper kisses onto your cheeks, nose, and forehead. anywhere you'll let him at this point. "you did amazing. absolutely drained me. y'sure you haven't done that before?" he teases, and you roll your eyes at him. your eyes watched him with concern when sam stood.
"alright, crazy girl. let's get you cleaned up."
#sam winchester x reader#sam winchester#supernatural#dean winchester#dean winchester smut#sam winchester smut
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happy hotwifing â p.js & p.sh
When a single man moves in next door to you and your husband, it wasnât difficult for either of you to take interest in what he could offer to the dynamic of your lives together. Unfortunately, the new and interesting man appears to be afraid to admit that heâs curious as to what happens behind your very unlocked front door. or the one where your husband, jongseong, fucks you in front of the window to help the neighbor get off and then said neighbor shows up at the door a week later.Â
minors dni! | reblog to give husband and neighbor a boner
WORDCOUNTâ 18.9k
PAIRINGâ husband jongseong x afab reader x voyeur sunghoonÂ
CONTENTâ husband!jay, bachelor sunghoon, hotwifing/ open marriage, exhibitionism, voyeurism, second hand embarrassment, threesome, smut.Â
WARNINGSâ mentions of sunghoonâs ex cheating on him, also jongseong is assumed to be bisexual and/or he is attracted to sunghoon too but there isnât any dude on dude stuff. jongseong does put his fingers in sunghoonâs mouth tho, deal with it.Â
NOTEâ i wrote this originally on ncteez. i am the same person lolÂ
smut tags under cut::Â
smut tagsâ exhibitionism, voyeurism, big dick jay, HUGE dick sunghoon, top/dom(ish) jay, service top/shy/bottom(ish) sunghoon, embarrassment kink???, mentions of porn, masturbation, phone sex kind of?? idk he calls sunghoon so he can listen to the shit heâs seeing, alcohol consumption, finger fucking, clit stimulation, unprotected sex, tit fondling, raw grinding, oral (f & m receiving), deepthroating/facefucking, making out, dirty talk, pussy drunk men, cock drunk reader, double vaginal penetration, riding, missionary, finger sucking, cum stuffing, desperate desperate people!!!Â
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Sunghoon ran from a lot of things. He ran from his ex fiancĂ©e when she cheated, he ran from new opportunities out of fear of losing what he already had, ran from a cop once as a teenager for streaking near the old folkâs home. Running wasnât exactly something heâs fond of but, more often than not itâs what his heart tells him to do.
As stated, the last time he ran away was when his fiancĂ©e was found in the bed he paid for with her co-worker. Thatâs when his need to run came in the most handy, having no qualms with giving her the apartment and everything in it. His job allowed him to leave without much of a financial hit, herâs wouldnât.Â
The ring he bought stayed on her finger for some reason, the home he made became one she shared with any man that wasnât him. Itâs okay though, because to him? She can have it. Heâs much more comfortable starting over than she would be. So, thatâs what he does.Â
He has money, he has a good job, and now he has a lovely house of his own on a quaint little street on the other side of town. Far far away from her.Â
Starting over is equally as exhausting as it is exciting but Sunghoon keeps his chin up throughout the process. Making an empty house his new home, working his job as if his entire intimate life didnât just fall apart, and of course, preparing himself to mingle with the new neighbors.Â
A month after moving, Sunghoon had made platter after platter of food for neighbors as his greeting in an attempt to make friends. Many accepted and returned his dishes washed and unscratched. All are friendly to him but the majority of people in this neighborhood are middle aged and a bit out of his league. There is one pair of neighbors who appear more around his age though, and interested in actual friendship with him. The pair who brought his dishes back full of their own offer of a decent dinner for him to eat on his own time.Â
Despite the majority of people living on this street being polite and fond of him as a newcomer, this specific couple appears to be the only ones without an entire family. Just like Sunghoon. No children, free time to go out on the weekends, no minivans or babysitters coming every day during working hours. Naturally, he internally clings to the idea of them being his new friends, because his old group of friends consisted of his ex fiancĂ©e and her tight-knit group of pompous women and their boy toys.Â
Jongseong is the husbandâs name, and briefly he met you alongside him a few times. He assumes you must have your own interests to cater to, because each time he finds himself on his own front porch with Jongseong talking and joking around, you rarely come with him. Save for the one or two times you did stay to hang out for a couple of hours.
After a few months, heâs managed to sprout friendship with the man next door who has a pretty wife with a ring on her finger. Sunghoon tries not to internalize that he was supposed to be living the way Jongseong is. Maybe heâs a bit jealous of the happiness in Jongseongâs eyes when he talks about you, or maybe it makes him feel like he either wasnât good enough as a partner, or his ex simply just didnât love him anymore.Â
Still, even with the slight jealousy, Sunghoon is comfortable around him. Heâs never clicked with another man so quickly in terms of friendship, at least not without several shots of hard liquor to get himself comfortable. Itâs definitely different with his neighbor.Â
The guy is open, kind, and occasionally pretty funny. He comes over a few nights a week with the claim of âman-timeâ. Itâs been at least fifteen times since he officially met Jongseong and comfort comes alongside him when he sits on this porch and they fuck around about menial things. Hanging out with him is arguably like a breath of fresh air.Â
Jongseong though, he takes note of a lot of things that Sunghoon doesnât quite seem to notice himself. One, any time he mentions his wife, Sunghoonâs eyes falter a bit. Two, Sunghoon is clearly a single man and Jongseong canât quite grasp why that is because heâs a handsome dude, with a level personality. Three, there are slight self-deprecating jokes coming from Sunghoon at least five times an hour and itâs starting to make him wonder. At first it can be funny, but after a while it kind of stops being a joke.Â
So, here they are, joking and having a nice conversation on Sunghoonâs porch. Itâs a Friday night and Jongseong assumes theyâre close enough by this point to really talk. Youâre in the back of his mind, making offers, smirking about the new neighbor, laying down the interest flat out after merely meeting with him a few times. If Sunghoon really is a single man, and if heâs as open minded as he seems, perhaps laying down some hints and an invite can help him out of this clear slump that he tries to pretend heâs not in.Â
âWhat about you? Do you have someone in your life?â Jongseong asks after a solid twenty minutes of gushing about you. Internally knowing what he says about you is true, but also trying to sell the idea of how wonderful and sexy you are. He leans back as he studies Sunghoon, noting the way he stiffens at the question.Â
Again, itâs clear that Sunghoon is a single man with the way heâs always in this house alone before and after work. On the weekends, heâs sitting on his porch waiting for Jongseong to come join him. Sometimes thereâs a doubt though, because looking at him, anyone would believe he is taken. He is down to earth, funny, kind, handsome as hell. Maybe he does see people and Jongseong just never catches it.Â
âAh, no,â Sunghoon avoids eye contact, trying to laugh it off as he confirms Jongseongâs suspicions. He wants to talk about what happened though. He hasnât been able to talk about it, and honestly, Jongseong seems like a trusted friend at this point. âI was with someone for six years, asked her to marry me, and then we broke it off. Thatâs why Iâm here now.â
âOh yeah? Starting over, huh?â Jongseong nods politely at him, figuring something like this may have happened. âCan I ask what happened?â
Sunghoon shrugs nonchalantly, looking at Jongseong with a carefree face and a smile.
âShe wasnât the most faithful, you know how it goes with those sorts of things, I guess.âÂ
Jongseong studies his face a bit more, seeing straight through that carefree attitude and noting the immense amount of hurt Sunghoon must feel.Â
âI donât, actually.â Jongseong starts, watching Sunghoonâs brow rise in confusion.Â
âOh, well isnât that nice?â He responds with a defeated shrug, almost wanting to roll his eyes. âYou might be the first man Iâve ever met who hasnât dealt with infidelity at some point. Even just as a teenager.â
âOn the contrary,â Jongseong says with a smirk, leaning towards Sunghoon as if he has a secret to tell. âWe fuck other people all the time.â
Sunghoon stares at him as he processes those words. Unsure of it that means they both are cheating out of spite, or if theyâre about to divorce or something.Â
âSometimes in the same bed.âÂ
Oh.Â
âAt the same time.â
Jongseong deadpan stares at Sunghoon, searching for a reaction to his words. There have been many times where he and his wife invite someone to their bedroom, and many more times where the person ended up so freaked out that they ghosted the entire situation. Perhaps out of fear that Jongseong doesnât know what heâs doing with his wife. Many people canât seem to fathom that possessiveness, jealousy, and competition arenât part of the deal.Â
You married Jongseong and he married you long after the two of you started doing this. The trial period was over before it even started. He loved watching you be pleasured, and you loved the way he looked at you as it happened. Of course, not all of the sex involves other people, but it never hurts the marriage when a third shows up.Â
âOhââ Sunghoon swallows around his dry throat, mind running in several directions at once. Heâs not sure how to respond to that information. âThatâs cool, I guess.â
Jongseong stays silent, smirking a bit at the way Sunghoon, so tall and broad, stutters to find the words to say. Itâs not like he straight up invited him, not yet at least.Â
âI couldnât imagine doing that, considering I just left my fiancĂ©e for fucking someone else.âÂ
Jongseong nods both understandingly and apologetically. People do tend to mix up the two. Is it cheating when he watches another person fuck you? To some people, yeah but, monogamy is natural for many people.Â
âI assume she didnât tell you that she would be fucking someone else.â Jongseong shrugs, leaning back again. âI can imagine that even if she did tell you, youâd not have allowed it, right?â
Sunghoon nods.Â
âIt puts my stomach in knots to think of someone I love wanting to be with someone else.âÂ
âThatâs fair,â Jongseong starts, glancing away and thinking of how to word what he wants to say. âWhat if someone else wanted you to fuck the person they love?â
Sunghoon freezes again, unsure of if heâs thinking too hard about that question, or not enough.Â
âIâm sorry, what?â He asks defensively, looking his neighbor dead in the eye.Â
âIâm not saying you have to take up this offer but, I mean, youâre a single guy. Iâm a married guy, with a wife who is incredibly curious about you.âÂ
Sunghoon continues to process the words, still overthinking it.Â
âIs this a joke?â He asks in a quieter voice, whispering as if the entire neighborhood can hear them.Â
âAre you attracted to her?â Jongseong continues to press, wondering what itâll take to get a simple yes or no out of him. He notes the way Sunghoonâs ear goes red, and canât tell if itâs because of the offer or because heâs afraid to call another manâs wife attractive.
âHere, let me rephrase,â He starts over, leaning forward again. âMy wife thinks youâre, in her own words, âbeautiful.â She asks about you every time I come home from hanging out here, and sheâs starting to get persistent.â
Sunghoon, still at a loss for words, slowly nods.Â
âSheâs pretty, yeah.â He says, now leaning himself toward Jongseong and raising a brow in curiosity.Â
âAs a single man, are you looking for love or are you looking for fun?â Jongseong continues, prying answers out of him and smiling at the way it seems he was right in believing there is interest here.
âI just got out of a six year relationship, Iâm not trying to do all of that again,â Sunghoon shakes his head in disappointment. âNot for now, at least.â
âSo, do you want to fuck my wife?â
Silence.Â
Jongseong pinches the bridge of his nose momentarily, seemingly frustrated.
âLook, does it help to know that I want to watch you fuck my wife?â
Louder silence.Â
âOkay, you clearly need some time to think. Just, if youâre ever interested let me know. I can open the blinds if you want, like a sample or something.â
Jongseong can see the way his eyes glisten at that offer through his silence. The wavering interest igniting right then and there. Ah, a voyeur, what a perfect addition to this neighborhood of dry vanilla cake. Itâs not strange at all to see a monogamous man watching his footing in this situation, but the offer to watch is an entirely different thing from an offer to join right off the bat. Especially since there needs to be boundaries set if he decides he does want to fuck you.
For instance, when did he last get tested? Considering he got duped by his ex, thatâs important. Does he like it raw? Does he know the ass belongs to Jongseong only? Etcetera.Â
âCan you say something? Iâm starting to feel like Iâm making you uncomfortable.â
âAh, sorry. Itâs justââ Sunghoon leans back with a sigh of relief at the general questioning being over and done with. âYeah, I need to think about it.â
âDonât think too hard,â Jongseong laughs. âItâs getting late so, if you need me Iâll be fucking my wife.â
Sunghoon watches him stand on his feet and follows the action. Feeling both closer to him and also in a rut of wondering if their entire friendship will rely on whether he wants to fuck his wife or not. Should he like, hug him goodbye or something?
He stands awkwardly as Jongseong studies him even more.Â
âJust think about it, really. She loves being watched too, if you donât want to be involved directly.âÂ
God, he can feel how red his ears and face have become, surely Jongseong knows by now that the interest outweighs the concerns. And as Jongseong turns to head down the steps, he calls out to him.Â
âLetâs say Iâm interested but unsure of how to go about it, what then?â
Jongseong turns to him and smiles, taking a few steps closer so that he doesnât have to yell out to him.Â
âItâs sex. If you know how to fuck, you fuck.â
âAnd if Iâm not entirely ready to throw myself into your marital bed?âÂ
âThereâs still a couch, and againââ He smirks. âLike I said, opening the curtains isnât the most insane sexual practice.â
Sunghoon being the person looking through those curtains thoughâŠis it really not as insane as heâs thinking it is?
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âSoâŠ?â You ask as soon as Jongseong comes through the door, clinging to him with doe-eyes and a smile.Â
âHe seems interested but,â Your husband slides off his shoes and heads straight for the couch to lay against it in a huff. âI donât know. Just found out his ex cheated on him after like six years, I think the whole idea spooked him.â
âAh, damn.â You look to the floor, and then make your way onto the couch with him. âWhat did you say?â
âI asked him if he wanted to fuck you.â
You narrow your eyes at him before rolling them with a frustrated sigh.Â
âWhy would you ask him straight up like that? I cannot believe you pride yourself in being the talker of our sex life. Itâs no wonder we have trouble finding people to join.â
Jongseong looks at you with a fond smirk before shaking his head at you.
âWould you feel better if I told you that he admitted to thinking youâre pretty?â
You smile, warming up next to your husband and feeling entirely safe here.Â
âWhat about if I told you that right before I came back home, he said he was interested and just didnât know how to go about it?âÂ
A bigger smile forms on your face as you look up at him, devious eyes glistening in the warm lighting of your living room.Â
âI offered that he can just watch instead. If he takes up that offer, it won't be long before heâs banging on our front door ready to show us a good time.â
You reach up to brush some of his fringe out of his face before releasing a dreamy sigh.Â
âHeâs so handsome. Like, even from here I can tell he must be packing. I hope youâre right.â You say as Jongseong rolls his eyes, knowing damn well that Sunghoon is your type and youâre probably never gonna shut up about him. âCanât believe someone cheated on that.âÂ
âAlright, alright.â He playfully complains, shoving you back against the couch and practically smothering you with his form as he flops down on you. âHe hasnât accepted yet, save those compliments for if he joins. He seems pretty shy, probably likes to be doted on.â
âOoh, shy?â
âOh yeah, for sure. He was actually stuttering when I made the offer, I donât think he noticed how red his face got.â
You chuckle at the mental image of Sunghoon being shy. You only had to meet him a few times to grow interest in him, but on first glance youâd think he would be the dominant type. Itâs a welcome change that your husband thinks heâs the opposite.
âDo you think If I joined you next time, he might be more inclined to pull it out or something?â
âAbsolutely not. I can imagine he wouldnât even come out of his house if he saw you on his porch after what I said to him.â
âGod, heâs cute.â
Jongseong nods against you in agreement, finally pulling his weight from you and standing on his feet.Â
âYeah, itâll be fun to see where this leads. Now if youâll just follow me to the bedroom, I also told him Iâd be fucking you tonight so Iâd like to make good on my promise.âÂ
Fortunately for you, Jongseong never makes a promise that he canât keep.
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For days Sunghoon contemplates the things his neighbor said. Over the short time heâs known him, he clicked into friendship so easily and felt like he could trust him. Apparently, Jongseong felt the same way because spilling all of those intimate details right there during a regular hang out was a bit out of the blue. Then again, he canât imagine a married man would simply offer for anyone to fuck his wife, so the pros definitely outweigh the cons of this situation.
If it was a joke, he thinks he would know by now. All heâs gotten from Jongseong since then is pleasant conversation as if the offer was never made to begin with. Which somehow makes it worse because he wants to talk about it. He wants more clarity.Â
God, since then, heâs had nothing but intrusive thoughts of fantasies heâs never considered before. Heâs so horny out of his mind on a daily basis thinking about it, especially now that he doesnât have his ex fiancĂ©e around. Porn has never been so loved by him until now. Even when he was a teenager, he never jerked off this much just to calm his thoughts.Â
The various types of porn heâs viewed within the past five days is insane. The post-nut guilt hit him pretty hard at first, sending him into both a sex crazed and sex starved stupor but, the interest only heightened from there as he would eventually start searching up porn related to the exact thing heâs been offered.Â
On the sixth night of contemplation, he peeks through his blinds at the house next door and notes the silence. He knows some wild things must happen in that bedroom and he wants to know what it is so badly. Naturally, he starts searching up some keywords without really knowing what any of it entails.Â
He watches cuckold video after cuckold video, feeling his opinions of fucking another manâs wife validated by the amount of people who seem to love it the way he wants to. Then, exhibitionism comes into play. He watches at least ten videos involving said kink, his cock growing so pathetically hard at the fact that this could be a reality if he wants. Then, voyeurism.
Good lord, thatâs him. All of these videos, at least in the ten more he watches, he can easily put himself in the shoes of watching. Which only makes it more arousing when he lands on a video that is clearly scripted, but entirely too similar to what his kind neighbors offered.Â
There, a man watches through his window, palming himself as a woman gets absolutely railed against her own window. The camera pans to and from both ends of the scenario, for five minutes he watches the woman get fucked from the manâs window view, and then for another five minutes, he watches the man pleasure himself from her view as she moans and whimpers for him.Â
He watches intently, weeping cock twitching each time he closes his eyes and realizes that if he wanted it, that could be him. He could be the stranger in a window watching his neighbors get eachother off, except Sunghoon isnât a stranger.Â
He doesnât even need to watch the video to imagine now. Thousands upon thousands of videos comfort him in the idea that yeah, maybe involving himself in a marriage that isnât his own is okay. Jongseong is a handsome guy, and pretty fit himself. Then thereâs you, such a pretty fucking woman, walking around like you donât like to get fucked by multiple people as your husband watches.
Goddamn, if thereâs any couple heâd want to be involved with, it would be you and your husband.Â
Okay, maybe heâs interested and maybe that interest plays out the next day. Or rather, the next evening. Another Friday night, when Jongseong usually comes over to hang out except this time Sunghoon doesnât respond to his texts until much later. Out of both nervousness and his own mind games hyping himself up.Â
If heâs gonna watch, he doesnât want Jongseong to see him a mere hour or two before it happens, at least.Â
Now though, ten at night, he hyped up his cock the same way he hyped up his mentality. When heâs horny, itâs much easier for him to work up the courage to lay down his own hints, to show his own interest, and to play along with things heâs never delved into.Â
Sunghoon: Hey umÂ
Jongseong: here I was thinking you were ignoring me or something
Sunghoon: can i ask about something?
Hell yeah he can.Â
Jongseong: oh? you finally warmed up to the idea?Â
Sunghoon: iâm just curious.Â
Jongseong peeps out his own window to see Sunghoonâs blinds very quickly close.
Jongseong: whyâd you back away from the window?Â
Sunghoon: i donât know, i feel like a weirdo
Jongseong: i invited you to watch me fuck my wife, Sunghoon.Â
No response.
Thereâs a few moments of silence on Jongseongâs end as he turns to you and flicks his head to the window.Â
âIâm ninety percent sure he wants me to fuck you in front of that window right now.âÂ
âOh?â You perk up in interest, hopping up from the bed and running over to the window beside your husband and peeking out. âOpen them up then. If he watches, he watches.â
Jongseong nods, looking down at the silence of his text messages and smirking. Youâre right, if Sunghoon wants to watch, he will.Â
And so, as you go make yourself up in the bathroom for a good first impression, Jongseong is quick to work himself up now too. Given, the two of you were about to call it a night and sleep since the day was quite exhausting, this is a welcome change of events. After all, Jongseong knows how you act when youâre both horny and exhausted. Heâs sure Sunghoon will love it if he works up the courage to just look.
After a few minutes more of silence from Sunghoonâs message box, you make your way back into the room and stare at the window.Â
âIs his bedroom lined up with ours?â You ask, quirking a brow.Â
âI assume so, yeah.â Jongseong shrugs, still palming against himself lazily to get ready to put on a show.
âOh, this could be really fun.â You say, now moving toward the window and pulling at the curtains to move them completely from Sunghoonâs presumed view.Â
Jongseong follows suit, raising the blinds so fast that the sound is almost laughable.
âShould I go ahead and take off my clothes, or?â You ask now, noting the way Sunghoonâs blinds are still very much closed.Â
âPut this on, tie it loosely and let it fall open for him.â Jongseong smiles, handing you the silk robe you only ever wear when a third is joining you.Â
âOooh, perfect.â You laugh with a wiggle of your brows, stepping away from the window to completely undress and put on the robe.Â
Jongseong finally texts Sunghoon again when you get yourself situated, right there in the view of his dark and silent home.Â
Jongseong: blinds are open.
Thank god Sunghoon has read receipts on, because right as Jongseong goes to lock his phone and play with you, he notes that itâs been read and instantly glues himself against your back.Â
âHe knows. Keep your eyes at his window, yeah baby?â Jongseong whispers before snaking an arm around you and slipping it under your robe to instantly rub against your clit.Â
You do exactly as he says, gluing your eyes to the window directly across from you as you slightly spread your legs and grip the windowsill. Jongseong is good at this, always great with putting on a show too. You know for a fact that even if Sunghoon doesnât watch, youâre going to be seeing stars whenever your husband deems it appropriate.Â
âYou think heâs gonna look?â You ask curiously with a sigh, trying not to immediately lose yourself to the feeling of his fingers against your clit, or the hand heâs currently slipping through your robe to grope and squeeze your tits.Â
âWe can only hope, until then, just enjoy it.â Jongseong smiles against your neck, kissing the back of it before resting his chin on your shoulder, trying to work you up to where you start to slowly lose your sanity like you always do.Â
It works out perfectly for him, knowing that whether Sunghoon watches or not, heâs going to make damn sure youâre taken care of. His fingers expertly slide up and down your delicate folds, and his other hand pinches and rolls your nipple to the point that itâs swollen and sensitive. His kisses against your neck become peppered and gentle as he feels your legs start to shake a bit each time his fingers reach your clit again.Â
You try to turn your head to look at him, but he laughs.Â
âNo, eyes on the window.â He says in a raspy whisper, pressing his barely clothed cock against your ass. Thankfully, heâs adjusted himself to where just the tip pokes out of his boxers and feeling the coolness of the silk robe offer a gentle and soft sensation, it satiates his needs for now. âFeels good even like this, yeah?â He asks, sliding his fingers down to tease with your hole.Â
You nod against him, breathing in deeply and turning to jelly against him. You love and hate the way he makes your body react. Itâs hard to keep your eyes on that window across from you when youâre being offered sheer arousal right behind you.Â
âMm, you always get so wet when you know someone might be watching.â Your husband compliments you, dipping his fingers in before sliding them out again and running them up to swirl around your clit with more pressure than before. âGod, youâre soaking my fingers already babe, he doesnât know what heâs missing out onââ
You let out a small moan, frustrated that you want Jongseong to be right. If only Sunghoon would take the two of you up on the offer. If only he would actually glimpse even for a moment. You clench at the idea of those blinds opening, grinding harshly against Jongseongâs hand with a desperate sort of sound.Â
Right then, you see movement next door. Jongseong can tell with the way your pussy grips his fingers tightly when he slides them back into you, and you let out a genuine and desperate moan. He flicks his eyes up, now noting the movement himself.Â
The way you writhe your body at the mere confirmation that Sunghoon is watching is insanely erotic to your husband. Whether itâs out of curiosity or if itâs out of arousal, it doesn't matter. He loves the way you get turned on so fast, and with this being the situation, heâs not surprised that you seem more desperate than usual. Plus, the fact that those blinds stay parted shows that Sunghoon likes what heâs seeing, and you couldnât be more aroused by the thought of what he must be doing behind the veil of his own window-blinds.Â
Jongseong chuckles gently in your ear as you continue to lose your mind on his fingers, he can tell that now youâre moving to turn both him and Sunghoon on, rather than just him like moments ago. You grind more, you whine more, you get increasingly more wet.Â
And as you stare forward to the little space in Sunghoonâs window where his eyes sit, you grow more and more frustrated with the way he doesnât open the blinds up. You want to see him too, you need to see if heâs touching himself.
Jongseong can tell through your frustrated moans that you need more, and like the doting husband he is, he offers a solution fairly quickly.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â He coos, fucking his fingers in again at an angle, deepening them inside of you and holding your waist in place. âHeâs not giving you what you want?â
You nod brokenly, finally tearing your eyes from the window and shooting a pleading look to your husband, rolling your eyes back only slightly when his fingertips bump the soft and sensitive spot inside of you.Â
âMy phone, use it.â Jongseong smiles, holding your waist in place tighter so he can fuck his fingers in at a harsher pace. You tremble in his grasp, unsure if you can even process the idea of texting right now. âTell him to let you see him.â
You nod, smiling through the sensitivity of your g-spot being repeatedly assaulted, clearly on purpose, surely to have you going fucking feral. Reaching for the phone, your hands are trembling as you unlock it and read over the messages from before with Sunghoon. His curiosity is hopefully strong enough to actually stick around for the next however long, because god, you want him to see you fall apart.Â
Jongseong: open your blinds, let me see
Sunghoon watches you text as your body jerks with each hidden movement of Jongseongâs hand under that robe, and when his phone goes off he almost panics. Almost. He drops his cock and grabs his phone in one hand while using the other to keep the split of his blinds open enough to keep watching. Fighting the feeling of appearing like a damn stalker, despite his hips rubbing his achingly hard cock against the trim of the window.Â
The way Jongseong stares from behind you, the way you smirk through faces of pleasure at what heâs doing to you, at what he must be saying to you. Sunghoon has never felt so fucking aroused watching someone have what he wants. The way you skew your head to listen to what your husband is saying, the way his hands move to places he canât see. Arguably, you look like the most fuckable person on this planet at the moment and itâs incredibly difficult to not want to fuck something, anything, right now.
Sunghoon knows heâs done for if he so much as grips his own cock by now. So quickly the thought of doing this made his pathetic cock weep against his briefs, and now, seeing it happen in real time just across the yard. Yeah, he could cum within seconds if he doesnât try to control it. Upon reading your text though, he finds himself following precise directions and opens the blinds for you to reveal himself.Â
His face flushes seeing you in full without the blinds cutting off his peripheral vision. It kind of hits him differently realizing heâs in his own quiet bedroom fucking himself to the image of you propped up against the window for him. Itâs embarrassing and he feels entirely pathetic when you look at him like this. Both so far away and so close at the same time. His senses are heightened tenfold the moment he sees you react.Â
An accidental moan spills from his lips, the sound breaking the heavy silence of his home and echoing through the walls as if to tell whatever ghosts that live here that he definitely wants to fuck around with the married couple next door. Your attraction to him only heightens the confidence he holds within himself.
You, on the other hand, can feel your arousal drip out of you and onto your husbandâs hand at seeing Sunghoon coming into full view. Your hand grips at your husbandâs, clumsily allowing yourself to feel the sheer force of how his fingers are plunging into you just at the right moment. You roll your head back briefly, basking in the pleasure of being fucked and watched.
âKeep watching babe,â Jongseong groans himself, flicking his eyes to Sunghoon. âHeâs so hard.â
You weakly lift your head again, opening your darkened eyes and looking directly at the man through the window. His hair is a mess, fanning across his forehead, and heâs shirtless, revealing the abs you only assumed he had at first glance. His cock is heavy against his dark gray briefs, stretching the fabric out enough to tell you that, yeah, he is packing.Â
You make eye contact with him, staring straight into his eyes as you press your ass back and against Jongseong, who readily accepts the movement and presses his cock directly against you with a soft sigh of his own.Â
âAlready?â He whispers to you with an amused chuckle, stilling his fingers and dropping his other hand to toy at the tie of your robe, hopefully so it falls open naturally at a quicker pace now that you appear to be losing it.Â
âRight now.â You respond in a desperate voice, hiking one leg up against the table off to the side and feeling your robe instantly fall open.Â
Your eyes devour the image of Sunghoonâs mouth falling open in what you can only assume is a moan at your naked body being revealed to him and Jongseongâs fingers rapidly fucking into you. Instantly, you shoot your hand to your chest and start toying with one of your nipples for him. Throwing a hungry gaze straight across the way and making obvious suggestions at him through it.Â
Jongseong from behind you is seemingly in his own little world when he pulls his fingers out and shoves his boxers down. He arches your back with his palm so that your ass lifts for him, instantly you can feel his cock between your legs. He takes a step back, pulling you with him and removing your leg from the table to position you in a way that if Sunghoon looks hard enough, he can see the way his cock slides between your thighs.Â
âNot yet, letâs play first.â Jongseong soothes you through the disappointed sigh of your leg being pulled down from the table. You were so ready to start fucking immediately, but of course he wants to make a good first impression. âHold your legs together.â He adds.
You listen perfectly, feeling Jongseongâs cock slide easily between your thighs.Â
âGod, fuckââ He moans, feeling the wetness of you drip down onto his length as you squeeze your thighs together as tightly as possible. âHe would go insane over you.â
âHe already is,â You chuckle weakly, staring at the way Sunghoonâs hand snakes under his briefs and tugs against himself. âI want to see it so bad.âÂ
âMm, yeah, I bet you do.â Jongseong responds mindlessly, loving the feeling your thighs offer to his desperate length. âTell him then.â
Right then, Sunghoon can see a mischievous little smile form across your lips as he struggles already not to release against his perfectly cleaned window. The way Jongseong manhandles you is one thing, with his hands gripping onto your flesh just to pound his cock between your legsâ fuck. But, the way both of you stare straight at him is another. Sunghoon might be obsessed with the way the two of you touch each other intentionally to get all three of you off. So badly does he want to be right there in the room, hearing you in his ear, watching Jongseong kiss across your skin and massage your pretty sensitive pussy. One that he hasnât entirely even gotten to see yet.Â
Then, he jumps as his phone rings.Â
From your end, you watch as he jumps out of surprise, glances at his phone, then back at you, shaking his head with a wince as he grips his cock again.Â
âHeâs not going to pick up.â You comment as the tightened squeeze of your thighs loosen up with disappointment.Â
Jongseong is instantly smiling, letting his cock fall from its place of stimulation and is pulling you back, back, back. Offering a full view of him falling back on the bed, and you falling with him.Â
âShow him your pussy.â Jongseong says, reaching around you to open your thighs as if youâre a grand prize for this little sex game of trying to seduce a broken hearted man.
Jongseong knows he has an entire list of positions he could do to get Sunghoon just as desperate as you get. Usually, presenting his wifeâs pussy at another man is enough to have them making decisions they previously doubted. He hopes Sunghoon reacts the same, because if heâs being totally honest with himself, saying no to you when youâre spread out like this is a fucking sin.
You stare at Sunghoon when your husband spreads your legs, pussy pulsing around nothing more than the stare being directed at it. And there, sitting on Jongseongâs hips with your back facing him, you easily hold your legs open and slide your fingers down to circle your clit.Â
You stay like that for a moment, squinting to see Sunghoonâs reaction and noting the way his hand fucks faster under the fabric of his briefs. You want him to go harder, so hard that he needs to take that last remaining bit of clothing off of him so that you can see. Thankfully, Jongseongâs cock lies right below where your ass is sitting , and itâs easy to grasp it and hold it up against your folds. You grid against it gently before swirling your clit along the length of him, still staring at Sunghoon with a smile. As if to tell him, âthis could be you.â
The way Sunghoonâs hand moves faster is one thing, the way he looks more unashamed now compared to when you first saw him in that window is another. The way his arms flex as he keeps his cock hidden beneath those briefs, jerking himself off desperately as if you canât tell heâs struggling not to moan loud enough for you to hear even from here, itâs too fucking erotic.Â
Never have you and your husband had a neighbor to play with like this. Typically, youâre being watched in the same room, this is something entirely different. This is insanely arousing and you can feel your pussy clench each time youâre reminded of how fucking sweet this deal could be.
âKeep doing thatâ Jongseong continues to instruct through a half-moan, feeling the way you rub his length against you as a form of masturbation. âIâll call him again.âÂ
This time, you note how the phone rings once before Sunghoon is fumbling to answer. You see the way his hand stills to put his focus on saying âhello?â as if he doesnât know itâs you and your husband. As if the people calling him arenât watching him fuck himself.Â
Jongseong starts immediately though, his words driving you insane enough to know Sunghoon would have to react in a way that sends him over edge too.
âYou wouldnât believe how wet she is,â Your husband boasts without greeting him back, putting the phone on speaker and lying it next to the two of you. âI bet you would love to bury your tongue in her right now, wouldnât you?â
Sunghoon nearly stutters as he hears the words, staring at the way you hold Jongseongâs cock right where you want it to grind against. Itâs so much to be able to see and hear whatâs happening, and itâs like something in his head clicks. Heâs so fucking turned on that he feels like heâs going insane, so he puts his normal, level-minded self to rest. No room for embarrassment when his cock is already aching for the couple who seem to want him just as bad.Â
âFuck, yeah,â Sunghoon sighs out, lying his own phone down against the window sill and fucking his hips forward into his hand. His briefs now stretched out to the point that they truly are more of an issue than anything else right now. âI would, god, how wet?â
You moan at how desperate his voice sounds, now pressing your clit directly against the head of Jongseongâs cock and deliberately making yourself moan from pleasure. When he flashes his cock to you though, fuck. Just barely he lowers his briefs, palm teasing himself in such a harsh way. He looks so pretty over there, all alone, watching someone else get to play with you like some kind of pervert.Â
âThatâs it,â You say, knowing he can hear you. âLet me see you.âÂ
Sunghoon does, shoving his briefs down entirely now, allowing you to imprint the image of how thick and heavy his length is in your brain permanently.Â
âOh, youâd feel so good,â You half-groan to Sunghoon, now inching your husbandâs cock straight to your hole and preparing to fuck the daylights out of him. âI knew youâd have a cock just as pretty as you.â
Jongseong chuckles from behind you, entirely aroused by the way you talk to another man, a more shy man. He can tell how desperate you are by now too, especially with the way you toy with his cock as if you picked it up from a store shelf and itâs not attached to him. He loves it. And when he sits up, wrapping his arms around you to also see Sunghoon, he smiles.Â
Both of you are totally fucking gone. Even from here he can tell Sunghoon is losing his mind over you. Thankfully, you deserve nothing less and Jongseong couldnât be happier to play off of the way you both seem to want each other terribly.Â
âSee this?â He says towards the phone, snaking his hand around you to move his cock and spreading your pussy lips. âEven from there, canât you see how wet she is for this?â
Both of you can hear Sunghoonâs muffled groan before you see it, his head falling forward against the window as he stares down at his hand and the way he fucks it. Youâre entirely satisfied, because you know what heâs thinking. You can see how badly he wants it, and your husband does nothing but remind him of it.Â
âDo you want me to fuck him?â You finally ask, pushing your own agenda and rising up on your knees to situate yourself right above Jongseongâs length, where he takes over and holds it in place for you.Â
Sunghoonâs eyes shoot back to the two of you and he nods before breathing out a small âYeahâŠâ
He doesnât seem like much of a talker, but it could still be stage fright. Even if he isnât the one on the damn stage. You can imagine he would get better at this if he accepts the invite of your open blinds on more than one occasion.Â
Jongseong chuckles again at him, the breathy tone of his voice is quite obvious to him. Sunghoon is holding out, he doesnât want to cum too soon and end the fun.
âYou heard him babe, ride me.âÂ
Instantly, youâre sinking down and feeling the harsh stretch of Jongseongâs cock pulsing inside of you. Your drawn out moan rings in Sunghoonâs mind as he watches the slow descent. Only now, noting how big Jongseong is, and seeing how well you take it. He twitches in his palm, eyes nearly rolling back to escape the overwhelming arousal that floods his thoughts.Â
Sunghoon isnât sure if either of you are aware, but he can hear how wet you are through the phone. When you slide down and start bouncing, all while staring forward at him, he can hear it pour out of you. The slapping of your ass landing against Jongseong is a beautiful sound, and he does his best not to moan through it and muffle those sounds out.Â
He stares straight back at you, thinking hard enough at how he fucks the circle his fingers create. Heâs losing his breath when he fucks his fist in time with the way you bounce, tuning into your face and imagining that heâs the one youâre riding. No offense to Jongseong, itâs nearly like he doesnât exist right now considering heâs almost entirely hidden by you.Â
That doesnât last too long though, because Jongseong makes himself well known through his breathy words. Dirty talking in a way that somehow, Sunghoon still finds himself shocked by it. The words turn him on, he can only imagine how you feel about.Â
âFuck, babe, youâre so tight.â Jongseong says at first, gripping your thighs and basking in the way you squeeze his length each time Sunghoon does something to turn you on. â All spread out like this for him? So, so good.â
Sunghoon feels so shameless, and for some reason it feels okay. Your husband is dirty talking to you about him and itâs insanely sexy when he hears it. Already stuttering his hips in his palm, especially when he notes that Jongseong moves his hands to your pussy and spreads it open again for him. Offering him the perfect view of his length sliding in and out of you.Â
âWould love to see how this pussy gets filled up, youâd like that, wouldnât you?â
Unsure if Jongseong is talking to you or to him at this point, Sunghoon answers without thinking.Â
âFuck, yeah, fuckââ Sunghoon says with a cut-off groan, holding the base of his cock so tight he feels like he canât breathe. He canât release yet, he has to keep going.Â
You moan loudly at his breathed out answer, nodding your head frantically at the confirmation, answering for yourself shortly after.Â
âYeah?â You start, encouraging Sunghoon to keep talking. âYou think you could stretch me open too? Yeah?âÂ
And then? He moans brokenly through the phone which instantly has you leaning yourself back, and lying against Jongseongâs chest. He falls back with you, holding you and once again and moving his fingers to your clit, his cock still pounding in at the perfect pace.Â
âFuck, sheâs thereââ Jongseong grits out, feeling your orgasm wash over you and grip his cock insanely tightly. âGoddamn, feels so good babe, thatâs it.â
Sunghoon, watching and listening, instantly releases the grip on the base of his cock, staring straight at the way Jongseong stuffs his length inside of you. Hearing the way you called his name with encouraging words echoes in his head, and then he stutters out a broken sob as he feels his own orgasm wash over him, and just like him, youâre also listening.Â
He must hold his breath when heâs close, or maybe heâs just way more shy than he appears to be, considering what heâs doing right now, but you donât mind as you ride your own high. Ears popping shortly after when Jongseong continues to chase his own pleasure through the mess of your pulsing cunt.Â
Strangely enough, even Jongseong is shocked at how fast he cums from this. Releasing a mere two seconds after you relaxed around him. You can feel him pulse inside of you as you lie against him, pussy still on full display, cum dripping out of you in a beautiful scene for Sunghoonâs eyes to devour.
And devour, they do. Sunghoon just stares, head spinning as he ignores the spurts of cum hitting his window and dripping down onto his carpet. His hand is also drenched but he makes no attempt to move afterwards. Arguably, heâs still aroused by the image of the way your husband fills you up like that, and the way youâre so full of his cock that it dribbles out and onto your thighs from around him.Â
God, he wants to lick you so bad. Even now, fully spent and his sober-mind coming back to him, he wants to taste you. He wants to taste what Jongseong just spilled into you.Â
âSunghoon,â Jongseong calls out, breaking the silence with an out of breath voice. âYou still watching?â
Thereâs another moment of paused silence.
âYeahââÂ
Jongseong smiles, nuzzling his face against you and your neck as you continue to lean against him out of breath. Slowly, he pulls out of you, once again spreading you open for Sunghoon to see, allowing the rest of his cum to drip out of you.Â
âTake a good look, because this pussy went fucking insane over you.â He says, slapping your sensitive clit twice before sliding his hand down and playing in the mess heâs made of you.
Sunghoon does look. He has been looking. Honestly, itâs almost embarrassing at the way his cock twitches with interest again, so fucking fast after having already been emptied. Never has his ex let him raw her like that. Never has he seen his cum drip out of someone. Heâs so jealous right now.
âIâll be coming over tomorrow to discuss this.â Jongseong adds nonchalantly, easily going from filth-talk to casual-talk. âGet some rest.âÂ
âGoodnight, Pretty boy.â You call out with a dazed smile, finally moving yourself off of Jongseong and adjusting your robe back onto your shoulders.Â
And right before Jongseong hangs up the phone, both of you smile at each other at the way Sunghoon lets out, in the tiniest voice for such a broad man, a gentle little âGoodnight.âÂ
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By morning, Sunghoon nearly forgot Jongseong said he was coming over. It wasnât until the afternoon when he managed to get the image of you getting off out of his mind that he remembered thereâs supposed to be a discussion about it.Â
Embarrassment hits him harder than it ever has, thinking about what he was doing for both of you to see. It wasnât just a show for him, he put one on for the two of you as well.Â
When he makes his way back into his bedroom, he tries to ignore the fact that your blinds are still open, and thereâs no one in the room. He pauses briefly, once again trapped in the on-going loop of what he saw happening on that very bed just the night before.Â
It feels like heâs doomed when Jongseong comes over. He could just not answer the door but it doesnât change the fact that he lives right next door and he already came all over his window before your very eyes. Before Jongseongâs very eyes. Heâs already crossed the boundary into someone elseâs marriage and despite loving the idea of it, itâs scary. Itâs not something heâs ever considered doing before meeting the two of you, and now, heâs kind of just confused as to how all of this works.Â
Like, it almost seems too sweet of a deal. Youâre a beautiful couple, who is he to be able to watch what you do with your husband? Whatâs the catch?Â
Well, he comes to find out that there isnât much of a catch at all. Jongseong shows up with a warm smile and a gift of wine. It felt welcoming but insanely awkward with the way itâs the first time Sunghoon has ever been offered a hug by him.
They hug. Jongseong fucking hugs him to say hello with that expensive ass bottle of wine as if to say ânice cock, my wife loved it.âÂ
Jongseong does pick up on the awkwardness though, stepping through Sunghoonâs door and inviting himself in. After all, itâs only appropriate at this point. He keeps his smile though, loving the way you woke up in a good mood all thanks to Sunghoon letting his curiosity get the best of him.Â
âDonât be like that,â Jongseong says, glancing around the house and nodding in approval that it doesnât appear to be entirely barren. He kind of expected the house to not feel like a home, because thatâs usually what single men do. âYou can back out anytime you want.â
Sunghoon, somehow, feels eased by those words. His heart thumps against his chest at the thought of never doing it again though. Which is kind of weird to him.Â
âSorry, I just donât really know how to act right now...â
Jongseong offers him a warm smile again, seeing himself to the kitchen and opening the drawers.Â
âWe can talk about that,â He waves him off, still rummaging through a kitchen that isnât his own. âYou got a corkscrew?âÂ
Sunghoon nods, trying to make his frame seem as small as possible by tip-toeing past his neighbor with the huge cock and opening one of the only drawers he didnât get to. He pulls out the corkscrew and hands it to him, making no attempt to look into his eyes even for a second.Â
âOh my god, loosen up.â Jongseong rolls his eyes, shoving Sunghoon by the shoulder playfully and heading back to the bottle of wine.
Sunghoon feels slightly comforted by the fact that maybe he can loosen up with a bit of wine in his system, but getting to that point feels like itâs going to be hell. Heâs never felt so embarrassed.Â
âSorry,â He responds in a small voice, grabbing two random cups and following Jongseong. âI donât know what Iâm supposed to expect out of this whole thing, likeââÂ
Jongseong cuts him off with a wave of his hand.
âThatâs why Iâm here to talk to you about it. Clearly this isnât something youâve done before, itâs not like we didnât want you to get off or anything. Youâll come to learn that we enjoy this kind of thing.â
He pauses as he opens the bottle, shifting it to the side now to grab two cups and look at Sunghoon.Â
âIf you end up not enjoying it, thereâs always someone else we can find to take up the offer.â
Sunghoon very nearly panics, hoping it doesnât show plainly on his face as he takes over pouring the wine. Jongseong picks up on people so easily, watching Sunghoon shake his head slightly at the words and pour a suspiciously nervous amount of wine into both cups.Â
âThatâs the thing though,â Sunghoon says, popping the cork back into the bottle and already taking a swig of his wine. âI did enjoy it. I mean, I do enjoy it.â
Jongseong raises his brow, nodding his head in encouragement and grabbing his own cup before following Sunghoon to his living room.
âGood, Iâm glad you had fun. Letâs talk about it then.â
Sunghoon knows itâs inevitable, and hopefully within the next hour, he wonât feel so cautious in talking about it.
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âYou know, usually I wouldnât let her cum so fast,â Jongseong shrugs, standing to grab the bottle of wine and bring it into the living room. âI tend to try and get a few out of her but she just wasnât going to let me. Did you see the way she grabbed it and sat on me? I couldnât have stopped her even if I wanted to.âÂ
The way Jongseong talks loudly and comfortably about it is kind of soothing. Given, this is probably why theyâre opting to hang out inside of the house rather than outside. This is a private matter, an intimate one, even.Â
âShe slept like a rock afterwards, and is now insisting we keep the blinds open at all times to view at your discretion.âÂ
Sunghoon stutters a bit, scooting his cup towards Jongseong and hoping he pours another generous amount into his cup. Already, since he doesnât drink too often these days, he can feel the buzz and comfort settles within him as Jongseong seemingly dotes on him.Â
âWhat Iâm trying to say is, our blinds are permanently open unless youâd rather not do this. Alternatively, the door is open too, but,â Jongseong pauses so he can sip his drink. âYouâre going to need to get tested first if you want that thing anywhere near my wife.â
Sunghoon shifts slightly, squeezing his legs together uncomfortably as his wine bubbles in his belly.Â
âIâve already been tested. My ex cheated on me with god knows how many people, you think that wasnât the first thing I did?â
âSmart man,â Jongseong claps him on the shoulder, now leaning in a bit too close for comfort if Sunghoon were still in his embarrassed mind-state. âWe get that youâre shy about all of this, but Iâve gotta tell you, the way she clenched when you moaned, oh man.â
Sunghoonâs eyes start to shine at the compliment, for some reason feeling like heâs on top of the world hearing that.Â
âFelt like I was being strangled, honestly.â Jongseong laughs before going quiet. âSo, what do you think?â
Sunghoon pauses, staring at his cup and then at his neighbor.Â
âI, umââ He sighs out of frustration, wondering why he canât articulate a damn sentence with confidence. âI liked watching, I guess. Not sure if Iâm ready to justâŠâ
âCome over and fuck my wife?â Jongseong finishes his sentence playfully before immediately gripping Sunghoonâs shoulder and laughing fondly at him. âTake your time. Like I said, the blinds are open and we have a pretty active sex life. I can imagine youâre going to wonder how Iâm not milked dry yet.â
He already wonders that.
âBut I do want to say, if you decide to actually come over and show her a good time, there are rules to that.âÂ
Sunghoon quirks a brow, unsure of if his mind is running in a way that will let him take down mental notes.Â
âFirst of all, sheâs protected so as long as you can provide proof of your test you can cum in her all you want, she likes that but, youâre not touching her ass.â
Sunghoon nods, shrugging nonchalantly and surprised he even responded that way.Â
âShe likes it rough but she doesnât know you well enough yet. Donât slap my wife, donât grab her neck with the intention of choking her, and donât call her any type of degrading name. Not yet, at least.â
Wow, his brain is actually taking down the mental notes perfectly. Even with these rules, heâs not entirely into hitting the person he wants to be inside of, not unless they ask anyway.Â
âThatâs it. Those are the rules.â Jongseong says with a shrug, taking another drink and tapping his foot on the floor. âWhat about you? For possible future endeavors, whatâre your terms?â
Thereâs a long pause. Sunghoon is totally unprepared to make rules for a situation heâs never even been involved with before, but he does his best.Â
âWell,â He breathes out, blowing a strand of his fringe up from his forehead in a huff. âI donât know. Donât put anything in my ass?â
âWell, thatâs sucks,â Jongseong deadpans, then nods. âBut fair, okay. What else?âÂ
Sunghoon continues to let his eyes wander around his living room as he thinks of things he doesnât like sexually.Â
âI really don't know. Iâve mostly just had normal sex. I can tell you what I do like?â He admits, knowing that all of this is just in case.
âAlright, go on then.â Jongseong nods, now topping off their drinks.Â
Itâs actually hilarious to him, hearing Sunghoon list off the most mundane sex acts. He does his best not to chuckle at the mention of âblow jobs, I like those.â Instead, he offers something along with that, interrupting him.
âEver been deep throated?â Jongseong asks, watching Sunghoon breathe in because itâs like he lost all of his breath trying to list off things he likes. âLike, you know, ever face-fucked?â
Sunghoon nods, then shakes his head, then nods.Â
â I mean, my ex never really let me hold her head in place, but I tried once. And donât even get me started on the way she would refuse to continue if she gagged even once.â
Jongseong shakes his head in pity.
âMan, youâre gonna love my wife.âÂ
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Well, to put it lightly, Sunghoon might, definitely, insanely, obsessively be in love with you. Not in like the âleave your husbandâ way but more in like the âi want you so bad and know that iâm allowed to have you if iâd just stop being a little bitch about itâ way.Â
Itâs been another entire week since Jongseong came over to discuss things with him and even more so now, is Sunghoonâs mind in the gutters. Heâs thankful heâs good at his job, almost able to do everything needed without much thought behind it because if that werenât the case, he would probably be fired by now.Â
Fired for being too horny at work isnât something he ever considered would happen to himself, and though it hasnât and probably wonât, he isnât too shocked at this point to be learning more and more about these hidden little interests that only came to light when he met you and your husband.Â
Those blinds do stay open, and that little bedside lamp in your bedroom has become one of his favorite things. One, because it illuminates the way your body moves when Jongseong inevitably fucks the breath out of you, and two, because itâs actually kind of a nice lamp.
And god, his window. His poor fucking window. Four out of the seven nights since Jongseong came over has he been standing right there, blinds open, getting himself off. He knows heâs a pervert by this point. He embraces it now, knowing for a fact that youâre also embracing it, and even Jongseong is too.Â
The embarrassment that hits him after each time he releases hurts much less than the post-nut guilt of all that porn he was watching before all of this happened. Heâs not sure why, but thereâs something inside of him that tells him itâs because heâs wanted. Heâs being fawned over by an entire married couple and it makes his confidence go through the fucking roof.Â
That second time he stood at his window, he was still unsure of it. But now, three more sessions later, he finds himself considering the offer of being in the room. Each time he thinks he should do it. You know, like release his cock mid-jerk off session just to run next door and barge into the room to bury himself inside of you, all while Jongseong allows it to happen and praises him for manning up to do it.Â
He hasnât yet though, because most of the time he struggles to pull his eyes away from how fucking good the two of you look together. And you know, to him, when he thinks about actually being in that room with the two of you, thereâs still some shame left in him about it.Â
Something about the idea of joining a married couple despite how much he loves watching them, the idea of them asking him multiple times to work his body on you, the idea of them leaving their blinds open just so he can get off at his own volition.Â
Itâs such an insane fantasy come to life and the shame he feels about actually following through stays despite it wavering with each time he watches and listens in by calling you himself to hear you moan.Â
Again, by now, an entire week later and several sessions of pure voyeurism, he questions that shame and wonders how much itâll take to ignore it. Next time for sure heâs going to go over there. Next time, heâs going to put that shame to rest like he did the first time with simply watching.Â
That next time doesnât happen though, because youâre not wandering around your room naked for Sunghoon to see when his alarm goes off. Because yeah, itâs kind of a ritual now to look out the window and nod a little âgood morningâ to you and your tits.
When he looks outside near the afternoon, both cars in your driveway are gone and it hits him over how fixated he is on the two of you. It feels almost empty seeing the two of you gone on a weekend, when Jongseong is usually texting him to see if he wants to hang out.Â
By this point for him, yes, come over please.Â
Then, relief washes over him when he hears Jongseongâs car pull into the driveway. The amount of pining within Sunghoon at this moment is driving him insane. Itâs only four in the afternoon by this point and his mind is reeling. Going miles a minute and honestly, he needs this overwhelming feeling to be eradicated.Â
He needs to do it.Â
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Jongseong is shocked as he sits eating his dinner to the sound of a knock at his door. Heâs swift when he stands to his feet and answers it.Â
âOh, was gonna text you to hang out after dinnerââ He pauses, realizing this is the first time Sunghoon has ever been on his doorstep save for when he greeted them with a meal after he moved in. He eyes him up and down momentarily before smirking. âWell, well, well.âÂ
Sunghoon doesnât quite make eye contact as he stands there and shoves the proof of his tests into Jongseongâs chest, already regretting the decision to come over without so much as texting.Â
âShowing up looking like this, already hard too?â Jongseong says snidely, glancing at the results and leaning himself against his door frame. His eyes stare directly at Sunghoonâs obvious raging hard-on beneath his pants, then he glances up at his face.Â
Sunghoon appears to be both ashamed and proud, presenting himself like a damn virgin.Â
âRelax, itâs cool. You can come in,â Jongseong finally says, trying to ease the tension that seems to be festering within his friend. âIâll call and see if sheâs coming home tonight.â
Sunghoon is fucking mortified. Of course heâs bad at timing. Of fucking course he shows up ready to fuck and youâre not even here. Now heâs just left standing just inside of the front door with a desperate and pathetic cock that, for some reason, still isnât even going down.Â
âSheâs. not. here.â Sunghoon says to himself loud enough for Jongseong to throw a laugh at him, putting the phone up to his ear after pressing the call button.
âShe went to see her parents. I bet the second I tell her youâre standing there like that, hot ân hard, sheâll be running red lights.âÂ
Sunghoon is flushed. Entirely aroused by this whole situation despite the embarrassment. The last thing he needs to admit to right now though, is getting off on the shameful way heâs acting. He knows he looks desperate, and thatâŠfor some reason, makes him feel proud.Â
Heâs so in his head that he doesnât even hear Jongseong talk to you. Completely misses the way he says into the phone âhey babe, guess who is standing in our living room right now? so hard it looks like he might cry.â
Totally misses the brief pause and then Jongseongâs response of, âyeah, you might wanna rush.â
Luckily for him though, heâs so in his head that time flies as he tries to will his length to go down just a little bit. Itâs frustrating, really, to only learn certain things as they happen to him, but like, damn. He really feels like heâs about to burst already, just standing here with a womanâs husband who is knowingly about to let him fuck her.Â
âYouâre not usually this quiet.â Jongseong finally says to Sunghoon, who is still just standing there in the living room. âYou nervous?â
Sunghoon instantly nods, throwing his hands in front of his hard-on and looking at Jongseong.Â
âThis is the worst, actually,â Sunghoon starts, shifting from one leg to the other and glancing away. âFuck you guys for being so enticing.â
Jongseong shrugs proudly, offering a smile and then nodding his head as if to invite Sunghoon to sit on the couch.Â
âSheâll be here soon, Iâm just going to clean up. Donât think too hard and take off running, sheâs excited.â
Sunghoon nods reluctantly, taking a seat on the couch and staring up at the ceiling in defeat. Jumping out of a window sounds pretty nice but by this point he assumes every window he will ever touch probably has his cum on it by now. You know, association and stuff.Â
Then, he hears a car pull up and heâs practically throwing himself to his feet. His balance turning him into a clumsy mess, totally forgetting how to navigate his body and entirely losing the ability to know how to navigate this entire situation.Â
The good news for him though, is that you practically jump out of your car and sprint for the door. Not even greeting Jongseong when you rush inside and kick off your shoes.Â
All Sunghoon knows is that, one second he stands to his feet and gets a head rush, then he hears a door slam, Jongseong letting out a breathy laugh, and then you slamming into him and practically knocking him back down onto the couch.
âAll this time you made me watch? And now you show up when Iâm at dinner with my parents.â Â You playfully scold him, immediately straddling him and grabbing his face with both hands so that he can look at you. âYouâre going to have to tie me up if you donât want me to be all over you right now.â
Sunghoon looks at Jongseong with a stunned expression, receiving a simple shrug in response.Â
âYou want her to touch you?â He asks, heading for the bedroom and raising his voice to continue. âIf not, I do have rope.â
Sunghoon looks at you, still totally stunned by how fucking fast you got on top of him. Heâs rendered more speechless than youâve ever made him, and his cock twitches painfully from the sensitivity of you sitting on top of him.Â
He nods politely, dipping his head and looking down.Â
âYou can touch me.â He whispers, only to be cut off by Jongseong shouting from the bedroom.
âYou guys gonna come into the bedroom, or?â He yells, peeking around the corner and shooting a look at you specifically, as if to remind you to pace yourself considering that Sunghoon is entirely new to this and still seems like a deer in the headlights.Â
You nod to Jongseong and then lift Sunghoonâs face back up to you again.Â
âI can tell your heart is racing,â You say to him in a fond tone, tilting your head playfully. âItâs okay, come on.â You add, pulling yourself off of him and grabbing his hand.
He stares at the way you intertwine your fingers. Feeling like if he thinks hard enough, youâre not married and youâre more into him than just sex. Then again, he doesnât want to think about that at all. The whole reason heâs so turned on is because this is considered strange to most people he knows. He doesnât even want to be in love, he doesnât want to be in a relationship with any single person right now.Â
What he wants is this. What he wants is to watch you through his window, and lust over you, and then get to have you. Time and time again. What he wants is for Jongseong to always share you with him, because he can barely cross his own boundaries, better yet crossing someone else's.Â
At least with him, youâd be safe. Jongseong wouldnât have to worry about broken rules or him coming into your home to take full control. This isnât his relationship, itâs yours, and if the two of you want him involved even with just sex, heâs leaping for the opportunity at this point.Â
There, heâs led into the bedroom where Jongseong looks at him with a fond expression. Sunghoon stares for a moment, then looks around the room. It feels like heâs been pining to be in this very room for ages, and knowing heâs standing here right now feels even more overwhelming.Â
He glances at the window, looking through it into his own open blinds and the embarrassment hits him twice as hard, which obviously has his cock aching in arousal. He isnât even ashamed of the little, breathy whimper of defeat he lets out at this moment, rolling his eyes back and furrowing his brows.Â
You let go of Sunghoon and take your place beside Jongseong, both of you checking Sunghoon out from head to toe before looking at each other and smiling.Â
âI donât even know where to start,â Jongseong admits, feeling defeated that for the first time in his sex life with you, he doesnât know how to get the ball rolling. âWhy does this feel so intimate compared to usual?â
You laugh, now staring down both of them, wanting nothing more than to fuck and be fucked. The air in this room feels electrifying, and already you have goosebumps rising against your skin. It feels like heaven.Â
âProbably because heâs so close to home,â You chuckle, feeling totally in control with two lost men staring at you as if they want to eat you alive. âIsnât that right, Sunghoon?â You say, taking a step towards him and already lifting your shirt off of you.
Just as quickly as Jongseong loses his ability to be the one in control, he gains it back after seeing how confident you are. He knows for a fact how badly you want to be on Sunghoon right now, and he has no qualms with that, but part of the fun is being able to present you until the third in the room is practically drooling.Â
âNot too quickly,â Jongseong warns, pulling you back by the arm and wrapping his arms around you, dipping his head down to kiss your neck and look Sunghoon directly in the eye. âJust look at him for a bit.â
Sunghoon feels so fucking seen right now, his cock still wildly twitching at each word and glance. He very nearly falls to his knees right then, because in all fairness heâs been rock hard all fucking day and intentionally held off so that he would be so out of his mind, that surely heâd fuck you as good as you need him to.Â
âJongie, Iâve been watching him.â You say, leaning against his warmth and devouring Sunghoon with your eyes, âCâmere, Hoonie.â You add, giving both men shortened versions of their names to show your adoration for them at this moment.Â
Sunghoon manages to take a step forward without his knees buckling from under him, his eyes scanning your bare torso and the way your chest is hidden by your bra. He canât not stare, after all, heâs grown accustomed to it by now. He knows what's under that bra and whatâs under those pants, but it still doesnât change the fact that heâs never seen your body this close. Heâs never touched you before.Â
âWell?â Jongseong looks at him as he makes his way across the room a bit too slowly for his liking. âWe have all day, technically.â
Sunghoon switches his eyes over to Jongseong, who seems amused by how enamored he is right now with you. His mind is fairly blank right now, outside of thinking about everything he wants to do, everything he wishes he could say, but still, all he can manage to do is stand in front of you, still not reaching out. He looks at the way Jongseong has you locked in his arms, holding you still against his chest as if to tame a beast from him.Â
âYouâre so pretty, Sunghoon, really.â You say, blinking up at him and tapping Jongseong to loosen his grip on you. âYou can touch me too, you know.â
Heâs still reluctant, looking to Jongseong once again for confirmation and receiving a nod. His hands reach out, touching nothing more than your bare shoulder before sliding down your waist and stepping even closer.Â
You can feel the warmth radiating off of them as they sandwich you there between them. Jongseong and his confident breaths behind you easily contrast to Sunghoonâs deeper, nervous breathing. You kind of get now why your husband told you to just watch for a little bit longer. Sunghoon is so readable, with the way his eyes canât find where to land, the way his hands know where they want to go but he clearly holds back from doing too much too soon out of fear that this entire agreement will shatter before his very eyes.Â
You hum out happily, leaning your head back against Jongseong and pressing your hips forward, against Sunghoon. Feeling entirely loved, wanted, needed.Â
âI missed this feeling,â You sigh out with a pleasured smile, throwing an arm out and over Sunghoonâs shoulder, pulling him even closer. âI bet youâll miss it too. I bet youâll keep coming back for it.â
Jongseong hums as well, nodding his head in agreement before blinking over at Sunghoon and lifting a brow. He wonders how long theyâre going to stand here staring at each other so, rolling his eyes dismissively, he presses on.
âI want to watch you eat her out.â Jongseong announces, feeling that itâs not too out of the ordinary to make suggestions since Sunghoon appears to be totally blinded by your tits right now anyway.
Sunghoon nods with empty eyes, shortly before you see him physically break out of his presumed trance and take a step back, very nearly tripping over his own feet.
âWait, really?â He asks, somehow still unsure that this is a thing thatâs actually happening as he regains balance.
âOh, absolutely.â Jongseong encourages him, using the emptied up space in front of you to maneuver you over to the bed.Â
Sunghoon watches as your husband sits you down on the bed, grabs two pillows and places them behind you, then shimmies your pants off of you in a very loving way. He doesnât know whether to be jealous of Jongseong for being able to love someone enough to pleasure them using others or to be jealous of you for being loved so blatantly.Â
âSunghoon,â Jongseong calls out, tapping your legs to spread them out and taking a step back to make room. âGo on.â
Sunghoonâs legs take him there before his brain can think twice. One second heâs looking at you from the angle of the center of the room, the next heâs falling to his knees, staring straight between your legs at the point of his lust for the last however long. Slender fingers gripping your thighs much the same way Jongseong did the first night he saw the two of you together like this.Â
It continues to hit him like a freight train. Heâs here. Heâs doing this. Not even a year ago he was sleeping in a different place, with a fiancĂ©e, making calls to find venues for a fucking wedding, and now heâs here. Between the legs of another manâs wife, at his request.Â
Why is he so pleased with the drastic change of events? Why is his mouth watering looking at the small damp spot seeping through your panties? Why does he feel like he isnât even himself at this moment?Â
None of it matters, not when you reach out and run your fingers through his hair to urge him forward. He leans into the touch, closing his eyes and breathing out through his nose because itâs been a long time since he felt the loving touch of another person in his hair like this.Â
Itâs been a long time since heâs felt the warmth of a woman in front of him, and even longer since he last felt this drunk on the atmosphere around him. Your soft fingers scratch against his scalp, and that alone makes his entire body shiver as he nuzzles against your thigh lovingly, leaving his kiss against your skin for the first time.Â
Jongseong watches, not entirely used to a man acting like this with his wife. Usually, theyâre already trying to get their cock inside of her, but Sunghoon seems to be basking in the touch and feel of it all through each step and in a way, he understands. He was with someone for six years and planned to spend his life with her, he can imagine this is something Sunghoon missed doing, despite the bitch not even wanting to gag on him.Â
He feels fond watching the two of you, situating himself on the bed and letting you lean up against him. There, he starts to work your bra off of you, matching Sunghoonâs slowly paced arousal.Â
You, on the other hand, feel like your body is catching fire. That little gentle kiss against your thigh was followed by several more, peppered up to your panty line, down to your knees, and then right back up before he even thinks about leaving a kiss against the seat of your panties.Â
Which, he does eventually get to doing. Jongseong watches your body jolt at the touch. He can tell youâve been anticipating it since Sunghoon got on his knees but knows youâre both pacing yourselves for the sake of him being able to enjoy himself.Â
Jongseongâs hands do remain on your tits through it, massaging and pinching against your nipples until theyâre erect and sending jolts of sensations straight to your clit. Thankfully, Sunghoon appears to be preparing himself to see your arousal up close and personal by this point, keeping his lips right up against it as his fingers toy with the hem of your panties.Â
He looks up at you, still searching for confirmation on instinct and canât help but feel that the green light was given the second he moved into the house next door with the way you both look at him.Â
Youâre not the only one being loved on right now. He feels entirely taken care of simply for being able to go down on you, and he wants nothing more in this world than to make you feel good.Â
So, he does his best. Reaching his arms forward and gripping the sides of your panties before gently pulling them down. He watches as your, by now very wet, panties unstick from your folds as he reveals it to himself and honestly, he doesnât even care at this point with how he blatantly moans over it.Â
And just as you thought he was going to take his time like before, itâs like your entire world is flipped upside down. You take in a sharp and surprised inhale at the way heâs got his tongue on you the second your panties hit the floor.Â
Jongseong chuckles at your surprise, internally praising Sunghoon for that sudden jolt of confidence he must have gotten to do that after unintentionally teasing you for far too long. He can feel your nipples react to what heâs doing, and through the sound of Sunghoonâs tongue, his groans through the taste of you, even he feels like heâs going insane just sitting with you against him like this.Â
âAh, fuck,â You moan out, feeling the way his tongue leaves no part of your pussy unexplored. âFuuuck.â You continue, totally speechless and unable to praise him the way youâd very much like to right now.Â
 When you run your fingers through his hair again, feeling the way he moves his head beneath them, the way he stiffens his tongue as he slides it up your entire pussy, then lands on your clit and begins to flick his tongue at such a pace? You canât help it when your legs nearly close in on him, shaking against his ears.
Jongseong is there though, quickly reaching down to hold your legs open for him.Â
âSensitive?â He gleefully whispers to you, watching the way you grip Sunghoonâs hair in your fingers through the obvious struggle. He knows you wonât answer, which is fine, because he loves when you get like this. Though itâs never through a man simply giving you some good head.Â
Sunghoon continues his assault with his tongue, so drunk on the taste of you that all he can do is keep going. Keep tasting, flicking your clit until itâs swollen before sliding back down again and burying his tongue inside of you as deep as itâll go. Like he canât get enough, especially with the way your hips wiggle to get away, with the way your fingers try to weakly tug his head away from you.
He hopes this is exactly what Jongseong wanted to see, because he couldnât be happier to fulfill the request. Moaning into you only to breathe nothing but you back in. His cock still neglected from a full day of arousal, tasting you alone is soaking his pants. Never has he felt so desperate for something. Never.
Even when he can feel the bed shift and your legs close around his head again, he continues.Â
âHold her legs open for me,â Jongseong instructs as he pulls himself off of the bed, now seemingly so aroused that he feels the need to involve himself. He shimmies off his clothing and props himself back up on the bed, directly next to you and easily holding his length to bump against your slacked and moaning mouth.Â
You readily accept your husband into your mouth. Instantly taking him as deeply as you can out of sheer arousal. Wanting to do the dirtiest things your brain can come up with solely because of how good everything feels right now. Jongseong loves it, especially with how greedy you seem as you furrow your brows and will yourself to take more into your mouth.Â
âSunghoon,â Jongseong calls out, reaching over to tap his hand thatâs putting his obvious strength to use against your thighs to get his attention. âLook.â
Sunghoon does, after sliding his tongue back up and flicking your clit several more times to get those satisfying shakes of your body in reaction. His eyes trail up as he finally takes a breath of fresh air, only now realizing that youâre both entirely naked.Â
âIf you keep coming back,â Jongseong starts, moving his hand to caress your cheek before holding the back of your head in place. âthisâ he punctuates with a hard thrust into your mouth, gagging you. âis what you have to look forward to.â
Sunghoon watches as Jongseong holds your head there, continuously gagging, and then he glances down to your pussy and goddamn. Youâre clenching around nothing each time you gag, and the moans youâre letting out along with your gags sends him over edge. His tongue is immediately back on you, satiating that clench with his tongue as best he can.Â
The sound of Jongseongâs ever expected fond reactions goes unnoticed by Sunghoon as he puts his entire fucking soul into eating you out.Â
Thankfully, youâre able to breathe shortly after, kind of. Save for the fact that when Sunghoonâs isnât knocking the breath out of you, Jongseong is stealing it by blocking your airways with his length and moaning all the same.
The entire room sounds so erotic, and everything still feels like itâs on fire. Your sensitivity subsides as your focus falls to pleasing your husband, leading your hips to chase Sunghoonâs hungry tongue anywhere it goes.Â
It stays like this for a few minutes, all three of you seemingly lost in each other before you feel your husband lean over, allowing you to take care of his cock without his help and sliding his fingers straight to where Sunghoonâs tongue is.
There, he easily slides them in, and still, Sunghoon doesnât stop. It doesnât phase him one bit. His tongue continues, working around Jongseongâs fingers and sometimes even licking around them to taste the arousal that seeps from deep inside of you. By now though, heâs humping up, wanting more, more, more. Your hips chase his tongue and your husbandâs fingers the same way his hips chase nothing.
Jongseong only likes him more by this point. Even the times they have been with curious men, typically theyâre not licking your pussy and his fingers. Sunghoon is so peculiar about this, and arguably his lack of experience is whatâs making this feel so fucking magical. His attention doesnât appear to be divided between the both of you, nor does it even appear to be solely on you like he thinks it is.Â
Heâs treating you both as if youâre one person, one soul, and appears to accept anything either of you offer as long as you feel good and Jongseong is satisfied with how things are going.Â
Never has their bedroom been this silent of words either, especially when someone else is involved. Thereâs always crude words, but at this point all three of you seem to understand that youâre experiencing rather than trying to put on a show. Youâre not competing, youâre not rushing for the finish line, youâre justâŠfucking. Existing within pleasure together.
âHeâs a natural.â Jongseong compliments, sliding his fingers up and out of you only to slide them into Sunghoonâs mouth. The man accepts them too, sucking your wet off of his fingers with a pornographic groan at the warmth and taste of them. âWonder what else he can do?âÂ
You smile when you pull off of Jongseongâs, now leaking, cock and look down at Sunghoon. Heâs already looking up at you, lips glistening much like his eyes are as he plants more kisses up your body. Solely because Jongseong practically hides your entire pussy with the palm of his hand from him as a hint to move his hungry assault elsewhere.Â
He does, happily. Heâs satisfied even as he kisses up your belly and feels like he doesnât need to ask to plant those same glistening lips against one of your nipples and fondle it with his tongue just as beautifully as he did with your clit.
He leaves space for Jongseongâs hand when he moves up, trying to be careful to avoid his hard on brushing against anywhere where itâs not wanted, which doesnât seem to be much of an issue because Jongseong pulls his hand back shortly anyway, pulling off of the bed and studying the two of you.Â
You hug Sunghoonâs head while he worships the chest heâs stared at from his window day after day. Jongseong can clearly see how shy Sunghoon is, but he still seems to be doing everything in a way that makes you both love it. At this point, it wouldnât even matter what he does, he knows youâd go insane over it, and thatâs enough for him to allow it.Â
He canât help himself when he leans over you to kiss you, seemingly so in love with you, careful not to accidentally bump Sunghoonâs head from your tit and probably cause some sort of huff or pout out of him.Â
âLay him back.â Jongseong whispers to you through his kiss, pinching your chin to keep your lips on his for a few moments longer before letting you go.Â
The way your eyes shine, and the way Sunghoonâs tongue seems to never tire, youâre almost sad to pull him off of you. But you do, nonetheless, guiding him to stand to his feet and finally running your hands up his torso to urge his shirt off of him.Â
You stare at his abdomen, touching and feeling each dip of it. His arms are just as nice and toned, and god damn is his cock huge. You could tell from the window, and you can tell here, even while itâs clothed.Â
âOff.â You say, tugging him forward by his jeans and sitting yourself up.
He laughs awkwardly at the movement, looking between the two of you and honestly, damn. Youâre both so fucking beautiful right now. Heâd be delighted to take these pants off, and he does.
Shortly after, you instruct him to lay back on the bed and heâs only getting more and more comfortable with the situation. Doing exactly as instructed, not even embarrassed by his angry and heavy cock twitching in near pain to be touched.Â
âGod, look at him.â You groan, now moving yourself on the bed to lean on one elbow and trail your fingers up his abs.Â
His entire body twitches at the touch, and he winces just a little bit with a sexually frustrated huff.Â
âShould I fuck him?â You ask, looking up at Jongseong, who was actively already fisting his length shamelessly at all of the ideas he has in his head that you could to do Sunghoon, or of what Sunghoon could do to you.Â
âDo you want to?â Your husband retorts with an aroused moan following shortly after, looking over to Sunghoon and watching the way he straight up nods shamelessly and practically grabs you by the arm to pull you on top of him.
âSo eager,â You laugh, throwing your leg over him and instantly seating yourself directly on his cock. Feeling how huge it is, how hard it is.Â
Sunghoon moans at that alone, hands shooting to your waist and squeezing so hard that you know itâll leave a painful sensation later.Â
âGo on then, fuck him.â Jongseong says, amused with how badly this man wants it.Â
And you do, without much more of a warning. You lift yourself and expertly slide straight down on his pathetic cock. You watch Sunghoon as you do it, struggling to breathe through the feeling of your tight walls clenching around his length and attempting to adjust to his size.
Sunghoon runs his own fingers through his hair now, trying to keep himself grounded by the feeling heâs missed out on for so fucking long. He lets out a deep half-sobbed moan, cursing at the feeling and nearly tearing up at how fucking tight you are.Â
âShit,â Sunghoon grits his teeth, holding your waist still as if to keep you from moving, then heâs wrapping you in a hug and pulling you straight down against his chest.Â
Jongseong skews his head, taking a step closer to see how well Sunghoon fits inside of you and damn. Your pussy is clenching every passing second trying to adjust, and his entire body is reacting to it. Naturally, Jongseong has no choice but to grip his cock harder at the scene, biting back his own desperate moan so that he can still appear to be collected about this.Â
As you lay in Sunghoonâs arms though, the harsh hold of him keeping you in place, you canât help but sigh at the searing stretch inside of you. And he, on the other hand, is being driven crazy by the smell of your hair. Honestly, the scent alone is driving him wild enough that itâs a struggle to keep his own hips from writhing with the need to stretch your pussy out more.
âKeep him still while you make room for me.â Jongseong finally chokes out. âDonât let him cum.â
You breathlessly nod, trying to press yourself up from Sunghoonâs heaving chest just to grip onto his shoulders and bounce against his desperate attempts to stop you. He gives in after the second bounce though, going from trying to hold you down on him to loosening up and almost helping you bounce.
âThatâs it, thatâs exactly what she wantsââ Jongseong compliments, running his fingers up your back and making you shiver. âRight, babe?âÂ
You try to answer, but you moan out instead with the way Sunghoonâs hands keep you bouncing at such a pace that your g-spot is being repeatedly fucked against. And when he moves his hands to your ass, he loses himself to the pleasure as his eyes darken even more, fucking up now, deeper into you when you slide down on him.Â
âSo deep,â You nearly sob out, hands reaching out for Jongseong somewhere behind you, and heâs quick to be there for you.Â
âI know, baby.â He asks, leaning onto the bed to kiss against your face. âFeels good, doesnât it?â
Sunghoon moans before you can, sinking his head further into the pillows and letting himself get lost in the feeling of you bouncing on him. Jongseong was right about this before, you do get wet. Fucking soaked.Â
âYou can take more, baby.â Jongseong says to you now, seemingly ready to give you more than either of you know you can handle.
Still, you nod, knowing exactly what heâs wanting to do. You adjust the way you bounce, now leaning onto Sunghoonâs chest so that his cock slamming into you is on full display for Jongseong.Â
âSlow down for a second, Hoonââ Jongseong says, liking the nickname well enough to use it himself. âLet me show you what sharing feels like.â
And holy fuck, Sunghoon is not prepared for it. Heâs shocked that youâre wanting it, with the way you pant out breathless, pained moans against his collar bone as Jongseong makes attempts to stretch you out more than you already are.Â
Sunghoon holds onto those little pants, feeling your hands grip against his body as your husband nudges the head of his cock inside, causing both of you to cry out with a desperate sound.Â
Inch by inch, Jongseong works himself in, holding his breath and soothing your back throughout the process, up until heâs managed to fit about as much as he can into you and thrusting forward just once to test the waters.Â
âShiiitââ He moans through a laugh, pulling out and thrusting in again, harder. âSo tight.â
The reaction is more than Jongseong could ever have wanted. Both of you, clinging to each other through the overwhelming sensation. Sunghoon, probably overly sensitive from the feeling of your pussy gripping him and Jongseongâs cock massaging the underside of it as he chases his own pleasure. Then thereâs you, constantly clenching to adjust, letting out little pleased cries that only get prettier and prettier, especially when theyâre mixed in with Sunghoons.Â
At this point, Jongseong can barely tell which one of you is moaning, but itâs all the same to him and he begins to do the work for all three of you. Loving the way heâs managed to make his wife and another man fall apart beneath him.Â
âGod, you both love it.â He says, knowing for a fact that youâre both too gone by now to hear him. Which is good, because he canât hold his own moans in anymore.Â
So, he doesnât. He grips your hips to hold you in place and continues to thrust, feeling your pussy relax with each thrust until even Sunghoon is able to fuck up slightly. And for you, feeling both cocks sliding into you opposite of each other, you really canât comprehend a single thing outside of pleasure right now.Â
You can hardly breathe, so talking isnât entirely on your agenda, still though. You try.Â
âFuck, fuckââ You breathe out, gripping even tighter onto Sunghoon now.
âSo fucking wet,â Jongseong soothes, offering a harsher thrust now that heâs beginning to lose himself to the feeling too.
âSo fucking, bigââ You say, mostly into Sunghoonâs ear despite your husband having a good size as well. âDonât stop. Fuck me openââ You moan to him, encouraging him to keep trying to fuck up.
Jongseong smirks at your hushed and out-of-breath words, you always get dirty when youâre super turned on. Plus, the way Sunghoon follows instructions is insanely sexy too.
In fact, he follows your instructions a little too well. Somehow, Sunghoon overpowers both your weight on him and Jongseongâs harsh thrusts. To the point that he actually has to stop moving his own hips because if he doesnât, Sunghoon will get all three of you off within seconds if he keeps going at this pace.
âYeah, fuck, yeah,â Jongseong moans in probably the most erotic voice youâve ever heard come from him before. Because, never in your life alongside him have you heard him have to cut off his comments with a moan. âHe likes it fucking rough.â
And heâs not lying. Part of you wonders if Sunghoon has ever been able to fuck this way, because even as you and your husband manage to find room to converse through this, Sunghoon is still gone and lost in his own world. Still holding onto you, and still fucking into you so hard that youâre very nearly releasing little yelps each time he bottoms out.Â
Jongseong, on the other hand, knows exactly how your body reacts when youâre getting close. Usually knowing before you do, and he really does his best to keep his composure through this. He does his damndest to hold off, amazed that Sunghoon lasted past the first instance of you sinking down on him.Â
Shaking hands reach between you and Sunghoon, and youâre quick to sit up and lean back against Jongseong instead to let him have access to your clit. Despite his cock slipping out of you slightly, he can still manage to fuck a few inches in at this angle, and honestly itâs a welcome relief because if he continued any further, he worries your clit would be left long neglected by his brain malfunctioning in a sudden orgasm.
You smile in a daze as you stare down at Sunghoon, his eyes droopy and hooded when he opens them, but for the most part remaining closed and focused on fucking you as good as he can. And paired with the sensation of Jongseong rubbing your clit, youâre rendered useless in announcing that youâre close.Â
Thankfully, your lovely, amazing, and doting husband knows you as well as you know yourself.Â
âKeep going,â He breathes, out of breath and reaching his other hand up to hold one of your tits in his hand, lips going to your neck. âSheâs close.â
Sunghoon lets out a choked moan at the same time you let one out, and instantly Jongseong pulls out with a pleased and frustrated moan.Â
âThere you go baby,â Jongseong coos at you, now focusing solely on rubbing your clit with one hand and fucking his fist with the other. âSqueeze him.â
God, you do, coming undone wrapped around his relentless cock, pulsing and shaking as Jongseong makes no attempt to ease the orgasm out of you. His fingers only circle your clit harder, and Sunghoon only fucks up harder.Â
âFuck, Sunghoon,â Jongseong calls out, watching the man in awe. âHow are you holding out right now?â
Sunghoon blinks up, his eyes totally lost to arousal and he continues to fuck into you far past your orgasm ending, loving the slide of how much wetter you got through it. He feels like heâs fucking half a yearâs worth of himself into you, which is fair. Because he definitely is.Â
âLook at him babe, tell him itâs okay.â Jongseong continues, wanting Sunghoon to get off so that he can stop holding off on his own. Itâs entirely insane how much self-control this man has.
Not even Jongseong himself could withstand this without losing a bit of self control, and yet, god. He really is the perfect third. The perfect neighbor.Â
This is an indication that Jongseong is about to go full cuckold and work at himself as you take what you want from Sunghoon, and you really do try.Â
Your legs shake around him as you continue to try and ride him, leaning down to hover over his lips in a faux first kiss to tell him to rest his hips, and he does, sighing out a little sound of relief as you take back the control.
Heâs never been so fucking turned on in his life, and in all honestly, not even he knows how he hasnât gotten off yet. Heâs needed it all day. Heâs needed it all his fucking life, it seems.Â
Jongseong studies the way your tired legs work, the pace slowing down minute by minute before he steps in. His control now fully regained as his orgasm fades and he can continue to instruct and enjoy without a wall of pure sex invading his actions. He releases his cock now, stilling your hips and pulling you off of Sunghoon.
The sound alone is somehow filthier than any porn heâs ever heard. Sloppy and wet, paired with Sunghoonâs frustrated groan at the loss of warmth.Â
âHoon, take the lead.â Jongseong says, helping you to lay back and rubbing your thighs to soothe them, only moving you from the position because he knows youâre going to be sore tomorrow.Â
Sunghoon, of course, jumps into action immediately. Lifting from his spot and situating himself between your legs with ease. Now being able to see you under him, rather than hovering above him, he feels like he has all the power in the world to treat you right.Â
âAnything you want,â He says, already adjusting himself with your pussy and pressing in. âAnything, just tell me.â
Youâre entirely endeared by his words and canât help it when you pull him down in a huff and connect your lips to his for the first time. He melts into it, fucking his hips into you at a slower pace now, deeper, more lazily.Â
Heâs smelling you and feeling you entirely, every sensation in the world he could ever want is being satiated right now, and heâs not ashamed to whine through it. Pumping himself into you until it hits him, all because you fucking kissed him.Â
So hard does it hit him, each thrust milking him entirely of his cum and not trembling once through it. His cock has been sensitive all day, this new sensitivity is welcome to him as long as you continue to lick into his mouth and scratch against his back like this.Â
Itâs a given that he was a goner the second he got on top, and when he finally empties the last, impossible amount of cum into you, his ears pop and begin to ring.Â
âYou guys look so cuteââ Jongseong coos, helping Sunghoon out of you on wobbly legs before he leans down to scoop some of the mess out of you. âNow, you lay back too,â he adds, still toying with the cum dripping from you.Â
He does, relieved and thankful for the rest after that exhausting experience. Heâs out of breath when he flops himself down next to you, turning his head slightly to look at you and how content you seem to be. It makes him feel content too, even without your lips against his.Â
There, Jongseong scoops some of that cum out of you and slathers his fingers with it, shuffling forward onto the bed to place himself between your legs now. Then, his fingers make their way over to Sunghoon.Â
âTaste it.â He says, wondering if Sunghoon will fight the idea of doing it.Â
Shockingly, he doesnât. He opens his mouth with ease and sucks Jongseongâs fingers into his mouth for the second time. You watch, watching the way his adamâs apple bobs as he swallows the taste of himself mixed with you. You groan out, throat dry from the embarrassing amount of moaning before wiggling your hips.Â
âPatience, babe,â Jongseong says, not even glancing at you and keeping his eyes trained on the way Sunghoon eagerly licks his fingers clean before releasing his fingers and blinking over to you, and then up at him.
âYouâre both going to fucking kill me.â Jongseong lets out, rolling his eyes before training them on you. âGonna stuff this mess back into you, yeah?â
You nod obediently.
Youâre so content, readily accepting your husband in his rightful place and basking in the familiar feeling of his length pressing inside of you. Itâs a feeling you know, and a feeling you love despite having already been fucked open by both of them already.Â
At this point, itâs not even just arousal in the air. But like, a secret second thing that somehow feels more content than content.Â
Jongseong is in love with the way you look right now though, arguably so for Sunghoon too. With his fucked out face looking just as drowsy as yours does despite the sun setting when all of this started. Itâs not as late into the night as it seems to feel, which is fine because time seems like it works differently at this moment.Â
âKiss her,â Jongseong says, with a last gift to Sunghoon for fucking you so well. âThank her.â
He does, because of course he does. He dips in so fast, cradling your face in the same delicate way he touched your thighs from before. Kissing you just as gently, all while Jongseong takes his time to slide into you with such a fulfilling pace that, honestly, if you will it hard enough, you could probably get off another three times if you wanted to.
But you donât, putting that filthy side of you to rest as you allow your husband to take what he needs. His pace quickening much like Sunghoonâs kisses do, up until youâre bouncing up with each thrust of his hips, and Sunghoon is left chasing your lips. Up, down, up, down.Â
He chuckles into it, his teeth catching your bottom lip a few times before chasing your lips harder, all for Jongseong to admire from above.Â
And admire it, he does. Loving the way you kiss Sunghoon in a playful way compared to himself. Thereâs passion here, and it makes it all the more easy for him to work himself up to his own orgasm.Â
Youâre not shocked at Jongseongâs silence through his own high. Pressing his hips so tightly against yours, trying to bury himself as deeply as he can go to release all of this tension inside of his body. You still feel as full as you did when they both were inside of you, but this is something entirely different. Itâs Jongseong, and it still shows that heâs the one person on this Earth who knows you better than you know yourself.
He knows you love to feel his cock pulse inside of you, know you love when it dribbles down your thighs as you wobble to the bathroom, and now apparently, he knows you seem to love kissing Sunghoon through the entire experience. Clenching against his orgasm as if you were already willing to start over from the beginning.Â
And just like that, he pulls out and lays on the other side of you, stealing your lips from Sunghoon briefly and kissing you. Both out of appreciation and love.
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The clean up was devastating. Poor fucking Sunghoon, never realizing that aftercare is like, a huge important factor to fucking that hard. Which only solidifies it to both you and your husband that heâs clearly never been given the sexual freedom he so needed.
The two of you exchange side eyes at the way Sunghoon expects to shower alone and take care of himself, despite walking straight into a wall on wobbly legs with sleepy, mostly closed eyes.Â
You help him to the shower, Jongseong allowing you to join him and clean him up as he sits just outside and waits to ultimately clean himself up this time. After all, Sunghoon was the one who fucked you senseless, the least he can do is learn how to clean up the mess and soothe your muscles.Â
Fortunately, he seems to be pleased to learn and eager to put his new knowledge to use. Standing there under the warm water with a blissed out little smile, hands gently caressing your sore pussy as if to soothe your sensitivity. Obviously, it doesnât work that way but, you still give him credit for it.
By the time youâre done showering, Sunghoon is practically dead weight. Literally fucked himself to sleep, it seems, as Jongseong laughs out and nods to the guest room, which he already made up for him.Â
You help him to the room while Jongseong helps himself to shower, where puddles of water remain on the floor.Â
Apparently you and Sunghoon both share the trait of not using a towel to step on after a shower. Which is only more of a reason to like him.Â
Jongseong likes taking care of people.Â
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When Sunghoon wakes up the next morning, sunlight blaring through closed blinds, his half asleep brain realizes very quickly where he is.Â
Heâs embarrassed again, but the content feeling in his chest replaces the heavy one he had been holding about the entire situation. He had fun. He liked it. No, he loved it. So much so that for the first time in his life, heâs needed to pass the fuck out immediately after.Â
And itâs not long after he wakes up, lying there in thought, that he hears a soft knock at the door.
Youâre poking your head in, blinking over at him and admiring his sleep hair. Which isnât too different compared to his sex hair, and you smile.
âGood morning,â You say, stepping into the room and revealing Jongseong close behind you. âWanna go again?â
Sunghoon stares at you, and then at Jongseong and his smirk. Youâre both fucking insane.
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pls reblog my works ;o; if you do? i love u. if u dont? whyyyyy not?
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mint chocolate rewards [s.h.] 18+
an: hiii i kept getting stuck with this one but am pretty happy with how it turned out!! as much as i love pathetic steve i also looooove cocky steve. hope you enjoy!! feel free to send requests/suggestions or just chat with me :) -m
summary: youâre tutoring steve (thereâs not a lot of learning going on) and heâs a smug asshole sometimes. (ft. ice cream, trains, and karaoke)
modern!steve x fem!readerÂ
warnings: use of y/n, cursing, angst (steve is a little bit of a an asshole), kissing, a tiny bit of phone teasing, dirty talk, fingering, edging, p in v, smidge of daddy kink (used like once or twice and itâs steve referring to himself)Â 18+ MDNI!!!!!!
wc:Â 19.3k (oh im a yapper)
masterlist here!!
College has been a fresh start for you, moving away from your small, stuffy town and basking in the change of scenery and people that a new city brought you.Â
Boston was busy most of the time, a Friday or Saturday night in downtown made the city feel alive, electrifiedâbut unlike New York, this city did sleep. Once the hustle and bustle of cars and trains stopped, the city shutdown for the night and the streets were quiet and still. Well in some places.Â
It was your third year at Boston University and youâd developed a fondness for the city around you. It was a city of passion and that extended to food, history, and especially sports. A passionate place with the people to match it.Â
With this new school and new city, youâd also found some new friends. Robin and Eddie, the three of you had found each other during the first week of freshman year and it had kind of just been that way ever since. Youâd like to say you were Robin's best friend, but you knew that title was reserved for someone else.Â
You didnât know Steve Harrington, but you certainly knew of him. Hushed whispers and tired rumors always swirled through the air when Steve was aroundâand even when he wasnât.Â
Despite the reputation he seemed to have, you wondered if there was really any truth to it. Sure, he seemed charismatic and a little full of himself. Yes, he wore a smug smirk that you thought could bewitch just about anyone. But, when you sat on the sidelines and observed him, you noticed the way he tried to make everyone laugh. Youâd seen firsthand how he took the time to talk to everyone around him and make sure they felt included in whatever the group was up to. You saw how he treated Robin, and cared for her. And plus, he couldnât be that bad if she thought so highly of him, if she loved him so much.
So maybe you did know him, at least a little bit.Â
But in reality you were a fairly optimistic person, so you kept your theories about Steve to yourself. You tended to look for the good in people, even when there wasnât much to look at. A glass half full kind of gal. Which is why when you hear about the ladies man, the stereotypical asshole that is Steve Harrington, you keep your mouth shut and donât add to the conversation at all.Â
Even with Steve being Robinâs best friend, the two of you hardly ever overlapped. Youâd see him in passing or heâd be coming to see Robin while you were leaving, but that was it. You werenât sure why this was how it was, especially with how much she yapped about him. But really you think that Steve has his group of people and Robin has hers. The time they spent together was their own and you didnât have any issues with that.Â
And so when your professor pulls you aside after algebra ll, you realize your overlap with Steve Harrington just increased tenfold.Â
âSteve is asking for some outside help and we talked about it and decided the group sessions that I do probably arenât going to be a good fit. I know youâve picked up some one on one sessions in the past and made you my first stop.âÂ
Although you donât want to admit it, your heart beats a little faster at the thought of spending one on one time with Steve. Youâre not sure if itâs excitement or dreadâmaybe a mix of both.Â
âI, uh, I can do that. Heâs serious about this right? I donât want to waste my time if heâs not really wanting to learn something.â Okay, so maybe youâd let some of the rumors about him wiggle their way into your brain, but you couldnât help it!Â
âHe is. From what Iâve seen he takes his classes seriously, despite what others say about him. I donât think heâd ask for help just to make a joke out of it.â
She had a point, why would he go out of his way to seek tutoring if he wasnât serious about it? And if someone needed some help and you could do it, you were going to.Â
âAlright, Iâm in. You can give him my number and Iâll see about setting something up.âÂ
âââ-
Your phone buzzing beside you while you laid in bed that night wasnât out of the ordinary but it was strange when you looked and didnât recognize the number on your screen. Until you remembered the conversation youâd had with Professor Benson that morning. And until you scrolled through the messages and saw his name.Â
Unknown: Hi! I heard you agreed to be my tutor! Professor B didnât tell me your name but thank you!Â
Unknown: You are a lifesaver.Â
Unknown: Oh shit this is Steve Harrington by the way. I forgot to mention that.Â
Phone still clutched tightly in your hand, you cursed yourself for feeling nervous. He was being perfectly polite, cute even, and here you were with sweaty palms at the thought of texting him back. But you had to. You agreed to this and you wouldnât go back on your word over some jitters.Â
It only took you writing and rewriting the message about twenty times before you came up with something simple that didnât make you cringe.Â
Y/n: Hi, Steve! Youâre welcome, I hope I can be of some help to you. Iâm y/n, by the way. Did you have a certain time or place you wanted to meet up for your first session? Iâm free most days after 6.Â
Steve: Y/n? As in the person Robin has replaced me with? What a small world.Â
Y/n: Funny. I donât think anyone could replace your spot in Robinâs life, but yes thatâs me.
A small smile worked its way on your lips as you went back and forth with him, some of the nerves slipping away.Â
Steve: Well lucky me, Iâll finally get to spend some time with the girl Iâve heard so much about. But as for the first session, what about the library at 7 tomorrow? The tables in the back?Â
You tried not to let the first part of his text affect you so much, but it did. If you were being honest, you didnât think he even knew about you at all, so the thought that he had was making your pulse speed up.Â
Y/n: Sounds perfect. Iâll see you then!Â
Y/n: Oh and Iâve heard plenty about you too, all good things.Â
Steve: Letâs hope I live up to my name then. See you tomorrow.Â
âââ
Steve was living up to his name, but not the one Robin had given him.Â
The day had passed quickly and before you knew it you were here about twenty minutes early with math textbooks and notes surrounding you. Now you wouldnât fault Steve for not being early, that wouldnât be fair, but you would fault him for being an hour late.Â
Well technically he still hadnât shown up.Â
Ten or fifteen minutes, even half an hour you could brush off. Things happen, you get that. But you had no text, no call, no anything and you felt a steady stream of irritation flowing through you. Your texts had gone unanswered and while the rational part of you was concerned that something had happened, more than anything you were frustrated.Â
You texted Robin to see if she knew anything about what was going on and she didnât. If he wasnât here by 8:45 you were leaving. That was more than fair and you cursed yourself for even giving him that much leeway. But really you hoped he didnât show at all because now you were tired and pissed and certainly not in the mood to hear his excuses let alone tutor him. The thought of even speaking about math right now made you want to cry!Â
It was a surprise your pencil didn't snap from how tight you were gripping it in your hand, your jaw clenched and the beginning of a headache pulsing behind your eyes. Youâd try one more time, send one more text before you were done.Â
Y/n: Can you at least let me know youâre alive?
That was fifteen minutes ago and still nothing. Looking down at your phone you see itâs now 8:50 and you push your chair back with a huff, standing up to stuff everything back into your bag, shoulders aching before you even add on the extra weight.Â
Itâs when youâre sliding in your laptop that you hear it. Panicked footsteps are hurrying toward you and you donât even have to look up to know who it is. Any exhaustion you had is wiped away and replaced with red hot anger, the tips of your ears burning as you try to remind yourself to breathe.Â
âFuck, Iâm here! Shit, Iâm sorry but Iâm here.â
You ignore him, itâs all you can do right now and honestly you think itâs best for both of you that you donât speak. Youâd been up since 5 am and that wasnât his fault, but it definitely was his fault that he was showing up 2 hours late and keeping you up when you didnât have to be.Â
Zipping up your bag and grabbing your keys off the table you turn, brushing past him without so much as a glance before youâre heading to the doors of the library. Maybe youâre being a little dramatic but you donât care. You hear him behind you, cursing under his breath and trying to quietly call your name but you keep going. Past the doors and down the sidewalk and straight ahead with a frown on your face.Â
A hand on your arm stops you and you realize you manage to keep a few feet ahead of him for about four blocks. You donât turn to him, donât give any acknowledgment of his presence besides the pause of your feet.Â
âIâm sorry I was a little lateââ
That gets your attention and itâs enough to break the little silent treatment youâve had going. Itâs enough to have you pulling your arm away from his hand despite the warmth it provided as you turn to finally face him.Â
âA little? Try two hours, Steve.âÂ
His nose scrunches and he looks away. You can see the embarrassment in his pinched brows and pouty lips but it does little to dull the frustration thatâs been building inside of you since the half hour mark.Â
But heâs standing in front of you for the first time and while heâs spewing sorryâs youâre taking him in. His hair is disheveled and his lips are a little swollen, like he or someone else has been biting on them. Heâs wearing a lilac t-shirt that looks a little too good on him and jeans that hug him in all the right places.Â
âShit, Iâm sorry. Time got away from me and I didnât realize until I was leaving her house that it was so late! I thought Iâd given us plenty of time but I guess IâŠI fucked up.âÂ
You donât hear much after âleaving her houseâ, a new wave of anger washing over you and you have to fist your hands at your side to keep from knocking in his pretty white teeth.Â
âWas everyone okay?â Your voice is calm and quiet, a little sprig of hope inside that maybe someone needed his help, something had happened and it was an emergency. You hated yourself a little bit for hoping for something like when in reality you knew the truth. Heâd been too busy with a girl to remember you.Â
And yes you realize it wasnât so much you specifically as it was your tutoring session, but that didnât make it sting any less. You were a girl, a girl who blushed around cute guys and who wanted to hold hands and kiss and go on dates. And so what if it hurt your feelings a little bit that Steve had forgotten you? You could get over that. But what you wouldnât get over, at least tonight, was that heâd taken advantage of someone wanting to help him and wasted your time.Â
âOh, yeah, everyoneâs okay. It was more like aâŠa date, I guess.âÂ
âRight. And your phone stopped working?âÂ
He scratched at the back of his neck with a sheepish look on his face, âI didnât hear it go off and when I saw all your texts I was already almost here so I just didnât respond.â Well at least heâs honest.Â
âOkay. Maybe you should try out a group session with Professor B before you rule it out completely, you might do well with it.âÂ
He pulled back, eyes wide and a look of surprise written across features. You get the feeling heâs not used to being told no, even indirectly. âWhat does that mean?âÂ
âIt means that itâs not fair to me to waste my time. I agreed to this because I wanted to help you but if you couldnât be bothered to show up on time or even call me to let me know you couldnât make it, it doesnât really give me hope that this will be beneficial for either of us.âÂ
His face hardens the slightest bit and despite the pull you have to be a people pleaser, to say sorry and that itâs okay, you hold strong and straighten your shoulders as he stares down at you.Â
âSo thatâs it? One strike and Iâm out?â Thereâs almost a scoff when he says it, like he canât believe you and it only adds fuel to the fire burning in your chest.Â
âWell you havenât exactly made a great first impression. If a date is more important than math, thatâs fine. I really donât care. But I wonât clear my nights and sit in libraries alone for someone that doesnât take this seriously.â You watch him take in your words, furrow between his brows getting deeper the more you talk and you just keep going. âAnd for the record, I donât owe you more than one shot. Whatâs the point of this if youâll just strike out?âÂ
âI donât strike out.âÂ
A laugh of disbelief flies out of you, hands going up like your surrendering, âReally? Thatâs all you got out of what I just said?â He shrugged at you and despite his pretty face you felt nothing but contempt for him right now.Â
âIt was a mistake. I lost track of time. If you think youâre too good to give me a shot to prove that I care, then whatever.âÂ
âYouâre an asshole! Donât try to-to manipulate me into feeling bad about you doing something shitty. Me setting a boundary with you does not mean I think Iâm too good, it means I know my time is worth something and I donât have to put up with bullshit from people, especially someone I donât even know!â You can see the regret on his face, the way his features soften and his shoulders slump. âMaybe next time set an alarm or donât schedule a date on the same day as tutoring. Or maybe let someone know you wonât make it before they sit there waiting for 2 hours to help you out. And maybe if you donât do any of that, show up and donât be an asshole when theyâre upset about it. Maybe learn that youâre not entitled to peopleâs time and effort just because you think you deserve it.âÂ
Finished with your little rant you take a breath, hoping he doesnât lash out at you because you feel your courage waning and you just want to go home and sleep.Â
But all he does is nod at you with dim eyes before heâs turning on his heel and walking in the other direction before you can say anything else. Not that you would, you think youâd gotten it all out when you were standing in the middle of an almost empty street scolding him like a toddler.Â
Maybe youâd been wrong in your theories about Steve Harrington. Or maybe you just didnât fall into the group of people that got to see a different side of him.Â
ââââ-
Steve felt like shit.Â
Heâd lost the nerve to say anything when you tore into him like you did, and he deserved it. It was an asshole move to be 2 fucking hours late and then get upset at you being upset with him. And all for what? A girl he barely knew, who didnât even like him and called him once every few weeks when she was bored? To be fair he didnât really like her either, so that made him only feel more shitty.Â
Youâd told him off, which didnât happen often and regardless of how pissed off or embarrassed heâd been, it was hard to stay upset when he noticed the cute little twitch your nose would do when you yelled at him.Â
And he felt bad because you were Robinâs friend, one of her best friends! Heâd been hearing about you for what seemed like forever and now that he was actually going to spend some time with you, heâd blown it. He knew you were a sweetheart, quiet most of the time and always willing to do anything for others. It had been a low blow trying to make you feel bad, he knew that. But he really needed your help here and was willing to do anything to get it. Even if it meant guilting you into it, I guess.Â
He was well aware of his reputation around campus, grade A asshole with girls hanging off his arms every weekend. Hell, he played into it most of the time. It was easier to just play into what people expected sometimes, even if that meant being a dick.Â
And okay, maybe he was guilty of being kind of cocky sometimes. He could be a little smug but he never meant to come off like too much of a prick. He liked to think it was charming sometimes.Â
But right now he was worried about passing algebra and making things right with you. Robin would kill him if he didnât, and he owed it to you to at least try to be decent.Â
Thatâs how he finds himself here, standing in front of you and Eddie where youâre perched in the shade under a big tree in the center of campus. Before last night heâs never said more than a hello to you and he doesnât think heâs ever even been this close to Eddie.Â
He watches the two of you, the way you lean into Eddie as he walks closer and the way Eddie narrows his eyes like a guard dog whoâll bite if he gets too close. He feels a twinge of something deep in his stomach watching you cling to Eddie and maybe itâs because youâre so pretty or maybe itâs because Robin has built you up in his head to be this angel that heâs kind of enamored with.Â
âCan I talk to you?â Heâs wearing sunglasses so you canât see the way his eyes dart around your face and settle on the small pout you're wearing on your glossy, peach colored lips.Â
âYou didnât have much to say last night, nothing good at least.â You had one hell of a backbone, heâd give you that. From what heâd heard from Robin you tended to try your best to appease the people around you so a little spark shot up his spine at the thought of you not backing down to him.Â
He didnât miss the way Eddie smirked, looking between your stern eyes and the pleading puppy dog look Steve was wearing. He nudged your shoulder to grab your attention, âOh hear him out, yeah? It wonât hurt anything.â Steve gave Eddie a quick, grateful nod and turned back just in time to see you rolling your eyes at the both of them.Â
â5 minutes, Harrington.âÂ
Eddie got up, gesturing for Steve to take his place as he grabbed his stuff and sent a reassuring wink your way. Steve thinks with all the friends he has, he doesnât have any besides Robin that really count. Maybe if he quit being an ass, you and Eddie would be his friends too.Â
âFirst I wanna apologize for being late, and for not calling or texting to let you know. I do care about school and I appreciate you taking the time to try and help me. Iâm sorry I took that for granted.â He watches your lips part in what could either be shock or surprise and the small nod you give makes him keep going. âAnd Iâm really sorry for the shitty stuff I said. It was a dick move trying to make you feel guilty when you didnât do anything wrong. Iâm lucky you even agreed to help me in the first place, sânot your job. I guess Iâm justâŠused to getting my way. It sounds shitty to say it out loud but I guess we both know itâs true. I realize you donât owe me anything and I havenât done anything to earn a second chance, so Iâm sorry. Iâm gonna try out a group session and see how that goes, I think. But uh, yeah, Iâm sorry.âÂ
âIâm not going to apologize for anything.â Well, he has to admit that is not what he expected to come out of your mouth. Your shoulders had softened the slightest bit but your eyes were still weary of him.Â
âI donât expect you to, you did nothing wrong. I deserved you telling me off. Hell, I probably needed it. I just wanted you to know I was sorry, you deserved to hear it.âÂ
When you donât say anything for a few minutes he takes that as his sign to leave, pushing himself off the ground beside you and dusting off his pants before you stop him with a sigh of his name.Â
âThank youâfor the apology. I can tell you mean it and thatâs all I wanted. It sounds like you actually heard what I was saying andâŠand if you want a second shot, youâve earned one.âÂ
âReally?â He smiled wide at you, hand grabbing yours that youâd held out and he lifted you up with ease. You nodded at him and he felt relief all over. He didnât realize he still had your hand in his until you gave him a squeeze and he dropped it, shrugging shyly.Â
âTwo strikes and you are out, Steve. Donât make me regret this.âÂ
He couldnât help the cocky smirk he flashed, hands going to his hips, staring down and not missing the way your throat bobbed at how close he was.Â
âI told you I don't strike out, didnât I?â
âââââ
You were very pleasantly surprised by Steveâs apology, kind of shocked by it too. You hadnât expected much to come out of your little rant, let alone him seeming so genuinely sorry about what had happened. And he seemed to understand what you said, he let it soak in and took accountability for it.Â
When he was standing there so sincere and upset, you couldnât help but to offer him another chance. This was the Steve you thought youâd seen, kind and attentive. You were happy you werenât totally wrong about him.Â
But one thing you did realize was that Steve Harrington was a pest. He got under your skin in the best way possible and lit you on fire in a way that nobody ever had. Itâs like he lit a spark in you and you loved every second, even if you pretended like he got on your nerves.Â
In the last two weeks you and Steve had gotten together about 4 times, and it was going well! Youâd realized within one session with him that he just needed some one on one time with the material. He grasps the concepts much easier when he has someone to walk him through a few problems at his own pace.Â
And heâd been on time to every single one, even early to a couple. Today he even showed up before you, the little eager student that he was.Â
You noticed the more time you spent together over the last two weeks and the more comfortable Steve became, the more he liked to tease you and watch you flush red under his stare.Â
Like now youâre sitting beside himâyou had sat down across from him but he pouted like a child and said it would be easier if you were closerâand heâs complaining about the quadratic formula for the millionth time.Â
âWeâre almost done, Steve. Two more problems and youâre free to go.âÂ
âI think I should get a reward for all this.â He would probably stomp his foot at you if he was standing up and you canât help but huff a small laugh at the little frown heâs wearing, chin in his hand and shoulders slumped in annoyance.Â
âYou do. Youâll pass the class.â
Heâs not amused by this, rolling his eyes and pinching the bare skin of your thigh where your shorts have moved from you shifting in your chair. You watch the spot turn pink and his touch, even something so quick and simple, has you buzzing.Â
âLame. I was thinking more of a kiss, let me have a quick taste of those pretty lips.â No matter how many times he mentions your mouth or howâd you taste it never fails to thrill you, your face heating and your eyes darting everywhere but his.Â
Itâs even worse when you watch the way he watches you, leaned back in his chair with his thighs spread and a smug look on his face. Heâll flash his teeth at you in a smile and send a quick wink that has you having to stop yourself from sinking between his open legs. He knows what he does to you and he loves it, soaks it up and never gets tired of it.Â
Youâve turned back to your own notes, leaving Steve to work on the last few problems and of course he does anything but. Itâs only been a few minutes when you feel something brush across your hair, you ignore it. A few seconds later something soft hits your cheek, and you ignore it. But when it hits your forehead you turn to him with a scowl, a little ball of paper between his fingers.Â
âYou are a child.â You swat at his chest and regret it when he catches your wrist in his hand, skin turning hot under his touch. You canât look away from where his fingers wrap around you and it makes you dizzy to feel his rough hands against your skin.Â
âHit me again, baby.âÂ
That was another thing that had started, the pet names. He used your name sometimes, but called you baby, sweetheart, or doll when he wanted to make you stutter your words and stumble through your sentences.Â
Heâs smirking at you, eyes light and filled with amusement at the way your neck is turning a bright pink, reaching and reaching until your ears are burning. âCâmon, please?âÂ
âNo reward for you if you donât finish those problems.â Despite the turmoil going on inside your voice sounds cool, unaffected, and you thank god for that.Â
âFine. I can be a good boy when I want to be.âÂ
Ignoring him, you turn back to your notes, far too distracted to actually pay attention to them anymore but you still stare at the paper in front of you. Youâre pleasantly surprised when he actually goes back to his work, finishing the problems quickly and you beam at him when theyâre all right.Â
âSee! I told you, just need to take your time with this stuff. Iâm proud of you, Steve.â For once heâs the one blushing, brushing it off like itâs nothing and asking for his reward. You should have known, a child never forgets a promise you make them.Â
Leaning forward his eyes widen, darting over your face to check if this is really happening. You can feel your heartbeat in your ears, not used to playing his games with him and it takes all the courage you have to let your lips brush over the corner of his mouth, then his cheek, before they find the shell of his ear. Heâs still beside you, anticipating your next move and if you werenât so hell bent on teasing him back, youâd kiss him right now.Â
Your lips graze him and itâs your turn to smirk when his grip on the table in front of you tightens. His knuckles are white and his jaw is set with you so close to him.Â
âIce cream. Thatâs your reward.âÂ
Pulling back quickly so you can see his reaction, you beam at the way his lips are parted and his chest is heaving a little harder than it should be. He just watches you with wide eyes before something settles over him. Something that makes your stomach flutter and tells you youâve started something that you wonât win.Â
When he speaks you canât help but watch the way his mouth wraps around the words so sensually you feel it all over, like heâs touching every inch of your skin and itâs addicting.Â
âPerfect. Mâdying for something sweet.âÂ
âââ-
He canât stop thinking about the feeling of your lips on his skin, even if it lasted all of three seconds itâs running through his mind on a loop and making his head a mess.Â
God he wishes you would have just bit down on him, sunk your teeth into his skin and let him feel your tongue soothe the burn.Â
Youâre walking side by side to your favorite ice cream place now, the sun is out and bright but despite that thereâs a nice breeze that cools his skin. You would have already been there but he had to spend fifteen minutes distracting you from leaving just so he could stand up without getting arrested for indecent exposure.Â
Remembering the small smile of victory you had makes him smile, but not as big as heâll be smiling when he gets you back. He loves watching you preen under his touch, loves the way your chest rises and falls a little faster when he leans in towards you and loves even more the way your eyes go all big and round and your cheeks turn bright red when he says something cheeky.Â
Spending some time with you over the last two weeks, itâs obvious to him why Robin is so obsessed with you. Youâre hilarious, sometimes you make him laugh so hard his stomach hurts and he has tears in his eyes. Heâd known you were a sweetheart but getting to see it firsthand gave him a goddamn toothache. Watching the way you smile at him so proudly when something finally clicks, how you listen to someone with such intent, no matter what theyâre talking about. Youâre just so kind and good that he wants to be as close to you as possible at all times.Â
But this is the first time you two are venturing outside of the library together and he thinks heâll spend much more time convincing you to do things with him besides math. Now that heâs got a taste he needs more, craves it.Â
He doesnât even notice youâve arrived until youâre tugging on the sleeve of his shirt and giving him a smile as sweet as honey as you wordlessly point at the ice cream shop heâd just walked past.
Pulling open the door he lets you go first and looks around to see only a few people besides them in the shop. Perfect.Â
Since thereâs no line, you both go quickly. You opt for chocolate chip cookie dough in a cup and he decides on mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone. He notices the way your nose scrunches all cute at his choice and he rolls his eyes as he pulls out his card to pay before you can.Â
âDonât tell me youâre one of those people whoâs gonna say it tastes like toothpaste or something.â Your jaw drops in offense and he has to roll his lips into his mouth to keep from laughing at how cute you are.Â
âI wasnât! I only made that face because I almost got it myself.âÂ
âAnd the thought of having a similar taste to me is making you feel sick?âÂ
âNo, just didnât peg you as a mint chocolate chip guy.âÂ
âSo youâve been thinking about pegging me.â He knows youâve realized what youâve done before the words even leave his mouth and he smirks at you anyways. Heâll take any chance to get you all flustered and riled up.Â
âPay for my damn ice cream, Harrington.âÂ
He doesnât say anything, just quietly snickers to himself while you go and find a place to sit. He notices the way you choose a seat in the corner, far away from anyone else in the shop and he smiles. You probably know whatâs coming, waiting for the other shoe to drop after your little stunt at the library and he loves seeing you all worked up and on edge.Â
He likes it a little too much.Â
Instead of sitting in the seat across from you he slips in the booth beside you instead, watching your eyes dart to the side to watch him carefully. Heâs not sure why youâre surprised, he always takes any opportunity to be close to you.Â
Slinging an arm around your shoulder he lets his fingertips toy with your hair, smiling when he feels you relax into him. âCan I have a bite?â You seem to not think anything of his request, lifting your spoon up to his mouth and he lets you slip it between his lips, your eyes trained on his mouth and his on you.Â
He hums around the spoon and lets his teeth catch when you drag it from his mouth. You shake your head at him, leaning slightly against his chest and enjoying the quiet between you too.Â
Itâs go time.Â
âWanna bite?â Heâs looking down at you and you nod sheepishly, leaning forward to meet him halfway when he moves his cone towards your mouth. Right when he reaches your lips he moves the cone an inch over and touches the ice cream against the corner of your mouth.Â
Before you can reach for a napkin he grabs your wrist, smiling all innocent when you look at him with confusion in your eyes. âI got it, donât worry.âÂ
And when he leans forward and moves his head down to be eye level with you, he smirks at the hitch in your breath when he leans forward and lets his tongue swipe over the sweetness there, his tongue catching the corner of your mouth.Â
The spoon clatters on the table between you and he hasnât moved, face just inches away from yours and his hand isnât playing with your hair anymore, itâs gripping the back of the booth so tight it hurts.Â
âSteve..â A breathless little plea leaves your now clean mouth and it takes everything in him not to go in for another taste. He pulls back just enough to watch your eyes flutter close and your head fall back to lay against his arm thatâs still behind you. Thereâs a shine on your cheek from his spit and heâs so hard he can feel his heartbeat all through his body.Â
Despite the cockiness running through him at the way youâve melted, his voice is quiet and breathless just like yours when he speaks where only you can hear him. âWhat? Just cleaning you up, messy girl.âÂ
He feels something cold on his hand and looks down to see his ice cream melting, spilling over the cone and running down his fingers. When he looks back he sees you staring at them too, a look in your eyes that has him reeling.Â
If there wasnât anyone else here heâd have you lick his fingers clean, he can see the way youâre itching to do it.
But thereâs more people coming into the shop and heâs seconds away from dragging you into the bathroom so he needs to get you out of here, get into the fresh air and out of the little bubble youâve created.Â
âYou ready, Stevie?â He loves when you call him that, it makes his chest feel all warm and he just wants to nuzzle into you when you say it. He must have been staring at you, too busy thinking about how bad he wanted you to do anything else.Â
He nods, sliding out of the booth and holding out his now clean hand to you, body buzzing when you take it and he feels your skin against his. You walk out and into the street and the breeze on his skin is a life saver.Â
Your apartment is just two blocks away from the ice cream shop and the walk there is quiet, both of you thinking about his tongue so close to your mouth. His hand brushes yours as you walk and he feels his fingers twitch with the need to slip your hands together.Â
âGood reward then?â Itâs you that breaks the silence and heâs grateful, his heart racing in his chest despite the smug smirk heâs wearing looking down at you.Â
âOh baby, the best.â
âââââ
You and Steve spend about four days a week together at this point and youâre not convinced he even needs that much tutoring but you donât complain. Youâll take any chance to spend some time with him.Â
The two of you have also decided to forgo the library, taking turns having it at his place or yours and most times you work on actual school stuff for about half an hour before heâs distracting you with a movie or a game or a promise of food.Â
Itâs been a few weeks since that day at the ice cream shop, where he licked the corner of your mouth and sent you spiraling. Having him that close was overwhelming enough, let alone feeling him on your skin.Â
Since then things havenât changed much, he teases you and sometimes you retaliate but oftentimes you just sit there red faced and let him enjoy how flustered he makes you. Heâs still touchy and smug all the time, but hasnât put his tongue anywhere near you since. Unfortunately.Â
Tonight youâre both at your place, you lying out across your couch in a t-shirt and pajama shorts that really donât fit you anymore but you refuse to get rid of. Steve is on the floor in front of you stretched out and scrolling through his phone while you switch between watching the tv and watching him.Â
Heâs been less like himself tonight, quiet and there's a little furrow between his brows that has you worried. By this point heâd usually be wrapped around you, playing with your hair or rubbing at your neck. But heâd barely touched you today, barely teased you and you wondered what had happened between yesterday and today that had him so out of sorts.Â
Regardless of his mood, he takes time to admire the way your ass peaks out of the bottom of those shorts, his jaw clenching when he gets a peak at the smooth skin there. He can spot where your ass meets your thigh and he wants to bury his face there.Â
You're pulled from your thoughts when he sits up, sitting his phone on the edge of the couch beside you and using your thigh to hoist himself off the ground. âBe right back, honey.âÂ
You just nod, stretching out your legs and trying to memorize how the heat of his palm felt gripping your skin. He goes to the bathroom, the click of the lock sounding out at the same time his phone lights up beside you.Â
You donât mean to look. Really, you planned to call out to him and go back to the shitty reality tv show that was playing in front of you but when you see a name you recognize you canât help but to look.Â
And you immediately regret it.Â
Brooke: Are you still coming over tonight? Itâs been over a month, I miss you.Â
The blood drains from your body and you feel a pit so deep in your stomach you think you might be sick. You know Brooke, everyone knows Brooke. And you donât keep up with that Steve does but heâs spent most of his time with you for the last month, so you canât help but wonder if the last time he saw her was the day of his first tutoring session.Â
And that should make you feel a little better, should dull the raging jealousy coursing through you but it doesnât. It doesnât because from her text, heâs already made plans to go over. Maybe this is why heâs being so weird tonight, heâs ready to go seeâŠher. And then youâre even more upset because it was your idea to hang out tonight and you wish he would have just said no because then you wouldnât have seen this text and you wouldnât feel like youâre about to cry.Â
You and Steve werenât together, hadnât even gone on a date or kissed or been anything more than friends. But that doesnât mean you havenât developed this huge crush on him thatâs taken over every part of your brain. And the teasing, the touches, they meant something to you.Â
Maybe that was your mistake.Â
Maybe heâs that way with everyone and you read too much into it. Maybe youâve spent so much time together because he actually did need that much help with fucking algebra and stuck around because he felt like he owed you or something.Â
In a matter of seconds your whole friendship was Steve was up in the air in front of you and you found yourself dissecting every interaction and graze of skin and now you just wanted to curl up into your bed and forget all of it.Â
You liked him, a lot more than you would care to admit and for the first time since that first night, you felt uncomfortable being in the same place as him.Â
The click of the bathroom lock snaps you from your spiral and you pull yourself off the couch, gathering up trash from the snacks youâd eaten so you donât have to look him in the eye. And you shouldnât say anything, should pretend it didnât happen and figure this out later but you canât help but let the words slip out when he walks back into your living room.Â
âGot a text while you were in the bathroom.â He doesnât say anything but doesnât really have the chance because youâre rushing into the kitchen and deciding that now is the best time to do those dishes you meant to do before he came over.Â
Hopefully heâll justâŠgo. You know he wonât but maybe that would be easier if you didnât have to see him again tonight or smell him or touch him. The water is hot, too hot to be sticking your hands under but scrubbing at this plate is all thatâs keeping the tears that are building from falling down your cheeks.Â
âY/nâŠâ Heâs behind you now, close enough that you can feel his presence and you know if you just took one step back youâd be pressed up against his chest, youâd feel the warmth that always comes from him. So you stay where you are, the edge of the sink digging into your stomach but you try and scoot closer to it anyways.Â
A noncommittal hum is all he gets from you. You donât move your head to look at him, you canât because if you do youâre not sure you wonât cry. And you canât let him see you cry over something that was never there.Â
âCan you look at me? Please?â His voice is low and sweet, a hint of a plea in his tone that makes your insides twist painfully. You just shake your head, scrubbing at this plate so hard youâre worried it might snap in your grip.Â
His hand is on your shoulder now and a shaky breath escapes your lips, the tears building behind your eyes and you will them away. There's nothing to cry over. Heâs your friend. Thatâs all. âIf you need to leave, thatâs fine. Seriously itâsâyou can go if you want.â Your voice cracks the slightest bit, but he notices. Of course he does.Â
âSweetheart, look at me.âÂ
Your chest hurts at the endearment and you squeeze your eyes shut tight because you know heâs wearing that puppy dog look he does so well. You know his eyes are round and full of concern, or even worse, pity. You know his bottom lip is jutting out in a pout and it makes you want to take the plate youâve scrubbed clean and smash it into a million pieces.Â
If thereâs one thing youâve learned about Steve, itâs that he wonât give in. Heâll stand behind you all night, miss his date with Brooke if thatâs what it takes. He wonât give up until youâre looking at him, but you donât know why. Donât know why he wants to see you upset. But you turn around anyways, cheeks blotchy and a sheen of tears ready to fall at any given moment.Â
His lips part softly and his hands are hovering between you, not sure if he should reach over and touch you. âItâs notâsheâs notâŠI donât want to leave.âÂ
âOkay.âÂ
âI donât know why I even made the plans in the first place! Iâd rather be here with you anyways.âÂ
âOkay.âÂ
Heâs pacing in front of you now, hands fisted in his hair and he looks like heâs freaking out, chewing on his bottom lip and mumbling under his breath while you just stand there and stare at your feet on the floor.Â
âIâve just beenâŠmy mind has been fucked lately and I donât know what I even think anymore and I do stupid shit when I donât know what do to.âÂ
âOkay, Steve.âÂ
âAre you just gonna keep saying okay?â Heâs stopped pacing, the stare heâs wearing keeps you still in place against the sink and you feel like shrinking under his gaze.Â
âWhat do you want me to say? If you want to go hang out with her, you can! Youâre an adult, Steve. You donât have to spend all your time with me.âÂ
âBut I want to.â Heart thudding hard in your chest you try to make sense of what heâs saying, what heâs not saying. Heâs giving you something, dancing around what he wants to say and you wonât give yourself false hope, wonât read too far into this. Youâve become friends, best friends even and you donât want to fuck that up.Â
âThen stay.âÂ
You should talk about this, you know it and he knows it. You should get everything out in the open so thereâs no more secret plans and unshed tears but you donât. Instead he nods at you, coming closer and wrapping his arms around you so youâre nuzzled against his chest. Neither of you say anything, just sit there wrapped up in each other for who knows how long before he pulls back and tugs you to the living room, sitting down and pulling you into his side with no words spoken between you.Â
The show drones on around you, but youâre not paying attention. Your mind is too busy, too many thoughts swirling around to even try and focus on anything but him. He sinks down further into the couch and you move with him, your head resting against his chest and his hand lying still on your hip.Â
âMâsorry I made you sad. Never want to do that, youâre too pretty to cry over me, too sweet.âÂ
You just nod against him, closing your eyes and feeling the thump of his chest on your cheek. He doesnât say anything else and youâre grateful.Â
ââââ-
Itâs been almost a week since that night in your apartment. A week since Steve got that text and you almost lost your shit. A week since you realized how deep your feelings for him actually ran.Â
When you had woken up that next day Steve was still there, hand still on your hip with his head thrown back in what couldnât be comfortable as he slept beside you. He woke up soon after and both of you justâŠpretended it hadnât happened. The last week had been normal, so normal youâd convinced yourself that night was some sort of glitch.Â
Steve continued to spend most of his days with you, continued to flash those smug grins your way when he sees something inappropriate and you continue to flush under his stare, preen under his praise and stick to his side like glue.Â
Thatâs how you are now, sprawled under that same big tree Steve had come to apologize to you under all those weeks ago. Heâs sitting up with his legs stretched out in front of him and your head is on his lap, Eddie beside you hunched over and working on something you canât see, Robin beside Steve with a book sheâs not reading in her hand.Â
Heâd also been spending more time with the three of you and it made your heart warm. All your favorite people getting along and hanging out.
âWe should all go to Lansdowne this weekend.â That suggestion couldnât have come from anyone but Steve. Eddie scrunches his nose at the thought immediately, tongue sticking out like it left a bad taste in his mouth. Robin groans like sheâs physically pained by the thought.Â
âNow donât sound too excited.â Lansdowne was a little pub near Fenway Park that Steve was obsessed with. They usually had live music and were packed to the brim with bodies every weekend. Robin and Eddie despised it, always too crowded for their liking.Â
âIâll go, Steve. But youâre buying my first drink.âÂ
âThatâs my girl!â He patted your head like you were a puppy, grin wide as he turned to stick out his tongue at Eddie and Robin who just rolled their eyes dramatically and went back to ignoring whatever Steve would ramble on about next.Â
Neither of you noticed the way Eddie and Robin watched you, knowing smiles on both their faces as they took the sight of you two in. They watched Steve brush your hair out of your face, a look of fondness on his face that Robin hasnât seen him show anyone before. They watch you snuggle into him, content and comfort written all over your features.Â
ââââ-
There was a small bit of regret about quickly agreeing to go out with Steve. Friday came before you knew it and you were tired, so tired from a long week of school and work. It seemed like everything that could have gone wrong this week, did and it had you mentally and physically drained.Â
The temptation to text Steve and bail was clawing at you, but you couldnât. Usually spending time with him was something that made you feel better, so you hoped that was the case tonight.Â
It was nice out, not too hot but just warm enough to indulge in summer clothes. Dressing up for tonight was out of the question, you needed to be comfy if you were going to be squished against sweaty bodies and pulled through big crowds.Â
That was how you found yourself now, tucked into Steveâs side at the bar at 11pm with a short denim skirt snug around your hips that youâd found in the back of your drawer and a cropped pink t-shirt that molded to your chest. A few inches of skin showed above your skirt and the feel of Steveâs palm resting there had you blushing already.Â
You were both three drinks in, a nice buzz in your veins that had you giggling into his chest without embarrassment. When youâd seen him tonight, you knew you were going to need some liquid reinforcements to survive. Heâd been wearing a dark green button up that he left undone, tight white tank top underneath that showed the outline of his chest. A pair of light wash denim jeans cinched around his waist with a belt.Â
There might have been an audible gulp at the sight of him, but with three dirty shirleyâs pumping through you, you eyed him up without care, taking in every inch of him with a palpable hunger.Â
His breath is hot against your skin when he leans down to try and whisper in your ear, but ends up talking much louder than he meant to. âForgot to mention itâs karaoke night.âÂ
âI am not participating in that.âÂ
That little frown he does when he doesnât get his way pops up, lips pouted at you like youâd stolen his candy. âWhy not?âÂ
âBetween the two of us youâre the rockstar, Harrington, not me.âÂ
Before he could open his mouth to argue, someone called his name from across the bar, a man holding a clipboard that looked less than impressed with his job. Somehow in the short time youâd been here Steve had gotten his name down on the list for karaoke without you knowing, and it was his turn now.Â
He gave you a quick wink that had you almost melting before him, a small smirk as he squeezed your shoulder and started to push his way through the crowds of people. âEyes on me, baby.âÂ
Liked youâd be able to look anywhere else.Â
You watch him hop up on the small stage thatâs only a few feet tall, no hint of nervousness on his face as he smiles at the small crowd thatâs paying attention to him. Thereâs lights focused on him and you think he was made to be in the spotlight with how good he looks up there. Youâre somewhere in the middle of the crowd but he spots you easily, winking before he strips off his button down, tossing it to the side of him.Â
The sight of him up there with his tank top tucked nicely into his jeans does little to help with the fuzziness you were already feeling from the drinks. Youâre careful not to drool at his arms on display, bulging slightly when he lifts them to grip his hands around the mic.Â
âHello, Boston!âÂ
Youâd think this was his personal show the way the crowd cheered back at him, encouraging what you know was nothing but mischievous behavior. Heâs getting the attention of more of the bar the longer he stands up there and you canât blame them, heâs a sight to see.Â
âYou all look beautiful tonight!âÂ
A laugh bubbles out of you when the beginning notes of Mr. Brightside by the Killers boom from the speakers behind him, not sure why you expected anything else from him.Â
Heâs practically bouncing on his heels as he sings the first few notesâand so is his hair. But your laughter and amusement is quickly replaced by something fiery and strong that builds in your stomach as you watch him.Â
His hands are wrapped around the microphone in front of him, eyes screwed shut when he gets to the chorus and you feel like youâre on fire. During a pause his head is thrown back, throat bobbing for everyone to see and you try to trace the beads of sweat running down his throat from your spot in the middle of the bar.Â
When he starts singing againâand fuck heâs goodâhis eyes are open and on yours, coming so close to the microphone you can see the way his lips pucker against it on certain notes and youâre thankful itâs so packed in here, the people around you keeping you from falling to the ground.Â
Jealousy, turning saints into the sea
Swimming through sick lullabies, choking on your alibis
But it's just the price I pay, destiny is calling me
Open up my eager eyes, 'cause I'm Mr. Brightside
About seven feet are between you but with the bright lights shining on him you watch in awe as his raspberry lips wrap around the words and his tongue swipes out and darts across them every few seconds. He looks ethereal on that stage, hair slicked back from running his fingers through it and hips rocking side to side in time with the beat.Â
His voice is pure silk and honey, like he was born to sing this song and it has your heart racing so fast in your chest itâs hard to catch your breath. Heâs jumping around, putting on a noteworthy performance while the patrons around you yell and dance with him.Â
Every once in a while his nose bumps against the mic and you canât get over how alluring he looks with his lips grazing the mic. Heâs captivating, stealing the attention of almost everyone in the room now and your heart swells in your chest.Â
It takes you a second longer to realize the song has ended, cheers and hollering making your ears ring as he basks in the attention on stage. You can see that cocky smirk from here, his eyes dark and cheeks red as he blows you a kiss when he catches your eyes again.Â
Maybe you could use another drink after all.Â
 âââââ
Steve was sweaty from karaoke, his hair sticking to his forehead and neck, button up heâd been wearing thrown somewhere and he was sure heâd never see it again. The tank top he wore was clinging to his skin and he wished he could peel it off, the stickiness in the air of the bar doing nothing to cool him down.Â
But he saw the way you watched him up there, your eyes trained on his mouth or his hands the whole time and it made him feel electric. The way you licked your lips like he was your next meal could have him on his knees for you in an instant.Â
Heâd lost you when he got off the small stage, eyes searching through the crowd and sighing in relief when he finds you standing by the bar, chin in your palm as you swirl your drink around.Â
That relief is short-lived when he sees some douche come up beside you, a charming grin plastered on his face and his eyes dark as he takes you in. Steve sees red when he places one of his hands on your waist, his palm touching your bare skin since youâd chosen a crop top for tonight.Â
Possessiveness stirs in his belly, hands fisted at his side at the laugh you give him. Itâs fake, he can tell, but it still makes his jaw clench uncomfortably.Â
Youâre not interested in this guy, he can see that. Youâve leaned back enough to create some space between the two of you and your eyes dart around the bar quickly and he knows youâre looking for him.Â
Little did you know that even if you werenât looking for him, heâd still be there. Heâd always be there. Couldnât keep himself away from you even if he wanted to, which he didnât. Heâd become addicted to your strawberry scent and your sweet little giggles. Heâd become addicted to you.Â
Itâs when this asshole lifts his hand to brush a piece of your hair away from your face that Steve starts to move, shoulders shoving through the crowd with ease and he sees the way your body relaxes when you catch sight of him heading towards you.Â
The thought of someone else touching your skin, feeling how smooth it is and how it warms up under their touch has him gritting his teeth. His jaw twitches thinking about you looking up at someone besides him with stars in your eyes.Â
When heâs within reach he lays his hand on your exposed thigh, fingers digging into the soft flesh there and placing a quick kiss on your forehead. âTold ya Iâd be right back, doll.â He doesnât acknowledge the man beside him, eyes focused on yours.Â
Your thighs clamp shut around his hand and a devious smirk plays on his lips at the feeling. âWhoâs this?â He cocks his head towards the man that had been trying to talk to you, not looking his way but finally acknowledging his presence. Douchebag is still there, watching the scene unfold in front of him with little amusement.Â
âI-I donât know. We were just talking.â Steve hums at you, eyes drinking in the little drops of sweat rolling down your neck and down your shirt. Heâs itching to lean forward and collect them on his tongue, to taste any part of you he can get his hands on.Â
You yelp when his fingers pinch at your inner thigh, hands coming up to grip his forearm in surprise. He doesnât miss the way your hips shifted forward though, searching for his touch instinctively.Â
âDonât want these boys talking to you, do you?â Heâs leaning closer to you but still talking loud enough that the prick who canât take a hint can hear him. You shake your head quickly and he smiles. âItâs because youâre my girl, isn't it baby? Want them to know youâre mine to take home, mine to play with, mine to keep.âÂ
At this point heâs not even talking for the benefit of saving you from some creep in a bar, you both know that. Heâs not just staking his claim so theyâll leave you alone, heâs telling you the truth, what you both already know but refuse to talk about. Heâs yours as much as you are his. Itâs been that way for weeks.Â
For him itâs been that way since you ripped him a new one, tore into him for being an asshole with your big round eyes that twitched in anger at his attitude.Â
Youâre nodding at him with blown out eyes, thighs still keeping his hand trapped between them. The guy youâd been talking to is long gone but neither of you seem to notice or care.Â
âSo say it.â His lips are tilted in a smirk, knowing eyes watching you shift and squirm under his stare. He feels himself thickening in his pants, head of his cock pressed up against the zipper painfully but he doesnât care. Heâd stand here in pain all night if you kept looking at him like that.Â
âIâm your girl.âÂ
His chest swells with pride, grinning down at you and watching you just eat up the unsaid praise. Youâre blooming under his gaze, chest puffing out the slightest bit and his mouth waters.Â
Itâs hard to breathe when youâre looking at him like that. His stomach feels tight and a feeling he canât quite describe takes over. He wants to feel your skin on his, to taste you, smell you, anything youâll give him. But he also feels like he could be sick, just looking at you being too much for him right now.Â
He uses his thumb to tap on your thigh so youâll open them for him, pulling his hand out and tugging on your wrist to pull you back to the middle of the dance floor. Your obedience thrills him, makes his spine tingle and heart race. He shouldâve known you were a good girl, the best one really. You donât even question him as he grips your hips in his hand, pulling you flush against him while the music booms around you.Â
Neither of you are really moving, just standing there pressed together while bodies push and move around you. One hand comes up to cradle the back of your neck, pulling you closer so that he can lean down and talk in your ear where youâll hear him.Â
âSaw the way you were watching me up on the stage earlier.âÂ
Your hands are clinging to his shirt and he feels your grip tighten, smiling knowingly against your ear. He loved the way you watched him, the way your eyes never left him like you were mesmerized.Â
âYou looked good up there, like a natural.âÂ
âYeah?âÂ
âHmm, my rockstar.âÂ
The praise shoots down his spine and makes his body buzz. Heâs watching the way your hair flows over your shoulder and he wants to tug on it, make your head fall back and expose your throat to him.Â
You pressed against him mixed with the sticky air surrounding you is too much, his head feels fuzzy and heâs seconds away from biting on your lips and licking into your mouth.Â
âLetâs get out of here.âÂ
âââââââ
In hindsight, deciding to take the train at 1 am on a Friday night was a stupid idea. Anyone and everyone in the city chose that time to pile on. For a second youâre worried youâll lose Steve in the crowd of people but a few seconds later you feel his fingers slip through yours and tug you to his side.Â
âCanât risk losing my precious cargo.âÂ
The ringing in your ears is either from the feel of his skin touching yours or the tell tale screech of the train approaching. When it pulls up in front of you, your cringe at how crowded it already is, forehead covered in a sheen of sweat before you even step on. The doors open and Steve is pulling you through the bunches of people, tugging you through and moving you to stand in front him when he sees an opening.Â
Your back is pressed against the opposing doors and you sigh in relief at the coolness it provides. That relief is short lived when you peek over Steveâs shoulder to see more people piling on. He presses closer to you to make room and your heart thuds harshly against your chest.Â
His feet are spread slightly to be on either side of yours, arms over your head to hold on to the railing and it feels like heâs caging you in. Heâs pressed up against you completely, your chin touching his chest and lips hover near your forehead.Â
It doesnât help that his arms are on full display, button up he was wearing long gone since before karaoke and instead adorned in a white tank top thatâs like a second skin. Itâs hugging his chest and waist and itâs taking everything in you not to lean forward and nip at his arm.Â
And then youâre thinking about how he looked on stage. Pure sex as he captivated the crowd with his effortless charm and talent. You think you could watch him like that forever.Â
Fuck. All you could feel was him, his breath on your skin and his body keeping yours snug against the doors. Youâre not sure you could even move, not that you wanted to. Tilting your head back an inch you look up at him, eyes glancing over his strawberry mouth thatâs tilted into a smirk, looking up further to see how heâs watching you closely.Â
Honey eyes staring into yours scream mischief and when you breathe in you feel your knees falter, a sweetness washing over your senses. Just the smell of him was enough to have your skin tingling, hints of cherry and vanilla from where you were practically nuzzled against his throat.Â
Your hand was wrapped tightly against the pole in front of you and the feel of the cool metal against your palm did little to help with the heat you felt burning through your chest. The train lurched forward and the hand that was dangling by your side shot out to fist at the fabric of Steveâs shirt. The fucking white tank top he was wearing.Â
âEager, are we?â His tone was teasing and when you took a quick glance down to see a sliver of his stomach showing where you had his shirt tight in your grasp, your thighs squeezed together involuntarily.Â
âOh please.You just happened to be the closest thing to me, Harrington.âÂ
He feigned offense, knowing smirk never leaving his face and you stifled a groan when you felt his stomach twitch against your hand. You thought that if you had to be pressed against him for much longer you might just pass out.Â
When you look up to see you still have a few stops before yours, you release your grip on his shirt and try not to notice the disappointment that floods through you when your hold on him is gone. He seems to notice too, eyebrows furrowing for a split second before his expression goes back and heâs smiling down at you again.Â
âYa know,â He tilts his head to the side like heâs wondering about something important but his expression holds nothing good. âYou look good like this, pressed up against me all flushed and pretty.âÂ
Arousal seeps down your spine and curls around your belly like a boa constrictor, your throat all of a sudden dry and you canât seem to do anything but blink up at him.Â
âGoing dumb already? You really are precious cargo.âÂ
You have about an ounce of self control left and thatâs what keeps you from letting a whimper slip into the sticky air between you. You know he can read your emotions on your face but you try and school your features anyways, lifting your leg thatâs trapped between his and pressing your weight down on his foot.Â
It just makes his sickly sweet smile even bigger and your breath hitches when he leans down to press his lips against the shell of your ear. You dig your fingertips into your palm when he lets his tongue swipe against his bottom lip and it catches your skin as it does.Â
âTrying to hurt me, baby? Why donât you bite me next? Pretty please?â He brings his hand up between you as he talks, uses his thumb to swipe at your bottom lip and if you werenât on the fucking train youâd part your lips for him and take his thumb into your mouth. You think you want that a little too much to be so close to him right now.Â
For the first time since youâve moved here, the train is your saving grace. The doors pull open and the cool air of the night hits you, breaking you from whatever little trance Steve had put you under. It clears out enough that he can step to your side now, giving you some much needed space to try and get yourself together.Â
The chatter around you has died down and while you feel marginally more in control of yourself, the smell of Steve and the feel of his arm brushing against yours beside you is enough to keep you on your toes.Â
âCooling down over there?âÂ
âYes actually, no thanks to you.âÂ
He shrugs his shoulders innocently and if he hadnât just been whispering in your ear about liking the pain then you might actually believe the sweet look he was wearing on his face. âOops.âÂ
The next stop is yours and while youâre trying to figure out if Steve is coming with you or if youâre gonna have to figure out some weird goodbye, heâs already five steps ahead. When the train comes to a stop and the doors open heâs grabbing your hand again and pulling you out of the train and into the breeze that cools the sweat on your neck.Â
âMâgonna walk you home, okay?â You nod wordlessly, letting your hands swing gently between you as you make your way through the now quiet streets. Everyone is either deep into the city until the bars close or already tucked away in their beds after a long work week. Few people litter the streets but you donât hear much besides the buzz of the train pulling away and the soft hum coming from the person beside you.Â
It doesnât take long before you reach your building nestled in between two others that look just like it and while you fumble through your bag for your keys you feel his gaze burning into the side of your face.Â
âYouâve been awfully quiet since we left the bar.âÂ
A noncommittal hum is all you give him and heâs not a fan of that, reaching forward and plucking your apartment key from between your fingers before you even register whatâs happening. You reach out automatically but heâs pulling back and out of your reach.Â
âWhy?âÂ
âWhy what?â You know what heâs asking and youâre just making this harder for the both of you but heâs had you so on edge since he got on stage and was allâŠrockstar and sex that youâre scared about what might come out of your mouth if youâre not careful.Â
âWhy have you been so quiet since we left the bar?âÂ
âNot much to say I guessâŠâ
âBullshit.âÂ
You blink at him owlishly, lips parted in surprise but you canât deny the little tingle that starts at your toes and makes its way up your body at him calling you out. âExcuse me?â Your voice sounds pathetic and breathless to your own ears at this point so you can only imagine how you look to Steve right now.Â
âI call bullshit. Donât think I havenât seen the way you blush every time you make eye contact or you look at my arms,â Fuck he caught you. âOr the way you clench those pretty thighs everytime I whisper in your ear or get a little too close to you.âÂ
Your chest is rising and falling harshly and if he wasnât taking up every inch of your brain right now youâd be embarrassed by how he had you panting at him. Any confusion he had vanishes and you curse yourself for being so easy for him to read. Like a fucking open book.Â
âOh thatâs it. Scared of what might come out of that pouty little mouth, arenât you? You listen to me talk to you all sweet and dirty and it just makes you all dumb, doesnât it? Sâcute. Youâre cute.â
âShut up! YouâŠyou idiot.â It was a weak attempt at a comeback and you felt yourself scrunch your nose at yourself while Steve chuckled. He stepped closer, his hands on his hips as he looked down at you.Â
âThatâs the best you got?â You were toe to toe nowâliterallyâand you felt yourself shrinking under his gaze. You hated how good he was at making you squirm, how you felt his words on your skin like standing under the sun in the summer heat. But most of all you despised that you didnât hate it at all.
âYouâre an asshole, you know that? A big one.âÂ
He flashed his teeth at you, hand going up to his chest like your words hurt him. âOooh there ya go, thatâs a little better. But if youâre gonna call me names, Iâve got some you can try. How about daddââ
âSteve!â You practically hissed at him, smacking his shoulder and huffing like a child at the way he laughed loudly at your expense. He laughed so hard there were little crinkles in the corner of his eyes, grin so big his dimples popped out and you had to stop yourself from poking at it.Â
âAlright, alright. No need to get violent, baby. At least take me to dinner first.â Rolling your eyes you snatched your key from him while he was occupied, turning to your door and muttering under your breath. Asshole. Jerk. Moron. Hot. Hot. Hot.Â
He laid his hand on your shoulder softly to get your attention and when you turned back he was rolling his lips together, trying to keep his amusement at bay for your sake. He had a way of doing that youâd noticed, looking like a little puppy dog when he wanted to. You hated how much it worked.Â
âMâdone, I swear. For tonight at least. Thanks for coming out with me, I had a lot of fun.âÂ
âI did too, even if youâre a pest.âÂ
âOh câmon, you love it.â I do. God I love it so much itâs kind of sick.Â
âIn your dreams, Harrington,â You knew you set yourself up when he opened his mouth, that gleam in his eye that meant nothing but trouble. You beat him to it though, and the little pout he wore made you melt. âText me when you get home safe, okay? And thanks for walking me home.âÂ
âAnytime, sweetheart.âÂ
Reaching up like he was going to sweep you hair out of your eyes, he mustâve changed his mind because he pinched your cheek instead, laughing to himself when you grumbled at him and smacked his hand away.Â
Youâd watched as he walked away, watched until you couldnât see him anymore before you finally went inside, trudging up the stairs to your apartment and feeling your nerves settle once you were finally alone.
It was like you could breathe again, that ache youâd felt all night still thumping but more dull now than it had been in his presence. You finally felt cool and relaxed. Until your phone buzzed about twenty minutes later.Â
Steve: Made it home safe and sound. Not a scratch on me.
Steve: Well besides the ones you left on me when you were pawing at me on the train!Â
Y/n: Idiot!Â
Steve: We really need to work on expanding your vocabulary. Maybe I could tutor you. :)
Steve: Whoops I meant ;), itâs hard to type one handed.Â
You gasped and you swear youâd just burst into flames from how hot your face felt staring down at your phone. Was heâŠhe wouldnât. But did you mind if he did? No. Fuck, no. But you couldnât just let him know that.Â
Y/n: Steve Harrington you are sick!Â
Steve: What?? Iâm eating cereal and texting you! Trying to multitask here.Â
Steve: Get your mind out of the gutter you filthy girl.Â
Heâd played you and you took the bait so easily! At this point you should know heâd take any opportunity to embarrass you, you both knew you loved it. He loved getting you all flushed and squirmy and you loved pretending like it didnât light you up inside.Â
Now you were thinking about him touching himself, your thighs sore from squeezing together and your heart racing. You wanted to know how he looked doing it, what he sounded likeâŠJesus Christ you needed to get a grip. It wasnât until your phone buzzed in your hand that you realized you hadnât texted him back.Â
Steve: Your cheeks are all hot, arenât they?
Oh fuck off.Â
Y/n: No! They have no reason to be!Â
Steve: Oh they definitely are. Youâre all hot and bothered thinking about me only using one hand to text you. Youâve got a dirty mind!
He was taunting you, you knew that. Baiting you and wrapping it up with a nice shiny bow. And youâd take it every time.Â
Y/n: You knew what you were doing! You set me up.Â
Steve: Little olâ me? As if Iâd ever do such a thing! Iâm offended youâd even suggest that.Â
Just imagining the shit eating grin he was wearing riled you up even more, your blood pumping and your fingers twitching as you typed furiously back to him.Â
Y/n: Playing innocent wonât work with me, Harrington. I know your tricks and they only make my cheeks red because they piss me off! Go fuck yourself, idiot!Â
Steve: You wanna watch? ;)Â
You thought about throwing your phone at the wall, watching it smash into a thousand tiny pieces and letting every trace of that arrogant, smug, hot asshole wash away. But you were not so secretly relishing in the back and forth, your tummy a ball of excitement.Â
Y/n: In your dreams.Â
His reply was instant and it made you fist your bed sheets tight, toes curling in your socks and if you were standing youâd be sure to fall to your knees.Â
Steve: Oh you know it, baby.Â
Steve: Maybe next time. Youâve been a dirty girl calling me all those mean names. Come kiss it better?
When a picture came in seconds after his last reply you dropped your phone to your bed, eyes wide and pulse thumping in your ears as you took in the image before you.Â
Steve lying on his bed, shirtless. He was lying against his navy blue pillowcase, one arm thrown behind his head and he showed just enough of his torso for you to see a patch of chest hair that made your fingernails dig so deep into your palm you were surprised you didnât draw blood. His hair was tousled like heâd tugged at it and his mouth held the most perfect little pout. You assumed thatâs what you were supposed to be kissing better.Â
It had been several minutes since youâd moved so it didnât make sense why your breathing was so heavy and why there was sweat gathering at the base of your neck. All you could think of was leaving your mark over his chest and shoulders, deep purple spots that you know heâd wear with a proud smile on his face.Â
If he could see you nowâŠyouâd never hear the end of it.Â
Y/n: Meh.Â
He must have been sitting there waiting for your reply, the three little dots popping up almost instantly after you hit send.Â
Steve: Meh????Â
Steve: It took you 10 minutes to reply with meh??
Steve: Liar.Â
A sick satisfaction coursed through you and you felt a small sense of victory reading his replies. If you didnât know any better youâd say Steve was a little upset at your lack of reaction.Â
Y/n: It took me 10 minutes because I wasnât waiting by my phone for your reply. And Iâm not a liar, just not overly impressed.Â
You were a liar. A huge lying liar who was only able to do this over text because if he was in front of youâd have been stumbling over your words and blushing like an idiot.Â
And that little victory you had lasted all of 2 minutes because when your phone started ringing, that ball of dread from forever ago came barreling back into you harder and faster than before.Â
Pressing accept you held the phone up to your ear and tried to get your breathing under control. You were gonna blow your cover quickly if you didnât.Â
âH-hello?âÂ
âNot impressed, hm?â There was an edge to his voice, one you didnât recognize but it had a sense of sternness, of authority that had your hands twitching in your lap.Â
âNope. Sorry.â The words practically squeaked out of you, the less you said the better when it came to Steve. If you spoke too much heâd be able to know what you were thinking, he probably already did. You swore he had some magical powers or something.Â
âReally? And youâre sure? I only ask because earlier just looking at my arms had you panting like a dog at my feet.âÂ
Your face burned with humiliation and you cursed yourself for the way it turned you on. Fuck. Any control you had was quickly unraveling and falling apart in front of you.Â
âSteve, Iââ
âBecause when it took you so long to reply, you know what I thought? I thought youâd slipped your hand into your panties like some perv. That was my theory, but I can admit it when Iâm wrong.âÂ
âI-I wasnât! Iâm not I justââ
âBut you thought about it, didnât you?âÂ
And well of course you had. How could you not when he looked like he did and when you could practically hear him in your ear whispering filthy, teasing things.Â
You pictured him now, standing at the foot of your bed with his shirt off and his hands on his hips. How heâd shake his head at you, scolding you like a teacher scolding their student for not doing their homework. You can hear the smirk in his voice as he riles you up and it leaves you reeling.Â
âI, well Iââ
âJust a yes or no, doll. Did you think about it?âÂ
âYes.â It comes out in a whisper, hanging in the air and you should want to take it back, to tell him no and hang up but you donât. You sit there and bask in it, the embarrassment, the arousal. You sit and wait for him to give you somethingâlike a dog waiting for a treat.Â
âThatâs what I thought. Now that weâve got that settled, Iâm beat! Youâve kept me up far past my bedtime. Goodnight, perv. Iâll talk to you tomorrow.âÂ
Before you can get a word out, a plea or a curse or anything heâs hanging up the phone and leaving you with your mouth hanging open and an ache so intense it makes your head spin.Â
Idiot. Asshole. Jerk. Hot. Hot. Hot.Â
Heâs left you speechless, sitting there still on your bed with your phone in your hand and your mind running a thousand miles a minute. Youâre aching and wet, embarrassingly wet, and you feel a need for him so deep in your bones itâs making you feel insane.Â
A knock on your front door startles you, itâs harsh and quick and your pulse spikes immediately. Holding your phone in your hand you make your way through the living room, a seed of worry nestled in your stomach because who would be here knocking on your door at almost 3 am.Â
Who besides Steve, of course.Â
Just as youâre moving close to look through the peephole, he calls your name from the other side of the door. Excitement pools low in your belly, hairs on your arm standing tall at the promise of him just inches away. Pulling open the door youâre met with the same Steve youâd left just a short time ago, but now heâs wearing a pair of basketball shorts that hang low on his hips and his hair is still damp from the shower youâre sure heâs taken. A pink t-shirt is stretched over his broad shoulders and thereâs a simple silver chain hanging around his neck.Â
How does he always look this good? You donât say anything, opting to step to the side and allow him through and he steps in wordlessly, giving your arm a squeeze when he passes by.Â
Closing the door behind him, you watch as he makes his way to your room and you stand there dumbfounded, wondering what the fuck is going on and why he hasnât said a word to you after showing up at your door at 3 am.Â
Following him is a simple choice, one that leads you to your room to see Steve sitting on the edge of your bed with his legs spread wide, hands behind him flat on the comforter while he leans back the slightest bit. Heâs stunning and it has you fighting the urge to sing to your knees on the carpet in front of him.Â
It feels like a staring contest between the two of you. But instead of looking in your eyes, Steve is letting his gaze run over your body. Youâre in an oversize shirt that reaches about mid thigh, nothing underneath but a pair of panties that Steve ruined hours ago.Â
He finally meets your eyes, a small smile tugging up at the corners of his mouth that makes you feel jittery. âW-what are you doing here?â You canât help but to stumble over your words when heâs looking at you like that. Like he could take a bite out of you.Â
âWhat do you think?âÂ
âMissed me already, Harrington?âÂ
âAlways.â Some of the smugness he carries with him has melted away with the admission and it makes your heart swell in your chest. The thought of him missing you provides a surge of warmth through your body.Â
âI missed you too,â Your voice is timid, his stare making you feel exposed to him, âbut I thought you were going to bed.âÂ
âWell that was my plan, but I couldnât fall asleep knowing you were over here making a mess because of me and not come help clean it up.âÂ
Your toes curl into the carpet below you and you hope it will be able to ground you a little when you feel soâŠyou donât even know what you feel. Your stomach is twisting and your palms are sweaty and you can feel your heartbeat in your ears.Â
One of his hands lifts to motion you forward and you do so without hesitation, your feet carrying you to him instantly. When you get close enough you go to get on your knees instinctively and he stops you with a small, proud smile. âNo, no, Iâm here to take care of you, baby.â And while the notion fills you with excitement, you canât help but feel a little upset that you wonât get to put your mouth on him.Â
And of course this just makes him smile even bigger, eyes bright as he takes in your frown and canât help but shake his head at you.Â
âBefore we do anything I justâŠI want you to know I care about you, yeah? This isnât some one night thing for me. I want everyday with you, everyday that youâll give me.âÂ
âI care about you too, Steve. I think that was obvious when I scrubbed all the paint off that plate after I saw that text on your phone,â He huffs a small laugh at you, hands settled on your hips, âYouâve become such an important part of my life and IâI like you a lot, even when youâre mean to me.âÂ
He scoffs like the idea is foreign, playful glint in his eye the whole time and it drives you crazy. He has that look, the one that tells you heâs about to say something that will either make you hit him or drop back down to your knees.Â
âCome give daddy a kiss then.âÂ
Itâs the former, hand coming up to smack at his chest hard despite the way the name makes your stomach clench and your spine tingle. He just laughs, loud and steady, pulling you down onto his lap and smashing his lips against yours.Â
His lips are just as soft as youâd dreamed about, full and slick with spit and you feel yourself pulse when he smiles into the kiss. His nose bumps with yours, his hands sliding from your waist to your hair and letting his fingers tug and pull while you push closer to him.Â
âFuckâyou taste so good.â You donât even realize the words come from you until you feel Steve groan against you, tongue sweeping across your bottom lip as if to taste you too.Â
When you finally have to pull back for air, your forehead is pressed against his and you both try and catch your breath. He looks like a dream, mouth shiny and swollen, eyes glazed over as he takes you in. He tastes sweet, the kind of taste you crave at the end of the day or when you need a pick me up. Or just because.Â
Heâs shifted back a little so youâre not hanging off him and the edge of the bed, your thighs wrapped around his hips and your chests almost touching from how close you are. Heâs tugging at the ends of your shirt, trying to pull it off but itâs trapped between your thighs and his. You lean up just enough for him to pull it free, tugging it over your head with ease.Â
What youâve managed to forget in the heat of the moment, what Steve doesnât know but is quick to find out is the little secret no one but Robin knows aboutâand she only knows because you needed moral support.Â
âOh holy fuck,â Youâve never seen his eyes so wide and his mouth is dropped open so big itâs almost kind of scary. Somehow youâd forgotten your nipples were pierced, maybe it was from Steve kissing you stupid, youâre not sure. But heâs looking at your tits now like heâs got gold in front of him.Â
Your mouth opens to tease him but before you can speak heâs moving his hand to cover your mouth, eyes never leaving your boobs and you have to laugh against him.Â
âDonâtâyou canât say a thing right now or Iâll cum in my pants.â He sounds so serious, so pained that you whine against his hand all greedy and impatient. âJesus fuckinâ Christ. Prettiest tits Iâve ever seen, doll. Think I could cum from just lookinâ at em for too long.âÂ
You nod eagerly against his hand, the idea of that turning you on even more than you thought possible. He finally removes his hand but only because he canât hold out on touching you any longer. His palms come up to cup your breasts, thumbs running over your nipples and you sigh in relief at the feeling of his touch. He uses two fingers to tug gently at the little silver barbell that runs through them, watching your face for your reaction and you donât disappoint. Your mouth falls open, a small moan slipping out and your hands grip his shoulders tight.Â
âFuck me. God youâre perfect, so pretty and sweet for me. Shit, mâlosing my goddamn mind here, baby.â Half his words are almost slurred, attention moving between your tits and your face as he tugs and thumbs at your nipples. The furrow in his brow makes him look genuinely concerned and you throb at the thought of him being so mesmerized by you.Â
Heâs so occupied with your pretty tits in his face he doesnât notice when you slide back a little, a few inches of space between you now. Youâve been soaked and aching for far too long and you think if he doesnât touch you in the next few seconds you might cry.Â
You move one of your hands to grab his, tugging it from your nipple and sliding it down between you to press against the front of your panties. Theyâre messy, your thighs sticky and you hope he understands your not so subtle hint.Â
He does, cursing at the feel of how wet and hot you are even through the thin layer separating him from you. âPoor thing, didnât even know someone could be this messy.â Your hips shift, desperately trying to get his fingers to catch on your clit. âWho made you this desperate, huh? Was it that prick from the bar?âÂ
Youâre shaking your head but itâs not enough for him, hand moving away and you gasp, pulling it back and giving him what he wants. âYou. Itâs youâyou did this to me.âÂ
Instead of saying anything he dips his fingers past the band of your panties, both of you groaning at the contact. He circles your clit twice, thighs twitching around him before heâs dipping down to your sopping hole, teasing his finger there before swiping through your slit to collect some of the slick thatâs there.Â
You want to whine when he pulls his hand out but it fades away at the sight of his glistening fingers, how he studies them for a minute before slipping them into his mouth and humming in content.Â
âWay better than mint chocolate chip.âÂ
Next thing you know heâs slipping his hand back between you, the imprint of his knuckles against your panties hot enough to make you drool down his chest.Â
Thumb pressed to your clit he moves in slow circles, just enough pressure to make you need more, pressing down onto his hand and trying to swivel your hips. âWant you, Steve. Need you.âÂ
âI know baby, gotta stretch you out first.â At the same time heâs speaking heâs slipping his middle finger inside of you with no resistance and itâs not enough. Itâs like he has a connection to your mind, slipping another finger in immediately and you feel that ache start to untangle itself the slightest bit.Â
With two of his much larger fingers inside of you and his thumb on your clit, you already feel the signs of an orgasm building deep in your belly. You feel that burn all over, grinding down onto him in search of that pressure thatâll make your eyes roll back. Itâs when he curls his fingers that you lurch forward, face nuzzling his neck as he hits that spot inside of you that makes your vision blur.Â
âS-steve..â Youâre almost there already, walls clamping down on his fingers and holding them inside while he speeds up on your clit. Thereâs a twitch in your thighs that he noticed, hushed praises in your ear when that string begins to fray, threatening to snap in seconds.Â
And then it stops.Â
Thereâs no more curling his fingers and his thumb is still on your clit. You pull back just enough to curse at him, his hand wet and sticky with evidence of just how much you were enjoying that. But when you see his face you know youâre fucked. Heâs got that shine in his eyes that screams trouble, a devious little smirk on his lips as he watches the frustration build behind your eyes.Â
âSomething to say, sweetheart?â Heâs taunting you, daring you to curse at himâbut you donât. You canât fathom the idea of him taking this all away so you remain quiet, shaking your head at him and hoping your obedience will pay off soon. He nods at you as if to say âthatâs what I thoughtâ, hand coming up to tuck your face back into the crook of his neck as he starts to thrust his fingers in and out of you again.Â
Youâre glad he canât see the way your cheeks turn bright red because you can hear how wet you are, the small little noise it makes every time he drives his fingers back into has you pressing further into him. He has goosebumps on skin from the feel of your hot breath against his throat from where youâre practically panting, little open mouthed kisses left for as far as you can reach.Â
It doesnât take long before that feeling is building back up, stronger than before and you curse against his skin. âSnug little cunt, greedy for it, isnât she?â You think you chant a whispered âyesâ into him but you canât be sure, overwhelmed by the tight, quick circles heâs rubbing on your swollen clit and the wave of pleasure you feel beginning to wash over you.Â
And then it stops again.Â
This time you canât help the whine that slips out, hands fisting his t-shirt as you writhe in his lap. He chuckles in your ear, smooth and teasing and it makes you mortified when you feel yourself drip down his hand at his meanness.Â
âYou can handle one more time, yeah? Then Iâll give you my cock.â The promise of finally being full of him is enough to push down your frustrations, eagerness and excitement taking over. He lets you get away with a nod, picking up a faster pace than before and you think itâs not for you, but that his patience is wearing thin.Â
Heâs rubbing harshly against that sponges spot inside of you with every pass of his fingers, your mouth dropped open with no sound coming out as you try and hold off. Itâs too much, too intense and you feel lightheaded at how every nerve in your body is lit up and buzzing.
But apparently he knows your body better than you do, stopping just seconds before you begin to tip over and your shoulders sag in relief and annoyance at the same time.Â
âPlease, please.â Theyâre quiet little pleas that he can't even hear but can feel against his skin and he coos at you. Itâs condescending and should piss you off but instead has you nudging your nose against his for comfort.Â
âTold ya Iâd give you my cock, honey. Lay down and let me see you.â You move to lay back, watching him stand over you and strip his shirt and shorts off. Heâd forgone underwear and you thank god for that. The sight of his cock, hard and shiny with precum as your thighs falling open for him automatically. He notices this, of course he does. Heâs thick and youâre suddenly very grateful for the prep he just did, you donât think heâd fit otherwise.Â
When he leans down to pull a condom from the back pocket of his shortsâpresumptuous cocky bastardâyou feel the urge to stop him but refrain. Youâre already crossing all these invisible lines, you need to have at least some self control. Even though youâre desperate to feel him bare. Youâre captivated by him, watching him roll the condom on and clenching around nothing as he hisses through his teeth at the contact.Â
Seeing him for the first time, how hard and flushed he is makes you regret even more not getting your mouth on him. Next time, you promise yourself. Youâd thought youâd be nervous for this, but you think youâre too overwhelmed with a need for him that thereâs no room left to be nervous or anxious.Â
Climbing on the bed he moves between your open legs, hands on either side of your head as he holds himself up over you. His cock is lying against you, head touching your clit and itâs making it impossible to lie still. âYou still want this?â His face is serious, and you want to squish his cheeks at his consideration for you despite his hard cock pressing against you.Â
âPlease, Steve. I want thisâI need you.â Itâs all the confirmation he needs, reaching one hand between you to take his cock, running it through your slit and groaning at the way you twitch below him. After bumping it against your clit he moves down to your entrance, pushing in the slightest bit and squeezing his eyes shut at the feel of you clenching down on him.Â
The burn of him pushing forward stings, but itâs a welcome pain that has you gripping the sheets below you, looking for something to steady you when you feel like youâll float away. âKeep going, please keep going.â Youâre pleading below him, mouth dropping open when he pushes in. He has to pause when heâs in all the way, his patch of public hair at the base of his cock catching at your clit and you gasp.Â
âFuck fuck fuck,â His forehead is pressed against your cheek, his teeth scraping against the edge of your jaw as he tried to collect himself. âI donâtâshit I donât know howâgoddamn baby, never felt anything this good before in my life.âÂ
He throbs inside of you when you whine, craning your neck up just an inch to take the silver chain dangling above you between your teeth. âFuckinâ hell, gonna kill me.â You lift your hips off the bed, urging him to move and moan around the chain when he slips deeper inside of you. He pulls himself up to look at you, hair falling around your head like an angel with blotchy cheeks and fucked out eyes.Â
Thrusting forward, the tip of his cock nudges against that spot inside of you and you clench around him so hard his arms almost give out above you. This has been building up for weeks and with the way he edged you earlier, you wonât last long. He knows as much, thrusting into you and using one hand to rub sloppy circles on your clit.Â
âFeel like Iâm having deja vu, having you pressed against me like this, yeah?â It was just hours ago you were on the train, a few more layers between you but pressed up against him all the same.Â
The chain pops from your mouth when he moves your hands to lay beside your head, lacing your fingers together as he stretches over you. Your piercings press against his chest just right and it has your tummy tightening, the added friction enough to have your head spinning.Â
He looks mouthwatering above you, hair out of place and falling over his forehead. His cheeks are flushed and heâs holding his bottom lip between his teeth as he moves between watching your face and the way your tits bounce with every thrust of his cock. Thereâs little drops of sweat running down his sculpted nose and slipping onto your chest, your cute little gasps hitting his ears.Â
You know youâre done for when he leans down, lips pressed to your ear and his harsh breath tickling your skin.Â
âTakinâ your daddyâs cock so well, arenât you, doll?âÂ
Eyes screwed shut you claw at his shoulders, his name leaving your lips in a curse and you both can see the way the nickname makes your face flush a shade darker of red, eyes turning dark and fingers digging into him. âDirty girl, acting like you donât like it when I can feel you making a mess of me, this pretty little pussy hugging me tight when I call myself daddy.âÂ
âFu-fuck, Steve. Gonna cumâmâgonna cum.â Your words are hushed and quick in his air, rope beginning to snap and if he stops right now you might actually kill him.Â
âGo ahead, soak my cock, pretty girl. Show me who I belong to, yeah?â Itâs all it takes, rope snapping and sparks shooting down to your toes as you tug at his hair, your thighs tight as your orgasm crashes through you. It feels like it goes on forever, your body taught and ears buzzing and you can barely make out the faint curses coming from above you.Â
He belongs to you, and he will as long as heâll have you.
You feel yourself start to come back down, your chin pinched in between Steveâs fingers and heâs looking at you like heâs seeing the first snowfall of the year. His thrusts are getting sloppy, hips grinding into yours and his breaths uneven and sharp. âWhereâŠwhere do you want it baby?âÂ
Not sure that you can make coherent sentences right now, you reach up to cup your breasts, Steveâs eyes widening before the most pitiful cry leaves his lips. He thrusts into you one, two, three more times and each one has you gasping below him as aftershocks of your orgasm zing through you.Â
He pulls out quickly, pulling off the condom with a sharp inhale and you think he looks good like this, all desperate and pathetic for you like you always are for him. You urge him forward, fingers digging into his hips and trying to pull him up your body. He moves easily, coming up so heâs barely resting any weight on your belly, knees on either side of your chest.Â
You cup your breasts, thumbs running over your nipples and pushing them together below him. Heâs looking at you from under his lashes, eyes hooded and lips parted in a silent gasp. It only takes two quick strokes before whatâs been building at the base of his spine snaps and heâs cursing above you, ropes of white covering your chest and neck and catching the piercings too.Â
âPerfect, youâre so perfectâshit.â He works himself through it slowly, his cock twitching and his fingers covered in cum from where itâs dribbled over his fist. Heâs staring down at you with an intensity that makes you blush, eyes taking in every inch of you thatâs marked with him.Â
âLook like a fuckinâ dream with these pretty tits covered in my cum. Fuck, doll, Iâm gonna think about this for the rest of my life.âÂ
All you can do is smile stupidly below him, your heart bursting and your body thoroughly exhausted. He leans down and presses a quick peck to your cheek before heâs shifting off the bed, running to the bathroom and washing off his hand before he comes back with a warm rag, sitting beside you so he can clean you up. His hand hovers over you and you roll your eyes at the little pout heâs wearing as he looks at your boobs.Â
âAre you seriously pouting over cleaning off my boobs right now?âÂ
âWho wouldnât be? They look so pretty like this.âÂ
You reach for the rag with a giggle to do it yourself but he pulls his hand back, shaking his head at you and begrudgingly wiping his cum off your chest with a little sigh thatâs a little endearing.Â
Once you're cleaned up and the condom is in the trash he helps you up so he can pull back the comforter, both of you snuggling in under the coversânaked at his request. His chest is pressed to your back, his heartbeat felt against your skin and it makes you smile into your pillow.Â
His skin is warm against yours, fingers laced beside your head and you lift your chin to place quick kisses against his knuckles.Â
âNow thatâs the kind of reward I could get used to.âÂ
âSteve!â
ââââ-
Itâs the next day and thereâs a soreness between your thighs that has you smiling to yourself while you get ready. You remember this morning, how you woke up to the sight of honey brown hair nestled between your thighs, coaxing you out of your sleep with his tongue on your clit.Â
The best kind of pain, where youâll feel him for days when you walk or when you sit down. It brings a blush to your skin and memories youâll think about forever to your mind.Â
He left shortly after, both of you needing to be away from each other so you could actually get ready for the lunch you had planned with Robin and Eddie this afternoon.Â
A feeling of nervousness settles within you as you get ready for this lunch. Itâs not that you want to keep this from Rob and Eddie, but youâre not what youâd even tell them! These nerves were much more about you and Steve then they were your friends.Â
Would you tell them youâre dating? That you like each other? That youâre just fucking around? This is what made you anxious, what had your hands twisting in your lap on the train and had you so distracted you stumbled right into Eddie outside of the restaurant.Â
âWoah! Caught ya.â He steadies you, smiling down into your worried eyes and a little bit of that anxiety seeps out of you. This is your friend, one of your best friends! Who cares whatâs going on, maybe heâll have some insight that you canât see for yourself.Â
Eddie leads you into the place, a booth in the back already holding Robin and Steve. Theyâre both on one side of it and you can see from here that Steveâs unhappy about not getting to sit by you.Â
You slide in so youâre closest to the wall, legs knocking with Steveâs under the table and the small amount of contact soothes some of the turmoil happening inside of you.Â
Everything is going good, things feel normalâbesides the subtle winks Steve sends your way to get you blushingâand youâre not even worried anymore. The table in front of you is filled with food, everyone reaching over and grabbing whatever sounds good. Arms are crossed over each other and hands get tangled when you reach for fries or mozzarella sticks or an onion ring.Â
Robin is going on about something, youâre not sure what youâve kind of zoned out a little if youâre being honest, when you feel Steve staring at you. You look up to his brows furrowed, confusion laced in his features and you quirk your brow at him, wondering what has him looking at you like that.Â
Itâs when Eddie speaks up beside you, cutting Robin off and bringing everyoneâs attention to him that it makes sense, âHarrington, I appreciate the love but can you stop trying to play footsies with me under the table?âÂ
Steveâs face flames and you canât help the laugh that bubbles up and out of your mouth, hands coming up to try and smother how loud it is. But Steve doesnât recover fast enough, eyes darting to yours sheepishly and thatâs when it clicks for Eddie.Â
âOh. My. God.âÂ
Three sets of eyes fly to Eddie. Robin is confused. You and Steve are looking at Eddie as he looks between the two of you, mouth dropped open in shock and you curse yourself for the storm thatâs coming.Â
âWhat?â Itâs Robin that speaks first, eyes darting between the three of you quickly. You and Steve keep quiet, trying not to give yourselves away but itâs no use. âOh my god.â Thereâs Eddie again, sinister smirk on his lips as he takes his time taking in your pink cheeks and the way Steve wonât make eye contact with him.Â
âOh for the love of god! Someone tell me whatâs going on. I am not a mind reader.âÂ
âRobin, you wonât believe it. These two finally fucked.â A chorus of noises fill your small corner of the restaurant, booth creaking underneath you from where Eddie is practically bouncing in his seat. Robin squeals, hands going to grip Steveâs arms. Steve sighs, letting Robin tug him around like a rag doll in a fit of her excitement. And you gasp, smacking Eddie in the chest the way you do to Steve all the time.Â
But neither of you deny it and that alone sends waves of relief through you. Not that you think Steve would, especially with the way heâs gotten over his bit of embarrassment, adorning his signature smirk and a look of pride as the people around him freak out.Â
You donât know how bad Steve wants to show you off, tell the world and scream it from the rooftops how lucky he is to even get to be around you. Youâre everything heâs ever wanted, sweet and kind but not afraid to challenge him and call him out for his bullshit. God, heâs obsessed with you.Â
Eddieâs rubbing at his chest where you hit him, pouting like a child as if it actually hurt. You hope it did. âDamn, sheâs got some force behind those hits,â He looks from you to Steve, eyes lighting up and you know whatâs coming before he even opens his mouth, âbut you love it, donât ya big boy?âÂ
Your head falls forward to rest in your palm, eyes closed as you try and pretend you're anywhere but here. You think you hear Robin gag from across the table and it forces a laugh out of you. Eyes lifting to meet Steveâs, his teeth are showing and heâs shaking his head like he knows a secret no one else does. His words fill the space around you and make your skin heat under his stare.Â
âOh you have no idea.â ââââââââââââââââââââââââ
(save me steve harrington in a tank top)
@aheadfullofsteverogers i remembered and hope you enjoy đ
#steve harrington#steve harrington fanfic#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington x you#steve harrington smut#steve harrington fluff#stranger things fanfiction#stranger things#modern!steve harrington#stranger things smut#eddie munson#steve harrington oneshot#fem reader
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what a girl wants | park jisung (m)
synopsis after tapping out early into your first-time, jisung refuses to be a fool in front of you again. gathering reinforcements, he arms himself in preparation to please you when the next time comes for you both to be intimate. and boy, does he learn a lot.
genre nonidol!au (inexperienced!jisung x experienced!reader), fem!reader, mature (smut), and established relationship
minors dni, please ! (nsfw tags under the cut)
content probably needs another proof read, men explaining sex, multiple scenes of ji lasting a millisecond (jk, jk), pet-names (pretty, babe, baby), reader naturally takes on a bit of a dominate role, brief missionary, cunniligus, overstimulation, hair-pulling, unprotected probone, even more missionary, ear play + sucking, creampie, and a tiny off-hand joke about dh offering to fawk jisung
word count 6k
authorâs note listen, ik virtually everyone came out of tds3 loving chenle (rightfully so) but personally, iâve been on jisung timing since my stop teehee đ€
I. ACT ONE
Jisung had dreamed of this moment much more than heâd care to admit to. You both had been dating for nearly a year and had yet gotten to the point of stark intimacy, well, until now.
It was breathtaking really, seeing you under him. He couldnât believe this was his reality, that you were actually doing this with him. That was all he could think about when you first initiated it. He let you take the lead, per usual, but this time it reached a point where he was eager to agree when you asked if he was ready.
Though, at this moment, he was coming to regret that excited confirmation he had delivered earlier.
âOh,â you verbalized from the junction of Jisungâs neck following the sudden stall in his movements. âDid youâŠ?â
A faint whimper escapes from Jisungâs lips, visibly coming down from his evident climax. You watch as Jisungâs eyes flutter open, his face soon contorting into a look of sheer horror, dropping his head to where your bodies met to witness the scene completely for himself.
âOh my godâŠâ he mumbles in what you read as bewilderment, his head snapping back to speak to you.
â___, I am so sorry.â Jisung sputters out immediately.
A fond laugh fights its way through you, and you shake your head to mask it away. âNo, no. Itâs okay, JiââŠâ
You try to comfort him, but his flushed face remains puffy with frustration. Your hands that come to coddle his bloated cheeks do little to soothe his nerves. Jisung huffs, undoubtedly upset with himself.
âHey, look at me.â You urge his gaze to meet your own, he finds your eyes soft and a tender smile playing at your lips. Jisung finds his heart rate slowing at this, the pad of your thumb that smoothes over his tense jaw aiding in his relaxation.
âWe can stop, if you want?â
Jisung inhales sharply, squeezing his eyes shut as if once he opens them back up that this moment will have never happened. But youâre still there, waiting patiently for his answer.
He thinks for a moment. There was a thought that spoke to him, to keep going as he knew how long you both had waited for this night. But the weight of his reality felt like it was physically crushing him too much to listen.
âUh, yeah. I think thatâd be bestâŠâ He answers meekly and you reluctantly nod.
His room falls silent besides from the rustling of you assisting him with pulling out and the bed creaking under his weight as he plops in the spot next to your body. You regretfully sit up after only experiencing time on your back momentarily, sparing a solemn look to Jisung whoâs large hands hide his face.
âYou okay?â Your voice is gentle as you probe him.
Jisung clears his throat, revealing his face briefly when he sits up on his elbows to address you. Itâs painted a furious pink from what you assume is his embarrassment and shimmers with sweat. âYeah, I justâuhâ need a minute.â
Understanding of him, you decide to slip away to handle yourself. âOkay, well, Iâll be in the bathroom.â
âMhm.â Jisung nods, watching you intently as you slide from the mattress, grabbing his once discarded tee, and trail to the nearby bathroom before disappearing behind the door.
His body meets his bed again with a thud, shielding his hot face away with his hands once again.
II. JUDGEMENT FREE ZONE
It takes a number of business days before Jisung can even work up the courage to see you in person, let alone mention what had transpired that night. The memory had been gnawing away at him since, every time he blinked, or tried to sleep, your nonplus reaction to his âprematureâ arrival was all he could see.
There was no way he could bring it up in conversation just yet⊠at least not to you.
âYou what?!â Renjun exclaims in absolute horror.
âHe lasted thirty seconds!â Chenle gleefully responds for Jisung, still coming down from the belly-splitting laughing fit he had just went through before informing Renjun.
Brazenly (and stupidly), Jisung had decided he was fed up with his set of circumstancesâ trusting his best-friend and roommate, Chenle, with the information that had landed him in this unfortunate position.
But very quickly, he realized just how much of a mistake that was.
Jisung sighs frustratedlyâ sparing the brunette a piercing glare before angling his attention back to Renjun, âIt was more like a minute and a halfâŠâ
âOh, Jisung, thatâs still not good.â Renjun comes over, slowly sitting on the opposite side of his junior.
âI know.â Jisung physically slumps in his spot, a cutesy pout on his face.
A tight-lipped, earnest smile graces Renjunâs face and he places a comforting hand on Jisungâs shoulder. âDid you at least help her?â
Jisung asks blankly, confused. âWith what?â
Renjun pauses alongside Chenle, both of them sharing a horrified look while Jisung looks between them like a neonate dear.
âYou didnât help her?!â Chenle screeches, eyes bulging and eyebrows angled in complete confusion.
âDo what?!â Jisung bellows, now frustrated.
âJisung, even I know what youâre supposed to do for your girlfriend in the event you.. finish earlyâŠâ Renjun voices deeply and careful enough for his friendâs digestion.
Jisung pauses for a moment, picking apart Renjunâs words before making a face of understanding.âIâ oh, well she said sheâd take care of it!â
âStill,â Renjun sighs, taking a moment to calm himself. âyouâre supposed to offer, man.â
âIâve got to tell Mark about thisâŠâ Chenle shakes his head, already typing in the group chat.
III. SECOND OPINION(S)
âDudeâŠâ
Markâs face is twisted in an expression Jisung can only decipher as disbelief, a common emotion heâs encountered since filling in his friend group on his situation.
âI know, I know. Itâs not a good look.â
Donghyuck scoffs amusedly, having stopped in on the conversation after overhearing the absurd topic. âItâs an awful look, actually. How do you cum in thirty seconds without getting your girl off after?â
âIt wasnâtââ Jisung sighs, gathering himself. âI donât know. I have no idea what Iâm doing.â He recedes, sinking into the material of the couch that supported him, Mark, and Jaemin.
âWell, ___ knows this, right?â Jeno pipes from beside Donghyuck after remaining silent the whole debriefing session.
Jisung shifts in his spot, shrinking from the burning gazes of his friends as they wait for him to overshare. âYeah, I mean, we talked about it before. But she has experience, andâ I dunnoâ I thought Iâd at least do okayâŠâ
âAh, Jisung. No ones ever perfect doing anything for the first time.â Jaemin plants a rather rough yet consoling pat on the youngerâs back.
âI was.â Donghyuck interjects, a smug look on his face while shrugging his shoulders.
Renjun scoffs, shoving the back of the formerâs head from his positioningâ leaning over the same couch Donghyuck happened to be sprawled across. âYou cried.â
âAht!â Donghyuck rubs his head, snapping around to correct his friend. âThat was the second time!â
Mark sighs deeply, drawing the attention away from his friendsâ squabble. âJisung, have you both talked about it since?â
Jisung anxiously plays with his ear, pouting. âWell, no, even if I wanted to I just donât know what Iâd sayâŠâ It was a true concern for him. He had muddled over the scenario in his about a dozen times at this point, and every time he couldnât find the appropriate words to say to youâ even if you werenât even really there.
âSorry for only lasting thirty seconds?â Chenle wickedly suggests, earning yet another warning glare from Jisung.
âOu, if you donât know how to say it, you could always get a cake!â Donghyuck piles on, promptly earning another wack to his headâ this time Jeno is the unamused culprit.
âLook, next time you see her, just be honest.â Jaemin advises, effectively drowning out the whining of his battered friend who claimed Chenle deserves the lashings because he commented first.
Jisung nods, considering it but not with another issue forming in his mind. âOkay, well⊠what about⊠you know...â
âThe sex?â A handful of them chime in response.
The younger boyâs lips form a tight, shy line, obviously still finding the topic a bit taboo. âYes, yesâ that. What am I supposed to do? I donât want a repeat of last timeâŠâ
âJust watch a bunch of porn, thatâs what I did.â Donghyuck recommends, still testing his luck.
Exhausted, Renjun simply lets his eyes pierce into the back of his friendâs head for a moment before sighing.
âHow about we donât do that and just give you some pointers, hmm?â
Jisung claps his hands together, liking that nugget of advice way more than Donghyuckâs, who sits offended, tongue infamously poking his cheek.
âOkay, sounds good.â
IV. H.T.P.A.S.Y.G 101
Now, when Jisung was told that everyone would be meeting in he, Chenle, and Renjunâs shared living room to âgive him pointersâ, he didnât necessarily expect to be surrounded by his friends while his television displayed a slide show.
Surprisingly, Donghyuck ran the operation with his laptop perched on the armrest on the opposite couch, even after his treatment the other night.
âAlright, Jisung, welcome to how to please and satisfy your girl 1-0-1!â Donghyuck stands at the center of the room, gesturing towards the screen that projects the title âH.T.P.A.S.Y.G 101ââ along with throwaway stock photos of couples experiencing varied emotions.
âWoah. Did you make this?â Jisung voices, foolishly impressed with his friendâs set-up.
Donghyuckâs facials drop, âNo. It was already a template on Canva.â He deadpans while Jisung makes a motion of understanding.
Collectively, his friends blink ludicrously at Jisungâs naĂŻvetĂ©. âHe made it, Jisung-ieâŠâ Jaemin clarifies slowly.
âAh,â the latter nods, embarrassment creeping up his skin.
Donghyuck shakes his head before putting the attention back on the screen where he flips to the next slide, automatically does Jisung pull out his phone to retain the coming information.
âOkay, first rule, donât come in thirty seconds.â
A cacophony of snickers and tittering emerge from the group at Jisungâs expense.
âIâ how long are you guys gonna run with this?â Jisung cringes, regretting all over again even including the detail of his duration.
The man in the center staggers back into his spot, pretending to wipe away fallen tears. âIâm sorry itâs too funnyâŠâ
âNow! It may seem hard but the last thing we want is a redo of what happened last time, yes?â Jisung nods shamefully, lips tight.
âNext rule, be a giver. Down the line you can find out whether or not she prefers it but to start, you wanna take charge and get your girl off.â
Jisung hums, his focus being the ever growing list on his phone-screen. Curious, Jeno peers over at him.
âAâare you seriously taking notes?â He furrows his brows at the open tab in Jisungâs notes app.
âHey, heâs a diligent learner!â Donghyuck waves a warning finger towards Jeno before turning to reassure Jisung. âDonât worry, Jisung, the best students study.â
He addresses his older friendâs defense of him briefly, already having questions about the lesson. âWhen we say⊠get her offâ what do you mean?â
âEat her out, Jisung.â Chenle interjects flatly.
âOh.â Jisungâs head bobs slowly. âAnd how do I do that?â
The âteacherâ sucks his teeth, âChrist, do we have to teach you everything?â
Jisung just blinks in response, earning a tired sigh from Donghyuck, âIâll send you some material after class.â
âOkay.â Jisung nods.
âThird rule! Take it slow. Kind of ties back into rule one but can be used elsewhere. Listen, I know youâre a bit of a fumbling mess but at least try and make it seem like you know what youâre doing.â
Despite the directed jab, Jisung continues to diligently jot down Donghyuckâs advice.
âWhat does ___ like, do you know?â Mark pipes.
âSexually?â The boyâs eyes go wide, a bit startled.
Mark snorts, âIâm not asking for her favorite food, man,â
Jisung breathes out a sheepish laugh, âAh, well, sheâs kinda sensitive around the earsâŠâ
Donghyuck claps, startling Jisung but effectively grabbing his attention, âAlright, involve that! Kiss, lick, suck for all I care. You gotta do something thatâll turn her on, you canât just whip your dick out and stop there, got it?â
âGot it.â Jisung re-affirms, intently copying down every word that leaves his friendsâ mouths.
âWell, I think thatâs enough for today,â Donghyuck nods, clearly proud of himself.
âThank god.â Jaemin sighs exasperatedly, earning himself a warning look from Donghyuck. The latter rolls his eyes, smiling at Jisung who overviews what heâs learnt so far.
âYou seem like you picked up well, Iâll quiz you after you watch the material.â
Jeno snorts, âYou do know youâre not an actual teacher, right?â
Donghyuck smugly smirks, propping his hands onto his hips.
âDonât be a hater, Jenâ. If you want a lesson, you can just ask. Donât think I forgot about what Iseul saidâ agh!â Swiftly, Jeno starts strangling Donghyuck to cut him off, the ladder dramatically flopping on the couch behind him and taking the older boy with him.
Using the commotion to his advantage, Renjun swoops in to take a seat next to Jisung, who quietly reviews his notes in the midst of the chaos.
âAnd Jisung,â
âHmm?â The younger glances up from his notes.
âDonât forget that the reason weâre here is because ___ likes you. Not what you can do for her in bed or any tricks these idiots are telling you to doâŠâ
âAh, okay.â
âI mean, we all mean wellâ even Donghyuckâ but what matters most is that youâre yourself. Thatâs what ___âs most attracted to, right?â
âYeah, I guessâŠâ Jisung answers hesitantly.
âRight. Maybe you should watch that video Donghyuck sends you, though.â Renjun suggests a bit quieter, though his urgency remains evident.
Jisung laughs at his older friend, nodding in understanding. âWill do!â
V. ACT TWO
The next you spend genuine alone time with Jisung is two weeks following the whole incident, youâre grateful that heâs grown comfortable again with skin-ship. Missing nights like these where you two were able to wordlessly cuddle up together without an evident damper hanging over the room. Of course, youâd love to address that night. Maybe even give it another try but unless Jisung makes it clear that heâs comfortable with it, you suppress any and all thoughts about it.
Much to your liking, the night carried on like usual. No roommates to interrupt your skinship, or to witness the chaste kisses you gave each other. But in the midst of watching the second film Jisung had gladly let you chooseâ you realize just how touchy heâs getting.
A typical reserved hand that would be perched on your hip was playing with the hem of your shorts, igniting the bare skin with every brief graze.
Curious, you angle your head upwards on Jisungâs shoulder, immediately drawing his attention from the screen and down to you.
âYou okay?â You inquire, an eyebrow raising. You tried to hide your excitement but the grin that found your features was an obvious giveaway that you were losing.
Jisung simply hums, his hands still stationed in their new territory. You nod, âOkayâŠâ and instinctively crane your head up to signal a kiss.
Quickly, Jisung obliges, meeting you halfway and connecting your lips. Your intent was for it to be just like the other kisses that happened tonight. Quick, sweet, no alternative intent, but that was clearly not Jisungâs shared intention.
When you depart, he follows, and you have no problem in giving him what he wants. The kiss is extended, the hand on your thigh tightening in grip. You match Jisungâs vigor, equally biting at his lips and easing your tongue in his mouth when his own licks at your entrance. But you have to say you were not expecting this.
Soon, Jisungâs body was angled nearly on top of you and he showed no signs of stopping. Both hands now on your waist as he titled you backwards, still intently keeping your mouths fixed together.
âOh, hello?â You manage to get out.
âHi.â
Jisung takes control, which is very unusual since typically youâll straddle him when making out. But you allow it to happen, your back meeting the bed as Jisung kisses you passionately. This kiss is much different than one youâve ever shared with him, normally heâs way more reservedâ even before your first time he was shy, but obviously a fire has been lit under him to redeem himself.
Youâre the first to pull away, not moving far but just enough to be able to catch your breath. Jisung has never kissed you speechless before, but youâre okay if this was to become your new reality.
âJisungâŠâ
He ignores you, kissing down your neck while his large hands grope you. He's hungry, his teeth grazing against your skin in rotation with his suckling but his bruises still feel like heavenâ you didnât even know he was capable of leaving such marks.
Jisungâs cold hands are suddenly under your shirt, lifting the large garment that once belonged to him over your naked breasts. One of them even snaking down to your thin sleep shorts while the other remains to thumb at your now perked nipples.
âOhâ Jisung, wait!â Pausing your pleasure to confront your boyfriend.
He looks at you in surprise, as if heâs been caught doing something wrong.
âAre you sure about this?â You ask carefully.
âI wanna make you feel goodâŠâ he replies as if itâs the most obvious thing in the world, you blinkâ slowly gathering yourself as Jisung continues to kiss down your abdomen and eventually to the center of your legs.
You stutter when you feel his hot breath on your core, itâs been so long youâve had anything like this, you hate to say youâve been waiting on it but fuckâ you have been.
âJiâŠâ your hand cups the back of his nape, the other replacing his hand that once toyed with your chest.
Jisung gazes up at you, a look that reads that heâs asking you for permission. He quickly drinks up how heâs got you, shirt pushed to your over your breastsâ leaving them on display, you look down at himâ almost pained while you wait for his next move, lip tucked in between your teethâ a thumb to your own nipple.
Final inch of resolve snapping, Jisung flattens his warm tongue over your sleep shorts, humming instantaneously when his muscle meets the fabric. Itâs lewd but he canât help himself, especially when he encounters the already wet stain in the seat of your bottoms. He quickly gets to work, though, savagely his tongue ravishes you with one measly layer keeping him from fully tasting you.
The sight is one to see, your routinely sweet and respectful boyfriend with his head between your legsâ tongue lapping and dancing around your cunt through your shorts.
You can barely take anymore, you need him. You didnât care what his level of skill was, you needed more stimulation than this.
Jisungs jumps back a bit when you sit up to interrupt him, the shorts being slipped off. âJi, please, please, keep going,â both of your legs are back on either side of his head, this time your bare, silky cunt on full display. No longer hidden by the baby blue bottoms.
Youâre practically begging, your hips involuntarily shifting closer and closer to Jisungâs face as you wait. Jisung couldnât believe his eyes, youâve never really begged for him before. Not like this, so vulnerable. His tent had pitched ages ago but the strain he felt watching you now was a different kind of pain.
His newfound confidence falters a bit, wordlessly nodding up at you with wet eyes before obediently lapping at your cunt again. You throw your head back as a whimper rips through you, shifting back onto your elbows to play with your chest again. Not forgetting to keep one hand anchored in Jisungâs hair.
His movements are cautious at first, proving that this is definitely his first time but once he finds a pace that seemingly fits you best, he carries on with it. He alternates between sucking your throbbing clit to dipping his tongue deeper in your folds to tongue at your hole. Youâd ask him where he learned that from but youâre too caught up with how good it feels that the question burns out on your tongue.
Before you know it, youâre close to coming already. With it being so long since you've had this, paired with the uncontrollable moans Jisung emits as he restlessly laps up all your juices, you canât take much more.
âFuck, Jisung. Iâm closeâŠâ
Jisung hums, unaware just what that does for you. You whine pulling his hair tighter, in return itâs his turn to whimper. Itâs uncomfortable, as heâs realized from the past times youâve tugged his hair but he would never stop you.
âGod, please donât stop,â With Jisungâs locks entirely in your grasp, you canât stop yourself from grinding your cunt upwards. Jisung takes a beat to adjust but realizes what you want, he shifts down a bit. The tip of his nose giving your clit the friction it so desperately desires while his tongue draws sloppy circles around your entrance.
You groan, the knot in your stomach tightening. Youâre almost intelligible with your blubbering but Jisung manages to make out that youâreâ in factâ about to come.
Jisung takes what heâs learned from his lessons and even earlier from this encounter and lets his tongue dip in and out of your hole faintly, giving you little stimulation that leads you closer while you grind on his face.
His quick shift leads your orgasm to come crashing down on you. Jisungâs face is pulled flush to your pussy as you come but he could care less, he watches keenly with wide eyes as you lurch upward, riding his face until you finally come down completely.
His room is still for a moment but Jisung is so absolutely enthralled with the moment and how heâs just made you unravel before him. Gluttonous, he doesnât wait much longer before heâs dipping back into your folds. Lapping at you and especially your hole, he feels like a madman. The taste of you sends shivers down his spine, your surprised noises only egging him on.
âOh my god, Ji! Wait, wait, oh,â the intrusion of Jisungâs middle finger is completely foreign but welcomed.
Where the hell was he learning this all from?
Jisung continues to work you open, never neglecting your folds and clit for a moment.
âJi, if you donât stop,â you shudder, trying to gather your bearings. âIâm gonna come.â
âWant it,â he moans against your pussy. âDo it again for me, pretty.â
It feels as if youâve been thrown into the Twilight Zone. Never has Jisung said your nickname in such a tone, so deep and dripping with lust. Butterflies erupt in your stomach, taking your mind off his dual stimulation for just a moment.
With the addition of Jisungâs lengthy digit that now pops in and out of you, it doesnât take long for your second orgasm to hit, you cry out for your boyfriend againâ this time instinctively begging for some control. But your pleas fall on deaf ears, itâs like heâs dead set on keeping his face between your legs, itâs becoming too much at this point. If you two were gonna do this, you wanted him to get something out of it too.
âFuck, Jisung, too much!â
Jisung snaps from his reverie, all of his ministrations drawing back with his head peeking from between your thighs in concern. Youâre finally able to catch your breath, smiling down at him to quell his apparent anxiety. Shyly, he smiles back.
He clears his throat, âAre you okay?â
You laugh at this, still struggling to stabilize your breathing while your body pulsed with what could either be desire or exhaustion. âI am. Better than ever, actually. Are you?â
âMhm. I uhâ I didnât hurt you or anything?â
âNo, Ji, I just donât think Iâd be able to take another orgasm just yet.â
âOh, okay.â He nods.
You giggle at him, how insane was it that he completely left you dumbstruck on two separate occasions just seconds ago and was acting all reserved the next.
âCâmere,â you open up your arms to him. He rushes to you. Giving you what you want and joining your lips. He's completely unaware just how wet his face is until itâs on yourâs and he finds it a bit embarrassing.
But you donât falter at all, instead kissing him deeply while your hands unmistakably find the boner hitched in his sweats.
Jisung stutters, physically jolting out of the kiss. âUh, do you wanna move onto that so soon?â
âWell, I donât want to be the only one who gets off. Thatâs not fair to you, is it?â
âIâll be happy as long as youâre satisfiedâŠâ
âJi,â you wipe away your juices that have gathered on his chin.
âHmm?â
âIâm only satisfied when I know you are too, now, strip.â
Jisung nearly lets a âyes, maâamâ slip from his throat before he hurriedly slips off his clothes. You laugh at how cute he is, removing your own shirt.
âNow, boss, how do you wanna do this?â
âUhâ however you wantââ
âJisung.â
He sighs at the call of his name from your lips, gulping as you stare up to him. âHow about⊠on your stomach?â
âOh? You donât want to see my pretty face, hmm?â
âNo! I mean, of course I do! You donât have toââ
âJi, baby, Iâm fucking with you. Iâd love to.â with that you roll over, grabbing one of Jisungâs pillows before slipping it under you.
âOh.â Jisung sighs, the sight of you obeying him and propping yourself up effectively sending more strain to his member.
âWell donât stop now, come on,â you reach a hand back for Jisung to grab. He obliges, walking to the edge of the bed, and grabbing your hand. He recalls this position from the couple of âstudy materialsâ Donghyuck had sent and he joins you on the bed, shuffling on his knees till his cock hovers your ass.
You shift under him, hiking your ass higher to encourage him to stick his length in. He takes the message and grips his cock, he doesnât think heâs ever been this hard before.
When he finally lines himself up and sinks inside of you, he hisses while you whimper. Jisungâs hands are practically godsend but nothing, and you mean nothing compares to his dick. You havenât been able to stop thinking about it since your first time. And always found yourself a tad bit disappointed whenever he would turn you down following it.
âFuck, Ji, youâre so big, baby,â you groan, trying to adjust as his heavy cock continues to stretch you open.
Jisung can only huff, holding onto his last ounce of control. He's about to come, he can feel it. His hips still, knowing if he moves anymore heâll end up spoiling this again.
âOh, please keep moving,â you whine, taking matters into your own hands and pushing your hips back to pick up where he has left off.
âShit, ___, waitââ Jisung braces his broad hands against your back, stilling you for a moment. Your head cranes back, concerned but still evidently in need.
âIâ Iâm about to comeâŠâ he speaks weakly, almost as if heâs embarrassed. Which he absolutely is.
You pout, confused with his display of shame.
âThatâs fine, baby. Just donât stop, please, I need you.â The sound of you begging while continuing to grind your ass on his cock sends Jisung absolutely reeling. His eyes squeeze shut, sighing heavily before allowing you to meet him halfway. Your own movements make you purr in delight, you continue to grind against him, and Jisung finds his hips moving too.
He snaps into you, chasing your cunt when you pull away. You moan in surprise, Jisung finally melting and leaning down to stabilize himself as his hips find a shallow pace.
He groans, hiding his flustered face in the junction of your shoulder.
â___âŠâ Jisung pants.
âItâs okay, you can come, fuck, come for me, babyâŠâ
It takes one sharp thrust before Jisung completely loses himself, releasing an almost pained groan into your neck. He continues to jaggedly move in and out of you while you feel him release himself in you, his load spurting along your walls and escaping onto the surrounding areas.
You helplessly moan at the feeling, a bit disappointed when your boyfriendâs eager hips cease to a stop.
âHmm. Feel better?â You lilt, propping your chin on your shoulder to get the best glimpse of him.
Jisung shudders, breathing out a small laugh. âYeah, Iâ sorryâŠâ
âItâs okay, babe. Now, pull out.â
âHmm? Oh, right!â He heeds to your directions, easing out of you but not without some slither of sadness. He had done it again. Sure, he made you cum but he barely lasted a few minutes inside of you like he had hoped.
Promptly, you shuffle onto your back, cracking your legs open. Shocked, Jisungâs gaze drops to your cunt, now messily decorated with a glistening mix of his semen, saliva, and your own cum.
âYou didnât think that was it, did you?â
Jisung blinks because he absolutely thought you two were finished for the night. You chuckle, hooking your legs around Jisungâs thighs.
âIâm not done with you just yet, JiââŠâ
Itâs hard for Jisung to shield his excitement, gladly positioning himself in front of you. He grips himself to align with you once again, allowing his other hand to plant by your head.
He could die right now and be absolutely satisfied, Jisung thinks as you suck him back in your walls. His face hovers your own, watching intently as your features scrunches in pleasure.
Quickly adjusting to the sensation of him stretching you out again, you take note of how statuesque he is,âMove, babe.â You gently remind.
âRight, sorryââ Jisung takes a moment to laugh at himself, garnering an endeared smile from you.
Your hands extend up to hold his face. âNo more apologizing, okay?â Jisung nods along with you in response, his heart swelling at your tender act of affection despite him being several inches inside of you.
âOkay, sorâ ahem, okayâŠâ you giggle at his immediate slip up, and Jisung arranges his hips in a way that instantly takes your mind off of it, starting to rock into you once more, now both having climaxed once (or twice, in your case)â sensitivity strikes you both but thereâs no way that was gonna stop either of you.
âFeel so good,â you hum.
âYeah?â Jisung asks, innocently, keeping his rhythm as sound as possible.
âMhm. Donât stop, okay?â
âI wonât.â Jisung solidifies, finding confidence in being able to see your face and how you visually react to his movements. His hips begin to reel back a greater distance, snapping into you with a fervor that leaves you crying for more.
The obscene sound of Jisungâs thighs repeatedly crashing into your own fill the room, paired with the whine of his name from your lips and the sploshing sound of the wetness between your legs.
Unfortunately, Donghyuckâs voice echoes in his mind, but for good reason. Removing himself from your hold a bit, Jisung leans down to start pecking your ear.
You hum in satisfaction, shuddering under him.
He knew you well, he could still recall the first time he accidentally grazed the area of your ear with his lips. You lurched away with embarrassment washing over you but he had found it to be one of the cutest things in the world. Not many things could pacify you like that, but a little love to your ear did.
You arch yourself into your boyfriend when his tongue darts out of his mouth to flick the shell of your ear, your new positioning encouraging the depth of Jisungâs length. It doesnât help that Jisung has found his pacing, a mind-numbing repetition of the head of his cock grazing the precise spot that leaves your vision spotty with stars.
âShit, Mâgonna come,â you aimlessly exclaim, the strength youâd usually have to filter your thoughts from useless babble existing no longer.
Jisung hums, continuing to lap at your ear, taking Donghyuckâs nonchalant advice and running with it. You gasp in elation when you feel Jisung suckle at your ear, nipping it before it leaves his mouth.
âFuck, who taught you this?â Restless, you bring his face back to meet yours, you find your boyfriendâs pupils completely blown out and eyes lidded heavily. You trace his furrowed eyebrows to his parted puffy lips.
Jisung leans down, your inquiry not reaching him whatsoever. Your lips meet and you whimper into the kiss, itâs wet and noisy. Your muscles searching for the best taste of each other.
Your third orgasm was barrelling towards you quickly, and you find yourself looking for anything to give you stability. Mindlessly, your hand traces the distance from Jisungâs face to one of his hands that remains planted on the bed beside you.
Without a second thought does he intertwine your fingers, pressing your joined palms into the mattress as he begins to lose momentum.
âPlease keep going,â you wail. âIâm gonna come.â
Jisung nods, his lips tucked between his teeth as he tries to keep himself together for you. He watched you contort and writhe in pleasure, now becoming familiar with your bodyâs pattern before a climax.
Your free hand travels to Jisungâs broad back, leaving traces of yourself with savagely placed scratches. He winces, the sting of your fingernails against his back throwing him off but simultaneously driving him to keep going. His own features scrunching to alert you that he himself was close to snapping.
âAh, please, pleaseâ!â You whine, bracing yourself, deliberately pulling Jisung flush to you the best you could to milk to most friction out of him as possible. Your shallow yank is enough to have the large man toppling over and on top of you.
The desired stimulation of your clit grazing against Jisung is enough to coax your next orgasm out of you. You cum, angling your hips to take as much as Jisung could still offer. It doesnât take long for him to be right there with you, whining while his hips buck aimlessly into you. Your sounds are equal in desperation, both racing to chase your highs.
âOh.â Your hands aid Jisungâs hips toward you as he continues to release his seed inside of you until he finally fully collapses onto your body.
Serenity returns to Jisungâs room, the pair of you well past the point of exhaustion to move an inch. Jisung, seemingly coming to, is the first to move (much to your dismay). He grunts, peeling himself from your sticky with sweat body and peering down at you for a moment.
It lingers, his study of you. And typically, he was the one who would shy away from such intense eye contact but you find your eyes flitting away first. Youâve never had someone be so engrossed with you, with your satisfaction, so worried with pleasing you.
Jisung breathes out a laugh, âWhat?â
âNothing.â You shake your head, equally as giddy.
âYouâre shy?â
âNo,â you suck your teeth, fighting the smile that threatens to give you away, âjust wanna know why youâre staringâŠâ
âMm. Is staring at my pretty girlfriend so wrong?â
ââŠHmm,â you pause as if youâre thinking for a moment. âNo. I guess not.â You shrug.
âGood.â Jisung bends down to peck your lips before fully removing himself from on top of you. He sighs when his back flops on the bed beside you.
âOkay but seriously, where the hell did all of that come from?â
Jisung chuckles at the urgency in your voice, shifting to lay on his side. âYou wouldnât believe me if I told youâŠâ
âPfft. After tonight I think Iâm more open to any possibilitiesâŠâ
âHmm⊠okay, it was Donghyuck.â Jisung admits bashfully.
Immediately does your mouth gape open in absolute disbelief. âNo fucking way.â
âSee!â
âDonghyuckâ? He taught you all of that?!â
âWell, I studied and kind of just⊠went with the flow I guess?â Jisung shrugs as if itâs nothing.
âWow. For a second there I was scared he gave you one-on-one lessonsâŠâ
âWoah,â Jisung blinks, shocked that you precisely assumed what he had purposefully left out of the exchange. âBelieve it or not, he tried.â
âI believe it,â You giggle, the ridiculous image flashing in your mind and leaving just as quick as it came.
âI guess I have to give him his flowers then.â you sigh, a hand extending to brush away Jisungâs fallen fringe so you can fully see his face. He fights a smile back, helping you by sweeping his hair back.
âYeah?â
âYeah⊠I donât think I have to tell you how great you were.â You snort, gesturing to your tired body. Jisung gladly follows your gaze, admiring your bareness once more.
Jisung hums, throwing an arm around your damp abdomen to tug you closer into him. You wordlessly oblige, sighing contently when your skin meets his again.
âWell, I think you were the star.â Jisung comments softly, his face now in your neck.
You coo silently, instinctively placing a hand on his jaw. âAs much as Iâd like to take credit, I canât,â Jisungâs gaze shifts to your face when you tilt his head up.
âNot when you helped me through three orgasms.â
You peck your boyfriendâs lips as a form of punctuation. Though, youâre not able to drift far since Jisungâs mouth chases your own, deepening your once innocent kiss. Youâre tired and your lips are beyond bruised but you just canât help yourself. The way he hums from underneath you only intensifies your need for him.
While your mouth moves against his with conviction, tonguing at his lips to allow you more freedom, he finds his hands gravitating to your hips to give him some stability. Jisung sighs discontentedly when your lips disconnect, his eyes remaining shut for a beat before fluttering back open.
âWell, how do you feel about a fourth?â Jisung proposes carefully, though his expression shows that heâs clearly desperate for your agreement and for your lips to return to his own.
Quickly, your eyes widen in astonishment. âReally? Are you sureâ?â Your worries are cut short by Jisungâs mouth. Itâs short but effective in getting his point across.
He pulls away, an amused smirk on his face. âIâm sure.â
âOkay,â you giggle, finding yourself incredibly aroused by Jisungâs newfound confidence. You would certainly have to thank Donghyuck in some way for this abrupt change in your boyfriendâs behavior, unfortunately.
âWell let's not waste time thenâŠâ
© jigueminunbich 2024
#nct dream x reader#nct dream x y/n#nct dream fics#park jisung x reader#park jisung x y/n#nct dream smut#nct smut#nct x reader#nct x y/n#nct fics
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âžâž ౚৠ:: getou isnât fond of the new gardener you hired whoâs clearly flirting with you when heâs not home.
warnings ౚৠ2.7k. fem!reader, lowercase intended, cunninglingus/face riding, cottage core au? + getouâs a farmer, missionary in da kitchen, praising ofc, exhibitionism, jealousy, possessiveness, getouâs kinda rude, sub / dom dynamic, established relationship, rough play, m oral, impact play, unprotected, pet names ex. [ baby, sweetheart ], minors arenât welcomed! comments and reblogs are appreciated! âĄ
getou doesnât appreciate that you arenât greeting him with his usual kisses after you raise on your tippy toes to smooch him after he comes home from a long day of churning butter and tending to livestock. it doesnât make him happy to know that youâre not tending to his attention and rather giving it to another man after he strolls through your large kitchen, that he built for you, to head into the back of your farmhouse to find you giggling and conversing with the new gardener. a gardener that you personally hired that he had yet to meet.
he could smell the pan of shepherds pie and cornbread in the oven, ignoring the way his stomach growls hungrily and it quickly being consumed with irritation. youâre wearing your cute pink apron with tiny patterns of sunflowers and bunnies as you hold a woven basket of freshly picked strawberries the man before you tossed into. having a conversation about fucking strawberries. he didnât expect this man to be. . . of your type. tall, nice smile, good hair, makes you laugh a little too fucking hard. what about fruits could possibly be so fucking funny, [âĄ]?
âwhat a surprise,â getouâs voice is laced with annoyance, deep and causing the two to go silent as he makes his way down the steps to stand directly next to you. you blink, knowing your husband very well and easily you could tell heâs off.
âhi, baby! this is matteo, heâs our new gardener! we were talking a lot about the new setup i plan on having!â the smile on your face is pure, looking back and forth between getou and your gardener. âhe just started today.â
âhey, man. nice to meet you. your wife told me all about you,â matteo remains professional, extending his hand for a handshake. you roll your lips in, waiting for your husband to comply with respect. itâs silent as you stare between both men, feeling the hairs on the back of your neck rise from anxiousness.
âmhm,â is all getou can say, matteo taken aback by his approach. itâs extremely rude, and you blink excessively to keep your composure. taking a deep breath, you form a tight lipped smile towards your gardener.
âexcuse me for a moment,â you speak, side eyeing getou before pulling him to the side, matteo continuing his job by picking juicy fruits from their stems.
âwhatâs your deal? that was fucking rude,â you denounce, gawking up at him with a raised brow. getou folds his bulky arms, not understanding how youâre acting dumb right now. you knew this would piss him off.
getou leans down to get closer to you, lips inches from your ear. âwho told you to hire somebody like this?"
"hire somebody like what?" the man retaliates, overhearing getouâs weak attempt of whispering to you, taking offense. regardless, he spoke on his name when he was right there.
getou turns his face only an inch or so, barely giving the man full attention. you swallow, his face nearly touching your own possessively, like an animal protecting itâs mate. getou then switches his eyes fully, intensely staring at the man. "like someone she'd fuck."
his immature response causes you to step away from him with a look of disgust, brows pinched with anger. you couldnât believe his mouth. youâre not sure what the fuckâs gotten into him, but it wasnât cute. quite frankly, he looked stupid.
âyouâre making a fucking fool of yourself,â you spat, eyes burning. knocking your head back in the sweet gardeners direction, you hold your hand over your heart apologetically. âi am truly sorry for my husbandâs rudeness. please forgive me for this, but i think itâs best if you go. i will give you a call tomorrow. iâm sorry again.â
the man nods only once, keeping his focus solely on you, not even bothering to glance in your husbandâs direction. his possessiveness a black cloud over the party. âitâs not a problem at all. have a great rest of your day, maâam.â
the minute your gardener is out of view, thatâs when you give getou an irritated snarl, looking him up and down as if the man had no shame. which he didnât, and that was the problem. âwhat is wrong with you?!â
getou intakes air as you strut away angrily, heading back into your kitchen to adapt into the ignoring him bubble and completely tuning into your dinner prepping. since you have freshly picked strawberries, you decided to start a mixture for muffins you could sell to the neighborhood tomorrow morning. a festival was being held at the ranch a few blocks down, already promising a few ladies youâd whip something up sweet.
getou follows behind, studying as you huff and puff to yourself while gathering eggs, milk and other things you needed.
âyou didnât answer my question.â
âbecause itâs fucking stupid. whyâd i hire someone to help me out? oh my god, such a mystery.â
âyouâre being immature.â
that causes you to stop all movements. holding onto the edges of the island and staring at him with disbelief, mouth actually drawn open as you scoff. âiâm immature? because you didnât just disrespect that man for no reason. you know him or sum?â
âdonât act slow. you hired that man âcause heâs someone you can eye fuck when iâm not home. donât pretend you donât find him attractive,â getou grits his teeth.
you roll your eyes. âohh, so itâs jealousy! why would i want to cheat on someone iâm in love with? youâre being extremely distrustful. take that shit out of my kitchen, suguru.â
âsay that again,â heâs approaching you now, getou observing as you cross your arms and pretend to be unfazed by how much bigger he was compared to you. his bare feet thumps along the floor as he nears you, hands in the pockets of his dark washed jeans, shoulders broad as he stared down at you darkly. now your bodyâs pressed up against the kitchen counter, turning your head the opposite way to avoid eye contact.
âsuguru,â you stand on what you say, uncaring. your husband deviously grins.
getou kisses his teeth smugly. you practically moan when his hand grips your jaw to bring your attention back, fingers denting into your cheeks to make your lips pout, head tilted back. âwatch that mouth of yours. thereâs no need to be bratty.â
teeth sinks into your lips he gawks at for a split second before meeting your eyes again. a feeble noise comes from you as he swiftly pulls up your white sundress, hands on the backs of your thighs to spread you open, fingers pulling your pussy open. not surprised to see you weren't wearing underwear. really, that pisses him off even further. itâs windy out and you were engaging in conversation with that man knowing your pussy was bare. he wants to laugh, seeing how wet you are already. fucking nympho. even though youâre mad, you canât ignore how hot his touch makes you. you gulp, holding onto the edge of the counter as your gut flips after he crouched on one knee.
his breath hits your clit, and instantly your thighs tremble, getou slowly sticking his tongue out his mouth, wide, long, and slick with saliva. it hovers over your clit, barely touching it. part of you wants to grab his hair and shove him down, but the look in his eyes says not to try it. his fingers come up to your face, extending two of the long digits inside of your mouth. you suck obediently, moaning around them while rolling forward towards his, aching for it. his free hand smacks your inner thigh causing you to release his fingers and whimper, getou wasting zero time and curling them deep into you, shaking them frivolously as his lips suction on your clit, kissing your pussy deeply, using so much saliva.
his stare is hard on you the entire time, wrist moving instantaneously as he fucks you with them. heâs having a ball watching you wither and roll your hips, squealing and raising your thighs higher to your chest, listening to his fingers slam into you, that gushing sound of your pussy coating his fingers.
"c-canât. . .â
"shut up," briskly, he pulls his fingers out and spanks your clit with them, standing to his feet, towering over you. you rest your head back against the wall by the window, shifting your body since your ass hurt a little from being on a granite countertop.
most of his words are blocked out as you watch the sexually pent-up man drag his pants down until they sit at his waist, pussy clenching at the dark pubic hairs sticking out, lust in your eyes as his veiny, big hand fists his cock. the thick vein leading up to the crown leaking precum makes you smile hazily.
"look at me when iâm talking to you."
you're too fucking mesmerized by him. his slightly dirty white tshirt is hiked up now, godly sculpted abs enticing you to run your fingers over them with a giddy laugh. getou tilts his head to the side, clenching his jaw.
"hey," he calls to you, snapping his fingers twice in your face, voice deeper than usual. you can see that he's not up for bullshit. heâs arched over you, hair sticking to his forehead as he places his right hand on your lower back, arching into him until your chest presses against his. "listen to me when i talk to you, woman.â
the smell of his skin is intoxicating, reaching your hands behind him to claw at his ass, open mouth on his chin, moaning as he slides deep into you, looking down at you with a groan escaping his throat, furrowing his thick brows. getou tries not to lose it, because despite his frustration, there's no way he could deny just how fucking good you felt pulling him deep right now. you hold tight, eyes hazy as he pounds into you without another word, arm stretching over to press his palm on the cabinet above, balancing himself and dragging you to meet him thrust for thrust.
"pussy so needy for me. it fuckinâ better be,â please shut up, is what you think. his voice is too damn addictive, and the way he fucks you, virulently, like he fucking despised you . . . you didn't know if you could take much more. the other half of your brain is the opposite, thanking him over and over.
"oh, look, princess. thereâs your favorite man,â it doesn't register that the two of you are legit fucking near an open window where anyone could see. âletâs say hi, baby."
unsure why he came back, it only takes ten seconds for your sweet gardener to immediately be swept with trauma, catching a glimpse at the two of you, getouâs dark eyes burning into him while yours are shut to hide the embarrassment, stomach still flipping with rouse. his fingers has your jaw locked still to keep your fucked out face in the direction of the man whoâs nothing short of unimpressed. tasteless, he thinks. wasting no time and turning away to hop back inside of his truck, only coming because he forgot to give you back the key to your garage. his lips are by your ear now. "looks like weâll have to hire someone else.â
"youâre s-so . . . mean,â itâs the only thing you can think of, trembling and yanking your face out of his grasp. you wanna say you hate him, but deep down you knew this is what you've been craving all along. heâs exactly how you wanted him to be; lecherous. "fuck, canât stand you.â
"you love me, sweetheart,â he coed, you hiccup. sobbing as he throws one of your legs over his arm, angling his hips slightly to the right and hitting into you faster, rolling your neck back, listening to how viscous his skin claps with your own, and his breath fans over your face.
"awe," he pouts, giving your forehead a chaste kiss. "yânot gonna say it back?â
âdânt deserve it,â youâre slurring your words and it pisses you off how dumb he makes you. his hand is around your neck now, choking you until you feel the blood rushing to your skull, luring the back of your own hand to your lips, using it as some sort of blockage for how loud you were being. louder than usual.
inching his lips towards yours, he studies how desperate you are to latch your lips with his, only for him to snatch them away. âthen you donât deserve my kiss.â
a frustrated whine leaves your throat, getou humming tauntingly, delicately skimming his bitten red lips over yours with a moan following along with a whispered ânoâ. tightening his lock around your neck, he rolls his hips deeper, your hand clutching his wrist with tears in your eyes. ânot until you tell me you love me.â
you gently sink your teeth into the back of your hand, getou leaning closer before sloppily kissing at your palm where your lips rested, an evil stare painted his expression. he sucks, licks, and moans on your hand, knowing you were wishing he'd do that to your mouth instead. fuck, that was enough to get you to the breaking point. thighs trembling as you drop your mouth open, nothing coming out.
"wait, are you gonna cum?" his mouth upturns as he widens his eyes and mouth with fake surprise. "youâre cumming, aren't you? donât cum. if you cum, iâll stop."
"suguru, fucking stopâ"
"stop what, huh? why you talkin' back?" shoving his thumb in your mouth, he fucks you harder, body jolting as your eyes roll back and your mouth drools, clutching his wrist harder to keep him there. "weren't you gonna cum?"
"yessss!" you wail, tears falling down your eyes. that coil in the pit of your stomach is ready to snap, getouâs sadistic voice ringing in your ears as he praises you, hips ramming harder to get you to break, clutching the back of his neck and screaming into his chest, giving him the answer he wants, riding the wave. "love you. love you.â
âgood girl, good girl,â he proceeds to fuck you through it, just enough until you're pushing at his stomach to stop, kissing up the side of his neck drunkenly. getou slides out of you, holding back a moan before he's grabbing your hand and pulling you off the counter, holding your waist so you don't fall over.
"knees, now."
you're more than happy to lower to your knees, already knowing what to prepare for, lulled, teary eyes focusing on him and the slick coated cock stretching over your face. you hold onto the back of his thighs, widening your mouth and sticking your tongue out, getou holding your head still before gliding his dick inside the cave of heat now inundating him, jaw dropping, using the other hand to hold the cabinet once more and mercilessly fucking your throat. his moans are coarse, grunting and throwing his head back, hips stuttering as he holds you still and shoots deep in your mouth, cursing thousands of times he nearly filled the dictionary.
"swallow it and show me," and you do, without hesitation, sticking your tongue out proudly and it makes getou even prouder. "thatâs my girl."
"whatever," you wipe the side of your mouth, getou lifting you off the floor, legs still too weak to function.
âthereâs that mouth again, sweetheart. cut it short before i fuck you harder,â oh, heâs serious. that darkness in his eyes telling you not to try it again.
âs-sorry, baby. love you,â you give him those pretty doe eyes he falls weak to, rubbing your hands over his waist while placing your chin on his chest. batting your lashes innocently.
getou hums. âtell me that after you get rid of that fuckinâ gardener.â
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the things it adds to both of the characters involved that lucanis used to have a thing for viago could not have been more tailor made to be for me. literally the ideal thing to come out of this game for me personally and specifically and spiritually. I mean I'm teia x viago trash until the day I die and nothing will ever change this (and with the best will in the world and even the power of lucanis' big beautiful soulful eyes, that would never have worked out even if viago DID somehow understand he was being propositioned. which I'm not convinced he did. the mutual 'so. snakes are pretty cool huh. and. knives. also' awkward energy without someone of teia's charisma and people skills involved to mitigate it... it would have been dire), but on so many levels I find it so incredibly charming for what it says about them both that the (one-sided) attraction was there once.
what's more, it means the man about whom this legendary paragraph was written:
Viago was not a typical Antivan. He liked factsâchecklists, numbers, precise measurements. Heart palpitations, clammy hands, tight pantsâViago did not like these things. In fact, he would go so far as to say he hated them. Mild curiosity was his favorite mood.
has got some of the hottest coolest deadliest people in thedas down so catastrophically bad it's got them acting unwise. teia had to wait a UST-drenched decade for him to be ready to take his fucking gloves off for her. and she did!! the tetchiest most neurotic least approachable little vetinari knockoff of a man you ever saw has game for days and days and lives rent free in heads for years. in eight little talons viago consistently feels so inadequate up against dante and it's like. man I'm shaking you by the lapels you have what he'll never have. the ability to bewitch body and soul with your terrible personality and long thin legs. do not waste the gift you've been given go get her she's waiting!!!
(lucanis is really good at reading people, so I wonder if maybe he saw through all of that to some of the steadiness and incredible capacity for warmth and tenderness in specific interpersonal relationships you see viago have with teia when he finally opens up enough, and maybe that was part of it. either way it's so perfect that both he and teia have regarded viago with this affectionate intrigued amusement. lucanis still seems pretty fond of him in a 'viago continues to be exactly himself no matter what else happens or goes wrong. comforting universal constant' sort of way, he brings him up quite a lot in party banter.)
you've seen lucanis' game in this day and age, arguably or at least hopefully older and wiser -- can you imagine how catastrophically bad it must have been back when he presumably handed viago, most paranoid man in thedas all years running, a knife like this expressed everything it needed to. people give him so much shit for the cake moment being his big romantic lock-in, but considering where we started that is GROWTH and I for one am so proud of him fhsdkjaf.
also I wonder at what point vis-a-vis that whole Situation teia and viago met for the first time, leading us to ask... just how much was it a matter of lucanis simply being ignored out of a lack of interest on viago's part (tbf, not entirely unlikely). how much was it lucanis truly not managing to make himself understood. (all but certainly. literally how would one understand that. I think it says some sweet things about rook and lucanis' dynamic that they -- somehow -- DO pick up what he's putting down in a similar scenario presumably b/c they know him pretty well by then haha.) how much was it viago interpreting the romantic move as a death threat from one of the most dangerous people alive and freaking out. (1000% and indubitably.) and how much was it andarateia steal-your-girl cantori turning up and thus setting off whatever spectacular, volatile, awesome-in-the-original-sense chemical reaction between the substances of her and viago's souls that goes on to this day and makes everything else kind of a side note at best. a gentle mix of several of these things, perhaps. ...god I love all these characters so much
#dragon age#dragon age: the veilguard#dragon age: the veilguard spoilers#dragon age spoilers#lucanis dellamorte#viago de riva#andarateia cantori#teia x viago#it's so good to see the characters from extended media get the love they deserve now that everyone is getting to know them btw#like yes hello. this is teia and viago. I would do anything for them. thank you all for joining me in being willing to do anything for them#we are in fact all Correct about this#thinking about younger lucanis anxiously contemplating how to best make his feelings known and settling on THAT.......#it fills me with such an unspeakable aching tenderness for him haha. most autistic guy in thedas truly just trying his best#his best is extremely weird but no less earnest for it#like I think he's naturally just like that and then you get the severely undersocialized aspect from how caterina raised them#and here we are. but he is everything to me still
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