#so I was firm and said coco is fine

[softlimefluff]

trying to explain the concept of "we pick a movie that has wide appeal to anyone coming through the waiting room" to an approximately 10 year old at work this afternoon... getting visions of parts of Eliana's personality when she's older (storytime in tags)

[ingeniousmindoftune]

You, Me, & Whiskey…| scene 1.

Description: This is part one of possibly three. This is how you and Coco come to meet before the get together.

Proofread? Yes| no.

    A Queen knows no limits. A Queen doesn’t need a man to make her feel whole. A Queen is a Queen no matter what throne she sits upon. That’s Y/n. Every where she turned or stride she had the attention of any one that stood in her way, she held her head high with a bounce and stride of a woman of power. And she was. She was a woman of power. A woman of intelligence and integrity. Up until she Met Coco Cruz, she was fine getting by without a man. She didn’t need one. She was good with a occasional hook-up or her rose vibrator and sex toys, she was good with that. Certainly getting involved with the Mayans was the last thing she wanted. But, her family was in their debt. So any time a Mayan needed help, she had to run and stand in ovation.

Obispo “Bishop” Lasa. The man who saved your father’s life all those years ago. Now, you and your family was in his debt. There was never a no to be said to Bishop, if there was- No one had ever lived long enough to tell.  “Baby girl.”

    You slightly rolled your eyes, “Hi, Bishop. How can I help you?” You had to admit, it was always weird how he was always around, but him showing up to your office was not okay. “One of my people got into some shit and I need you to handle it, we can get into the small talks later.” You shook your head at him, you were tired of doing illegal shit. “What did he do?” He shrugged, “Doesn’t matter, just need you going and finding me a judge to make sure that this all goes away.” You shook your head deeply, sitting back against your chair folding your arms on your stomach. “You really are something. When will I ever be free of you and your shady business?” He just chuckled, standing to his feet. “I expect you to be at the clubhouse this afternoon with the Judges information.”

You shook your head. “It won’t work like that, I can assure you.. I’ll be able to get whomever off but, It would have to be done.. My way. What did this person do?” 

    “The whole point is to not fully get you involved, Y/N.” Despite what you thought, Bishop really did care for you and he cared what happened to you. Maybe for his own selfish gang or maybe because he had a fling with your mother in the past. Who knows. What was true was... He did care about you, genuinely. “I’m already in deep with you, Bishop. Here you are in my place of business. You already know its hard being a black woman in this world. I am the only black woman in this law firm. I do not need to be seen with a damn Mayan, but here you are.. Here. In my office asking me to corrupt a judge. And myself.” He shook his head. “He murdered someone, can you get him off or are we going to have a problem?” Bishop questions. You scoff shaking  your head and shook your feet in anger. “OK, but this is the last time I will represent you. I’m a defense attorney, yes. But not for criminals, Bishop. This ends here, this debt, it ends here.”

He chuckled. “It doesn't work like that, babygirl.”

   “I don’t care how it works.” You lean forward, looking at the man whom you once feared in his eyes. The fear all went out the window, why? Because he was sitting here asking you to go against your integrity but it is what it is. You would do what needed to be done. But, you were done. He stood to his feet. “You will do what needs to be done. Like it or not, you represent us. I don’t pay you what I pay you for nothing. I’ll see you at the clubhouse.” Slamming down your laptop, you jumped from the sound. He made his exit of the room, Your heart beats fast. Your chest heaves up and down, shaking your head you stood to your feet. There was knocking at the door. “WHAT!” You shout, “Um, Excuse me?” Your best friend, and boss Angela questions as she sticks her head in the door.

You sighed. “Angela, my apologies. How can I help you?” 

   “Since when you associate with biker gangs?” She folds her arms looking at you with her arms folded, you shook your head. “He had some legal questions, is all and wants me to discuss some business, I haven’t decided if I’m going to take the case and as far as I know, they aren’t in any illegal crimes. I’m just going to see what its about.” She nods her head slowly, “Okay well, whatever you decide, I trust your decision. Not just because you are my partner in this firm but also because you’ve never given me a reason to doubt you nor taken a case that will jeopardize the reputation of this firm.” You caught what she was trying to tell you. “I’ll make sure that this doesn't come back on the firm.”

Angela gives you one last nod before making her exit. 

    “Okay.” You sighed deeply, gathering everything you needed, Placing your laptop into its holder, you made your way out your office. Big city girl like yourself, you went from a small town of Santo Padre. Where you were used to being surrounded by not so many black folk. You were raised by a single mother after your father died. You never met your father, unfortunately . But once you became grown, you moved out here not too far from Santo Padre, but as far as you could get. It takes four hours to get from this big city to there. “Angela, I will be out of reach for a few days but, I will return on Monday.” You spoke as you peep your head into her office.

Before she could say another word, you made your way to the elevator, getting on the elevator you hit the button for the garage floor.

    Your entire ride to your border town-home town Santo Padre, you sighed. You looked back at the packed bags that were on your back seat of your 2022 Shelby Cobra. You always had a thing for muscle cars and anything with a loud engine, growing up, it was one of the reasons you fell for your ex, whom was a rival turned Allie of the Mayans. You thought once you left Santo, you would never look back again. Bikers only brought back bad memories, you used to run with a biker gang back in the day. But, after your ex died, you just never looked back. Slamming your car door as you pulled up to the club house, dressed in some sweats and a sexy crop top that hugged your breast just right. “Are you lost, sweetheart?” One of the bikers questioned her as he undressed you with his eyes. You rolled your eyes. “You can let Bishop know that Y/n is here for him.” You glanced at his bike. It was newer then the last time you saw, You walked over to it running your hand over it. “Hey you can’t touch that.” You snapped your neck to the direction of the talking seeing a tall, slim male. He had tattoos all over his body, his hair was fairly long. “Huh?”

“Don’t worry, Coco.” Bishop says to him, the guy who was talking to me just nodded his head. “My bad.”

He dropped his head, going to walk away. You found him intriguing, He was quiet. He seemed to stick to himself. But you knew the quiet ones was always the ones you needed to stay clear of. “Actually, Coco.. Come here.” Bishop told him. The coco character made his way over, you looked him over. “Coco?” You chuckled lightly, he shook his head. “El Coco.” He answers, You continued looking him over. You couldn’t help but wonder about him. “Should I ask why they call you El coco?” He chuckled, you smiled. “Good, you two are getting aquatinted. Let’s discuss business. Come.” Bishop led you inside the club house, you sighed deeply sitting down.

  “So, you killed her? It wasn’t self defense?” You questioned Johnny.

He shrugged. “No.” You were aggravated, Bishop was asking you to let a cold blooded murderer off scot-free. You just couldn’t see yourself doing this. “So, you going to help me or what?” Johnny asks you. You weren’t too proud of what you were about to do, but you weren’t exactly a innocent either, you’ve done a lot in your past- when your name was different. “If I do this, I have to defend you here. I can’t afford this getting back to my firm.” You looked him in the eyes. “Why? I’m innocent.” He smirked. “That’s what you’re paying me to say but we both know.. you aren’t.” Coco took in your appearance, he found you to be beautiful but what he liked most about you was the way you carried yourself. the way you talked. and the way you walked. “What a girl like you got goin’ with men like Bishop and me?”

    “What’s men like you?” You brush your hand over your arm

He chuckled. “I’m sitting here telling you about a crime I just committed, one of many, and you still not understanding what I mean by it?” You chuckle, shaking your head. “Guess not.” You folded your arms. “Bishop was a friend of my fathers’. I’m just helping him out but this will be a one and a lifetime thing. You shouldn't have a problem with staying in the woods and it would be best that you keep from criminal activities until this case is closed.” He shook his head, “No, see. Can't do that, miss ma'am. Imma do me, you just make sure I don’t go down for this.”

     “Johnny, you have to tru-”

He shouts. “No.” You were taken back by his sudden outburst, shaking your head, he looked you in the eyes. “My bad.” He sighs running his fingers through his hair. “It’s okay but do not raise your voice at me again.” You told him. Shaking your head, you listened as he muttered something under his breath. 

----

----

“It’s late.” You teased, sitting at the bar next to him. He sniffed, turning his attention to you than back at the bottle of beer he had. You didn’t know what it was about him that made you want to talk and figure out why he was so sad. His eyes was sad, he just seemed sad. “This woman, who was she to you?” You questioned.

   He turned his attention to you. He sucks his teeth, waving the bartender over for something stronger. “Trust me. Its best that you don’t know.” You ordered a glass of Jack Daniel. Thanking the bartender. “What you know about the hard shit?” He teases changing the subject. “I’m no prude.” You laugh softly, looking at him. He chuckled lightly. “Guess not,” He moves a seat over, “How come I never seen you around?” You shrugged. “Moved away when I was eighteen and just never looked back. And I never really was in this particular circle. The Mayans.” He nods his head slow. “Ah,” He raised his hand to the bartender asking for another bottle of Jack. He had his eyes set on you, but was too shy to flat out say it. Plus after hearing what he had just done to his mother, he would assume that you wouldn’t want to have nothing more than just a lawyer-client conversation. “Just know what I did was justified.” He tells you.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m paid to do a job. So, You’ll get off.” You down the glass. It’s been a minute since you got out and let loose. You spent so many times being in your studio apartment alone looking at court docs or in the court room defending people accused of crimes, you’d believe they didn’t commit.

    Nodding his head, he slightly brushed the side of his face. “You seem tense, you should get loose.” He tells you. You scoff and laugh. “Excuse me?” He downed another drink, he inches his body just close enough to you, he looked you in the eyes, You stopped twirling your finger around the top of your glass, looking in his eyes. “You’re tense. I saw that from the moment I laid eyes on you, when the last time you got some dick in you?” You scolded him, throwing your drink in his face storming out the bar. He chuckled running his hand down his face. He licked his lip. “Another one.” He got under your skin, enough. Coco was sweet, quiet but he was also misunderstood, a little strange but also forward... he ran his hand down his face. He waited another minute before making his way out the bar, seeing you pacing outside your car. You didn’t understand why you were still here but you were. 

“Car trouble?” He smirks, holding his hands behind his back slightly leaning forward. You slapped him, and that slap turned into a kiss. An insane kiss. He kissed you back wrapping his arm around your waist, he backs you up against your car, you didn't know was it his bad boy charm or the fact that you hadn’t had none in a while, but you were wet, he places you on the hood of your car as the kiss became more intense. He reaches down unbuttoning the button down blouse you had on now, you came to your senses, slapping his hand away and his face. “Stop. We can't do this.” You pushed him off, running over to the driver side of your car. “Wait!” You got in, your hands shaking as you tried to start up the car. Your heart beated a mile a minute, sped off that parking lot so fast... You weren’t easy and you were going to make him work for it.

Part two on the way. I hope this wasn't too bad. This is my first time writing for Coco Cruz be nice :)

@laylasbunbunny

[plsijustwantsleep]

Cold night

Heat x reader fanfic (gender neutral)

This is my first fanfic I have ever made. I'm so excited, send me some request related to kid pirates.

It was tricky to land on an island considering all the snow that was falling. Kid and the other crewmates were scared that they were going to get stuck in the middle of the sea because the water was starting to freeze. luckily you landed just in time. Even though you made it, it was still rough on the ship. They needed to get supplies like food and more blankets so the crew can stay warm. And they needed to patch up the ship because you guys were attacked by Marines earlier. So you and other crewmates volunteered to go into the island to get some supplies. By the time you guys came back, all of you looked like you guys got turned into icicles. The cremates that stayed behind instantly came to your guys's aid and we're glad none of y'all got hyperthermia.

Your boyfriend however was the most concern about you. "Love, I told you to stay behind I went out to get the supplies." " Heat it's fine, I'm back on the ship safe with you." That's when you fell on top of him shivering." Hey, Someone get them a blanket quick and someone else make hot chocolate now!" Heat demanded. Next thing you knew you're in your room covered in layers blankets and right by your side on the drawer was hot cocoa and some cookies on the side. Before you can pick up the hot coco you notice a note beside the cookies. It said

"Dear y/n, I will be back in the room soon. I have to help fix up the ship because if not colder we're getting and we don't want that. Just make sure you stay warm until I get there. XOXO - Heat -P.S I made you some cookies <3

It's like you fell in love with him all over again. Just by reading his note made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He went out of his way to make you something and as always it's amazing. And Wire made his famous hot cocoa for you too. Even with all of that you were still really cold. I felt like you were going to faint again until you heard a knock on the door. "Hey love, I'm done helping fixing the ship. Sorry if I woke you up." "It's okay you do wake me up at all honey, but is it just me or is it still cold." "According from the other crewmates still cold but it's better than how it was in the beginning." That's when you remembered that he has a higher body temperature than most people. He's not really affected by cold weather because of the fact that he's able to breathe fire so it's like he's kind of warming himself up." Here, I'll start a fire for you." He then blew out fire in the fireplace. "I know that probably won't be much better, but it's better than nothing." He then change and joined in your shared bed.

He then put his arms around you. He has a firm grip but not too hard where you felt squish but enough to know that he will protect you from anything. In that moment you felt really warm not because of the hot cook or the fire but your love's body heat. You lay your head on his large chest and listen to his heartbeat. He strokes here hair oh so lovingly. And even though he's embarrassed by it he starts humming you a little lullaby. All of this made you really sleepy and warm. "Hey heat" "Yes my love?" "I love you" "I love you too." That is when you both fell asleep in each other's arms keeping each other warm with each others Love.

This one is really short but holy crap do I love this! Again let me know what other kid pirates you want me to do and whether if you wanted to be a fanfic or head Cannon. Also please don't expect it to be right away if there's too many I'll try to do as much as I can. But for now just wait until our next adventure!

[abbatoirablaze]

Queens Of The Mayans, Aayana, S1E1

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: mentions of the run, angst, cliffhanger.

"Babe, I'll be fine," Riz said softly, kissing Eva's temple, "just going on a run tonight. We'll be home in the morning, and I promise that we can stay in bed all day, right Che?"

"Simple run," he confirmed, wrapping an arm around my waist. I smiled as he pressed a firm kiss to my lips, "but I cannot and will not confirm whatever plans you two little sexual deviants have upon our return home. But yes, it is a simple run. We’re running out to Vegas, and we'll be back in the morning. I swear."

"I worry for you," I admitted with a shake of my head as I played with his shirt, "Vegas is such a sinful city. There is so much that can go wrong there, is there not?"

"It's kind of in the name, my love," Taza chuckled, as he lifted my hand up to his lips. He playfully kissed my knuckles as a way of reassuring me, "but don't worry my love. No sinning for me. You’re the only one I want to be sinning with. We're just helping a delivery make it to town. That’s it. Just a simple turn and burn. We’ll crash at a hotel for the night, and then be back on the road and home before you even wake."

"You call me," I asked, hoping that he would call me when I knew that they were safe and off the road for the night, "as soon as you arrive. I want you on the phone, telling me that you are safe, Che."

"Yana."

"Taza Romero," I warned, holding our baby girl in my arms, "you leave me with Diego and Mariella with no warning, whatsoever. I have to have Chucky help me in the morning with them while I open the scrap yard. You will call me when you get there."

"Yes ma'am," he chuckled, placing a chaste kiss on my forehead. He repeated the action with our infant daughter before taking her into his arms, "mommy is scary when she worries, isn't she?"

"Do not teach our daughter that," I laughed, smacking his shoulder, “she will learn that as she grows up.”

"Aayana do you want to hang out here then for the night?" Nev asked, "My sister Dasia is watching Johnny with Diego, so we could get the clubhouse cleaned up and have a movie night before these animals completely destroy the place."

"We're not animals," Riz laughed, "we just like to have fun."

"Oh, I know what your kind of fun is, Michael," she laughed, poking his chest, "and this is not fun. This is a mess."

"I agree with Nev," I smiled, pointing to the bikers that had been indulging us with the conversation, "you men wreck this clubhouseall the time. It’s a wonder that any of you managed to survive to adulthood with no cleaning skills. You’re lucky to have us to help put it back together."

"We live here 60% of the time, Yana."

"And none of you men ever clean," I sighed, shaking my headat them disapprovingly. Taza handed back our daughter and I kissed him, "You are lucky to have us in your lives."

"Luckiest men in the world," he smiled, “every one of us.”

"Alright men, we're leaving in a few," Bishop smirked, busting through the door, "no patches. No leather. Keep it low-key with the colors. Just men going on a ride."

"You better keep our men safe, Bishop," I laughed at the president as he came over to the bar area. He grabbed a beer and popped the cap off. He shot me a wink and I shook my head at him as he held his hand out to Mariella, “I’m serious, Bishop Losa. You keep these boys in line.”

"Everyone comes home in one piece," Brooke smiled as she watched Bishop with my daughter. She stopped clearing the empties off the bar to shoot him a look, "that understood, Bishop?"

"Yes ma'am," he smiled. The younger girl smirked in response and Bishop looked around, "Anyone see Angel, Gilly, or Coco?"

"Gilly was making sure the bikes are gassed up with the prospect," Brooke replied, nodding her head back towards the door "And I am pretty sure Coco and Angel are with Creeper at the warehouse again. Double checking everything for you and making sure everything is good to go for tonight."

"Good," Che replied. He clapped Bishop's shoulder, "you ready to go, brother?"

"Ready as ever," he smiled, putting his jacket on. They all started heading out and I looked to the two girls in front of me who were dreamily looking on as the guys left, “roll on out, boys.”

"So, we really gonna clean this place?"

I nodded at Brooke, "oh yeah. This is the one time where all those men are going to be out of the clubhouse. No Gilly and Tranq leaving empties in the areas we’ve already cleaned. No naked girls following Creeper and Angel around, leaving a trail of sloshed liquor on the floor. No cigarette butts all over the place because of Coco. No peyote from Taza. No broken glassware because of Bishop. No guitar strings and playing cards from Riz. "

"The boys are kind of messy aren't they?"

"They are," I sighed, putting my daughter in her highchair so that she could play with some cereal while we cleaned, "but they are our boys, and we are their queens."

A few hours later we had managed to get the whole clubhouse clean. Now, it wasn't spotless, but it would be bearable until their next run, but boy was it late. So late that the idea of a movie night was quickly tossed out and replaced with wine at the bar while we bullshit about our men. Dasia had stopped over earlier and dropped the boys off so that she could be at the bar she and Nev owned, and the kids were in bed. Chucky was outside cleaning off the picnic benches and making sure the broken glass was picked up so that no one would get hurt falling into the dirt again.

"Do you think we should invite him in?" Eva asked, "it is getting pretty cold."

"Nah, he’s okay," Brooke laughed. When none of us agreed she shrugged, "Chucky will be fine. My family used to leave him out in worse."

I looked at the young girl, "Brooklyn."

"It's not like I was the one that made the demand that Chucky stay out," she shrugged, "he is a nice enough guy but kind of a perv. He used to masturbate when he saw any of us."

I felt sick to my stomach as I looked out the window. The middle-aged man had looked harmless, but clearly, I had misjudged him.

"Don't worry," she said, coming up to stand next to me, "It’s some kind of a disease. Kind of like a nervous tick. It kind of stopped when my brother cut off his fingers. But then again, it’s kind of hard to yank your chain with two fingers."

I felt sick to my stomach as I backed away from the door. Going over to the bar, I grabbed myself a beer. Before I could drink it, Nev pulled it away, "no alcohol for you momma bear. You're nursing. Remember?"

"Shit," I growled, frustrated that she wouldn’t allow me to have any of the wine or beer, “I could pump and dump, right? I’ve got some milk in the fridge still.”

Suddenly the door flew open, and Chucky came running in, looking like a nervous wreck. He blew past us and went straight for templo.

"Chucky, what the hell are you doing?" Brooke yelled following the older male, "You know you aren't allowed in there."

"Have to," he yelled back quickly. Following him in we saw him grab a set of keys, "Tranq told me."

"What are you doing?"

"Where are you going?"

"Chucky?" Brooke asked, seeing him clearly in distress. She had him by the shoulders, "Tell me what's going on."

"I-I don't know," he stuttered, "Some guys. The run. Dresses. Guns. I have to pick them up. They can't ride. Someone got shot. The van exploded. Someone stuck in the cab."

"What?"

Behind me, Eva gasped. She looked outside and Creeper and Riz' bike sat there.

Shit.

"I have to get the truck and trailer. The 111, they got jumped," he said quickly, “I have to go. Now!

"No," Brooke said, cutting him off. You said someone was shot."

"Yeah," he replied, "I don't know who. Tranq said to hurry."

"Fuck."

Taza you better be okay.

Tag List: @babybunnyblossom

[winchestershiresauce]

Request from anon: For Angel how about a smutty friends/ex to lovers drabble? Perhaps he’s feeling jealous or pent up or needy? (If ur comfortable with that of course)

Angel Reyes x f!Reader

935 words

A/N: This is explicit smut, do not read if you are under the age of 18. Also I apparently can’t drabble and I’m not sorry. 

--

Angel knew he had no right to do anything about it but he couldn’t help the way that his jaw clenched as he watched you dance with Coco. You were a “free agent” as you called it, but he knew it should be his hands on your hips as you moved to the music, not Coco’s. Angel’s grip on his beer bottle tightened as he watched you drape your arms around Coco’s neck as his fingers danced up your ribs.

“You okay, bro?” EZ asked, pulling Angel from his thoughts.

“What? Oh, yeah. Fine,” Angel replied dismissively, turning to look at his brother.

“You sure, man? You look like you wanna gut Coco,” EZ said with a small chuckle. Angel sighed and shook his head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” As EZ opened his mouth to respond, Angel saw you walk behind the bar to grab yourself a drink. “I’m gonna grab a beer,” Angel stated before EZ could say anything, making a bee-line for the bar.

“Right.” EZ nodded knowingly, smirking as he took a sip of beer before wandering off.

As you set down the glass after taking a shot of tequila, you felt someone press up against you from behind. Immediately, you were enveloped in the spicy leather scent that was Angel and you smiled, leaning back. 

“Hey, you,” you said with stars in your eyes and your head on his shoulder. 

“You’re killing me, querida,” Angel replied in a low growl. You felt his hands settle on your hips with a little more pressure than you were expecting. You couldn’t help but smirk as you felt him press his hips into you, feeling the bulge in his pants brush against your ass.

“Are you jealous, Angel?” Your voice sounded innocent but you were feeling anything but. You turned around in his grip, draping your hands behind his head with a smirk. 

“It should be my hands all over your body, not his,” he stated, letting his hands slip down to grab your ass.

“Is that so?” you asked and he nodded. You moved to run your fingers through his hair, your nails lightly scratching his scalp. “I thought we were just friends.” His gaze jerked up to meet your own, worried that you didn’t want this, want him. He was pleased to find your eyebrow raised and a smirk on your lips.

“Are you saying friends can’t do this?” He bent forward to place kisses across your jaw and you felt your arousal spark between your legs. 

“I said nothing of the sort.” You relished in the way his mouth moved across your skin, his facial hair tickling you in the wake of his kisses. Angel took a step, leading you backwards until your back bumped into the bar and you felt him press the evidence of his own arousal into you. You groaned, pulling him closer to you as you moved to give him better access to your throat. He moved his hands to either side of your face so that he could press his lips roughly against yours. You let your hips move forward, needing to feel him against you.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” he whispered against your lips, but all you could do was nod, not trusting your voice at the moment. You slid your hands down his firm chest as his hands moved to lift your skirt. He pushed your panties to the side with one hand and traced the middle finger of his other hand through your wet folds. In one quick, fluid motion, your hands had moved to unfasten his jeans and pull out his thick, hard cock. He gasped at the sensation of your fingers wrapped around him and bucked his hips forward. Neither of you wasted any time as he withdrew his hand and fisted his cock to guide it into you. As he pressed himself into your entrance, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. All you could focus on was the feeling of his perfect cock dragging slowly out of you before Angel thrust back into you again, setting a punishing pace. 

You were vaguely aware of the music, voices, and laughter around you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You pulled Angel’s mouth back down to yours again and his neediness was evident in the way he kissed you. His hands moved to grip your hips so hard you thought you could feel bruises already forming as he continued to slam into you.

“Fuck, Angel,” you panted, “I’m close.” He pressed one finger against your clit and you swore you saw stars. As his finger made circles around your sensitive bud, you let out a cry that he quickly swallowed down with more rough kisses. Your orgasm snuck up on you and when you came, your vision went white and you threw your head back in ecstasy. Angel moved his mouth to your now-exposed throat, nipping and kissing as he continued to fuck you through your climax, chasing his own release. Every jerk of his hips pressed his pubic bone into your oversensitive clit as he finally spilled inside of you. You both panted, trying to catch your breath as you came down from your highs. Angel’s movements slowed and he pulled himself out of you, hoping the pounding of his heart would calm down sooner rather than later.

“I would’ve rubbed all over Coco much sooner if I knew it would lead to this,” you said with a breathy laugh and Angel buried his face in the crook of your neck.

--

This is my first Mayans fic (and I’m already over halfway done with another Angel x f!Reader), so let me know what you think!

[insomnaticwriter]

Prompt of three words: ring, mug, rain

hmmm I’m not sure if you want me to do a prompt for each of those or one big one but I’m down for a challenge:)

It was drizzling when he and Malin arrived at Simons house, but by the time they were halfway through with dinner it was decided that they couldn’t drive back to Hillerska, that it was too much of a danger to carry the Crown Prince on a night with such bad weather.

Malin politely asked Linda if they could, despite the invasion, spend the night. Malin tried to make a case for her self to sleep in the car but both Linda and Wille fought her on it.

“It’s too cold to sleep in the car.” Wille said.

“It’s inappropriate for me to even be here right now, I definitely shouldn’t sleep here.”

“Malin please you’re welcome any time, I can set up the couch, it’s not a problem.”

“We will leave as soon as possible.” Malin looked over a Wille nodding his head.

As Linda and Malin chat the boys slip away to Simons room.

“So you’re spending the night.” Simons says dreamily as he circles Wille.

Wilhelm touching everything in Simons room, the windows, the curtains, the fish bowl.

“Yeah I am, but I wanted to give you something before I left.” Wille walks over to Simon, putting a hand on his cheek, pressing his thumb in and swiping his face. Simon tilts his head into Wille’s hand and steps closer to him.

“Yeah, did the Prince get me a gift?”

Wille feigns an annoyed expression.

“You know what, not anymore, maybe this is for Linda now, or Sara.”

“Okay, okay, I was kidding, please don’t give it to Sara! Please, I want your gift.”

“Fine, since you asked so nicely.” Wille began to pull a ring box out of his pocket. Opening it up, revealing a beautiful silver ring, engraved with music notes.

Wille put the box on the desk and gracefully grabbed Simons left hand and slipped the ring on his middle finger.

“You seemed like a middle finger type of ring wearer, less traditional.”

“Wille, this is beautiful, I love it so much. Thank you.” He wrapped his arms around his boyfriends shoulders and gave him a hug. His eyes started to water and his voice broke just a bit.

“I don’t think I’ve ever received a gift this beautiful before.” He tugged himself away from Wille to look at his face.

“Well. What can I say. Your hands are just too gorgeous to go without any jewelry for any longer.”

“Like think my hands are gorgeous?”

“You have small hands, long fingers. They are pretty.”

“Small?! I play piano they can’t be that small. They aren’t small.” Simon whispered the last part under his breath taking obvious offense.

Wilhelm took his hand, bigger in comparison and pressed it against Simons now ringed hand. Simon squirmed a bit, trying to stretch his fingers to match Wille’s.

“Fuck.” Simon looked down in defeat.

“Told you.” Wille grabbed Simons hand, and gave his knuckle a kiss.

“I - love - your - hands.” Giving a kiss to another part of his hand between each word.

“Hm, new kink you want to tell me about?”

“Leave it up to you to ruin a moment huh.”

“Shut up, it’s not my fault that you have a hand kink.”

“I do not.”

“You sound like you do.”

Wille grabbed Simons hand and laced his fingers in between his boyfriends.

“Your hands are freezing cold.” Wille said before pressed another firm kiss into Simon hand but this time it was his palm.

“Yeah I’m cold but I can just put on another hoodie, it’s fine.”

“Simme, you already have a hoodie on. Can we make some tea? hot coco? coffee?”

“Yeah let me ask Mama, stay here.“

Wille watched Simon walk away and started looking around his room, touching everything again. His music poster. The pencils on his desk. Everything seemed so personal, Wille could only dream of a room this personal to him. He wondered what he would even put up? Would he have a fish as well? What about posters? Would he want a desk? His train of thought it broken when he hears Linda in the next room.

“I made me and Malin some tea. There’s still hot water on the stove if you want any.”

He stepped outside to hear a little more.

“My daughter and I always make tea on nights like this, if you don’t mind I think I’ll call her and see what she’s up too.” Wille heard, watching Malin step away, looking her in the eyes. They both knew she wasn’t supposed to step outside or make a call in his presence but he gave her a smile. A little ashamed that he had forgotten that she had a daughter. A few years ago her daughter was… 3? 4? Now she must be around 6? If he’s getting that right.

“I have no idea Malin had a daughter, they live in Stockholm? I’m surprised I haven’t run into her at the grocery store.”

“Yeah, I remember her bringing a baby around years ago on her off days. I guess it’s no longer a baby.”

“They grow up fast.” Linda turns her head to look at Simon.

“Mama, I can feel you staring at me.”

“I can’t admire my child?”

“Nope.” He says with an ass eating grin.

Linda rolls her eyes and takes a sip of her tea.

Wille loves this house, every last detail but the one thing he loves the most, other than Simon, are the mugs. They aren’t perfect, or all the same. They are random, some have chips and others have been glued back together, they have Christmas mugs, travel mugs, mugs with writing, silly mugs with different phrases, mugs shaped like animals.

He already has a favorite mug despite only using it once.

“Can I have the elephant mug please?”

“Of course let me find it.” Simon turns to the cupboard, opening up the cabinet and seeing the arrangements of different glasses and mugs.

“Oh here it is.”

He digs through the cabinet, shoving two other mugs aside to get to the grey and brown elephant mug. Along with another cup for himself, just a white coffee mug.

He pours the now no longer boiling water in each cup, passing the box of tea to Wille.

“Apple passion fruit okay?”

“Sounds cozy.”

They let the tea stoop and they walk back into Simons room, cups of tea in hand. Efficiently warming Simons hands.

“Feel better?”

Simon now cuddled into the crook of Willes neck and shoulder, holding his cup with both hands, eyes closed completely content with his boyfriend.

“So so much.”

“Good.”

They finish their tea, leaving the cups on the desk, making their way back to Simons bed. They lay next to each other, arms and legs tangled before falling asleep to the sound of the rain hitting the window.

[itsjustmyfantasyroom]

Grey Blanket.

Thank you @beccabarba for once again reading over this for me. I really love this series <3

*Grey Leather*

*Grey Uniform*

*Grey Dress*

*Grey Vase*

Warnings: Is based slightly on season 3 so somewhat a spoiler but not too much and of course its not part of the grey series if there isn’t smut.

WC: 2028

Enjoy x

Bishop had opened up to you about his past, he was surprised when you didn’t shy away, you just assured him that although everyone’s past is different, everyone has one, some worse than others and you had just as many demons that he seemed to have, just at the moment he is having trouble taming them.

You were grateful that he had spoken to you about everything because his emotions had shifted dramatically, but it was for more than one reason, which you knew about after he opened up to you about it all and you held him one night while he cried. You were glad he hadn’t changed with you and you understood why his emotions were running high and if anything, you had gotten closer, you being his middle ground of support that he needed.

Bishop was opening his heart to you, even more than he had already done since you started together. From the moment you met him that night at the club house party, you never wanted to know about the business with the club, but he always told you when he was going to be away, he still messaged you when he could while away and you held him as long as he needed to once he was back. You hadn’t been hanging around the club house as often as Rosa, Bishop wanting you to go to his house or he come to yours to get away from everything, which suited you fine.

You could see he was at a breaking point and you just did your best to be there for him to help him get his mind off everything the best you could with everything that was surrounding him at the moment. You were finishing work at 9 that night and when you took your phone out of your locker after a shower you noticed all the missed calls you had from Rosa. Panicking and trying to stay calm at the same time, still wrapped in a towel and dripping wet, you dialled her number back and she picked up halfway through the first ring,

“Rosa what’s wrong?” you tried to sound calm.

“Babe, have you finished work?”

“Just now, why? What’s going on? Is everything ok?”

“Y/N, it’s Bishop, he isn’t good, he is pissed and he stormed out of the club house. I’ll stay at Coco’s tonight, he needs you”

You quickly changed into jeans and a t shirt, grabbing your bag and rushing out of the locker room to your car speeding off. You drove past his place first, his bike nowhere to be seen and all the lights off. You then drove home and as you turned into your street you seen him leaning back on his parked bike in the gutter out the front. You drove into the drive way, stopping the car and jumping out rushing over to Bishop,

“Hey babe” you smiled as you walked across the grass to him.

He took a sip of whatever he had in the paper bag and stood up off his bike stumbling towards you,

“Hey baby” he slurred before he almost fell on you wrapping his arms around you, his head resting on your shoulder and you kissed his cheek scrapping your nails lightly over the nap of his neck.

“Let’s get inside” you kissed his cheek again.

You walked both of you to the door, Bishop leaning into you kissing along your clothed shoulder his arm around your waist. You pulled your keys out of your jean pocket unlocking the door and walking you both inside before locking the door behind you both putting your bag down. Bishop took another sip of the bottle that was in the paper bag and you reached for it with one hand and cupped his cheek with your other,

“Can I have some?” you smiled.

“Sure my love”

You took a sip from the bottle and then sat it down on the small end table next to the couch. You walked back to Bishop slipping off his jacket throwing it on the couch and then grabbed his hand pulling him into the kitchen leaning him on the bench. You walked to the cupboard pulling out a glass and then filling it with water from the tap handing it to him. Bishop drank down the water and tried to stand up off the bench and he stumbled slightly falling onto you. One of his arms snaked around you and the other came up to cup your cheek. You looked up into his glassy looking eyes and you smiled wrapping your arms around him, his thumb running over your cheek bone,

“I don’t know what I would do without you Y/N” You smiled at him and lent into his hand nuzzling your cheek into his big warm rough palm “I love you baby”

Your eyes shot to his quickly, your cheeks burnt as you searched his face and he gave you a big grin his lips meeting yours kissing you lightly,

“I love you too” you whispered back.

Bishop smiled at you and you reached for his hand that was on your cheek pulling away from him and pulling him into the bedroom. You walked him to his side of the bed and started to undo the buttons on his shirt pulling it off and throwing it on the chair next to the bed. You sat him in the bed and got down on your knees pulling his boots and socks off when you felt Bishop’s fingers start to run through your hair,

“So sexy on your knees baby” he chuckled drunkenly and you looked up at him with a smirk as you stood up onto your feet.

“Cheeky” you lent down giving him a peak on the lips.

You stood back up undoing your jeans button pulling them off throwing them on the floor while Bishop laid flat on his back on the bed and then you reached up into the back of your shirt unclipping your bra pulling it out. You stood over him undoing his belt buckle, button and zipper pulling his jeans off, he lifting his hips to help you out and you throw them to meet your jeans on the floor. You walked to turn off the bedroom light and then made your way back to the bed pulling the grey blanket that was on the end of you bed throwing it over you both. You got comfortable on your back and you felt Bishop move to lay on your chest his arm resting on your middle and your arm that he was laying on coming up to run your fingers through his hair,

“I meant what I said” His lips landed on your clothed chest.

“I know babe” you kissed the top of Bishops head your fingers still combing through his hair as you both drifted off to sleep “Rest now, I’ am here with you”

**

Your eyes fluttered open when you felt his warm rough hand running up and down your leg and you let your eyes adjust to the dim light of your bedroom. You stretched your back slightly and turned your head looking back at Bishop. He grinned at you and pulled his hand away from your leg moving your hair out of the way of your neck. His lips met your neck kissing up it, his beard on your skin making you whimper and his warm lips left a trail of kisses over your skin. Bishop’s hand came back to your thigh running up it, up to the waist of your panties sliding down into them down over your centre, his fingers running over your core coating in your wet and Bishop’s lips at your ear,

“Morning baby” His voice was deep and husky as he started to roll his hips into your thigh, his hard cock pocking into you “I know you think I don’t remember what I said last night” He slipped two fingers into your warm wet lower lips, thrusting them into you lazily “But I remember, and I’ am going to show you how much. Panties off baby” Bishop nipped your ear lobe.

Bishop pulled away from you rolling onto his back reaching into the top drawer pulling out protection, pushing his boxers down and off, rolling it on while you took your panties off throwing them on the floor. Bishop rolled back over onto his side, his chest to your back and he grabbed your thigh pulling it back to rest on his hip. He adjusted himself so he could slide up into you, and with his free hand grabbing the hem of your t-shirt pulling it up your chest above your breasts, his hand going straight to grope one breast, playing with your nipple between his thumb and pointer finger.

You could feel the crown of his cock at your core as he slid up bit by bit, grunting into your shoulder, and his grip on your thigh firm to hold it on him. Bishop thrusted up into you hard bottoming out and he wasted no time starting a hard and fast pace. Bishop was pulling you into him by your thigh, grunting and groaning,

“You know I love you Baby.” Bishop whispered into your ear, his long beard setting your skin on fire as it brushed over your skin and his fingers rolling your nipple between them.

“Bishop” you gasped “I love you” you tried to keep your voice low so it didn’t give away that your climax was coming like a freight train so quickly.

Bishop was breathing heavy into your back, the way he gripped your thigh and his thrusts into you getting sloppy, you could tell he was almost as close as you were by his breathing. Bishop let go of your thigh, his hand landing in the middle of your back pushing you forward, Bishop thrusting up into you hard and fast and you both groaning loud. You reached down to your clit rubbing it with your pointer finger knowing it wouldn’t take long to fall over the edge with this new angle hitting the right spot every time.

“Just like that Bish- Yes babe“ you moaned loud your whole body breaking out into a sweat, your release sweeping over you making you gasp for air as moans  and Bishops name spilled from your lips.

You had barely come down from your high, your body trembling from the aftershocks, when Bishop grabbed your shoulder pulling you back up into him, his lips colliding with your neck sucking you hard and he thrusted up hard pausing and going stiff grunting into your skin as he came deep inside you, he chanting your name and Spanish words that you could barely make out.

You both laid there for a moment breathing heavy, before Bishop kissed your shoulder up to your neck, getting up off the bed walking out to clean himself up in the bathroom. You rolled over onto your back still breathless looking up at the roof grinning to yourself at how good you felt about everything. 

You let out a slight squeal of surprise when Bishop came strutting back in and jumped on top of you settling between your legs, grabbing your wrists pinning them above your head and kissing you deeply and then down your neck making you giggle from the tickle of his facial hair,

“Thank you baby for last night” he peaked your lips his hands moving up to intertwine with your fingers still pinning them above your head.

“Of course. I love you and I like looking after you Bishop”

“I love you Y/N. And I need you now more than ever baby with-”

You cut him off kissing him softly and then pulling back seeing a grin pull to his face and a sparkle in his eye,

“You have me, I’ am not going to anywhere. Why don’t you come and stay here for a while? So you come home to me and not an empty house”

Bishop smiled down at you kissing you deeply again

“I would like that baby thank you”

Tags: @beccabarba @lovebishoplosamiguelgalindo​ @withmyteeth​

[painted-crow]

Okay this is wildly off topic but I saw that you cook japanese food. Can you recommend some dishes to try or ways to get myself to like it? I want to like Japanese food so bad but I haven't liked anything I've tried aside from super basic stuff like sushi, teriyaki, and gyoza. I've even tried making curry and omurice at home and everyone except me loved it.

Japanese cooking resources

Ah, I have been called upon! Lemme dig some stuff out of my Bird nest for you :D

Disclaimer: I'm not Japanese or an expert on this. I'm just a cooking nerd who thinks Japan has the best food and experimented a whole bunch with Internet recipes and stuff from the Asian market.

Recipes

I learned a lot of what I know from these two foodie blogs:

Just One Cookbook

No Recipes

(the latter site does, in fact, contain recipes, but the blogger would encourage you to build the confidence to cook without them)

Since you're having trouble finding dishes you like, I suggest starting with udon: thick, chewy noodles often served in dashi broth, perhaps with fried toppings. You can prepare udon a bunch of different ways, that's just a classic one--but no matter how you make it, udon is a pretty easy sell. Tonkatsu is another dish that's hard to dislike, and makes a good topping for your udon if you want to make both at once!

Fun travel memoir

There is a fantastic book called Pretty Good Number One: An American Family Eats Tokyo.

It's a foodie travel memoir and it's exactly what it sounds like: this guy went to Tokyo for a month with his wife and daughter and they ate a bunch of food, his daughter made friends with half of the entire population of Tokyo, and he wrote about it. He's a really entertaining writer, and it has great descriptions of all kinds of Japanese food, so from there it's easy to go look up recipes.

Shopping

You'll want to go to an actual Asian market if you can find one locally. Use Google, they're often tucked into odd buildings.

Different Asian markets cater to different cultures' cuisines, so there might be one market with a full assortment of Indian MTR spice blends but no kombu or katsuobushi in sight. They usually have a variety though. If you can find an H Mart, you're golden (H Mart is Korean, but will have the stuff you need for Japanese food). Be willing to explore a bit! Last resort, go ahead and use Amazon, but trust me--the Asian markets are cheaper, and I much prefer supporting them to feeding Amazon.

Just One Cookbook also has a list of Japanese pantry essentials, which is really good, but it's also really completionist (I don't even have all of those premade sauces) and stretches the definition of "pantry" a bit, so it seems more intimidating than it should.

Here's my version.

Pantry essentials:

Good soy sauce. Just get something that says "traditionally brewed" and you're fine. If you spot dark soy sauce: it's smokier and less salty, very different, it can't replace normal soy sauce but you might grab it too.

Short grain "sushi" rice. Try not to overpay for it. If you're in an Asian market you're fine. If you're in the fancy organic section of Hy-Vee, you're gonna get ripped off.

Mirin. A seasoned cooking wine. Unfortunately, bad mirin is easy to find and is loaded with corn syrup. Try to find some that isn't; remember, ingredients are listed on the bottle proportionally. It's very worth paying $10 for a good bottle of mirin. I don't *think* you have to be 21 to buy it? Drinking it would probably be unappealing. Mirin is very important, and it's a versatile cooking ingredient; once you know what it does you might find yourself putting it in everything.

Sake. You do have to be of legal drinking age to buy this. Which kind you get for cooking isn't a super big deal, and you can get by with just mirin most of the time.

Kombu and katsuobushi. The former is a kind of seaweed/kelp (it may look dusty with white powder; that's natural MSG and it's a good thing). The latter is shaved dried smoked skipjack tuna and looks a bit like pencil shavings; you might see them labeled "bonito flakes." They're common ingredients for dashi (basic Japanese cooking stock), but you'll see katsuobushi used as a topping on lots of savory dishes. If you can't find these, try looking for dashi powder or tea bag type dealies.

Toasted sesame oil. Not hard to find.

Rice vinegar. Same.

Panko bread crumbs. These are special, lofty, crispy breadcrumbs. They're different because of SCIENCE and are what happens when you electrocute bread dough. I'm not joking.

Cornstarch/potato starch. I slightly prefer potato starch (good texture), but they're not that different.

Nori. These are those pressed algae sheets you use to wrap sushi, but they're used for other stuff too, like onigiri, or shredded as a topping.

Noodles. Obviously, if you want to make udon, you need to buy some. You can easily find dried udon, but if you spot frozen or even fresh udon noodle packs, grab them.

If you can find an Asian market that stocks all this, you should be able to get the whole list for around $50. Asian markets tend not to be expensive, which is yet another good reason to learn to cook Japanese food. (Other reasons: healthy, tasty, easy to cook in a small kitchen...)

Of course, you also don't need to get the whole list at once! It's not cheating to just get what you need for a particular dish.

Fun stuff you can find at Asian markets

With the basics out of the way, here are additional tasty things you might want to look for:

Furikake. Not strictly necessary, but I like it. It's a topping/seasoning blend you can mix into your rice, and it comes in lots of flavors, some fishier than others. Start with a nori or vegetable flavor if you're uncertain. Tamago flavor = egg.

Ramune. If you've never had marble soda before, don't deny yourself the adventure of trying to figure out how to get the bottle open. Lots of flavors.

Good instant ramen. Nongshim's Shin Ramyun is what I usually get, and even Walmart sells it. You'll never buy Maruchan again.

Candy. So, I don't know who's in charge of Japanese fruit flavored candy, but it actually tastes like fruit, which is wild.

Yuzu and/or sudachi juice. If you can find these, grab 'em. They're citrus juices. Yuzu is a bit like lemon but less strongly sour and more... clean? Crisp? while sudachi is a bit like lime but more green and complex. I'm describing these poorly. You might also be able to find candy or drinks with these flavors.

Sugary drinks with nata de coco in them. Nata de coco is a firm jelly-like dessert type... thing. It's made from coconuts and it's got a unique jelly/crunchy texture and is odd but good. You might be able to find nata de coco on its own, but I'll warn you: the kind you get packed in jars will be Very Sugary.

Tapioca pearls. If you like bubble tea, here's the place to get your boba.

Umeboshi plums. These sour/salty pickled plums are a tasty ramen topping.

Ice cream. Those square melon popsicles are delicious, but get them home quickly, their texture is very temperature sensitive! And if you spot individually wrapped ice cream cones, grab one.

Euro cakes. These look kinda like round Twinkies, but Twinkies only dream of being this tasty. I like the pandan flavor best. Don't be put off by the green color.

Soft tofu. So good 🥰 and weirdly hard to find in supermarkets. It's got a texture like custard, and apart from its fairly neutral, fresh flavor, will easily pick up any flavors you put on it. An excellent addition to udon soup; add it last, the tofu is fragile (and doesn't actually require cooking). Silken tofu sometimes comes in shelf stable packages. My experience with those has been fine, but the general consensus is that the tofu you get from the fridge section is better.

Frozen pork buns. They might be labeled "siopao" or "bao" (Chinese names) or "nikuman" (Japanese name). Lil bread buns with bbq pork or other fillings. You steam them in the microwave and they're delicious.

I'd recommend having fun getting a few of the things off this list, rather than being a completionist about the first one, if you find yourself choosing between the two. That said, make sure you get the stuff you need for the thing you want to make!

Okay, now I want a pork bun. I wonder if my brother's eaten them all yet...

[chibsytelford]

The Bet

** GIF CREDIT TO CREATOR **

Anon requested // I won’t complain about stories about being lovers with EZ because he is honestly a babe! I don’t have too much, I’ve just seen lots of dialogue prompts and this caught my eye. “Apparently all our friends have a bet going that we end up together.” & “i really want to kiss you right now” “do it then” and it is just so cute !!!

Authors note - I'm back after a small break and reallynwanted to write again. I chose my second love EZ and I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for the request anon ❤

@everyhowlmarksthedead @rebel-without-cause-x @angelreyesgirl @lady-pswrld @minnicelli @starrynite7114 @sadeyesgf @thewarriorprincessxo @trulysuccubus @destynelseclipsa @aquamento @peaches007 @thisishowdynastiesareborn @xx--day-dreamer--xx @i-love-scott-mccall @deeandbobbymcgee @angelxshiba @blessedboo @scuzmunkie @sheeshgivemeabreak @elcococruz @talicat713 @jadesamhart @fangirlingaesthetics @gemini0410 @multiyfandomgirl40 @mayans-sauce

Sitting on the barstool, drink in your hand, you can't help but feel a little jealous of the croweater who is currently inches away from EZ, hanging on his every word, playing with her hair - hair you wouldn't mind ripping off her head right about now - and occasionally reaching out to brush his arm. You didn't think EZ was that type of person but what you didn't know was that he was doing it for a reaction from you, and judging by your face, it was working.

EZ and Angel were your bestfriends. You grew up with the Reyes brothers and when they joined the MC you were immediately part of the crew aswell. It broke your heart that you were only friends with one Reyes brother specifically. Ezekiel. And every single party you had to sit and watch him entertain the croweaters all night. You would never tell him though, you definitely valued your friendship and the risk of that ending over EZ not feeling the same way was something you didn't want to happen.

"What's with the face?" Angel came over and pinched your cheeks causing you to stop scowling and start to smile instead.

"There is no face Angel" you swatted his hand away and pivoted your body so you could no longer see EZ and the croweater. You weren't sure if it was obvious you had feelings for EZ, you did try and hide them and you definitely hadn't told anyone, but you were sure you heard some of the other men had some sort of bet that the two of you would end up together. A bet that would never happen but you definitely have some sort of hope that one day that might change.

Angel spun you around again on the stool until he had you facing the entrance to the clubhouse. "See him" Angel pointed and you followed his finger to a man of medium height, some tattoos, short brown hair and a cute smile. It wasn't an EZ Reyes smile, but you couldn't lie and say he wasn't good looking.

"Mhmmm" you said knowing fine well Angel was trying to set you up with him, for a relationship or just the night. You thought he definitely didn't know of your feelings towards his little brother.

"He's single and ready to mingle" Angel smirked waggling his eyebrows suggestively "why don't you go talk to him?" It wasn't a question that Angel was waiting for you to answer because he had already lifted you off the stool and pushed you in the direction of the unknown man.

"Hi" you awkwardly said as you stood in front of him "I hope you don't mind me coming over to introduce myself, I'm Y/N" you said extending your hand for him to shake.

"I'm Andreas" he replied offering you his hand and you took it in your much smaller one, giving it a small shake.

"What is someone like you doing here?" Andreas asked pulling you a bit closer to him so you could hear him. He left his hand on the small of your back.

"I'm friends with Angel and EZ" you answered turning around so you could point to them.

You didn't have to look very hard for EZ because he was standing right behind you. Like right behind you.

"There you are Y/N, it's time to go" was all EZ said before he took you by the hand and lead you away from Andreas. You weren't even annoyed, you were to busy admiring your hand in EZs. It felt nice, right, perfect.

He stopped when you were standing off to the side of the bar and he turned around. "Who was that?" He questioned dropping your hand and you instantly missed the warmth.

"Andreas. I don't know him. Angel said I should talk to him" you answered dropping your hands to the side of your body.

"Of course Angel did" EZ mumbled scratching his head.

"I could ask you the same thing with the croweater?" You shot back with a bit more venom than you meant.

Your comment caused EZ to smile and he gave the thumbs up to someone behind you both. Turning round you noticed it was pretty much the whole MC, Angel included. He was standing front and centre with the biggest smirk on his face. He looked like he belonged back in secondary school.

"What is that?" You asked gesturing to his thumbs up and the crew behind. You had no clue what was going on right now and you were hoping EZ was about to explain.

"Angel told me you liked me, ya know? More than a friend. And he knows I like you. So he apparently came up with this plan of you speaking to Andreas, to get me to intervene because he knew I'd be jealous" EZ explained. You stopped listening after EZ admitted he liked you.

"Angel is wrong" you stated "I don't like you" you noticed the smile drop from EZs face swiftly and you instantly felt bad for leaving him hanging and worried. "I don't like you, because I love you" you finished the sentence.

It took EZ a couple of seconds to register what you had said. "Shit, he didn't think it was that strong" EZ said more to himself before walking away leaving you standing there.

You couldn't actually believe you had just told your bestfriend you were in love with him, and the asshole left you standing there like it was nothing. You knew he didn't love you back, he even said so himself that he only liked you, but he could have at least said something else before walking away.

You left the clubhouse and the cool of the night on your face felt so good. You didn't feel claustrophobic anymore. Hurt? Yes. Embarrassed? Yes. But that was it.

"Y/N!!" You recognised the voice as EZs and the last thing you wanted was to speak to him but you found yourself stopping anyway, letting him catch up with you. "Where are you going?"

"Home, you left me standing like an idiot Ezekiel, after I told you I loved you, where do you expect me to be going?" You snapped back and you noticed the guilt on his face.

"Shit sorry, I was just giving Coco the money I owed him. He swore you were in love with me, Angel didn't think it was that deep. Apparently all our friends have a bet going that we end up together".

"You left me standing there to give Coco money?" You laughed shaking your head. Any other time you'd be pissed but you just wanted to keep this conversation going with EZ.

"Yeah I know I'm stupid" he admitted.

"That's one word for you Ezekiel Reyes" you teased.

"I can make it up to you?" He offered once again scratching the back of his head, a thing you noticed he did when he was nervous.

"Oh yeah how?" You answered back.

"Well, I really wanna kiss you right now" he admitted and he took the breath out of you with his confession, that's the last thing you expected to hear coming from your bestfriends mouth.

"Do it then" you replied and that was all the confirmation EZ needed. He put one hand on your cheek and the other behind your neck and he pressed his firm but soft lips against yours and you swore there were fireworks going of behind you, the kiss was that magical.

He pulled away first leaning his forehead against yours. "God I've been waiting forever for you do that" you said stroking the back of EZs head.

"Well, I'll be kissing you forever and ever now" he replied pressing his lips against yours once more.

The sound of cheering and laughing pulled you both out of the kiss and you looked behind EZ to find Angel, Coco and Gilly whooping and hollering like teenagers.

"Go on boyscout!" Coco shouted as Angel shouted "get some bro!" And Gilly just stood there smiling like a goofball.

"Fucking finally" Angel said pulling you both in for a hug and patting your backs. "The sexual tension was killing me" he laughed shaking his head.

[noladyme]

La Cuervo - Chapter 17

She is used to the biker-life, having grown into a woman in the familiar embrace of SAMCRO. A bad decision and a gun-shot later, she gets whisked off to Santo Padre, and put under the protection of another club. What is supposed to be a short stint in the Mayan headquarters just north of the border to Mexico, turns into something more; when la quervo begins to develop feelings for el angel - and he seems to return them in kind...

TW: violence, blood, drug use, alcohol, smut, fluff, angst

In the spirit of "The Crown Princess of Charming", this is a story about O.C. Nina and Angel Reyes. It is obviously non-canon, as characters who have passed on, on Mayans M.C., are present in it, and others have been excluded completely. Nina is written as a cis-female, but I have tried to keep her race and looks as ambigous as possible. Should you find any of this story offensive, please let me know.

17.

They spent the rest of the day cleaning the house, until it was probably cleaner than it ever had been. To Angel’s – and admittedly her own – great regret, it was sundown by the time they finished; not leaving time for any naked fun. Not that Angel hadn’t tried – and almost succeeded – in having his way with Nina on the kitchen floor. Only the fact that she felt an empty pack of smokes poke her in the back, made her insist he get off her, and get back to work.

They took Felipe’s truck to the scrap-yard. Nina didn’t mention Angel’s bike, knowing that the fact that it was busted, was a sore subject. Gilly opened the gate for them, and shot Nina a bright smile through the window. He nodded meaningfully at Angel, who gave him a half smile in return. Angel seemed very out of his element when they got out of the truck in front of the clubhouse; and almost naked without his cut. Nina took his hand, and squeezed it encouragingly, leading him towards the porch.

EZ and Coco were waiting for them outside the door, and Coco gave his former patch-brother a half hug, before looking at Nina. “You gotta talk to Chuck, niña… He didn’t do so good with you leaving like that”, he said. Nina sighed deeply, before turning to look at Chucky; who was coming out of the garage. She got off the porch, and walked over to him. “Chucky, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to leave without saying goodbye. And taking money from the cashbox; I know that messed with your books…”. Chucky scowled at her. “I’m not angry about that. Being angry is a waste of time”, he said. “But I amdisappointed in you”. It was like a slap to the face. Chucky had never said anything like it before. “I’m… I understand”, she said. “Do you? I was very worried about you. You could have gotten yourself hurt, or someone could have taken you; and I just didn’t know!”, he said. “You know better than that”. “I do… Can you forgive me?”. Chucky sighed. “Of course I forgive you”, he said. “But don’t ever do that again!”. He raised one of his two real fingers, and wagged it at her. Nina smiled slightly. “I promise…”, she said. She leaned forwards, and kissed his cheek. Chucky patted her shoulder, and slipped away to finish some task or other.

Nina went back onto the porch, where Gilly had joined the others waiting for her. “He was worried about you”, Coco said. “Wouldn’t even eat the pistachios Gilly cracked for him”. “That took a long ass time, too”, Gilly muttered. “Can we just go inside, so I can make one apology to cover everything I did, at one time?”, Nina sighed. “Come on”, EZ said, and opened the door for them to step inside.

The whole charter was gathered in the clubhouse. EZ went behind the bar – joining Camille, who had apparently become Nina’s substitute while she was away – and Gilly and Coco went over to join Riz and Creeper by the pool table. They weren’t playing, but stood there; deep in conversation. Angel stayed by the door, seeming unsure what to do with his hands. In the end, he settled on putting them in his pockets. Bishop, Taza and Hank came out of templo, and moved towards Nina and Angel with determined but calm steps. They stopped in front of them. Nina swallowed thickly, and looked around at all the faces trained in her direction. “Before we start, I just wanna say that I’m sorry…”, she said. “I went back on my deal with all of you, and I know you were worried about me”. “We’ll get to that”, Bishop said. “You need to step aside”. “Bishop…”, Nina tried. She felt Angel straighten his stance behind her; and she felt the urge to turn around and throw herself at him; so that he could use her as a human shield. “It’s not your place to meddle in this”, Hank said. Nina frowned at him, and was about to speak, when Taza held up his hands. “Nina, this is how it is. You know that”. Angel slipped an arm around her waist, and pulled her close. He kissed her temple. “It’s ok, cuervo. Go”, he said. He looked at EZ, who came over, and led her away, with a firm hand on her shoulder. Nina’s knees and hands where shaking, and she felt her heart beating almost painfully. She knew how MC’s worked; and what Angel had done, could mean either a beating, or something much worse. You didn’t turn your back on the club; and you certainly didn’t disrespect the patch. She should never have asked him to come.

Angel shrugged defeatedly. “I just came to get my ink blacked out, Bish’”, he said earnestly. “Shut the fuck up”, Hank said. He clearly had no intention of helping him out with that. Nina swallowed thickly, and clenched her fists. Bishop looked seriously at Angel. “You know how it is, Angel”. “I know”, Angel said, and seemingly readied himself for the worst. He shot Nina a look and a small smile. I love you, he seemed to be saying. “Taza…”, Bishop said, and the VP handed him a bundle of something. He held it in his hands for a few moments, before throwing it at Angel; who caught it mid-air. He unfolded it to reveal his cut. Bishop raised his brows at him. “Don’t ever step into this clubhouse without that patch on your back again", he said. “That’s a fine”. Angel looked confused for a moment, before nodding. “Yeah… I mean, no. Whatever you say, prez’”. Angel put on his cut, before taking Bishop’s outstretched hand. The president pulled him in for a half hug, and patted his back. Nina audibly let out a relieved sigh, and Bishop turned to look at her. “Beers”, he said, and went to sit down. Taza and Hank both hugged Angel in turn; and after them, the rest of the bikers greeted their prodigal brother. Nina delighted in the sight, and Angel shot a happy smile her way. Creeper snuck over to give her a warm hug. “Welcome home, Nina”, he said. “Thanks, Creep”, she grinned.

Smiling and feeling much better than she had a few minutes ago, she went behind the bar to get everyone’s favorite beer, but noticed that someone had messed with her system. “Where’s the Bohemia?”, she asked Camille. “Bottom shelf”, Camille muttered. “But that’s Bishop’s favorite”, Nina chuckled. “It should be on the top”. Camille smiled uncomfortably. “Sorry…”, she said. Nina gave her a bright smile. “No, don’t worry about it”, she said. “Thanks for holding down the fort while I was away”. “So you’re back for good?”, Camille asked. “It looks like it”, Nina grinned. She began lining up the beers on the bar counter, and EZ went to hand them out to the Mayans. “How have you been? Did you heal up ok?”. “I’m ok”, Camille shrugged. “And Creeper and you…?”, Nina smirked. She was in a better mood than she had been in quite a while. “We’re… I don’t know”, Camille said. She looked towards the pool table, where Riz and Angel had set up a game. “Do you think Riz would be interested in giving it another shot with me?”. Nina shook her head confusedly. “I… don’t know”, she said. “I guess I thought you were with Creep now”. “Yeah, but Riz is secretary”, Camille shrugged. Nina frowned a little at her words, before shrugging them off. “His loss, Camille”, she said. “You’ll find someone”. Camille’s eyes scanned the room. “Yeah…”, she said. EZ was about to grab a bottle of Sol, but Camille nabbed it before he could. “I got this”, she smiled, and slipped out from behind the bar; sauntering over to Hank, and setting down the beer in front of him. She gave him a flirtatious smile, and hovered by the table for a few moments, before muttering something about lipstick, and moving towards the bathroom. Hank seemed confused and slightly amused at her behavior.

Nina looked at the performance with wide eyes, before chuckling to herself; and turning to grab drinks for Coco and Gilly, who’d come over to the bar. “I told you”, Coco said. “Screwing her way into the family”. “And up the ladder”, Gilly muttered, and took a swig of his beer. “You, me and Creeper were a bump in the road. Secretario… Sergeant… Didn’t she try it on with Taza last night?” “Yeah. He shut it down”, Coco said. Nina chewed her lips to keep from laughing. She was quite sure Camille was missing a very specific body part that Taza found attractive in his partners; but it wasn’t her place to say. “I’m not part of this conversation”, she said, and grabbed a beer for herself, before going over to watch the pool-game. She gave Camille a friendly smile, as she came back from the bathroom, and took a leisurely stroll around the room.

Angel seemed to have gotten his biker-mojo back. The color had returned to his personality with his cut; and he slipped one arm around Nina when she joined him by the table. “Hey, mami”, he grinned, and attacked her mouth in a devouring kiss. Nina laughed against his lips. “There are people around!”, she said. “We could show them what a good wheelbarrow looks like”, Angel grinned, and grabbed her bottom with a firm hand. Nina looked at Riz with wide eyes. “You told him what I said…?”, she exclaimed. Riz shrugged. “Thought maybe he’d have some pointers”, he grinned. Bishop came over to the table and looked at the three of them with an amused expression. “If we’re all done laughing at Nina’s sex-life, we have a couple of things we need to discuss”, he said. Nina tore herself from Angel, and gave Riz a playful pat over the back of his head. “Not the hair!”, he groaned.

They all went to sit down around one of the larger tables. Apparently, a gavel wasn’t needed for the conversation, as they weren’t going in to templo; but everyone still sat around the table as they would have in there. There weren’t chairs enough for Nina to sit down, but as she was needed for what was to be discussed, she took a seat on Angel’s lap. EZ went for refills, and Camille sauntered over to the table to join them. She looked for a free chair, and finding none, she apparently decided to follow Nina’s example, by smiling brightly at Hank; and trying to sit down on his lap. “Whoa, honey. This is a club meeting”, he chuckled, and caught her by the hips, to keep her standing. His voice was warm, clearly trying to not make Camille feel bad about her faux pass. The red-head looked at Nina. “But I thought…”. “Time to go home, Camille”, Creeper said. He didn’t seem very happy about the fact that the girl he’d nursed back to health, and liked enough to take on trips to the ocean, was throwing her goods at his brothers. Camille frowned embarrassedly. “Ok… See you tomorrow, everyone”, she said, and headed for the door. EZ stood in the doorway, and watched her walk away, before closing the door, and nodding to Bishop.

“Alright. It looks like we got everyone here…”, the president said, and looked around at the people around the table. “This has been a weird fucking week; but we got our den-mother back behind the bar, so we should be good from here on out”. He didn’t mention that Angel had been gone as well, and Angel seemed relieved. Things were back to normal; at least somewhat. “You all know about Palo’s ultimatum”. “Nina’s head on a platter, or war”, Creeper said. “Neither option is viable in my opinion”. The men around the table all nodded, and Angel squeezed Nina’s hip gently. “You’re right. So, to avoid either outcome, we do something else. We let Palo think he’s getting Nina, when really, we’re giving him our snitch”. “I don’t like it”, Nina said. Bishop looked at her, clearly not as used to women speaking in a club meeting, as Filip was. “Well, what do you suggest, then?”, he said.

“You should just let me do what I planned all along”, Angel said. “Which is…?”, Taza said. “Angel…”, EZ said from behind the bar. He shook his head. Nina swallowed thickly. “I didn’t come back here to just go along with you plan, Bishop”, she said. The president narrowed his eyes at her. “Because it’s dangerous”, Angel said. “No”, Nina said. “Because, like I said, I don’t want anyone else dying on my account”. “Then why did you come back?”, Taza asked. Nina sighed. “Because… someone decided to throw his cut on the ground, and go rogue”. She shot Angel a hard look out of the corner of her eye. “Go rogue… What are you talking about?”, Bishop said. There was a long moment of silence, before Angel looked around at his brothers with a nervous expression. “I was gonna cross the border, and find Palo. Take care of him myself”.

A murmur of curses and words like dumbass and suicidal shit-for-brains rose around the table. Coco smacked Angel over the back of the head. “You think we’d let you do that?”, Bishop growled. “Are you really that fucking stupid, that you think we’d let you walk straight into your own execution?”. “That’s why I wasn’t gonna let you know”, Angel said. “Well, someone must have known; how else did Nina find out?”, Gilly said. “He told me”, EZ said. Bishop seemed about to say some choice words to his prospect, before EZ stepped out from behind the bar, and cut him off. “I was gonna let you know, if it came down to it. I just thought Nina would be more likely to be able to talk him out of it, than any of us”. “That’s why you wanted to come to Charming with us, in stead of holding down the fort here”, Hank said. EZ nodded. Bishop slammed his fist into the table. “This is why blood can’t sponsor blood. If Angel was still your sponsor, you would have let him go through with it; because he’d make you stay silent”. “No, that was never an option”, EZ said.

Bishop sighed. “You just added three months to your year, prospect”, he said. Angel cleared his throat. “Technically, I wasn’t patched when I told EZ. So, he didn’t owe you the information”, he said. Nina was caught off guard at Angel’s sudden show of shrewdness. “Angel’s right, Bishop”, Taza said; always the mediator. Bishop clenched his jaw, and let out a deep breath. “One month. And my bike needs polishing”, he said. “First thing in the morning”, EZ said, and went back behind the bar. He and Angel shared a knowing and very brotherly look; which made Nina want to take a picture at the scene from the sheer sweetness of it.

Coco decided to get back to business. “Prez’, no offence, but even if we did decide to go through with your plan, we still don’t know who the snitch is”. “No, but we’d buy us some time to snuff her out”, Bishop said. “But if Nina isn’t going to back us in this, we’re fucked either way”. “You sure he won’t take money?”, Riz asked. “Palo doesn’t care about money”, Taza said. “All that matters to him is his pride and reputation. The fact that he can’t get revenge for his cousins killing, makes him look weak”. “So, let’s play on that”, Angel said. “Find something that will ruin his reputation, and threaten to use it against him, if he doesn’t back down”.

Bishop seemed to ponder Angel’s words for a moment. “It might work… But it would need to be bad”, he said. “Taza, you know him the best”. “Yeah, but I haven’t kept anything from you”, the VP said. “You know everything I know”. “What do you know, though?”, Coco said. He smirked to himself, when he seemed to realize that he’d just made a rhyme. “Other than the fact that he’s an absolute psycho”, Gilly added. “He’s been president of VM since 93”, Taza said. “No one’s had the guts to challenge him”. “They’re based out of TJ; and they deal in H and guns, like us”, Bishop said. Nina frowned for a second. She had always known about the Mayans’ heroin business, but didn’t like to be reminded of it. Back when she’d found out that SAMCRO was muling for them, she’d refused to speak with Jax for a month. Angel stroked her back, clearly feeling her tense up. “We can’t use that”, Creeper said. “Don’t we have something on his family? He’s going crazy over his cousin, maybe he’s got a niece with an std, or a brother with gambling debts…”. “Nah, carnal. He killed his brother, remember?”, Coco said.

Darkness ghosted Taza’s face for a second. “Yeah, he did…”, Bishop said. “Slit his throat back in the nineties, right VP?”. “Yeah…”, Taza said. “Were you there for that?”, Angel asked. “It wasn’t a good day”. Taza took a swig of his beer, and seemed deep in thought. “But Palo never hid that”, Hank said. “If anything, he just used it to add to his rep as a crazy motherfucker, you shouldn’t mess with”. All the Mayans sat in silence for a moment, but Nina’s eyes were trained at Taza, who looked pained. “Do we know why he did it? Does anyone?”, Gilly asked. “Palo is the only member of the Vatos from back then who’s still wearing the cut”, Bishop said. “Yeah, ‘cuz the rest of them are dead”, Hank said. “Taza’s not”, Riz said. All eyes were on the vice-president. “Taza?”, Bishop said. “Why did Palo kill Davíd?”.

Nina would have fallen off Angel’s lap, if his arm wasn’t around her. “You good, querida?”, he said, looking at her worriedly. “Yeah… I just need to go… powder my nose”, she muttered in reply, and got up to stand, heading towards the bathroom. “What’s wrong?”, Bishop asked. “She’s gotta piss”, Coco said. Nina decided against throwing any more shoes at the Mayan, and simply went into the small bathroom, and closed the door as best she could. Someone really needed to fix that door.

---

Nina sat down on the lid of the toilet, and tried to calm her breathing. She knew what being gay meant in most clubs – even SOA had been hetero-exclusive up until a few years ago, when Tig got together with Venus – so, she’d never for a second thought about talking to anyone about Taza’s relationship with a man. But now it turned out his lover had been Palo’s brother – the one he’d killed, no less – and Nina was quite sure she knew why he had in fact committed that murder. Having a gay brother, in the very catholic country of Mexico – while being the president of an MC – would be a devastating blow for Palo, if it became public. This truth could save Nina’s life; and at the same time, it could be the death of Taza, if the Mayans felt like Palo. Even if they didn’t share Palo’s convictions, Nina had no right to out the man in front of his brothers.

So, there she was. She could let a person die in her place, by following Bishop’s plan; or hurt Taza, if she chose to tell the Mayans what she knew; so that they could use it to blackmail Palo into standing down. Neither option was feasible, and both options made her want to throw up violently.

There was a knock at the door. “Nina? Are you ok?”, Angel asked. She quickly flushed, and ran the tap to make it seem like she was washing her hands. “Yeah. Uh huh… Just a sec”, she called out. She looked at herself in the mirror to check that she didn’t look too flustered; and then opened the door, smiling brightly at Angel. “You were in there a long time”, he said worriedly. “Do you wanna know what it smelled like?”, she asked, and pushed him out of her way, to go grab a cigarette from his packet on the table. Nina sat down on Angel’s chair, and when he came back to the table, she grinned at him, and patted her thighs; as if inviting him to sit down. Angel chuckled, and pulled another chair from a nearby table, to sit down next to her instead.

Apparently, the conversation about something to use as blackmail against Palo had continued while she was away. “So, we don’t know why Palo killed his brother; we don’t have any other dirt on him, that he’s not using to his own advantage already…”, Angel said. “… and we don’t know who our snitch is”. “And Palo wants an answer by tomorrow night”, Bishop added. Nina let her eyes meet Taza’s for a split second, and he simply smiled at her. He took a deep breath, and was about to speak, when Nina caught him to it. “We’ll go with Bishop’s plan”, she said, with her heart in her throat. Taza looked confusedly at her. “Nah, that’s too dangerous”, Angel said. “I’ll be fine. I trust you to keep me safe”, Nina said.

Bishop looked at her with hard eyes. “Are you sure about this, Nina?”, he asked. “I don’t like it; but, yes”, Nina replied. “Ok”, Bishop said. “Now we just have to find our snitch… Taza, call up Palo first thing tomorrow. Tell him we’ll give him Nina, and that we’ll work out the details of the handoff as soon as possible. That’ll buy us a few days. Someone’s gonna fuck up at some point; and one suspect has already been eliminated”. “And killed”, Angel growled; though there was a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

Everyone got to their feet, and Angel took Nina’s hand to kiss her knuckles. “I’m not gonna let you get hurt”, he promised, and she gave him a slight smile. Bishop called him over to share a few words, and Nina began gathering the empty beer bottles to recycle them. Going in to the back room to get a clean dishtowel – and to gather her thoughts – someone tapped her shoulder. She turned around and stood face to face with Taza. “Nina, I’m…”, he began. “I’m not telling anyone what you told me. That’s not my place”, Nina cut him off. Taza smiled warmly at her. “But telling the club was my decision to make”, he said. “I don’t want you to get hurt…”, Nina whispered. “I’m not just talking physically… You shouldn’t have to dig up that old wound, just for my sake”. The VP put his hand on her cheek, and shook his head defeatedly. “Kid, I’m…”.

“What is it with everyone putting their hands on my woman today?”, Angel laughed from the doorway. Taza took a step back, and held out his hands in defence. “Don’t ask me to join you in the cage. My arthritis is acting up”, he chuckled. Angel stepped over to Nina, and wrapped an arm around her. “Let’s go home, ma’”, he said. He nodded at Taza. “See you tomorrow”.

Angel led Nina out of the clubhouse, and towards the truck; when EZ came up behind them. “Hey. The garage”, he said. Angel groaned. “Man, I wanna go home… spend some time with my girl”, he said. “Just come on”, EZ said. They followed him over to the garage, and EZ pulled a tarp off something large; revealing Angel’s repaired bike. Angel ran a hand over his face, and looked at his brother. “Fuck, Ezekiel… You did this?”. “And Coco and Gilly”, EZ said. “We knew you’d be back”. Angel pulled his brother in for a tight hug. “I love you, hermano”, he muttered. “Love you too”, EZ smiled. Angel got two spare helmets from a rack, and handed one to Nina, before getting onto his bike. Nina climbed on behind him, and put her arms around his waist. Angel started up the engine, and Nina saw him grin in the mirror, at the sound of the roar.

As they drove off the lot, Nina let herself forget Palo, Davíd, and the fact that she’d probably just doomed someone to death. She was just there, seated behind her Angel; and letting herself become one with the road.

---

The house still smelled like detergent when Angel and Nina stepped inside. Angel closed the door behind them, and locked it securely; before taking off his cut. He held it up in front of him, and smiled softly. Nina was leaning against the worktable, and chewed her lip to keep from laughing. “Do you two want some privacy?”, she asked. Angel hung the cut over the back of a chair. “Shut up”, he said, stifling a grin.

They stood for a long time, just smiling at each other, before Angel finally spoke. “Take your clothes off”. Nina’s smile widened. “Excuse me? What’s the magic word”, she said. Angel walked towards her, as if on the prowl. “Take your fucking clothes off… please”. Nina stepped towards him, meeting him in the middle of the room. “Do it for me”, she said.

Angel let out a short laugh, before he grabbed her hands, and raised them in the air. Slowly, he pulled Nina’s top over her head, and then – after stroking his knuckles down between her breasts and over her belly – he undid the button on her shorts; and pulled them down her legs. His hands stroked the skin of her calves and thighs on his way up; and once he was standing again, he cupped her face, and placed a soft kiss to her lips. “I love you…”, he whispered. “I know”, Nina smiled. Angel pulled back, and frowned. “That’s not what you’re supposed to say”. “Thank you?”, Nina teased. Angel let out a groan, and slipped his arms around her; cupping her bottom. “Nina…”, he said. “I love you, Angel”. A grin spread across Angel’s face, and he kissed her again. Nina let herself melt against his chest; but before she knew what happened, he had picked her up, and thrown her over his shoulder. “Let’s go”, he said, and slapped her butt; before carrying her into the bedroom.

Nina giggled like a schoolgirl, as she was thrown onto the bed. Angel went to put his gun on the nightstand; then looked down at her for a few seconds, before shedding his t-shirt, and shrugging of his jeans with almost superhuman speed. She spread her legs to invite him in, and Angel laid down between her thighs; pressing his hardness against her warmth. “Oh, my…”, Nina gasped. The sensation was almost too intense to handle, after being apart for so long, and she locked her right leg around his hips, to keep him close. As they kissed – both obviously relishing in the taste of the other – Angel grinded against Nina; and the friction was enough to make Nina feel that familiar heat that always came before an orgasm, spread through her body. She dug her nails into Angel’s back, and whimpered against his lips. “Already?”, Angel chuckled. “I missed you…”, Nina breathed. “Missed this… oh god!”. Angel had thrusted hard against her, and caught her lips in another deep kiss.

Nina arched her back, and Angel opened her bra; quickly pulling it off her. One of his hands found her nipple, and he rolled the little bud between two fingers. Attacking her neck with kisses and nibbling at the sensitive skin here, he continued moving against her. Angels penis was rubbing against her labia, and the head was bumping against her clit perfectly. In spite of the barrier of their underwear, before long, Nina cried out, her climax washing over her like overwhelming waves. “Fuck, querida. Making you come is my favorite thing in the world”, Angel breathed. “I gotta be inside you”. He moved off her to shrug of his boxers, and Nina pulled at her panties; letting Angel take over the task of getting them off, once they were down by her knees.

As soon as he was back between her legs, Angel used his hand to guide his cock to her entrance, and pushed in to her. “Yes…”, Nina gasped. Angel grabbed her thigh, and made her lock her leg around his hips again. Nina threw her arms around his waist, and dug her fingers into his butt-cheeks, to try to push him deeper into her with every thrust. She clenched her muscles around Angel’s cock; willing him to never leave her warmth. Angel dug his fingers into Nina’s hair, and his free arm hooked under her knee; giving him the perfect angle to make her whimpers turn in to loud mewls. “Give me one more, mami”, Angel demanded; and at his words, Nina fell over the edge again. Angel used her orgasm to reach his own high point; and with a loud groan, he came inside her.

It wasn’t the longest session they’d ever had, and they were both much too tired for a round two; but as they lay there, looking into each other’s eyes, that didn’t matter. They were together again, and they’d have many more nights to get lost in each other. Angel pressed his lips against Nina’s, and turned them around, so that she was draped over his chest. She fell asleep with him still inside her.

---

tags: @cole-winchester @doloreschanal

[pengychan]

[Coco] Nuestra Iglesia, Pt 23

Title: Nuestra Iglesia Summary: Fake Priest AU. In the midst of the Mexican Revolution, Santa Cecilia is still a relatively safe place; all a young orphan named Miguel has to worry about is how to get novices Héctor and Imelda to switch their religious vows for wedding vows before it’s too late. He’s not having much success until he finds an unlikely ally in their new parish priest, who just arrived from out of town. Fine, so Padre Ernesto is a really odd priest. He’s probably not even a real priest, and the army-issued pistol he carries is more than slightly worrying. But he agrees that Héctor and Imelda would be wasted on religious life, and Miguel will take all the help he can get. It’s either the best idea he’s ever had, or the worst. Characters: Miguel Rivera, Ernesto de la Cruz, Héctor Rivera, Imelda Rivera, Chicharrón, Óscar and Felipe Rivera, OCs. Imector. Rating: T

[All chapters up are tagged as ‘fake priest au’ on my blog.]

A/N: There's Chekhov's gun and then there's Ernesto's poison.  You know the rule.

Art is by @lunaescribe​ and @swanpit​!

***

“This way, all of you, don’t make noise.”

“But Sister Antonia, these are your quarters--”

“And you’ll stay here until you’re told otherwise, chicos. Make no noise. We’ll bring you food here until they’re gone.”

“But the girls…?”

“They wouldn’t take them for their ranks. God willing, they’ll leave them be. We’ll keep them safe, too. Now you stay here, all right?”

A few terrified, wide-eyed glances from the boys. No reply. 

“Am I clear?”

“S-sí.”

“Can we pray, Sister?”

“... Quietly,” Sister Antonia said, her voice tight in the way one’s voice gets when it’s so close to breaking up, and she closed the door, turning the key in the lock. When she turned to grab the bookcase and drag it across the floor, Imelda stepped in to help her push it. It left deep scratches on the wooden boards, but no matter. They would cover that with a rug. 

“Is Miguel still missing?” Imelda asked, her voice as firm as she could make it. Antonia lowered her gaze with a nod. 

“He’s the only one who didn’t come back. None of the boys has seen him since they went out to play hide and seek.”

Imelda bit her lower lip hard enough to almost break the skin. “Nor Óscar, have they?” she forced herself to ask, and the slow nod felt like a blow. Where was he? Where had they both gone? Could it be that they had both made it to her parents’ home, that Miguel had followed Óscar there? Maybe he had, maybe they were both safe. 

God, please.

“I’m sorry, Imelda,” Antonia’s voice reached her as though from a mile away, and she scowled. Anger came easier than despair, and it was more than welcome. No point in fearing the worst behind the safety of those walls.

“They may very well be safe and sound,” she snapped, and marched to the door. “I will go out looking. If they ask, I’m looking for some of our girls. Make sure they’re all in - if anyone asks, this is a girls-only institution.”

“... Do you know where Sofía is?” Antonia spoke up, fear now showing in her voice, and it made Imelda pause. As much as she rolled her eyes at their antics, poorly hidden behind hastily closed doors and too thin walls, Imelda knew they cared deeply about one another. 

“She’s taking care of something important. She will be here soon. Don’t worry,” she added, and smiled in the attempt to convey a sense of calm she did not feel. “She can handle herself just fine.”

Antonia’s own lips curled in a weak smile. “I won’t tell her you admitted that. Be careful out there. I really do want to see the gringo’s face when Padre Ernesto officiates your wedding.”

Imelda, who rather liked the idea of her wedding actually being both legal and valid in the eyes of God, knew they would probably have to settle for the gringo to officiate it, but that was not the moment to voice that thought. Except that, as she stepped out and ran towards the plaza, she quickly found out that perhaps the gringo would be in no position to officiate anything anymore, either. 

“What…?” Imelda stopped in her tracks, stunned at the sight of several men quickly carrying a body towards the church on a sheet, dark blood a stark contrast to the man’s pale skin and fair hair. He looked-- was he-- dead?

If they go around shooting priests, none of us is safe.

There was no love lost between her and Father John Johnson, and yet there was a stab of something in her stomach at the idea he may be dead. He had been trying to help, after all. He had left the relative safety of the parish to help its people.

Maybe he just said something stupid. He does it a lot. Only this time they were armed.

“Go call doctor Sachéz,” Imelda heard someone saying as they passed her by, but before she could even voice her question - would the doctor be of any use, was he even still alive? - someone else called out her own name. 

“Imelda!”

Ceci’s voice caused her to tear her gaze off the gringo who was perhaps an ex gringo. She was running up to her, hair dishevelled in a way Imelda had never seen it - she had always been dignified, even when they were young girls.

But today was not a normal day. 

“They have Miguel,” Ceci panted, grabbing her shoulders. “And Óscar.”

No. No. No.

For a moment, just a moment, the world seemed to spin around her. It was as though sunlight itself faded for a moment, distant screams muffled, leaving the world empty and dark. Imelda’s knees may have buckled, they almost did, but she couldn’t allow herself to collapse.

“Their commander is loco,” Ceci was saying, eyes wide. “He just kept screaming about a deserter, one de la Cruz, and the more we swore none of us knew him the more he lost it. And when Padre Juan stepped in-- Imelda! Wait! Come back!”

Imelda didn’t listen: she just tore away from her grasp and ran, towards the plaza, towards the cries. 

They had her brother. They had her charge.  She had to go to them.

Whenever she thought about that nightmare scenario, Imelda was so certain of what she’d do: get the pistol she had taken from Ernesto, and use it the second it was necessary. But now that it was happening, she knew that taking out the gun would mean signing her death warrant, and that of God knew how many others in the village. A lone woman with a pistol - she would be killed quickly, and retribution on everyone else would be swift. She would be of no use to anyone dead. 

Maybe Ernesto had been right, after all. What involvement she’d had had been from the sidelines. She knew nothing of war; Santa Cecilia knew nothing of war. 

But war had come to them, and it was a matter of learning fast or dying. 

He just kept screaming about a deserter.

There is no mercy in war, Ernesto had said.

He’s one of our own now. I can’t give him away. 

They have Óscar.

I promised we would protect him.

They have Miguel. 

We protect our own.

He lied to us. 

There must be something we can do. Anything. 

As she ran as fast as her robes allowed her, blood rushing in her ears and thoughts going in circles, Imelda could only pray that Ernesto would stay at the González farm, unaware, for as long as possible. 

If he returned too early and they found out he was there, and that they hadn’t handed him over, it would spell disaster for all of them.

***

“Miguel!”

Héctor’s scream was loud enough to hurt his throat, and it was still lost under the echo of the gunshot, under the wordless cries of the people of Santa Cecilia trying to back away, the shouts of those calling out for doctor Sanchéz and the stunned cries of ‘he shot him, he shot a man of God ! ’ coming even from the Federales themselves. 

It was lost beneath all the confusion, and Miguel’s screams. 

“No! What have you done! What have you done!”

“Be still-- be still, brat! Don’t try my patience, there is a bullet for you too if you won’t--!”

“Let me go!”

“I am warning you!”

“Murderer! Let me g--!”

“Wait! Por favor!”

This time, Héctor’s cry was loud enough to be heard. That, and it’s rather hard not to notice someone in a priestly robe throwing himself in front of your horse, gripping the reins and looking up at you with a look of pure anguish on his face. 

The commander seemed startled, pistol still in mid-air, and he let his gaze shift from Héctor to the motionless priest bleeding out on the cobblestones, a few men already trying to press on the wound to stop the blood loss, calling for help to take him to the doctor. Héctor didn’t look down, didn’t focus on the fact he had just witnessed a man being shot down, didn’t even think he was putting himself in danger of being next. 

All he knew was that the man had Miguel, and he couldn’t have him.  

He opened his mouth to plead, but the commander’s eyes were back on him and he spoke up before he could. In his grasp Miguel was shaking, eyes full of tears and skin ashen.

“Are all priests in this village eager to become martyrs? Let go of the reins now, or--”

“I’ll join you,” Héctor blurted out, holding tighter onto the reins. “I beg of you to let him go. I’ll take his place.”

The soldier’s eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline; Miguel, on the other hand, let out a gasp.

“Héctor, no--!” he choked out, only to trail off when the man gave him a shake. 

“You know him?”

“He is a warden of the Church. I--”

“Well, go back to the Church. We don’t take in priests.”

“I am a novice, not a priest,” Héctor spoke quickly, and fell on his knees. Blood soaked through the robe, warm and wet, while somewhere behind him Father John was taken away on a sheet. Federales allowed it, most of them probably still stunned at the notion their commander had just shot a priest; many held no more love for the Church than Huerta himself did, but fear of God’s punishment was too ingrained in their hearts since childhood not to hold some weight. “I have taken no vows-- none. I can join the army. I’ll do it right now. I’ll do anything you ask.”

There was a hiccupping sob, tears spilling down Miguel’s cheeks. He was always such a lively boy, so smart, always up to something - but now he only looked like the scared child he was. Héctor desperately wanted to comfort him, but he dared not tear his gaze from that of the commander, whose harsh expression had softened even so slightly. When he spoke again, his voice was… calmer. 

“You seem to care about this muchacho an awful lot.”

“He’s like a son to me,” Héctor said, and he realized the truth of it only as it left his lips. Miguel let out another sob, trying to wipe his eyes. 

“Héctor…” he managed, and Héctor finally dared smile at the boy. A shaky smile, but a smile nonetheless. 

“It will be all right, chamaco, I promise,” he said, trying to sound like he meant it, and looked back at the soldier, who stared back a few moments… and finally lowered the pistol, putting it back in the holster. 

“What is your name?”

“Héctor, señor.”

“Héctor and what else?”

“Just Héctor. I-- I have no family.”

“Can you hold a gun?”

“Sí.”

“Shoot?”

“I-- only tried a few times. But I will learn.”

“Mph. I guess it’s something. We can’t be picky these days.”

“You won’t regret it. I swear.”

The man sighed. Much later on, Héctor would wonder if the look he gave him that moment truly was somewhat apologetic, or if it had just been his imagination. To his last day, he would never be entirely sure. “... Very well, Just Héctor. I am Commander Hernández. Welcome to the Federal Army,” he said, and let go of Miguel. The boy jumped off the horse and was in Héctor’s arms the next moment, crying hard, face pressed against his shoulder. 

“Don’t go, don’t go, don’t go,” he sobbed, holding on tight. “You’ve got to get married-- I’m sorry I was so mad at you-- please don’t go--”

I’m sorry, Imelda.

“It will be all right,” Héctor managed, trying to sound as optimistic as he could. “I’ll be back once this is over and I’ll have plenty of stories to tell.”

Miguel sniffled, still holding on tight. “Promise,” he choked out. 

“I swear.”

Another shuddering breath. “Did you-- do you really--?”

“All right, all right, enough. Just looking at you makes my teeth rot.”

Gustavo’s voice rang out suddenly, and Miguel was torn from Héctor’s arms before he could react. He tried to protest, to break free, but Gustavo had already pushed him back towards Chicharrón, who trapped him in a steely grip the boy had no chance of escaping - Héctor would know, he had been on the receiving end of that a few times before. 

As the old gravedigger began pulling Miguel away despite his protests, and Héctor stood - so much blood on the cobblestones, surely the gringo was dead - Commander Hernández gave Gustavo a somewhat weary glance. “And you are…?”

“Gustavo Torres, señor. I wish to join your ranks,” Gustavo said, making a dismissive gesture towards the plaza behind him. “I’ve had enough of this place. I am a good shooter, too,” he added. Héctor knew that was an absolute lie: Gustavo couldn't even hit his own foot with any type of firearm. What the hell was he going on about - and why join the Federales? He was a pendejo, that much was no mystery, but since well did he support Huerta? What was going on?

Commander Hernández tilted his head, seemingly taken aback of for entirely different reasons. It probably wasn’t often anyone volunteered to join. “... Well then. If you’re willing to join, I see no reason to deny you.”

“Uh, Commander…” a soldier approached them, looking a little shaken up. Either he was new to all this, or he found his commander had gone a step too far in shooting a man of God in cold blood - gringo or not. He gestured towards a group of people behind him, separated from the rest of the plaza; all men of varying ages… and, to Héctor’s horror, among them there was a boy. Óscar. “We have the thirty men you ask--.”

“No you don’t,” Gustavo muttered. “What you have is twenty-eight men and a half,” a pointed look in Héctor’s direction, “plus a child. The muchacho with glasses over there? Those two bottle ends on his face are not enough to make him usable with a gun. He couldn’t tell his sister from a donkey. I mean, sometimes no one can,” he added, making Héctor want more than anything to wrap his hands around his neck, thumbs on the throat, and squeeze.

But he could see what he was trying to do, so he held his tongue and his hands. Just barely.

Commander Hernández raised an eyebrow. “If this is an attempt at taking the boy’s place, it is rather transparent,” he said, and Gustavo shrugged. 

“Then I can replace anyone else,” he replied. Either he did an excellent job at sounding like he didn’t give a damn either way, or he really didn’t give a damn either way. “Or you leave with thirty-one men. It just seems fair to warn you that the boy’s eyesight is awful and he’d make a poor soldier.”

Commander Hernández turned back to look directly at Óscar, who pressed himself against the wall under his gaze as though trying to make himself feel smaller, all skinny limbs and huge glasses. In the end, the man shrugged. “Mmh. Those glasses do seem awfully thick, and you do look like you’d make a better soldier,” he said, and he gestured for the closest soldier to let him go. Cries of mercy for others rose up from sisters, wives, parents - but none was heeded. There would be no more mercy that day. 

As he watched in relief Óscar being pushed away from the lineup, eyes wide and bewildered, Héctor only vaguely heard the commander’s orders for his men to give the new recruit uniforms, get supplies and fresh horses from the village, and be ready to leave within the hour. He let out a long breath and turned to Gustavo. 

“Gracias,” he murmured, only to get an annoyed look in return. 

“Don’t thank me. If we survive this, I’m going to kick your ass.”

“Let me guess. This is all my fault?”

“Of course it is. It’s always your fault, somehow,” Gustavo grunted, glaring at the ground while they walked to get their uniforms. “We can only hope the puta is going to follow my instructions and get us help.”

A thought crossed Héctor’s mind, unexpected and blinding as the flare of a match in a darkened room. He found himself blinking, taken aback. He had no clue who the puta may be, but the rest was… revealing. “Those messages-- the instructions-- was it y ouch! ”

“Scream it for everyone to hear, why don’t you!” Gustavo hissed, falling back into step after stomping on Héctor’s foot. It caused him to walk a bit awkwardly, but he didn’t protest or say anything more. Only after a folded uniform was pushed into his arms - obviously used, ill-fitting and with specks on it that looked a lot like dried blood - did Héctor dare turn, heart heavy in his chest, hoping to get at least one last glimpse of Imelda before he left. 

And, for the second time that day, he got his wish. Imelda stood at the front of the crowd, holding onto Óscar. He was already taller than she was, but she cradled his head the way she did when she was a girl and he was just a young child. Miguel was there, too, having somehow escaped Cheech’s grasp. He was holding onto her robe but, unlike Óscar, he was looking towards him. Both him and Imelda were, his face tear-soaked and blotchy and hers terribly grave, and terribly pale. 

I’m sorry, he ached to tell them both. Stay safe. I love you. I’ll be back soon.

But they were too far away, and he could only hope his glance would be enough to tell them that. He could only hope they knew. 

When I return, Héctor thought, refusing to contemplate any other scenario, to add any ifs to that. He’d be back, whatever it took. When I return and we marry, Miguel will stay with us. 

Only then, with that thought in mind, Héctor was able to give them a weak smile.

***

Had it not been for her brother holding onto her like he hadn’t in years, or for Miguel clinging to her robe while shaking with hiccuping sobs, Imelda may have ran forward. She may have pushed through, to the commander, and screamed to him that she knew where to find the deserter he wanted - that he could have him, if he released everyone else.

One man’s life against thirty. Thirty men, including the one she loved, that could be released in exchange for one. 

I could save him. I could save them all, here and now. 

Later on she would not be proud of what she came so close to doing, but neither would she be ashamed. She had promised Ernesto she would protect him from the Federal Army if it came to it, and she had meant it; if it came to taking a bullet to keep that promise, she’d have taken the bullet. But letting other people do the same… that was where she balked. 

As much as it tore at her heart, she knew Héctor had made his choice. He must have known that giving Ernesto away would save him and Miguel both, but he had decided to take Miguel’s place and keep Ernesto safe instead.  The others, though, had no choice at all. Twenty-nine men who knew nothing of Ernesto’s deceit and could not make their own decision as to whether he should be protected with their lives or not.

There were young husbands, young fathers, family men who may never return home, leaving widows and orphans and lonely parents. Who were they to make that choice for all of them? Who was she to do it?

We protect our own. 

He is one of ours, too. 

One life. One life against thirty. 

Héctor may never forgive me.

He can hate me, if it means he’ll be alive to do it. 

Imelda watched, her head wrapped in silence, as Héctor took a uniform and finally, for the first time, looked back. Their gazes met, the coldness in the pit of Imelda’s stomach turned to ache, and the idiota did the unthinkable. He had the galls to smile at her, and somehow it was the most heartbreaking thing she ever had to endure - seeing that smile, and knowing it may be the last time she did.

No. No, she couldn’t let it happen. She wouldn’t let that smile be taken away from the world a day too soon than it had to, no matter if she would never again see it directed at her. She would live with it. They both would.

With a long breath, Imelda made peace with the fact she may never be able to sleep well again as long as she lived, and gently pushed Óscar away. “Go home,” she told him, stroking his cheek, and went to step forward and go speak with the commander. 

Only to stop as Miguel’s grip on her robe tightened and he pulled her back, looking up at her with a tear-streaked face. “Don’t do it,” he choked out, and Imelda’s blood ran cold. It was as though the child had read her intentions on her face, plain as day. “I promised him he’d be safe here. I promised.”

Oh, my little one. It was too much responsibility to put on you. 

Imelda swallowed, unable to speak for a few moments. “Miguel…” she managed, her voice barely audible, most of it stuck somewhere in her throat. “This is not your fault. None of this is your fault. Sometimes we need to make-- choices we’d never want to make.”

“I don’t want to choose,” Miguel pleaded, still holding on with both hands. “I don’t want either of them to die. He-- he’s loco, you didn’t see how he shot Padre J-Juan, he… he really hates Ernesto, I don’t know why, we can’t let him have him…!”

She sighed, and crouched down, wiping his face with a sleeve. “Miguel, listen to me--”

“No. You listen before you do something I assure you you’d regret.” 

Sofía spoke suddenly before Imelda could say anything more, crouching next to her as though to comfort Miguel as well. “First of all, lower your voice, Jesus Christ. Second, don’t do anything. We can kick Ernesto around for putting us into this mess later, and I’ll be first in line, but no need to see him hang.”

“None of those men has ever been in a battle. If they take them--”

“We’ll take them back.” Sofía pushed something into her hand, a folded piece of paper. “We will have reinforcements.”

“What…” Imelda read the brief message, taken aback. Then she read it again, and again, and again; the handwriting itself struck her as much as the content itself. “Wait… this is…?”

“Same handwriting as the instructions you’ve been getting, yes. It was Gustavo all along.”

Somehow, Imelda may have been less surprised to be told that the Pope himself had been behind the entire thing. Gustavo, of all people? Someone who never cared about anyone other than himself?

Except that he took Óscar’s place just now. I owe him. Oh God, he made me owe him. He will never shut up about it, will he?

“It-- what?” was all Imelda managed to say in the end, stunned. But it made sense, suddenly - how José and his men had known their bell needed repair, and why they had come running to fix it after Ernesto’s unsuccessful attempt, once Gustavo took it upon himself to find a solution. She knew there was something behind it, but she had no idea what. Now she knew.

The bell had always been their means to call for help.

Once they have left, ring the bell to a death knell and don’t stop. Help will come. Tell them to follow the trail. They’ll know.

“Wait, what… what did Gustavo do?” Miguel was asking, confusion overriding his anguish. Sofía smiled, and pulled him close. 

“Don’t worry, niño. We’ll fix everything,” she said, brushing back his hair. She smiled, but even her smile was wrong, sharp, teeth ground tightly. “Don’t you worry about a thing.”

Imelda stood slowly, slipping the note in her sleeve, and glanced up. Now all she could see were people huddled together mourning their losses, while soldiers took all that was not nailed down in the small weekly market. The men the Federales had chosen to join their ranks were gone, Héctor with them, without so much a last word between them.

No matter. This is not the end. We’ll bring them back. By any means necessary. 

“... Let’s take Miguel back to safety, and be ready to ring the bell once they’re gone.”

��And what do you plan on doing?”

“There is something in my room I need to retrieve, and a horse I need to borrow,” Imelda said, very quietly, as they began walking away from the plaza. Sofía still held onto the hand of a very confused Miguel; she knew she was referring to the pistol, she had to know what she meant to do, but she didn’t say as much aloud or try to talk her out of it.

“Of course,” was all she said. "Be careful.”

“What’s happening?” Miguel asked, his voice small. Desperately wanting to be hopeful, but terrified of seeing that hope shattered. “How… can you really fix this?”

“... I’ll do my damndest,” Imelda replied, getting a somewhat shaky laugh from Sofía.

“If the gringo heard you, he’d have a heart attack.”

“Oh!” Miguel seemed to recoil. “Padre Juan! Is he-- did they get him help?”

“Huh?” Sofía looked down, taken aback. “What happened to the gringo?”

“He was shot.” Miguel swallowed, and tugged at her sleeve. “He was trying to save me and… and… can we go to doctor Sanchéz first? Por favor-- just to see if he’s… if…”

His voice faded, and Sofía looked over at Imelda with a bitter smile. “First one points a gun at me, then they shoot a priest. Our robes aren’t much of an armor anymore,” she said, and turned back to Miguel. “... I’ll send one of the sisters to see him as soon as you’re safe with the others, and let you know how he’s getting on. I promise.”

Miguel protested, but not too much. He was exhausted, still in shock for everything he had gone through in the span of little over an hour, and all things considered it was testament to his resilience that he was not curled into a ball and screaming. 

He let Sofía lead him back to the orphanage, and Imelda watched them disappear with a long sigh. He was safe now. He could rest. Her own work, however, had only just begun. 

Imelda gave another quick glance behind her, towards the plaza, before she headed back to her room, where a pistol lay hidden beneath a floorboard, waiting to be loaded. She had hoped it wouldn’t come to it; she had hoped the Federales would spare their village until the end of that war. But there they were, and there she was. 

It was time to see if the hours spent learning to load and aim had been worth something.

***

All right, so maybe the painfully slow trip to the González farm had been worth it, after all. 

Ernesto was almost entirely sure his half-assed blessing had precisely nothing to do with the young bull suddenly realizing what went where and enthusiastically getting to work - too enthusiastically, he had definitely seen more bull than he ever needed to see in his life - but he had to admit, the timing had been nothing short of amazing. 

The look on old Manuel’s face had been a sight to behold, and the fresh eggs he had gifted him immediately afterwards were a nice plus. He’d probably been moments away from falling on his knees and declaring him a true miracle worker, which would have been flattering but also rather awkward, right next to a bull and a cow getting down to business.

Ah, he couldn’t wait to tell Juan his blessing had worked, after all. Maybe he’d suggest Manuel González to name any resulting male calf Ernesto and a female Juanita, just to be spiteful. That would teach him. 

Ernesto was snickering to himself at the idea when suddenly, on the other side of the hill, the bell of Santa Cecilia’s church began tolling - slowly, with long gaps between strikes. It was enough to make the smile fade from his face, heart dropping somewhere in his stomach as always whenever he heard that sound. A death knell. 

What happened? Who died? I was away only hours, what did they do?

It may be nothing, of course; one of the old parishioners may have kicked it, a sad but not really unusual occurrence. With some luck, it may be the insufferable gravedigger. Maybe the sexton had finally fallen off the stairs and broken his stupid neck.

But that couldn’t be it. The death knell would only ring out during a funeral, or… or maybe the damn Pope had died, didn’t all churches do that if news came that the Pope croaked? He was almost sure they did. Or maybe someone had just climbed on top of the belltower to fuck with the bell for no reason. 

I was only gone for a few hours. What can possibly happen in a few hours?

Anything, was the answer. He’d learned the hard way that anything can do wrong in a few hours. Everything can go to shit in less than a few hours, and something in his gut told him that was exactly what had happened. Trying to keep a sudden wave of panic at bay, Ernesto spurred the stupid donkey to go faster until he reached the top of the hill, and looked down.

For a moment, he forgot to breathe; it was as though something had taken hold of his lungs, and squeezed all air out of him. From way up there in the distance, nothing about Santa Cecilia looked amiss - but it was not the village itself he stared at. What made his blood run cold was the column of men on horses and carts further west, leaving it behind. Federales.

They’re leaving, Ernesto thought, hands shaking on the reins. It’s all right, he told himself, but it was a lie and he knew it. The Federal Army never left anything behind if not devastation, and the bell kept going on and on and on, the continuous death knell making him want to scream. He could taste bile, stomach clenching.

Dead, dead, dead.

There it was again before his eyes - the men who stood blindfolded before the firing squad, his own rifle gleaming in the sun, the wails of women and children and the elderly quieted down by the deafening bangs once the order was shouted and they obeyed. When they left those villages, too, had he heard the church’s bell ringing to a death knell. Mourning. 

Santa Cecilia was in mourning. His village, his parish. His people. His friends. Who did they take? Who did they kill? 

Not me. They’re leaving, they must not have been here for me. It’s all that matters, isn’t it?

… Isn’t it?

Ernesto didn’t answer his own question. He shut down all thought the way he desperately tried to shut out the ringing of the bell, and spurred the donkey down the hill as quickly as he could, heart hammering somewhere in his throat.

***

They’re mourning us already. 

The thought was enough to almost break him, but Héctor forced himself to keep going, holding onto the reins of the horse he had been given, clad in the too-small uniform that had been drenched with someone else’s sweat and blood. Forcing himself not to turn, not to break, because he knew that if he did he may never be able to put himself back together. 

Was that how soldiers got through it? Was that how Ernesto had survived until he'd found refuse in Santa Cecilia - by focusing on nothing but the road ahead, never turning back to look at what they may never see again?

No. I will be home again. I’ll be with them again. 

Héctor held tightly onto the reins and followed the horse in front of him, holding onto that thought with all he had.

***

They’ll come as soon as they get the message. They must.

Towards the back of the convoy, Gustavo shot a glance ahead towards the commander. He kept riding, not turning once. Thinking the bells were ringing to mourn them, most likely, or the stupid gringo priest who couldn’t keep his mouth shut, or both. Either way, he would be wrong… but he didn’t know that. He wouldn’t know until it was too late. 

Gustavo Torres pulled a knotted-up handkerchief from his pocket, one of several he’d stuffed in, and prepared to let it drop as soon as the column of men turned to another path.

***

With how little he’d lasted in bed the one night she had been dumb enough to spend with him, Sofía had written off Gustavo’s stamina as non-existing. However now, with her arms already aching from ringing the bell no more than a few minutes, she had to take that back. 

Not that she would say that aloud, let alone in his presence, but apparently he wasn’t bitching for no reason when he said bellringing was more work than it looked like.

No matter. Keep ringing. Keep going. Help will come.

So she did keep going, letting her gaze wander towards the column of men, their men among them, leaving the village right ahead of her. She kept ringing as she noticed Imelda leaving the parish down below, clearly having recovered the pistol they had taken from Ernesto and heading towards her parents’ home to… borrow one of their horses.

Be careful, Sofía thought, and might have prayed for her safety if she still believed God gave a damn. Instead she bit her lips and kept pulling. Kept ringing, focusing on nothing else.

And thus failing to notice Ernesto rushing down the hill, into the village and towards the plaza as quickly as the donkey - and then his legs - could carry him.

***

“They came upon us like locusts--”

“I turned and they were there--”

“They took my son! My only child, what will I do--”

“Why didn’t God smite them where they stood!”

“Thirty men, my brother among them, I ran but I was too late, I couldn’t say goodbye--”

Ernesto heard all of it, heard the cries and pleas, the anger and pain, but they seemed so very distant. He stood on the spot, reeling, eyes fixed on the ground in the middle of the devastated marketplace. 

There was blood. There was so much blood, soaking into dirt and pooling in the cracks between cobblestones. People and carts and horses had stepped over it in the chaos, tracking it everywhere; no matter where he turned, there was blood. A trail of it left the plaza, away from it, towards the church. Only one clear trail.

Only one body. 

“Who…?” Ernesto managed to ask. His ears were buzzing, and his tongue felt too large. The reply came like a blow to the pit of his stomach. 

The Delgado widow crossed herself, her skin pale as ash. “Their commander knows no God. He tried to take an orphan, the boy Brother Héctor spent so much time with-- Marco, was i--”

“Miguel?” Ernesto blurted out, horror stealing his breath for a moment. He looked at the woman with wide eyes, feeling as though all strength was sapped away from his body. All that blood, it seemed impossible it had all come from a child. It felt like a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare.

No, not him. It can’t be. Héctor will never recover. 

“Yes, Miguel… the poor child, he was so scared. Padre Juan tried to save him, to stop that man, but that beast pulled out his pistol and… and… ay, I told you, he knows no God. To shoot a man of god like an animal!”

“What-- Juan?” Ernesto looked around again, at the blood, at the weeping people all around - and back towards the church, where the trail led. Above him, all around him, the death knell kept ringing.

“He shot-- Juan?”

Dead. Dead. Dead.

“Sí. Ah, it was horrible. He fell back, and didn’t move-- so much blood, I couldn’t bear to watch.”

Ernesto staggered back, light-headed, struggling to make sense of what had happened. How had it happened? Only hours earlier, Juan had been alive and well - in a good mood, even. Messing with him by sending him out to bless a stupid bull. He’d chuckled, patted his arm like the insufferable bastard he was, promised there would be no Latin lesson that evening.

And now there would be Latin lessons at all, ever again, because that idiota could learn every stupid rule of an useless dead launguage but didn’t have enough brains not to step between a man with a gun and his target. 

Bile rose to Ernesto’s throat, and he closed his eyes. Behind his eyelid the sun still shone, merciless, and he stood in the desert, beneath two swaying hanging corpses, talking to a priest on the brink of death. Left to die for trying to be merciful when the world would not, for trying to put himself between prisoner and executioner. 

It was a bad call, Padre, Ernesto had said.

It was my duty, Padre Joaquín had replied. 

Stupid priest. Stupid gringo. 

High above, the bell kept ringing.

Dead. Dead. Dead. 

When Ernesto heard himself speaking again, his voice was barely audible to his own ears. “... And Miguel?” he managed. Had Juan’s death at least been worth something, anything at all?

“Oh, the child is safe-- Brother Héctor took his place, it was heartbreaking to see, but at least he has a chance of coming back alive.”

Ah, of course. Of fucking course Saint Héctor had taken the boy’s place. What was it with that village that made everyone so damn inclined to martyrdom? What was it about Santa Cecilia that made those who lived there so eager to die a stupid death?

God damn you, stop dying on me. Stop leaving me behind. 

“Padre Ernesto, will you pray to God for our men’s return?” a voice spoke up, and Ernesto turned to face a small, scared crowd. It was the first time he got to linger in a village after the Federal Army left it behind, and he found he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand the anger, the pain, the pleading looks. He couldn’t stand how the first thing they chose to do was praying to a God who would not hear, or chose not to listen. 

God had never been any good to Ernesto. He had long since learned that if you want a job well done, you have to do it yourself. 

Ernesto gave a kind smile, seething with anger behind it. Anger was good, though. Anger would get things done. Anger was something solid to cling on to, so that he could ignore that other thing gnawing at him, threatening to undo him if he let himself acknowledge it.

He knew what he had to do.

“Of course,” Ernesto said, still smiling. “I will immediately retire to pray for their safe return in the chapel. If you’ll excuse me.”

He rushed towards the parish before any of them could say one more word - and before any of them could mention anything about the deserter they were looking for. He followed the blood trail for a distance and then diverged towards the back of the church, the death knell unbearably loud in his ears. He did his best to shut it out, to focus on the small voice in the back of his head. Juan’s voice, back when they had only just met. 

“As the founder of my order said, todo modo para buscar la voluntad divina.”

Any means to find the divine will. 

Ernesto had seen the wisdom in de Loyola’s words then, and he certainly saw it now. By the time he reached the small shed where holy wine was stored, among other things, the blood rushing in his ears almost covered the incessant ringing of the bell. His hand closed around the cold metal key in his pocket, and bared his teeth in a smile that was almost a snarl, jaw clenched so tightly his face hurt. 

He had no idea what the divine will was, and neither did he care. He knew his own will, and he would see it become reality. 

“Todo modo,” he gritted out, and turned the key in the lock.

***

“... Do you think he has any chance of pulling through, Doctor Sanchéz?”

The man didn’t reply right away, washing his hands in a bowl of warm water that had by now turned almost completely red, as had the towels strewn about. For several moments all Antonia could hear was the quiet splashing of water, the distant echo of the bell ringing outside - what was Sofía doing? - and the painful-sounding gasps as Father John Johnson struggled to draw in each breath, eyes shut, skin pale and clammy, covered by a sheet. 

“Mph. I stitched up all I could, but my guess is that he’ll be the gravedigger’s problem before sundown. I have never seen a man lose as much blood as he did and live to tell the tale.”

Ah. Antonia nodded, folding her hands. There was no love lost between John Johnson and… any of the sisters, really, but this was not something she would wish on anyone. 

He tried to stop them. 

“I see,” she finally said. “We will pray for him.”

“Getting Padre Ernesto to come as soon as he returns would be a better use of your time. He will need the final rites,” Sanchéz muttered. Antonia barely had enough time to open her mouth to let him know she would when she was cut off by a groan. They both turned towards the bed; the gringo was still unconscious, but stirring weakly. Or was he regaining consciousness? Had he heard them? Or--

“Er-- nest--o,” he choked out, and that was it. His head fell back on the pillow and he made no more noise except for a weak, low whimper. 

After a long silence, doctor Sanchéz sighed. “... Go get him, for Christ’s sake, so he can give this poor bastard his final rites.”

Antonia nodded, something heavy in her chest, and went out to do just that. She was told almost as soon as she stepped outside that Padre Ernesto had indeed returned, and headed to the church to pray… only that he was not there. He was not in the chapel, not in the living quarters - not in the yard, nor in the orchard, or in the orphanage to comfort the children, or even back at the plaza. No one had seen him since. 

Padre Ernesto had returned, they told her... only that now he wasn’t anywhere.

***

Chicharrón needed a drink. 

It wasn’t that the events of the day had left him shaken, that he had felt powerless, or that he was terrified out of his mind of how quickly Héctor would die in battle, after a lifetime learning how to handle a guitar and barely touching a rifle. It wasn’t that he worried about Miguel’s state of mind, or that he was generally so upset even Juanita looked crestfallen. 

No, of course not. He was too old for that nonsense. He needed a drink for reasons unrelated to the day's mess, that was all, and he knew just where to find it.

But it seemed someone had found it before he did, because the shed’s door was open and what caskets of holy wine had been left were gone. 

Of course, better of them to have found the wine rather than any weapons or other supplies hidden away - that would have probably made them decide to burn Santa Cecilia to the ground - but that was the last straw and Chicharrón was suddenly too furious to even try and see a silver lining to anything. 

“Those bastards! Even the wine! Is nothing sacred anymore?”

Chicharrón would have kicked the door, if not for the fact he would have probably lost his balance or even broken his peg leg, so he did the next most reasonable thing, and punched it. 

“YOWCHGODDAMNIT!”

He punched the door again for good measure - his hand already hurt, anyway - and limped inside. Maybe they had left at least some wine, at least a casket; it wouldn’t hurt to check.

As luck would have it, there was one casket left, but Chicharrón didn’t pick it up right away. For a long time he could just stand frozen on the spot, staring at the empty space where something else had been stored. Something that was not wine at all. 

Well, look at that. Had those damn idiots taken the rat poison, too? God, he hoped they thought it to be sugar or something or the other. He hoped they would eat it and choke on it. 

Chicharrón limped right out of the shed with the remaining casket under his arm, slamming the door shut behind him and getting ready to toast to that wish - entirely unaware of the fact that a priest who was not a priest at all was currently clambering up the hill with two donkeys, one of whom carrying nothing but caskets of wine, hellbent on making that wish come true. By any means necessary.

High up in the belltower, the bell kept ringing.

***

[Back]

[Next]

[lesserfandomappreciation]

Hello! I saw you wrote for Toriko and nearly went wild. Can I request headcanons for Coco dating a blind, semi-feral chef who’s just not scared of him? Kinda like the “extrovert adopts introvert” thing. SFW and NSFW please! (Coco is a bottom and no one can convince me otherwise)

“Kinda”? This is absolutely an extrovert adopting an introvert. Always glad for Toriko!

Also this wound up being a partial scenario - the feral chef demanded a short story.

Coco and the blind, feral chef with 0 self-preservation skills (Toriko)

The 4 Heavenly Kings. Throughout the world of gourmet, there are no finer Gourmet Hunters to partner with. For years Chefs from around the world have been unable to do so. The walls around the 4 Heavenly Kings were tall and strong - those that didn’t live in self-imposed isolation were in jail. It was a tragedy Chefs had to accept - some partnering with lesser Gourmet Hunters in an attempt to cover the wound, others refusing partnership in it’s entirety. 

Then. Toriko, one of the Heavenly Kings, Gourmet Hunter Extraordinaire, self-isolated due to boredom. Befriends a chef. 

A world of opportunities opened. 

“There’s a thousand things I want to cook. Everyone wants to cook safe, little things - who the hell wants that?! We live in a world where there’s a mountain giant made of sugar rocks - why would you settle for some fruit when that’s right there?!” S/o threw hands up in the air, aggravation etched onto their face. “But there’s a problem - I’m a chef. Not a Hunter. Half the stuff I wanna cook is too dangerous to hunt on my own! Sure, it’s not done much to stop me so far but the very nice Government agent was pretty firm about me attempting to break in again instead of hiring a Gourmet Hunter would mean getting arrested, and like, there’s nothing in prison worth cooking?! Ya’ know?!”

Coco nodded along at their explanation with a blank look on his face, not getting any of this. At all. They’re going to spill the tea he poured for them if they keep gesturing so wildly. Should he stop them?

Frankly he had no idea how they got up here. Well, he does but he has no idea what logic was driving them. The sun usually woke him up first thing in the morning. A cheery chef grinning ear to ear, dirt under their nails from scaling up his mountain, demanding to speak to him about ‘a hell of a deal that you’re lucky to be getting’ was a new alarm clock he wasn’t aiming at getting. Especially one that went around knocking on self-imposed hermits minding their own business’ doors at 4:00 AM in the gods-damned morning. 

S/o slammed down more tea before clacking the cup against the table. “That got me to thinkin’ - every sissy Gourmet Hunters run for the damn hills when I mention some of the weaker stuff I wanna cook. The Government Agents insist I get one every time they send me a notice-” Coco closed his eyes, quietly offering a prayer of patience for those poor souls. “-everybody says they’re not strong enough. SO! Why not go for a Gourmet Hunter who is known for being stupid strong? It only makes sense! I got a ticket, got directions, realized you had no stairs -very rude by the way, at least make in handicap accessible you ass - and here I am! What do you think?”

“I think you certainly are a very determined spirit.” He smiled at them grinning at the compliment. Their passion was to be commended. As... strangely as it manifested in their actions. “You want to hire me as a Gourmet Hunter then?”

“As my Gourmet Hunter.”

He chuckled. “Ah. Of course. Your Gourmet Hunter.” He drummed his fingers against his cup. He let out a pensive hum. “Certainly a tempting offer. I imagine my brothers have received a similar offer?”

“Fuck no.” Coco caught his dropped cup. “Why the fuck would I ask for their help?”

Coco coughed to keep the tea inside. “Forg- guh, -forgive me, I choked on my tea,” why the ...what they said.. wouldn’t they ask for their help?! “Why would you not? They are equally talented hunters.” If not more so - said his inner voice. A poison Gourmet Hunter was not exactly popular - though he did have his fair share of requests, Coco’s abilities made him a difficult Gourmet Hunter to request. And the others (two of the others, anyways) were more amiable to the idea of requests from such a unique character as the one in front of him. “They would certainly be able to do the same as myself-”

“But they’re not YOU!” S/o’s hands slammed against the table, their face dangerously close when they leaned forward. “...I know I look like a mess of a chef. People act like I’m either too wild or too unable to take me seriously. I’ve never met anyone able to keep up with me. BUT!” They stuck out their hand, pointing at his chest. “You can! You’re amazing - you do amazing shit as if it was nothing, you’re humble, you understand how tough it is out here. And I know you can be more amazing when we work together.”

With a huff they leaned back, stretching out their hand to him. “I want to work with you. Got a problem with that?”

Coco blinked blankly at them. At the dirt-covered hands that had clawed their way to be there. And smiled. 

“No,” he said, clasping their hand with his own. “None at all. Where do we start?”

SFW

Coco is mostly in awe of their extroverted nature. This is a person who has likely faced extra challenges (due to both their blindness and their... unique approach to life) to get in their profession on top of the standard tests every chef must face and still, still keeps themselves entirely up-beat and unafraid of the world. They remind him a bit of a younger Toriko, only somehow more wild than him (what a frightening thought..). He can’t help but enjoy some of their crazier antics.

He does however have the foresight to pick them up by the back of the shirt in several instances. S/o is a feral kitten, and Coco is a resigned mother cat stuck getting them out of trouble.

This is a couple that talks a lot. S/o is certainly a talker just out of their very nature of being, happily ranting about new recipes, ideas, what they experienced that day, or even the must random question out there. Coco is just as much a talker, only with certain people. Once their connection is established they have a lot of long-winding conversations. Some of them get to be pretty deep! 

He does however wish they would save the deep questions for when there’s sunlight rather than 3 minutes after minutes when he wants to sleep.

“Do animals hunt Gourmet Hunters? Are there Gourmet Hunters Hunters? Hm? Coco why do I hear your sleeping bag being dragged away?”

Coco falls for them first. He already likes them from their straight-forward nature, but their continued (much-neeed) positivity in his life just cements that into romantic affection. He pines for a while about it - it’s up to s/o to figure out he likes them.

...Which granted is a little hard since he doesn’t act on it and when he talks about it he’s incredibly cryptic about his feelings. Good luck!

When they do get together, touch is something they’re going to have to be patient with. Because of his powers he is wary of letting his emotions get the best of him in the wrong time, so slowly adjusting to getting more affection is a requirement. 

Once he is used to it, any affection S/o has given him will be returned 10 fold. Not in public but they will be dragged into his lap when he’s reading something. 

NSFW

You’re not wrong about him being a bottom, though I will say he’s also a service top. He wants to please them so so so badly. 

He does however prefer for them to take the lead. Coco does not strike me as someone experienced. Makes sense, considering his abilities - I too wouldn’t be confident enough to even hold a hand, much less have sex, if my touch could wilt a mammoth. Having his partner on top of his, breathing into his ear sweet teasing words while their hands wander around his body. Gently dom him and he’s like puddy in one’s hand.

If his partner wants him on top, they can order him to please them by any means necessary - drive them crazy the way they know he can. Coco will be undone by this, and while he adores the gentleness of lovemaking, these orders will bring out a more rugged side of sexual appetite. 

Coco has a very low sex drive so it is rare he wants sex. That said, all his s/o has to do is tell him they “want something special” from him and he’s down to serve their needs. Just because he’s not hard for sex at that moment doesn’t mean his hands and tongue are unable to get the job done. 

Fingering master. His oral/blow techniques are fine, but his fingers- holy shit are they dexterous little bastards. There is no sight lovelier to Coco than his partner ordering him to keep going as his fingers make them lose their mind. 

[shesawriter39049]

|Jin & Chocolate|M|

Pairing: Jin X Reader (Ft. A LIL Hoseok at the end)

About-You suck Jin off…and brownie batter may or may not be somewhat involved because why the fuck not. Oh, Hoseok comes over to drop off weed…and welll���.doesn't exactly leave

Or- His assistants birthday is tomorrow and she’s insisted on him making his infamous “Dizzy Brownies” AKA…pot brownies and Jin being the perfectionist he is, scrapes the first batch. You however, think they’re fine and if he’s not gonna bake with said  batter you’ll find use for some of it…..Then Hosoek stops by to bring the missing ingredient…weed and his dick…

Warnings: Food play, Oral (M receiving), light face fucking, come swallowing, Dirty talk,hair pulling,pet names, light over stimulation, finger sucking, implied Voyeurism-ish (Jin planning to watch Hoseok fuck you on the couch ) MINOR degradation kink (He calls her a cock slut like…once)Light MXM…(just neck kisses and dirty talk but you’ve still been warned…)

No…idk why I wrote this but I’m not exactly mad about it either…

WC: 5.5k

Note: This is a stand alone one shot within my BTS Poly AU “7Deep” short summary: Your husband Namjoon and yourself run a successful Adult Film Entertainment Company called “Onyx” with your 5 best friends from college who you also happen to be in an open relationship with!

~~~~~~

“Alright, Yn to the resc-“ Everything, every.Damn. Thing, you were gonna say...straight up dies on your tongue once you take in the site in front of you. AKA Jin, standing in front of his boujee over-sized island, hair wet glasses perched on the nose. Matching silk pajamas yet the shirt’s open and the bottoms are sitting so damn low against his hips you almost thought he wasn’t even wearing any! Oh, and of course he wasn’t wearing underwear, why would he?!

Fucker.

Brow arched, in slight curiosity, a low hum ringing in the back of his throat, offensively oblivious as to why Yn.exe has stopped working. Still completely focused on the task at hand, reaching into the drawer to grab a fresh spoon to test the batter one last time. Not even offering a verbal response however the slight snarl that slipped off his lips said it all.

Jin clearly wasn’t impressed…hints why your here to begin with.

You still hadn’t moved though, leaning slightly against the back wall….Yet that doesn't stop him from making grabby hands at the grocery bags upon seeing them in your hands. Which of course prompts you to like….attempt to function again!

“I know we make porn and shit…” You pause a somewhat dramatic sigh leaving your lips as you drop the bags onto the counter and sway in his direction. “But what in the actual porn hub is this?! You got a little side hustle I need to know about? Is this for some kinky onlyfans cooking account???”

Honestly, it took Jin a minute to put two and two together, until his gaze followed yours. Ripping a loud cackle from his throat, ya know the one rivaling a windshield wipper. A slight smirk tugs on those sinfully thick lips of his as he reaches up to grip the back of your neck.

“Hi, pretty” Hushed against your lips as he pulled you into a kiss which did one of two things; confirmed there wasn’t shit wrong with these brownies and two...your still so whipped for this man it’s unreal.

Jin smiles into the kiss once he notices how you just completely melt against his lips, hands roaming up his stomach, lightly clawing over his skin which is still warm to the touch from his shower. Jin’s kisses are hard, always..even without him opening his mouth against yours he still manages to have you sucking in a deep breath through your nose to even keep up. He slips his hand into your back pocket and squeezes,his touch is light yet...possessive... you can feel Jin’s nails digging into the swell of your ass even through your jeans,

“Thank you, Instacart was like a two damn hour wait and I did not have time for that bullshit…” Forehead pressed against yours and he nuzzled your nose…”Plus, your way sexier than anybody they would have sent anyway...”  A wolfish grin playing on his lips as his thumb flicks at your bottom lip which you licked teasingly.

Jin being the little shit that he is pressed his thumb in even deeper, gaze dropping as he watches you suck the digit between your overly glossed lips. Triggering his to curl into a slight smirk as he slowly freed himself, dragging it down your bottom lip and over your chin...before he pulled away from you. Sliding his other hand free slowly, making sure his fingers trickle up your spine in the process. A stated hum ringing in the back of his chest before diving into the bag head first, or...that was the plan initially...

Until you turn away and Jin catches the way your hips sway in his peripheral and suddenly it’s like “Fuck these groceries” because well Seokjin’s a weak, weak man when it comes to you . So he gives your ass another playful squeeze stopping you from going too far.

Blunt nails dig into the swell of your ass yanking you back to place an open mouthed kiss at the hinge of your jaw. Until hes nosing up four face, kissing you open and breathless, sucking your tongue back into his mouth and fuck if your knees don’t buckle...

He chuckles light, pleased...“Love you princess”

God, he just makes you light headed every damn time...a low moan slipping from your lips before you lean back in searching for his lips again. The two of you get lost within seconds, completely immersed within each other, with his hands roaming all over your body. Yours tangled in his hair holding him in place, as you rock back into him, you can feel how hard he’s getting, how wet and needy your getting….

That is, until the self timer for the oven goes off reminding you why you're here to begin with! You pout and he smiles, placing a faint kiss along the tip of your nose before pulling away from you…

“Love you too old man…” You muse playfully while reluctantly turning away walking over to the fridge.

‘Call me old one more damn time and see if you ever get this dick again”

“Sounds like an excuse to me..” Eyes narrowing in his direction challengly “What? Can’t handle all of your baby’s anymore Jinnie? Worried you can’t get it up the way you use t-” Taking a painfully firm grip on your wrist, bringing it down to let you feel that he’s no longer starting to get hard hes rock fucking hard. Brow arched as if to say “And you were sayinggggggg???”

You nodded somewhat bashfully, I mean to be honest there was shit you could say at this point, clearing your throat “Alright well..points have been made…” Turning away before you could see the shit eating grin on his face. Only to be stopped by a strong hand on your jaw….

“And don’t ever come at me like that, I’ll be 50, and still handle all of your bratty asses with ease….just because I don’t need to be called daddy like Joon…” Leaning in even closer until he lips are ghosting over yours as he speaks “Doesn't mean I'm not very much aware as to who I am. I don’t need the title to hold the position princess….don’t get it twisted..” He holds your gaze, tilting his chin upwards as if he’s going to kiss you, eyes glued to your lips. But, in true Jin fashion the minute you lean in, he pulls away..looking far to calm and collected for your liking!

I think it’s safe to say...the entire building heard your knees buckle at that...the way you were suddenly squeezing your thighs together! Jin didn't even acknowledge it either, the fact that you were literally stuck. He just went back about his business… simply picking through groceries...

Welcoming yourself to the chilled bottle of Circo, and pouring yourself a glass before perching yourself on top of his counter. A fond smile playing on your lips as you observed him analyzing every little ingredient, as if you hadn’t done this before, as if you weren’t painfully aware of how anal he was. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes however that still didn't wipe the smile off your face.

“Baby knows what she's doing…” You muse playfully around your glass as you take a sip.

Cocking his head to the side, his smile mirroring yours, as he slides closer, leaning in for another lingering kiss. “Always has...” Stealing your glass, and instantly regretting it, clearly, he was a little too distracted to realize you weren't chasing your liquor.

“God” Shaking his head as if to say he’s disappointed “You’re a fucked up individual...” Face scrunched in pain as the vodka burns its way down his throat, a string of curses rolls off his tongue before he continues with his initial task. “You need prayer..”

“Listen, nobody asked you to-” Your phone buzzed in your purse and Jin’s followed, so he knew it had to be work-related, not even bothering to take  a look he knows you'll fill him in. Glancing down to see a calendar invite from your left and right hand aka Taehyung.

“It’s Tae, we're closing early tomorrow by the way…” Eyes slowly drifting to a string of emails that already had your blood boiling so you opted to slide your phone right back into your Chanel. “Kellie wants to go to lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, so we’re taking a late lunch'' More like you wanted to allow your staff to drink and do as they please after so you opted to just scrape the end of the day.

Jin didn't even bother to respond, honestly, he probably wasn’t even listening. All he cared about right now was fixing these damn gourmet layered pot brownies for Kellie!

Jin was not one of those buy a box of Betty Crocker type guys...he was a go find me this random-ass authentic CoCo from Mexico, along with the purest sugar cane and a damn olive tree while you’re at it! Though, no matter how anal he was about baking, or cooking in general you always loved watching him work, he’s always loved it! Even when you guys were broke he’d find a way to spice up the simplest thing and make it look gourmet quality! You’ve asked him numerous times if he’d wanna venture into the restaurant business Namjoon and yourself have even offered to act as the “Bank” so to speak. But apparently it’s just something he does for fun, something that relaxes him, not something he'd wanna do as a career no matter how much he loves it.

“I don’t even know what actually happened honestly…” A deep sigh leaves his chest as he strategically places the remaining ingredients on the counter “It’s too runny this time around and the CoCo is too potient….”You can hear the frustration within his voice at this point.

“Jin” Pausing to massage his scalp which he leans into instantly “I’m sure it’s actually more than fine, honestly your probably just be-” Before you could even finish your thought, two fingers being shoved between your lips..knuckle deep. Correction, two fingers coated in brownie batter...batter that was fucking delicious by the way…

Which we already knew but we also know we can’t tell Jin shit soooo....

Eyes completely wide initially, until the flavor coats your tongue and you actually moaned around his fingers..not even for dramatics just because it was good. Jin’s watching you intently, almost as if he really didn't intend for this to become sexual but now that it has...he ain’t mad about it.So...you relax your jaw, swirling your tongue around his fingers suggestively same way you would if it was his cock and you feel him hum, a slight twitch playing on his lips.

“I take it you don’t believe I need to remake the batch then?” Bow quicked teasingly as he slowly slides his fingers from your mouth…

“Nope” The words leave your lips with a pop as you recline back a little, bracing your weight on your forearms. You shamelessly let your eyes roam down his body, licking your lips as a oh so innocent idea slips into your mind.

‘Actually…” Swirling your finger in the batter, flicking at his bottom lip, ya know he had the nerve to smile at you before his tongue rolled out of his mouth? Curling it around the pad of your index finger, and your breath hitches in the back of your throat at how meticulously his tongue movement is. Sliding the digit deeper into his mouth, gaze hark and heavy, “I- I think I need to taste it again before I can give you an accurate review, maybe…” Sliding your finger free, trickling it down his chest and over his nipple, coaxing a low groan from his throat. “ Taste it from a different surface.” You physically see Jin’s dick twitch a that, it’s actually forming a tent beneath the silk of his pajama bottoms.

“Mmm yeah? Well…” Jin scoots as close to you as he can get, wrapping your legs around his waist in the process. His gaze is fuckin dangerous, peering down at you from beneath his Celine’s, heat pooling in the pit of your stomach within seconds!

“..Considering it was going to just go in the trash anyway…” He dips his finger into the batter one more time, only to smear it over your bottom lip before leaning in...slowly swiping his tongue over the surface before sucking it into his mouth with a moan that starts on his tongue and ends on yours.  “Why don’t you get yourself another taste then…” He murmurs low, and breathy against your lips, the strong smell of chocolate fling your nose, nothing subtle about the way your eyes drop to watch the way his tongue swipes along his lips.

At that point you just grip his jaw and kiss him, hot and messy, leaving nothing up for speculation at this point, Fuck Kellies brownies!

He leans forward bracing both of his arms on either side of your frame, sighing into the kiss as content as can be. Tilting your head to deepen it, as you drag your fingers through his slightly damp locks. Your lips are both sweet and sticky which makes them melt together even easier,Jin’s tongue moves inside your mouth with such ease! I mean fuck,  it’s been almost 8 years now so I guess you shouldn’t be surprised. He works your mouth open wider so his tongue can get deeper, the sweet slow glide, hot and heady, the faint leftover taste of chocolate has your toes curling against the sole of your heels.

“You’re so fuckin hard” You whine around his tongue and he smiles around yours, reaching between him to palm at his own length.

“Mmmhmm..” Breath hitching in his throat once he tightens his grip around his tip. “For you….” Jins eyes fluttering open, mouth falling ajar into a silent moan as your palm meets his….guiding his movement.

“I really wanna suck you off…” Slurs against his lips, swatting his hand away completely, wrapping your hand around the base and squeezing. The silk from his pants was far too delicate to really create any type of barrier. Ripping a deep moan from his throat as you stroke him. Jin’s physically throbbing in your palm as we speak, and as if on instinct you feel yourself clamp down around absolutely fucking nothing. But there’s no denying that your body’s reacting simultaneously to his...even if he’s not physically inside you...yet.

“I thought, you wanted more chocolate?” Jin smiles against your lips before dragging them down your jaw, over your throat, licking a trail towards your shoulders. A string of breathy moans leave your tongue the harder he starts to suck against your skin, you can feel his eyes on you too. He has you feeling like your body’s burning from the inside out! Jin’s always been one for eye contact, as if he doesn't wanna miss a single second of how you react to him, gaze dark and hooded. Those big brown eyes of his completely blown out...looking like he’s ready to fucking ruin you and you can’t find it in yourself to even considering looking away.

���Fuck” Whispers off your lips as he bites into your neck “I do, fuck I do, let me down!” swatting at his shoulders aimlessly until he does what you say and within seconds you have him pushed against the glass refrigerator.

An amused smile tugging on his lips as he takes in how blatantly fucked out you already look. Adding fuel to the flame Jin actually slides his own hand into his pants, thumbing over the head as he strokes himself at an agonizingly slow pace. Eyes trained on yours the entire time though they’re barely open. You watch his muscles contract every time he adjusts his grip, and as much as you wanna join in you can’t find it in you to move!

“Babyyyy” Hisses off his lips like he’s begging and demanding all at the same damn time! Within seconds you're caging his body against the doors, tilting your chin up to capture his lips again. The taste of chocolate is still strong along his tongue, as he kisses you full and messy. You pull his hand away and if the growl that rolled off his tongue was any indication to his he felt about it….

There's not much room between the fridge and the island so the bowl is at arm's length, not to mention he was making enough browns to feed 20+ people so it’s not like the bowls microscopic. Without breaking the kiss you manage to reach back, swiping your fingers through the batter. You feel every muscle in his stomach tense beneath the pads of your fingers as you paint a languid trail all the way to his waist.

“Oh” Jin asks a mischievous grin moving up his face as he snakes his hand around, a strong hands pulls you even closer. God, so fuckin solid, chest firm and defined...letting his other hand grip your hair right at the roots. Tugging it back until your moaning into his mouth “That how you wanna play?” Lips ghosting along the hinge of your jaw..blowing against your skin slightly until you shivered.

You grin up at him, eyes heavy….”Depends...you gonna let me play the way I want?” Tongue toying with the corner of your mouth as you await his response which he doesn't even verbally give. Just simply raising his brow which shouldn’t be as fucking sexy as it was, reaching behind you, moving the bowl to the counter to his right so you don't have to reach around to grab it.

Keeping his eyes trained on your as he slides his shirt off his body, letting it fall where it may, pulling his pants down mid-thigh, cock thick, long, and slightly curved as it bounced against his stomach. Precome just oozing off the tip and down his shaft….which looked painfully hard the tip a dark shade of pink...

“You can play with me however you want princess”  Reaching up to nuzzle his fingers into your scalp again, this grip isn’t as aggressive as the last...a little more..intimate. You can feel his thumb padding against your scalp, fuck he’s always so calm..collected. I don’t know why but whenever the two of you have sex solo  it’s like this...it’s always a reminder than he is in fact the eldest...and back in your college days the most experienced. Though he wasn’t. one to brag about his skills he was just one to show up, show out and leave…

There’s a low chuckle that rings in the back of his throat and it trails right down your spine...

“You just fuckin ache for it don’t you? Those pretty lips of yours miss having my cock in your mouth?” Rolling his hips into yours with a moan “It’s not just about me is it? You love this don’t you princess?” You nod dumbly, god why is he so damn distracting your suppose to be in control, fuck! “I’m all yours, right here for you to do whatever you want…”

Regardless of how hard your shaking you find it in you to actually attempt to function. Swiping your fingers back into the bowl you extend your trail, starting at his neck, over his collarbones...down his chest….then connecting the lines to his sternum.

Ducking down to trace over the trail with your tongue and lips, alternating between kissing, licking, sucking your way down his body. Jin’s moaning out low and breathy, the grip on your hair tightens, eyes flickering up to admire the wet trail your leaving behind in the process. To be honest your far too impatient to draw this out the way you’d really like so before Jin even has time to process what's happening you drop to your knees.

‘Fuck” Groans from his chest, abdomen tightening from the site of you on your knees alone, back positioned in the perfect arch as you lean forward. Eyes trained on yours as you lay your tongue flat against his stomach. You don't even move either, lashes fluttering up at him far too innocently and Jin just smiles at you, already aware as to what you're “asking” for!

“Mmm, you got me all messy princess…” Grabbing the back of your head to guide you as you lick and kiss the rest of the way down. “Good girl, baby, fuck “ Jin’s voice gets a little higher, the more you roll your tongue against his skin. Sucking an array of bruises, along the way, as if to accentuate the point that he is in fact “yours”! Gazing up at him like you want to absolutely wreck him because well...you do. And well he told you, you could do whatever you want soooooo.

However once you get to his cock you stop, and just stare up at him again, eyes wide, and almost innocent, which has Jin all the way fucked up right now and you notice...lashes fluttering up in his direction.

“What do you want princess?” Jin brushes back your hair, as you nuzzle your nose into his inner thigh, nipping slightly until he’s slouching into the fridge for support. Head lolling back as you cup his balls, lifting them so you can kiss each before sucking one into your mouth. It’s clear you're not going near his dick until he puts you there but to be honest he’s not complaining! Your tongue takes long slow strokes, up, down, around, before sucking each back into your mouth. It's obscenely loud, and messy, lips and chin coated in spit. Sending shudders coursing through his entire body, fuck he’s so damn hard.

“Baby…” He breathes out almost in awe, as he guides your head upwards, leaning over and dipping two fingers back into the bowl “I think you forgot about your chocolate...Open, your mouth for me, pretty…”

You do because of course you do “Tongue out” Letting it roll past your lips in a way that has him smirking at you as he places the digits along or tongue ‘Suck” Dragging the pads of his fingers along your tongue, as you moan out around them…Purposely hitting the back of your throat making you gag slightly. ”O...pen…” The words rolled off his tongue painfully slow, almost as slow as he drug his fingers away...

Dipping his fingers in the bowl one last time, painting a trail from base to tip, sighing out at the initial contact from how sensitive he’s getting. Smearing his precum around in the process before sliding his fingers back into your mouth to lick off the excess. “There...now I think we've handled your first craving, why don't you wrap those pretty little lips around my cock so we can do something about the other” It wasn’t really a question, he did not phrase it as a question…

So, you let his fingers slide free, leaning forward to wrap your lips around his tip. Eyes open and focused on the beautiful man above you...you take a deep breath, relax your throat, and take him all the way home. Not stopping until your lips are hoovering as close as you can get to the base of his cock, nose flush against his groin and Jin about screams. He was not at all ready for that.

“Goddammit Y/n!” He almost sounds aggravated, jaw tight, nostrils flared as he yanks your head back so only the tips in your mouth, and the way your suctioning your lips around his tip has him hissing through clenched teeth.

“Stop, I wanna take it.....I can take it, let me have what I want…” God your pouting and whining and he feels as though he could come right now! Jin reaches down and cradles your jaw, making you lean into the contact. Jin has always been a little...gentler  with you unless you ask, I mean he calls you princess for a reason, and don’t get me wrong it’s not like I’m saying he keeps things sweet and vanilla! It’s just you have to tell him to go hard or he won’t just do it…he’ll make you want to get your throat fucked but won’t unless you ask. He’s the type to fuck you slow and deep with his hand around your neck while you make love but also whisper the nastiest things in your ear that you could make you come alone.

“Fuck” He sighs defeated, instinctively wanting to buck up into your mouth “I know you can, and if you want me to hold you down and make you take it then…” You feel his hand shift and his grip tighten...guiding you back down… “Relax your throat for me princess…” Your eyes meet him directly as you do, and he guides you down his shaft slowly..he can hear you sniffle in a breath through your nose and he keeps pushing until he hits the back of your throat only this time he's prepared for it.

Jin gasps eyes slightly unfocused , jaw tense “That’s it baby fuck…god you look soo good right now..” His chest is tight but he's still not stopping, not until your throat is completely full and your lips meet skin. Once he’s finally fully logded in your throat you both gasp...Jin's eyes hit the back of his head, which he slams against the fridge in the process…

“Oh my god babyyyyy” He whines and he pulls your head back but you keep your lips tight and pert the entire way up. Hissing at the steady stimulation, however once you reach the tip and start to make your way back down again with such fineness he knows your ready to take more.

Jin is a little hesitant initially when he starts lifting his hips, sliding into your mouth. Your eyes flutter close as you take in a deep slow breath through your nose, humming out as he starts to pick up his pace.

“Oh fuck yesss…” Hand tightening in your hair, Jin can feel the shift now, feel the moment his cock pushes its way through your throat, warm, tight...but relaxed. Its clear it’s not your first rodeo...you gag a little but your not straining...it’s not a “job” for you…you want this and that turns him on to no end. The way your moaning around his cock as you bob your head up and down has his length twitching along your tongue!

You can tell he’s still going a little slow, probably because he doesn't wanna hurt you! So,you lean up on your knees a little, and decide to take what you want, digging your nails into his thighs starting to push back against him. He tries to stop you from moving so you dig your nails into him even deeper, eyes fluttering open only to roll them to the back of your head more times that either of you can count and he can’t help but choke out a moan around a stifled laugh!  

“Okay, pretty, okay…I got you...I’ll give you what you want” You can feel his legs shake biting his bottom lip, as he starts to roll his hips deeper, harder, finding a smooth steady rhythm. One where his cock smacks the back of your throat every damn time just how you like it! “Shit” He breathes out in a shaky breath almost as if he's amazed at how good your doing…

“Fuck, such a good mouth baby, fuckin made to have your jaw fucked open…”

You look down right sinful, back arched, lips glossy with spit and precum and just fuck, fuck!

“Your not gonna last” You muse playfully as you pull back with an obnoxiously obscene noise, lips twitching into a smirk as Jin damn near growls!

“Fuck yo-“

“I’m not complaining….” leaning forward to place an array of open mouthed kisses along his shaft until he’s hissing through his teeth. “...Buttt...your so fuckin hard already baby I can feel you twitching beneath my-“

“Put, your mouth back on my cock before I fuck your damn jaw wide open!” He’s panting way to hard for it to be demanding though Jin’s not your stereotypical dom anyway...his tones never truly demeaning yet...you know he’s not asking....Gripping your hair even tighter, yanking your head actually.  You lean up for a minute, sucking one of his balls into your mouth almost teasingly and Jin slouches into the door…

“Please, fuck I’ve been begging for” Your whining purposely lips and tongue leaving a messy spit covered trail behind. An exaggerated moan vibrating against his skin

“Your getting yourself all messy baby�� Cutting you off as if you weren’t even speaking! Whipping your chin as he yanked your head back, guiding you back where he wants you, since you wanna fuck around!  “Your mouth must not be full enough yet” Tongue trailing along his bottom lip and with that, he’s fully lodgeding his cock back into your throat making you gag in the process.

“Yeah, yeah that sounds a lot better, look sooo fuckin good with your mouth full” Leaning over to squeeze your ass, hissing through clenched teeth as his hips grow quicker , stronger, bolder, and your taking it like a damn champ too!

Heats spread throughout every inch of Jin’s body, his chest is flushed and he looks so damn good, there's sweat gathering along his temples, the hand holding your hair is actually twitching. He pulls your hair even tighter this time making you moan and gag slightly. Before he even bothers to apologize he watches your eyes flutter up to meet him and even with a mount full of cock he knows that's a smirk on your lips.

“Your pussys just fucking soaked isint it? My baby’s just throbbing, every time I…” Suddenly he’s slowing your pace down, it;s almost..sensual now, how slowly hes rocking you gains his cock “You can feel this can’t you? Everytime…” Guiding your head up and down repeatedly only this time it’s slower,your strides are longer and the way he’s looking at you right now….fuck!

“Everytime my cock hits the back of your throat, your pussy gets so fuckin tight,and wet, you just love getting your throat fucked don't you, pretty?” You make a gargled sound that Jin knows is a “yes” and he smiles..lazy stated and blissed the fuck out… “Love a nice, big , hard cock, down your throat….Mmm,my pretty little cock slut yeah?”

You don't even try to respond, you just inhale sharply and start bobbing your head even harder encouraging him to give you what you want and he does. He fucking dose…he’s done holding back, so he grabs your hair as tight as possible, so much so not only dose your scalp burn but your entire body burns! He starts fucking into your throat, hard and fast...he knows how much you love this...he knows your fucking use to it ...his princess knows how to handle him...with ease…

“Your fuckin amazing baby, your taking me so good, so fucking deep...fuckkkkk”

Jin can’t help himself, from grunting , moaning, whining, swearing in both English and Korean! Which was without a doubt one of the sexiest things ever because his voice always got deeper. He’s so close..your taking him so well too.

“I’m fuckin close pretty...so fuckin close” He chokes out around a whine mid thrust, eyes heavy..bottom lip edged between his teeth...and you suck even harder..eyes fluttering up at him.

He keeps fucking into your mouth, deep and smooth, brining his hips flush to your face every time....

‘Fuckkk, your gonna swallow for me baby? Take it all like the good little sl-” Your hand suddenly comes up to squeeze his balls and he’s fucing done it catches him off guard too! Fingers spazzing in your hair, as your throat closes around him. He whines as his hips kick forward into your mouth, you press hard into his thigh keeping him in place. Swallowtail around him and Jin practically cokes on his own tongue. You don’t pull of right away either, moaning low, the slight vibrations making him hiss from over stimulation..

Jin came hard down your throat, the perfect mix of salty, sweet...the light hint of chocolate still lingering on your tongue….His knees almost buckle but he catches himself. Leaning forward, bracing both arms against the marble island, eyes still closed as you watch his muscles contract painfully hard and you can’t help but smile around him as his length starts to go soft along your tongue.

“Fuck” His voice breaks before he can even finish and yeah, yeah your proud, tipping forward on the balls of his feet, glasses almost slipping off his nose in the process!

You humm out, contently sending little bolts through his body, making him moan, and twitch above you yet he doesn't pry your lips away. Hands gently massaging his sides as those big brown eyes flutter open to meet you, heavy, glazed, unfocused...gently he pulls your lips away from his cock, and braces his arms on your sides lifting you off the ground with such ease no matter how spent he is and instantly your legs wrap around his waist.

Lips swollen, cheeks and chin slightly wet as he leans his forehead against yours…Panting out hard against your mouth, you can feel how erratic his heart is hammering against your own.

“So what do you think?” He whispers, a tired smirk playing on his lips “Still don’t think I need to remake it?”

You can’t even help but cackle, god you love this man, and you knew your voice is fucked so you just lean in, and he closes he gap instantly. Kissing you deep, slow, loving, tasting himself all over your tongue, kissing you until your huffing out a pained breath through your nose because you feel as though you can’t even breathe. Tugging impatiently at the hem of your tank top, and next thing you know your squeezing your legs around his waist and raising your hands so he can slide it off. This, always this..the skin on skin, how warm he feels….essentially chest to chest minus the thin lace from your bra, but it feels good..feels like home. Gently running his hands all over the planes of your back, ghosting his nails against your skin making sure to leave a trail of goosebumps behind in the process.

Your warm and almost pliant under his palm, moaning out contently as he continues kissing you, like he has all the time in the world like he doesn't have a shit ton of brownies to make. Which, I guess in theory is very minute in comparison to what’s going on right now but as we’ve established Jin is very anal! Sliding his hand up to grab your ass and you whimper slightly so he does it again, harder this time….

Your so caught up by the languid slide of Jin’s tongue that you haven't even realized your moving….clearly headed towards his bedroom as he walks the two of you out of the kitchen!

Pressing tour back against the brick beam in the center of his living room, leaning down to place a wet open mouthed kiss on the side column of your neck. “What do you want me to do you?” He breathes into your skin low and husky nipping at the vein rearing and you can't help but exhale a shaky breath, clawing your nails up his back until he's the one moaning against your skin.

“Whatever the fuck you want-” Just, as Jin’s about to turn the corner he hears his front door unlock…..

“Sorry, my zoom meeting ran long, I swear I’m going to kill that new British investor…” Hoseok comes in like a bat straight out of hell as per usual, far too caught up in a million things to initially realize what he’s walked in on!

“... Then Don wasn't answering, and it was getting late. so I just ended up going to the dispo, and I-” Eyes fluttering over to finally met yours and it’s spine chilling how quickly his gaze darkens! Honestly, you weren’t even aware he was supposed to be coming over to be honest, but fuck yeah 2Seok FTW! A shit eating grin plastered on his face that quickly turns into a toe curling smirk as he licks his lips and kicks his shoes off. Placing the bag from the discrepancy and his jacket on the couch before studying forward. God he looks like such a fuckboy right now but your live for it because he fits the aesthetic without the toxic traits. Perfectly tanned skin, a backwards snapback, vneck, skin tight jeans with an offensive amount of rips in them and chunky Gucci sneakers…  

“Fuck, and here my dumb ass was thinking when you said you were bringing Jin groceries...you actually meant something he could literally eat…” Hoseok’s eyes meet Jin’s briefly and there's something you can’t quite catch lingering within his gaze! “What the fuck did I miss?” Purrs off his tongue,as he tangles his fingers in your hair, yanking your head back, completely missing the way his eyes lock with Jin as he leans in kissing you! It’s hard, wet, and messy,but he’s not lacking skill that's for damn sure. Instantly groaning against your tongue once he gets a taste of what you’ve really been doing, you can’t help; but sigh as you tilt your neck back, allowing him to deepen the kiss. While he kisses you he holds tight onto Jin’ s waist, eyes fluttering back open briefly as he digs his nails into his sides!

“Such a fuckin tease” Husks off the elders lips though your far to consumed to even notice. Leaning forward sinking his teeth right into Hoseok pressure point. Not letting up until his knees damn near buckle yet he doesn't pull away. He just kisses you harder, and digs his nails even deeper into Jin’s skin…with a deep groan.

“Baby…”Jin breathes against his neck, painting his tongue up the side in the process, both of you hum as you don;t know who he’s referring too, and he smiles against Hosoek’s skin “Seok…”

Well that answers that “I want you….” Kissing his way over to Hoseok’s ear, tugging the tinny gold hoop between his teeth “...to lay princess on the couch... and fuck her until she can’t even see straight…” It should actually be illegal now nonchalant this man just said that!

You both moan at that, pulling away just enough to breath, forehead flush against his...your eyes mirror his, stupidly fucked out and needy as he leans forward and sucks your bottom lip into your mouth…

‘Think you can do that for me?” Jin still hasn't stopped pressing open mouth kisses to Hosoek’s neck who's completely consumed by how needy you sound…The way your clearly grinding against Jin for stimulation right now because your so turned on.

A smirk playing on those heart shaped lips of his… ”That what you want baby? You wanna put on a little show with me? What me to fuck you while Jin watches...fuck you so good that he can’t even focus…”Not even bothering to phrase it as a question because he aleady knew what you wanted!

Tongue teasing at your bottom lip “Untill, all he can hear is you begging me to stop because you can’t take it anymore?” Hoseok is basically moaning all this into your mouth, as his hands shift beneath you, Jin passes you off like you weigh negative two pounds…and you instantly lace your arms around his neck.

‘Fuck, please” You exhale shakily lips flush against Hosoek’s neck as you feel Jin press himself behind you so your sandwiched in..you watch Jin snake his hand up Hoseoks back, gripping him by the nape of the neck forcing him to make eye contact.

“Think you can be good for her while I finish this?” Eyes flickering to the kitchen though his tone is clearly taunting, so is he smirk playing on the elders lips…it’s now blatantly obvious you’ve missed something. There’s tension between the pair, nothing serious ...but there’s tension ...

“Of course, I know I can be more than just good hyung” There's clearly so much condensation dripping off that honorific it’s unreal…for one...they barley even use honorifics to begin with so clearly something was up....slyly letting his fingers ghost up Jin’s stomach, before clawing his way down.

Jin cocks his head to the side raising a brow, the grip he holds on the younger hair tightens “I will fucking rui-“

“Seokkkk, Jin!!!” You whine impatiently nipping at his neck...whatever his is...you cold careless blue clit is a thing...a very real one for you right now!

“Alright, New rules” 

Lordt!

“Hoseok’s gonna make you come as many times as you want….” Leaning in to kiss the impatient pout off your lips before turning his attention to Hoseok “ And you…” Yanking his head back a little “Don't get to come until we say Soo…”

“We?” The quirk in his bow accompanied by the crass in his tone proved he was far from amused..Yoongi would be proud...

“Mmmhmm, you said you were putting on a show right?” Walking past the two of you to grab his Tripod out the closet and you already know what that means…

Little secret...back in your college days Hosoek and yourself dabbled in a few cam sites together for extra money...So your far from shy when it comes to putting on a little show in front of a camera...especially in front of your boys....

THAT’S ALLLL SHE WROTE... FOR NOW...SHOW THIS SOME LOVE IF YOU ENJOYED/COME YELL AT ME!

Also dose anybody want me to continue this? I did not expect it to end like his but I ain’t mad about it. Also wtf do you think Hoseok did to Jin?

MASTERLIST for this AU linked below..also as I noted in the sneak peek this is not Jin’s “intro” chapter that’s why outside of the fact that he’s always loved to cook I didn’t tell you much about his “character”. However I have finally mapped out both his and Hoseok’s and I will add those summaries to the mastrlist soon...

7 DEEP

[strawberrywritings]

Houston, we have a problem.

A/N: Friday means new update! If you haven’t seen my post, I will be updating the series every Friday at 12am CEST, or you can also activate notifications for my posts. 

For the sake of my storyline, i changed the original timeline of the show, please forgive me.🙈

I’ll stop talking and let you read. xx 🍓

Meeting / First date / First kiss / Masterlist

The next day, you got to work and when lunchbreak came, you sprinted out of the school. You were so excited about going to surprise Angel at the scrapyard, you weren’t even looking where you were going. And what usually happens? That you bump into stuff. Only that this time it was a person. And a very firm one, too, for you almost fell to ground when you collided.

“Oh my- I’m so sorry, it’s my fault”, the man in front of you prevented your fall by grabbing your arms, steadying you back on your feet. He laughed, “I’m okay here, are you?”. You straightened your clothes and looked at him, “I’m cool. Again, I’m sorry, I should’ve looked ahead”. He dismissed your apology again with a smile, then he looked at you a bit more seriously. “Do I know you?”, he asked. “I… uh, I teach here. You might’ve seen me around”, you shrugged your shoulders and he narrowed his eyes a bit.

“My son comes to school here, maybe you teach one of his classes”. “Oh, sure! What’s his name?”. “Cristobál – he paused, you probably needed a surname, too – Galindo”. He saw the exact moment everything made sense to you, and you smiled at him. “Of course, Galindo, yes, he’s in one of my classes”, you nodded. “Yeah, I rarely come to the teacher-parents meetings, my ex-wife usually does”, you nodded in understanding and he stuck his hand out. “Miguel”, you shook his hand and said your name. You two stayed looking at each other for a moment, it could’ve been a movie scene, but then you remembered why you bumped into him in the first place. “Señor Galindo, I apologize but I have to go now. It was very nice meeting you”, you said and started to make your way towards the main door, heading for your car once you were out of the building.

Once you parked in front of the scrapyard, you smiled as you climbed out of your car. Gilly nudged Angel’s shoulder when he noticed you. “Ain’t that your girl?”, Angel moved his head so fast he wondered how he didn’t get a whiplash, and there you were: in your work clothes, looking very nice, and talking to Chucky. He got up and cleaned his hands, fixing his hair in the mirror of a car (which made his brothers laugh), and making his way over to you.

“What are you doing here?”, he asked and you smiled as you looked at him, biting your lip. “Just wanted to make sure my man was alive, since he hasn’t answered my text”. Now, there were two things that Angel thought, the first one regarded your use of “my man”, not boyfriend, man. That alone could have made him die a happy death. And then, he wanted to slap himself: of course he had forgotten to reply. “I’m sorry, mi amor, I came home late and I fell asleep right away”, he came closer to you and circled your waist with his arms, kissing your lips softly.

Seeing him in his work clothes, sweaty and with dirt on his hands was making your mind a mess, that and all the sexual tension from the night before… you had to take a deep breath and compose yourself, reminding yourself that you were in public.

“It’s fine, baby. Oh, I also came because I made too much lunch. Wanna share?”, nobody could wipe off the smile that Angel had on his face when he escorted you to a room, so you could eat in peace and without being disturbed. After eating, you and him took a few minutes to just be with each other. He brought you onto his lap and you smiled, fixing a strand of hair and pulling it back, away from his face. Your fingertip traced his features: his brows, his nose, the side of his face, he was watching you intently, pure adoration in his face. When the finger came to his mouth, he gently grabbed your wrist and held your hand there, kissing it.

You slowly leaned into him and when your lips were about to touch, the door opened. “Hey, Coco wants to know-”, Angel turned his head to the door, an annoyed expression on his face, only to be met with EZ’s apologetic gaze, “I’ll be out in a minute, boy-scout”. In all of this, you were hiding your face in Angel’s shoulder, too embarrassed to say anything, or move from your current position.

Once the door shut, he pressed a kiss to your temple and used his hand to bring your face close to his, then he kissed you again on the lips. “I gotta go, I’m sorry, querida”, you nodded and smiled, kissing him again and keeping him close to you as much as you could. “I’ll text you when I finish work”, you said and trailed your fingers on his rings, he smiled and nodded. “Can’t wait”. You got up from his lap and smiled, gathering your things and exiting the room, hand in hand with Angel. When you got to the main room, 4 pairs of eyes were looking at you, then at Angel, and then back at you. You said goodbye to Angel, goodbye to the men at the table, and left the clubhouse, going back to the school just in time for your next class.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, you were tired and grateful you could go home, relax, and maybe see Angel. However, when you grabbed your stuff and got out of the classroom, you were met with Miguel Galindo for the second time that day.

“Miss L/N, I was waiting for you”, he was smiling and his voice was like honey. He stood next to the door, in a simple blue suit, white shirt, but the jacket was missing and he had his sleeves rolled up. He sure knew how to give a good first impression. During the lunch break, you hadn’t even had time to really look at him, you were too busy thinking about Angel. But now you could see why he was so rumored, he was definitely handsome.

“Can I help you with something, Señ-”, you couldn’t even finish that he had stopped you. “Miguel, please”. “Well, then, how can I help you, Miguel?”.

30 minutes later, Tranq happened to be running some errands in town, but stopped at the scene before him: you and Galindo sat at a table of a random coffee shop, you were sitting inside which meant he couldn’t hear what was being said, but to him, it looked like you both were having a good time.

He dug out his phone, dialing the number he needed, “Angel – he paused for a second, he never looked away but he was sure it was you - We have a problem, hermano”.

taglist: @ifoundmyhappythought​ @scuzmunkie​ @thickemadame​ @mrsjaxtellerfan​ @chibsytelford​ @cocotheclown​ @everyhowlmarksthedead​ @sadeyesgf @gemini0410​ @samcrobae​ @woahitslucyylu​ @imagineredwood​ @rebel-without-cause-x @blackmissfrizzle​ @whyisgmora​ @lady-pswrld​ @briannab1234

[chelsfic]

Might I request #23. “I’m bulletproof…but please, don’t shoot me.” with Coco Cruz?? Very happy to be following your hyperfixations and all iver cloenwer and I can't wait to see what comes next!

A/N: @joalsglasses​ Thank you for the Coco love! This helped me break out of my funk of not writing for a week. Hope you enjoy!

---

“Aw, shit…” Angel murmurs, trying to steer Coco away from the sight of you on another man’s arm. “It looks busy, let’s try someplace else--”

It’s too late, of course. Coco’s intense brown eyes focus on you as soon as he parks his bike in front of the diner. His girl...out with some preppy, whitebread-looking douchebag? He feels Angel’s restraining hand on his shoulder. He knows he should walk away. He knows this isn’t exactly fair after what he said to you...but he can’t stop himself. 

He jogs over and calls your name, watching you turn and visibly wilt as you see him approaching. It’s only been a week since your fight. When you finally got up the courage to demand that Coco get serious with your relationship. You’re grown. You have a kid. You don’t want to be Coco’s casual hook up forever. When he said no...it just about broke your damn heart. But you’re not one to sit around and pine. And Dan is nice! So what if he doesn’t make your heart race like Coco does…? At least he respects you enough to treat you like more than a booty call.

“Coco...,” you sigh with an edge of warning. “Almost didn’t recognize you in the light of day.”

He eyes Dan over your shoulder before leaning down into your space and whispering, “What the fuck, Y/N? What are you doing with this guy?”

You have to laugh. Seriously? After what he said about being “too busy” with club business to have a girlfriend? About you being a liability...a weakness that he’d always have to worry about protecting? Is he fucking kidding right now?

“Uh...what I’m doing is going out to brunch. On a date. Something civilized people do from time to time…,” you know you’re goading him, but you’re pissed. How can he think after everything he said that things would just go back to normal between you?

He looks at you with those big, brown eyes--liquid and soft with emotion and you can’t help but feel yourself melt inside, even if you keep your face set in a stony expression. How can this tough, hardened man be capable of such a gut wrenching puppy dog look?

“So, it’s like that, huh?” he says, his eyes finally darting away as he takes a step back. He looks gutted. 

“Coco, come on. This is...this is what you wanted,” you say, slipping into a pleading tone. You can feel Dan bristling behind you, unsure if he should intervene. You turn and wave him down. You guess this is probably going to be your one and only date with this guy. Great.

Coco forces a grin on his face as he backs away toward his bike, “Don’t worry about me, baby. I’m bulletproof.”

***

You’re not surprised that Dan doesn’t call. The run in with Coco...looking quite intimidating in his club gear...was too much for simple, innocent Dan. In your heart you’re relieved. It’s stupid--beyond stupid--but you’re still hung up on Coco. Maybe now that he sees you’re serious about moving on he’ll finally come to his senses. 

You’re pondering this as you down the dredges of your margarita and watch your friend, Andrea, making out with a girl in the back of the bar. You sigh. At least someone won’t be lonely tonight. You settle your tab and head out to the sidewalk, opening the Lyft app on your phone. You notice a familiar looking bike parked on the side of the street and do a double take. Had Coco been in the bar and you hadn’t even noticed? Fuck--you really are distracted tonight. You walk back over to the large window at the font of the building and, sure enough, Coco, Angel and Gilly are sitting around a table near the front. You immediately catch Coco’s eye and stumble back out of sight. Great. He probably thinks you’re stalking him now. For a second you lose your balance and have to catch yourself up against a parking meter. Damn...how many margaritas did you have again?

“Hey, you alright?” you hear the sound of a male voice, pitched in a mockery of false concern and you wince in annoyance. You so don’t want to deal with some asshole pretending to care about your well-being so he can get in your pants.

“Fine, thanks,” you answer in a clipped tone, subtly shifting back closer to the window to be in sight of the other patrons. The street is dark and deserted.

“You need a ride home?” he offers, following you and getting up in your personal space. Take a fucking hint, Chad. He’s tall, well-built. Looks younger than you, maybe college-age. He’s probably “slumming” it at the towny bar.

You glare up at him and answer, “No. Go away.”

His eyes go from mischievous to hard and angry in a flash and you’re suddenly aware of how much he’s swaying on his feet and the strong scent of spirits coming off of his breath. He crowds you up against the brick building and snatches the phone from your hands, “You fuckin’ bitch. You can’t even be polite when a man offers you help? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

He’s caging you up against the wall and your whole body is shaking. You can still hear the boisterous noises from inside the bar but out here you’re utterly alone with this suddenly dangerous man. Without thinking you slide your hand into your purse and your fingers curl around the handle of the pistol Coco gave you, insisting that you needed a way of protecting yourself. You had scoffed at the time--but you had to admit, it did make you feel safer walking alone at night. Now your fingers shake as you slowly remove it from your bag. But before you have time to do anything the asshole is suddenly attacked from the side and he crumples onto the sidewalk like a bag of bricks. Coco stands over him, shoulders heaving as he gasps for breath. 

“Fuckin’ scum!” he shouts, kicking the dude in the stomach and causing him to curl up into a ball. Angel and Gilly are hot on his heels and the three of them drag the kid into an alley. You catch the sounds of fists and shoes colliding with soft human flesh. In a few seconds Coco reappears and he makes a beeline for you. His brows are drawn together with concern even if his mouth is still set in a firm, angry line. He’s almost reached you when he stops short and slowly reaches out his hands toward you, “Hey...hey, you’re alright now, querida. You can put that gun away, okay? I’m bulletproof...but please, don’t shoot me.”

Your hands are shaking, your whole body is shaking and yet you’re frozen in place. You froze. Like a deer in the headlights, that’s what you did in the presence of danger. The truth stabs at you. You are a liability. Can’t even take care of yourself with a damn gun in your hands. Coco wraps his fingers around yours and gently pries them loose, taking the gun from you and stowing it in the waistband of his jeans. 

“Baby,” he coos, running his hands over your arms, his eyes flicking over your body looking for damage. “Did he hurt you?”

You shake your head, still a little dazed but forcing yourself to respond, “No..no he didn’t. Thanks to you…”

Suddenly he’s dragging you into his arms, pressing his lips to the crown of your head and kissing you over and over again, “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry…”

“What are you talking about?” you’re still in shock and the sounds from the alley have stopped leaving an ominous silence in their wake. 

“I didn’t mean what I said. I want you, Y/N. I can’t stand to see you with anyone else. I can’t stand to think that something might happen to you because I wasn’t there...I need you, baby…”

“Oh…” you reply, finally looking into his eyes and seeing the truth gleaming in their depths. “Well, good. Dummy.”

And you grab the collar of his worn leather vest, pulling him down to your height so you can press your lips to that lop-sided grin.

[ladynestaarcheron]

Like Pristine Glass - Chapter Sixteen

ao3 - ff.net - masterpost

(tagging these cuties: @humanexile @skychild29 @rhysandsdarlingfeyre @candid-confetti ​ @rhysandsrightknee @missing-merlin @azriels-forgotten-shadow @books-and-cocos @sezkins79 @city-of-fae @someonemagical @dusty-lightbulb @messyhairday-me @rinad307)

hey, y’all! here is chapter sixteen, and the longest one yet! (and probably ever.) normally i feel like i have a lot to chat with you about, but i don’t have much this time, so...thanks to @thestarwhowishes for betaing and you for reading, and i hope all y’all stay safe!!

---

December 18 - 4 years after

The park tires them out completely, so Nesta and Cassian lay the children down for a nap before dinner.

"It's a new restaurant," Cassian tells Nesta. "Very up-and-coming. But we have a private room for us."

"Who's us?"

"Your sisters. And us."

"All right." Nesta doesn't ask about the others she still hasn't seen. Azriel, Morrigan...Amren.

Cassian takes a deep breath. "There's something you should know. About who's coming to Solstice."

Nesta freezes. She already knows who's coming—all of Feyre's new friends (although she supposes they're not so new anymore)—her husband, obviously, Morrigan, Azriel, Amren. Amren's...paramour. If they're still together.

"It's Emerie."

Nesta jerks backward. Emerie? "Em...from...why is she coming?"

Her employer, her...friend. Sort of. Nesta had not been in the right mindset to properly have a friend; she did not treat Emerie the way she treats Amorette, but she might have gotten there. If she had not left.

"She's actually...well, this isn't her first Solstice with us. She's not really spending it with us, honestly. She's spending it with...Mor."

She blinks. With Mor?

"They're together. They have been for a few years now, actually."

Nesta could not have been more shocked if he had told her he was going to leave to move in with Maz. Two of her worlds colliding in such a bizarre way, such an unexpected match. It all dawns on her slowly: if Emerie is with Morrigan, and she has come here, to Velaris, for Solstice with all of them, then she knows Feyre. She knows Elain. Had they spoken of her?

And what is Emerie doing with someone like Morrigan, anyway?

She doesn't voice any of this to Cassian. "All right."

He studies her carefully. She can feel his eyes tracing every minute movement. "Are you upset?"

"No," she answers—truthfully, because she's not. She's baffled. And disappointed in Emerie's taste.

She supposes she doesn't have any right to be upset. She can't exactly see this as a betrayal, for Emerie did nothing to deserve Nesta leaving and following silence. And, well, she never exactly spoke of the quiet, violent mutual loathing she and Morrigan shared. Not with Emerie, at least.

But still, Emerie can do better.

She keeps this to herself, though. Cassian loves Morrigan, she knows this.

"What exactly is the itinerary?"

"Well, I thought we could just show the children Velaris," Cassian says, "with your sisters, maybe. And then Solstice at Feyre and Rhys'. Was there...something in particular you wanted to do?"

Does she want to see someone outside the mandatory Solstice she signed up for, he means. And the answer is no, most certainly not. Or, well, it was, before she knew Emerie was going to be here. But perhaps Emerie doesn't want to see her. So she just says, "No, that sounds all right," and tries to find something to busy herself with until it's time to go to dinner.

When they finally do go, Cassian holding Avery and Nesta holding Ollie and Nicky walking between them, Nesta can see that the place is indeed popular. It's in an area of Velaris she doesn't know very well—not close to any of the establishments she frequented while living here years ago—but there's a rather large crowd of people waiting outside. Reservations are probably booked more than just a few days in advance.

A perky red-haired female at the front leads them to a private room, where Feyre and Elain are already waiting. Elain leaps up when she sees them and throws open her arms for Nicky to run into.

"I missed you!" she says, laughing, and pulling Avery and Ollie in for a hug too. "Hi, Nesta, I missed you too!"

"You as well," she says, a bit curtly, even to her own ears. But she kisses Elain on both her cheeks and gives her a small smile as she sits down.

"This place is really amazing," Elain tells them.

"It...looks nice," Nesta says, gazing around. It does look nice, but all restaurants do. None of the stained glass lampshades warrant waiting outside to be seated, in her opinion.

"I've never been to a restaurant before," Nicky says, excited.

"Nicky, don't be ridiculous, of course you have."

"Not all the way across the sea!"

Nesta catches Cassian's eye and stifles an eye-roll as he grins.

"He's right," he says.

"Quite."

"Are you three excited for Solstice?" Feyre asks the children.

"Yeah, we're so excited."

"Our friends are not here," Nicky says.

"Oh, I know, but we're here! That'll be fun, right?"

"Right!"

"Are you excited for Solstice presents, Ollie?" Elain asks him.

He blushes and nods, looking down at his lap.

"Ollie wants a caterpillar," Avery informs Elain.

"A caterpillar? Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see what we all get."

Nesta bites on the inside of her cheek. In a rather unprecedented move on her part, before leaving Sugar Valley, she had purchased gifts for her sisters and Cassian as well. She had spent probably a month discussing her thoughts with Amorette on the matter (that is, blathering on while Amorette offered her sympathetic support), came to the firm decision that she was not buying any gifts, and then suddenly rushed out the day before they left to buy things. She still isn't sure what came over her.

"So, I thought tomorrow we could go see my gallery," Feyre says. "You three like to paint, don't you?"

They chatter in excitement, eager to see all the things their aunts and father are promising them. Nesta loves to see them like this, bubbling over in happy anticipation. But she swallows hard as she watches them—they are so good at this, Cassian, Elain, and Feyre. It comes so naturally to them; joy and cheer and infectious laughter. And she has to work so hard at it.

Jealousy writhes inside her, like nothing she's ever felt before. Disconcerting, to say the least—but this was never her holiday season.

---

December 27 - Year of

The heavy snow that winter always brought into their tiny village was nothing compared to the blizzard that hit the Illyrian mountains; and Emerie assured Nesta that it happened every year. Nesta was sure that this meant Cassian would not be coming back any time soon—how could he fly in this?—but she saw the legions take to the skies day after day, and eventually, it was Cassian soaring down. She hurried away from the window and threw herself into her favorite spot on the couch, opening her book to a random page and pretending to read.

She felt him approach the door, felt his hand linger for a moment too long on the knob before opening it.

"Hey," he said, stepping inside. "I'm back," he added.

Nesta did not lower her book, but raised her eyes to look at him. There was snow stuck in some crevices of his wings, ice in his hair.

He grinned when he saw her eyes tracing him. "Still reading that?" He nodded towards her book.

"Re-reading," she lied. "It was good. And I'm out."

His grin widened as he crossed over to the fireplace. "Is that so?"

She didn't answer, only tensed as she saw he was going to light a fire, and braced herself for the snapping sound, like the cracking of a neck, her father's neck.

"Don't know how you stand sitting here without it," he said, more to himself than to her. "Well, anyway," he continued, turning around, "I guess I made a—what's wrong?"

Nesta jerked her head downwards to the book, forcing herself to concentrate on counting the letters on the page. "Nothing."

"Is it..." He didn't finish his sentence. She knew what he was thinking. He had only just come back; how was she already distant?

She couldn't bring herself to say anything. He wanted the fire burning, of course he did, he was freezing. It was normal. This, this fear of the mundane, was not. She had conquered her—it still mortified her, even to think it—aversion to baths, but there was no way to ease into hearing something. You either lit a fire or you did not. Striking a sole match did not make noise. The bonfires Emerie had dragged her hadn't been much help, either, for they had not gone close enough to hear anything over the noise the hundreds of Illyrians had been making.

She was up to thirty-seven when Cassian put out the fire.

"You're hogging all the blankets," he said. "Give me one."

Wordlessly, she pushed one off her, letting him take it as he sat next to her. She couldn't meet his eyes—how had he known?

"So, I guess I made a good choice. With your Solstice present. If you're rereading this garbage."

Now Nesta did look up, to see him smirking at her.

"This isn't garbage," she said, closing the book. A present...she didn't think he was going to get her anything. Especially since she hadn't exactly accepted his present last year.

She hadn't gotten him anything. The thought hadn't even occurred to her, really. What would she even get him?

"It's in the bag," he said pointing to something he had dumped by the front door.

Definitely not what he had gotten her last year, then. A much bigger bag than anything he had had on his person last year.

Nesta wrapped one of the blankets around her as she went to see what it was. She slipped out a box, wrapped in deep blue paper, and brought it back to the couch.

It felt rather heavy. She figured it was books.

"Open it," he encouraged.

She did, careful with the wrapping. A brown box, with the words NightWrite printed in swirly lettering. She looked up at him.

"Open it!"

She did. There was indeed a book inside, but that wasn't all. There was a candle, coffee scented, a set of rather fine pens, a beautiful, leatherbound notebook, a bar of what she knew was some of the Night Court's finest chocolate, some little flowers she thought might be soap, and a few other small things. There was a card, too.

"A subscription?"

"For the female who reads. Well, that's their slogan, anyway."

A book each month, she read. And different things along with it.

"You can choose the books in the next months. But I chose the first one. I think you'll like it. It's children's stories...I knew some of them, growing up."

It was...incredibly, surprisingly thoughtful, first of all. The kind of thing she would never think to buy herself, because she wasn't aware anything like this existed. And it would come every month. Which...while she was here...meant a lot. Every month, a new book, just for her. Along with all this other...stuff. Stuff she liked.

She looked up at him. "Thank you."

He pulled back—was he surprised? But he moved closer to her, after a moment. "You're welcome."

They didn't say anything else for a short while, but then Cassian told her he was going to take a shower, and she said she would get started on dinner, and they both turned to their respective new tasks.

But her eyes kept wandering in the direction of his bedroom, and she knew he was staring towards the kitchen.

---

December 20 - 4 years after

While her fellow townspeople in Sugar Valley are probably wreathing sugarberry crowns around their heads, Nesta is cleaning Cassian's kitchen. He's spent the past few days referring to it as their home, but that doesn't sit quite right with her. The location is wonderful; close to the shallower areas of the Sidra, all the necessities, and a park. But it's still in Velaris, and this isn't Nesta's home.

Tonight is the first time Nesta has had some proper time to herself since she's gotten here. Cassian has not left her side until a few hours ago, when some unexpected work came off and he had to leave before dinner.

It's not exactly uncomfortable, this never ending domesticity, it's just odd. Having him at her side all waking hours of the day. Not even Illyria had been like that.

The shift into it had been strange, and now the lack of anyone around her, the complete silence, is rather jarring, so Nesta doesn't even pause to wonder who is at the door when she hears the knock; just goes to open it.

And there she is: ink black hair braided over her shoulder, brown, wide set eyes unblinking, smooth brown skin seemingly unaffected by the cold—no trace of red in her cheeks, no raised hairs. But there is a slight quiver in her scarred wings that gives her away.

Emerie.

The pair don't say anything for...Nesta doesn't even know how long. But Emerie recovers first, and she says, "Can I come in?"

And Nesta, opening the door wider, says, "Of course," like this is a normal calling, like she's been expecting her.

The Gilameyvan hospitality Aysel, Miri, and Zeyn have carefully taught her escapes her now. She offers no tea, doesn't take her coat...Amorette would be disappointed. She likes to think Nesta's made progress.

"So," Emerie says finally. "You had children."

Who had told her, Nesta wonders. Was it Morrigan? "Yes. Three."

Emerie nods, looking around the living room, where they both stand. There's a bit more to look at than there was when Nesta arrived a few days ago—the children had picked out a painting from Feyre's gallery to hang on the wall—but not nearly enough to warrant the heavy silence.

Nesta doesn't like to talk about what doesn't concern her, so she doesn't ask about Morrigan. She doesn't need to, though, because after another minute of quiet, Emerie says, "I'm with Mor now."

"I heard," she says.

"I think you might like her, actually."

Nesta bites her tongue. Emerie notices.

"I meant if you two knew each other. Really. I know you both," she adds. Then she frowns a little.

"Emerie..."

Where to begin? Nesta's got no shortage of mistakes in her repertoire, but before her stands the result of one she is particularly sorry for. Emerie did nothing wrong.

There's a bluntness that must run in the veins of the Night Court people, because when Emerie says, "Why did you leave?" her voice is not accusing, but low and flat and hollow.

"Sit down," Nesta says, finding a spot on the couch herself.

Emerie sits, folding her skirts in as she does so. Nesta's lips tug upwards slightly. Despite being with Morrigan, Queen of the Dream Court, Emerie is still bedecked in her Illyrian simplicity. Does it drive her spare, what with her inclination towards those strips of crimson silk she calls dresses? Or does she like it, seeing Emerie as some kind of peasant fantasy?

Emerie doesn't repeat herself, but she sees the question etched in her face.

She's not cut out for these sort of conversations. She doesn't speak her mind, doesn't directly address any issues on the table. So if Emerie had done this to her, she would've just ignored it—perhaps pretended like it never happened and acted distant, perhaps never spoken to her again. But she's in the wrong here, and Emerie deserves what she wants: an explanation.

So Nesta steels herself, takes a deep breath, and tries to summon what Cassian had once seen in her. "I know I hurt you, but my leaving had nothing to do with you. I'm sorry." Then she holds her breath.

Emerie's eyes wander around the room. "Oh," she says finally.

Oh? Is that it? Emerie's not one for passionate displays of emotion—one of Nesta's favorite things about her—but she'd expected more of a dramatic response.

"So why did you leave, then?" she asks again.

Nesta blinks. "I couldn't stay. I thought...I deserved more."

Emerie is quiet again. "So why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I thought you'd talk me out of it."

"Well, you should've known better than that." There's not any sympathy or sharpness in her words. They're just there, black on white, clear as day, honest.

Nesta flinches. She's right. Emerie has only ever told her to do the smart, right thing for herself. By way of poorly formed metaphors about her own regrets, maybe, but nonetheless. "I'm sorry."

"I should go," Emerie says, standing.

Nesta stands too. "I'll walk you out."

Every step is painfully awkward and also just painful. She never meant to hurt Emerie, but she's not sure how much that's worth.

Emerie stops abruptly at the front door. "I'll meet them tomorrow?" she asks.

"Meet whom?"

"Your children."

"Oh," Nesta says. "Yes. Well. If you'll be there for dinner."

"I will."

"Then...yes."

"All right," Emerie says, then leaves. She doesn't look back, but Nesta can't stop staring at her.

When she finally does manage to tear herself away from the front windows, long after Emerie has disappeared from sight, Nesta drags herself to bed, glass of wine in hand. She knew a trip to Velaris and all it brings might trigger some...old habits of hers, so she makes sure to leave the bottle downstairs in the kitchen and sip slowly.

She hears Cassian come in a half an hour later. He finds her in her room, staring unblinking out onto the dark waters of the Sidra.

"Nesta?" he asks.

"Oh, hello," she says, not moving her eyes.

He walks over and sits on the bed, blocking her view. "Are you all right?"

She focuses on his face. His eyebrows are pulled together, his lips pressed. "What's wrong?"

She drains what's left in her glass and sets it down on the nightstand, then lays herself down on the bed. Tucking a hand underneath her head, she pulls her hair from its ties and braids and sprawls it out.

He lies down next to her maneuvering his wings so they aren't touching her. "Emerie came?"

She doesn't answer.

"What did she say?"

Nesta waits a few seconds before saying, "She asked why."

"Oh."

He shares in the quiet with her. Minutes go by, and he doesn't say anything, only waits. She doesn't know if he means it as an offering of partnership, but she takes it as such.

"I don't have a good answer for her," she whispers.

"That's all right," he tells her, matching her pitch. "She's fine. She missed you but she's fine."

"It was wrong."

"That's all right too."

If Emerie forgives her, does she have to forgive everyone else? If that's true, then does she want Emerie to forgive her? Of course she does—the only other option is that Emerie is angry with her, or that she doesn't matter to her anymore. Which is worse, she wonders, causing someone pain, proving your importance to them, or having them move on? She doesn't trust herself to come up with an answer. What if she's too sel—

Cassian puts his hand on hers. "Stop thinking so loudly." His tone is teasing but Nesta knows he's serious.

She moves her eyes from the ceiling to his face, tilting her head a little.

"You're back now," he says quietly.

Nesta looks back at the ceiling.

"Emerie loves you more than you hurt her. It's true," he adds, sensing her doubt. He squeezes her hand.

She holds her breath. Is he going to say what she suspects? She doesn't know if she wants him too.

But Cassian only rubs his thumb on hers. "You've said your piece. All you can do is wait for her to make her choice."

"I'm not very good at saying my piece." She's never been good at talking on the spot. She doesn't have the natural charisma Cassian or Feyre have, none of Elain's likability. She's too prickly and stiff.

"Some of us like you anyway."

That makes her laugh a little. "Thanks."

"Let go of your thoughts," he says. "Focus on your breathing and mine."

She listens to him, and at first, it takes up most of her concentration, and then it all fades away. Before she slips under, the only thing she's aware of his hand on hers and the shadow of his wings over them both.

---

December 20 - 1 year after

Sugar Valley was all closed for the holiday, but everyone was still outside, wandering the town, shouting festive-themed pleasantries instead of the usual "come round for jam!"s that Nesta normally heard. Snow fell to the ground, but not so much as Illyria had had last year. Little enough that she could walk around outside.

She hadn't expected to actually go to this silly party that Zeyn had told her about, but he and Miri and even Leyla, one of the other archivists, had spoken to her about it at length and prodded her again and again to come.

So she did, opting for a dress in a pale lilac instead of her usual grey, in an attempt to be festive. She was never one for bright colors, but before it all, she did wear more than just charcoal and the occasional blue.

Leyla seemed to like the dress, as she complimented her on it as soon as Nesta entered the store, shrugging off her cloak.

"Where did you get it?" she asked, beaming at her.

"Maternity aisle at Classia's," Nesta answered, referring to a small boutique in town. The female who ran it was from Prythian, which had made Nesta tense before stepping inside. But she hadn't seemed to recognise her, or at least, she hadn't said anything if she did.

"I love maternity clothes," Leyla gushed.

Perhaps she was trying to be nice, but Nesta just didn't know what to reply to that. But Zeyn came in from the back room just then and lit up when he saw her.

"You came!"

"Yes," she said. They all said odd things here, didn't they?

"Have some of the isti," Zeyn said, waving her towards the table. Isti was what they called that delicious berry-chocolate drink he had given her before.

The store was handsomely decorated, with sugarberries strung up along the shelves and tiny twinkling faelights dotted here and there. Her dress, as it turned out, was not as festive as she thought, because everyone here was dressed in deep burgundy; the same color as their patron fruit. Oh, well. Shades of purple, all the same.

"Nesta," Miri greeted her from behind. "Here, take a wreath." And she placed something atop her head.

Nesta took it off to look at it. "What does Solstice have to do with sugarberries?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Every solstice and equinox is a chance to celebrate our home," Miri said.

"Do they bloom year-round?"

"They do here."

Sugarberries looked very much like the stuff that had grown on trees by their shabby little cottage under the Wall. Nesta remembered Feyre eying them one winter, and Elain informing her not to bother, that they were poisonous.

Perhaps the magic kept them from being so. Or perhaps that which was harmful to humans was pleasant to faeries. Or maybe they were just a different fruit.

"How are you doing?"

"All right," Nesta answered automatically. She was most certainly not doing all right. Pregnancy was a nightmare. She was vaguely aware of passers-by eyes lingering on her for longer than strictly necessary, and, to be frank, she had seen her own reflection—she knew that the weight she had gained in her first trimester only rounded out her curves. But nothing about Nesta was lovely when she put herself to bed at night, feet blistering from simply standing, and waking up a few short hours later to violently vomit everything she had eaten the previous day.

Amorette Dadashov, her healer, assured her it was normal for a fae pregnancy. That might comfort Nesta later, when she wasn't starting and ending every day in pain.

"Have a seat," Miri said, pulling up a chair. "You look tired."

She was exhausted. Amorette had told her that was a normal part of pregnancy, too.

"Good of you to come," Miri said.

"It's very important to the shop, isn't it?"

"Yes," Miri said, after a short beat. "Sit here, dear. I'm going to drag Adil out."

She came back a few minutes later, a grumbling Adil in tow. "Don't see what the point is. We see each other every day. We'll see each other tomorrow at the town's parade."

"Hush," Miri said. "Sit with Nesta. String wreaths."

Nesta had not been to any real holiday parties, but this one still struck her as odd. Adil was right—they did see each other every day. It wasn't even the holiday yet, it was still the day before.

"Do you not like Solstice?"

Nesta looked up from her wreath. She wasn't very good at making them. She kept dropping the berries trying to string them. "You don't look like you're particularly enjoying yourself."

"I am," he said seriously. "Well, Miri is. That's the same."

Nesta averted her eyes. How did you look at someone when they spoke of another person like that?

Adil cleared his throat. "I think there might be something I have you should read."

"Oh...human-authored?"

"No, not a book. Well, it's not really mine. It's from the bank."

Nesta frowned. Her account was all in order, and it wasn't through her employer. "The bank?"

"I...spoke to Erest. Our councilhead?"

She'd met him. She'd been expecting someone like the High Lords, and he was irritating, but in a harmless way. Like everyone else she had met here. "All right," she said, wondering where this was going.

His brow furrowed, deep blue lips a thin line. "You're not registered as a citizen of Sugar Valley yet."

"I know," she said. Amorette had mentioned something about it to her in passing.

"Well, if you were...it'll be easier for you to buy a house here. Easier to sign up for nurseries, too."

Nurseries? All Nesta had decided was that she wasn't terminating the pregnancy.

"Well, I don't think I'm in the market for a house."

"There's a property in one of the younger neighborhoods," he said. "Spacious...enough. Nice yard. Close to the town's center. You should look. It never hurts to look."

"I...really don't think I can afford a house right now—"

"No. You'll be able to afford this one." He didn't look at her, just picked at his wreath. "You should look at it."

Had he struck some sort of deal with the councilhead? No one had ever attempted to give Nesta her own space before...

"I will."

He gave the slightest nod in answer. She didn't thank him, but she got the feeling she wasn't supposed to.

---

December 21 - 4 years after

Nesta's quiet, contented sleep is interrupted before the rising sun hits her through the window by an excited little voice rushing in along with small footsteps.

"Mummy, Mummy, it's Solstice morning, come—"

Nicky stops abruptly as both Nesta and Cassian sit up in bed. His eyes widen, and dart between both of them. He wrings his hands in front of him and sucks in his cheeks.

Nesta's face burns, splotchy redness surely covering her cheeks. "It's all right!" she says, trying to speak calmly and failing miserably. "It's all right! You can come here, Nicky!" She holds out her arms and waves him over.

Nicky, unsure of himself, walks towards her slowly. He stops every few steps and looks around. His cheeks redden slightly, too.

"Good morning," she says, pulling him closer and dropping a kiss on his forehead.

"Happy Solstice," Cassian adds.

Nicky looks up at her. She nods at him encouragingly. "Did you want something from Mummy, angel?"

"I was going to tell you that it's Solstice."

"It is, you're right."

"Are you hungry? Do you want breakfast? We can go get started while Mummy wakes up Ava and Ollie."

"Do you want to go make breakfast with Appa?" she asks him. He nods and she gives him another kiss. "All right, go on."

Without making eye contact with Cassian, she passes Nicky to him. She smooths her hair as they leave.

She'll have to talk to Nicky, of course. Tell him...what? She'll have to ask him what he thinks, first. To see if she needs to reassure him or answer his questions—oh, fuck, he'll tell his siblings, won't he? Of course he will. It's Nicky. He doesn't have a discreet bone in his body. Hopefully Cassian will have distracted him enough by the time she brings Avery and Ollie down.

What'll she say to Cassian? She's not angry he stayed; just mortified Nicky saw them. Is she mortified? She's not sure. She won't be able to tell what she's feeling until...well, it'll be a while until she gets to talk to Amorette, won't it? And that's how she normally decides her feelings on matters of this sort.

She thinks she's managed to pull herself together enough to rouse Avery and Ollie, but she must be mistaken, because Avery asks her what's wrong before moaning that she's still tired.

"Nothing, ladybug," she assures her. "Everything's fine. Come, let's brush our teeth...Appa and Nicky are making us breakfast..."

As she helps the children with the sink—there's no step stool in this house—she comes to the conclusion that she's furious with herself. She had to pick today to fall asleep in bed with Cassian? Today, before seeing the Feyre's Inner Circle for the first time in years? Amren and Morrigan and Rhysand and even Azriel...why has she done this to herself?

"You'll be smarter than Mummy, won't you, Avery?" she mumbles.

"What, Mummy?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

Thirty seconds after entering the kitchen, where Cassian is holding Nicky in one arm and preparing eggs over the stove in the other, it becomes clear to Nesta that avoiding talking about this is going to be difficult, because Cassian seems as determined to catch her eye and talk to her as she is against doing so.

"You all can stay here with Appa, can't you?" she says brightly. "Mummy's going to get dressed." And take a bath for much longer than necessary. Perhaps that'll help her clear her head.

January 18 - Year of

Cassian hadn't left since coming back from Velaris. Nesta didn't ask why the trips to other camps had been canceled, nervous about his answer. But while he was here, while he did not bring her letters from her sisters...she was...enjoying it.

Things at the clothier were doing better. Nesta's ordering strategy worked, and Emerie seemed pleased. She shared lunch with her every day, and went back home in the evenings to have dinner with Cassian.

Even the throbbing pain in her head had ceased. Occasionally, Nesta still wanted a drink, but it had been over five months since she last had one, and sometimes there were whole days where the thought didn't cross her mind even once.

When Cassian showed up to Emerie's shop one afternoon in mid-January, basket of sandwiches in hand, Nesta didn't make up an excuse to rush out like she had last time.

"Lunch break?" he asked them both.

Emerie looked at her sideways. A small smile tugged at Nesta's lips at the sight of her unease; for someone who had only ever seen Cassian as an untouchable, more mythic creature than real person, she imagined him walking into your place of work and offering you a picnic basket would be very odd indeed.

But Emerie might have been a bit more used to Nesta and all things that came for her, because she shrugged a little and said, "All right."

So there they sat, in the back room, which Nesta had once told Cassian was employees only. She hoped he didn't remember, but judging by his smirk he did. She rolled her eyes in response.

"How's business?" he asked.

Emerie glanced at Nesta with narrowed eyes before answering. "Good. How is..." Emerie trailed off. What could she say? How is the growing restlessness amongst the legions, the steadily rising number of rebels, the threats of civil war?

"Everything's fine," Cassian said.

"You've been here more often," Emerie noted.

"More for me to do here."

What that could possibly mean, Nesta had no idea. She saw him going over reports sometimes, but that was about it. And Cassian wasn't like her; he couldn't just sit at home and read a book. An afternoon walk was not enough to invigorate him, he needed something properly challenging.

"Although I'm going to be leaving soon," he continued. "Train a group of females."

"Who are they?" Nesta asked.

"Soldiers."

"I thought you didn't have female soldiers."

"We should," he said. "It doesn't make sense to cut out half our possible numbers automatically."

"Do they want to be soldiers?" Nesta asked, looking sideways at Emerie. Nesta would not want to be one—for anyone, but definitely not for an army who sliced their daughters' bodies like that.

"Of course they do," he said.

She frowned. "I don't think wanting to be a soldier is such an obvious desire."

"They're Illyrian," he said, pouring them juice from the jug he had brought.

"I don't want to be a soldier," Emerie spoke up.

Cassian's eyes slid towards her. "We don't force anyone. But females should be allowed, if they want. If they have something to give."

Emerie shrugged.

Nesta didn't love a land enough to be willing to risk being torn apart on a battlefield for. "Why are you so keen on females fighting in combat?" she asked. "Don't you think if they really wanted to, they would have found some way to do so by now?"

"It's not true that you don't force anyone," Emerie said softly.

Cassian flinched.

"It's not Cassian's fault your cousin died, Emerie," Nesta said, without missing a beat.

Cassian seemed to hold his breath, but that was unnecessary. Emerie and Nesta knew each other well enough by now to allow for such statements.

"I know that," she said. "I don't blame him."

Nesta thought Cassian might have some long-suffering response to that, like You're the only one, or something noble, like I take responsibility anyway, but when she turned to him, he was only staring at her. Hazel eyes tense and studying, like she was one of his reports.

December 21 - 4 years after

Per Nesta's request to Cassian, Solstice dinner has been moved up several hours, so the children can participate. By five their carriage pulls up in front of Feyre's manor, and the children are vibrating with excitement.

"Nesta, maybe we could have a word before we go in?" Cassian says to her in a low voice.

"I think we want to go inside and see our presents," Nesta says, loudly, brightly, so the triplets' cheers drown out Cassian's request.

He frowns only a little—it's hard not to be taken with the sheer joy on their tiny faces. So he quickly grins and says, "All right, let's go in, then."

Nesta had her own suitcase full of gifts from herself and Sugar Valley townspeople delivered earlier (except for what she had intended to bring Cassian—she has left that at his house), and she has nothing to hold in her hands as a buffer. So for the second time this evening, she uses her children to her advantage, and picks up Ollie; the child least likely to try and wriggle out of her arms, leaving her defenseless.

Cassian leads them up to the front door. It's thrown open before they have a chance to get there, and Elain hurries out to greet them.

"Happy Solstice!" she trills, pulling in Avery and Nicky for a hug. "Come in, come in! We're all waiting for you!"

Feyre, beaming, takes their coats. She has a circlet set atop her head, her golden-brown locks lightly curling down. A gift from Rhysand, no doubt. But not for Solstice.

"Happy birthday," Nesta says to her.

Feyre's eyes flutter. "Oh, thank you!"

Nesta stifles an eyeroll. Did she think she had forgotten?

"Now, we thought you might like to keep things casual, you know, with them, so we haven't really planned for a sit-down meal...we thought they'd like presents more...is that all right?"

Nesta frowns. "I mean, we haven't fed them—"

"No, I know, I meant we're just not going to make them sit around a table. There's food! Lots of food! Just on tables. And we're all in couches. Is that all right? Right in here, see?"

See she does. Everyone.

She is pleased she's holding Ollie, as it appears to be working in his favor too, judging by how tightly he grips her as he takes in, for the first time in his life, five adults he has never seen before. Even Avery and Nicky seem a bit taken aback, with Nicky stepping a little closer to Cassian's legs and Avery looking up at him, slightly dazed.

The Inner Circle sits on assorted couches and armchairs, all dressed for the occasion. A large table of food is on the right side of the room, with bottles of fine wine and fruit drinks too. In the middle, creating a small mountain on the floor, is a pile of presents.

Amren is there, already clad in a dozen glittering jewels. Her hair is shorter than it had been last time Nesta saw her, but her silver eyes are the same: unblinking, unwavering in her stare. Their gaze locks, but she draws her eyes away, towards Cassian, when he speaks.

"These are Ava and Nicky," he says, scooping them both up and smiling down at them when they giggle, "and that's Ollie with Nesta."

Morrigan, sharing a loveseat with Emerie, is the first to stand. "Hello, Nesta," she says, face blank. Nesta does her best to keep her expression free of ire as she nods in return. "Hi there," she says, much more warmly. "Ava and Nicky and Ollie...hi. I'm Mor." She gives them an affectionate smile, brown eyes crinkled and twinkling. She reaches out her hand...to touch them? She doesn't seem to know what to do, hesitating, and settles on patting Avery's leg.

"Are you hungry?" Feyre asks. "Look, we've got food here...Nicky, you like turkey, don't you?"

"No, I don't," he answers.

"He does," Nesta tells her. "He just doesn't remember what it's called."

"Oh. Here's the table..." Feyre waves over, rather unnecessarily, at the spread of food. Normally Nesta doesn't like buffet styles, but she admits to herself that it'll definitely go over better. She can see each of her children eyeing the gifts. There's no chance of getting them to sit at a table.

"We're getting plates of food before we're opening presents," she says, looking at them. "All right?"

Nesta hasn't eaten since lunch, but being here makes her appetite disappear, so she only fixes a plot for Ollie. She sits on one of the empty couches with him on her lap. Avery sits with Cassian and Nicky sits with Elain.

The initial awkward quiet is quickly dissipated by her sisters' determination to keep the evening lovely, so they force their friends and her children into conversation. Avery, of course, takes to them all like a dragon to the skies, and Nicky does too (after looking at his elder sister, and following her lead), but Ollie keeps looking down at his lap and blushing.

"It's all right," she murmurs, kissing the top of his head. "Would you like to open presents now?"

He nods, still looking down, but his siblings hold no such qualms.

"Yes, I want to!"

"I also want to! Mummy, can I?"

"Can they, Nesta?" Feyre says, nearly begging, batting her eyes.

"Sure."

"Yes! All right, Ava...this one's from me..."

"Here, Ollie," Elain says, radiating joy as she grabs a box and walks over to him. "This is for you!"

"Thank you, Aunt Elain," he says shyly. He looks up at Nesta.

"You can open it," she encourages him. "Nicky, what do you say?"

"Thank you!"

The flurry of presents commences, with the adults in the party opening theirs as well. Glittering trinkets for Amren, of course, and some jokes about Morrigan getting everyone the same thing.

"Here, Nesta, this is from me," Feyre says, handing over a gift.

Nesta blinks. "Oh. Thanks."

She gently slides Ollie over to Elain, but he is so taken with his—eugh—live caterpillar, in an aquarium, he hardly notices. Acutely aware of Feyre's eyes on her, Nesta opens the present. A small gasp escapes her.

Four portraits—just like the ones that decorate this house, except inherently better, because these are of her children. One of each of them, grinning broadly, painted to perfection—Feyre's quite good, isn't she—and one of the four of them. Remarkable, Nesta thinks, how her sister has managed to create something she has never seen before, for she has never seen Nesta playing with the children in the park like this, in these positions.

Nicky looks over. "It's me!" he says. "It's me and Ava and Ollie and Mummy!"

Nesta picks up her head. Feyre's hands are held tightly at her mouth. She's bouncing up and down a little—much like the children do, actually, she thinks with a small smile.

"Do you like it?"

"I do," Nesta says, pleased to find her voice is even. "Thank you."

"I'm so glad," she says, relieved.

"Feyre, this is for you," Azriel says, passing Feyre a smaller package. "Elain, this one's yours..."

"Oh—Nesta, is this from you?" Elain asks, surprised.

"Yes," she says shortly.

"I...thank you."

"You haven't opened them yet," she says to them both.

They exchange a look before they do. In fact, it seems as though everyone except the children pauses to watch Elain and Feyre open what Nesta got for them. What are they expecting? She knows her sisters. She knows what they like.

"Oh, wow, Nesta," Feyre says, looking at the paint set. "From the Continent?"

Of course it is. Nesta lives on the Continent. "It's natural paint," she says. "Locally made. With the berries. And that's a sugarberry tree sapling, Elain."

"Oh, I've got my work cut out for me, don't I!" Elain says, excited.

"Why have you got your work—"

"They're really hands-on outside of Gilameyva...I've been doing a bit of research...oh, but it's actually best to plant them right in mid-winter, so this is perfect...Nesta, this is for you, from you friends in Sugar Valley, I think."

The gift exchange still is not over, after another ten minutes—the sheer amount of nonsense gifted to her children is staggering, but she cannot bring herself to be upset at the irrationality of it. They're overjoyed. But Nicky asks for a pause, so Nesta can take him to the bathroom, and then asks for orange juice on the way back, and because there wasn't any in the sitting room, she takes him into the kitchen herself. She intends to ask him about what he had seen earlier that morning, but when they enter the room, Emerie is there, sitting at the bar.

She stands when she sees them. "Hello, Nesta. N-Nicky." She gives Nesta's son a curt nod.

"Hi!"

"Hello, Emerie. Nicky...here's some orange juice. Appa will pour it for you."

"Okay, thank you Mummy," he says, taking it from her, holding the carton with both his hands.

Nesta waits until Nicky is out of earshot before she blurts out, "Can I ask you something?"

Emerie startles. Oh, had she wanted to say something? Cassian had told her that it is Emerie's turn to speak, didn't he?

"Unless you want to say something."

"Er, no, that's...all right."

"Well," Nesta says. How to put this delicately. "Nicky walked in on Cassian in my bed this morning. With me."

Judging by how wide Emerie's eyes go, that was not the correct choice. "We didn't do anything," she hurries to say. "He just fell asleep."

"Oh," Emerie says, the color of her cheeks going back to normal. "Well. Is that so bad?"

"I don't know," Nesta says, miserable. Amorette would know. She should have just waited to go home and ask her. Emerie doesn't know children.

"I don't think it's so bad," Emerie says, trying to be helpful. "I mean...if he sees it a lot more, he'll think it's normal."

"I don't know if he's going to be seeing it a lot more. So this might...confuse him."

"Oh," Emerie says. "Oh, we assumed...oh."

"You assumed what? Who's we?"

"Er, Mor and I. And, ah, everyone. That you two...would be...well. Together."

Nesta shakes her head and looks around the room. "Well—I don't know why you would assume that," she says lamely.

"Oh," Emerie says again.

"We're not. Together, I mean."

"And you won't be?"

Nesta purses her lips.

"Oh."

"It's complicated," Nesta says, finally.

Emerie plays with her braid, her wings relaxing slightly. "That's what I love about Mor, you know. She makes everything simple. Everything's easy." A slight trace of amusement shines through Emerie's dark eyes. "One would think three children and a love story would be simple, too."

"There's no..." Nesta starts to protest, but stops. Emerie was there for it, after all. There's no point in pretending with her. So she changes pace. "We used to be simple," she says softly.

"I told Mor that," Emerie says in the same tone. "I know you two...don't get along. But I told her...I always tell her, we were...friends."

They were. At a time where Nesta didn't have any—and Emerie didn't, either. That makes Nesta's leaving her without even saying goodbye more reprehensible.

"I don't think Nicky will be traumatized," Emerie says. She smiles slightly. "I wasn't, after all."

A short, breathless, embarrassed laugh escapes Nesta's mouth. She had forgotten about that. "Well that's...good to hear."

Emerie opens her mouth, but she is cut off by the sound of Nicky and Avery having a conversation in the hallway.

"I think Mummy stayed in the kitchen because she was angry," Nicky is saying.

"Mummy doesn't know how to be angry," Avery replies. "Mummy?" she calls out.

"In here, ladybug."

Nicky and Avery walk in, hand-in-hand. Emerie looks a little taken aback.

"Are you coming back, Mummy?"

"Yes, angels," she says. "Ah, Emerie, are you coming?"

"Yes," she says shortly. She hesitates. "Did they walk here by themselves?" she says to Nesta, under her breath.

"Yes," Nesta answers, bemused.

"He remembered the way?"

Nesta laughs. "Avery, Nicky, why don't you tell Emerie what you like to do at school?"

The entire walk back, Nesta watches Emerie's eyes grow wider and wider as the pair of them trip over themselves trying to talk about their friends and their drawings and their trips to the park and their flying lessons.

She knows Emerie's reaction well. She experiences it herself often enough. Three real, unique people.

Hours later, when Feyre declares the evening a success, and she and Cassian carry the children's sleeping forms into the carriage, and Rhysand and Azriel carry out the trunks of gifts for them, Emerie whispers to her, "I hadn't realized...perhaps you should talk to Nicky."

And when Cassian finally catches her eye—there is nowhere else to look—she knows she has to talk to him, too.

---

Chapter Seventeen